Welcome to Kindergarten

VirtualOrientation2020-2021

School InformationBelle Valley Elementary

5300 Henderson Rd. Erie, PA 16509(814)835-5600

Fax: (814)835-5623

Principal: Dr. SmithAssistant Principal: Mrs. Law

Kindergarten Teachers

Rm 1 – Mrs. Carrie Leeds (KL)Rm 2 – Mrs. Julie Ottavio (KO)

Rm 3 – Ms. Megan Romines (KR)Rm 4 – Mrs. Jennifer Hunt (KH)

CONTACT INFORMATION – School EmailTeacher’s Last Name@mtsd.org

Quick Meet and Pick-up

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd

3:30 - 4:30 PMDrive by, meet your teacher and pick up

some special items.• Student Folder

• Transportation Tag• Lanyard with Mask

• Ready Confetti

Support StaffSecretary – Ms. Bonnie Platz

Office Assistant – Mrs. Patrice KocherSchool Nurse – Mrs. Deb Gerlach

Student Intervention Specialist – Mrs. Courtney AbbateSchool Guidance Counselor – Mrs. Tracey Merlino

School Psychologist – Dr. Erin ConnelSpeech – Mrs. Amanda Connors

ESL Teacher – Mrs. Sarah Thompson-SamecCafeteria Manager – Mrs. Sue Staaf

Custodian – Mr. Tom Phillips

School TimesSTART Time: 9:15 AM

BREAKFAST Time 9:15 AMCost of Breakfast - $1.45

If your child will be purchasing breakfast, please let your child’s teacher know so that we can assure

they get their breakfast bag.

The children who purchase breakfast; will walk in, take a bag from the table and then

head to their classroom to eat.

School TimesCar Rider Dismissal Starts @

3:00 PM• Kindergarten students first

• Then grades 1 – 5 at approx. 3:02 PM• Front doors (by large rock) – students line up

behind their grade level cone/sign

We will start calling for buses at approximately 3:05 PM

Attendance

Infinite Campus

Lunch LUNCH Time11:00 – 11:30 PM

Cost of Lunch – $2.50 Cost of Milk -$ .60

If your child is buying lunch, please review the menu choices. They will need to tell us

their lunch choice each morning.

When students are packing their lunch, please know we will not be able to heat up their lunch.

Lunch AccountYou can access your

child’s account on Infinite Campus.

You can electronically add money to their

account.

Meals To GoOn Mondays, the district will be providing

meals. These meals will include breakfast and lunch for Monday and the days that your

student is not physically in the school building.• 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches You will need to pre-order at:

mtsd.orgPick up will be held:To Be Determined

NamesPlease put your child’s name

inside/on everything . . . • Book bag• Lunch box

• Masks• Boots• Coats

• Sweatshirts • Umbrellas

MasksWe will be providing your child with a mask and a lanyard.

We are asking that they wear that particular mask the first 2 physically

days they are in school. They will be used as indicators as to which classroom they belong.

Please place an extra mask in your child’s book bag.

Your child’s name will be on the mask that is given to them. We suggest if they want to

wear that mask outside of school they reverse it so their name is not showing in public.

TransportationIf your child is not riding the bus, please

complete the opt out form:

https://www.mtsd.org/assets/documents/Transportation-Opt-InOpt-Out.pdf

First WeekRequirements

Tuesday, Sept. 8th – Friday, Sept. 11th

• We ask that your child wears their transportation tagdaily for the first week of school. We will collect them in the morning and pass them back out at the end of the day. This helps us to make sure your child is where they

need to be at dismissal.

• We also ask that your child wear the lanyard and maskthat we provided for the first week. The mask designs/patterns are specific to one of the four

kindergarten teachers. They will be used to make sure your child makes it to the correct classroom.

Infinite CampusIt is highly encouraged that you login to your

child’s Infinite Campus daily. Step 1Click FOR PARENTS Step 2

Click INFINITE CAMPUS INFORMATION

Infinite Campus con’t.Step 3Click ACCESS PARENT PORTAL

Step 4Click OK

Step 5Click on New User* If you have been on IC before enter your Parent username and password

Communication Home

Every child will receive a folder.The folder will need to come when your child

is physically in the school building.

LEFT/STICKER Side – Anything that needs to come to school and/or be returned to school.

RIGHT Side – Anything that goes HOME and can stay at HOME.

• We will not check your child’s book bag.

Check Folders Daily

* Notes from the office* Homework

* Scholastic Book Orders

PTA information- PLEASE FOLLOWhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/165668616842005

Technology• Each student will be issued an

iPad. • The iPad will follow them/be

theirs until they are in 2nd grade.• The iPad will need to come when

your child is physically in the school building. If you want your child’s iPad to remain in school, please let your child’s teacher know, but you must have a device for them to use at home.

• iPads must be charged for the day – We will not be able to charge iPads at school.

TechnologyDAILY

REQUIREMENTSPlease have your child login to CLEVER on their virtual days,including Mondays. I will be taking attendance on Clever. After logging into Clever, the students will need to visit our Google Classroom to see their assignments for the day.

LoginInfo.

Learning Space at Home

• Find/Create a space where your child can be productive.• Children are used to routines when it comes to learning – create consistent routines at home as well.• Think about what things at home may distract your child and set guidelines to help limit those distractions.

