Kindergarten Hand Book 
Absences: Excessive absences hinder a child’s progress even in kindergarten. If your child is absent, please notify the office as soon as possible. 473-5832
Allergies: Make sure to inform me of any allergies that your child might have so that we may avoid anything that could affect your child’s health.
Attendance: Regular school attendance is essential for your child to make the most of his/her education. Yes, even in kindergarten! Kindergarten is a major building block for your child’s future successes in school. Please make every effort to have your child to school and on time every day.
Backpacks: Backpacks should be big enough to accommodate a regular size folder. Please label your child’s backpack clearly with their name. Backpacks need to be brought to school every day.
Birthdays: We love to celebrate birthdays in kindergarten. If you would like to send birthday treats for the class, we encourage healthy choices. Your child will receive a birthday crown, birthday cards made by their classmates, a birthday pencil, and be recognized during Rise and Shine. Birthday invitations will only be passed out during class if everyone in the class is invited.
Book Club: During the year, your child will bring home order forms for Scholastic Books. The books are inexpensive and have many developmental, age appropriate books available. If you wish to order books, please fill out the form and return it in your child’s binder by the specified date. Send payment in the form of a check payable to Scholastic Books.
Changes: Please let me know if there are any major changes in your child’s life. I am not trying to be nosy and do not need details, but sometimes even the slightest change in routine can affect your child’s learning and emotional growth. Be assured, that any information will be kept confidential. Knowing about major changes helps me to understand certain behaviors and helps me know how to approach your child or let’s me know if they may need some extra lovin’.
Character Education: We will learn respect, responsibility, compassion, perseverance, honesty, self-discipline, and citizenship. These principles will be used in our classroom daily as guidelines for appropriate behavior.
Class Times: Students may arrive before 7:45 but must report to the cafeteria whether they are eating breakfast or not. They will be dismissed from the cafeteria at 8:00. Class begins at 8:10 and is dismissed for car riders at 2:45, day care and south door at 2:50, north door at 2:55, and bus riders at 3:10. Classroom Discipline: At the beginning of each year, classroom rules will be established with the understanding that the reason behind them is to create an optimum learning environment for all students. Rules are established to provide every student a safe, secure, and positive atmosphere. Following directions, obeying the first time, using self-control, and following the 8 Expectations will be emphasized. (See more information about rules and classroom management on this page.) Clothing: Please dress your child in comfortable clothing that is appropriate for kindergarten and the weather. The Checotah Public School dress code will be enforced. Please have your daughters wear shorts under skirts or dresses. Conferences: We will have scheduled Parent/Teacher conferences in the fall and in the spring. Both parents/guardians are encouraged to attend. If at any time throughout the year I feel that we need to meet I will request a conference with you. You may also feel free to request a conference with me if there is an issue that arises. Dismissal and Transportation: It is important that your child be picked up promptly if they are a car rider. If your child will be going home a different way than usual, you MUST call the school or send a note in their folder. If a note or phone call is not received, your child WILL go home the regular way. This is very important for safety reasons. Expectations: We have 8 Expectations for Living that we will follow. When children have a clear vision of what is expected of them, they have the opportunity to take necessary steps to achieve the goal and a much greater likelihood of meeting those expectations. (The 8 Expectations are enclosed in this packet.)
Geography Masters: To become a Geography Master, the student must know:
- Their address
- City, state, country, and continent on which they live
- How many states are in the United States
The student will get their name on the wall in our classroom and be recognized at an assembly where they will be presented with a Geography Master dog tag necklace. Start practicing now!!
Illness: Please DO NOT send your child to school if they have had a fever within the last 24 hours. If your child has vomited or experienced diarrhea within the last 24 hours he/she should NOT be sent to school. If your child becomes ill while at school, you will be notified to come and get them. We need at least 2 current phone numbers on file at all times in order to contact you in case of emergency.
Independence: Please encourage independence by allowing your child to walk to class by themselves. “Working independently” is on the kindergarten report card and is a required objective for kindergarten. This includes walking into the classroom, putting away backpacks, lunches, books, etc, in the appropriate place and following morning procedures independently.
Lunch: The cost for regular lunch is $2.00. Reduced lunches are $ .40. Adult lunches are $2.50. Kindergarten eats lunch at 11:05.
Magic Triad: We will practice using a nice touch, a kind word, and a smile in our classroom. (Adopted from Great
Expectations)Math Masters: To become a Math Master your child must know how to:-
- Count to 100 by 1's, 5's, and 10's
- Count to 20 by 2's
- Recognize numerals 1-20
The student will get their name on the wall in our classroom and be recognized at an assembly where they will be presented with a Math Master dog tag necklace. Start practicing now!!
Meal Pay Options: Payments should be deposited in the Bank-A-Meal box located in the Child Nutrition Office (across from the cafeteria) or sent to school in your child’s binder so that the teacher can turn it in for you. Payments may also be paid on line at www.ezschoolpay.com
Money: When sending money, please put it in the provided money pouch and jot a note for the purpose of the money. Sometimes we may be collecting money for more than one reason. This assures that the money will get where it needs to go.
