Welcome to Mrs. Kim’s nest of O utstanding W onderful L earners

1. Welcome to Mrs. Kim’s nest of Outstanding Wonderful Learners

2. Welcome to Curriculum Night Please find your child’s seat with a stack of papers at the tables Please review Student Data Validation Form. Make changes if needed and sign at the bottom of the page. Please return this to me before you leave.

3. Tell me and I'll forget,Show me and I may remember, Involve me and I'll understand

4. Meet Mrs. Kim • Education BA and MA in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education from NYS • Experience Taught in NYC and Korea Taught K-2 in Kansas for five years before moving to Georgia • Subbed for GCPS for about a year • Joined Mason in January 2014

5. My parents immigrated from Korea in 1983. I was raised in NYC. After getting married my husband and I decided to move to Korea to help out his parents in their ministry. We started a English mission school teaching English. After 4 years we decided to move back to US and started our own ministry in Kansas. We moved to Georgia when my husband was called for a deployment to Kuwait in 2011. I took some time off to be with my boys during his deployment. About Ms. Kim

6. I enjoy spending time with my family. We love taking road trips and travel. My boys love to play soccer and I enjoy watching their games and practices. I spent most of my spare time teaching and around children. I teach Sunday school, VBS, and in Korean school. I truly believe that teaching is a talent and a gift that God has given me.

7. Meet the Kims I have three boys, my oldest son, Brian is in middle school, Paul is in 5th grade and my youngest, Alex is in first grade.

8. Meet Ms. Mary Beth Mullins Welcome to Mason.  My name is Mary Beth Mullins and I have been a paraprofessional at Mason Elementary for 8 years. I graduated from Marshall University in Huntington WV.  Ten years ago, my family moved to Suwanee where my husband and I have continued to raise our two children.  They are both now in college. My hobbies are camping, walking the beach looking for shells, working jigsaw puzzles and reading.   I am so happy to be a part of your child's first experience with elementary school.  It is such an exciting time in their lives.

9. GCPS Mission The mission of GCPS is to pursue excellence in academic knowledge, skills and behavior for each student, resulting in measured improvement against local, national and world-class standards.

10. Academic Knowledge and Skills • The AKS is the GCPS curriculum and Common Core Standards. Please read as it will give you more detailed information on kindergarten curriculum and academic expectations. For more information about the Kindergarten AKS and Common Core please visit www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us.

11. Language Arts Kindergarten will be focusing on reading with meaning and comprehension. Fiction and Non-Fiction will play an integral part in small guided reading groups. The goal is to go deeper and have a solid understanding of the story, characters, and main idea before moving on to a higher level of reading. You will see book baggies coming home in the coming weeks with small leveled readers. Please be sure these are returned each time they are sent home as we use them daily. Please complete the half-sheet that will be included in the baggie each time a new reader is sent home

12. LaunchingThe Daily5

13. What is Daily 5? astructure for language arts time an opportunity to work by yourself, with a partner, in small groups, and one-on-one with the teacher

14. What will the students be doing? Read to Self Work on Writing Read to Someone Word Work Listen to Reading

15. What will the teacher be doing?

16. Read to Self

17. Read to Self

18. Read to Self

19. Work on Writing

20. Read to Someone

21. Word Work

22. Listen to Reading

23. Jolly Phonics • This program is designed to teach the letters and sounds within the alphabet in a short amount of time. Each day two letters or blends along with their sound are introduced through a short story. A motion that goes along with the sound is taught to help recall. • Once each letter and sound is taught, we review them daily to keep them fresh in our minds. • Students will bring home a set of 6 letters as we complete them. You also will see worksheets with pictures showing the motion for each letter sound. This allows you to learn the motions and work with letter recognition with your child. • The first set of letters you will see are s, a, t, p, i, n. This enables students to make small words right away and see letter and print connections.

