Absences If your child is absent, please remember to send in an excuse the following day. You may send a doctor’s excuse or written note explaining why your child was absent. Please call the school if your child is going to be absent at 922-6612. If a student must leave early for a doctor’s appointment, go to the office to sign him out and the secretary will call him to the office. The child will be escorted to the office by an adult. Students are considered absent if 50% of the day is missed(11:30 is considered 50% of the day).

Attendance A successful school experience is the responsibility of the child, the parent and the school.  Your child's progress, both academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation.  Regular attendance without tardiness is a key.

Arrival Students should arrive between 7:50AM and 8:05AM report to the school gym. If eating breakfast report to cafeteria and will be dismissed from there. Students should not arrive prior to 7:50AM since supervision by the school staff is not available.  School begins promptly at 8:20AM and afternoon dismissal is at 2:50PM. Please pick up your child promptly.

Art The children will attend a 40 minute Art class. This is on a 6 day rotation.

Bookbags To help your child carry messages and information to and from school, you are asked to provide a backpack (non-rolling) for this purpose. Please have your child share the contents of the bookbag with you daily. Bookbags help your child carry folders, notes, projects, and books to and from school. Please send your child’s bookbag DAILY.

Birthdays Birthdays are special occasions for young children. If your child wishes, he/she may bring a store bought treat for the class. We will celebrate during lunch time in the cafeteria. You are welcome to eat lunch with your child on his/her birthday.

Clothes It is a good idea to LABEL all coats and sweaters. Becoming involved in kindergarten activities often means that the students will get a little “messy.” Also make sure your child wears TENNIS shoes daily. Please send an extra change of clothes in a Ziploc bag and make sure everything is labeled including socks and underwear.

Communications Reports You will receive communication reports each quarter. At the end of the quarter you will receive your child’s report card. Please feel free to schedule conferences at any time throughout the year if the need arises.

Computer Lab The children will attend a 40 minute Computer Lab class. This is on a6 day rotation.

Differentiation Because all children are unique and special, they may be at many different instructional levels. Since it is my responsibility to take each child from where he or she is to a higher level, students may be learning concepts different from his/her peers. With this type of teaching in the classroom, you can be sure that your child’s individual needs will be met.

Discipline School wide expectations for the classroom, hallway, bus, bathrooms, assembly, cafeteria, arrival, departure are taught using P.R.I.D.E. P is for politeness(manners) R is for respect( for self, teachers, others, and property) I is for integrity( honesty, good character), D is for discipline(self-control, following rules), E is for excellence(work, attitude). The children will earn den dollars when displaying pride school wide. Once a month the children will be able to spend their den dollars in the den store. You will receive more information in your parent handhook. My philosophy of discipline is based on the belief that children need affectionate care and firm guidelines within a flexible structure. To establish good order and help children learn self-control, the children will be guided to respect themselves and their companions through specific directions, positive reinforcements, suggested new activities and responsible actions.

 

E-Mail You can contact me via my email address: rhjenkins@wsfcs.k12.nc.us. I will check my email on a daily basis. Please do not send me an email if your child’s transportation will change for that day, contact the office at 922-6612.

Emergency Cards Your child will have an emergency card on file in the office and also in my classroom notebook. At least two working phone numbers are required in order to contact parents in case of illness or emergency. Please contact me if your phone number or address changes.

Envelopes When sending money (cash or check) to school please put it in a sealed envelope labeled with your child’s name, what the money is for, and my name. Please send the exact amount as we cannot make change. This insures that all money gets to school and we know what to do with it. A good idea is to save bill or junk mail envelopes.

Field Trips We plan several field trips that are both fun and educational for the children. Parent drivers are not permitted, so buses will have to be used for transportation. We often

need parent volunteers on the trips and chaperones will be chosen on a first come, first served basis.  Family Fieldtrips must be approved by the principal.

