Save Your Labels

Please save your Best Choice and Box Top labels and send them to school. Our classroom gets money for each label. Don't forget to remind grandparents and friends to save them for us too! Thanks for your help!

KINDERGARTEN PREASSESSMENT:

Please review the “Kindergarten Preassessment” checklist that was sent home today in your child's blue folder.  This is the same assessment that was sent to you before school began.  As stated before, students must master all of these skills by the end of January or they may be recommended for retention.  Items noted in red are items that are not yet mastered and need special attention and practice at home, after school hours.  Please continue to practice these skills with your child for the next several weeks or until they have been mastered.  I will recheck the Kindergarten Preassessment in October, before first quarter conferences. 

KINDERGARTEN T-SHIRTS:
Order forms were sent home today (Wednesday the 4th) and will be due back September 19th.

BOOK-IT AND AR STORE: 

 

Pizza Hut has a reading incentive program called “Book It.”  The idea for this program is that the teacher sets a monthly goal for each student in reading, and if the student reaches the monthly goal, s/he receives a coupon for a free personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut.  This year, the school is adding another incentive—if the student reaches his/her monthly reading goal, s/he receives a prize from the AR (Accelerated Reader) store!  Considering our kindergarten kids are just learning to read, I have created a goal that includes reading, but also incorporates classroom effort. 

Let me explain:

At some point each week, your child brings home a phonics reader (small paper folded in half to create a “book”).  This reader should be practiced at home and is also read at school during reading workstations/small groups.  Additionally throughout the week, other short stories are read during our small group time. 

The monthly goal I have set includes:

1.    The child demonstrates, through fluent reading, that s/he practiced his/her decodable reader at home nightly. 

2.    The child shows his/her best effort during our reading workstations/small group times as we read other short stories daily.

HOME-SCHOOL CONNECTION:

 Each day, your child will bring home a blue folder. The right pocket will be labeled “Keep at Home” and the left pocket with be labeled “Return to School.” The left side of the folder is where the behavior log is kept. Your child’s color status for each day will be filled out on the behavior log. Please look over your child’s folder every day and discuss with him/her how the day went. Once you have reviewed the behavior log and your child’s paperwork, please sign the behavior log for that day.

 

Breakfast

If you want your child to eat breakfast at school, please drop him/her off at the cafeteria between 7:45-8:00 so s/he has plenty of time to eat.  We do not go to the cafeteria as a class; instead, all breakfast has to be eaten before school begins at 8:10. 

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDER:

Your child will be bringing home two book order catalogs this afternoon.  These book orders will be sent home once a month.  Information will be in his/her folder regarding how to place an order and you should have also received an email too.  If you did not get the email, please email me at mcgarityc@bernie.k12.mo.us so I can add you to my kindergarten contact list.  The book order is due in class or online by next Thursday, September 5th.  

10 DAYS STRONG:

Today we recognized the tenth day of kindergarten.  Lots has gone on in the past ten days and we are now used to our every day routine.  I am proud of how well the boys and girls are remembering our classroom and school procedures.  It has been a pretty easy transition. :) 

During the first week of school, you may have noticed that your child didn't bring many worksheets or "paper work" home.  That was because we worked tirelessly on creating a positive classroom and school environment.  We spent tons of time practicing our whole group procedures for our daily lessons, raising our hands before we talk, walking in the hallway, working quietly at our seats, getting along with others, cafeteria procedures, playground rules, and bus safety.  Nonetheless, we did start strong in our reading, math, and science curriculum and the learning has continued this week.  As the boys and girls have gotten better at working for longer periods of time, we have been doing more worksheets that correlate with our class lessons.  We have also been doing back-to-school projects that  are hung up in the hallway outside of our classroom.  The projects will be rotated on display and will come home with your child in the next few weeks. 

It looks like it is going to be a great year!

FRUIT LOOPS:
We will be doing name activities the next few weeks and one includes fruit loops.  :)  We need a couple of boxes of fruit loops (generic work great!) donated to the classroom for this project.  Any extra we have will be enjoyed at snack.

Contact Information

You may contact me through email at mcgarityc@bernie.k12.mo.us. I check my email frequently throughout the day, so this is the quickest way to get in contact with me. If you would like to call, the school number is 293-5335 and my extension is 260. If you call the classroom during times of instruction I will not answer the phone and you will be sent to voicemail. Please leave a message, and I will return your call as soon as possible.

In Case of an Accident

Please place an extra set of clothes in your child’s backpack in case of an accident. Kindergarten students often don’t make it to the bathroom in time or spill their lunch tray or milk in their lap. Because of this, it would help if every child had an extra set of clothes to change into if something does happen. The clothes should be play clothes and something you don’t mind keeping in his/her backpack all year long. Also, they should be able to be worn year round—pants, t-shirt, underwear, and socks work well. Please put these in a plastic bag and place them in the bottom of your child’s backpack. The bag will stay there until your child needs them. Thank you for your help!

