Welcome to Kindergarten

Parent Handbook

Welcome ……………………… 1Checklist ……………………… 3Contact Information……………………... 4School hours ……………………… 5Drop-off & Pick up ……………………… 6Lunch Procedures ……………………… 7Snack ……………………… 8Our daily Schedule ……………………… 9Rest Time ……………………… 10Attendance & tardy Policy ……………… 11Homework Policy ……………………… 12Daily Folder ……………………… 13Report Card Schedule …………………. 14Grading Policy ……………………… 15Dress Code ……………………… 16School Supplies ………………………. 17Birthday Policy ………………………. 18Classroom Rules ……………………….. 19Helping the Teacher ……………………… 21

Dear Kindergarten Families:  This week your child will complete one of the most important milestones of his or her life - the first day of school! I am looking forward to a working with you and your children this year and helping them to achieve their full potential. Our days and weeks will be filled with many wonderful experiences and opportunities to learn and grow. We are so excited you will be part of our school family this year!  I would like to introduce myself, my name is Miss Pekarcik, and I am delighted to be your child’s teacher this year at Prince of Peace. This will be my 9th year teaching Kindergarten here at Prince of Peace.

I believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school success. Throughout the year I will communicate with you through notes, telephone calls, e-mail, report cards, and parent teacher conferences. You are welcome to visit our classroom at any time. I can always use an extra pair of hands and another smiling face when I am working with the children.

The first day of school is Wednesday, August 27, 2014. Our first day of school begins at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 12:00 p.m. (This is a noon dismissal day). I will open the door at 8:00. Please walk in with your child and help them find their desk and closet hook. On the second day of school, we will meet for our regular school day from 8:15 a.m. till 3:00 p.m. Students are to meet at the flagpole for prayer and pledges. We will walk to the classroom door at 8:15. All students should arrive by 8:10. Parents there are many ways to complete your family service hours. Please look for ways to help in the news notes and in the daily folder. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. The school telephone number is (714)774-0993 and my cell phone number is (714) 624-1852 (I give you this number for emergencies or texts). You can also e-mail me at tpekarcik@princeofpeaceanaheim.com. I check my e-mail every day, but not during teaching hours. Please look at the school website www.princeofpeaceanaheim.org for information and

updates. I am looking forward to a great

year with the kindergarten children as they learn, grow, and develop.

Miss Pekarcik

Are you ready for the first day of school?

□ Backpack large enough to

hold notebook (no wheels please)

□ School Uniforms

□ School Supplies

□ Snack

Phone: (714) 624-1852E-mail: tpekarcik@princeofpeaceanaheim.org

All calls received during class time will go directly to voicemail; calls will be answered as soon as possible after school. 

After school from 3:15-3:45 I will be available to meet with you in person or take your calls.

Of course, you may send a note to school with your child at any time in his or her blue folder. If you would like to schedule a conference to discuss your child’s academic progress please feel free to call me or send me an e-mail or note.

8:00 a.m. Students meet teacher in quad.

8:15 a.m. School begins

3:00 p.m. School ends(2:30 on Mondays)

Students on campus before 8:00 must check in to morning care.

Dismissal is at the lunch tables and those not picked up by 3:15 will be checked in to ESC.

Drop Off: Please pull into a parking space and walk or send your child to meet with their teacher. Pledges and prayers will be said with the entire school.

Pick Up:Students are to be picked up at the lunch tables. Please drive along the wall and turn around. Pull up along the curb and your child will be walked to your car. Please stay with your car and wait until you have pulled forward as we want to keep the line moving.

Please let your child know who will be picking them up so that they can be ready. Let this person know about our pick up procedure.

Lunch options include our hot lunch program. This order comes home every two weeks. You can choose all or some days.

We also have special lunches on certain days of the week as fundraisers. Please check news notes for order forms.

All students are encouraged to eat there food. Anything not eaten will be sent home.

If you are sending a lunch with your child please make sure the contents can be easily opened by your child and the food does not require a microwave.

