/Kindergarten Policies
For the first few weeks of school you can expect an avalanche of notices and papers to be filled out and returned to school. Please fill out all of the paperwork and send them back to school promptly. They are important!
All paperwork that you receive today during orientation (found on the left hand side of your child’s green folder) needs to be filled out at home and returned to school by ASAP.
Need to Know:
Snacks/ Lunch
We have a snack break every morning at 10:30 am. Be sure to pack a snack and drink daily for your child. We have approximately 10 minutes for snack so only send in what your child can eat/drink in that time frame. Be sure to include plastic silverware and a napkin with your child’s snack. We do encourage healthy eating in kindergarten and independence with opening snacks. You may want to have your child practice opening and closing their food items before school begins. When you send your child to school with a snack and lunch please separate the two so your child will know which is his/her lunch and which is his/her snack.
Lunch will be free for all students!
Attendance:
Attendance is taken every morning at 9:00 am. If you child is going to be late or not in school, you must email teacher and the office.
Backpacks
Backpacks are necessary to the development and organizational skills for your child. This backpack should be large enough to hold personal belongings as well as school items. Every night, it will be necessary for you to check your child’s backpack. This will ensure that you have received our notes about school happenings and upcoming events. You will also be able to appreciate all that good “Kindergarten” work that your child treasures and has worked hard to accomplish. Please have your child practice zipping, unzipping, and packing their belongings into a backpack.
Folders
Your child will have a green folder for Kindergarten. It is necessary that your child bring this folder to school every day. All notices, papers, and any homework will go home in this folder every day. You need to check your child’s folder daily and remove the papers in the folder. Only one paper should remain in your child’s folder at all times (It is the pre-decodable/decodable take home practice stories check off sheet.) If you have any paperwork or changes that I need to know about, please put them in your child’s folder because I will check them each day. As soon as you know about a schedule change (bus pass/walker) for your child please notify the office and myself before 9:15 am. It is important for the office to have this information in the event of my absence.
Updates on Curriculum
Kindergarten is the base for your child's educational foundation. In ELA we use Fundations to build on phonics and phonemic awareness and Wonders to build on comprehension/ reading skills.
We will be starting a new math curriculum this year ,Bridges in Mathematics. Bridges in Mathematics is a standards-based K–5 curriculum that provides a unique blend of concept development and skills practice in the context of problem solving. It incorporates Number Corner, a collection of daily skill-building activities for students.
Birthdays
We love birthdays in Kindergarten. Your child will have a "special" seat to sit in and be given a small favor bag from
Mrs. Smith and I. We also sing and dance during morning meeting and Mrs. Garden announces them as well and provides a special book! We do ask for no food items. Please note that we are not allowed to pass out invites in the school. If a class directory is available I will provide that.
Lunch
Please be sure to tell your child what they are doing for lunch each day before they leave for school. You will need to set up a lunch account for your child by going on the MURSD.org website and click on School Lunch Information. You can find your child’s student ID number on the blue data form. You will be able to put money on your child’s lunch account using a credit card OR you can pay ahead with a check sent into school inside your child’s folder. If sending in a check please fill in the “memo” section of the check specifying that it is for your child’s lunch account. The cafeteria will send home a notice if you owe money.
Bus Name Tags
Please have your child wear his/her bus tag to school each day for the next few weeks. Please remind your child what bus he/she is to go on each day. Wearing the bus name tag will make it less fearful for your child to come to school and go home each day.
Expectations
With our help and guidance, it is expected that all students will follow the Clough school rules on pages 27-29 of the Clough School Parent and Student Handbook. These rules include the following: Be Respectful, Stay in Control, Hands Off, and Quiet Voices. These rules are guidelines for behavior in the classroom, cafeteria, playground, and all specials (ex. music, art, library, physical education, and technology). They are also reinforced through SOAR. Each SOAR butterfly explains the expectations in those areas. They can be found on our website. We will discuss and review the rules frequently so that each student has an understanding of what is expected of them throughout the day. We understand that they are only kindergartners and sometimes rules are broken. It is our job to provide students with understanding and guidance so that they can be successful. If a behavior is consistent and disruptive to the class I will ask for your support and ask for you to help me to reinforce the school wide rules at home.
Parent-Teacher Communication
I believe that you and I are a team with the best interest of your child at heart. If at any time you have a concern or question please do not hesitate to contact me. The best way to reach me is through email at: [email protected]. I will respond to emails as soon as I am able to do so. Parent-Teacher communication is key to the success of your child’s first year of kindergarten. I want every child to have a great year and together we can make that happen. So thank you for being a part of my team.
Other Important Things
Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.
Thank you!
The Kindergarten Team
For the first few weeks of school you can expect an avalanche of notices and papers to be filled out and returned to school. Please fill out all of the paperwork and send them back to school promptly. They are important!
