Welcome to Kindergarten!Welcome to

Kindergarten!

Mrs. Maurer’s ClassRoom 128

Parents: Please sign your child’s bus slip on their table. Place the slips in the green bin on the “kitchen” table by the sink. If the information is not correct,

please see Mrs. Metcalfe in the office before you leave tonight.

Please note that this is an opportunity for your child to meet their teacher and learn about our day in kindergarten. If you have specific questions or

concerns about your child, we can discuss this at a later date.

When you leave please take your goodie bag, nametag, and packet of important information with you.. Please remember to return the folder on

Monday morning.

A little about Mrs. Maurer.• I have grown up in the

Mercersburg area my whole life.

• I graduated from James Buchanan High School and from Shippensburg University with a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a minor in Reading.

• I student taught at St. Thomas Elementary in Kindergarten.

• I got married last July and currently still live in the Tuscarora School District.

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Students will need to bring several supplies with them on their first day of school:• *Backpack• *Lunchbox (if needed)• *Crayonbox• A box of tissues• A bottle of hand sanitizer

*Items marked with a star need to have the student’s name clearly marked on them.• I will be providing all other school

supplies.• Please feel free to take an apple with

extra supplies that will be needed throughout the year. This is optional

and not necessary.

Buses• For the first few days, I will meet students on the bus ramp in

the morning. We will wait until everyone arrives and then walk to the classroom together. It will be easier if students eat breakfast at home the first few days until we know where we’re going. On Friday I will not meet students on the bus ramp. If they are eating breakfast they will go to the cafeteria and if not, they will come straight to the classroom.

• In the afternoon, kindergarten students will be escorted to their buses by an aide or another teacher. I am unable to leave the classroom to escort your child to their bus! They need to be paying attention and following directions. It is helpful for students to wear the nametags I’ve provided so teachers know where they are supposed to be going.

• It never fails that a kindergarten student ends up on the wrong• bus. If this happens, the bus driver will finish his/her route and then drop your child off at Mountain View. Bus drivers are not permitted to drop off kindergarten students if an adult isn’t there to meet them off of the bus.

A typical day in kindergarten…7:50-8:30 Kidwriting8:30-9:15 Learning Centers and Guided Reading9:15-9:30 Shared Reading and/or Read Aloud9:30-10:00 Fluency and/or Independent Reading10:00-10:15 Recess10:15-10:45 Word Study10:50-11:25 Lunch11:30-12:15 Specials12:15-1:15 Math1:15-1:30 Recess1:30-2:00 Science2:05 Dismissal

Specials Schedule

Day 1 LibraryDay 2 Show and TellDay 3 MusicDay 4 ComputerDay 5 GymDay 6 Art

Snack•Due to a number of food allergies and time constraints, we will not have snack as a whole class.•Students are permitted to bring a healthy snack to eat during math center time in the afternoon.•Please provide a healthy snack for your child to eat. You can find our district’s Health and Wellness Policy on the district website.•This also means that we can not allow you to send in special snacks for your child’s birthday.•Students may bring a water bottle to sip from during snack time, as long as it only contains water! It must be put back in their backpack when they are finished with snack to prevent spills.

Classroom Management

• Behavior is monitored using a card pulling system. All students start the day on green. If students do not follow the rule(s), they pull a card. If the behavior continues, they will continue to pull cards and accept the consequences. Anyone who pulls a card will have note sent home informing their parents about their behavior(s). Parents should talk with their child about the behavior(s) that night, then sign and return the note to school the next day. Severe disruptions will be dealt with as necessary.

Rules/Expectations: Consequences:

*We are friendly to each other and ourselves. Green – nothing*We use words to solve our problems. Yellow – Lose 5 minutes recess

*We all help to take care of our classroom. Orange – Lose 10 minutes recess*We move around our classroom and school quietly. Red- Lose all recess, referral to

the principal 

•

Parental Involvement• It is very important that you read with your child on a nightly basis. To

encourage you to do this, our class will be participating in the Book It! Reading program sponsored by Pizza Hut. At the beginning of each month a new reading log will be sent home. Read with your child for ten minutes that night and then color in a spot on his/her reading log. Send in the log at the end of the month and your child will receive a coupon for a free personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut.

• We do not give out homework in kindergarten, however each month you will be encouraged to complete a family project. These projects are hung in the hallway for everyone to see and I take pictures of them for our class website. I will send a new project home at the beginning of each month.

• In lieu of homework your child will be expected to work on learning their letters, letter sounds, and “popcorn” words. More information will be sent home upon starting these activities.

• If your child is absent, I will send home any make-up work home with them upon their return to school. I would encourage you to complete any missed assignments, but I do not need you to return the work to me!

• If your child will miss several days of school, please let me know in advance and I can get together any work they will miss. The sooner you let me know, the better. Again, I do not need you to return the missed assignments.

Parent Volunteering• If you are interested in volunteering in the classroom,

you will need to have your clearances. Please check with Mrs. Metcalfe in the office to get your paperwork started.

• Any parents who are interested in going on our field trip in the spring must have their clearances. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Keeping Informed• Communication is key to your child's learning experiences.  I

will do everything possibly to be easily accessible to you and your child to help ensure learning and growing. If you have questions or concerns, you can reach me either by phone or by email.

328-2191 ext. 2634 ashley.maurer@tus.k12.pa.us

• I plan on sending home weekly newsletters to let you know what we are learning each week and to inform you of any upcoming events. Please feel free to check our classroom website and blog as well to see our daily happenings. I will try to update our blog weekly with pictures of our learning activities.

• mrsmaurersclass.weebly.com•

Parents and TeachersBy: Author Unknown

I dreamed I stood in a studioAnd watched two sculptors there, 

The clay they used was a young child's mindAnd they fashioned it with care.

 One was a teacher; the tools she used

were books and music and art;One was a parent with a guiding hand

and a gentle loving heart. 

And when at last their work was doneThey were proud of what they had wrought

For the things they had worked into the childCould never be sold or bought.

 And each agreed she would have failed

if she had worked aloneFor behind the parent stood the school,and behind the teacher stood the home.

Before you leave…• Please drop off your signed bus form in the green basket.

• Feel free to look around the room and complete our Kindergarten scavenger hunt. You may complete this in any order, but please leave the treasure chest for last. I will hand out the treasure to each student.

• Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to join me here tonight. I look forward to working with all of your to enhance your child’s learning experience!