Class Expectations & Procedures and Resources
Class Expectations & Procedures
BOOK BAG BOOKS: Students are given small reading books weekly on Thursday in their Book Bags. They are leveled readers that should be read nightly. Students should track each word as you/they read. Each book should be read 3 times (one book or two per night). You should ask them questions about the story, characters, setting, problem. Once students are able to sound out words and know some sight words they should be required to do the reading themselves as you guide them. Have them search for capitals with matching lower case, for sight words, for rhyming words and our word family words too. Students may bring their bags back the following Thursday to trade. Students will NOT be given a new set of books to read until the old set has been returned. If you feel the books are too hard or too easy we can adjust them. Simply send in a note in their bag. We expect students to miss no more than one or two words from most pages of their stories they are reading. This will support more growth in their skills faster. Their assigned class number will be on their bag for identification. We encourage nightly reading to ensure students are growing their sight word knowledge and comprehension skills. We also strongly encourage independence in sounding out all sounds in words to blend and stretch to hear themselves say new words. Students student be reminded to use their pictures for clues to understand the actions and meanings of their characters and story problem.
DAILY NOTEBOOK: Everyday students come to SV they are expected to return their daily notebook which is one of our means of communication. It is their responsibility to unpack and turn it in. It will be sent home each night. If you have monies or notes or completed their review packets and any other sent and encouraged by Mrs. Sully. Notebooks return home daily. Please be sure to check your child's notebook nightly as well as their backpack to stay aware of all that is needed, encouraged, or happening during our day. We will send school info, graded work, and newsletters home that way. We will also send home extra practice and review sheets as needed to meet the individual learning needs of your child. Please continue to keep their backpack and notebook clean as many students will put odd work in their on their own. This is extra weight they simply do not need to carry around. We will offer sections in your daily notebook for support in strategies for math, reading, and other resources from week to week. Please continue to look for these!
HOME WORK: WE DO NOT HAVE HOMEWORK!!!!!! Weekly review packets will go home each week with our weekly newsletter (usually on Friday depending on holidays and happenings). These will be stapled together. Students are all encouraged to complete their review sheets independently with only parental support in instructions and expectations. All review packets are due back by the following Thursday completed for classroom rewards (Gumballs to earn FAST trips to our prize box). We cannot stress the importance of these worksheets enough. Please plot time in your weekly schedule to do them along with sight word review (say it/spell it/say it) nightly. It only takes a few minutes and it is great support for your child in many areas of learning. We will offer occasional projects for family connection with our learning themes too for fun. Students will receive participation grades for their public speaking/presentation if they complete them. They are ONLY for family involvement and fun! are However, these are some of the most fun opportunities during our school year. Students enjoy creating these at home with YOU! Please watch the newsletters for these theme based opportunities.
CLASS NEWSLETTER: A weekly class newsletter will be sent every week (at the end of our week depending on holidays). Activities for Kindergarten will be noted on the back of the newsletter for suggested review work at home. Family connect projects will also be listed (theme based). The newsletter tells you what your child is learning for the week. It also shares information about upcoming special events and the sight words and Letterland words and sentences being covered for the week that your child should learn. Rhyming is a part of our review and you will see our word families listed as we cover them. We often send home sight word flash cards and games that are exchanged weekly in bags of books or games that are teacher created for you to keep and enjoy. Math games will also head home about once a month which make review of our math standards family fun time too! Our newsletter will also share suggested review areas in math each week as well. REMEMBER: Review sheets will be attached and if completed independently and turned in each week your child will receive class rewards.
LIBRARY: Students are allowed to visit our SV Library about every other week. They independently select their own book to check out so RARELY will your child be able to read the book selected. This will provide great storytime as you head to bed. Students who check out books from the SV Library will need to be sure to turn those in before they will be allowed to check out another one. Students who reach level E readers (this is a first grade level sight word storybook they can independently read once they know ALL of our Kindergarten sight words) love visiting our local Denton Library. We strongly encourage parents to visit and allow their child to get a personal public library card. We are also excited to have Denton Library visit us for special storytime too!
REMINDER: Don't forget about the online library! Ask Mrs. Sully if you need further info!
RESOURCES
Some other sites you may wish to check out are ABC Mouse, Saturday Morning Songs, Starfall, and our Zearn Math site which students are enrolled in through our class. Their are also sites you may purchase membership to that students may enjoy. One such site is Reading A-Z. This is a leveled book reading site that allows students to listen to, read, and even take a quiz to test their level of comprehension. Epic is also a great reading site as well. Parents should always check out any learning sites their children are engaged in. If you happen to have an i-pad at home Letterland offers several apps too! Our school library site offers some other resource suggestions too!