Fire Drill Fire drills are held on a monthly basis throughout the year.  All students will participate and are expected to walk quickly and quietly to their designated exit.  We will practice and become familiar with procedures before our first scheduled drill.Grading Kindergarten-Second Grade(Levels 1-4)1- Does not meet grade level expectations; Having considerable difficulty2- Making progress toward meeting grade level expectations; Shows inconsistent

understanding3- Meets grade level expectations; Shows consistent understanding4- Exceeds grade level expectations; Shows deep understanding

Guided Reading The definition of guided reading encompasses a wide variety of behaviors. For example, some children may be working on alphabet recognition; some may require teacher support to read stories with predictable text, while others may read simple text independently. Guided reading provides an opportunity to teach children the variety of reading strategies they need in order to become fluent, independent readers. During guided reading, the teacher monitors and evaluates each child’s progress.

Hands-On Learning I feel that the best way to help children learn is to make learning fun. Important concepts can be learned by doing meaningful hands-on activities. There are times when seatwork is required and necessary, but for the most part, our classroom will be an active learning environment.

Health Please let me know of special circumstances which may affect your child. These could include medication that may make him sleepy, a death in the family, etc. Also, please let me know of any allergies your child may have, especially food allergies. We sometimes cook or do food activities to in kindergarten and it would be helpful to know when I plan our recipes.

Help At Home Your child is expected to know these readiness skills:•Full name             •Address              •Telephone number•Parents’ names     •Basic colors        •Counting to 30•Printing first name beginning with a capital letter and the rest in lower case

When time permits, work on these skills also:•Reciting the alphabet                •Shape names                •Birthday (month & date)          •Identifying numbers to 10•Identifying letter names           •Tie shoesYour extra help at home really makes a difference!

Homework I will send homework beginning mid September. All homework has a purpose and is related to what we are working on in class. It is simply a quick review of all the concepts we are learning. It should never take more than 10-15 minutes to complete. I assign homework Monday – Thursday. Although Kindergarten seems early to start having homework assignments, it is a good habit that when started early, and supported by you, will last throughout your child’s academic career. All homework folders will be due back each day. Home work procedures may change based on needs of children.

Illness The question of when to keep your child home from school is often a difficult one, especially when decisions must be made first thing in the morning. Sore throats, runny noses, and fevers may be symptoms of a number of communicable diseases, and other children should not be exposed to a sick child. It is important, however, to keep your child home if he/she is ill. This helps to make them more comfortable and prevents others from becoming ill.  Children function more effectively in the classroom when they are healthy.

Immunizations All students must be immunized against certain diseases or must present a statement that the student should not be immunized. Proof of immunizations must be presented to the school within 30 days of enrollment.

Independent Reading Because children learn to read by reading, they need plenty of opportunities to read independently.  Sufficient time and appropriate materials are necessary to develop and strengthen reading abilities.  By giving the children time to read both at school and at home, we can work together to provide a literature-rich environment and a life-long love of reading.

Journals One strategy that will be used to help convey the vital concept that “print conveys meaning” is the frequent use of journal writing.  In these journals the kindergartners combine their emerging writing skills with their drawing skills.  As the children are exposed to a variety of phonics and reading experiences, journal entries will move from drawings and “inventive” spellings towards more conventional writing. We will use journals in reading, math and science. Non spiral notebooks are needed for math and science.

Kindness Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our class as well as others with kindness and respect. Bothering others, bullying and interrupting learning will not be permitted.

Literacy Centers During literacy centers, children practice reading and writing skills while the teacher works with individual children or small guided reading groups.  The center activities are designed to strengthen letter/sound knowledge, listening skills, oral language expression, rhyme, letter formation and cooperation.

Lunch Children may either purchase their lunch or bring from home. A monthly lunch menu will be sent home with each day’s meal choices for you to discuss with your child. We eat lunch at 10:50AM and go through Line A in sit in section1 which is right by the doors of the cafeteria. You are always welcome to join us, but please wait until after September.

 Media The children go to the Media Center. This is on a 6 day rotation. The children will have a chance to select a book to borrow for a week.

Medicine All medicines must be kept in the health room. The bottle must have the child’s name, directions for dispensing the medicine, and a doctor signed permission slip enabling the school to give the medication. Inhalers and Eip-pens will remain with child in classroom. These forms are in the office.

 Music The children will attend a 40 minute Music class. This is on a 6 day rotation.

