Welcome to Kindergarten!

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Welcome to Kindergarten!
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School is
All about building relationships, establishing
trust, creating working literate environments,
and getting to know children as readers and
learners and remembering that our classrooms
still need to be joyful placesReading with
Meaning, Debbie Miller
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Full-Day Kindergarten Program at Deer Crossing
Elementary

• is supported by current research.
• provides a rigorous, individualized program in
  language arts, math, social studies and science.
• provides flexibility in grouping to meet the
  needs of students.
• adequately monitors progress to ensure individual
  student success.
• utilizes volunteers in the classroom to support
  student learning.

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The Day

• Arrival
• Morning announcements
• Language Arts Block
• Lunch
• Recess

• Math
• Writing
• Specials
• Social Studies/Science
• Centers
• 330 Dismissal

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Specials

• Monday- Music
• Tuesday- PE
• Wednesday-PE
• Thursday-Art
• Friday- Music and Art

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Communication

• Deer Tracks/Thursday Announcements
• DCES Handbook/FCPS Calendar
• DCES website and teacher webpages
• Find Out First
• Teachers Voicemail/Email
• Monthly Kindergarten Newsletter

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Language Arts Expectations

• Phonological Awareness
• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Comprehension
• Vocabulary
• Writing

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Whats the Buzz With the Daily Five?

• We LOVE Daily Five time!  If your child comes
  home and talks about it, I am so thrilled!  Daily
  Five is our literacy block in our classroom.  It
  is not a program, but a management system that
  allows students to work on authentic reading
  practice while I meet with small groups and
  individual students.  In the beginning of the
  year, we will spend a great deal of time learning
  how to "bee"have (and how to NOT behave!) during
  Daily Five time.  This explicit teaching of
  behavior allows Daily Five time to run smoothly,
  as all students know exactly what to do, so that
  I can focus my attention on very individualized
  reading instruction.
• During Daily Five time, students will participate
  in a 100-minute block of teacher led mini-lessons
  on reading strategies, phonics, and grammar- all
  of which come from our Common Core Curriculum.
  Students also will participate in self-selected
  literacy activities.  Your child will come to
  love and crave this time each day to "bee"come a
  fantastic reader and writer.

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The Daily Five In Action!

• Read to self
• Students each have a book box full of "right fit
  books that they read from during read to self.

Read to someoneStudents can practice developing
their fluency by reading to someone.  This
student is holding a cardstock "check" so she
remembers to check her comprehension.
Work on writingStudents work on original
stories, lists, poems, letters, etc... during
work on writing.  The writing area is stocked
with idea starters, decorative papers, pens,
markers, and spelling aides.
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Work on wordsStudents practice weekly spelling
and vocabulary words through hands-on activities
like Wikki Sticks, using magnets and stamps to
make words, dot makers, and letter cutouts.  They
can also practice sight words.
Listen to readingStudents use RAZ-kids.com, CD
players, Tumble Books, Book Flix, and tape
players to listen to fluent reading.
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Math Expectations

• Knowledge of
• Counting and Cardinality (number sets)
• Geometry
• Measurement and Data
• Number and Operations
• Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• FCPS introduces the Common Core Curriculum
• this year in Math as we move towards
• National Standards

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Social Expectations

• Following rules and routines
• Appropriate conflict resolution
• Cooperation
• A school-wide positive behavior system based on
  the pillars of Character Counts
• Respect
• Trustworthiness
• Responsibility
• Caring
• Citizenship
• Fairness

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Homework

• October
• Homework Calendar
• Take home books
• (book baggies in September)

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Our Valuable Volunteers

• Schedules will be coordinated and sent home
• Training session is required
• Picture name tags will be created
• Consider personality of your child when
  scheduling.
• How can you help?

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School Safety and Security

• Safety Committee to evaluate security plan
• Sign in/out process, badge, computer
• Exterior doors locked at all times except front
  door
• Drills fire, lockdown and weather
• Accurate information for your child
• Dismissal changes by 3pm

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QUESTIONS???