Kindergarten
1 pkg. Crayola crayons (24 count) 2 pkgs. Crayola Colored Pencils (12 count) 1 pkg. Crayola markers (classic colors) 1 pkg. Ticonderoga #2 Pencils Pink Pearl Eraser (no pencil toppers) 2 pkg. Black Dry Erase Markers 6 Glue Sticks 1 Box Kleenex $5 Craft Fee Learning Letters and Sounds
Learning letter names and sounds is a primary focus in the first few months of kindergarten. There are many things you can do at home to help with this. Here is an article about creative games and activities that you can do together at home to help in this important process. Links to activities and videos for letter and sound study: Starfall, Olive and the Rhyme Rescue Crew, See It, Say It, Sign It and Alpha Blocks. School Behavior We will spend a good deal of time on learning the expectations for behavior at YCES. For many students, coming to kindergarten can be quite an adjustment. Larger classes, new social stimuli and greater levels of freedom can be overwhelming for many students. I anticipate this and prepare for it. Part of being in a learning community means learning how function within it such as learning to pay attention and to manage one's own body so that everyone can be successful. Some children come to school with this skill, some learn it at school right away and some need lots and lots of practice before becoming proficient. Our class will have students in all of these stages. I always tell students that my job, above all else, is to keep them safe at school and this is why I must help them learn to be PAX leaders (students who pay attention, are safe, respectful, responsible, kind and productive with their bodies). Many students will struggle with attention related issues - not giving attention to staff, not responding to redirection, talking while others are talking. Others will struggle to understand that rules need to be followed - especially keeping hands to self. Some students will struggle with the frustration they feel when others make choices that negatively impact the school environment. Learning how to be a productive member of any community is an ongoing process and something we will work on daily.There will be an adjustment period for all students. Chances are, if you are wondering if your child will struggle or is struggling in these areas, they probably will or are. Here are a few resources that might be helpful: Changing Children's Behavior in School, How to Improve Attention Spans, Acting Out in School: When your child is the class troublemaker, 12 Ways Parents Can Help Their Children Succeed At School, Screen time and children, Classroom Snacks
Children will be offered a small snack each day and we ask that families help us provide this for our students. Please know, you are not obligated to do so, but if you would like to do so, I would appreciate your help in providing healthy snacks for our children. Look for a sign up sheet in the first few days of school. Our days are long and tummies start to grumble long before we make it to lunch time. We will offer students a daily snack sometime mid-morning depending our schedule and what works best in the moment and activity. Sometimes snack time gets tricky, though. Some children have special dietary needs and we make private arrangements with individuals to accommodate this. However, sometimes, believe it or not, kindergartners are picky eaters! If a child does not want to eat the group snack, he or she can opt out by saying, “No, thank you.” This is totally fine. Generally, I do encourage the child to try something new, but never force or require it. Sometimes children will refuse snack with hope that I will offer them something else. As a general rule, students have two options: eat what is served or wait for lunch. That said, you are welcome to send a daily snack for your own child. If you choose to do this, I do request that this is consistent. It is hard for many children to remember that there is a snack in their backpack if it is not an everyday occurrence. The easiest thing for me to do is to serve a whole group snack, but I totally respect and honor your decision to send an alternative if this is where your comfort lies. We have a school board policy that is derived from state and national policy designed to promote wellness and good nuturition. This means that snacks served during the school day must comply with USDA guidelines that were put in place to ensure that schools provide children with sound nutritional options. You can read about Oregon Smart Snack Standards here if you are curious, but this is the quick rundown:
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. The goal is to make sure we are helping children develop positive habits early in life and to fuel their bodies with foods that will give them energy and strength to meet the demands of their busy days and growing brains. Sometimes people like snack suggestions. Please remember that school snacks must be store bought. For health and safety reasons, we cannot offer homebaked goods or other foods prepared at home. Here are a few websites with some great ideas: |
Mrs. ChadwickKindergarten Teacher Archives
April 2020
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