Newsletter Our monthly newsletter goes home on Wednesdays. This will keep you informed about what is happening in our class---the skills we are learning, special activities and upcoming events.

Outside Play The children will be going out for a 30 minute recess each day. Please keep this in mind when helping your child to select clothing for the day and make sure they wear tennis shoes and socks.

Open Lines Of Communication Please let me know if you have ANY concerns or questions regarding your child.

Parent Involvement Your support of school activities makes your child feel important and sends the message that you value school! We are always happy to have your help for

special activities in the classroom. I will try to let you know at least a week ahead of time if I need help. I hope that you can come and join in the fun!

P.E. The children will attend a 40 minute P.E. class. This is on a 6 day rotation. Please wear tennis shoes. Children will not go outside on days they have P.E.

Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence Each morning we will recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States and observe a moment of silence.

  Questions Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child. I a am available before and after school. The school number is 922-6612.

Report Cards Report cards are issued every nine weeks.  These reports reflect the progress your child has made toward various kindergarten objectives and uses a grading system that reflects the developmental nature of kindergarten learning. Academic and behavior reports will be sent on the 2nd and 6th week of each quarter. A mid-quarter graded report will be sent on the 4th week. The dates are on my calendar page on my website. They will also be on the newsletter.

Science The students will 30 minutes of Science or Social Studies daily.

Safety Your child’s safety is top priority. I take every precaution when your child is in my care. Please send a note with your child if he/she is to go home a different way. We will not take your child’s word that he/she is going home a different way.

Snack Your child will send in a monthly snack to share with the class (19). Please send it in at the first of the month and make sure it is commercial and individually wrapped. We will send home a list of healthy snack choices.

Toys Bringing toys to school is discouraged because they distract the children from learning. If a toy is accidentally lost or broken, feelings will be hurt.

Unique Kindergartners learn that they are special and unique. Kindergartners have opportunities to describe how they are alike as well as different from others. They share their culture and learn about different cultures within the class.

Visitors Gibson Elementary has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces) are required to check in at the school office. Gibson welcomes and encourages family involvement and the presence of a visitor sticker will help identify visitors to all faculty and staff. It is important to remember that while this may seem inconvenient to frequent visitors, it is the goal and responsibility of the school to create a safe learning environment.

Volunteer If you would like to volunteer at Gibson in ANY capacity you must complete a Volunteer form. These forms are available now on the WSFCS site. Go to the Parent/Community drop down box, click on Volunteers and away you go!! All forms must be done on-line!

Webpage Check in regularly to find information about curriculum, special events and school news. I will be featuring photos of our class activities--it's the next best thing to being in our classroom each day! Please promptly return the web permission form, which permits me to include your child's photo and first name on our website.

Writing Our writing program builds on what each child already knows. Writing begins with scribbles and proceeds to lines and circles, random strings of letters, words and spaces and eventually sentences. Your children will be encouraged and praised for all attempts and accomplishments in writing. Providing a risk-free environment is paramount to your child's progress in writing. Please provide your child with writing tools, such as pencils, crayons, markers and paper at home.

 

Experience We will have many wonderful experiences this year such as cooking, crafts, science experiments, making class books, and playing many learning games. They will be fun and exciting!

You You can help to make your child feel successful this year by doing some of the following: Reading to your child is the single most important thing you can do. It encourages them to become good readers. Another important way to help your child is to discuss the school day with them. Ask questions like, “What did you learn today?”, “What did you work the hardest on?”, or “What are you getting better at?” These questions causes’ children to reflect on their learning which in turn helps them remember new information. Ask your child about centers, music, P.E., reading or math work. It is

also important that you work with your child on the homework that is assigned each week. Encourage your child to ask questions about school. Informed children are confident children. Talk positively about school. The way your child perceives your feelings about his/her school and teachers will have a direct effect on them. Show an enthusiasm for learning, it is contagious!

Younger Siblings It is in your child’s and the program’s best interest to have our parent volunteers available WITHOUT younger children. This not only allows your full attention to be focused on the class, but also allows for some special time between you and your kindergartner.  Thank you for making childcare arrangements for younger siblings.

Zzzz Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to your child.   It will help them to be alert and ready to learn each day!