The ABC’s of
Kindergarten
Mrs. Whitaker
Ms. Cooper
2013-2014
Allergies
Please let your child’s teacher know if your child has any
allergies to food or seasonal allergies.
Art
Attendance
The students go to Art class for 45 minutes once a week.
Art: Mondays: 10:25- 11:10
Daily attendance is essential for your child to be a success in
school. If your child arrives at school before 8:20 am, they
will need to go play on the playground until the bell rings at 8:20
am. The tardy bell rings at 8:25 am. If your child is absent, we
would appreciate a call informing us why your child is absent.
The phone number to Mountain School is 505-663-2325.
Backpacks
Your child will need to bring a backpack with them to school
everyday. Please make sure your child’s name is written on the
front of the backpack. Backpacks with wheels are NOT
allowed.
Birthdays
Due to student allergies in our school, we are unable to bring
treats, such as cupcakes, cookies, etc., to celebrate birthdays.
There will be no sharing of any kind of food. Your child will get
a birthday crown to wear throughout the day and we will sing to
them. You may send goodie bags with favors such as pencils,
erasers, or small toys. Please do not send candy. Birthday
party invitations sent to school will not be handed out unless
the entire class has been invited.
Book Orders
Once a month, your child will be bringing home a form to order
books. If you wish to place an order, fill out the order form
and send the correct amount of money by the designated due
date. There is also a code that will go home on the order forms
for you to be able to order online. Checks are also accepted
and can be made out to Scholastic. These orders have great
books at low prices. Also, for every dollar that is spent on
books, I earn bonus points to purchase books for our classroom.
Computers
The students will go to the computer lab for 45 minutes once a
week. We currently have two computers in our classroom the
students will get to use during Center time.
Conferences
If you have any questions or concerns about your child, please
feel free to call or email me to set up a time to conference. My
number is (505) 663-2343 and my email address is
b.whitaker@laschools.net.
Dismissal
If your child rides the bus or goes to YMCA, an Instructional
Assistant will escort your child to their designated areas. I
take the students that are to be picked up by their parents/
siblings out with me. If you are waiting outside to pick up
your child, please DO NOT take your child without them
giving me a high five or hug before they leave. This helps me
to ensure that each child gets home safely.
Emergency Information
Please complete and return the emergency form you were given.
If your home or work information changes, please let me know
as soon as possible so you can be located quickly if an
emergency occurs.
Fire Drills
We usually have a fire drill once a month. The students are
taught to put one hand to their side and their other hand over
their mouth (as a reminder not to talk), and to walk quickly and
quietly to our designated area. We take our drills very
seriously.
Folders
Your child has a daily Take/Home folder that is put in his/her backpack each
day. This needs to be returned to school daily. Please look through the
folder each day for any important notes going home.
Gym
We have a 45-minute P.E. class once a week. The children need
to wear tennis shoes on these days. If your child wears any
other kind of shoes to school (ex. Dress shoes, boots), please
make sure they have a pair of tennis shoes in their backpack to
change into. Girls must always wear shorts under their dresses
or skirts. The gym is also where we eat lunch.
P.E. in the Gym: Thursdays: 10:25 -11:10
Hands on Learning
We feel that the best way to help children learn is to make
learning fun. Important concepts are learned by doing
meaningful hands-on activities. There are times when seatwork
is required and necessary, but for the most part, our classroom
will be an active learning environment.
Health
Please notify me of any special circumstances which may affect
your child. These could include: medications which may make
them sleepy, birth in the family, death in the family, etc. Also,
please notify me of any allergies your child may have, especially
food allergies.
Homework
Every Monday I will send home a homework sheet or packet.
Homework will be due on Fridays. This homework is not for a
grade, but rather to practice and reinforce concepts that have
been taught. Homework will not begin until September.
Illness
I understand it is a difficult decision whether or not to keep
your child home from school if you think they might be ill. It is
important, however, to make sure your child stays home if
he/she is ill. This helps to make them more comfortable and
prevents others from becoming ill. Children function more
effectively in the classroom when they are healthy.
Journals
The students will be writing in their journals at least once a
week. In these journals, the kindergarteners will combine their
emerging writing skills with their drawing skills. As the
students are exposed to a variety of phonics and reading
experiences, journal entries will move from drawing and
“inventive” spellings towards more conventional writing.
Kindness
Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to
treat all members of our class as well as others with kindness
and respect. Bothering others, bullying, and interrupting
learning will not be permitted.
Language Arts
Our Language Arts program by Macmillan/ McGraw-Hill is called
Treasures. Our Treasures curriculum is used to incorporate
good literacy.
Library
The students will go to Library once a week. They
will be allowed to check out one book each week as long as they
have brought back the previous week’s book.
Library: Fridays: 10:25 -11:10
Lunch
We eat lunch from 12:10-12:40 p.m. You are welcome to eat
lunch with your child any day. Your child will NOT need to bring
lunch on Wednesdays due to the 12:00 dismissal. Hot Lunches
can be purchased for $3.75 each. Order forms are available
online as well as order forms sent home monthly in your child’s
Take/Home Folder. Please note there is a deadline for
returning lunch order forms and payment each month.
Math
We use a hands-on approach in Math using lots of manipulatives.
We are using a new program this year called Everyday Math.
This curriculum does a great job introducing the
students to new concepts in a variety of ways.
Memory Book
Each year I make an electronic memory book of our year in
Kindergarten. I take lots of pictures throughout the year and
burn onto a dvd for you to keep. This is my gift to you and your
child and I will hand them out at the end of the school year.
