Mrs. Prokop's ABC Handbook

Always bring your best smile to school and Always do your best!
 
Birthdays can be celebrated by bringing in a treat for the class.  Cookies work best because they can be shared at anytime and any place.  All food brought in must be store bought.
 
Conferences are held periodically throughout the year.  You will receive notices when they are about to occur so that you can call and pick your time.  If you need to see me in between scheduled conference times, simply call the school, leave me a message and I will set up a time convenient time.
 
Dress code this year requires the following: collared shirts, pants and skirts to be at the waist, no skin or underwear showing, skirts and dresses no more than 2 inches above the knee, shorts at finger tip length and rubber - soled shoes with closed toes and heels, laces must be tied. (preferably sneakers)
 
Emergency procedures are practiced at school so we will know how to stay safe.  We have scheduled practice drills in case of a fire, tornado or stranger on campus.  Please make sure your emergency numbers are kept up to date in the office.
 
Field trips are fun and we normally take at least two every year.  We will definitely be taking a trip to the Environmental Studies Center.  We learn about sea turtles and how we can help protect them.  We learn about the Atlantic Ocean and the animals that live in that environment.
 
Great things happen in kindergarten each and every day.  We learn so many new things and we color and create great projects.  We learn all our letters and numbers and we will learn to read like great champions!
 
Homework may be sent home  as practice exercises to help reinforce skills that we are working on in class.  It will not be a part of the grading procedures but any extra practice that children participate in will improve their academic growth.
 
I can and I try are the most important words in Kindergarten.  We are believers in the message of my favorite book, "The Little Engine that Could."  We try hard and we don't think we can.............................we know we can!
 
Journals are notebooks that we write in nearly every day.  You can keep a journal at home to document all the fun things you do with your family.  It is a good way to demonstrate your thoughts and it provides practice for writing letters and words and sentences!
 
Kindness is a must for all your classmates and your teacher.  Showing kindness makes you a special friend to everyone.
 
Lunch requires lunchboxes or  lunch money.  Please remember to pack a healthy lunch if you bring it from home.  If you buy school lunch, please keep up with the balance in your lunch account.  After a couple of gentle reminders, you will be given a cheese sandwich and a drink instead of the scheduled meal for that day. 
 
Music is my favorite avenue to follow in teaching the many skills that are part of our Kindergarten program.  We sing and dance every day.  Ask you child to sing the days of the week or months of the year!  Also ask them to sing counting by 2s, 5s and 10s!  Music and movement enhance memorization of information and it makes learning more fun.
 
Notes are extremely important.  Please send a note to school explaining your child's absence upon their return. If you are changing your child's way to go home, please send a note stating the

 change that will occur.  Forms can be found in your BEE notebook.  All you need to do is fill in the information.
 
Open House is held every year during the first week of school.  I also believe in an Open door policy regarding my classroom.  Please feel free to visit our classroom as long as you give me some advance notice.  Notice is needed in case I have testing planned and can not accommodate a visit.
 
Phonemic Awareness and Phonics are two of the most important skills to be learned in Kindergarten.  Phonics is the skill of learning letter names and the sounds that the letters make.  Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate the sounds in spoken words.  Examples include rhyming, identifying beginning sounds of words, identifying words that begin the same way, counting sounds in words, counting syllables in words, blending sounds and segmenting or taking words apart.
 
Quiet voices in the classroom are  necessary when the teacher is  giving directions or

 busy running small reading groups.
 

Rules, Rules and more Rules!  I am often asked by the children if there are rules for everything in school.  I guess in their eyes, that is a truthful fact.  Most of the necessary rules are for their safety and the safety of others.  Other rules are necessary for children to reach their full potential in the classroom. 

 
Science and Social Studies are alternated throughout the year.   We go to the Science Lab once a week on the related arts schedule and Social Studies is interwoven all through the Reading/Language Arts program.
 
Tardiness is an important issue.  Children are marked tardy if they ente

r the classroom after 7:50.  Attendance is taken on the computer and I have to stop and re-enter information after the tardy child comes in.  Imagine how many times I have to stop instruction and make changes if 3 or 4 are tardy on the same day.  Children often miss announcements and the directions for the morning work when they are late.  As a mother of 6, I do understand that occasionally things happen to make the whole house run late.  However, I would appreciate your help in trying to get your child to school by the starting time.
 

Understanding what you read is the definition of comprehension.  Comprehension is one of the weakest areas found on formalized tests.  Children often can read a whole paragraph without mistakes and still not have an understanding of the material that was read.  Be sure to ask questions along the way when you and your child are reading together.
 
Volunteering your time at school is a great way to meet other parents and gain great satisfaction for time well spent.  If you can not come to school but would still like to help out, contact the front office or me as there might be some jobs that can be done in your home at your leisure.
 
WOW!  is a word that is used at least once a day.  It is awesome to watch your children WOW me with their creativity and academic growth as they experience new adventures each and every day.
 
Extraordinary things happen during the first year of school.  Children enter Kindergarten wide-eyed and bushy-tailed and then proceed in becoming independent self-thinking individuals.  They come in dependent upon the teacher for their daily routine of activities and wind up capable of making good choices for themselves.  They grow in inches and in independence and often loose some teeth.  The biggest growth span during their elementary  years happens during this first year. Often it is their first year away from you and it can be a tough transition but then the second half of the year comes along and suddenly they seem all grown up.  It is for these reasons that I would never want to teach anything but Kindergarten!
 
Yippee! is the word we will all shout out when we become members of the 100 book club.  The principal will award each child with a special certificate for becoming a member.
 
Zzzz!  This is what I do very well at night  after  providing your child with all the information and fun that I can during the course of the school day.