Welcome to Kindergarten
At Powell Elementary
Welcome!
Welcome to kindergarten at Powell Elementary! If this is your first experience with Powell Elementary, we welcome you into a partnership between home and school that facilitates success for children. Our program addresses the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical growth of your child. Kindergarten is the foundation for establishing positive habits that will follow children throughout their school career.
Language and literacy are the cornerstone of our kindergarten curriculum. Phonemic awareness, language experience, written expression, and listening and reading comprehension are an integral part of our approach. Children who have been read to, conversed with, and have some understanding of how our language works, have an advantage at school. Included in this packet, you will find suggestions for things you can do at home to prepare your child for kindergarten.
The school day is from 8:00-3:10. Attendance does count, even in kindergarten. Please do not schedule a vacation when school is in session. Every day is packed with learning which cannot be reproduced at home. On days when your child is ill, please call the school to explain the reason for their absence. If your child will be buying lunch at school, it is very helpful if you prepay by establishing an online account through the CISD website. Watch for more information about this convenience.
The most important thing you can do to assure your child's success in school is to help them understand that school is a happy place and learning is fun! It is important to establish a daily routine that your child can count on. A predictable bedtime, mealtime, time for homework, and a time to be read to, are all factors that create stability in a child's life. Schedules that are constantly changing and lack routines are difficult for young children. Try to keep transportation methods to and from school the same. Schedule after school sports, lessons, and other activities well after dismissal so that transportation home is not affected.
It is common for young children to have difficulty separating from parents during the first few weeks of school. The best way to separate from your child is to give them a big hug and a smile, say goodbye, then leave as quickly as possible. We find that with the teacher's comfort and assurance, children quickly transition to whatever is happening in the classroom at the time.
Kindergarten Schedule
11:35 Kindergarten Lunch
1:00 Kindergarten Specials- Music, Art, Library and PE
3:10 Dismissal
Explanation of Daily Activities
Arrival/School Announcements:
Unpacking of M.O.O.S.E. (Management Of Organizational Skills Everyday) folder, and hanging backpacks. Students will complete warm-up work to reinforce prior skills. They may also use this time to complete any unfinished work from the previous day. As the year progresses, we will add a variety of reading and math review activities.
Circle Time
The students participate in a variety of activities such as using reading skills to figure out a class message. Such skills include counting the number of words in the sentence, identifying punctuation marks and their meaning, identifying sight words, using phonics skills to sound out unknown words, and using context clues to figure out which words make sense. We may also use this time to celebrate our STAR OF THE WEEK.
Language Arts
Language and literacy are the cornerstone of our kindergarten curriculum. Phonemic awareness, language experience, written expression, and listening and reading comprehension are an integral part of our approach. Children who have been read to, conversed with, and have some understanding of how our language works, have an advantage at school. Included in this packet, you will find suggestions for things you can do at home to prepare your child for kindergarten.
Shared Reading
Books are used to address kindergarten (1) reading skills: concepts of print, phonics, comprehension, and (2) oral language skills: listening and speaking. This is an interactive reading activity where students join in or share the reading of a poem, book, or other text.
Word Study/ Literacy Learning Stations
Students learn handwriting and letter formation, while we reinforce letter sounds. As the year progresses we will focus more on phonics. Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, High Frequency "Sight Words", and word wall activities are taught. Learning Stations are used to reinforce language arts skills in a small group setting. During this time, teachers will work with small groups of students on reading skills.
Sight Words
When learning to read, kindergartners have 35 high frequency words that they need to memorize. The words should be recognized immediately without sounding out. This will help your child to read fluently and be able to comprehend what they have read more easily. If your child is struggling with these words, they will have difficulty reaching the end of the year goal of BAS Reading Level D or above.
Although, we will practice daily, your help at home will be very beneficial to your child! You will be provided with a set of flashcards at Parent Information Night. There is also a list of sight words attached below. When your child has mastered all 35 kindergarten words, other lists will be made available by your child's teacher. The additional lists may also be found on the teacher's website.
Writer's Workshop
After a mini writing lesson, students produce independent writing products while the teacher monitors and conferences individually with the students. Students will then share written work with classmates. Kindergartners will be writing stories every day. Your child will begin with drawing pictures and telling about the illustration. We will then move to using letters to try to label the picture. Finally, students will be able to sound out words to phonetically write sentences. We will concentrate on writing stories about ourselves.
