WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN

Dear Parents:

Welcome to kindergarten. We look forward to working with your children during this
school year. Let us introduce ourselves.

Mrs. Schroeder: I received my B.S. in elementary education from Brigham Young

University. My M.S. in education is from the University of Idaho with an emphasis in
early childhood literacy. Other classroom and specialist experiences include third
grade, a departmentalized fourth/fifth grade, kindergarten, English as a Second
Language (ESL), and Title I reading. My husband and I have lived in Moscow since
1989 and we are the parents of five children, grandparents of four.

Kris Freeland: I received my A.S. in Data Processing from OKCCC and my B.S. in
Elementary education with certification in grades K-8 from Lewis-Clark State College
in Lewiston, Idaho. I also completed courses for my reading endorsement with an
emphasis on emergent literacy. Other classroom experiences include third grade,
seventh grade, computer lab instruction for second through sixth grades and several
years teaching pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten. I have lived all over the United
States, and in 1994, my husband and I began calling Moscow home.
MOSCOW SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Moscow School District Kindergarten Philosophy Statement reads, “The
kindergarten experience is designed to provide for a successful transition into the
public school program. To facilitate a more successful transition, we recognize the
importance of frequent home and school communications. The opportunities for parents
to be involved in school activities are encouraged.

“Kindergarten is structured to accommodate a great diversity of student needs.

Developmentally appropriate programs in which children learn through exploration and
play, as well as pre-academic training in a structured environment, are provided.

“The curriculum represents a balanced approach to meet the social, physical, and
intellectual needs of each child. A variety of teaching methods and materials are used
to encourage active student involvement in the learning process. It is a goal of the
district to provide an atmosphere in which every child learns, grows, and is valued as a
unique human being.”

GOALS
As parents, you are the first teacher of your child. You help build his attitude,
vocabulary, and personality long before he enters school. You teach your child
incidentally as you care for and interact with him. You know your child’s activity level,
interests, whether he is shy or outgoing, and his ability to relate to others. Just as
you, we, as educators,are interested in the “wholeness” of your child – social emotional
(personal growth, work habits, social growth), perceptual motor (sensory development,
gross motor development, fine motor development), language (receiving language,
producing language, communicating language), cognitive (logical thinking, mathematics,
science, reading), and fine arts (art,music).

In Educational Leadership, April, 1989, Samual Meisels stated, “The highest stake of
all is our ability to help children realize their full potential.” My goal is to help your
child work to his potential - to be able to demonstrate learning and achievement.

RESEARCH
The International Reading Association and the National Association for the Education
of Young Children adopted this position statement: “One of the best predictors of
whether a child will function competently in school and go on to contribute actively in
our increasingly literate society is the level to which the child progresses in reading
and writing.” Suggested ideas for teachers were:
* a balanced instructional program that includes
systematic code instruction along with mean-
ingful reading and writing activities.
* daily experiences being read to and independently
reading meaningful and engaging stories and
informational texts.
* daily opportunities and teacher support for
children to write many kinds of texts for different
purposes, including stories, lists, messages to others,
 poems, reports, and responses to literature.
* opportunities to work in small groups for focused
instruction and collaboration with other children.

Beginning in 1965, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
conducted a 30-year study on children and reading. Here are some of the results of
their research:
 phoneme awareness is the understanding that speech is composed of a sequence of sounds that
are recombined to form other words. It is also the ability to identify and manipulate these
sounds.
 the best predictor of good reading is knowledge of letter name, letter sounds (sounds of
language), and writing letters.
 children need extensive practice applying their knowledge of sound-spelling relationships to the
task of reading. Decodable text provides children opportunities to practice their knowledge of
sound-letter relationships in context.
 children who are able to recognize individual sounds in words are phonemically aware. Phonemic
awareness can be taught with listening and oral reproduction tasks (Stanovich, 1994). There is
little correlation between developmental stages and phonemic awareness.
 reading is a language based activity (Lyon, Reid, 1998, Educational Leadership).
 deficits in phonemic awareness reflect the core deficit in reading difficulties.
 if beginning readers have difficulty perceiving sounds in spoken words, they have difficulty
developing reading fluency.
 use authentic stories to develop comprehension. Teacher/parents read stories aloud to build
oral language comprehension that affects reading comprehension. Listening vocabulary is above
that of sight vocabulary.
 no level of mastery should be assumed. All skills should be taught, applied, and practiced.
 good readers “break the code” rapidly. 87% of the English language is regular.
 the best learning takes place when instruction is explicit, multi-sensory, systematic, and
sequential.