Snacks may be eaten during the first five minutes of our morning recess. Please keep snacks small enough to eat within five minutes. Please keep salt and sugar in mind… chips, candy, cookies, and juice are saved for lunch only. (A small water bottle is OK for snack time. It will be kept on the snack tray.) Please help your child know which item is their snack. SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR HEALTHY SNACKS:½ SandwichVegetable sticksFruitDry cereal YogurtCrackers and CheeseNutsSnack Bar (no chocolate please)

As a class we will be studying nutrition in a unit on healthy foods. This will equip your child to understand and choose healthy snacks. PLEASE NOTE: If your child has any special snack needs for allergies, please inform the teacher.

8:00 – Morning Opening at flagpole8:15 – Day Starts, Desk work8:20 – Calendar, Morning message, warm up9:00 – Bible Time9:30 – Alphabet / Phonics10:00 – Snack and Recess10:30 – Reading11:00 – Math11:45 – Lunch and Recess12:45 – Rest time (Fall) / Read Aloud & Spelling (Spring)1:15 – Language Arts and Writing1:45 – Social Studies/ Science/ Art2:15 – Centers2:40 – Closing and Clean-Up3:00 – Dismissal

P.E. is on Tuesday and Thursday. Please have students wear tennis shoes on these days.Monday will include Library starting in January.Wednesdays we have Chapel at 9:00.Wednesdays we have Reading buddies with the 2nd grade at 1:30Fridays we have Big Buddies with the 7th and 8th graders at 2:00.

In the fall we will have a 30 minute rest time. The students are to bring a beach towel. The towel stays in the closet during the week and is sent home on Friday to be washed.The students are asked to lay quietly but do not have to sleep. Quiet music will be played during this time.

It is important that your child to be at school for the learning process. Please make sure you are on time in the morning. If arriving after 8:15 go to the office for a tardy slip.Students receive a punctuality grade for being at school on time and ready. Perfect attendance awards are given each quarter for those who have been there every day and on time.For a doctor’s appointment or leaving early at the end of the day, please walk to the office where they will call the class so that I may get the student ready. If possible please let me know beforehand.

The green folder is the homework folder.Homework goes home the first day of the week and is due back by Friday.Homework reinforces what we are doing in class. It should take 5 – 10 minutes a night.

We will be sending home a daily notebook called “F.R.O.G.”, which stands for Fully Responsible, Organized and Growing. Please read the information in the F.R.O.G. folder every night. Please return the F.R.O.G. folder to school every day, important information regarding your child’s education will be included in the weekly newsletter and daily F.R.O.G. folder. We encourage reading the newsletter thoroughly and hanging it on your refrigerator for reference. A Sunday Church and Sunday School attendance sheet is inside the folder. Please fill this in for this information is printed on report cards.

All students will be assessed during the first two weeks of school. This is to see where they are starting at.Tests are given in Math at the end of each topic. Assessments are given during each unit in Reading.Report cards will come out 4 times a year with a parent – teacher conference after the 1st quarter.Grades are based on class work, tests, and assessments.Grades will be available online using Jupitergrades.

I will use the California State Standards to assess your student in Kindergarten. Each assignment that I assign will be given a grade 1 through 5. Here is the breakdown of what each number grade means.5- Exceeds expectations – the student is doing outstanding work above what is expected in Kindergarten.4- Meets Expectations – the student is completing the assignments correctly. He completes all work as expected in Kindergarten.3-Approaches Expectations – The student is completing the assignments with few errors. He does not quite meet the expectations expected in Kindergarten.2-Missing some Key Indicators – The student is completing the assignments with some errors. He is missing some of the indicators to show that he understands the standard.1-Missing all or almost all of the indicators – The student is completing the assignments with many errors or not completing the assignments. He is missing all or almost all of the indicators to show that he understands the standard.This will be the grade that you see on papers as they come home. I will also use these grades to assess the students when doing informal assessments.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Miss Pekarcik

P.S. So that you don’t worry for these first few weeks not very much work will come home. I’m saving it for posting and the students’ files.

All students in grades K to 8 are required to wear uniforms. Uniforms may be purchase from Lands End or from any store within guidelines. All shirts must have our Prince of Peace logo, if shirts are purchased elsewhere embroidery can be put on from C & L Custom Jackets.School Colors

Tops: Red, Navy Blue and White Bottoms: Navy and Khaki

• A large beach towel for rest time: Please label with student’s name. Students will take their towels home every Friday to be washed, and bring them back on the following Monday.