Money
On occasion it will be necessary for your child to bring money to
school. Always send money in a sealed envelope with the
following information written on it: 1) Your child’s first and last
name, 2) the amount of money, 3) the purpose for the money
[ex. book order/fair money, t-shirt order, yearbook, etc.], 4)
and the teacher’s name. With 18 students to keep track of
and several reasons to collect money, this helps me out
immensely and reduces the likelihood of errors. Also, if the
envelope is left on the bus or dropped in the hallway, this
information will help the money be returned to my classroom.
Music
The students will go to Music class once a week.
Music: Tuesdays: 10:25 – 11:10
Newsletter
I will send home a weekly newsletter each Monday. This will let
you know what we are learning for the upcoming week. I also
will post the newsletter on my website each week.
Nurse
If your child has any allergies or any other medical conditions,
please make sure to stop by the nurse’s office and fill out
appropriate paperwork.
Outside
We go outside to recess everyday in the morning, after lunch,
and in the afternoon -weather permitting. If the weather is
nice, the students will eat snacks outside as well.
Project Based Learning
Project Based Learning is an instructional approach built upon
authentic learning activities that engage student interest and
motivation. We will be working together as a Kindergarten team
on various projects throughout the year. We look forward to
sharing them with you!
P.T.A
I hope you will all join our P.T.A. The dues are $5.00. Our
P.T.A. does so much for our students and our school.
Quiet Time/ Rest Time
Each day after lunch recess we will have quiet/ rest time. At
the beginning of the year the students will be asked to lay
quietly and some of them may even take a short nap. As the
year progresses, the students will be able to choose from
several different “quiet” activities.
Questions
If this is your first experience in Kindergarten or at Mountain,
you may have many unanswered questions. Please feel free to
call me at school (505) 663-2343 or send me a note in your
child’s Daily Take/Home Folder. If you would prefer to email
me, my email address is b.whitaker@laschools.net. I will try to
answer your questions as best as I can.
Reading
I ask that you read to your child for at least 10 minutes each
night. The purpose of this is to increase your child’s
vocabulary, become aware of phonemic awareness, and to
develop a love of reading.
Report Cards
Report cards are sent home two times during the school year.
Restrooms
We are very lucky to have a restroom in our own classroom.
Our expectation is that the restroom be used properly by boys
lifting the toilet seat, each child cleaning themselves and
washing their hands, and then putting all trash in the trashcan.
Please do not send your child to school in clothes they cannot
fasten and unfasten themselves.
Science
The focus of the kindergarten science curriculum is on
developing an awareness of the world in which we live. Through
scientific inquiry, concepts will be presented in the life and
earth sciences, including the study of animals and plants, the
five senses, general health, and the four seasons. These areas
will be explored utilizing a literacy based, hands-on approach.
Show & Tell
We will have Show and Tell every Wednesday and it will go with
our Theme/Letter for the week. The primary purpose of Show
& Tell is Language Development, so be sure your child can tell us
about the item they have brought to school. Show and Tell
won’t begin for a few weeks. Check the weekly newsletters for
more info.
Snack
Please send two healthy snacks for your child to eat during the
day. If you would like to label them as A.M snack and P.M
snack, please feel free to do so. The snacks will stay in your
child’s lunch box until it is time to eat. Due to allergies, the
students will not be allowed to share food of any kind.
Social Studies
The kindergarten social studies curriculum focuses on the
students and how they relate to others in their families,
classroom, school, and community. Activities will help the
students focus their natural curiosity for the world around
them.
Tardies
If your child arrives after 8:25 a.m., they will be marked tardy.
Please make sure your child comes to school on time.
Transportation
If the way that your child normally goes home from school
changes, you must send a written note to school. Please do not
rely on your child to tell me the information because children
sometimes tend to become confused and may tell the message
incorrectly. If no written note is received, then your child
will be sent home by his/her usual method of transportation.
If plans change during the school day, call the office before
3:00 p.m. so they can get the information to me before 3:15p.m.
Unique
Kindergarteners learn that they are special and unique.
Kindergarteners have opportunities to describe how they are
alike as well as different from others. They share their culture
and learn about different cultures within the class.
Visitors
All visitors are required to check in at the office and get a
visitor’s pass to wear. This may seem inconvenient; however,
this is done for the safety of the students.
Volunteering
A volunteer sign up sheet will be available during Curriculum
Night on August 27th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Volunteer times for
parents wishing to help in the classroom are scheduled on
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Friday from 9:00 – 10:00
am. Parent volunteering will start in October to allow your
children time to become familiar and comfortable with their
new kindergarten routine.
Water
We do have a water fountain in our class. We also provide a cup
with a lid and straw for each child to use for water on a daily
basis. Cups are labeled with each child’s name and washed
weekly with new straws provided regularly.
Website
I am working on creating a class website that I will be updating
weekly. It will have the newsletter as well as any class
information you might need.
Writing
There are 2 kinds of writing we work on in Kindergarten.
Penmanship is teaching the students how to form the letters
correctly. We use the Manuscript or Print handwriting. The
second form is Writing. Writing begins with pictures, then
proceeds to scribbles, to lines and circles, random strings of
letters, words, spaces, and eventually sentences.
X-Cited
We are super excited to start the school year. We really want
the students to feel safe and comfortable in the school setting.
We also believe that it is super important for the students to
have an amazing experience in Kindergarten to set the tone for
the remainder of their educational careers.
Younger Siblings
It is in your child’s and the program’s best interest to have our
parent volunteers available without younger children. This not
only allows your full attention to be focused on the class, but
also allows for some special time between you and your
Kindergartener. Thank you for making childcare arrangements
for younger siblings.
Zoo Phonics
This is a phonics program that we are using to help the students
learn their letters and sounds.
Zzzzz’s
Please make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting
and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give your
child. It will help them to be alert and ready to learn each day.