Welcome to

Our Class!

The ABC's of Kindergarten

Miss Tripp

Kindergarten has changed dramatically over the past several years. It is no longer the kindergarten that you or I remember. The expectations and curriculum standards for a child in kindergarten are very high now. The curriculum we will be teaching will meet or exceed the common core standards for California. We are both new

in kindergarten and have worked with Associate Head Kelly Mancuso to develop an academic program that is developmentally appropriate and will help all children succeed at their level. We are

very excited about the program this year and we will be here to not only teach your child, but to provide them with a magical

experience.

What is New in Kindergarten?

ttendance is very important! If your child misses school, please remember to call the office to let us know he/she will be absent.  Most of our Kindergarten experiences are group oriented and involve interaction with classmates and hands-on materials. 

is for backpacks & book orders. Please send your child with his/her backpack each day and check them after school each day! Book Club orders will be coming home. Any questions please ask our kindergarten parent volunteer, Marla Peppers (Ms. Mooney’s class).

is for communication and conferences. Throughout the year I will communicate with you through notes, email, telephone calls, newsletters, progress reports, and parent teacher conferences. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. There is no need to wait until parent conference day if you have a concern about your child's progress. Feel free to send me an email, or send a note to school in your child’s folder.

is for our Discipline Procedures. We will be using a clip chart in our room to monitor behavior. However, the focus is on positive behavior rather than the negative. We will also recognize whole class behavior with a marble/sparkle jar. Parents will be contacted if need be, as well as assistance from our associate head, Kelly Mancuso.

is a reminder that in an emergency, it is important that we have current contact telephone numbers. Please inform us if address, home, work, or cell phone numbers change throughout the school year.

is for field trips! We are planning a variety of educational field trips throughout the school year. Information for the field trips will be sent home closer to time of the trip!

is for getting things to and from school! Folders are our primary means of communication. The folder will be our way of making sure things get to and from school. Anything you need me to see, including money, should be in the folder.

Field Trip details are in the works!

is for homework! In October, a monthly homework calendar will be sent home. Each day on the calendar will

be a different activity. We would like the students to choose two activities from each week to complete. In

addition to the monthly calendar assignments ,we will also be having oral reports twice a month.

Be NVOLVED in your child's learning!

is for journals. Our kindergarteners will be using a journal to combine their emerging writing skills with their drawing skills.

is for kindness. Our students our encouraged and expected to treat all

classmates with kindness and respect.

is for library and lunch! We will be visiting our library each week. In

January, our students will begin to check out books. Children need to

have a lunch and a snack daily. Choice Lunch is available to order or a lunch

should be sent from home. Please label their snack daily.

is for math! We are piloting a new program called Singapore Math. This program helps deepen skills and concepts to help students in future mathematics. A big concept of this program is, “tenness.”

Is for nurture and names! Please make sure your child’s name is on EVERYTHING they bring to school. When your child is sick you will be contacted. Children can return to school when they are fever and symptom free for 24 hours without the aid of medication.

is for office! Our school phone number is 626 799-. Please check- in to the office when arriving late for an admit slip.

is for polices! Pick up/ Drop off is at the classroom as of right now. We will be moving to blue tent when we feel our students

are ready. Please be on time because we start right away at 8:45. If your child hasn’t been picked up by 2:35 they we will

be walked down to day care. Birthdays are very special for our little kinders. However, we ask that treats be saved for celebrations at home. We will be

celebrating with activities in the classroom. Chapel is twice a week and in the Spring time our students will

perform chapel jobs and details will come when that time approaches.

is for questions! Please let us know if you have any

questions! We are here to make this the best

experience possible!

is for rest time! This year our kindergarteners will not be sleeping. We are taking 15 minutes daily to reflect, relax and rest our brains. This time will vary from soft music, deep breathing, yoga, and other mindful awareness activities.

is for schedule! Snack and Recess 10:15- 10:45 Lunch and Recess 11:30- 12:30

Monday: Music Tuesday : Chapel and Spanish

Wednesday: Art Thursday: Chapel and Physical Education

Friday: Music, Library and Science

Is for teaching! This year we will be teaching a lot of skills and concepts to help develop the whole child. We will be teaching reading skills including letter sounds, sight words and other reading strategies. We will be using a program called, Daily 5. We also will be teaching writing in kindergarten. Our writing workshop will cover handwriting practice, as well as narrative and expository writing throughout the year. We will be integrating science concepts into the classroom with FOSS kits. Our teaching is not limited to academics, we also be teaching our students key social and emotional skills, as well as independence.

Each child is UNIQUE and special. They enter my classroom with different skills, personalities, experiences, backgrounds and learning styles. It is my aspiration to foster their individual strengths and help each child develop to his/her fullest potential; academically and socially. My goal is to teach them to fall in love with learning!

is for volunteers and visitors! We love having volunteers in our school! Please sign up on the volunteer sheet if you are interested and we will contact you!

is for wearing school uniforms! Please wear school uniform Monday through Thursday. On Fridays Kindergarteners may wear free dress but please wear tennis shoes. Any questions please see the handbook!

is for having eXtra clothes! Please remember to provide a change of clothes in case of an accident!

is for YOU! Always remember you are a teacher too! There is no one who is more influential in your child’s life than you!

is for ZzZzZz...please make sure that your child gets plenty of rest each night. Setting and keeping a bedtime helps children to be alert and ready to learn each day!

Thank you for coming!!

baileyt@saint-marks.org