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Ms. McIntosh's Kindergarten Website

Waterboro Elementary School

Box 438

East Waterboro, Maine 04030

(207) 247-6126

jennifer_mcintosh@fc.sad57.k12.me.us

Welcome to our kindergarten classroom website! I hope this website will provide you with some useful information about our classroom, as well as some great kindergarten links. I have been teaching since 2000. I have taught Preschool, a K-2 Multiage classroom, 1st Grade, Half-Day Kindergarten, and Full-Day Kindergarten. But, I have to say that kindergarten is where I have found my home. I am so amazed at the academic and social growth of kindergarten students from late August to June. It is what makes my job so rewarding. Enjoy your visit and thank you for helping your child grow into the wonderful child that they are! You will always be your child's first teacher. Here is a link to a website that has important information regarding how you can help prepare your child for the first day of kindergarten and their new school routines: http://www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles/article/816-get-ready-for-kindergarten

Kindergarten Math:

Kindergarten Literacy:

Kindergarten Big Themes:

Here are some of my favorite primary websites and links:

Videos:

Throughout the kindergarten year, we have "Author's Spotlight" where students learn about various authors. Each month, I read four books(or more) by a specific author. I talk to the students about the author's literary and personal background. When I introduce a new book, I ask the students to predict what they think the book might be about based on the cover or what they already know about the author. Then we skim through the pages and look at all the illustrations. After the book has been read, I ask students a few comprehension questions. I ask them the following four questions, which I also have on a beach ball:

1. What was the title of the book?

2. Who were the characters in the story?

3. What was the setting of the story?

4. What happened in the beginning?middle?end?

The students look forward to reading stories by different authors. I often find some students in the class taking out library books that coincide with our special author of the month. Author Spotlight is a fabulous way to increase students retelling skills. Try asking these questions after you read a story to your child. Here are some of our featured authors. Click on their picture of the books below to visit our Author Spotlight page.

Author Spotlight

Everything You Wanted To Know About Kindergarten

But Haven't Had Time To Ask!

*Most of this information can also be found in our Parent Handbook.

Session Time: 9:00am-3:00pm

Pick-Ups: Please write me a quick note in the morning if you plan to pick up your child for an appointment or at the end of the day. With kindergarten being so fun and such a busy place...I usually do not check my email until the end of the day, so a stapled note to your child's backpack handle seems to work best. Thank you!

Snack: Please make sure your child has a healthy snack packed everyday. You may purchase a snack, and milk or juice from school. You may pay daily, weekly, or monthly. I will provide hot lunch envelopes for you in August during our Open House.

Lunch: You may pack a lunch for your child or have your child eat hot lunch at school. Your child will receive a pin number to use when they eat hot lunch or get a snack at school. We will practice entering our pin number at school on calculators. Please practice this pin number at home with your child when you receive it. Thanks!

Birthdays: We love to celebrate birthdays in Kindergarten! I regret to say that we are not allowed to celebrate with food treats, but alternative ideas include: donating a book to the classroom, or bringing in a special pencil for your child's classmates. The PTC usually puts together a kindergarten address and phone directory for birthdays and playdates, but we can not send out birthday invitations at school.

Kindergarten News: This will come home every Friday and needs to come back to school every Monday. This will have some of their work from the week, notices, newsletters, etc...

Volunteers: We love having extra hands in kindergarten! We will start having volunteers in the classroom during the first week in November. This allows us to settle into our new routines and get to know each other. Volunteers help with special projects, math and literacy activities, and photocopy. I will give you a form at Open House so you can tell me when you are available. You will need to fill out a background check before you volunteer in the classroom. If you are not available on a once a month basis, let me know how you would like to be involved- a guest reader, share a talent, speak about your occupation, special projects at home, etc... The possibilities are endless!!! I would love to have a Room Parent this year. This person can help coordinate special events/celebrations by making phone calls or sending emails to other parents in the class. I would provide lists of items needed for the event(mostly food for celebrations such as Fall Ball Harvest, 100th Day of School, etc...) Please notify me if you would like to be our Kindergarten Room Parent.

Extra Clothes: Please send your child to school everyday with an extra set of seasonal appropriate clothing that fits and that is labeled. Please place the clothes in a labeled large ziplock bag. The bag should include: a shirt, pants, socks, and 2 pairs of underwear.

Backpack: Please send your child with a lage(not small) backpack to school. The large backpack is for large library books and Friday News. Small and medium sized backpacks often do not hold the large library books that kindergartners love to sign out. Please send a backpack to school without wheels as well. Thanks!

Rest Towel: Please send in a large labeled towel for your child to use at rest time for the first half of the school year.

LABEL EVERYTHING: Please label everything in kindergarten, as items often are misplaced. This includes extra clothes, mittens, hats, jackets, snow pants, sweatshirts, etc...