Drop-Off/Pick-Up and Bus Riding:

Car Riders:

Students are to be dropped off in the mornings at the main east entrance by the elementary office or at the cafeteria between 7:45-8:10.   In the afternoon, kindergarten students may be picked up on the North side of the school at 3:10.  Please do not park in the North parking lot because buses will be parking and loading there.

Bus Riders:

If your child is to go somewhere other than the address you have given us, we MUST have a note/email from you or a phone call telling us of this change. Please limit the changes to emergencies. People who you have not put on the pick up list WILL NOT be allowed to pick up your child under any circumstance unless I am previously contacted by you.  This is for the safety of your child.

TODAY WAS A GREAT DAY!

The day seemed to fly by, and I hope your kids enjoyed their first day in kindergarten.  We started the day by playing with blocks at our tables while I gathered everything out of their backpacks.  Next, we read a book, Froggy Goes to School.  During the read-aloud, we talked about good manners and some basic school rules.  We learned: 1. Follow directions quickly 2. Raise your hand before you talk 3. Raise your hand before you get out of your seat  4. Make smart choices  5. Make your teacher happy.  All of these "rules" have vocal cues and fun hand movements to help reinforce the skill.  Afterwards, we enjoyed recess, playing with play dough with our new friends, then lunch.  After lunch, we read another book, How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? then talked about how we get home in the afternoon and if we were a walker, pickup, or bus rider.  We then colored our specific form of transportation and cut out the pieces.  We will be making a transportation graph tomorrow with the pieces we colored.  They colored a second set to take home also.  Close to the end of the day, we had rest time, snack, and played with the other kindergarten kids at last recess.  At the end of the day we packed our backpacks and headed out the door. I have exciting things planned for the kids tomorrow.  See you soon!  :)  

BACK TO SCHOOL:
The first day of school is Thursday, August 15th.  However, we have Kindergarten Orientation on Friday August 9th at 6:30, in the kindergarten classrooms.  You should have received a packet in the mail last week regarding orientation.  If you did not, please email me at mcgarityc@bernie.k12.mo.us. See you then!

SUMMER SCHOOL:
...starts Monday, May 20th.  It's going to be full of fun activities--many including water! See you then! 

REMINDERS:

· Graduation is Tuesday at 6:30 in the cafeteria. Please enter through the North doors along Highway U.

· The night will consist of a short musical program, followed by a graduation ceremony. Please dress your child in casual formal wear (Sunday attire) and have him/her in the cafeteria no earlier than 6:20. After the ceremony, we will provide an opportunity to get a group picture of all the kindergarteners. The students will be arranged in front of the stage and as soon as the ceremony has concluded, you may come up and take their picture. Swafford’s Photography will also be there for individual shots. Order forms will be available the night of graduation.

· After the ceremony and pictures, please drop off your child's cap and gown at the designated areas by the exit doors. These were donated by PTO and will be reused for many years to come.

· Please fill out the “Parent Involvement” form after the ceremony Tuesday and return it to school on Wednesday. It is very important we receive your input on the “Parent Involvement” form.

· Attendance is required for all kindergarten students on Wednesday and Thursday, even though it is after“graduation.”

GRADUATION VIDEO:
Check out the end-of-the-year kindergarten video. :)  It is posted on the top, right hand side of the blog. 

FIELD TRIP:
Our field trip is Tuesday.  Please have your child wear comfy clothes, tennis shoes, and a Bernie Blue shirt. 

KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION:
Tuesday, May 14th at 6:30 in the cafeteria...

PERMISSION FORMS:

Field trip forms and money are due by April 25th, preferably sooner though.  Thank you for your help. 

TUTORING:
There will be no more tutoring after the week of April 15-19th. 

MISS BERNIE PAGEANT
Don't forget about the upcoming pageant taking place May 18th in the Bernie cafeteria.  If you would like an application, please send a note to school as soon as possible.  We would love to have as many students participate as possible! All proceeds benefit the Bernie Kindergarten Program and Parents as Teachers.  These funds help us purchase supplies for arts and craft activities, pizza parties, field trips, and so much more! 

ELEMENTARY ART SHOW:

Mrs. Higgins is hosting an art show to display a variety of the art pieces created by our elementary students throughout the school year.  We hope you can attend.  It is Thursday, April 11th at 6:00 in the cafeteria. 

ELEMENTARY TALENT SHOW:

If you and your child have practiced a song or other performance for the elementary talent show, tryouts are this Tuesday and/or Wednesday morning at 7:30 in Mrs. Lanpher's music room.  You must bring your child to school, at that time, to be considered for the show in May.  Generally, we do not have kindergarten students tryout, so don't feel pressured.  :)  Again, this is just a little info and a reminder if your child has been talking about performing in the talent show.   

UPCOMING FIELD TRIP:

Be looking for the field trip permission form in your child's blue folder this afternoon.  We are going to the Lazy L Safari Park in a few weeks!!!  The boys and girls are already excited!