ABC Kindergarten Handbook
A is for:
Absences: It is important for your child to be at school each day. If your child is unable to
attend, please send a written note or a doctor’s excuse on the day your child returns to school.
If your child has 5 unexcused absences you will be called in for an attendance conference. Ten
unexcused absences will be referred to the district office.
Accidents:
Please send in a change of clothes for your child just in case he/she has an accident. Please put
it in a plastic bag with his/her name on it. We will keep these bags in a designated cabinet.
B is for:
Birthdays:
We like to celebrate them at school. If you want to send in a treat please remember to keep it
simple. We will enjoy the treat during our lunch time or at the end of the day.
Breakfast:
Free breakfast is served in the mornings before school (7:30-7:50). Your child must go to the
gym first and will then be walked down to the cafeteria with the rest of the students.
Buses:
All children who are bus riders will be escorted to the buses by the teachers and/or assistants
each day. Please keep us informed about any changes in your child’s transportation. If there is a
change, we must have a written note from the parent/guardian stating the change.
C is for:
Communication:
If you need to discuss anything with us, please feel free to call the school at 260-5255. You can
also email me at Catherinehale@anderson5.net. We will send a note and/or make a telephone
call if we need to talk with you.
Car Riders: If you have any questions about our procedures, please let me know.
Conferences:
Our conference day will be Sept. 24th. Please do not leave today without signing up for a
conference appointment.
D is for:
Discipline:
We use bugs, pennies, and shopping to encourage good behavior. Your child has a bug with
his/her name on it. We want the bugs to stay in the air. If, after a warning, your child continues
to make poor choices, his/her bug will be moved to the flower. Each time this happens it means:
1 penny will be taken out of your child’s cup and 5 minutes on the wall at recess. See Good
Behavior to learn more about the penny shopping.
E is for:
Early Dismissal:
If for some reason you need to get your child from school, you need to go to the office and sign
him/her out. The office will then let us know that your child will need to be dismissed. We are
not allowed to let your child leave the classroom without prior notification from the office. This
is for the safety of all our children. We also have a few half days of school on the calendar. We
will dismiss the K students at 10:50 on these days.
F is for:
Field Trips:
We will go on at least 2 field trips during the year. We will notify you in writing about the dates,
times and fees. Your child can not attend a fieldtrip without written permission by you. Please
send field trip money in a sealed envelope with the teacher and child's name on the front. Please
make sure you have filled out the transportation permission form located in the white packet.
G is for:
Good Behavior:
Your child will be awarded for good behavior with our Penny Boxes. These penny boxes contain
items for your child to “purchase” on Fridays. The more pennies your child has left on Friday,
the better the shopping experience!
H is for:
Hand Stamps: Please check your child’s hand for a stamp after each school day. If your child
has a stamp, that means his/her bug stayed up all day. If you see 2 stamps, that means all bugs
stayed up all day. We call this “double hand stamp super powers”. If you do not see a stamp,
please ask him/her what happened. Your child can not get out of recess “time out” until he/she
tells us what poor choice he/she made and what he/she will do next time.
Homework:
Homework will be sent home on Mondays in the red folder and needs to be returned to school on
Fridays.
I is for:
Independence
We want your child to learn independence as a kindergartener. We expect them to take care of
their jackets, learn to tie their own shoes and unpack and hang their own book bags.
Ice Cream: In the fall, our PTO will begin selling ice cream. The cost is .50 cents.
J is for:
Journal:
Each day we spend time writing in our journals. We encourage “inventive spelling” in our class.
K is for:
Kindergarten:
You will be amazed at how much your child learns in Kindergarten.
L is for:
Library:
We will visit the library once a week. Each child can check out a book each week and is expected
to take care of it. Please encourage your child to handle the books with care and return the
books within a week of the original check out date. Each child will also have a library number. If
the book is damaged or lost it is the responsibility of the parent to pay for the book. Your
child’s report card will be held if your child has lost, damaged or misplaced books and you have
not paid for them.
Lunch:
Please send lunch money in a sealed envelope with the teacher and child's name on the front. A
menu will be sent home each month in your child’s red folder. You can also see the breakfast and
lunch menu online at WWW.Anderson5.net.
M is for:
Map Testing: In September, December and April your child will take a reading and math MAP
test in the computer lab. These scores are used to show growth over time.
Math:
We use many resources to teach math including math baskets filled with hands-on manipulative
materials.
Medicine:
For your child’s safety, please do not allow him/her to transport medication to school. Parents
must take all prescription medication to the nurse in the original container from the pharmacy
labeled with the name of the medication and dispensing instructions. Teachers are not allowed
to give over the counter medicines. This needs to be given by the nurse.
N is for:
Nurse:
Our nurse is Mrs. Ellison. She makes all the boo-boos better!
O is for:
Opportunity:
We give each child many opportunities to be a successful learner at WHES.
P is for:
Progress Reports: A progress report will be sent home on Fridays in your child’s red folder. This
progress report will have information about your child’s behavior for the week and also some
things to review with your child during the weekend. Please sign this progress report and return
it and the red folder on Mondays.
PE:
We will attend PE on Mondays. Please wear tennis shoes and appropriate clothing on PE day.
Q is for:
Quiet:
Although our students are given time to “play” in literacy and developmental centers, we expect
the students to work quietly. During this time we will work with individual and small groups of
students on various activities. Students must work quietly in order for the individuals and small
groups to hear and benefit from the lessons.
R is for:
Red Folders: Your child will bring home a red folder every day. Please take a moment to check it
every night. On most days it will contain important information that you need to see. Some days
it will be empty but we will send it home anyway in case you need to send us a note or money.
Report Cards:
Your child will receive a report card each nine weeks.
Reading:
We use various methods to teach reading readiness skills. We teach letters, phonemic
awareness, and sight words. We will begin utilizing guided reading leveled texts in the fall.
These will come home in a plastic bag. Please make sure you listen to your child read these
guided reading books and sign the enclosed sheet inside the bag. These books need to be
returned daily.
S is for:
Spanish: Your child will attend a Spanish class twice a week.
Sign
Please make sure to sign your child’s progress report and return it to school on Mondays.
T is for:
Tardy:
If your child is late to school (at/after 8:00am), he/she needs to go the office and sign in
before coming to class. If your child has too many tardies or absences, you will be notified by
the school office and you will have to come in to school for an attendance conference. Please
make a note of this information in your student handbook.
Toys:
Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school unless the teacher has approved it. We
have many educational games and activities for your child at school.
U is for:
Urge:
We urge all children to do their best every day.
V is for:
Visits: You may visit us at school and eat lunch with your child any time. Please go by the office
and sign in. Please refer to our class schedule for lunch times. Adult lunches are $4.00.
W is for:
Webpage:
All of this information and our classroom schedules are posted on my webpage at
WWW.anderson5.net/whitehall.
X is for:
Kisses:
Give your child one each morning before he/she goes to school.
Y is for:
You:
You are a very important person in your child's education. Help your child get the right start in
kindergarten.
Z is for:
Zippers:
Please teach your child to zip and unzip clothing. This makes recess time much easier for us.