Writer’s Workshop looks like this: - Tenafly Public Schools



Welcome ToKindergartenMrs. Saric & Mr. Densen 2015-2016AttendanceSchool begins at 8:30 with the late bell ringing at 8:40. If your child arrives after 8:40, please proceed to the office for a late slip.Children can line up with their safety patrols outside on sunny days and in the hallway next to our room on rainy days. Safety patrols will be with your child every morning and will assist them into the classroom.Morning MeetingResponsive classroom is an approach to learning that includes character building activities, community enriching exercises, as well as the opportunity for every child to feel comfortable and confident.Children participate in our Morning Meeting each day. We begin each day with the flag salute and song, the daily calendar, weather, number of the day, reading the morning message together, and participating in a group activityWriter’s WorkshopWriter’s Workshop looks like this:Teacher Modeled StrategyIndependent Practice Student-Teacher ConferencesGroup ShareGoals for Writer’s WorkshopStudents will learn to:*Think of themselves as readers and writers.*Make decisions about what to write.*Be focused writers throughout writer’s workshop.*Continue writing a piece for more than one day.*Include details in their writing.*Reread writing to make sure it makes sense.*Be able to talk about their writing with other writers and their teacher.*Use spaces between words.*Begin to use capital letters in names and at the beginning of sentences.*Begin to use appropriate punctuation marks at the end of sentences.*Use conventional spelling (temporary spelling) in their writing. (Stretch out words.)*Use conventional spelling for sight words they know.*Use Word Wall Words and environmental print to aid their spelling.*Learn to plan, edit, and revise their writing.*Understand there are many purposes for writing (letters, notes, lists, stories, inform, etc.).SnackOur class has snack at approximately 1:30 every day. Please send a snack to school each day. Healthy snacks are encouraged: fruit, vegetables, pretzels, crackers, cheese, and cereal. Children can also have a drink at this time. If one is not provided, they may use our water fountain here in the classroom. Candy is not permitted. Due to allergies, children are not permitted to share snacks. PhonicsPhonics First? corresponds to the English Language Arts focus areas in the Common Core State StandardsReading: Foundational Skills (Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Fluency)Language (Vocabulary)Reading: Literature (Comprehension)Reading: Informational Text (Comprehension)Writing (Writing Instruction)HandwritingThe students will learn how to properly form upper case letters, lower case letters, and numbers. The students will imitate, copy, and independently write through a variety of materials.Please see sheet in packet to see proper letter and number formation.LunchIf your child brings a lunch from home, please be sure it is labeled “Lunch”. Many times children are confused about what food is snack and what food is lunch. You may want to send in separate bags for each. Also, if your child does not receive milk for lunch, please send in a drink. Please be aware that the children will go outside each day unless it is raining or snowing. Have your child dressed appropriately for recess time. Reader’s WorkshopShared ReadingThe teacher uses a text that all students have a copy of or can clearly see. (This may be a Big Book, poem, directions, etc.) The text is used to teach and model specific reading and writing strategies. It often includes choral reading and active participation by the students.Read AloudsWhen reading aloud to the students, a teacher demonstrates that reading is fun!It is an opportunity to model fluent reading behaviors, and to demonstrate the use of reading and comprehension strategies, when needed. It is also an opportunity to extend students’ knowledge of the world, expand language development, and provide opportunities to think and talk about both the text and illustrations. Read alouds are a valuable component of our literacy program.Guided Reading and Strategy LessonsGuided reading is an instructional time when the teacher works with small groups of children showing them how to read, and supporting them as they read through texts. The goal is to help readers develop and use effective reading strategies as they read increasingly more difficult levels of text.Students will work with different groups as their needs change.Independent ReadingEach child has his/her own book bag with “just right” books in it. Students read on their own and with partners. Independent reading requires students to do independent word solving, practicing the strategies that they have learned. The students also engage in partner reading, allowing opportunities to talk and respond to what they are reading. As students read, the teacher confers with individuals or partners.Everyday Mathematics Curriculum for KindergartenContent is taught in a repeated fashion, beginning with concrete experiences to which students can relate. Research shows that students learn best when new topics are presented at a brisk pace, with multiple exposures over time, and with frequent opportunities for review and practice. The sequence of instruction in the Everyday Mathematics curriculum has been carefully mapped out to optimize these conditions for learning and retaining knowledge.Providing Rigorous, Balanced Mathematics ContentBeginning in Kindergarten, Everyday Mathematics introduces students to six major mathematical content strands that extend across all grade levels:Number SenseCounting every day in different ways and from different numbers by 1’s, 5’s, and 10’s, forward and backward; reading and writing numerals; comparing numbers through daily routines, games, and other activities; exploring different ways to represent numbers using manipulatives, words, drawings and operations.Operations and ComputationExploring addition and subtraction through concrete activities, games, and number stories, developing and sharing multiple strategies for solving addition and subtraction problems including counting and using fingers or other objects, all of which are still very acceptable and useful, using the +, -, and = symbols to write number models for number stories.Data AnalysisCollecting, organizing, displaying, and analyzing classroom data through the daily weather, temperature, and survey routines as well as through games and activities; working with data and graphing in activities such as graphing dice rolls, exploring probability through games and by describing the likelihood of events as definite, impossible, or possible.MeasurementMaking direct measurement comparisons followed by using non-standard units of measure all of which lay the groundwork for understanding the need for standard units of measure and learning proper measurement techniques; learning coins and their values; developing an