Kindergarten

1. Kindergarten • Mrs. Jordan • Room 22

2. Phase-In • Phase-In is a time when students come in small groups to get used to coming to school. • Your child is assigned 3 phase-in days. The time is 7:30-11:00 on the first day. The other 2 days will be all day, 7:30-2:30 • We will eat lunch on these days. You will need to either send a lunchbox or lunch money.

3. Phase-In • You may bring your child into the class on the 1st day. You must first sign in at the office and leave your ID with them. You can enter the class at 7:15. You will need to leave at 7:30 because this is when announcements will start. • Please come through the car line for dismissal. We are teaching the children what to do at dismissal everyday.

4. Supplies • The supply list was sent to you and is available on the class website. • Please bring all supplies on the first day. • The sizes are not a big deal- buy what’s on sale. I do recommend Crayola brand; the end result is always much better!

5. Full Days • Students may enter the room at 7:15. If they arrive early, they will go to the gym to wait. My door remains closed until the bell rings. • Please do not walk your child to class after the first day. It’s much easier on everyone. • If you need to come in with your child to help with snacks or a special project, please sign in first.

6. Lunch • You may purchase lunch in the cafeteria for $2 or send a sack lunch. • Students may purchase a milk if they bring a lunchbox. • Lunch money is put into a student account. You can send enough for a long period, on a weekly basis, or each day your child buys a lunch.

7. Please send all money in an envelope. Simply put the envelope in the folder, and your child will give it to me that morning. Be sure to label it with your child’s name and my name. • Students may purchase ice cream on Fridays for $0.50.

8. If you don’t want your child to buy extras each day including chips and ice cream, you have to write a note to the cafeteria. You can indicate what they are allowed to purchase such as extra milk, bottled water, and ice cream on Fridays. Otherwise students are allowed to purchase anything they want with money in their account! • If you want to visit for lunch, please sign in and either wait for us in the hall by the office or meet us in the cafeteria . Lunch begins at 10:25. Outside food such as McDonald’s is not allowed. Please say good-bye in the cafeteria or in the hall. We have a new lesson to begin as soon as we can get back to our class.

9. Snacks • The kindergarten team feels it’s very important for our students to have healthy snacks and learn healthy eating habits. Please provide healthy choices such as fruit or veggies and water or juice. Cookies and candy are NOT healthy choices! • You are responsible for providing your child with his own snack each day. Students are allowed to eat their snacks during recess.

10. Dismissal • Car riders will be dismissed between the two buildings. Older siblings will come to this area. Please have your car tag displayed in the front window. • Please remain in your car. This allows the line to move as quickly as possible. • Your child will be waiting for a signal to load. Please do not tell your child to get in if the whistle has not been blown.

11. If your child is to go home a different way, I must have a note! This may include riding with a friend or being a car rider instead of going to daycare. • If you carpool, please send a note at the beginning of the year stating who you carpool with.

12. Daycare riders will go to the gym to wait on their van. • YMCA kids will go to the cafeteria. • If your child participates in after school activities such as choir, I must have a note. I will only send your child to choir on regular choir days. I never know when extra choir practices are scheduled. So if your child is to stay on another day other than the regular schedule I must have a note.

13. Early dismissal • It’s very important for your child to be at school all day. • In the event you need to get your child out early, please go to the office and sign him out. The office will call my room. You are not allowed to come to the room for your child. I will never dismiss a child without direction from the office. This includes after class parties and field trips.

14. Tardies and Absences • If your child is late to school, you need to come in to the office to sign him in. Then he will be allowed to come to class. • When your child is absent, send a note with him upon his return. Otherwise the absence is unexcused. • PLEASE follow the 24 hour fever free rule. This means no fever without the help of medicine. We do not want to spread germs.

15. If your child is complaining at home, please don’t send him to school and say “Tell Mrs. Jordan to call me if you get sick.” This is all I will hear whether your child is really sick or not! • Make sure your child has a complete change of clothing. He may have an accident, spill something at lunch, or go down a wet slide. This way I don’t have to call you just for a change of clothes.

16. Communication Folder • The folder will go between school and home each day. • The behavior chart will be colored daily indicating behavior. Please sign every day. Your signature indicates you have seen the behavior chart, looked at all work in the folder, and emptied the folder. We do this daily instead of a weekly take home folder.

17. Blue Folder • All classwork, school information, and money goes in this folder. Each night check the folder and remove all papers. • Place any paper that needs to be returned, notes to me, and money envelope inside this folder. • Students are responsible for checking their folder each morning and putting items in the basket. • If you did not clean out the folder, your child will be very confused the next morning!

18. Reading Folder • The books will be changed at least once per week. • You may occasionally receive extra homework to go along with a book. The due date will be indicated on the work. • Always keep all reading books I provide and the sight word book in the folder. We use these on a daily basis. • Read the book and initial the reading log nightly!

19. Sight Words • The sight word book contains the words we will practice all year. • We will learn a new word each day. Your child may be able to work ahead. That is perfectly acceptable! • You should practice all words we have learned every night.

20. Nap and Bathroom Breaks • We will not take a nap at all this year. I have found most students do not need it. Nap time takes away from instructional time and often students get in trouble for playing during rest. • We do not take group bathroom breaks. In the past this was time consuming and a time for the kids to get in trouble (especially the boys who thought I couldn’t go inside the boys restroom!)

21. The students are allowed to use the restroom anytime except during direct instruction. • Clear emergencies are always the exception! • You may need to talk to your child about how to ask permission to use the restroom. Shy children tend to wait as long as they can because they don’t want to ask. Then they have an accident before they can make it to the restroom. • We will talk about this a lot in class as well. Last year this worked really well for us and we never had accidents.

