August 11, 2011
Dear Kindergarten Parents,
We have been very busy getting ready for the 2011-2012 school year.
We are looking forward to the first day of school, Monday, August 15th.
Here are some highlights of the things you need to know as your child begins
kindergarten at Cheatham Hill.
Please visit our class website at
http://www.teacherweb.com/GA/CheathamHillElementary/Way/
SCHOOL HOURS
School begins promptly at 7:50. Your child may enter the classroom
between 7:15-7:50, but not before 7:15. If your child arrives earlier than
7:15, they will have to wait in the cafeteria area until the bell rings at
7:15.
Your child will be marked “tardy” if they enter the classroom after
7:50. If your child arrives after 8:00, they will need to get a “tardy slip”
from the office and then come to the classroom.
The school day ends at 2:15. Bus riders are dismissed after the “end
of the day” announcements, and all others are dismissed between 2:20-2:30.
NOTE: Children may NOT be picked up from the classroom. If you need to have
your child picked up before our school dismissal, go to the office and “sign
them out" before 2:00. The office will call to the classroom for us to
release your child.
TRANSPORTATION
If your child’s dismissal transportation changes, please put it in
writing and send it in your child’s “Daily Folder.” All transportation
changes need to be in
writing and given to me before the end of the day! If you need to pick up
your child before 2:15, you will need to “sign out” in the office before
2:00. The office staff will call the classroom to release your child. If it
is after 2:00, you will have to wait until our administration has dismissed
students from the classroom.
Transportation changes can NOT be made by phone, email or fax. They have to
be sent before school, brought in person or CAN be called to ask for your
child to stay at ASP.
DAILY FOLDER
A daily folder will be sent home every day, and the newsletter will
be sent by email on Friday. This is our way to communicate information from
our class, the school and anything concerning your child. Please check the
folder daily. Review the contents of the folder and empty it daily. Please
return all the notes (if requested) and forms as soon as possible. You may
use the Daily Folder to send notes and lunch money. Lunch money will be
turned in to the lunch room on the day it is received.
Any other money for field trips, PTA or school expense must be turned
in using the white money envelope. If you are paying ASP fees, you will use
a brown money envelope. Please be sure to label the envelope with your
child’s first and last name, the teacher’s name, the purpose of the money and
the amount. The money envelopes will be turned in to the money drop box
(teachers do not open these money envelopes).
SNACK
We will have snack time during the afternoon. You will need to send
in a healthy snack daily with your child. We will have extras here if your
child forgets one day. We would appreciate any extra snacks you would like
to send in. Some snack ideas are: cereal, crackers, goldfish crackers,
graham crackers, popcorn, pretzels, raisins, fresh fruit and cheese. We have
a small refrigerator in the classroom for storing the fruit and cheese. No
candy or drinks.
BIRTHDAYS
You may send in a special snack when it is your child’s birthday.
Cupcakes and cookies are best…we are not able to cut a cake. We are not
allowed to have birthday parties, so please do not send drinks or party
favors. Please let me know if you will be sending a birthday snack, so we
can plan for it.
LUNCH
Our lunch time is 11:03-11:33. Lunch costs $1.65 a day and we prefer
that you pay for your child’s lunch weekly or monthly. You can pay for
lunches at school or by using your computer and going to www.mealpay.com. If
you send a lunch from home, please include a drink, or send money so your
child can buy a drink. Milk and juice can be purchased for $.50.
You may join your child for lunch anytime after the first full
week. You may meet us at the entrance to the cafeteria, door A. Adult
lunches cost $2.75. A lunch menu can be accessed on the Cobb County website
www.cobbk12.org or on my website
http://www.teacherweb.com/GA/CheathamHillElementary/Way/ It is school policy
not to bring fast food into the cafeteria.
RECESS
We go outside daily, weather permitting. Please dress your child
appropriately for the weather and PE days. Gym-type shoes are best when
playing on the playscape.
SPECIALS
We have “Specials” every day at 9:15-10:00. Our “Specials” are PE,
Art, Music, and Spanish. We have a six-day rotation with three days of PE,
and one day each of Art, Music and Spanish. Gym-type shoes are required for
PE. If your child can’t tie shoes, please consider Velcro shoes.
