Kindergarten Mrs Lofink and Mrs Beth Rotenberry Welcome

Kindergarten Mrs. Lofink and Mrs. Beth Rotenberry Welcome Parents!

Our Goals For Your Child • To provide your child with the academic, social and emotional skills needed to progress to the first grade. • To provide a safe, supportive, and fun classroom environment. • To help your child develop a love of learning.

• • • Curriculum English Language Arts Math Science Social Studies Religion

Reading (ELA) • • • • Scott Foresman Reading Street Recognize all of the letters of the alphabet in upper/lowercase forms. Learn sounds corresponding to consonants and vowels. Name the beginning, middle and ending consonant sounds in spoken words. Recognize rhyming words. Demonstrate phonemic awareness by clapping syllables. Read basic sight words and color words. Develop book and print awareness (identify the title, name of the author and the name of the illustrator). Indicate where a sentence starts and ends. Use left to right motion when reading. Recognize punctuation. Make predictions and use picture clues to read. Sequence a story with beginning, middle, and end. Use decoding skills (phonemic awareness) to read simple texts. Learn comprehension strategies: cause and effect, classify/categorize, compare and contrast, draw conclusions, and main idea. Develop an understanding of literacy genres: Realistic fiction, fantasy, fairy tale, fable, non-fiction (informational text).

Writing (ELA) • • • Correctly grasp writing tools. Print upper and lowercase letters. Print first and last name. Use legible manuscript handwriting. Write from left to right and from top to bottom. • Write simple sentences using sight words and phonics skills.

Math Sadlier-Oxford Progress in Mathematics • • • Count to 100 by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s. Recognize and write numerals to 100. Show one to one correspondence to 20. Recognize patterns and identify plane and three dimensional shapes. Use graphs to gather information. Sort and measure simple objects. Solve simple addition and subtraction problems (addition within 10/subtraction within 5). Tell time to the hour. Recognize value of a penny, nickel dime, and quarter. Recite the days of the week and months of the year. Order events first, next, and last. Recognize place value- 100’s, 10’s, and 1’s as we count to the 100 th Day.

Science Pearson Interactive Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Physical Science Ø Motion – Pushes and Pulls • Life Science Ø Living/Non-Living Things - Animals, Plants, and their Environments • Earth Science Ø Earth and Sky – Weather and Climate • STEM Ø What is Science § § Use all five senses to observe and experiment. Generate questions and predictions using observations. Collect, describe, organize, compare and record information. Use scientific tools to help gather data for observations and measurements.

Social Studies • Appreciate similarities and differences across individuals, families and traditions; understand different roles in communities. • Recite personal information – birthday, phone number and address. • Identify holidays and historical figures. • Develop skills to understand maps, time lines, and calendar.

Religion Stories of God's Love RCL Benziger • • • Understand that God loves us unconditionally. Know that God is the Holy Trinity- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Know that Jesus is the Son of God. Identify that Mary is the Mother of Jesus and our Mother too. Identify Joseph as Jesus’ earthly father. Recognize that Jesus, Mary and Joseph are the Holy Family and loved and cared for each other. Understand that God created us with feelings and we can share feelings with family and friends. Know that God wants us to be loving to our friends and family. Recognize that we should respect and care for God’s world. Know that we thank God in prayer at anytime or in any place. Know that prayer begins with the sign of the cross. Prayers - - Morning prayer, Grace, Afternoon Prayer, the Our Father, the Glory Be, and the Hail Mary

Social/Emotional Skills • Listen attentively • Raise hands and wait to speak. • Act on instruction and repeat spoken directions. • Engage in question and answer dialogue with classmates and teachers. • Work as a team on projects/problemsolving and conflict resolution.

Classroom Expectations "We Show Great Bee-havior!" It is important that all of the children have the opportunity to learn and that no student keeps another student from being able to learn. We strive to provide a warm, safe and structured learning environment for the children in which we work as a team in our classroom. Everyone must work together to learn and to grow.