We will be providing a packet with some resources that you and your child can reference.

Homework

* Math and Language Arts * Starts in JANUARY – Accessing the Code (ATC)

Each Teacher/Classroom is a bit different.

Some assignments will be online and others will be done on paper.

Weekly Helper and Specials Calendar

When your child’s name is on the calendar, they are the classroom helper for that week on the days that they

are physically at school.

The weekly helper can bring in one item for Show and Tell, which must fit

in their book bag.

Suggested SnacksStudents are encouraged to bring in their own healthy snack each day.

Please pack their snack in their book bag and not in their lunch box.We do not want it to accidently be eaten at lunchtime.

We will be eating lunch at 11:00 so we anticipate that the students will be hungry in the afternoon.

• Goldfish Crackers• Animal Crackers• Pretzels• Applesauce• Yogurt/Gogurt• Cheese Sticks• Teddy Grahams• Cereal Bars

• Fruit Snacks –please

NO fruit roll-ups• Fresh Fruit• Graham Crackers• Popped Popcorn• Cheez-Its• Granola Bars

* Due to allergies – NO peanut butter or nuts

BirthdaysUnfortunately, we are unable to allow

your student to bring in a snack for the class on their birthday.

We will do our best to make your child’s birthday special

in the classroom.

Language ArtsWe will be using the Wonders series

through McGraw Hill and other supplementary materials.

• At the beginning of the year we will focus on the letter names, letter sounds and high frequency words.

• We will move on to putting letter sounds together to create words.

• We will introduce the elements of a story which include the characters, setting and details of the story.

Mathematics

• We will focus on counting, identifying and writing the numbers 1 – 20.

• We will be asking the students to count to 100 by the end of year by 1s and 10s.

• We will explore addition and subtraction as well as measurement 2D/3D shapes

We will be using the My Math series through McGraw Hill and other

supplementary materials.

Accessing the Code (AtC)

In January we will begin our AtC lessons. Accessing the Code is a systematic

approach to spelling and reading instruction. We will be focusing on:

• Phonemic Awareness• Letter and Sound Identification

• Blending• Reading

• Writing sounds and words

Writing“KINDERGARTEN” Writing – We encourage

the students to use inventive spelling (letter sounds they have mastered) to write what they hear along with high

frequency words.• We will be focusing on the correct way to

form letters, using capital letters to start sentences, using spaces (finger spaces) between words

and punctuation at the end of a sentence.

SpecialsSpecials run on a 6 day A/B schedule.

Specials are 40 minutes long.

Art and Music will take place in your child’s classroom.

For Gym, the students will be going to the Gym or outside when possible.

SNEAKERS are a MUST.• ART – Mrs. Jill Ekas

• MUSIC – Mr. Brandon Maxwell• GYM – Ms. Lori Hirtzel

SuppliesWe provide your child with a Home-School Communicator folder,

crayon bag and pencils. We ask that each child please bring in the

following items. . .

• 1 – pack of THIN CRAYOLA Markers• 1 – pack of TWISTABLE CRAYOLA PENCILS (12 colors)

please NO MORE THAN 18• 1 – set of EARBUDS or HEADPHONES (please NOT WIRELESS)

• 1 – WATER BOTTLE - Suggested Reusable Water Bottle – CONTIGO• NO GLASS BOTTLES in SILICONE SLEEVES, please• NO LOOSE STRAWS, please

* features a pop-up straw that operates with one hand protective spout cover keeps out dirt and germs for cleaner drinking and lid is leak proof

** sending in bottled water daily is also an option **

Supplies• 3 – ELMER’S LARGE Glue Sticks – Washable School Glue Stick

Disappearing Purple - .77 oz. or 1.4 oz.

• 2 - Boxes of CRAYOLA 24 Pack of Crayons label with name

• 1 - Pair of FISKARS BLUNT Tip (rounded) Kid Scissors label with name

• 2 - Box of Tissues

• 1 – SOLID Durable 2 Pocket Folder – for classroom use (please DO NOT LABEL)

• 2 – small tubs of Play-Doh

Supply Closet WISHLIST

These items will be used throughout the school year by all the Kindergarten classrooms . . .

• Zip-top Snack Bags (not the fold over kind, please)

• Zip-top Gallon Bags

• CRAYOLA Washable THICK Markers

• CRAYOLA Washable THIN Markers

• Packs of CRAYOLA TWISTABLE Colored Pencils

• Packs of THIN Expo ODORLESS Markers

• Thick Yellow Highlighters and/or Assorted Colored • Highlighters

Supply Closet WISHLIST

• Clorox Wipes

• Outside Chalk

When donating these items, please make sure to bag them separately from your individual child’s kindergarten supplies and

put your child’s last name on the outside of the bag.

Pillars Of CharacterT is for TRUSTWORTHINESSR is for RESPECTR is for RESPONSIBILITYF is for FAIRNESSC is for CARINGC is for CITIZENSHIP

At Belle Valley we learn about the six pillars of character and how we can incorporate

them at home, at school, on the bus, and in the community.

Ms. Romine’s Classroom~ click on the picture below to watch a

short video ☺