All About Kindergarten
Contact Information:
Jenni Redick
(512)
(512)
Email: [email protected]
Hi!
My name is Jenni Redick and I am your child’s Kindergarteh teacher! This is my 8th year teaching! I am passionate about teaching! I believe very strongly in a child-centered inquiry based classroom. Throughout the year, we will stay very busy with engaging, hands-on learning activities that meet the needs of all children. Activities will include Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop, Math Problem-Solving and Inquiry-Based Science and Social Studies.
Here are a few quick pieces of information you might find helpful to get the year started. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. This will be an exciting year together. I know you will be amazed and excited to see how your child learns and grows. I look forward to working with you throughout the year!
Communication
Good parent/teacher communication is essential for a successful year. I want to make sure that you always know what is going on in class. I will communicate with you through emails, notes, telephone calls, weekly newsletters, progress reports, and parent-teacher conferences. This is our class website that has basic information—a schedule, weekly newsletters, calendar, and tips for helping your children learn at home.
If you have any questions, you can email me at [email protected]. E-mail is always the best way to contact me. If you have an emergency, contact the office, and they will contact me immediately.
Take Home Folders
Look for important notes and student work to come home in these every week. Please empty the contents, sign the signature page and return to school the next school day. Be sure to check our school's website for additional information.
Money
Please do not allow your children to bring money to school unless it is for a specific reason (book order, field trip, lunch money, etc). Please put the money (along with a note indicating the amount, what it is for, and child’s name) into a sealed envelope.
Transportation
For your child’s safety, please notify me in writing if there are any changes in the way your child will be going home from school. Without written instruction from you, your child will be sent home in the usual manner. If a last minute transportation change arises, please call the front office before 2:15 and they will notify me.
Birthdays
Birthdays are important at Reed and your child's birthday will be recognized.
Behavior Plan
As you know, good behavior and learning go hand in hand. Reed follows the Positive Behavior Support model—a school-wide system that focuses on positive, as opposed to negative reinforcement.
Toys
Please do not send toys of any kind to school. Occasionally, children will be allowed to bring in items for “Show-and-Tell,” but you will be notified beforehand.
Arrival
Children arriving at school between 7:25-7:40 will wait inside the classroom. Class begins promptly at 7:45. Students arriving after 7:45 will need to report to the school office for a tardy slip before coming to the classroom. If arriving after 8:30, the student’s lunch choice will need to be turned in to the office.
Dismissal Definitions
Walker:
You will WALK up to the school to pick them up in front of the school.
If you are parking your car and walking up to the building, your child is a walker.
Car Rider:
You will drive up (at the front of the school), stay in your car & your child will get in your car.
Bus Rider:
Your child will get on a yellow LISD School Bus. Please let me know ahead of time which school bus your child will be riding.
Daycare:
Your child will meet a representative from a Daycare facility and will board Daycare Transportation at the school.
YMCA:
Students will go to cafeteria/gym corridor.
Lunch
We eat lunch from 11:30-12:05.
There are 3-4 lunch choices everyday. There is a link to the lunch calendar on our school website. Please be sure your child knows what he/she is eating for lunch each day. The menu will be read to the class daily, but once your child selects a choice, that selection is served. Keep in mind that extra food is not prepared, which makes it difficult to allow students to change their mind once lunch time begins. In addition, lunch choices are submitted first thing in the morning so if your child is going to be late and needs to order a cafeteria lunch PLEASE let me know ahead of time. You may, of course, send a lunch from home, but please be sure to label lunch boxes clearly!
Paying online is the BEST and safest way to pay for lunches! You can do this online at https://www.mymealtime.com. If you choose to send in a payment, please make sure it is in a sealed envelope in the daily folder and labeled lunch money with your child's name on it! Please try to pay for lunches ahead of time, and not daily. Our mornings are very hectic and there isn’t always time to check for lunch money before lunch.
If you plan on eating at school lunch with your child and need a lunch for yourself, please send a note with your child or call the office and order your lunch by 8:00. Please wait in the lunchroom if you arrive early as we will be still having class.
Please let me know if your child has any food allergies or diet restrictions!
Water
Please make sure to send a water bottle (labeled with name) to school with your child everyday. It gets very hot during the day and proper hydration is essential for good learning. Juice or Gatorade type drinks are NOT allowed.
Sleep
Please make sure your child gets good, uninterrupted sleep every night. It is also essential for growing and learning.
Illness
If your child is sick, please keep them at home! Washing hands and hand sanitizers are great, but the best thing we can do to keep our classroom healthy is to keep the bad germs out to begin with! Your child must be fever-free (without medication) for 24 hours before they return to school!
Snack
Students will be allowed to eat a snack from home every day. Only healthy snacks are allowed at school. Suggestions include pretzels, popcorn, graham crackers, animal crackers, goldfish, fresh fruit or veggies. Please do not send any drinks other than water. As we will be eating snack in the classroom, please do not send anything sticky, messy, or that requires a spoon (i.e. yogurt).
Homework Expectations Reading: Students are expected to read for 15 minutes and log the books they read. They may choose to read the books sent home in their book bags or they may read a book of their choice.
Book bags will returned and sent home every week. The bags that come home will be books that they have already read with me and students should be able to discuss them with you easily and read them independently. Books in bags will be on your students instructional level.
Math: Please work on fact fluency. I have a weekly review sheet this week for practice. Other weeks students may practice addition fluency any way they would like (flash cards, computer games, etc.)
Volunteers
If you would like to volunteer, please do! You are always welcome to come and help. I can always use helping with special art projects, making copies, preparing classroom materials, etc. I will have a sign-up at back-to-school orientation night. You can also e-mail me! Please remember to sign in at the office whenever you visit the school.
Field Trips
Throughout the year, we will schedule various field trips to enhance our learning. Permission slips and cost information will be sent home prior to each trip. We always need volunteer chaperons on field trips, so if you are interested, please make sure to complete a background check at the beginning of the school year. The office can give you more information on how to do this. Occasionally, space may limit the number of parents allowed to go. In that case, chaperons will be chosen on a first-come, first-go basis—although I like to make sure every parent who wants to can go on at least one field trip during the course of the year. Unfortunately, siblings are not allowed to accompany us on field trips.
Clothing
Please make sure your child wears comfortable clothing everyday. In addition, the district dress code must be followed at all times. Dressing in layers is always a good idea here in central Texas. It might be chilly in the mornings, but that doesn't mean it won’t be downright hot by recess). Tennis shoes are required for PE days, but are a good idea everyday. Please, please, please…label all of your child’s coats, jackets, gloves, hats—any article of clothing that can be removed. If something gets lost, please check the lost and found.
Finally…
Encourage your child to discuss school activities with you. Talk positively about school. The way your child perceives your feelings about school and teachers will have a direct effect on how he/she feels about them. I am delighted to have your child in class and look forward to working with you to make sure your child has a super school year!
I feel very honored to have your child in my class this year!