Parents Please:
• Find your child’s mailbox
• Get the packet (zip-lock bag)
• Take a seat
Kindergarten Team
Teachers:
• Mrs. Pam Yarbrough – Classroom Teacher – Room 135
• Mrs. Kelly Dugan – Classroom Teacher – Room 134
• Mrs. Sally Lipkowitz – Autistic Support Teacher – Room 133
• Mrs. Janet Ryan – Life Skills Teacher – Room 137
Teaching Assistance:
• Mrs. Michele Galloway – KLAMS PM class
• Mrs. Diane Albright – KLAMS AM class
• Mrs. Trish Butera – Autistic Support
• Mrs. Heather Mighton – Autistic Support
• Mrs. Hayley Brady – Autistic Support
French Creek Staff
• Mrs. Jen Smith – Reading Specialist
• Mrs. Aimee Mraz – Reading Specialist
• Mrs. Cheryl Burinski – IST, Instructional Support Teacher
• Mrs. Deb Weber – School Nurse
• Mrs. Sue McKernan & Mrs. Alexandra Lewis - Office Staff
• Mrs. Malinda McKillip - Principal
About Mrs. Yarbrough
• This is my 24th year of teaching! I started teaching K in 1987!
• 4th year at FC – taught K last year and 3rd & 5th in previous years
• Taught Kindergarten for 21 years:
Pennsylvania – 2nd year, Illinois – 7 years, Colorado – 3 years,
Tennessee – 8 years, & Michigan – 2 years
• Odyssey of the Mind Coach: 3rd Year with OJR, 2 in Tennessee
• Eastern Michigan University – Elementary Education, BS in
Mathematics.
• University of Memphis – M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction,
Early Childhood Education
• When I’m not teaching I enjoy
spending time with my family,
walking my dog, sewing, and
volunteering with Ludwig Horse
Show and the OJR HS Marching
Band.
Home / School Communications
• Email - pyarbrough@ojrsd.com (will respond within 24 hours)
• Notes – remind student to put notes in the class note basket
• Money – please put in an envelope with student’s name and what it is for
• Class School Wires Page
http://ojrsd.schoolwires.net/Domain/387
• Weekly Newsletter
- Posted every Friday on our Class School Wires
Page. I also send a Skyward message with the Newsletter attached with I
also send to your email address. I have 2 email address that are not valid:
DJSchuktz7801@gmail.com & big_tim1@gmail.com - please change on
Skyward. Let me know if you need paper copies of Newsletters
• Parent Conferences
– ½ Day for All Students
Fall : Nov. 23 - AM attends (11:15 Dismissal)
Nov. 24 - PM attends (in the morning 8:15 - 11:50)
Spring:: March 3 - AM attends (11:15 Dismissal)
March 4 - PM attends (in the morning 8:15 -11:50)
Kindergarten Daily Schedule
AM
8:35 - 8:45 Morning Meeting
8:45 – 9:30 ELA Reading and Writing
9:30 – 10:00 Centers, Guided Reading & WIN Time
10:00 – 10:10 Read Aloud & Snack
10:10 – 10:40 Calendar Math & Everyday Math Lesson
10:40 – 11:10 Specials
11:15 Dismissal
PM
12:25 – 12:55 Math
12:55 – 1:05 Class Meeting
1:05 – 1:15 Read Aloud (Science or Social Studies)
1:15 – 2:00 ELA Reading and Writing
1:55 – 2:00 Snack
2:00 – 2:30 Centers, Guided Reading & WIN Time
2:30 – 3:00 Specials
3:10 Dismissal
Specials Schedule
Helpful tips about specials:
Art - Can be messy – Wear clothing you don’t mind washing
Library – Books need to be returned to check out new books
P.E. – Wear sneakers and comfortable clothing
Kindergarten
District Curriculum
• Go to http://ojrsd.schoolwires.net/fc
• Click on Curriculum, then Elementary
Curriculum and then choose K
• In your packet are copies of the K
Curriculum Expectations
Homework
• Monthly Homework Calendar
Begins October Activities that support
the Common Core standards. Send
back to school at end of each month
along with EDM Homelink pages.
• Nightly Reading – Read to and with your
child 20 Minutes each night (see handout)
• Pizza Hut Calendars – record minutes
read and turn in at end of month along
with homework calendar to receive free
pizza coupons
• How you can help your Kindergartener –
see handout
Classroom and School Community
Our classroom is a community. In our community, we
have rules to help us get along with each other.
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Behavior Lady
My goal is for all students to be READY TO LEARN
each day.
Students can more up and down on our behavior
chart.
Ask your child if their clip was moved.
See Handout on Rules and Behavior Lady
Writing – Lucy Calkins
• Positive approach to teaching writing
• All students CAN write!