Class Rules • • The Four B’s “Bee” a good listener - Listen with eyes, ears, and body when others are speaking “Bee” kind to everyone -Treat others with respect and kindness “Bee” safe - Keep feet, hands, and objects to yourself “Bee” the best you can be

Behavior Management Plan • • • We use a 6 color behavior management system: Students’ “bees” will all start the day on Ready to Learn (green). Students will move their bee up or down on the behavior chart throughout the day. Their bee will move up the chart as they make good choices and may move down the chart as they make poor choices. If students end their day on Good Day (blue) they will receive a “punch on their best “bee”havior punch card (see below). If they end their day on Super Star/Role Model (rainbow sparkles) they will receive two punches on their punch card. If students end their day on Think About It (orange) or Oh No! (red) students will color the hive on the Bee-Havior Communication Form to bring home. The form will be initialed by the teacher. I would ask that parents also initial the form so that we'll know that you have read it. Please feel free to add any comments that you would like. v Think About It (orange): I needed a reminder/warning– 5 minutes off of recess/centers. v Red: I had a difficult day – 10 minutes off of recess/centers • • • Star Table Marble Jar (compliments) Rewards: We use Best "Bee"havior Punch Cards to reward positive behavior. Students will earn "punches" for great behavior! When they have earned all 20 "punches", they will get to "shop" through the Best "Bee"havior Catalog for a reward. Rewards include things such as being the teacher's assistant for the day, no homework for a night, free choice at centers, a cushion for your seat for the day, bring something from home for show n' tell , bring your favorite stuffed animal for the day, trade seats with a friend for the day, eat lunch with a friend from KK etc.

Homework • Each Monday a homework packet will be sent home and should be sent back to school on the following Monday morning. The weekly packet allows some freedom in the way that you complete the work; however, I do ask that you try to keep to the schedule and not try to rush through it all in one night. Each day lists nightly activities for Writing/Grammar and Reading. In addition, math pages will be assigned weekly. • Family Projects • Homework will be posted on our website. • Please don’t hesitate to email if you have a homework question.

Kindergarten Homework Rubric + Great Work!!! Good Job! Keep Trying! - Needs Improvement. Please Redo.

Scholastic Book Orders • To order online go to: • http: //pcool. scholastic. com/parentor dering/login. jsp? ESP=SBC/ib//acq/pc ool_slimnav_Parents///nav/txtl//// • Class Activation Code: FXBW 3

Volunteers The first few weeks of school are a period of adjustment. This adjustment can be made easier if parents postpone coming into the classroom for the first few weeks of school. • • Homeroom Parents Parties Letter of the Week Lunch/Recess Home Helpers- center prep Computer Lab Library Any adult who would like to volunteer in the school MUST have a current background check on file with the main office. If you do not have a background check, please contact CTT Business Manager Mrs. Gallagher tgallagher@christtheteacher. org

Snacks • Individual snacks • Pretzels must be ordered through Lunch. Tracker. • Healthy • Water Bottles (no juice in the classroom) • Birthdays • Per school policy, please refrain from sending in a birthday snack. Your child will receive a coupon for a birthday treat in the cafeteria. • Allergies

Communication Mrs. Mary Lofink Christ the Teacher Catholic School 2451 Frazer Rd. Newark, DE 19702 (302)838 -8850 x 109 mlofink@christtheteacher. org Class Website: The best way to stay connected to our class. It will be updated weekly! http: //christtheteacher. org/ Students will have take-home folders in which we will put any notes or reminders as well as any of your child's work. This folder is to be returned each day and you may also use it to send us any notes as well.

Field Trips • There will be two field trips this year - one in the fall and one in the spring.

Forms • Diocese of Wilmington Student Information Sheet– Please make any changes and return to me. Must sign both the front and the back. • Volunteer Covenant – BOTH parents need to sign the back of this form. • Transportation Reimbursement Application – All families need to complete this. • Family Survey – The number of family members on the front and back must be the same.

Wish List • • • Tissues Baby Wipes Sandwich Bags Disinfectant Wipes Hand Sanitizer Hand Soap

Extras Any medication that your child takes, either prescription or overthe-counter, must go to the nurse’s office. We cannot give your child medicine, nor can your child keep the medicine in his or her backpack and give it to him or herself, including cough drops. Labeling – Please label all personal items that your child brings to school, especially his/her lunch box, backpack, and outerwear. Money – Please NEVER send money to school unless it is in an envelope with your child’s name on it and what it is for.

It’s Going To Be A Great Year!