SELF-HELP SKILLS
As your child enters kindergarten, please assist him in learning to button, snap, zip,
lace, and tie. As winter approaches and children enter and exit the classroom several
times during the day, dressing children can consume much of our kindergarten time. If
each child can button, snap, or zip his own shirt, pants, and coat, less time is taken
from other activities. The same is true for tying shoes.

During autumn and spring, weather in the Palouse can change by the minute. Please
layer your child’s clothes so that he is prepared for a variety of temperatures.

During the snowy months, please dress your child appropriately with coat, snow pants,
hat, and gloves. Periodically we do go outside. If your child has the self-help skills
mentioned, he will feel confident to take care of his clothing needs during the
kindergarten day.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
LEARNING CENTERS
Learning centers are usually viewed as a systematic approach to teaching children and
provide and avenue by which the teacher may focus on the many different learning
needs and styles of individual children. They provide the experiences necessary for
early learning through active involvement with varied learning materials. Learning
centers are categorized into three areas: teacher-oriented (an experience designed to
meet individual needs, styles, and strengths), project-oriented (focuses on a specific
task and the successful completion of that project with a product that the child may
keep), and child-oriented (child has free choice). Example of learning centers are:

Teacher-oriented:
Beginning reading – basic skills
Logical thinking skills
Beginning math - basic skills
Project-oriented: Child - oriented
Painting Dramatic Play (kitchen
Crafts puppets, store, etc.)
Listening Clay
Mathematics Art
Reading Manipulatives
Science Blocks
Games
DAILY SCHEDULE
Children like to know what is “going to happen next.” Our daily routine is fairly regular
so that children feel secure in their environment. Most days follow the schedule
below:
8:17 (12:05) Arrival, Greeting and Sign-In
8:50 (12:35) Circle Time and Calendar Activities
(Calendar skills, counting, weather, letters,
graphing, music, story time, language, math)
9:30 (1:05) Learning Centers/Instructional time
Centers may include:
Teacher directed
Math Manipulatives
Writing (name, letters, numerals, journal)
Phonics
Social Studies (activities relating to our community and
our environment)
Science (explore, experiment)
Dramatic Play (sharing, puppets, housekeeping, restaurant)
Art (cutting, pasting, painting, coloring)
Building Blocks
Free Choice (choice of centers to attend)

10:45 (2:25) Clean up and dismiss to recess

11:05 (2:45) Line up and prepare for bus.
11:07 (2:40) Walk to bus
PROGRAMS
MATH
SCOTTS FORESMAN INVESTIGATIONS MATH
INVESTIGATIONS is the math curriculum adopted for and implemented by the
Moscow School District for grades K-3. Investigations provides a research-based
instructional plan. It provides a wide variety of strategies and activities to
differentiate instruction so as to reach all learners. The program provides daily
intervention strategies for students, school/home support, and standards-based
assessments.

This program is designed to help your child learn a wide range of mathematical
concepts as well as insure knowledge of basic arithmetic skills. This method stresses
real-life mathematical experiences. The children become involved with concrete
materials such as pattern blocks, unifix cubes, geoboards, geoblocks, etc., as well as a
variety of measuring devices for comparing weight, length and volume. Over the school
year the children will work with patterns, sorting and classifying, graphing, measuring,
addition and subtraction, probability, geometry, place value, and problem solving.

During the next few weeks each child will have the opportunity to freely explore all
the materials available in the program. During this period the children become familiar
with the learning materials, observing likeness and differences in texture, color, size,
shape, weight, and number. To encourage the development of appropriate vocabulary,
children are encouraged to put their ideas clearly into words.

WRITING
D’Nealian Handwriting
Your child, like all of us, must learn to write legibly – clearly enough for another
person to read what has been written. In kindergarten this important basic skill is
taught with the D’Nealian Handwriting Program. The system was developed by Donald
Neal Thurber in the late 1960’s.

The model letters of this manuscript alphabet slant and ending strokes make it easy
for the child to later convert to cursive handwriting. Please note the sample alphabet
enclosed. Please help your child learn this important skill for success in school.