• Taking ideas and putting them on paper using
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words and illustrations
Stretching words to write the sounds they hear
Typical Writing Workshop:
• Mini-Lesson/Modeling
• Writing (teacher will meet with small groups or
individual students)
• Share
Writing Stages
Writing – Lucy Calkins
Teaching students to use tools:
• Word walls
• Words in classroom
• ABC Charts
• Characters
• Think – Draw
• Think – Write
• Writing is developmental: and students
progress through stages
• Ask students what sounds they hear and write it
down
• Encourage students to be RISK TAKERS!
Handwriting Without Tears
• Where do we start our letters?
At the
top! (See handout for letter formation
• Capital Letters, taught by
where the letter start
(corner starters, etc.)
• Name
(one capital, rest lowercase)
• Pencil Grip – see handout
Reading – Lucy Calkins
• Read-Aloud: Model reading strategy to equip learners
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with skills they can use when reading.
Strategies: Look at Pictures, Getting your Mouth Ready,
Cross-Checking, & Stretching Sounds.
All students CAN read; read the pictures, read the
words, or retell a familiar read book!
Typical Reading Workshop:
• Mini-Lesson: Read Aloud & Teacher Models a Strategy
• Students read from Book Box using new strategy (teacher
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will meet with small groups or individual students)
Students work on building reading stamina: independent
reading or with an assigned partner.
Share
ELA – Centers / Daily 5
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Daily 5 Centers: Word Work, Work on Reading,
Listen to Reading, Work on Writing & Math
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Cross Curricular: Centers are align to
district/state standards. Students practice skills.
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Small Group Activities: Students work partners,
small groups or independently to allow teacher
to work on guided reading with small groups or
assessment
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Preparing students for upper grades – we set
foundation skills for Daily 5
Guided Reading & WIN Time
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Assessment Driven: push-in support until after
assessment are completed
Flexible grouping based on formal and informal
assessments
Looks different at each developmental stage:
• Letter recognition
• Sound recognition
• Concept of Word
• Sight Words
• Reading Strategies
• Comprehension
Small group instruction of students with similar needs
May work with myself or support teacher depending
on needs
Everyday Math
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Hands On Learning: Whole Group, Small Group or Partner
Activities and Games
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Spiral Philosophy: Revisits topics regularly and throughout
grade levels
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Home Links Books: (Homework) – see books in student bag
EDM Online: – http://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/school/r0b4
Calendar & Math Daily Routines:
• Attendance
• Calendar
• Number of the Day
• Weather and Temperature
Science & Social Studies
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Integrated though out the curriculum
Hands on activities, big books, projects
Science Kits & Topics:
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Plants, Water, Recycling, 5 Senses
(observations and comparisons)
Kinder”gardens”
Maps/Globes
Holidays
Citizenship
Preparing for School
• Fine motor skills (cutting, pencil grip)
• Letters and Sounds – Letter Factory DVD
• Socialization
• Following Directions and Rules
• Routines
• Responsibility
• Love of Learning!
Healthy Snack
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Small, preferably dry snack:
Goldfish, crackers, carrots, apples, grapes,
celery, apple sauce, raisins
Please send utensils if needed
Please no juice – water bottle OK
5 minutes to eat
Nut free classroom!
(No Tree nuts & Peanuts)
Parent Volunteers
Volunteers are Vital to our Classroom!
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Clearances: All volunteers will need clearances completed. OJR
District Office will complete clearances for FREE: 610-469-5100
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Homeroom Parents: We need 2 parents from AM & PM classes
to be our PTA Homeroom Parents. You will receive instruction
from the PTA on organizing and running the class parties.
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Class Parties: We need 5 volunteers at each party
• Fall Festival: Friday, October 30th
• Holiday Party: Wednesday, December 23rd
• Valentine Party: Thursday, February 11th
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Center Helpers: We need 1 parent to help out each day in the
classroom: AM 9:00-10:00 & PM 1:30-2:30 (Th 1:00-1:45)
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Field Trips: We need 5 volunteers for each field trip
• Farm Day at OJR High School: Wednesday, October 7th
• Milky Way Farm: 2nd or 3rd week in May
Odds and Ends
•Folders: Check and clean out backpacks and folders each day
•Dress comfortably: for weather, work, and play
•Birthdays & Invitations: non food items allowed, please send
invite to whole class, all girls, or all boys.
•Email: Let me know if you have not been receiving
emails from me ASAP! Please update your email on
Skyward. I have 2 email address that are not valid:
DJSchuktz7801@gmail.com & big_tim1@gmail.com
•Star of the Week:
See handout - Poster board with
pictures of your child and a sheet to fill out.
•Scholastic Book Orders:
see handout, please order online:
http://ojrsd.schoolwires.net/Page/4168 or send in order with
check made out to Scholastic Book Club.
•Communication is key…we are on the same team!
Email is the best way to reach me!
Homework for Mom & Dad
• Parent Questionnaire
• Pink or Blue Information Card
• Treasure Chest
• Volunteer Sheet
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Thank You for Visiting
Kindergarten
I will post this Power Point on our class School
Wires site
Questions
Things I can clarify
Please visit our class School Wire page for
weekly updates on class and school events.
http://ojrsd.schoolwires.net/Domain/387