Kathy Middleton
Welcome to kindergarten!
Welcome to your school! Together we will help your child become the most successful learner he or she can be. In school your child will be given unique experiences and challenges to enrich their world of learning. We will do this through providing an atmosphere that will stimulate natural interest in the world around your child:
· assisting in physical social emotional and cognitive development;
· providing activities that will help your child express him/herself confidently listened attentively and follow directions;
· developing basic concepts of academic learning in the areas of language arts math science and social studies;
· encouraging self-expression through creative arts oral language activities and meaningful play opportunities;
· developing positive interactive skills to handle conflicts and work with others as a team.
School Hours
An adult will be on duty in the car ride or area at 9 a.m. for student supervision. Students should not be left of our campus unsupervised. School doors will open at 9:15 a.m. At 9:20 students are tardy and need to be received at the front office by a staff member for their late slip and walk to class.
Contacting the teacher
You can reach me by phone (446-6720) at the school from 8:45 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. At 9:15 a.m. I began receiving the students in the classroom. You may also reach me after school from 3:30 to 4 p.m. I enjoy talking with parents and know that many of you work, so I will make myself available to you as much as possible. I also communicate with parents via e-mail. My email address is middletonk@flagler.k12.fl.us. Please use e-mail only if the subject matter is not a serious concern. I check my email in the morning before students arrive and again after the end of the school day.
My School Website
My school website address is http://flaglerschools.com/schools/wes/teachers/middletonk. My website will have pages for news and reminders, classroom calendar, sight words when assigned, links to kindergarten sites and volunteer information.
Dismissal procedures
Car riders will be dismissed into the car rider line at 3:30 p.m. for pickup. You are strongly encouraged to arrive on time to pick up your child. Be sure your car rider decal is visible to school staff. If you are late, your child will be sent to the office to wait for your arrival.
Walkers will be dismissed at 3:15 p.m. and will be assisted by school staff.
Extended day students will be walked to the extended day area by a teacher.
Bus riders will be walked to their buses by a teacher.
Any changes in your child's dismissal must be dated and in writing to me. Please put any papers, notes, permission slips, etc., in your child's envelope to be sure I receive it.
Absence
If your child is absent, please call us the client to inform the school at 446-6722. If your child has a fever, has been vomiting, had diarrhea, as a hacking or deep cough cart, he/she should be kept at home until he/she is well. The recurrence of sickness among students in one classroom can last for weeks when children come to school sick. I will provide you with work your child missed during his/her time out of schools. I ask for 24 hours notice for work to be sent home. You may call me or e-mail me with this request. Please arrange for someone to pick it up in your child’s classroom at 3 p.m.
Meals
Breakfast $.25 reduced/$.50 regular
Lunch $1.50
If you plan to send your child with a lunch from home, please be sure to include a drink and any utensils your child may need. Please no sodas, candy, town or food that needs heating. You may send money with your child daily or prepay for the week by month or month by check. Make the check out to WES Cafeteria. Please put the check in an envelope marked with your child's name and put it in his/her daily folder. I do not have the ability to track each child's lunch account balance. A notification will go home if your child's account is low. If you need to inquire about the balance, please call the cafeteria at 446-6721.
If your child is eating a school lunch for the first couple of weeks, please send in exactly 1.50 a day. I will notify you that your child’s pin number has come through. At that point you can put extra money in their account or pay by check.
Physical Education
If your child cannot participate in a physical education the PE teachers require a note from the parent indicating the date(s) the child will not be participating and the reason for being excused. Your child should wear sneakers or shoes that are appropriate for play.
Birthdays
We will we celebrate every child's birthday in our class. If you wish for your child not to participate in a celebration or not have his/her birthday celebrated, please let me know. We will sing Happy Birthday to your child and share a special smack if you choose to provide one. You may send in one of the following for each child in our class: cupcake cookie, muffin or doughnut. I will provide napkins and plates. Please do not send in cakes, drinks, candles or presents. Our birthday celebrations are short and simple. Gift giving should be saved for home or non-school parties. Gifts should not be sent in with a child to give to another child.
Show and Tell
Starting in September we will have mystery bag show and tell. I will send home a paper bag with the letter of the week written on the daily calendar i.e. if our letter was “m” you could send in a small monkey, etc. It must fit in the bag. You and your child need to come up with 3 written clues. Your child can say them or I will read them to the class. With these clues the class tries to guess the item. This will only be on a Friday.
Toys/items from home
I do not allow toys, games, stuffed toys etc. to be brought to school. The only exception is mystery bag Friday. This will avoid the loss or damage to personal toys.
Restroom
Our class has a restroom. Students are allowed to use it as needed and are encouraged to ask an adult to use the restroom when they are elsewhere in the building. Please be sure your child wears clothing that he/she can manipulate on his/her own. I encouraged toilet flushing and hand washing by all students after restroom use.
Dress
Please be sure that your child is dressed for school in school clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. Sneakers or tennis shoes are the best choice for footwear. It is a good idea to send a warm jacket or sweater during the months of November through February, sometimes March. Your child may keep it in his/her backpack in case it is needed. We will do outdoors recess if it is not raining and the temperature is suitable for play. Most students began wearing long pants in November. Dressing in layers is also a good idea. A short-sleeved top and sweater allows your child to remove the sweater as the day warms up. If your child wears a dress or skirt, I request you also ask them to wear shorts or bike shorts underneath as we have climbing toys on the playground. Sleeveless shirts are not permitted, nor are shirts that show the belly. Please refer to the Wadsworth Student Handbook for more information on the dress code.
Behavior
Your child will be expected to act in a manner that will ensure safety and consideration for the feelings of others. Please check the monthly calendar on the front of the manila daily envelope. It will be marked with a green, yellow, blue or red. Consequences green = good, yellow= lose 5 minutes of free time, blue=lose 10 minutes, red= no free time and a call or a note will be sent home. Hopefully your child will not be receiving pink slips which are given for more serious infractions such as hitting, spitting, etc. These are listed on the schools website. If your child receives 4 within a 30 day period, they can be placed in in-school suspension for the day.
Daily Envelopes
You must sign your child’s envelope everyday. Please sign on the proper day. If you do sign as requested at the end of every 5 day period, your child will get a reward. Please do not sign unless I have filled in the space with a color about behavior for that day. All money and notes must come to me in the envelope. Money must state the purpose and be in a separate Ziploc bag. I will not be checking backpacks for notes and money.
Volunteering
I welcome volunteers in my classroom. You must be cleared to volunteer through the county. If you have not been cleared, please contact the school volunteer program at 517-2220. Volunteers are needed in our classroom to do any of the following: cutting patterns, preparing materials for a project, creating/assembling bulletin boards, preparing special snacks, reading to children, working with children using flash cards, chaperoning a field trip, or preparing daily information to go home. I will send a volunteer form home at the end of the month for you to return indicating your interest in being in our classroom and the days of the week and time you're available. If you have a desire to volunteer but work or have little ones at home, I will be happy to send home “work” for you to do at your home. This will show your child that you are interested in his/her education!
Snacks
I encourage healthy snacks in my class. We will be eating lunch about 1:45 this year, so needless to say we will be having a daily mid-morning snack. I am asking that each parent send in a healthy snack…crackers, fruit snacks, cheese crackers, etc. Please send in one snack for your child each day. I just don’t have the space to keep snacks this year. If you forget to send something in I will have animal crackers for your child. Please do not send in a drink. We do have a water fountain in our room.
Remember, together we can make your child's kindergarten experience successful!