READING
HARCOURT TROPHIES KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
Beginning with the 2003-2004 school year, grades K-6 in the Moscow School District
adopted this reading program. The use of this program provides a balanced,
systematic, sequential learning experience for all K-6 children across the district. The
program teaches Concepts about Print, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics and Decoding,
Vocabulary and High-Frequency Words, Comprehension, Literacy Response, Writing,
Listening and Speaking. State standards require that kindergarten children know high
frequency words by the end of the year. Please see the list enclosed.
LINDAMOOD PHONOLOGICAL SEQUENCING (LiPS)
LiPS is a multi-sensory auditory processing program that builds phonemic awareness.
Students learn how speech sounds are made through the use of speech, touch, hearing,
and seeing. Learning is aided when students consciously monitor and verify information
from different senses and use it in thinking. It is important for anyone learning a new
concept to name, label, and organize information.

WATERFORD EARLY READING PROGRAM

All kindergarten classrooms in the state of Idaho were awarded the Waterford Early
Reading Program software and three computers on which to run the program. This was
made available from the Albertson Corporation who is interested in furthering the
cause of education in the state of Idaho.

The Waterford Institute is a nonprofit organization that was founded 20 years ago in
New York City with the mission of using new technologies to help educate students.
The institute moved to Utah in 1977 and opened its research school, the Waterford
School, in suburban Salt Lake City in 1986. It is a self-sustaining private school that
charges tuition. As a research school, it serves as a test site for new software,
which is subsequently given a beta test in inner-city and rural schools. After the
feedback from the beta sites, the software and curriculum materials are revised and
marketed.

Beginning in 1990, they started to develop software for kindergarten. They reviewed
the research and discovered that, as reported by Marilyn Jaeger Adams in Beginning
to Read, 1990, children have trouble reading when they do not know letter-sound
association and when they have not received 3,000 hours of pre-literacy training from
their parents that their more successful peers had. A major portion of the
Waterford Institute task was to analyze what went on in those 3,000 hours and to
make sure that the software took those activities into account.

The Wateford Early Reading Computer Program is a wonderful supplement and support
to the Phonological Sequencing Program used for explicit reading instruction in our
classroom. Kindergarten updated their Waterford program the summer of 2007.

SCIENCE
Learning about wild animals, pets, farm animals, insects, trees, birds, seeds, plants,
rocks and minerals, liquids and solids, etc., will be the focus of our science program.
Our classroom themes will be centered in science. Young children have a natural sense
of curiosity. They constantly ask why, what, when and how. In science, our activities
will encourage students to answer why, what, when and how while they explore their
natural environment looking for patterns and change.
CLASS RULES AND DISCIPLINE
Philosophy: THE THREE R’s:
RESPECT FOR SELF
RESPECT FOR OTHERS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS
Rules:
1. Raise your hand to talk (to avoid interrupting others)
2. Listen while others talk
3. Keep your body to yourself.
4. Be kind to others/ others’ property.
5. Follow directions.

Consequences:
One warning is given on the first offense. If the misbehavior happens a second time,
the child is asked to go to “time out.” “Time out” is a self-directed consequence. The
child is asked to sit in his/her chair. When he/she feels ready to again positively
participate in the classroom, she/he may return to the activity. When a child is sent
to “time out” often, a note is sent home to parents. Some children may need a
different approach to modify behavior; the teacher, the parents, and, if needed, the
school counselor will work together to support the child’s needs.

PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION
Call West Park, 882-2714. The office forward get your message to the teacher and
your phone call will be returned. Teachers are available to meet during their
preparation period and before or after school by appointment. At the beginning of
each month a calendar is sent home with important dates, activities, etc. for the
upcoming month. Please keep this calendar in a visible place as a reminder.

ADULT ROLES IN THE CLASSROOM

Classroom teacher: The classroom teacher oversees the kindergarten program. She
administers the program and oversees the classroom aide (if we have one during the
given year), a student teacher, college work-study students, practicum college
students majoring in education, and volunteer parents.

