Welcome to Kindergarten!

1. Welcome to Kindergarten! Parent Survival Guide

2. My silly boys!

3. Parent Survival Guide First Week Schedule and Morning Drop-off Transportation Lunch and Snack Nap Classroom Behavior Plan Classroom Rules Parent/Teacher Communication

4. First Week Schedule andMorning Drop-off A/B Schedule A- Girls come on Tuesday, August 5 & Thursday, August 7 B- Boys come on Wednesday, August 6 & Friday, August 8 All students begin full time on Monday, August 11 You may walk your child to class during the first week, and begin regular drop-off procedures no later than Monday. Arrival Time: Morning drop-off begins at 7:10. K students wait in the cafeteria after drop-off, and are taken to their classrooms at 7:25. Students are marked tardy at 7:45. Please arrive on time each day. We go to PE at 7:50 am. Be sure to send students in gym shoes everyday.

5. Transportation How do I make sure that my child gets home safely? TODAY- Be sure to write down how your child will go home on the first day and how they will get home the rest of the year. Make sure your child also knows how they will get home. Pin it to their backpack each day until they are confident. Car riders: Pin your child’s car number onto their backpack and be sure to have the number on your car visor in car line. Practice these numbers at home! Bus riders: Pin your child’s bus number, name, address, subdivision, and phone number onto their backpack. Get to know your bus driver and practice these numbers at home! Van riders: Pin your child’s van name on their backpack. Extended Day: Pin an extended day tag on your child’s backpack and make sure your child knows they go to extended day before you pick them up. If there is a change: ALWAYS send a note and email with specific directions and be sure to let your child know about the change. Call the office if it is a last minute change. Try to be as consistent as possible. Only make changes if it’s absolutely necessary.

6. Lunch and Snack Lunch Numbers Each child is given a lunch account number. Practice this number at home! They’ll need to know this number whenever they purchase food from the cafeteria. You can put money into their account by sending cash, writing a check to The Mill Creek Cafeteria, or making payments through Paypams. In the cafeteria…. Students can bring a lunch from home or purchase a lunch from school. Menus are available at www.madisonciy.k12.al.us under child nutrition. Students can purchase individual cartons of milk as well as snack items from the cafeteria. On Fridays students can purchase ice cream. You may purchase ice cream for the class on your child’s birthday. Afternoon Snack Students will need to bring a small, healthy, non-refrigerated snack and drink from home EVERYDAY. Practice opening containers at home!

7. Nap Duration: 15-20 minutes at the beginning of the year. This will transition into quiet reading as the year progresses. What to send: Folding vinyl or cloth mat. Please no sleeping bags (They are very hard to store!) Mat Cleaning: Cloth mats will be sent home each week to be washed and returned.

8. Classroom Behavior Plan Behavior Chart Purple- Outstanding Day! Blue-Great Job! Green-Ready to Learn! Yellow- Thinking about it Red- Parent Contact Positive Reinforcement Positive behavior will be rewarded as often as possible. Whole group, small group, and individual classroom incentives encourage students to make good choices. Each student is able to work their way back up the chart with good choices. Students can also be moved to blue and purple for outstanding choices. Celebrate this accomplishment at home. Blue and purple mean that your child has gone above and beyond as a friend and student. Consequences for Inappropriate Behavior Our aim is for consequences to be immediate and provide a solution to the behavior problem. Students will be moved down the chart after one verbal warning, and may be placed in time out if needed. (Time out may include separation from peers inside the classroom, or outside the classroom in buddy room, during lunch, and/or during recess.) If classroom rules are severely or persistently broken, parents will be contacted with a note, phone call, or conference. Severe Clause: A child may be referred to the principal when the behavior prevents the rest of the class from working in a safe and positive learning environment.

9. Classroom Rules 1. Be Respectful 2. Be Responsible 3. Be Cooperative 4. Be Caring Classroom Procedures 1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. Keep your dear class happy. Based on the Whole Brain Teaching Philosophy

10. Parent/Teacher Communication During the school day: My Email: mcmiller@madisoncity.k12.al.us Office Phone: 256-774-4690 Text me at: 256-503-0801 You’ve got my card! Text messages are good for urgent information and questions during and after school. Daily Folder and Maverick Memo Pads: This will be sent home with your child each day. Please check and initial every afternoon. This will be my primary method of communication. Weekly Newsletter: These will be posted on my website and sent through email. This will update you on weekly learning targets, class & school events, and classroom needs. Let me know if you need a paper copy, and I’ll be glad to print one for you.

11. Mark your Calendar for Kindergarten Curriculum Night!Monday, August 18 at 5:00 pmIt’s going to be a great year…. Kindergarten Rocks! Questions?