The ABCs of Mrs. Williams’ & Mrs. Wock’s Classroom
A-Attendance
Please take special note of the attendance policy in the student handbook. We do a lot of hands-on work & discussion in Kindergarten! Please plan to attend school every day, except in cases of illness or emergency! Your child must be FEVER FREE for 24 hours before returning to school!! If your child happens to be absent, please write a note with the date and reason for absence to send in the child’s OTIS the next day.
B-Behavior
No Monkey Business! Our discipline policy encourages children to make positive choices. Each school day begins on Right On Rhino! Poor choices move his/her clip down to Look Out Lion, Endangered Elephant, or Sad Snake. Positive choices move clips up to Great Giraffe, Terrific Tiger, or Magnificent Monkey! Please sign behavior sheets in OTIS daily.
Bucket Fillers: students earn Sparkle Sticks for their individual Buckets when positive actions and words are observed! 10 Sparkle Sticks=Reward of choice!
C-Communication
We are a team! Jot a note in OTIS or shoot me an email! [email protected]
I love to celebrate with my students, both academic and extra-curricular achievements! Please do not hesitate to voice concerns with your student’s progress, or ask questions about anything!
D-Dismissal
School ends at 3:45. You must send a note to school if your child is to go home a different way than his/her normal schedule!!
D is also for Drop-Off. Our school bell rings at 8:45 and again at 9:15. Announcements come on at 9:10, please have your child in school by this time so they are not counted tardy. If they are tardy, please take them into the office to fill out a tardy slip. Kindergarteners also appreciate the extra time in the classroom to visit with friends and begin their day, unrushed.
E-Emergencies
Please make sure we have the correct emergency information, all year, on file for your child. If phone numbers change, emergency contacts, or addresses, please send a note so your child's emergency card can be updated in our classroom and in the office!
F-Field trips
Our class will be going on 2 field trips this year; 1 to Marbles and one in school science. Permission slips must be returned for your child to attend.
F is also for Fun! I love teaching Kindergarten!! Our classroom activities are age appropriate, active and engaging! I love to integrate subject areas and keep learning FUN!
G-Grading
Every nine weeks your child will receive a report card. This report card is performance based and will be an on-going assessment throughout the school year.
H-Homework
Homework will be sent home weekly with your child. These are fun activities that reinforce the skills taught at school. Please make sure to check your child’s OTIS every night for homework. Reading logs will always come home on Fridays, in case you’d like to read over the weekend! Homework should come back to school the next school day.
H is also for Handwriting. Print is taught to meet the learning needs of every child; visual, kinesthetic, auditory and tactile! Correct letter formation is very important!
I-Important
Our school website is www.willowsprings.wcpss.net
I is also for Independence. We promote independence in so many ways! For example, parents do not need to walk their child to the classroom after the 2nd week of school. Nor, back from the cafeteria after visiting during lunch. Another sign of independence? Your child turns in his/her OTIS each morning and hangs up his/her own backpack, too!
J-Join PTA
Willow Springs does have a Parent Teacher Association. Meetings will be held throughout the school year. If you are interested in more information see our website’s PTA link!
K-Kindness
Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our class as well as others with kindness and respect, hitting, fighting, name-calling, and making fun of others will not be permitted.
L-Lunch
The school will provide lunch and breakfast for the children who wish to purchase one. Breakfast is served from 8:45-9:10 every day. The cost for lunch is $2 a day and breakfast is $1. For convenience, you may pay by the week or month. Checks are made payable to Willow Springs Elementary School or pay via www.mylunchmoney.com Carbonated drinks or drinks in glass containers are not allowed in the lunchroom.
Our lunch time is 12:50-1:20! You are welcome to each lunch with your child! But, school policy states that you and your child may sit at the visitors table or outside, together! Sign in at the office first, and we’ll meet you at the benches in the school lobby!
M-Math
This will be taught whole group using Houghton Mifflin Math Expressions program, which all WCPSS students have exposure to in Elementary schools in our county. We will also experience Math Work Jobs (like centers) later in the year, which will be differentiated for your student’s learning needs!