Classroom teacher aide (or a student teacher): The classroom

aide serves as a supporting teacher. The aide’s first responsibility is
to assist students with special needs. She may also help create
materials for the classroom, carry out classroom and outside
activities, and walk students to and from class at the start and close of each
session.
Work-study students: These are students currently enrolled in
education classes who work for the College of Education. Work-
study students make school materials, assist with classroom
projects, and help with small groups of students.
Parents: Parents are invited to visit and participate (even lead)
activities. If you have a talent, hobby, culture or interest to share, please let
the teacher know. Volunteers are needed periodically throughout the year.
OPERATING PROCEDURES
School Supplies
A list of supplies is provided in the office at West Park. All school supplies are
collected by the teacher and shared in the classroom; there is no need to mark
supplies with your child’s name. The most important item is a LARGE backpack on
which your child’s name is clearly marked. The LARGE backpack should come to school
daily. The teacher asks the students to do daily backpack checks, but the teacher
does not go through each child’s backpack individually. The children are encouraged to
act independently in this responsibility.

Hours of Class
The morning class of kindergarten begins at 8:17 a.m and ends at 11:05 a.m. The
afternoon class begins at 12:05 p.m. and ends at 2:50 p.m.

Delivery and Pick Up of Children

Due to limited parking, we ask that parents drop their students off at West Park. A
shuttle bus will then transport the children to and from the kindergarten classroom.
Personnel will be on duty to ensure the children’s safety. Any change in transportation
needs will require a note from a parent (a family friend picking up your student, your
student going home with a classmate, etc.). Please note that your child is released
ONLY to you or to an adult whom you designate in writing. When you pick up your
child, please “check-out” with the teacher assigned to departure duty before leaving.

For those who make arrangements with a local transit system, or with your child’s day
care, children will be delivered and picked up at West Park.

If you walk your student to and from the kindergarten classroom, please be aware of
the following procedure:

 Arrival: Wait with your child at the bus shuttle drop off in the Admin. Parking Lot. Your child will walk to
the classroom with the other children when they arrive on the shuttle. This prevents children from
being left unattended in the hallway adjacent to the classroom
 Departure: Your child will be ready for pick up at the Admin. Parking lot when the shuttle arrives from
West Park. Please be prompt about picking up your child at 11:00 a.m./2:45 p.m.

Prompt pick up is important. A “left-behind” child often becomes concerned when

parents are late. Timely departure of children at the end of class is equally important
to teachers. Teachers may have a staff meeting or a team meeting at West Park
immediately following kindergarten.

Conferences
The school year is comprised of four, nine-week quarters. At the close of the first
and third quarter, parents and teacher meet to discuss your child’s growth and
development. The teacher shares information about your child. Parents are
encouraged to offer information or express concerns about their kindergarten child.
If you have a particular concern about your child or about the kindergarten program,
an additional conference may be scheduled.
Thursday Envelopes
Thursday envelopes provide a means by which school, teacher, and parents may
communicate. Informal notes, newsletters, and announcements from teachers to
parents, from West Park to parents, and from parents to school may be placed in the
Thursday Envelope.

Occasionally, the teacher or the school may pass on articles and or information about
community activities that may be of interest to families. Book order forms may be
placed in the Thursday envelopes.

Please remember to check your child’s Thursday Envelope each Thursday. Each
envelope provides a line on which you may sign your name, noting that the contents of
the envelope were received by a parent.

Friday Friend
Each Friday beginning mid-September (except those preceding an extended weekend or
holiday), a stuffed bear or other "friend" wearing a backpack will go home from
school with a specified kindergarten student. All student names are placed in a jar,
and each week a new name is drawn from the jar. Order of assignment is strictly “the
luck of the draw.” Friday Friend carries his journal in his backpack. Your child is
encouraged to include Friday Friend in his travels and activities over the weekend (to
the mall, the grocery store, a ride in the car, etc.). With your assistance, your child
records Friday Friend’s adventures. On Monday, Friday Friend’s journal is read to the
entire class. This is a fun activity for the children and it demonstrates reading and
writing in a meaningful context.

“Me Box”
Each month in kindergarten we have a variety of themes for our classroom. Names
are placed in a jar and drawn out daily (M-F, except during extended vacations) to
determine which child takes home the “ME BOX.” On the side of the ME BOX is a list
of items your child may bring to class that day that relate to the theme, to math, and
to science. Please keep the items small enough to fit inside the ME BOX. The
following guidelines may help you and your child determine which items are appropriate
to bring to school:
 Fragile or precious items should be accompanied by an adult. While respect for the property of others is
encouraged, accidents do happen.
 Toys, jewelry, and play guns, are discouraged.
 Please put your child’s name on objects brought from home. Labeled items make it easier to insure that
the objects shared go home with their owners.
Super Bee
Super Bee is a special recognition that goes home daily with one student (M-F, except
during extended vacations). Super Bee is given to a student in recognition of “super”
behavior. Super Bee reminds us to be “super” kind to others, a “super” good worker, a
“super” helper, etc. Super Bee may not begin his visits until mid yer.