understanding of time measures (day, week, and month), and temperature measures through daily routines.GeometryExploring 2-dimensional and 3- dimensional shapes with manipulatives- such as pattern blocks, attribute blocks, and building blocks – and through games.AlgebraIdentifying, creating, and extending sound, movement, and visual patterns; exploring number patterns on the Growing Number Line and Class Number Grid; using rules to sort objects, make patterns, and play games.Learning through age-appropriate, playful activities.Social StudiesAll about MeFamiliesCommunitiesSciencePropertiesSunshine and ShadowsFrom Seed to PlantRecessKindergarten has recess each afternoon in addition to their lunchtime recess. Please be aware that we will go outside each day unless it is raining or snowing. Have your child dressed appropriately for recess time.Star of the WeekEach child will have the opportunity to be the Star of the Week for one week this year. During this week, the class will spend some time each day focusing on your child. Monday: Please have your child bring to school their completed star of the week poster. This poster will be displayed on a special star of the week bulletin board all week.Tuesday: Please have your child bring in 5 important photos they would like to share with the class. Photos can include family, friends, vacations, etc.Wednesday: Please have your child bring to school a special item from home. Please place it in a bag or box so the students can play a guessing game through questioning.Thursday: Please have your child bring in their favorite book to school to share with the class.Friday: The star of the week has a chance to invite a special guest to school on Fridays from 2:30-3:00. The visitor can plan an art activity, read a story, sing songs or share some other special talent with the class. Free Choice PlayAt the end of each day, the children have the opportunity to play in the classroom from in the following centers:Computer Center Carpet CenterBlocks Center Kitchen CenterArt CenterLiteracy CenterDismissalChildren are dismissed at 3:10. Kindergarten classes are let out at the Virginia Street exits. On rainy days the children will remain at the door while I call a few at a time as I see their parents.If your child is going home with someone else, PLEASE WRITE A NOTE and put it in his or her “Daily Folder”. Notes are the best way to avoid mix-ups at dismissal time. I cannot release your child to anyone without a note. If a last minute change is necessary, please e-mail or call the office and they will notify me.Behavior Management Mackay school rules:Take care of ourselvesTake care of each otherTake care of our schoolThe children have worked together to create our class rules:Be good listenersRaise your hand to say somethingFollow directionsAlways use your mannersIn our classroom we work together as a team to earn a reward by using our manners and following directions. Whenever I see good behavior displayed, a pom-pom goes into our class bucket. When our bucket is filled, the class will receive a special reward. Also, when negative behavior is displayed, a pom-pom leaves the reward jar. This helps everyone to work together as a classroom team!Another main component of behavior is individual behavior. In our classroom it is important for the children to follow the rules that we created as a class. We have a clip chart in our classroom that is used to indicate behavior. Each child has a clip clothespin with his/her name printed on it. If good behavior is being exhibited, the clothespin remains on green. If reminders are given, then the clothespin is moved to yellow for slow down and a warning is given. The student will miss some of free choice time. If the negative behavior continues the clothespin will be moved to red. At this point the student will lose all of recess or free choice time and the parents will be notifiedHomeworkA monthly homework calendar will be attached in the “Daily Folder” at the beginning of each month. Weekly homework packets will be sent home on Monday on the “Right back to school” side of the folder and the whole packet should be returned Friday in the “Right back to school” side of the folder”. In addition, your child will take home a Poetry Notebook. This will be taken home each Tuesday night and returned each Friday to school. Each week your child will get a new poem to practice reading at home.In the following months your child will also be bringing home a book baggy filled with their kindergarten reader book and a few leveled books each night. The students will keep the same books in their book baggy throughout the week to help strengthen word recognition and fluency. Book baggies should be returned the very next day in the “Right back to school” side of the folder. The students read these books during reading time so it is very important they bring them back to school daily!!Please see the handout for some other helpful homework skills. Special EventsField Trips:We have a fun variety of field trips planned for this year. We have scheduled a visit to the Closter Nature Center, which goes along with our science units. In October, we will be going to Demarest Farm in Hillsdale to go pumpkin picking. In the spring we will be going to Turtle Back Zoo. Lastly, we have many local walking trips planned in Tenafly that go along with our Community Helpers unit, ie: post office, police dept., fire dept., public library, Stop & Shop.Birthdays:Below are the new procedures for celebrating student birthdays in school. Students will NOT bring any food or treats from home. Please do not send in any gifts/items to share either.Birthdays will be acknowledged during classroom morning meetings and teachers will highlight each child in an age-appropriate way. For example, the primary students may get to wear crowns for the day.Ms. Ryan will present each student with a birthday pencil and sticker from the office.Students will have their names and photos displayed on the new TV monitor outside the main office. Names are also read over the loudspeaker during weekly announcements.Students with summer birthdays can be acknowledged on their half-birthdays. July=January and August=February (we can use March 1,2,3 for August 29, 30, and 31)CommunicationI am available most mornings between 8:10 – 8:30. Daily folders are a great way to keep in touch. If you send a note I will respond that day. E-mail is another great way to get in touch with me during the day. I check it frequently, but please call the school if you have any urgent matters. Our e-mail address is: ssaric@tenafly.k12.nj.usmdensen@tenafly.k12.nj.us Classroom Website: Check out our classroom website for newsletters, reminders, schedules, and much more! How to get to the website: Go to…Tenafly’s new home page at on “our schools” and then select “Mackay.”Click “Class Pages” from the menu on the left hand side.Select “Kindergarten” and then “Mrs. Saric” ................
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