Kindergarten Orientation

1
Kindergarten Orientation

• Citrus Heights Elementary School
• 2008--09

2
Home-School Connection
3
Help at Home

• Your child will need your help to complete their
  homework. You need to read the homework
  directions.
• Set aside a quiet place and time to help.
• Help them form the letters and numbers correctly.
  Let them practice using scissors with your
  supervision.
• Read to and with them every day for 20 minutes.
  Record the book title and pages read on the
  monthly Reading Log.

4
Homework

• A homework packet is sent home Monday with other
  school papers for your information. Please send
  only the completed homework back on Friday.
• The first Monday of each month, a newsletter will
  be included so you will know what lessons we will
  be covering for the month. Keep this in a
  prominent place (possibly on the refrigerator) so
  that you will be able to refer to it each day.
• A Reading Log is sent home at the beginning of
  each month. Each day, record the book titles and
  pages you and your child read. Return them at
  the end of the month.

5
Writing and Penmanship

• At Citrus Heights, we use modern manuscript, also
  called DNealian writing. Attached is a copy of
  the alphabet and numerals written in DNealian.
  Keep this in a prominent place (possibly on the
  refrigerator) so that you will be able to refer
  to it each day.
• Help your child to form the letters and numerals
  the way the arrows show.
• Capital letters are used at the beginning of
  sentences and important names. All other letters
  are written in lower case.

6
Backpacks

• Make sure your child has a backpack to carry
  school papers in. It needs to be big enough to
  hold a 9-1/2x12 homework folder without bending
  it.
• Please do NOT buy the backpacks with wheels for
  your kindergarten child. They are too bulky and
  can be dangerous in the classroom.
  Kindergartners do not have heavy items to carry
  back and forth.

7
School Attendance

• Regular attendance is most important. Try to
  schedule appointments during non-school hours.
  Only illness and doctor/dental appointments are
  excused absences.
• Call if your child will be absent or send a note
  upon his/her return to school stating the reason
  for the absence.

8
Appropriate Clothing

• Kindergartners need to follow the Citrus Heights
  dress code.
• Backless shoes are not permitted. Sandals are
  not ideal. The best and safest are athletic
  shoes.
• We discourage party type clothing and long
  dresses.
• Bare midriffs, spaghetti straps, and halter tops
  are not permitted.
• Breezy summer mornings can be cold enough for
  your child to need a light jacket. Please label
  jackets with your childs name.

9
Kindergarten Discipline

• Our school has adopted Time to Teach and
  Positive Behavior Support.
• We spend much of our time encouraging and
  praising the children when they make good choices
  in dealing with every day school situations.
• Kindergarten rules are kept to a minimum, but
  they are enforced.
• If a child has difficulty in following the rules,
  we talk with the children about what good choices
  are, and give them a short time out to think
  about what they can do next time.

10
Special RecognitionStudent of the Day

• Each day our Student of the Day will take home
  the sharing bucket to put something in to share
  with the class the next day.
• Items need to be educational, or related to a
  school topic, or something that can tell us about
  the student or an important time in his/her life.

11
Special RecognitionStudent of the Week

• Each Friday, a student of the week will take
  home our class mascot in a special backpack.
  There is also a poster to fill out with your
  child about him or her to share with the class.
• There is a journal to write about the mascots
  adventures for the week end.
• The Student of the Week is responsible for
  bringing snacks for the entire class of 20 the
  following week. (This only happens once or twice
  per student per year.) There is a list included
  of suggested snacks. DISTRICT POLICY NO
  HOMEMADE FOODS CAN BE SERVED TO OTHERS AT
  SCHOOL.
• There is a baggie to bring some small items for
  our Estimation Jar for the week.

12
Birthday Celebrations

• We do celebrate birthdays and you are welcome to
  send in special treats. Please discuss this with
  the teacher beforehand for dietary restrictions,
  district policy, etc. DISTRICT POLICY NO
  HOMEMADE FOODS CAN BE SERVED TO OTHERS AT
  SCHOOL.
• Please do not distribute party invitations at
  school unless everyone in the class is invited.
  Young childrens feelings are hurt when they are
  left out.

13
Arrival and DismissalTimes

• Please arrive on time each day.
  Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays,
  Fridays A.M. classes
  start at 740 a.m. and dismiss at 1100 a.m.
  P.M. class starts at 1040 and dismisses at 210
  p.m.
• Thursdays
  A.M. classes
  same as above
  P.M. class CHANGES starts 1015
  a.m. and dismisses at 1255 p.m. (The whole
  school dismisses at 1255.)
• All classes will wait by the K-1 classroom door
  for their teacher. Please do not arrive before
  735.

14
Arrival and DismissalDismissal

• Please be on time for dismissal, too.
• We ask that you wait outside the gate in order to
  avoid congestion.
• The children will be dismissed from the K-1
  classroom or from the playground.
• On rainy days, K-2 will exit from the back door
  and you can meet your children near the office.
• Park in a designated area and walk to the room to
  get your child. This is a safety measure. Do
  not leave your car unattended in the
  drive-through lanes.

15
Bus riders

• If your child will be riding a school bus or one
  of the day care vans, please make a name tag with
  your childs name, your address, a day time
  telephone number, the bus stop or cay care name
  on it.
• Attach the name tag to your childs backpack.
• If your child will be riding a San Juan District
  school bus, s/he must be in a morning class.

16
Parent Volunteers

• Our program succeeds best when we have other
  adults helping our children learn. WE NEED YOU!
• We have the lessons and materials ready for you
  to use and we explain how we want you to work
  with the children.
• You can work with either a small group of 6-7
  children or with individual children, 1 on 1.
• Let us know what you feel comfortable doing and
  we will accommodate you. WE NEED YOU!

17
Thank you for coming
Mrs. Dax kdax_at_sanjuan.edu
Mrs. Graves jgraves_at_sanjuan.edu
Ms. Mills nellie.mills_at_sanjuan.edu