Curriculum Night 2012-2013

Curriculum Night2012-2013 A.J. Whittenberg Elementary Kindergarten Margo Simpson

All About Ms. Simpson

Favorites • Chocolate (Peanut M&M’s, Snickers) • Love: Sweet Tea and Chicken Mini’s! • Crafts!!, Reading, and Sewing • Reading: Thrillers, NY Times Best Sellers • Movies: Comedy, Drama, Non-Fiction Dramas

Education • I graduated from the Lander University with a degree in Early Childhood. • In 2005, I graduated from the Citadel with a Masters degree as a Reading Specialist. • In 2010, I received my National Board Certification in Teaching Reading.

Questions? • If you have any questions, please write them down on a sticky note provided on the tables and I will email or call you depending on the question. Don’t forget to write your name on the sticky note. • We will have individual conferences in October when we have finished our Fall Assessments. 

First Nine Weeks SyllabusKindergarten/5K • Green Engineering • Structural Engineering • Major Engineering Units • Duplo Engineering Unit: Police Set • One Fine Day: Package Engineering

Technology • Computer Basics • SMART Table • PowerPoint (Shared Experience) Science Units • Scientific Inquiry • Exploring Matter Math • Unit 1: Understand Numbers 1-10 • Unit 2: Explore 5 Group Social Studies • Rules Are Tools • Good Citizenship Health • Being Safe • Avoiding Danger

English Language Arts • Reading Skills • Use pictures and words to make predictions regarding a story read aloud. • Generate a retelling that identifies the characters and the setting in a story and relates the important events in sequential order. • Use relevant details in summarizing stories read aloud. • Create responses to literary texts through a variety of methods • Explain the cause of an event described in stories read aloud. • Recall the characteristics of fantasy.

Writing Skills • Predictable Charts • Leader of the Day Interviews • Morning Message (Shared Writing) • Writing Journals • Engineering Notebooks Phonics • Match consonant and short-vowel sounds to the appropriate letters. • Recognize uppercase and lowercase letters and their order in the alphabet. • Identify beginning and ending sounds in words. • Classify words by categories (for example, beginning and ending sounds, rhyming words). • Use blending to begin reading words. • Use letters and relationships to sounds to write words.

Instructional Strategies • Hands on teaching • Interactive Technology • Promethean Board • Active-Votes • Smart Tables • Computer Lab • Small Group Instruction • Critical Thinking Groups (engineering groups) • Math Workshops • Guided Reading • Whole Group • ELA • Math on Mondays

Communication • Communication is Key! • Folders • Initial and return daily/Notes on the back  • Clean out on Friday (great job for your child!) • Newsletters (Monday Memo) • Every Monday • E-mail or Hard copy: If I do not have your email, please leave it for me on sticky note with: **Your name, child’s name & email • Phone, E-mail, or Note • Phone does not ring in class.

Before School • Our school building opens every morning at 7:30 AM for students to enter. • Students are invited to eat breakfast in the cafeteria each morning. They need to be in their classroom by 8:00 AM. • Students are expected to sit outside of the classroom until 7:45 when the first bell rings. Students may read books in their book bag while they sit in the hallway. • Students will be marked tardy if they are not in the classroom by 8:00 AM. • Students are expected to walk into school on their own each day. • Please remember that we have morning work each day, so if students are walking in at 8:00, they are missing work time.

Morning Procedures • When the first bell rings at 7:45, students will come in quietly and unpack their tote bag. (Students will put their folder in the folder basket and put their tote bag in their cubby.) • Students will use the rest room after they unpack. • Students will go to their table and complete their morning work. When they are finished they will sit quietly and wait for the morning news and pledge. • Students will put morning work away when teacher instructs or when the news show ends.

After School • Students will be dismissed from school at 2:30 each day. • Bus riders, Day Care Riders, and Extended Day School students will be dismissed promptly at 2:30 PM. • Car Riders will stay in the classroom until their name appears on the dismissal system.

Early Dismissals • If your child is getting an early dismissal, please try to let me know in advance. • Early dismissals are not a way to get out of going through car line. • Remember, each time students get an early dismissal they are missing important instruction time.

Books/Materials • We will use math workbooks at times during the day and sometimes for homework. • We have a curriculum closet with leveled readers. Once your child is assessed we will be sending home books on your child’s level. • Homework packet goes home once a month. • Library check out (Please bring books back on Wednesday so that your child can check out new books.)

Related Arts Schedule • Monday- Music • Tuesday- PE (wear tennis shoes) • Wednesday-Art • Thursday-Library • Friday- Computer Lab (Please return all library books on or before each Thursday so that students can check out new books each week.)

Assessment • Letter recognition, sound, consonant/vowel. • Basic and advanced math skills • Popcorn Words and Unit Words: Reading test once a week on new words and an review test at the end of each month. • Reading: Students will be given leveled readers that will be practiced at school and at home.

School Motto • Give your best everyday • Exercise smart problem solving • Act responsibly • Respect yourself and others

Classroom Rules • We keep our hands and feet to ourselves. • We raise our hand to speak. • We use soft voices inside. • We take turns and always share. • We treat our friends and teachers with respect.

Snacks • Your child may bring a snack to eat at school. • If your child would like a snack, please send in a snack daily for your child to eat. • Snacks that are provided should be something that the student can eat within ten minutes. • Please work with your child so that he/she can begin opening his/her own snack. Try to make it a healthy snack!

How do I volunteer in the classroom? • Call, email, or send me a letter in your child’s B.E.E notebook at least one day in advance. • Contact the room mother and let her know you would like to help with something.

Things to volunteer for right now • Cutting laminated projects • Class projects. (Ask me and I will let you know when I have something.) • Assembling & stapling our leveled readers. • Please fill out and return Volunteer paperwork on your desk if you are interested! Always, thank you! 

Strategies to help your child at home • Naming all letters and correctly giving letter sounds • Practicing popcorn and unit words • Counting up to 100 • Writing numbers 1-100 • Simple addition and subtraction. • Writing: simple sentences, have your child write the grocery list with you, write a letter to a friend/family member • MAKE LEARNING FUN! • Websites: Starfall.com ABCya.com

Strategies to help your child at home • Read with your child nightly. • Have your child read to you. • Practice writing your child’s first and last name. • Turn learning into a game: matching (match capital and lower case letters) (match numbers and number words)

Upcoming Dates • Wed., Sept. 18: Niven’s Apple Orchard • Friday, Sept. 20: Fall Pictures • Fri., Sept. 27: Uniform Holiday • Thursday & Friday, Oct. 17-18th: Teacher Workday/Student Holiday

THANK you so much for coming! We are going to have a great year!! mbsimpso@greenville.k12.sc.us msimpson76@gmail.com Class: 864-452-0517

Curriculum Night 2012-2013