Welcome to kindergarten at St. Pius!

ABCs of Kindergarten
Attendance is so important since much of our learning is through
group interaction or hands-on activities. It is impossible to make up everything your child will miss when absent. However, if your child is ill (especially with a fever), please do not send him or her to school. We ask that you call the office (734-284-6500) before 9:00 a.m. telling why your child is absent.

Book order forms will be sent home periodically throughout the

year. This is a great way for your child to acquire his/her own library of books. It also helps our classroom because we get points towards buying books and other literacy materials when you order! If you are interested in placing an order, please send the order form and a check payable to Scholastic Book Club to school in a sealed envelope. You may also place your order online. It usually takes about two weeks to receive the ordered books. We love to celebrate Birthdays at school! Your child may bring a special treat to share with the class on his/her birthday. (Please do not bring a cake or anything that must be cut.) If your child is having a birthday party outside of school, party invitations may be

passed out at school ONLY if everyone in the class is included (or at least all of the boys or all of the girls). This keeps children from feeling left out and having hurt feelings. Summer birthdays can be celebrated on their half-birthday or another date throughout the year.

Communication is important.

YOUR CHILDS FOLDER SERVES

AS OUR MAIN SOURCE OF COMMUNICATION. It is very important that you check it, empty it and return it every day. Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns. Our Daily routine Our class is a combination of both full-day and half-day children. We work on Religion, Reading/Phonics, Math, and Handwriting in the morning. After lunch, we have a half hour of rest time and then work on Social Studies and Science units. We also do centers or enrichment activities that reinforce the concepts and skills we are working on in class. In addition, we have weekly Gym, Library, Spanish, Art, Music, and Computer classes. My

E-mail address is sshook@saintpius-x.org.

Field trips are a fun way to extend the learning outside of our
classroom. Some places we have visited in the past include Erie Apple Orchard, Heritage Park Petting Farm, Stevie Bs, Taylor Sportsplex, Mills Gymnastics, and The Scrap Box. We always like parents to go with us, but younger siblings cannot go along.

F.A.S.T. Reading Program is the reading/phonics program we use

at St. Pius. It starts out with a strong phonics emphasis and most students are reading by Christmas. We wear a special Gym uniform, which must be purchased through School Belles Uniforms. Used gym uniforms are sometimes available for purchase at our used uniform sale at the beginning of June. Students will have a Homework assignment almost every week. It will be sent home at the end of each week attached to my Kindergarten Weekly newsletter. Please help your child with this assignment and return it at the beginning of the following week.

Handwriting is taught as new letters are introduced.

We use the

Zaner Bloser style (ball and stick). As you help your child, please refer to the handwriting page that you will receive. It is consistent with what I teach in class.

Independence is something we work on in kindergarten because it

builds self-esteem and self-confidence. Kindergarteners are very capable of doing many things on their own, and I encourage them to do as much as they can for themselves in the classroom. Please support this by encouraging your childs independence at home. Teach your child to be responsible for his things. Something as simple as having your child carry her own backpack can help develop responsibility and independence. Also, please work on the following self-help skills at home with your child: zipping, tying shoes, dressing, etc. It is Important to keep all records current. Please inform us if there is a new address or phone number. Also, it is very important

that you send a note if there will be a change in your childs routine for dismissal. (For example, your child will be picked up by Grandma instead of taking the bus). Parent participation is important and valued. Please consider

Joining one of our parent involvement programs or committees.

Each week you will receive my Kindergarten Weekly newsletter. This is an important communication tool that keeps you up-to-date on what we are doing in the classroom and lets you know what will be happening the following week. PLEASE READ THIS EACH WEEK!

Our class will visit the

Library once a week.

We will enjoy a story

read by our librarian, Mrs. Perry, or one of our parent helpers. We also check out a new book each week. Please take a few minutes to read this book with your child and return it in the library book bag on our designated library day.

We use a variety of group and individual activities to strengthen

Literacy skills in kindergarten.

Some of our group activities include stories, songs, class books, rhyming activities, etc. To meet the individual needs and interests of our learners, we also have literacy bags with independent activities at a variety of levels. These activities range from reinforcing the letters and sounds of the alphabet to building words to reading words and stories. Please Label all of your childs belongings. Use a permanent marker to put your childs name or initials on everything including crayons,

pencils, fleece and gym sweatshirts and other supplies. This is extremely helpful when items are found on the floor. We begin each day with our Math

Meeting.

We discuss the

calendar, weather, and other math and number concepts. We also practice counting (by ones at first, then eventually by tens, fives, and twos). The children are responsible for bringing their own Nutritious snack each day. Snacks should be placed in a plastic bag or container SEPARATE FROM YOUR CHILDS LUNCH BOX. All parents and visitors must check in at the to our school or classroom.

Office when coming

We have an Open House at the beginning of the school year and another one in the spring. This gives our students the opportunity to show their families what we are working on in school.

Parent/teacher conferences are held in November, but I am happy

to meet with you throughout the year if needed.

Prayer is part of our daily routine.

In addition to our morning

prayer, we work on the following prayers throughout the year: Our Father, Hail Mary, and Bless Us O Lord (prayer before meals). We also work on making the Sign of the Cross correctly. Please help your child by practicing these prayers at home. Please let us know if you ever have any

Questions or concerns.

We follow the I-Care Rules that go along with our Peaceworks program. These rules are essential for establishing a peaceful and caring environment where the children can become friends and learn to work and play cooperatively. Here are the rules we follow: We listen to each other. Hands are for helping not hurting. We use I-Care language. We care about each others feelings. We are responsible for what we say and do.

Report cards are a guide to your childs progress and will go home
at the end of each quarter. We use the following scale: O = Outstanding progress S = Satisfactory progress P = Progressing (continued practice needed) N = Needs improvement (having difficulty with presented concept) Each child will have the opportunity to be the Student of the Week. This student will bring in an All About Me poster, which is displayed in the hallway, and gets to be my special helper for the week. If possible, this will coincide with your childs birthday. We do Show & Tell each week. On that day, your child brings something from home that fits into their backpack. At the beginning of the year we discuss the beginning and ending sound of the item, toward the end of the year, we write about our show and tell and read it to the class before we can show what we have brought.

Together we can make this year in kindergarten a great one!

I am

interested in your Thoughts and ideas. Please share them with me. Your child is important to us! We will always treat your child with lots of love, respect, and Understanding!

I welcome and appreciate parent Volunteers! You can help on a weekly basis, on special occasions, or work on things at home. We celebrate 100 Wonderful days of school in February. We do many fun activities to mark our 100th day of school! We do lots of Writing in kindergarten. We use kindergarten writing where we write down the sounds we hear in words. Please pack an eXtra set of clothes in case your child has an accident or gets wet. Place them in a plastic bag labeled with your childs name inside your childs backpack. Please remember that

You are your childs first and most important

teacher. No one can influence your childs life in the way that you can!

Z is for zoom!

Sit back and watch your childs skills take off! You will be amazed at the changes this year as well as how fast the year goes by!