All paperwork that you receive today during orientation (found on the left hand side of your child’s green folder) needs to be filled out at home and returned to school by ASAP.
Need to Know:
Snacks/ Lunch
We have a snack break every morning at 10:30 am. Be sure to pack a snack and drink daily for your child. We have approximately 10 minutes for snack so only send in what your child can eat/drink in that time frame. Be sure to include plastic silverware and a napkin with your child’s snack. We do encourage healthy eating in kindergarten and independence with opening snacks. You may want to have your child practice opening and closing their food items before school begins. When you send your child to school with a snack and lunch please separate the two so your child will know which is his/her lunch and which is his/her snack.
Lunch will be free for all students!
Attendance:
Attendance is taken every morning at 9:00 am. If you child is going to be late or not in school, you must email teacher and the office.
Backpacks
Backpacks are necessary to the development and organizational skills for your child. This backpack should be large enough to hold personal belongings as well as school items. Every night, it will be necessary for you to check your child’s backpack. This will ensure that you have received our notes about school happenings and upcoming events. You will also be able to appreciate all that good “Kindergarten” work that your child treasures and has worked hard to accomplish. Please have your child practice zipping, unzipping, and packing their belongings into a backpack.
Folders
Your child will have a green folder for Kindergarten. It is necessary that your child bring this folder to school every day. All notices, papers, and any homework will go home in this folder every day. You need to check your child’s folder daily and remove the papers in the folder. Only one paper should remain in your child’s folder at all times (It is the pre-decodable/decodable take home practice stories check off sheet.) If you have any paperwork or changes that I need to know about, please put them in your child’s folder because I will check them each day. As soon as you know about a schedule change (bus pass/walker) for your child please notify the office and myself before 9:15 am. It is important for the office to have this information in the event of my absence.
Updates on Curriculum
Kindergarten is the base for your child's educational foundation. In ELA we use Fundations to build on phonics and phonemic awareness and Wonders to build on comprehension/ reading skills.
We will be starting a new math curriculum this year ,Bridges in Mathematics. Bridges in Mathematics is a standards-based K–5 curriculum that provides a unique blend of concept development and skills practice in the context of problem solving. It incorporates Number Corner, a collection of daily skill-building activities for students.
Birthdays
We love birthdays in Kindergarten. Your child will have a "special" seat to sit in and be given a small favor bag from
Mrs. Smith and I. We also sing and dance during morning meeting and Mrs. Garden announces them as well and provides a special book! We do ask for no food items. Please note that we are not allowed to pass out invites in the school. If a class directory is available I will provide that.
Lunch
Please be sure to tell your child what they are doing for lunch each day before they leave for school. You will need to set up a lunch account for your child by going on the MURSD.org website and click on School Lunch Information. You can find your child’s student ID number on the blue data form. You will be able to put money on your child’s lunch account using a credit card OR you can pay ahead with a check sent into school inside your child’s folder. If sending in a check please fill in the “memo” section of the check specifying that it is for your child’s lunch account. The cafeteria will send home a notice if you owe money.
Bus Name Tags
Please have your child wear his/her bus tag to school each day for the next few weeks. Please remind your child what bus he/she is to go on each day. Wearing the bus name tag will make it less fearful for your child to come to school and go home each day.
Expectations
With our help and guidance, it is expected that all students will follow the Clough school rules on pages 27-29 of the Clough School Parent and Student Handbook. These rules include the following: Be Respectful, Stay in Control, Hands Off, and Quiet Voices. These rules are guidelines for behavior in the classroom, cafeteria, playground, and all specials (ex. music, art, library, physical education, and technology). They are also reinforced through SOAR. Each SOAR butterfly explains the expectations in those areas. They can be found on our website. We will discuss and review the rules frequently so that each student has an understanding of what is expected of them throughout the day. We understand that they are only kindergartners and sometimes rules are broken. It is our job to provide students with understanding and guidance so that they can be successful. If a behavior is consistent and disruptive to the class I will ask for your support and ask for you to help me to reinforce the school wide rules at home.
Parent-Teacher Communication
I believe that you and I are a team with the best interest of your child at heart. If at any time you have a concern or question please do not hesitate to contact me. The best way to reach me is through email at: [email protected]. I will respond to emails as soon as I am able to do so. Parent-Teacher communication is key to the success of your child’s first year of kindergarten. I want every child to have a great year and together we can make that happen. So thank you for being a part of my team.
Other Important Things
- Please label and put your child’s name on all of his/her possessions.
- We suggest placing a picture of yourself in your child’s backpack as a comfort item.
- Your child will need to know his/her full name, address, and telephone number by the end of September. Your assistance in this area would be greatly appreciated.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.
Thank you!
The Kindergarten Team