Welcome to Kindergarten Orientation 2020 2021 Welcome I

Welcome to Kindergarten Orientation 2020 -2021

Welcome! I am so excited to have you in my class! I hope the information below helps answer any questions you may have! Things may look a little different this year, but I am looking forward to teaching your child!

What will the classroom look like this year? ● Desks instead of traditional tables. ● Individually supplies for all activities. ● Masks-We will follow the mandate set in place by Governor Ivey. Make sure to check on the following slide about masks. ● No water fountain. Please send leak proof, labeled water bottles. These will NOT be refilled at school.

So what about masks?

Masks continued Under the current mandate, kindergarten students are NOT required to wear a mask. If you choose for your child to wear a mask, please talk with them about keeping up with their mask and how to wear it. You may want to send a ziplock bag for your child to place it in during PE/lunch or a breakaway lanyard (this is not mandatory). Since they are not mandated to wear one in kindergarten, teachers will NOT be responsible for keeping up it with the masks.

What will the classroom look like this year? Another great idea would be to allow your child to wear velcro or shoes that don’t tie to school. Shoelaces become very dirty and could increase the chances of germs spreading. This would be especially true with teachers having to tie different student’s shoes multiple times a day. Again, this is something we don’t normally ask, but this year is going to be a little different.

Paperwork Your child will bring home a folder on their first day. This folder contains extremely important paperwork. This paperwork MUST be filled out by a parent/legal guardian and then returned on Monday, August 10 th. A google form was sent earlier that should be filled out as well. IF your child has allergies, please let the teacher know prior to the first day.

What if we go to remote learning? If we go to remote learning at some point (if schools close again), we will use See. Saw as our online platform. We are asking that you go ahead and download the See. Saw Family App. Your child’s teacher will send you directions and a QR code to join their class. All assignments and communications would be done through See. Saw Family App.

Important Information • Doors open at 7: 25 a. m. • Tardy bell rings at 7: 45 a. m. *Please send donation money in a labeled envelope ($20). *Ice cream money should be sent weekly (in a labeled envelope). $1 *Media Donation $5 ANY money sent, MUST be sent in a labeled envelope.

Transportation • Car Riders/Bus Riders You MUST let me know how your child will go home from school. This may be done through the Remind App, google form, or by phone. My classroom number is 256 -741 -6625. Once I receive your message, I will confirm that I have your child’s correct transportation information.

Transportation Info – Cannot change transportation without a written and signed note with the date. Send a note on separate paper. – No phone calls or faxes. It is helpful to have one regular mode of transportation. This is especially true for this school year.

Bus Riders Bus riders will dismiss at 2: 40.

Car Rider Procedures This is how car riders will load and unload this year. Car riders will begin loading at 2: 30. Car riders will take longer to load this year.

Attendance • Attendance Policy – Tardy policy, checkouts, absences – 5 absences a semester, must have a written excuse. – After 5 absences, MUST have a doctor’s excuse. – Send written excuse on separate paper or. You may email an excuse too. – There will be a spiral notebook in your child’s GO Book to serve as communication.

Discipline • Rules/Consequences -Behavior calendars will be in GO BOOKS. • Check and sign behavior calendar every night – Communication through spiral notebooks in GO BOOKS – Always put notes, money, etc. in front pocket of binder – Please read and keep weekly newsletters

Classroom Expectations ● Be respectful of authority. ● Take care of personal hygiene (blowing nose, able to zippers, bathroom-fully potty trained, etc). ● Clean up after themselves (spills) independently. ● Hold a pencil correctly. ● Be kind to others. ● Be expected to share.

● Manipulate their own clothing (practice tying, buttoning and zipping jackets, pants, and shoes). ● Write their first name with a capital letter at beginning only. ● Follow two step directions. ● Be able to listen attentively. ● Sit still and listen to a story or stories. ● Be able to identify colors and shapes.

● Be familiar with using glue and scissors (child-safety scissors). ● Be familiar with the alphabet (upper and lower case letters). ● Be familiar with recognizing numerals to 10. ● Independently open snack/lunch items sent from home. ● Each student is required to have a full change of clothes in their backpack in the case of an accident.

Devices ❖ Our school has a NO device policy. ❖ Students are not allowed to bring their own devices to school or use them on the bus. ❖ This includes phones, tablets, i. Pods, or any other device. ❖ Every kindergarten classroom has set of tablets for each child to use while at school.