Library:
On the first Friday of the month, the library aid from West Park visits the classroom
and has story time with the children. She teaches a literacy lesson, proper book care,
and reads from a variety of genres. On other Fridays, a volunteer “library mom”
visits the classroom and reads a story to the children. She then supervises the “check
out” of books provided by the library at West Park. Books need to be returned to
school by the following Wednesday. Generally, there is no library before an extended
vacation (Thanksgiving, Winter Vacation, Spring Break, etc.).

Safety, Illness, and Injury:

All children entering kindergarten in the state of Idaho must be immunized before
school begins. Please show immunization records to the secretary at West Park.
Children not properly immunized will not be allowed to enter school until evidence of
immunization is provided.

If children become ill or are injured at school, parents will be notified. Please notify
West Park if your child has been sick and you have questions about whether he/she
should attend school. School policy requires that a child be free of a fever (without
fever-reducing medication such as Tylenol) for a period of 24 hours before returning
to school. Children are often sent to school with green, runny noses, hacking coughs,
red, teary eyes, and feeling lethargic. Parents sometimes request that children stay
in from recess due to a cold. If you prefer your child not to participate in recess,
possibly another day home is best as fresh air is preferable to an enclosed classroom.
Please consider the health of the other children and adults in the classroom and the
ability of your child to handle the regular school routine.

If your child will be absent, please notify the school secretary at West Park, 882-
2714.

Providing a safe environment for kindergarten children is our goal. Children are always
within view or earshot of a teacher. Teachers are instructed to refrain from touching
children’s bodies generally covered by a swimsuit. Teachers may, however, provide
assistance with toileting hygiene.

During kindergarten, large motor development activities are encouraged. Three to four
days per week we will play outside. Please encourage your child to wear what will
become known as “safe shoes” to school. While it may be tempting to wear flip-flop
sandals or wedge-heeled sandals to school, they may be potentially dangerous. A pair
of lace-up sports shoes meet the active needs of kindergarten students.
Birthday Parties
While we recognize student birthdays, we keep classroom celebrations simple. This
celebration takes place during the last 20 minutes of the classroom day. On the day
of your child’s birthday or a day close to his/her birthday, he/she may bring cookies,
ice cream cups, donuts, fruit snacks, Rice Krispy treats, milk or juice, etc. to share
with classmates (cake is discouraged due to time restraints and the need for utensils
and plates). If your child’s birthday falls during the summer months, a “six-month,”
half-birthday celebration is appropriate (example, an August birthday may be
celebrated during February). LET THE TEACHER KNOW SEVERAL DAYS IN
ADVANCE TO AVOID ANY CONFLICTING ACTIVITIES. PLEASE DO NO PASS OUR
PARTY INVITATIONS AT SCHOOL. INVITATIONS SENT TO SCHOOL WILL BE
RETURNED WITH THE STUDENT. Unless every child is included, this often results in
hurt feelings.

Kindergarten Art Policy

Children love to create and the use of art materials is part of our classroom. We use
tempera paints, finger-paints, glue, pastels, play dough, markers, watercolors, food
coloring, crayons, and other artistic materials.

The children wear art smocks, but it is difficult to prevent all contact between
clothing and art supplies. Please have your child wear clothes that will survive the
creativity of a young artist.

Bringing Special Items from Home

Children often bring things from home to school in their backpacks. Please encourage
your child to leave toys and jewelry at home. Too often children decide to trade
items and then feel sad at the loss of the toy, jewelry, etc. Please consider the
following:
 Fragile or precious items should be
left at home. While respect
for the property of others is encouraged,
accidents do happen.
 Please put your child’s name on all objects
brought from home. Labeled items make
it easier to assure that objects return home
with their owners.

Thank you for taking the time to read this orientation booklet. If you have further
questions, please call West Park (882-2714). We look forward to a terrific school
year!

Mrs. Schroeder maurenes@uidaho.edu

Mrs. Freeland freekris@uidaho.edu
 Kindergarten High Frequency Words

The following are words that kindergarten children are

expected to fluently recognize and read upon the
completion of the school year:

a and are come do for

go have here in little look

like I is me my no

on one see to we what

you the