Health Concerns:

Our school nurse is Candie Smith, RN. If you have any questions and/or concerns related to the health of your child while your child is at school please do not hesitate to contact her at 247-6126. Keep her updated as soon as possible of any changes in your child's health status, especially a new diagnosis, medication at home, muscular, skeletal or head injuries. Any of these may need accommodations in school to keep your child healthy and safe while at school.

What happens if your child becomes sick at school?

Your child will be seen by our school nurse or other authorized school staff. If it is determined that your child needs to be taken home, we will make every attempt to contact you. If we can't reach you, we will call the person(s) authorized on your child's emergency card. MSAD #57 policy prohibits the dispensing of any pain medication to students. If your child has a questionable rash and/or fever of 100 or higher he/she will be sent home.

What if your child has a communicable disease?

If your child exhibits any symptoms of the following, you will be notified and your child will be sent home immediately. This is for the protection of your child as well as the other children.

CHICKEN POX- Your child may return after the last pox has crusted.

CONJUNCTIVITIS(Pink Eye)- Providing your child is symptom free, he/she may return to school after taking antibiotic medication for at least 24 hours.

IMPETIGO- Your child may remain in school if there are only a few lesions which are covered with neosporin and a band aid. Otherwise he/she may return when the lesions have healed.

In the event of more serious, less common diseases such as diphtheria or meningitis, your child must have a phsician's note to return to school.

What happens if your child has an accident at school?

Our nurse will conduct an assessment of the injuries. If it is determined that your child should be seen by a doctor, we will make every attempt to contact you first. If time permits, we will call the person(s) authorized on your child's emergency card. In the event that no one can be reached, we will transport by ambulance.

Parent Teacher Committee (PTC):

The Waterboro Parent Teacher Committee meets monthly to plan special events, special fund raisers, and to discuss issues of importance to our school and to our parents. The money raised through our school's fund raisers are channeled to support the cultural events at our school including guest speakers and entertainers. In addition, special purchases such as new playground equipment and classroom celebrations are made possible through contributions from PTC. From time to time, we host a series of Parent Forums designed to provide parents with information about important issues such as children's literacy development and the many challenges faced by parents. Your involvement will ensure that this very important group's work continues. Please watch for bulletins that come home with your child and plan to support PTC this year. The teachers of Waterboro Elementary School would also like to thank the PTC for their generous mini-grants that they granted to teachers this year.

Specials:

Monday-Computer

Tuesday-Music

Wednesday-Art

Thursday-Library

Friday-P.E.

How Can I Help My Child At Home?

***My challenge to you is to attempt one item from this list a week. :)

*Adapted from the work of Rebecca Sitton

1. Use yarn or string to from letters, words, numbers, or your first and last name.

2. Read a story to your child. Can they remember important characters or what happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the story?

3. Read just for fun!

4. Print uppercase and lowercase letters, words, or numbers five or more times in flour, salt or sugar.

5. See how many letters, numbers or words your child can write in two minutes.

6. Use coins to form your letters, words, or numbers.

7. Use your favorite snack to shape letters, words, or numbers.

8. Tape record yourself saying letters and letter sounds. Tape yourself counting.

9. Print letters, numbers, or words on someone's back using your fingers. Have the person guess what you are writing.

10. Form letters, words or numbers out of small objects such as buttons.

11. Use colored chalk to write letters, words, or numbers.

12. Spread peanut butter on bread. Add raisins to form your words.

13. Used cooked spaghetti to form letters, words, or numbers.

14. Stamp letters, words, or numbers using assorted stamps and colors.

15. Rainbow Writing- Practice writing letters, words, or numbers with many different colors.

16. Paint letters, words, or numbers with watercolor paints.

17. Paint your first and last name.

18. Find letters, words or numbers in a newspaper or magazine and make a collage.

19. Use bread or cookie dough to shape letters, words, numbers, or your name, and then bake the dough.

20. Use beans, pasta, or rice to form your letters, words, numbers, or name. Then glue them to construction paper or tagboard.

21. Read a letter or an email and look for letters or simple sight words.

22. Practice writing the alphabet, your name, or your numbers on the computer.

23. Fold a sheet of paper in fourths. Write a letter or number in each square and decorate them with glitter.

24. Visit links on this website.

25. Make up your own idea!

Kindergarten Routines

Morning Calendar

Morning Message

Collecting Environmental Print

Kelso's Choices

Kelso, the friendly frog, helps us solve small problems in the classroom. Whenever we have a small problem, we try to find one of Kelso's choices to help us work through our problem. Whenever we have a big problem, we tell an adult at school and an adult at home. Our classroom also has a PEACE program, which promotes peaceful interactions at school.