Newsletter: Every two weeks I will send a newsletter home with your child. It will inform you of what we will be working on in math, reading, and phonics. It will include special units we are studying, important upcoming dates, birthdays, and any items we need for our class.
Parent Volunteers: Volunteers are needed throughout the year to cut, color, glue, or make items for our activities. Most of it can be taken home and brought back when completed. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Parties: We will participate in classroom parties throughout the year. We will not have birthday “parties” but birthdays will be celebrated and acknowledged. (See the birthday section for more info.) You are welcome to send a special treat in on your child’s birthday. Upcoming parties and supplies that will be needed will be in your child’s binder. I will have a room mom that will be in charge of putting the parties together. If your child does not celebrate holidays, you will have plenty of notice of when the celebrations will be so that you may decide whether or not you want the child in class during that time.
Personal Belongings: Be sure to label ALL coats, jackets, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc. with your child’s name. School supplies should not be labeled.
Principal: Our principal is Mrs. Jann Ledbetter
Read: Read, read, read!! The more you read to your child the better! After you read a story to them, allow them to use the picture clues and what they remember to “read” it back to you. This is the first step to connecting words to print. Let them see you reading the newspaper, magazines, books, etc. as much as possible. Kindergarteners are just beginning to connect print with the spoken word and the many different reasons why we read and write
Reading Masters: To become a Reading Master your child must read 10 books per month for 3 consecutive months. (30 books in 3 months) Your child could be a reading master up to 3 times during the year. I realize that few kindergarteners can read. You may read the books to them but remember to have them use the picture clues and what they remember to “read” it back to you. The student will get their name on the wall in our classroom and be recognized at an assembly where they will be presented with a Reading Master dog tag necklace. We will not start reading for Reading Masters until September.
Recess: Your child will have recess every day after lunch. Occasionally, we may go outside in the afternoon instead of having free centers. We go outside daily unless it is raining or the temperature is below 42 degrees. Remember to dress your child appropriately for the weather and to send coats and jackets every day during the cold months just in case we get to go out.
Report Cards: Your child will receive a report card (skills list) every nine weeks
School Supplies: Please make sure to send all the requested school supplies with your child. Please DO NOT put your child’s name on the supplies. Whatever supplies are left at the end of the year will be divided up and sent home with each student. Throughout the year, there may be special items that we will need for projects and activities. I will send a list home of items needed or have the room mom contact you to see if you are interested in donating.
Show and Tell: We will begin Show and Tell once the students have gotten the hang of the classroom rules and procedures. A specific date will be given later. 1. Show and Tell items should be able to fit into your child’s backpack or a grocery 2. Show and Tell is not only a time to share special items, but also to begin learning
sack.
how to speak in a clear voice.
3. how and Tell will be on Friday’s only. When it is your child’s week, he/she will
received a Show and Tell form in their binder by Tuesday.
4. ONLY students who received the form on Tuesday will be allowed to show
something on Friday. Each child will have more than one turn throughout the year
5. Please help your child fill out the form and return it in their binder on or before
Friday.
6. Please allow your child to bring only one item at a time.
to bring it in at the end of the day. I must be made aware of this ahead of time
so that I may make sure that there will be no allergy related problems with the
other students. Please do not just show up with an animal.
Snacks: We will have a snack each afternoon. A snack calendar will be sent home at the beginning of each month. Please be sure to send snack on your specified day. If you cannot send snack on your day, please let me know by note or by phone ahead of time and I will make arrangements. You will need to send enough snacks for the whole class. Snacks MUST be prepackaged, store bought items. Please send healthy snacks that are easy to eat. Some healthy snacks include cheese and crackers, goldfish, fruit, fruit cups, granola bars, snack bars, dry cereal, pretzels, popcorn, etc. You may send drinks if you wish, but it is not required. I will try to keep a few back-up snacks in case someone forgets on their day. It is extremely difficult for me to look into the eyes of your hungry child and tell them there is no snack, so please remember your day!
Specials: We will have a fine arts rotation that includes Music, P.E., Library, and ComputerTardies: Students who arrive after 8:10 are considered tardy. Late arrivals need to go to the office to get a tardy slip before they come to class. This will ensure that the child is counted tardy for the day instead of absent. Once I enter it into the computer, only the office can change it. We keep a record of the tardies and document them on your child’s report card. When you child is late for class, they miss important lessons such as the days of the week, months of the year, weather, numbers, etc., all of which are on report cards and are required objectives for kindergarten.
Teacher Contact: I can be reached through the office after school from 3:30 – 4:00. The easiest way to contact me is via email. I check my emails periodically throughout the day. ssyoung@checotha.k12.ok.us
Toys: Toys from home are not allowed except on Show and Tell day.
Understanding: Kids say the darndest things!! Remember. . . . I will believe half of what your kiddos say about you if you will believe half of what they say about me!!!