Extended Day – We will have YMCA Extended Day. You may contact them at 256 -238 -9622 for more information.

Lunch • Send lunch money weekly or monthly – Students must have lunch money in their accounts to avoid lunch charges. Charges are not allowed and must be paid ASAP if a charge occurs. – Using My School Bucks is encouraged! It’s very easy and it’s online!

Lunch – All students will receive a lunch number. This number will also be their password for many computer programs we use. (Begin learning it as soon as it is sent home) – Lunch is $1. 95 (paid) or 40 cents (reduced once approved) for students. Please fill out and return paperwork for free/reduced lunch. You will need to pay for your child’s lunch until receiving a letter from the lunchroom (if approved). – Breakfast is $1. 50 (paid) or 30 cents (reduced once approved). – Milk is 45 cents and may be purchased separately from lunch.

No PEANUTS/PEANUT BUTTER or NUT products of any kind! We have students with severe allergies. Lunch/Snack Procedures • Please label what is for snack and what is for lunch. This is VERY important! • Often kindergarteners don’t know what food is for snack and what is for lunch, and they may try to eat everything at our morning snack! • You may send separate bags for lunch and snack or just label within the bag.

Lunch/Snack Procedures • Please use an ice pack in your child’s lunch box for cold items. • Our lunch isn’t until 11: 00, so items need to be kept cold. • Do not send items that need to be heated. We are not allowed to heat lunch items.

Water Bottles For now, all the water fountains inside the school building will not be available for use. Each student may bring a bottle of water for PE and one for the classroom. Please label these. Reusable leak proof bottles are great for kindergarten students.

Special Snacks/Parties At this time, we cannot accept cupcakes for special snacks, parties, or birthdays. I am so sorry about this, but we have to follow new guidelines this year. If things change, we will let parents know.

Visitors Unfortunately, we will be unable to have visitors in our classrooms or at lunch. Visitors will not be allowed pass the front lobby of the school. When checking a student in/out, please send only one adult in with the student.

Class work • Your child will bring home class work daily. Please review this work and remove from folder. Please do not send work back to school. Empty folder daily! Review work with child! • Please sign behavior calendar and keep in GO Book.

Staggered Entry • Your child will either begin kindergarten on Tuesday, Aug. 18 th, Wednesday, Aug. 19 th, or Thursday, August 20 th. EVERYONE will come to school on Friday, Aug. 21 st. • I will let you know which day your child will come and they will not be marked absent on the day that they do not come. I will notify you through REMIND or by phone. This year they may only attend on their assigned day.

First Day For staggered entry, you will pull around to the bus parking lot at 8 a. m. Your child’s teacher will be there waiting on their students. Parents will not be able to walk children to their classrooms. Remember your child will be assigned a day to come on the first week (Tues. , Wed. , or Thurs. ) They WILL NOT attend all three days that a first week. EVERYONE will come on Friday, Aug. 14 th.

Remind and Class FB Pages ● If you haven’t already, please sign up for REMIND. This texting service is VITAL for classroom communication. You will be sent an invite to your teacher’s FB page through REMIND or your email. ● Please use REMIND to send your ● Email address to your child’s teacher. Please do this ASAP!

Class FB Page ● You will receive an invite to the class FB page in the near future. Please do not share the links to this page. We keep our pages private for safety purposes. ● It is VERY important that you join our class FB page. I will share information and resources on this page. I do not post student photos. ● This is also how I conducted virtual learning last school year. It was very successful.

Internet Access Please let me know ASAP if you DO NOT have access to a phone or internet. This is important in case we must return to remote learning (school closes). Unlike last year, grades/assessments will be given to students.

Extras • Students MUST bring a current power bill to school on their first day. You may also email it to slee. pe@ccboe. us. You can find your bill online. • Parents are the first line of defense against germs. Please do not send kiddos to school if they are sick. • In case of early dismissal or updates on school closures, please call 256 -741 SNOW. • School website: www. pvesraiders. weebly. com • There is a FB page too!

This year is going to be full of fun and learning! • I am so excited about teaching your child this year. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions. My phone will always be off during instruction time, but you are welcome to leave a voice message and I will call you after school.

Teacher Info ● Mrs. Goodwin -kgoodwin. pe@ccboe. us 256 -741 -6625 ● Mrs. Sides- jsides. pe@ccboe. us 256 -741 -6616 ● Mrs. Ward- sward. pe@ccboe. us 256 -741 -6618