Welcome to kindergarten! 2021 - 2022 Kindergarten - Aimee Munday, Aviva Wichler and Shaun Kennedy - Lenox Public Schools

Welcome
                                to
                           kindergarten!
                                      2021 - 2022

Kindergarten – Aimee Munday, Aviva Wichler and Shaun Kennedy

Morris students are flexible
    thinkers and problem solvers!
Even during difficult times,
our students have adapted
and thrived with new types
 of learning. The following
  slides highlight a day in
  kindergarten, with and
 without COVID-19 safety
protocols and precautions.
 **Please note that all slides are
  subject to change based on
      COVID-19 protocols.

COVID-19 Protocols
Morris kindergarteners are adapting to new
safety protocols put in place to help ensure the
safety and well-being of our school community.

Below are a few examples found
throughout the building.

- Safety signage

- Social Distancing spots

- Hand Sanitizing stations

- Temperature checks

- Masking

- Handwashing/Sanitizing

A Day in Kindergarten!

We line up!

The children come into school and line
     up outside of the classroom.
   During COVID, students transition
       directly to their classroom.

We meet and greet!

    The children unpack backpacks, put
   away folders, sign up for lunch and start
             their morning work.

Morning Meeting time!

 We use the Responsive Classroom Morning
  Meeting Model. This includes a greeting,
   share, activity and morning message.

Growth Mindset
We love to see students try their best and have fun
                   with friends.
    Growth Mindset allows us to reflect on our
 accomplishments, as well as those goals that we
  have “NOT YET MET”. This can be a personal or
                learning goal.
   Children with a growth mindset tend to see
challenges as opportunities to grow because they
understand that they can improve their abilities by
  pushing themselves. If something is hard, they
   understand it will push them to get better.

Social Thinking

    Social Thinking is a curriculum designed for
    students as young as four to help develop
    strong social and thinking skills to assist
    them in meeting their personal social
    goals. In Kindergarten, we start to learn
    and build important foundational skills for
    school and life. Social Thinking will help us
    develop abilities such as connecting with
    others, sharing space effectively and
    learning to be part of a team.

TAKE HOME FOLDERS!
Communication between home and school is essential to a
great year! Please help your child check their folder each
afternoon and return the folder each morning. Please put
 any special notes, lunch menus, book orders, etc. in the
             yellow communication folder.

           Thank you for all of your assistance!

Homework/ Virtual Learning
• Reading or being read to is a great nightly routine!
• We will occasionally send home some review
  material or a special project. Thank you in advance
  for your help!
• Save the math games that come home; we will play
  them repeatedly!
• Please help us look through our folder and return it
  each day!
• Find a time and cozy spot each day helps build
  routine.
• It should be fun and rewarding, not stressful.

Morning Business!

The students use this time to select jobs, talk
  about the weather, learn the calendar,
 and figure out the schedule for the day.

FUNdations
Phonics program for grades K - 3

                  Focuses on:
                     • Print knowledge
                     • Alphabet awareness
                     • Phonological
                       awareness
                     • Phonemic awareness
                     • Decoding
                     • Vocabulary
                     • Fluency
                     • Spelling
                     • Speaking and Listening
                     • Critical Thinking

more FUNdations…
 Phonics program for grades K - 3

   • Letter names and sounds
   • ‘Tapping Out’ words
   • Sentence writing

more FUNdations…
      Phonics program for grades K - 3

White Boards
                        Magnetic Boards

more FUNdations…
 Phonics program for grades K - 3

                       o CVC words
                       o “Trick” words
                       o Punctuation
                       o Sentence
                         structure

Language Arts

o Rhyming
o Word Families
o Leveled Reading
o Read-Aloud

Language Arts

We write fiction, non-fiction,
poetry and opinion pieces!

Reading and Writing

This includes reading to self, reading to
     someone, listening center and
            dictionary work.

Reading
Some highlights include.…

o   building good habits
o   character studies
o   tackling trouble
o   non-fiction reading
o   dramatizing characters
o   and more!!!

more Reading…

 Guided Reading groups
 An organized structure
 Series of short focused
  lessons
 Building stamina to work for
  longer periods of time         Choices:
 Self-selection of work         • Read to Self
  (choices)                      • Work on Writing
                                 • Read to
                                   Someone
                                 • Listen to Reading
                                 • Word Work

Writing
 Learning correct habits
  for printing all letters
 Writer’s Notebook to
  collect ideas!
 Journals to record our
  ideas & understandings
  about literature,
  science, poetry, and
  yes, math!
 Free Writing to record
  our thoughts.

Framing Your Thoughts
Framing Your Thoughts® Sentence Structure is a sequential and
systematic method of instruction that teaches sentence structure
from simple to complex. Using graphic symbols to represent the
sentence parts and how they function, students learn to construct
compound complex sentences with accuracy and creativity.

Speech with Ms. Arnold!

  *Some interventions and specialists are utilizing ZOOM
  to work with children.

BRAIN BREAKS!

Snack! YUMMY!
                             ** Note: at this time, students do not
                               eat in the classroom or cafeteria.
                                More information will become
                                 available as changes occur.

 Healthy choices!
We eat our snacks from home twice
 a day. We have a morning snack
     and an afternoon snack!

Morning Recess!

  Dress appropriately!