How can you help? Help your child brainstorm activities and experiences that he/she might want to share. Good ideas include big events such as family vacations or small moments such as trips to the pool or the ice cream store! Help your child to remember as many details as possible about the event.
Math
Calendar, Fact Fluency, Mental Math
Counting by 1's, 5's, and 10's, days of the week, months of the year, graphing the daily weather, estimating, problem solving, and patterning. We will begin to study place value and money as another way to count the number of school days. During this time, we will also review prior skills to build fluency and a deeper understanding of the concepts.
Guided Math
Math Mini-lesson, small groups, math journals, as well as, math baskets (games and manipulatives where students work individually or with a partner to complete math tasks. These tasks are generally review tasks. They are highly engaging, so the students LOVE THEM!) The teacher will be providing individual instruction or small group instruction.
The first semester, we will focus on number sense (0-20). In addition, we will begin working to master counting orally to 100. You can help your child by giving them daily opportunities to count and sort. Easy activities at home would include sorting laundry or socks by color, sorting silverware by shape or size, etc... "When I sort, I use my eyes to sort by color, shape, and size!"
The second semester, we will use our number sense to solve addition and subtraction stories. We will begin with manipulatives and then move to symbols. In April, your
child with be taking a district-wide "fast facts" test.
Science/Social Studies:
Books, discussions, songs, and student products. Subject matter is often integrated into language arts activities.
Snack
Students bring a healthy snack from home. Due to potential peanut allergies, we request that you refrain from sending peanut products. Since some classrooms do not have a water fountain, students in those classes may bring a water bottle from home every day. The water bottle needs to have a spill-proof top and be labeled with your child's name! Please do NOT send juice, lemonade, soda, etc...
Lunch
See information regarding lunches above.
Recess
Students will go outside to playground daily unless it is raining. We will go outside in cold weather so please make sure that your child has appropriate clothing. Due to Safety concerns, only Powell Staff members are allowed on the playground with the students.
Specials
Your child will attend 30 minutes of either Art, Music, Computer Lab, or Library, as well as 30 minutes of P.E. each day. This is also the teacher's conference time. You may schedule an appointment to meet at this time.
Annual Kindergarten Events
Our volunteers are an integral part of our kindergarten experience! Each teacher has 1-2 classroom coordinators (room moms) to help plan and organize our events.
Lunch/Recess Duty- Throughout the Year: Parent Volunteers watch the classes so that the staff can have lunch together.
October
Storybook Parade: Students are to be dressed as a storybook character and need to carry the book with them in the parade. This is a school-wide event.
Fifties Day: Students will celebrate the 50th day of school with activities in the classroom.
November
Field Trip to the Farm
Olde Plymouth Day: Children go back in time to experience the types of activities done in 1620. It is organized and led by parent volunteers. Each class will have a station.
December
Rudolph Day: Rudolph Day will take place in the teacher’s classroom. Students wear red.
Ho Ho Ho Holiday Program @ 6:00 pm: Kindergarten students perform traditional Christmas songs
Grinch Day: Grinch Day will take place in the teacher’s classroom. Students wear green.
Winter Holiday Party 2pm: Parents welcome. No gift exchange.
February
The One Hundredth Day of School: Students will celebrate the 100th day of school with activities in their classroom.
Valentine’s Day Party: Students will make a decorated valentine box to bring to school for the party. Students bring valentine cards for each child in their class. Students will be making ice cream sundaes.
March
Rodeo Day: Students will participate in a round robin rodeo organized and led by parent volunteers. Each class will have a station such as: stories around the “campfire” and Texas snack , “There's a Snake in my Boot” Rattlesnake Round-up, Lasso a Bronco, Bandana Tug of War, Stick Horse Barrel Races, and Pin the Tail on the Longhorn.
April
Field Trip to Montgomery County Fair Association’s Kid’s Day
Egg Hunt: Each student is to bring one dozen plastic eggs filled with a wrapped non-chocolate treat or trinket for an egg hunt on the playground. This is for the students only.
May
Fun Day at the Park: Students will walk across the street to Cochran’s Green Park to play. Parents and siblings welcome.
Graduation @ 8:30am (the last day of school): Students receive a Certificate of Completion and then perform several songs.