We have begun Kindergarten!!  

I am so excited about my new class 

of little learners.

We begin these first three days with staggered entry.  Only a few of the boys and girls in my class will come each of the first three days so that we can take time with each of them and show them the school way of doing things at Koontz.  ALL of the students will come to school on Friday and every 

day there after.

While we are talking about procedures with your children, let me share a few with you parents that are very important.

1. Look at and sign the agenda each and every night.  The agenda comes back and forth to school and home each day.  We show their behavior for the day, write notes on behavior and learning, and send home important papers from the office in the agenda.

2. Help your child learn to be independent in the bathroom (wiping, pulling pants up and down, tucking in their shirts, doing their belts - remember that elastic waist pants are easier for little people).

3. Be sure your child knows that they need to obey what their teacher says. When we ask them to sit quietly on the mats or to stop talking when we are talking they need to do that.  We will be strict with our behavior 

plan and your child will flip their stick 

when needed.  When we have to stop teaching to handle interruptions we do not achieve the learning we need to have.  We want every student to learn as much as they can.  

4. Most of your children can recite or sing the abc's and their numbers.  However, they will need to identify them also.  When I point to a "g" they need to be able to tell me that is a g.  Please begin to work on this at home - abc's, numbers 0 - 10, shapes and colors.

We will help them learn to write their name, learn their letters and sounds and so much more.  However, if they can do the things listed above, the learning will come much easier and quicker.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

* Please send a solid color sweatshirt that we can leave in your child's cubbie all year.  Our room tends to be cold and the students cannot wear a jacket in the school.  By wearing a solid color sweatshirt your child is following the uniform code and staying warm.

* We are a uniform school.  If you have financial difficulties getting uniforms, please send me a note.  I will pass it along to the office to see if you might be eligible for uniform assistance.

* Please use the data pages in the back of the Panther Pride notebook to work with your child at home.  The information we cover this year is covered in the data pages.  Please DO NOT write on these pages - Mrs. McNabb and I will do that.  If a box is highlighted in yellow then your child knows the information in that box.  Work on helping them learn the information that isn't highlighted.

* We will go outside each day that the weather is nice.  Please have your students wear tennis shoes (sneakers) so that they can play without getting hurt on the playground.

Please help your child learn their PIN number.  This is very important.  The PIN number will be in the agenda and has also been sent home the first day they came to school.

We will have a reading log in the Panther Pride notebook.  Each time you read with your child write down the name of the book.  I will be keeping a chart for each child to see how many books they have read through out the year.  I wonder how many books we will read the entire year???  Any guesses???

Homework will begin around mid-September.  The assignments will be easy for your child to do at first and then will become more challenging. Remember to let your child do the work.  I know that we all want to help our children do well at school but they will not learn the material if they aren't the one doing the work.

***Your child will receive a special treat if you write me a note telling me that you have visited my website!***