N-News
Newsletters with weekly learning objectives and details about units of study, wish lists, & important dates, will be posted on kindergartenkindergarten.weebly.com every Monday! Please read our Blog with fidelity!
O-OTIS
“Only The Important Stuff”
This daily folder is unique to our classroom! I LOVE OTIS!
P-Parties
We will have two big parties through the school year. The first will be a Thanksgiving Feast and the second is our end of the year Water Day. We will also have a few small celebrations like, a Valentine’s snack and a Mother’s and Father’s Day brunch. I will be calling on volunteers to help me with these events. Also, if your child is celebrating his/her birthday, you may bring in store bought cupcakes or cookies for a birthday snack. If you are planning on doing this for your child please let me know a few days before your child’s birthday.
P is also for Parent Participation!! It is key to success! Even if you can’t volunteer, what you will do at home with your child is priceless!
Q-Quick and Quiet Hellos
As you volunteer in our classroom or our building, I will urge your child to acknowledge you with a “quick and quiet” wave hello. It is important for them to greet you, but remain involved in class activities.
Q is also for Quick!! The year will fly by! Try to slow down, enjoy Kindergarten and celebrate accomplishments all along the way!
R-Reading
Students are expected to read “Best Fit” take home books, at home, every night. You will find them very soon in your child’s OTIS. Encourage your student to check out library books, too! Reading will be taught in many ways—ALL day! We will have whole group lessons, small group lessons including both Enrichment and Remediation, We will travel to Letterland everyday & work in our Weekly 5 centers! (Our Weekly 5: work on writing, word work, listen to reading, read with someone, read to self)
R is also for Rest. We will only be having rest time for the first nine weeks of school. Your child only needs a towel. We only rest for a short time period. Your child’s towel will be placed in their bookbags every 3 weeks. Please wash your child’s towel over the weekend and return it on Monday.
S-Snacks
We will have snack time everyday at 11:30. You may send a nutritious snack with your child each day if you choose. Please no carbonated drinks and gum.
Standard Based Grading-are the scores found on your child’s report cards. 1:insufficient performance, 2:needs support, 3:proficient 4: extends Kindergarten standards
T-Toys
Children are asked NOT to bring toys from home, unless it is his/her “Wild Thing” Week, which you will receive notice about! Toys are very distracting. I cannot be responsible for broken toys or hurt feelings caused by them.
U-“U”
“U” are important in your child’s education. I would love to have you visit. However, if you stop in, I may put you to work. It will be fun work :) Please give me the first 9 weeks to get to know your child and for your child to learn the school rules before coming to visit. Willow Springs has a policy that all guests are required to check in at the office and wear a volunteer sticker or badge.
V-Volunteers
If you choose to volunteer in the classroom, for field trips, or remediation, please be aware that you will be required to have a background check. If you have already had this clearance, due to an older sibling, you will need to re-register. You will not be allowed to go on a field trip without this clearance. We love volunteers! Moms, dads, grandparents...we will put you all to work ; )
W-Writing
We will write everyday! I will teach writing in many areas of our school day; Writer’s Workshop, Daily 5 centers (word word and work on writing) as well as reading responses and journaling.
W is also for Winter weather wear! Please write your child's name insider their winter gear! X-Extra Clothes It is very important that you send an extra set of clothes in case of a bathroom accident, messy spill or wet and muddy playgrounds. This way we do not have to bother you at work or home. These clothes will stay in your child’s backpack since we have no space at school to store them.
Y-Younger Siblings
It is in our children’s best interest to have our parent volunteers available without siblings. This not only allows your full attention to be focused on the class, but also allows for some special time between you and your kindergartner. Thank you for making childcare arrangements for younger siblings.
Z-ZZZZZs
Make sure your child gets plenty of rest. A kindergarten room is a busy place and you will probably find your child exhausted at the end of the day. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to your child. It will help them to be alert and ready to learn each day.