Welcome to Kindergarten

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Welcome to Kindergartens Back To School Night!
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Let Us Introduce Our Kindergarten Curriculum

• READING CURICULUM
• 1ST Main Goal is to implement and support book
  skills through word and letter identification, an
  understanding of spaces, the front and back of
  the book, and punctuation
• 2nd Main Goal is to support word analysis and
  decoding where students are sounding out words,
  putting letters together to form whole words and
  meaning behind the words
• 3rd Main Goal is to provide solid vocabulary
  experiences where the students are practicing and
  understanding opposites, prefixes, suffixes,
  color and sight words

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READING CURRICULUM CONTINUED

• To ensure your student the best reading success,
  we focus on
• 1. Fluency- which is how smooth your child
  reads, speed and accuracy when your child is
  reading
• 2. Comprehension- the ability to understand the
  meaning behind the written text

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READING CURRICULUM CONTINUED

• We use a variety of approaches to reach our
  reading goals. We do this using
• 1. Sight Words- through activities, games,
  reading in texts and memory work
• 2. Phonemic Awareness- hearing sounds in words
  (hearing rhyming words, hearing different parts
  in words)
• 3. Phonics- learning to associate written
  letters with sounds (we do this through games,
  activities, puzzles, and paper work)

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READING CURRICULUM Q. and A.

• Q. How do you teach reading?
• A. We teach reading in whole groups and small
  leveled groups.
• We do this by using teaching methods called
  Shared Reading and Guided Reading.
• Shared Reading is a powerful way to engage our
  students in literary concepts, such as setting,
  characters, plot, action, and comprehension.
• Shared Reading takes place in a whole group
  setting where we read a big book or a theme-based
  library book. The students have the opportunity
  to make connections, I wonder statements,
  predictions, and opinions.
• Guided Reading is a strategy that helps students
  become good readers. The teacher provides support
  for small groups of readers as they learn to use
  various reading strategies (context clues, letter
  and sound relationships, word structure, and so
  forth). We differentiate our teaching to reach
  each individual students reading needs and
  abilities.
• Q. What is your reading curriculum called?
• A. We use the Hampton-Brown Reading Series to
  support our journey through letters and sounds.
  We also use supplemental series.

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READING CURRICULUM Q. and A.

• Q. How can I help to support my child in their
  reading development?
• A. While you are driving to the store, point out
  words, have kids find letters or sounds or read
  words on signs. While you are at home, let your
  child find easy words in books, newspapers, on
  cereal boxes, or in magazines, such as I, a, the
  is. Read to your child daily and when we begin to
  check out library books or your child brings home
  their book bag, read with your child and/or have
  your child read their books to you!

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LITERACY CENTERS AND WRITING

• LITERACY CENTERS
• Word Work/Phonics, Word Building through games,
  puzzles, activities
• Work on writing letters and sounds
• Work on sight words
• HANDWRITING
• We are implementing The Handwriting Without Tears
  Program along with Lucy Calkins Writing Program

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MATH CURRICULUM

• Math Goals shapes, patterns, number recognition
  to 30, number writing to 30, adding, subtracting
  to 10, measuring, ordinal numbers, telling time,
  and money
• We teach these skills through hands-on activities
  and games where the students develop a concrete
  approach to math with the use of manipulatives
  and math strategies. We introduce a concept, then
  we practice the skill or concept, the students
  have the time to have hands-on experiences with
  the concept, and then we follow up with a written
  activity page.

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MATH CURRICULUM CONTINUED

• Everyday Math is the Math program we use. This
  program spirals , which means it introduces then
  reviews the same concepts throughout the year.
• The program focuses on the following problem
  solving, hands-on activities, sharing ideas,
  cooperative learning, practice through games,
  on-going review, daily routines, and informal
  assessments

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SOCIAL STUDIES AND SCIENCE CURRICULUM

• We integrate much of our social studies and
  science themes into our literacy block, our math
  time and through arts and craft activities. We
  also introduce the basic scientific method
  through our Science Boot Camp and Science Fair.
• Social Studies Units include
• Wants vs. Needs
• Basic Map and Globe Skills
• All About Me
• My Family
• Traditions
• Celebrations around the World and in the United
  States
• Patriotic Symbols
• Science Units include
• Seasons
• Living/Nonliving
• Night Sky
• Weather
• Baby Animals/ Growing, Changing

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KED Daily Schedule
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Half Day Schedule
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SCHOOL INFORMATION

• The Laura Ingalls Wilder School website can be
  accessed through the Littleton Public Schools
  website littletonpublicschools.net or direct
  access at http.wilder.littletonpublicschools.net.
  
• At these sites you will find pertinent
  information about school-wide events and answers
  to curriculum questions. You might want to refer
  to it to keep track of the days your child
  attends, when class parties are held, when
  vacation and non-student days are and all other
  important school information.

