Handbook
Kindergarten Teacher: Mrs. Paula Brisson
Kindergarten Teacher Assistants: Mrs. Collette Scaplen
Mrs. Heidi Smith
Hello to all kindergarten parents. Welcome to Scotland Elementary School. We are looking forward to a wonderful productive year in kindergarten.
My name, for those of you who may not know me is Mrs. Paula Brisson. I graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University. I have been teaching kindergarten for quite a few years. Scotland Elementary School is a good place to be. I’ve been here for quite some time now and I’ve enjoyed my stay. We are a close-knit school, caring and always ready to accept new techniques and methods in education. We are all so excited about our new additions to our school. The preschool program and the kindergarten program are accredited programs. We are now working on receiving accreditation for the second time around. I am looking forward to a great year with your child. It is my pleasure to be your child’s teacher. Please note if at any time you have questions and concerns please contact me by phone or by note. Our teacher day begins at 8:00A.M. and ends at 3:30 P.M. You may also leave a message with the secretary and I will return your call during my planning time.
Our goal in kindergarten is to first enjoy learning, to feel comfortable and to enjoy coming to school each and every day. Kindergarten is the foundation of school. It is a year of growing socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. If a child has a wonderful learning year in kindergarten he/she will feel confident and develop a positive attitude about school, this attitude will carry over to the next grade. Each child is very different; each child comes to kindergarten with completely different needs. It is our job to assist each child in meeting those needs. We have wonderful learning materials in our kindergarten. We have leveled books, wonderful literature (in class and the school library), a new reading program, a math program, a science program, a handwriting program, a social studies program, and a health program. We also have specials such as P.E., library, music, art, and computers.
School begins at 8:30A.M. and ends at 3:00 P.M. On early dismissal days (check your school calendar) we will dismiss at 1:00P.M. During inclement weather there may be a 90 minute delay which means school will being at 10:00A.M. Or we may need to dismiss at 1:00P.M.
If there is a change in your child’s transportation, please send in two notes, one to the teacher and one to the bus driver. This way we will make double sure to follow through in making sure your child gets to his/her destination – safely.
I cannot express enough the importance of attending school, daily. Our most wonderful learning takes place within the classroom with our classmates during group times, partner
time and times that we work one on one with the teachers. If you are ill we do understand. This would be the time to rest and return back to school when you are feeling better. When your child is absent please call the school and let the secretary know why your child is absent. You may also send in a note for your child’s file upon return of school.
Each child will receive a pocket folder. This folder will need to come back and forth to school daily. All-important papers and eventually homework will be sent home in this folder. Also the parent communication journal will be kept in the folder.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES are held twice a year in November and March. A schedule will be sent home for a parent to sign up for a day and time.
TRANSITION to KINDERGARTEN it is very important to us for your child to feel comfortable when they start in our kindergarten program. Kindergarteners to be will have a chance to visit the kindergarten classroom several times before the start of school. We will also have an ORIENTATION for children and parents in April. Also a KINDERGARTEN PICNIC will be held in August. A summer post card will be sent home.
Throughout the school year we will be taking photos of our classroom activities. We will be using these photos for our graduation celebration as well as to create posters of our work and play. The children really enjoy looking at themselves in photos. If any parent should not want their child’s photo taken please let me know as soon as possible.
Homework will begin in October. We will send home an information sheet with the homework. Homework in kindergarten may include reading together short books and drawing a picture about the book. We will also send home book bags and educational games the whole family can play. It is very important for all kindergarteners to be read to at least 10 minutes each evening. Special book bags will also be coming home for your fun too!!
ASSESSMENT
Children are assessed several times throughout the year. This gives us a full picture of your child’s progress in kindergarten in turn allows us to give your child the proper instruction. Alphabet letter checks and letter sound checks are given several times throughout the year, sight word checks, reading assessment bench mark tests are given for each unit completed (there are 6) and chapter tests are given in math at the end of each chapter. A developmental reading assessment is given at least 3 times a year (DRA). The fine motor areas are looked at by having students write their names, (using lower case letter, not capital), letters, numbers and cutting skills. A concept of print assessment is also given to determine how much a child knows about book handling. Parents will be notified about the results through progress reports, report cards, and conferences about their child’s progress on these areas.
Volunteers
We have an open door policy all parents are welcome to stop by to visit the classroom. If parents need to speak to the teacher on an issue we may need to meet at another time so that it does not take away from instructional time. We would love to have you join us to read a story to the class or assist us in the classroom. All visitors must check in at the office and wear a nametag.
Field Trips
The kindergarten students will attend two field trips. One field trip will be a fall trip to the apple orchard and a spring trip to Roger William’s Zoo. Both trips are part of our curriculum units on fall and an animal unit in spring. Parents will be asked to chaperone on both trips.
Discipline
In class we will develop together, discuss and review often a set of classroom rules, as well as read the school rules provided by Mr. Blackstone. The rules will be posted and referred to often throughout the school year. A list of rules will be sent home to review together. When a rule has not been followed a child will receive a verbal reminder, a second warning will require some quiet thinking time in a quiet area of the classroom and a discussion with the teacher. If there is a need for a third warning and the child cannot attend to the task at hand and is distracting others he/she may be asked to leave the room to visit the principal. A note will be sent home on that day in the communication journal of the problem in class.
Individual Awards
Children also have the opportunity to earn paper hearts for good behavior or kindness acts. When a child has earned five hearts they are able to choose a prize from the prize basket in the classroom.
Class treats
As a class it is important that we work together as a team. Together as a class we earn special treats for great behavior. When the students get caught being good together or if they receive a compliment we add marbles to a jar. 10 marbles = a popcorn party, 15 marbles=extra recess, 20 = an educational movie.
Report cards
Report cards for kindergarten students will go home in January and June. We will have conferences in the fall and spring to discuss your child’s progress.
Kindergarten Curriculum
All subject areas are taught in kindergarten: math, reading, language arts, which includes, vocabulary, phonics, spelling, phonemic awareness, spelling, rhyming, grammar and writing. Also included are Writing, penmanship, social studies, science, and health.