All About Kindergarten
School Hours
Pick Up/Drop Off Info
The bell rings at 8:10 in the mornings. Parents are encouraged to drop off their children in the car rider line as early at 7:45am. They may go to the cafeteria if they need to buy breakfast, or they may go to the auditorium for a sing a long while they wait for the bell to ring. Kindergarten students will be dismissed at 8:05am to their classrooms. Students are counted tardy at 8:15am. School dismisses at 3:10pm in the afternoons. Please let your child’s teacher know if they will be car riders, walkers, or aftercare. School Aged Child Care is offered before and after school hours.
Dress Code
Students should wear comfortable & appropriate clothing. It is recommended that they wear tennis shoes daily because they will be active! Students will wear their NPMM t-shirts on Tuesdays when we have learning expeditions. Please keep in mind when we have P.E. and art. They will need appropriate shoes for P.E. & clothes for art. We do provide smocks & use washable paint, but as you know they do not always prevent staining. So try not to dress them in special clothing except for picture day or other special events.
Communication Folders
Please be sure to check your child's daily take home folder. There are important pieces of information that we will be sending home including their homework! Make sure to sign and return their behavior sheet. Every week a Monday Memo is sent home with important information for the upcoming week. PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS MEMO! It will include show and tell info, a summary of our week, and important dates. It will also be posted on the website as well.
Lunch
We will eat lunch in the cafeteria at 11am.. The children may bring their lunch from home or buy it at the school. The cost of lunch is $3.00 per day. If they bring the lunch from home they may buy milk for $0.50. It is best if you send a weekly/monthly check to the cafeteria. Chocolate milk will be served only on Thursdays. Each child will have a computerized account in the cafeteria. Please be sure to pack items that DO NOT need to be heated up at school.
*A lunch menu can be found online at www.hcde.org for a monthly menu. They have 2 different choices for each day in the "hot line." Milk is provided with the choices. They may also bring their healthy lunch with a drink or may buy milk at school.
Our Day
Your child has a few jobs that they need to take care of every morning before doing morning work.. They must make their lunch choice, hang up their backpack, place their folder in their mailbox, and make a lunch choice.
Module
The term “module study” refers to science and social studies units of study. Each nine weeks, the students will be immersed into an engaging unit incorporating all curriculums with a common theme. Students will create Travel Journals each module that act as “student created text books” filled with information they have learned. At the end of each quarter, Normal Park hosts an Exhibit Night, where the school turns into a museum showcasing each grade level’s modules and exhibits.
Kindergarten’s modules for the 2018-2019 School Year are:
- 1stNine Weeks: “My Place in the World”
- 2ndNine Weeks: “My Big Backyard”
- 3rdNine Weeks: “If You Were My Neighbor”
- 4thNine Weeks: “Weather From My Window”
Math
Students will learn from the Engage New York Math Curriculum. This curriculum is based on our Tennessee State Standards. Teachers will also implement Guided Math in each classroom. Students will begin lessons on the carpet for a whole group mini lesson, and move to leveled math rotations based on the child’s understanding of the topic. Students will be assessed at a mid point and at the end of each math unit These results will assist teachers in placing them in math groups. Students will also utilize an interactive math notebook each week.
Reading Groups and Centers
Normal Park teachers are trained using Jan Richardson’s Guided Reading Program. Beginning in August, we will assess your child’s reading level and begin small group instruction with them. Students will move up reading levels throughout the year based on their progress at each level. Students are expected to leave Kindergarten reading on a D/E level. While students are rotating around the room completing centers, reading groups will be called to work with the teacher for about 20 minutes a day.
Snack
Snack should be brought in according to the schedule sent home in your child’s red homework folder during his/her phase in. The weekly snack schedule will also be on each week’s Monday Memo. If your child’s name appears on the schedule, please bring in a class set of snacks. If feasible, individually wrapped and healthy snacks are preferred. Another option is to buy snack in a large box and bag it in individual Ziploc bags at home. Please do not send in boxes of items that have not been bagged
Writer’s Workshop
Writer's Workshop is a method of teaching writing, which can build students' fluency in writing through continuous, repeated exposure to the process of writing. Children are often working in partnerships to support one another’s learning
We look forward to working with each of you and your precious children!
The Kindergarten Team
Megan Methvin methvin_m@hcde.org
Laney Holmes holmes_l@hcde.org
Stacye Gibson-Hart gibson_stacye@hcde.org
Kayla Schroering schroering_k@hcde.org
Tracey Stevens stevens_t@hcde.org