OOPS! “I had an accident”
Accidents can happen. Please put a change of clothes, in a zip lock
bag in their book bag. We will keep the clothes in the book bag so you can
change them out seasonally. We have a bathroom near our room to use as
necessary. In addition, we take group hallway bathroom breaks several times
a day. It is wise to keep a change of clothes in your child’s book bag for
those times of “oops, I slipped in the mud, or spilled my lunch”.
BEHAVIOR
Behavior effects the entire school day. If behavior is out of
control, then it makes learning difficult for everyone. We follow positive
ways to reinforce good behavior in all of our students in an effort to create
a calm, busy, fun learning environment.
A visual reminder for our students is posted on the wall. If
inappropriate behavior occurs they will first receive a warning, second they
will have 5 minutes of recess or free choice center time lost, third they
will have 10 minutes of recess or free choice center time lost. If there is
still a problem after that, they will lose all of recess or free centers and
you will receive a note or a phone call.
If your child is having repeated behavior problems, I will contact
you and begin a daily behavior report, so we can work together to help your
child make better choices.
ASSESSMENTS
I will monitor your child’s progress by using:
Anecdotal notes – descriptive notes about the skill.
Rubrics – table showing the level of skill acquired on performance tasks at
the end of units of study.
Skill checklists.
Formal Assessments will include:
GKIDS – Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills
DRA – Developmental Reading Assessment
Cobb County Writing Assessment
Information about the GKIDS is available by going to the following website:
http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_testing.aspx?PageReq=CI_TESTING_GKIDS
REPORT CARDS AND CONFERENCES
Kindergarten report cards are given four times a year, every 9 weeks
and the end of the year. The report card will show the developmental
progress that your child is making in kindergarten. Report cards will be
sent home October 24-28, January 13, March 21, and the final report card will
be mailed to you soon after school is out in the summer. You may keep the
report card, but return the signature card and envelope.
Conferences are a time for the teachers and parents to share student
progress and concerns. Conference week is scheduled for October 24-28 in the
afternoon. Please plan to attend this conference; it is important to your
child’s education.
SUPPLIES
The Kindergarten supply list has been posted on the font door of the
school and can be found on the school’s website
http://www.cob12.org/cheathamhill/.
These are the supplies that all of the kindergarten class are requesting. It
includes:
Book bag (no wheels or draw strings)
☺ 2 large boxes of tissues
☺ 2 boxes of 24 Crayola crayons
☺ 5 large (or 10 small) glue sticks
☺ 2 boxes of sharpened #2 pencils
☺ 1 8-pack Crayola markers
☺ 1 large pink eraser (no neon)
☺ 2 8-oz.(minimum size) Hand sanitizer
☺ 1 tub Clorox wipes
☺ 1 box gallon size Ziploc bags
☺ 1 box quart size Ziploc bags
These are items that we need in our class if you could send in at least one
item as well:
1 pkg of thin white paper plates 6” (dessert size)
1 large bag of Skittles
1 package of plastic spoons
1 box bandaids
Extra snacks for those who forget
From time to time, we will ask for additional supplies, like Kleenex tissues,
crayons and glue sticks - these items are used a lot and we may run out. We
appreciate any help you can give us in the area of supplies.
VOLUNTEERING
If you are interested in volunteering, I would love to have your
help! Please fill out our “Volunteer Form” with the days and times you are
available and what kind of jobs you would like to do (reading to the class,
preparing activities, making copies, working in small groups, helping in the
media center, etc.)
Using volunteers in the classroom requires time and preparation.
Because the first weeks of school are very busy, I will not be using
volunteers in the classroom for a couple of weeks.
Volunteers will be scheduled with a time that is helpful to me and
students. I am able to use your help so much better when I know when you are
coming and have a task prepared for you. If you are scheduled to volunteer
on a certain day or time and are not able to come, please let me know, as
this will save me the preparation time.
We look forward to having your kindergartner in our class here at Cheatham
Hill. I hope I have been able to answer some of your questions. If you need
to get in touch with me, please email me jonna.way@cobbk12.org or call the
school at 678-594-8034, and leave a message. I will return your email or
call as soon as possible.
Your child’s teachers,
Jonna Way, Kindergarten teacher
Email jonna.way@cobbk12.org