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PARTIES

• There are special all-school party days!!
• The Halloween parties will be held Friday,
  October 31, from 230-330. Mrs. Swanks
  morning class will have their party from
  1055-1155.
• Our Valentines party will be held on Friday,
  February 13 from 230-330. Again, Mrs. Swanks
  morning class will have their party from
  1055-1155.
• Room mothers and their committees usually plan,
  organize and run these very special days.

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IMPORTANT DATES

• Mark your calendars now!
• Our Kindergarten Program will be on Thursday,
  April 30 at 700 p.m.
• Our Cowboy Day will be Thursday, January 29 from
  920-1130.
• Field Day for all kindergartners will be held on
  Thursday, May 7 from 930-1145.
• Our Authors Afternoon and Picnic will be held
  immediately following Field Day, Thursday, May 7.

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BIRTHDAYS

• We love to celebrate birthdays or half-birthdays
  (for summer birthdays) at school.
• Your child may bring a treat to share with his
  classmates. Please have enough for 25 students.
  
• Also, please send napkins and make sure your
  treat arrives either in the morning or by 130
  p.m. as we like to enjoy our treats during our
  recess times. You are certainly welcome to stay
  during our short celebration.

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MARVELOUS ME

• In kindergarten each child will be honored with a
  Me Day on one Friday. Your child is encouraged
  to bring in a poster board that he/she has
  decorated with personal pictures.
• Some ideas of what to include are
• recent pictures
• baby pictures
• family pictures
• sports, dance or any favorite pictures
• pet pictures
• vacation pictures
• A favorite book or toy can also be brought in to
  share. Your child will give a short presentation
  of his poster and then the poster will be
  displayed in our classroom until the following
  Friday.
• Also, our class bear (along with his journal)
  will be coming home with your child for the
  weekend. Please take some time with your child
  to write about our bears adventures at your home
  and return the bear and journal on Monday.

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COMMUNICATION

• Kindergartners will bring home a newsletter every
  month. It will be printed on brightly colored
  paper for those who request a hard copy.
  Otherwise, we will e-mail our newsletters. The
  newsletters help to keep you up to date on
  everything that is happening in kindergarten!
• If you need to communicate with either of us,
  please call the appropriate voice mail number
• Melissa Crouch303-734-5923
• Carol Riscoe--303-734-5947
• Susan Swank303-734-5951
• Email addresses
• mcrouch_at_lps.k12.co.us
• criscoe_at_lps.k12.co.us
• sswank_at_lps.k12.co.us
• If you need to get a message to us during
  teaching hours, please call the office at
  303-347-4750. We also would like to have an email
  list from the parents. If you would like to give
  us an email address, please do so in the
  classrooms this evening.

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VOLUNTEERS

• Volunteers are always welcome in our kindergarten
  whether youre here working with children, making
  instructional materials at home, gathering up
  donations, making scenery for a program,
  chaperoning on a field trip or any one of a
  hundred things you do for us.
• For those wishing to work in the classroom,
  please sign up for those days for which you wish
  to volunteer through December on the calendars in
  our classrooms. Please do this tonight or give
  us a call to add your name to the list.
• We plan our activities according to the number of
  adults we have in the classroom so PLEASE come
  for the time you have chosen. If a conflict
  arises please let us know as soon in advance as
  possible.

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BOOK ORDERS

• Once a month your child will bring home
  Scholastic book orders. Books offered are age
  appropriate and reasonably priced. If you are
  interested in purchasing any books, order forms
  must be turned back in to the teacher by the due
  date. Please make checks payable to the
  appropriate book company.

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PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO

• Many times during the year we make a photographic
  record of our trips and learning activities. We
  will be using the schools digital camera on many
  of these occasions. However, we need to print
  these pictures at places like Target or Costco,
  so the printing can get rather expensive. If you
  would like to help us print a group of these,
  please let us know.

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QUESTIONS????????? Please call.

• A few reminders about school procedures
• If you are late in the morning, please check in
  with the office, so that we know your child is
  here.
• If you are taking your child early, you must sign
  them out in the front office.
• If your child is absent please call the
  attendance line.
• When sending in money for lunch or field trips,
  please put it in an envelope with your childs
  name on it.
• Snacksfeel free to send in different varieties
  of snacks during the year, such as, fresh fruit,
  fruit roll-ups, etc. A good time to bring them
  might be when you come in to help.
• AllergiesEach classroom has at least one student
  who is allergic to nuts. Please do not send in
  any snacks with nuts.
• Please do not send toys to school. These become
  a problem when the children start trading.
  Many hurt feelings arise.
• Also, for nap time the children just need a towel
  to rest on. Please leave the blankies and
  stuffed animals at home.