24. Math • EnVision from Pearson is our exciting new math curriculum this year. • It has interactive lessons that include literacy, modeling, independent practice, and short quizzes at the end to determine understanding. • There are workbook pages that go along with each lesson and enables them to show understanding as well. These also have ‘home connections’ which allows you to work with your child at home as well once they are sent home. • There is opportunity for re-teaching and challenge activities depending on the level of the student. • There are a multitude of math manipulatives with this curriculum to engage students, allow for practice, and enable them to gain deeper understanding of the curriculum and skills needed for first grade

25. Writer’s Workshop • The children will participate in daily journaling activities. Writing activities include: • 1) modeled writing • 2) shared writing • 3) interactive writing • 4) writing conferences • 5) Author’s chair

26. Writer’s workshop allows students to write about a topic of their choice and become familiar with different genres: narrative, informational, research based, and opinion. • Students will explore use of punctuation, sentence structure, and writing a beginning, middle, and end. • Students will have an opportunity to share their pieces in the author’s chair at various times during the week. • Student work will be shared at conferences in September and February.

27. Science, Social Studies and Health • We are currently using Houghton Mifflin for Science which includes Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. All materials are accessible through our computers and can be easily adapted with technology. There are CD’s, manipulatives, science journals, and reading material for the students to make connections to science! • Various resources for Social Studies include Our World, Now and Long Ago and the Nystrom curriculum which includes mapping skills, geography, and American Symbols.

28. G-KIDS • This is the standardized assessment tool that is used for assessing Kindergarten students in GCPS. The children are assessed throughout the year to determine if they are meeting the Georgia State Standards and the Common Core Curriculum.

29. Report Cards Each nine weeks a report card will be issued. There are two times throughout the year for scheduled parent conferences. One is in September and one is in February. If there are ever any concerns, please feel free to schedule a conference.

30. Homework • Starting September children will have a monthly homework calendar. Homework is never intended to be more than 15-20 minutes each night. Homework should be turned in every Friday. The children will have a blue “Homework Folder.” • Establishing a nightly homework routine will help your child practice skills, teach responsibility, and prepare them for First grade.

31. Teacher Webpage • My webpage is located on the Mason Website • Please visit to find daily schedules, upcoming events, homework calendars, and newsletters. • Go to Mason’s website – www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/Mason • Click on Faculty and Staff • Click on your child’s grade • Click on your child’s teacher • The teacher’s website will appear.

32. Mason PRIDE Expectations • PRIDE - Personal Responsibility In Daily Effort • I will respect myself, others and my environment. • I will show self-control. • I will follow directions given by the adult in charge the first time. • I will be prepared for all of my learning activities. • I will stay on task and do my best.

33. Class Promise • Children are expected to exhibit appropriate behavior at Mason and follow school-wide rules as well as classroom rules. Students helped create a classroom promise and this is reviewed often. The promise includes: • Keeping hands and feet to ourselves. Fighting will not be tolerated. • Listening to teacher instructions and directions. • Taking care of classroom materials. • Respecting one another. Use words to express emotions. • Working together as a team.

34. OWL Behavior Chart • All students begin each day with their owl on blue-”Ready to Learn”. • Students have opportunities to move their owl to purple-”Outstanding” which show exceptional responsibility, following of classroom and school rules, and commitment to learning. • Class Consequences • 1st Offense – verbal warning • 2nd Offense– owl moved to yellow • 3rd Offense – owl moved to orange-five minutes alternate recess, time off centers or preferred activity • 4th Offense – owl moved to red-10 minutes alternate recess, behavior note home or a call home • 5th Offense – 20 minutes alternate recess, a call home, possible time in another classroom, possible office referral • Fighting or injuring another student is cause for automatic move to red with a note or call home. This may also result in a written responsibility plan with an administrator • **Students have the opportunity to move back up by showing improved behavior and cooperating with the teacher**

35. Parents will initial everyday on the calendar in the green behavior folder return it in the backpack the following day. Praise your child for their wonderful efforts and continue to reinforce classroom and school rules. • Fighting or physically hurting another student results in automatic red and the orange choice card being signed and sent home. • If behavior continues to impede learning or the learning of others, parents will be contacted for a conference to determine how we can all best help the student. Students may also be required to see an administrator and sign a behavior responsibility plan. • We are all a team and we need to work together to • ensure the best learning experience for every student.

