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First Week of School!

August 28, 2019

Whew!  We have survived our first full week of Kindergarten!!!   The students are adjusting to our routine really well, and I am so proud of them!  😊

This week we worked on establishing routines and learning school rules and procedures.  We also read several books and worked on some activities to go with a few of those stories.  Next week we will continue to work on rules and routines as well as work on completing a few assessments.  

Flashcard homework is going to start coming home on Monday, August 26.  I am going to be sending home a set of Pre-primer Dolch words. These are sight words that your student should be able to recognize and say.  I would like for you to keep them at home and read the cards one time each night. Throughout the year, I will be sending home harder cards. I will assess the students periodically to see if they can read the sight words.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Behavior:  Students may need a little extra encouragement from parents to remember to stay in their seats when they are to be working.  Several want to get up and roam the classroom during class. Also, please discuss with your child that they need to raise their hand and wait their turn before talking.  They really LOVE to talk and interrupt even when they are supposed to be quiet.  In addition, several like to poke or tap me to get my attention which is a big no-no.  😊 I did move a few behavior cards this week: students receive two warnings and then behavior cards are moved.  Reminder:  we will not be sending weekly behavior reports home in Friday folders except under special circumstances.  Therefore, if your child comes home with a behavior report, that is to keep you informed of behaviors needing to be addressed at home and to help us work on at school.  No behavior report = good behavior and keep up the good work! I appreciate your support by speaking to your child about their expected behavior at school.

Snack Time: 

• Thank you for remembering to provide a snack for your child daily.  This is really important, especially when they do not eat very much of their lunch, and we eat lunch early in the day.  Please remind your child to eat and not visit because they only have 20-25 minutes for lunch.

•  Also, please purchase milk tickets for your child if you have not yet done so.  Some students had several left over from last year and/or summer school.  If that’s the case, I sent home a note at Open House telling you how many your child has left.  A 20-day ticket is $7.00. Students who receive free or reduced lunches will still need to purchase a milk ticket for snack time.  ALWAYS send money in a sealed envelope stating child’s name, our class (KB), date, and what the money is for (lunch, milk ticket, etc.).

Toys:  Due to issues with toys getting lost, broken, stolen, and arguing over them, please keep toys at home/do not send them to school.  Thank you so much!!!

Reminders/Upcoming Dates:

• Every morning students may come to the classroom upon arriving to school and drop off their backpacks on the table outside our classroom door.  Then they are to go to the gym/elementary steps area where they may get ready to go outside (weather permitting) from 7:55 - 8:05 a.m. 

• Please fill out and return the pink sheet (front and back) on the back of your kindergarten packet if you have not done so already. You were given this packet at Open House or the first day your child attended school.  Please return these papers to school on Monday as well as any other paperwork that you received to be completed and returned to school. 

• NO SCHOOL:  Monday, Sept. 2 for Labor Day, Friday, Sept. 6 for the fair, and Monday, Sept. 9 for teacher workshop/professional development

•  Early-out at 1:14 for the fair:  Tuesday, Sept. 3 – Thursday, Sept. 5.  More information will be provided closer to that time regarding our class trip to the fair.

• 1st quarter midterm:  Monday, Sept. 16--Kindergarten will only send home “homeroom objectives” since we do not have enough information about language arts or math at first midterm.

• Please remind your kids that we are in Kindergarten now, and they need to give me any papers, notes, Friday folder, or lunch/milk money that may be in their backpack.  I remind the kids to look every morning, but if they don’t know a note is in there, they may not go look.  

Things that need to come back on Monday:

•  Rest mat (washed and in zipped plastic bag)

• Snack for snack time—every day * Friday folder

• Milk and/or lunch money (if needed)

• Any school paperwork that you received to be completed

***Also, please go over daily with your child as to what they need to do after school for transportation (bus, walker, car rider, SOAR) and ALWAYS send a note if plans are different from their usual routine.

Again, I want to sincerely thank you for allowing me the privilege of teaching your child!  If you ever have any questions, concerns, or comments (positive or negative), please do not hesitate to call (947-3361  Ext. 357), send an email (tblankenshipl@putnamcountyr1.net),  or stop by.  Working together as a team we can create a positive learning experience for your child and build a firm foundation for years to come!  Thanks again for all your support!