Welcome to Kindergarten!
Get ready to laugh, sing, dance and PLAY!!! The four secret ingredients to reading, writing and all academics. Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone... they'll think we're having too much fun! Guess what, that's what learning is all about, especially in Kindergarten. We're going to learn to LOVE learning! So get ready to have FUN and LEARN!!
Cool Cat News! Welcome Back! Week of Sept. 2-3
""Children Learn By Doing, And Play Is Their Work""
Author: Unknown
Welcome to Mrs. Skokan’s Kindergarten Cool Cat Class!
My contact information: jskokan@stjohnsea.org 206-783-0337
The Kindergarten Day
Am
8:20 Quietly put backpacks away, sharpen pencils get ready to learn!
8:40 Religion/Prayer
Calendar and Morning Work
Language Arts/Reading
9:45 Recess
10:20 Specialists (Music & P.E.) Mondays & Wednesdays, P.E. Friday
11:00 Lunch
PM
12:00 Math
Spanish (Tuesdays) Library (Thursdays)
Unit of Study or Centers
Choice Time, Book Clubs, Art
Classroom Expectations
Class Rules Consequences
Be Safe Warning
Be Kind Time Out
Be Busy Parent Contact
Positive Reinforcement
Grateful Beads, every ten grateful beads earned is a trip to the treasure chest!
Whole class Rewards, raffle and star stickers.
Everything Else!
Money: All money needs to be in an envelope with name, amount, and what it is for (Scholastic, milk, field trips)
Tardy: after 8:30, please bring your child to the office for a slip and go to the inside door for entry into class.
Water bottles: children will bring bottles home each day. Please wash and fill with water at home.
Lunch: Please make sure your child knows if she/he has hot lunch or cold lunch each day.
Milk: milk cards are available for purchase, chocolate milk on Fridays.
Snack: Please bring a healthy snack each day. No nuts or juice please! Place snacks in backpack not in lunchbox.
Uniform: Dress Uniform is St. John Sweatshirt, white polo shirt, khaki pants, plaid jumper; see handbook for more details.
No Toys: including jewelry (earring studs ok).
Book Box: Store weekly readers at home
Homework: to reinforce class work, indication of how well your student is doing. Not required. This can be a special time with your son/or daughter to talk about the day, read, snuggle! Stress free time!
Communication: e-mail works best for me, or notes placed in your child's “Homework Folder". This folder is our communication folder. Your child will bring it home nightly. There will be a Return to School pocket and a Stay at Home pocket. Be sure to check the folder daily.
Parent Teacher Conferences: October 13-15. Feel free to schedule a meeting with me anytime.
Star of the Week: All about Me Poster, booklet; family and friends are welcome during your child's sharing time.
Scholastic Book Orders: Monthly orders taken. (Looking for a parent volunteer to take over this job!!) This is a great opportunity to build your own library as well as our class library. All orders can be done on-line.
Scrip: Please help our school earn money by becoming involved in the Scrip program!
Buddy Program: our class pairs with a 7th grade class.
Birthday Book: wrap a book to share and give to the class on your child's birthday.
Scholastic Book Orders!
I have exciting news. You can now place your Scholastic Book Clubs orders online!
Browse all the great monthly Book Club selections at low prices and order online. Plus, our class earns a FREE Book every time a parent orders online.
Here's how it works:
Use the information below to access the Scholastic Book Clubs Web site.
Browse the titles with your child and place your order with your credit card.
Your order will come to me, and your credit card payment will go directly to Scholastic's secure server. There's no need to send money to school.
After I submit the entire class order to Scholastic, your order will be delivered to our classroom for your child to take home.
To get started, go to the Web address below and enter our class’s personalized user name and password in the sign-in fields on the right side of the page. Note: You do not need to create your own user name and password.
www.scholastic.com/bookclubs <http://www.scholastic.com/parentordering> <http://www.scholastic.com/parentordering>
User Name: MrsSkokansClass
Password: skokanscats
Ordering online is the most convenient way to use Scholastic Book Clubs. You can order anytime, right up until the online order due date (Friday, 10/2). You'll also get instant access to over 500 additional titles plus online-only specials and discounts.
And don't forget: Every time a parent places an order online, we earn a FREE book for our classroom library!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me or our book club parent,
Sincerely,
Jonna Skokan
Kindergarten Schedule
Mornings: 8:20am Fine Motor Skills / Writing Warm Ups
Calendar
Language Arts / Phonics
Religion
11:00am Lunch
Afternoons: 12:00pm Mathematics
Snack / Recess
Specialists
Science / Social Studies
2nd Step / Talking about Touching (once a week)
Choice Time and Book clubs
Art (2-3 times per week) art activities are integrated in all curriculum.
Dismissal 3:00pm (Music, Art, Dance, Stories are integrated throughout the day)
Specialists: P.E., Music - Mondays and Wednesdays (Please wear athletic shoes!)
Spanish - Tuesdays
Library - Thursdays
Art - Parent led Art is once a month.
Classroom Expectations
Cass Rules Consequences
1. Be Kind 1. Warning
2. Be Safe 2. Limited Choices
3. Be Busy 3. Separation from the group, severe disruption: Parent contact
Homework
READ!!! 15 minutes a night together! I will be sending homework packets home on Fridays. All homework is due the following Friday. Remember homework in Kindergarten is OPTIONAL!! If your child does not want to do it, do not make them. It's OK!
I didn't get homework packets out this past Friday, I will be sending the packets home on Monday Sept. 14th.
Communication / Take Home Folders
The best way to contact me is by email: jskokan@stjohnsea.org
Your child's folder will be coming home daily. Empty the folder each evening and put it back into your childs backpack. Your child will turn in their folder each morning, we will check it and put it into their cubbies to return home again that evening. We're hoping to create a consistent routine that will help all of us communicate.
NEW WEEKLY HOMEWORK! download now...
Coming soon!
Volunteer!
If you didn't have a chance to sign up on curriculum night. Just let me know if you are interested and the best days for you. I'll put you on my list.
Happenings
Letter of the week:
(Each week we will focus on one or two letters and one or two site words)
Sight Words: the here is a an I see we and at are you he she
look can not too what do where over on under up down
this it red orange yellow green blue purple who one
two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Reminders:
Please bring a filled water bottle and snack each day. Snacks without peanuts please. No messy snacks that require spoons. Keep snack separate from lunch box please. Thank You!
Special Announcements!
Our next Units of Study:
Educational Links
Great Bibles to check-out and/or purchase for your children:
The Young Learners Bible Storybook by Dr. Mary Manz Simon
ISBN# 0-7847-1277-8
Holy Bible- The Beginner's Bible published by ZonderKids
ISBN# 0-310-71106-1
Math Activities:
Check out math activities at : Education Place www.eduplace.com/maf
Look for shapes and geometric solids (cube, cone, etc.) around the neighborhood.
Make shape prints with items around the home- vegetables, boxes, etc.
Construct geometric solids using straws, toothpicks or dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When are music and PE days?
A: Mondays and Wednesdays are music and PE days. Please have your child wear gym shoes. On Fridays your child will have additional PE for 25 minutes.
Q: When is library day?
A: Library visits are scheduled for Thursdays. Please have your child return books every Thursday, so that he/she may check out another great book.