Specials
We go to:

o   P.E
o   Library
o   Computer
o   Music
o   Art

            We have a special EVERY day
            and even get to go to some
                  twice a week!

Our Specials!

Art with Ms. Stall

Our Specials!

 Music with Mrs. Pollard

Our Specials!

Physical Education with Ms. Kennedy

Our Specials!

  Library with Ms. Tone

Our Specials!

Spanish with Ms. Gonzales
We have been very fortunate to receive Spanish lessons
 in the past! We are hoping to see Senora again in the
                        future!

Our Specials!

     Computer with Mrs. Olender

iPads
 Kindergarten has our very own iPad cart!
 We will use our iPads to enhance our
 learning often.

 Some activities include: handwriting
 practice, independent leveled review
 and creating stories!

Technology at Home
1.   Technology is becoming a bigger part of each of our
     lives.

2.   As your child gets older, access to computers and the
     internet will become more and more critical.

3.   Please let us know if you would like any ideas for review
     applications or programs that we use in school. Many of
     the apps can be linked to home and school!

Time for Math!
        We learn about…

         Represent, Count,
          Compare and Write
          Numbers to 20
         Addition and Subtraction
         Math fact fluency within 5
         Count to 100 in Ones and
          Tens
         Geometry
         Measurement
         Classify and Sort Data

We use GO MATH as our
   main curriculum.

more Math…

  Practicing Numbers and Operations,
Geometry and Positions and Measurement
               and Data.

What are Cuisenaire Rods?

   We use this fun manipulative to practice
   concepts that include math fluency and
         addition and subtraction.

more Cuisenaire Rods…

addition       subtraction

Science
We get to study…
a.   Weather
b.   Animals
c.   Plants
d.   Forces
e.   Whatever we
     wonder about!

kinderGARDEN!
Check out our kinderGARDEN! It was installed through
a generous donation from the Morris PTO! It is located
     outside on our playground and helps us…
   • Learn the value of hard work and working together
• Create a school based ecosystem and outdoor classroom
 • Expose children to environmental education/stewardship
           • Cultivate a relationship with nature
   • Work in an outdoor classroom and living laboratory
               • Create a real-life curriculum

Social Studies

Topics include…
community
historical figures
holidays
American symbols

Classroom Community
• We use the Responsive Classroom and Social
  Thinking models; students are taught what
  expectations look like and sound like. We
  practice real-life situations and connect the
  curriculum to our learning and social
  interactions.
Some of our class expectations are:
1.   be responsible
2.   be a problem solver
3.   use our manners
4.   have fun!

We’re outta here! Field Trips!

     Our field trips include a visit to the apple
                  orchard every fall!

Special Celebrations in K!

  Grandparent’s Day!   Fab 50’s Day!

Special Celebrations in K!

   The 100th day of school!

Special Celebrations in K!

5th grade buddies, kinderBUDDIES and more!

LUNCH!

  The cafeteria uses individual student
       codes to purchase lunch.
*no lunch is currently being offered in school during Hybrid Learning

Afternoon Recess!

 We love to play outside
    with our friends!

Choice Time!

more Free Choice Time!

Time flies! Dismissal!
                 We can go home
                  on a bus or get
                 picked up in the
                    car circle!

Medical Needs for Admission!
        Health Office Mission Statement
    As school nurses, our mission is to foster the
     growth, development, and educational
achievement of all students by promoting health
      and wellness in a safe and supportive
 environment. Our goal is to minimize illness and
  support individual health care needs, allowing
 students to access academic curriculum to the
               best of their abilities.

more Medical Needs…
            Kindergarten Requirements

o Copy of most recent Physical Exam
o Copy of Immunization record or required Annual Immunization
  Exemption Letter
o Completion of Medical History Form
 With the review of student medical history, additional medical
  documents may be required before the start of the school
  year. These documents may include Asthma Action Plans,
  Allergy Action Plans, Seizure Action Plans, accompanying
  medication orders for school, or documents from medical
  specialists explaining treatment plans needed at school.

more Medical Needs…
               Kindergarten Immunizations
DTaP          5 doses; 4 doses are acceptable if the 4th is on or after 4th birthday; DT
              only with medical contraindication to DTaP

Polio         4 doses; 4th on or after 4th birthday

Hepatitis B   3 doses; laboratory evidence of immunity

MMR           2 doses; 1st dose on or after 1st birthday and 2nd greater than 28 days
              later; laboratory evidence of immunity

Varicella     2 doses; 1st dose give on or after 1st birthday and 2nd greater than 28
              days later; a reliable history of chickenpox; laboratory evidence of
              immunity

Kindergarten REGISTRATION
                  What you will need!
   Kindergarten Registration is Friday, March 12th.
      Please bring the following documents…
                     1.    Proof of Residency
                      2.    Birth Certificate
      3.   Immunization Record and Current Physical Exam

Kindergarten Informational ZOOM Q+A Session

                 March 11th at 7:00 p.m.

               Tentative K Screening

                      April 5th and 6th

Community Partners!

We have Community Partners throughout
 Berkshire County! This is Dr. Seuss Day!

Would you like to act like a 5 year old
               again?
 We are always looking for volunteers to
       help in a variety of ways!
  Please ask us if you are interested!

      P.S. You can even do it at home!

We look forward to working
         with you!

Please call the main office at 637-5700 with any questions or concerns.