Welcome to Kindergarten! 2014-2015

1. Welcome to Kindergarten!2014-2015 At Montgomery Knolls, learning is magic!

2. Meet Your Teachers! Mrs. Andrea Parker Room 148 Ms. Kayla Mayberry Room 132 Miss Burton Room 125 Mrs. Amy Brooks Room 140 Mrs. Amy Erroa Room 138 Mrs. Karin Weber Room 146 Ms. Olivia Granata Room 144 Ms. Christine Greaney Room 124

3. Curriculum 2.0 • You will receive more information at Back-to-School Night, September 16th, 2014! • Parent guides can be found on MCPS website.

4. School-Wide Expectations • Be Respectful • Be Responsible • Be Ready

5. This year we will be using a school-wide behavior management tool called ClassDojo. • ClassDojois a web based program which allows teachers to track students’ behaviors (positive AND negative) easily and efficiently. • Behavior reports will be sent home on Fridays. Please sign and return to school on Monday.

6. Kindergarten Assessments • Kindergarten Readiness Assessment • Mclass Reading Assessment • Weekly formative data collection

7. Professional Development by Johns Hopkins School of Education, Center for Technology in Education Ready for Kindergarten Maryland’s Early Childhood Comprehensive Assessment System (EC-CAS)

8. Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) • Why it’s important – • Supports growing knowledge and research about the variability of young children’s growth, development, and learning • Provides insight into children’s readiness for kindergarten • Identifies children’s performance across multiple domains and aligns with best practice for assessing young children • Inform prior early learning and development to ensure that children are entering Kindergarten ready to learn

9. Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) Social Foundations Science Language & Literacy Social Studies Physical well-being & Motor Development Mathematics

10. KRA Domain: Social Foundations • Social and emotional development • Approaches toward learning • Executive functioning

11. KRA Domain: Language and Literacy • Reading • Writing • Language • Speaking and listening

12. KRA Domain: Mathematics • Counting & Cardinality • Operations & Algebraic Thinking • Measurement & Data • Geometry

13. KRA Domain: Science • Life science • skills • processes

14. KRA Domain: Social Studies • Rules • Responsible behavior • Past, present & future

15. KRA Domain: Physical Well-being and Motor Development • Physical education • Health

16. NAEYC Quote Kindergarten can shape a child’s overall outlook on and engagement in lifelong learning.

17. S.T.E.M Centers • This year we will have daily S.T.E.M centers to enhance the science, technology, engineering, and math instruction.

18. Please look at your child’s name on the class lists. • If it is misspelled or your child prefers a nickname, please let the teacher know when you visit the classroom. • If you do not see your child’s name on any list, please let us know. Helpful Hint #1

19. The 1st day of school isMonday, August 25, 2014. • Breakfast will be available starting the 2nd day of school! • MKESparticipates in a special program! Students will have the opportunity to eat breakfast in their classroom from 8:30-9am. Helpful Hint #2

20. A standards-based report card will be sent home twice a year. • Back to School Night will be on Tuesday,September 16, 2014. • You will learn more about the Kindergarten program, Curriculum 2.0, and the grading system at that time. Helpful Hint #3

21. Children should wear nametags each day the first week of school. • Please label all backpacks and lunch boxes with your child’s name. • NO TOYS UNLESS WE ASK FOR THEM. Helpful Hint #4

22. Each child will have a red folder to use for taking messages home and returning messages to school. Red folders will be sent home every day. Please check the folder and return to school daily. Helpful Hint #5

23. Report cards are sent home in February and June. • Student progress reports will be sent home quarterly. • A newsletter will be sent home each quarter to let you know what your child will be learning! Helpful Hint #6

24. You will receive a cafeteria menu each month. • If your child has special dietary needs, please let us know. • Lunch: $2.55 (Reduced $0.40) • Milk: $0.60 • Each child will be receiving a pin # for lunch on the first day of school. Please practice at home. • If applicable, please be on the look out for the Free and Reduced lunch application. Be sure to complete and return as soon as possible. Helpful Hint #7

25. Helpful Hint # 8 • Encourage your child to wash their hands frequently, especially before lunch and after using the bathroom. • If your child is sick, please do not send them to school! Please call the office to let us know they will not be coming in.

26. If you would like to volunteer in your child’s classroom, please contact the PTA to sign up for a required “Volunteer Training.” www.mkpcpta.org Helpful Hint #9

27. Things you can do with your child before the 1st day of school: • Practice saying the teacher’s name with your child. • Practice saying the color of the bus they are riding or if they are in daycare or a walker. • Explain the importance of a fire drill. • Read together!  Helpful Hint #10

28. We would like to begin the school routine the first day. If your child will be riding a bus, begin that the first day. • If your child will be going home a different way, please let the office know in the morning (by 11:00). • Parents are invited to attend the “First Day of School Boo-Hoo/Yahoo Coffee” in the cafeteria at 8:30. • If you’re dropping your child off on the first day please bring your child to the gym, teachers will be waiting. • Parents will not be permitted to go to their child’s classroom, in order to make the transition easier for all children. 1st Day of School

29. Thank you for coming!We look forward to a great year of Kindergarten!