• Backpack labeled with student’s name (large enough to hold folder, lunch pail, and sweater or jacket)• Lunch pail • (2)8 count pack of thick Crayola markers (classic)• (2)8 count pack of Crayola crayons• glue sticks (10 pack or larger)• 1 container disinfecting wipes• 2 large boxes of facial tissue• 4 reams of copy paper

Emergency kitAll students will need a jacket or sweater (within dress code) EVERY DAY. This is important because the classroom temperature with air condition or heater may be at a different temperature than the student would like. All other supplies will be provided. Please do not send any other supplies. I will send home a note if your child needs anything replaced or if the classroom needs some supplies. It is also a good idea to have these supplies available at home for your child.

This will help them complete their homework.Pencil, Paper, Markers, Crayons, Scissors, and Glue

When it is your child’s birthday, we celebrate! Children may bring cupcakes or cookies with a decorative napkin to share with the class. We sing “Happy Birthday” and “God’s Blessings,” and give out a special birthday hat. PLEASE LIMIT THE CELEBRATION TO FOOD AND DO NOT PLAN AN EXTENSIVE IN-CLASS PARTY WITH GAMES, PRIZES, BALLOONS, ETC. PLEASE NOTE: When invitations for birthday parties are handed out at school please invite the entire class. If only inviting some students please mail or hand to the parents.

We will also celebrate certain holidays in the classroom. I will ask for items like juice, pretzels, and cookies for these days. I would appreciate one parent to be a room parent and organize all parties (do not have to attend) and other room related organizing.

It is a privilege to have your children in Kindergarten this year. I look forward to many exciting and rewarding experiences as the year progresses. A God-pleasing, successful life depends on self-discipline. Students in Kindergarten are learning how to go to school. Your child deserves the most positive educational climate for academic, developmental, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual growth.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS (RULES)Always follow the teacher’s directions.

Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.In the classroom: 1)Raise hand to talk

2)Use inside voice 3)Walk in the classroom The student will also receive the appropriate consequences for their behavior (ie. Time out, time on the wall, being left out of free choice centers, etc.) Consequences always include a mini-conference with the teacher; encouraging students to problem solve and make better choices.

It is in your child’s best interest that we work together with regard to his/her schooling. I will keep you informed using ClassDojo (explanation on attached page) about your child’s progress with behavior. Please review this plan with your child.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Miss Theresa Pekarcik

This year, I am using a classroom management tool called ClassDojo. ClassDojo is a web based program which allows the teacher to track students’ behaviors (positive AND negative) easily and efficiently. The program is based on points, and students can be given positive points for things like being on task, being respectful, participating, or working hard. On the other hand, points can be taken away if students are off task, talking out, or unprepared. It is the second year I have used this. Still learning!

All students have been added to the system, there is a student access code for each student so that they can log on to the website. On the site, they are able to see how many points they have, which positive behaviors were noted, and which negative behaviors they need to work on.

One of the greatest features of ClassDojo is that it allows me to send parents a “behavior and skills report” every day by e-mail. All you need to do is use the parent access code to get signed up. My hope is that this will help you better monitor the progress of your student’s behavior and feel you can discuss their day with them.

Please contact me if you have any questions! Miss Pekarcik

1. Lunch Monitora. See next page

2. Classroom centersa. One day a weekb. 2:00 to 3:00c. Work with one group on an activity

3. Copy assistanta. Take basket once a weekb. Make copies in office

4. Take home packetsa. Cut, staple, etc.b. Basket has bags by the door when

needed.5. Field trip chaperones

a. We take about four field trips a year6. Special Days and Activities7. Room Parent

Please work with your child on the following skills at home:

•Sharing

•Cleaning- up

•Recognizing colors and shapes

•Recognizing/ identifying numbers

•Recognizing/ identifying letters

•Cutting with scissors

•Buttoning, snapping, zipping, and tying

•Phone Number

•Address

•Birthday