36. Positive Rewards • Positive Rewards • Positive Behavior All Day – Stay on blue ( 1 stick at the end of the day) • 1st “Caught Doing Something Good” – moved to purple (2 sticks at the end of the day) • *Students can earn sticks gems throughout the day if they are already on purple and caught doing something good.* • **Sticks are used to grant access to the treasure box or a treat.

37. Friday Folders • Weekly newsletter…… the newsletter tells you what we have been doing in class, upcoming events, important dates and the following week’s special. The newsletter will be posted on my website weekly and will not be sent as a paper copy unless requested. • *Please look through your child’s work with them. Praise them for their hard work, share with the family and hang some up on the refrigerator. • *Sign the behavior folder, discuss any effort or conduct concerns. Praise them for a great week and their awesome accomplishments!

38. Backpacks • If at all possible, please have your child bring a backpack that is large enough to hold a folder and a winter jacket. Many times there is a lot to send home and it does not fit in the small backpacks. As the weather gets cooler, they need jackets in the morning but may not need them in the afternoon. Thank you!

39. Money • If you send money to school with your child, please put it in an envelope or baggie labeled with the intended purpose (lunch, ice cream, field trip, book order, etc…)

40. Changes in phone numberor addresses: If you: move to a new house change jobs get a new phone number We need to have new phone numbers and addresses.

41. Attendance Policy • Gwinnett County requires children be in school. • If your child is ill, please send a note explaining the situation or email me at Lucia_kim@gwinnett.k12.ga.us • Five unexcused absences will result in a letter from the school and from Social Services. This does not include deaths in the family or family emergencies. Please contact me with this information. • School begins at 8:15. Excessive tardiness will also result in a letter from the school to help determine how to help your child be on time. • Students must be checked out by 2:00 for any appointments.

42. Snacks and Lunch • Please send in a PEAUNT FREE snack daily. NO JUICE please. Water bottles are allowed. • *Our lunch time is from 12:05-12:35. Fast food is not permitted in the cafeteria. This is a state law. • *Ice cream is available on Friday’s for $1.00-cash only and exact change. This is OPTIONAL! • *Please make sure you are checking your child’s lunch account regularly. They will receive a milk and a vegetable only when they are over the $15.00 limit of charging. You can set up an account at mypaymentsplus.com with your child’s student ID number.

43. Breakfast • If your child eats breakfast at school it is important for them to be here as early as possible. There are many students who eat breakfast and it can take some time to get through the line. • Breakfast stops being served after the first bell at 8:10 and students will then take their breakfast to class.

44. PEANUT FREE CLASSROOM We have allergies to peanuts so no nuts of any kind, including peanut butter, are allowed in the classroom. Please see me if you have questions.

45. Transportation Changes • If you are changing your child’s transportation for the day or future, you have to send it in writing the morning of the change or before. They will not accept emails and if I am absent the substitute does not have access to my email. I do not always have time to check emails during the school day. • If there is an emergency and you need to change it mid-day, you have to call the office and let them know and they will get a message to the classroom.

46. Birthdays *Children can share a special treat with their friends during lunch time. Please NO: balloons, goody bags, candy or cakes. Cupcakes or cookies are easiest. I do have PEANUT and other ALLERGIES so please check with me before sending in this item. • You are welcome to eat with your child at lunch…please sit at the long table by the traffic light. * Party invitations can only be passed out at school if the ENTIRE class is being invited.

47. T-Shirt Money * I will be collecting $4.00 per student for T-shirts. • The children will be making an end of the year shirt. • You may use the envelope provided with the letter at your table.

48. Fever policy:Children need to be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. This means without medication.

49. Medications • Medications must be brought to the clinic in the original prescription container by an adult. DO NOT send medication in with a child. • Parents or guardians will need to fill out a medical form in the clinic.

50. Library • We will be visiting the library weekly to check out books. • I will inform you of our day to go to the library through the newsletter. • Please be sure their library book is returned each week or students cannot checkout another book until it is returned. • We also will have various lessons with Ms. Armstrong, the media center clerk, relating to the AKS throughout the school year. • Please help us take care our books. Please encourage your child to take good care of the books.