22. Field Trips • We will take 4 field trips. I will post dates on the calendar as soon as they are approved. • You are not allowed to ride the bus. We have just enough room for all 4 classes. You can meet us at school and follow the bus in your car.

23. We send field trip forms home in plenty of advance. It is very important to return the permission and money as soon as possible • If you have not paid by 7:30 of the due date, your child will not be allowed to attend. NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are fee wavered, you still must return permission ON TIME in order to attend. Please let me know privately if you are fee wavered so I do not expect money. • This includes if your child is absent on the due date. So don’t wait until the last minute! • Field trips are non-refundable.

24. Chaperones are always welcome! I may need to assign you to watch 2-3 other students. • It’s very important for my chaperones to be good models. This means when I need the attention of the class, parents stop talking as well. Students are expected to remain in line with the class until I break them into groups. Your support is vital to a successful field trip. • We encourage you to leave younger siblings at home. This way you can enjoy the day with your kindergartner. If you have younger children to tend to, you are unable to help with other students in the class.

25. Class Parties • We will have 3 class “parties” and many other special events. • Anytime you can help makes these events even more successful! • You may be able to come help with the party, or you may choose to send in items and foods needed. • Please try to assist in some way so the load does not fall on 3 or 4 parents.

26. Younger siblings may attend parties but you must supervise them. • Please understand the party is for our Kindergartners. So there may not be a craft for siblings to do. • The class should be served snacks before parents and siblings.

27. Pictures • PLEASE bring your camera to everything! I will use the pictures you send me as part of the end-of-the-year movie I make. • I’m usually busy dealing with the students and never get good pictures myself. Your help allows everyone to have plenty of Kindergarten memories.

28. Communication • The best way to reach me is by e-mail. I don’t check during the day too often, but I do check regularly at night. • You may also write a note in the folder.

29. Conferences • We will have 2 school-wide conference days. • If you need to speak with me and it can not be handled through e-mail or notes, we will have to schedule a time to meet. This will either be during plan time at 1:50 or after school at 2:45. • I do believe it’s important for children to be a part of conferences. There are very few circumstances in which a child should not be present. So please plan on your child attending conferences.

30. Participation • It’s vital you and your child actively participate in all activities. This includes special projects at home as well as after school events. • Special home projects are assigned in plenty of time to allow you at least one weekend to complete. I always remind you of these in newsletters and they are posted on the calendar.

31. Many other school functions occur at night as well. • Please remember we are a performing arts school. Keep this in mind when signing your child up for sports. School should come first.

32. Newsletter • I will send a newsletter each week via e-mail, usually on Sundays. • The newsletter is also available on the website.

33. Behavior • Kindergarten is about academics as well as learning appropriate social behaviors. Your child will learn how to express himself, show respect and responsibility, and to work as a community. • Occasionally children do break rules. After redirection and a warning, your child may have to move his magnet.

34. Your child will color the behavior chart each day. A note will accompany misbehaviors. • Consequences are determined by the misbehavior.

35. Report Cards • We began using a new rating system. • Each skill is ranked from 1-4. • The ranking indicates your child’s progress in that skill. We do not expect your child to have a 4 in the very beginning of the school year. • A 3 is the goal by the end of the year; a 4 indicates your child is advanced in that area.

36. Related Arts • We go to a new class each 6 weeks. • This year we will have Art, Spanish, Computer, P.E., Gym and Music. • Please send your child in tennis shoes when we have gym. They should either wear or bring socks when we have dance.

37. Dress Code • The TFAA handbook contains details about the dress code. • Flip-flops are discouraged because they are hard to run in, often slip off when walking, and break easily. • Be sure your child can sit on the carpet without exposing anything, can play comfortably, and can go to the restroom easily without assistance. • PLEASE try to keep play jewelry at home. It’s a distraction. If your child is distracted by something, I may ask him to put it in his backpack and leave it at home.

38. What we will do this year • Each child will learn to read and write. • In the beginning it may be very frustrating, especially sight words. Keep encouraging your child. You will be amazed what all he is doing in November. • We will learn in a variety of ways including group projects, hands-on activities, and small group instruction.

39. My goal is to produce more class videos this year and post them to the website! • You will also find lots of pictures of our learning on the website. • Students will learn through active participation, exploring the arts, journaling, home projects, and group discussion.

40. About Me! • This is my 12th year to teach. I taught 6th grade my first 2 years. This will be my 10th year to teach magnet Kindergarten. • I graduated from Cumberland University. I received my Masters degree from MTSU in Early and Middle Childhood Reading Instruction. • I am married with 3 children. Jackson is 11 and in the 6th grade. Rosalynn is 8 and in the 3rd grade. Braxton is 6 and in 1st grade. We live in the Walter Hill area where I have lived all my life.

41. Volunteers • Volunteers are ALWAYS needed! This room is full of many talented parents. You each have something to offer! • How can you help? • Volunteer at school to work with students, change bulletin boards, cut and laminate, etc. • Volunteer from home to cut, color, and prepare materials for special projects. • Work with small groups when EA is absent • Provide supplies for a special project, craft, or experiment. • Attend field trips, class parties and other special activities.

42. I love technology! We will use a lot of technology in our daily lessons. My goal this year is to use the green screen for student made movies based on our themes! • I have to be busy! Our class will always be in the middle of some activity. • I love working with children! Your child will be a very important part of my life, and I look forward to all of the wonderful things he will do and say this year.