Welcome to Kindergarten!
Ms. Susan Cochran , Mrs. Michele Pepe and
Mrs. Martha Douglas
All About Ms. Cochran:
• Raised in Thomaston, Georgia
• Graduated from R. E. Lee Institute
• Earned Bachelor’s Degree from UGA and Masters
from Kennesaw State University
• 4 “purrrfect kitties” ~ George, Lizzie ,Isabel &
Charlotte
• 29 years in teaching
• I love kindergarten!!!
All About Mrs. Pepe:
• Born in the Panama Canal Zone
• Married to Steve
• Has 2 children : Alexandria, a graduate of
KSU, and Joseph, a freshman at Chattahoochee Tech
• Has 2 dogs- Chase and Mia
• Has been at Murdock a long time! First, she was a
Reading/Literacy Chairperson for our PTA, and then she
became a kindergarten paraprofessional 12 years ago.
• Mrs. Pepe LOVES her job!!!!
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All About Mrs. Douglas
Born in Venezuela
Graduated from Jacksonville University
Married to Steven Douglas and has 1 son
Has a pet parrot named Tutu
Has been teaching at Murdock for 17
years
• Is a free lance artist and a musician
Our Goals
• Safe comfortable learning
environment where children can
bloom and grow into the very best
they can be
• Grow socially, emotionally, and
academically
• To have fun while learning!
What we believe…
• Everyone can learn.
• Learning is our priority.
• Our job is to make our classroom a safe
and happy environment that is conducive to
learning.
• Everyone is special and will be treated
with compassion and respect.
• Educational excellence is everyone’s
responsibility.
Classy Cats’ Class Rules
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Listen when the teachers are
talking.
Keep hands/feet to yourself.
Raise your hand.
Be safe, kind and honest.
Respect others, respect yourself,
and respect your school.
Three Cheers for Great Behavior!!
• We believe that “catching” students
making good choices is a much more
effective means of creating a safe, happy
and well-managed classroom that is more
conducive to learning.
• We have chosen the “mitten” method of
encouraging good behavior in our
classroom.
The New Common Core
• Rationale is to make all students college/career ready by
grade 12
• Emphasis on student-centered learning where the teacher is
serving as the facilitator
• Deeper understanding which sets a firm foundation for
students (It may seem slow at times, however, every step of
learning is essential to proper development. In the past,
students have had gaps in their learning due to a weak
foundation.)
• Stressed importance on listening/speaking by having
meaningful conversations.
Classy Cats’ Schedule
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7:25 – 7:50
7:50 –7:55
8:00 – 8:20
8:20 – 9:05
9:05 – 9:40
9:40- 10:30
10:30-10:40
10:46 – 11:16
11:20 –11:45
11:50- 12:33
12:33-12:43
12:45-1:10
1:10-1:30
1:35-1:50
1:50-2:10
2:15
Morning Routines
Announcements & Pledge
Morning Meeting & Calendar
Writer’s Workshop
Reader’s Workshop
Math
Prepare for lunch
Lunch
Phonics/Handwriting
Specials
Bathroom/Water
Science/Social Studies
Recess
Snack/Pack up
Rest/Assessments
Prepare for Dismissal
How to Contact Me
• Email: susan.cochran @cobbk12.org
• Blog:
http://murdock10.typepad.com/classy_cats/
• Phone: (770) 509 – 5071
• Note in T.I.G.E.R. book
Attendance Policy:
• Classy Cats should be here before 7:50
a.m. This is when our morning
announcements and Pledge of Allegiance
begin.
• If your favorite Classy Cat is absent,
please send in a written excuse.
• The more they are here, the more they
will learn!!
Emergency Information
• Please let the school office know if
any of your contact information
changes.
• If your little one has any allergies,
please let us know on the emergency
card.
• Any medication needs to be brought
to school by you and given to Nurse
Jeannie.
Dress Code
• Please make sure your favorite Classy Cat
doesn’t wear flip flops, clogs or crocs.
These are very dangerous on our
playground, and we want to keep our little
ones safe.
• Please label all coats, sweaters, and
jackets.
Snacks!!!
• Please send a snack with your favorite Classy Cat each day.
We will eat our snacks right after “Specials” each
afternoon.
• Your favorite Classy Cat may bring water to drink with
his/her snack each day if they would like to do so.
Classy Cat Birthdays
• We love to celebrate birthdays!
• Please let me know a couple of days ahead of
time when you would like to send in treats
for your little one’s birthday celebration.
• Mini cupcakes, brownies, cookies or ice
cream sandwiches, etc. are easy to serve
and eat.
• Please remember that we are not allowed to
distribute invitations to parties at school.
When Visiting Us
• Please enter at the front office and sign in.
• Please wear your visitor’s sticker.
• When picking your little one up early, please sign
him/her our through the front office.
• When eating lunch with your little one, please sign
in and you both may sit at the visitor’s table in the
lunchroom. *Lunch visitors may begin August 18th.
Transportation
• Please, please make sure that your little one
knows how he/she is going home each day.
• If you ever need to make any changes, please put
them in writing and place them in the pencil pouch
in your little one’s T.I.G.E.R. book ~ signed/dated.
A form can be printed from Murdock’s webpage.
Photos
• If you do not wish for your child’s
photo to be published (in the hallway,
on the class blog, etc), please write a
letter stating that to our principal,
Mrs. Lynn Hamblett or our assistant
principal, Mrs. Donna Long.
POPCORN WORDS
We will learn our sight words this year in such a
fun way!! We will call our sight words POPCORN
WORDS!!! Your little one will be tested each
Friday to see if he/she can read the POPCORN
WORDS from the list. A new list will be sent
home in their T.I.G.E.R. books when they can
read all of the words on their current list.
How can you help your little
one get ready for
kindergarten?
• Read to your child every day! You might also let
your child look at the pictures in a book and make
up a story about it.
• Read a story to your child and stop in the middle.
Let your child tell you how the story will end, then
finish the story.
• Read a story and let them draw a picture of their
favorite part or their favorite character.
• Ask your child to retell the story to you. Work on
sequencing ~ what happened first, next and last.
MESF : supports a full year of science and
technology
programming as well as a new iPad
initiative.
PTA: supports after school clubs and
activities for students and staff.
students and staff.
Every day is a beautiful day
in kindergarten! Meow!