Kindergarten
Mrs. Jordan
Room 22
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Newsletter
I will send a newsletter each week via e-mail,
usually on Sundays.
The newsletter is also available on the
website.
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.
Your child will color the behavior chart each
day. A note will accompany misbehaviors.
Consequences are determined by the
misbehavior.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.