Ms. Fitzgerald's Kindergarten Class

Ms. Fitzgerald’s Class Procedures and Policies

2012-2013 School Year

 Incentives:

• Students will have the personal satisfaction in a job well done.  
• Students may earn red tickets toward reward days at the end of each month.
• Students will be selected daily for a drop toward weekly drawings (school wide one drop for primary and one for upper grades.) 
• If students are earning their colors through out the day they will earn brief fun breaks periodically.
• Students will also earn stickers, certificates, etc... as appropriate

Compliment chain-each time students are complimented by other adults on campus for good behavior we will add a link to our compliment chain.  When the chain reaches the goal length we’ll have a celebration.  (The students and I together set a goal and a prize)

 Beginning of school day

• Students will wait in the kindergarten hallway reading quietly.
• When the bell rings students will come in quietly.
• Unpack book bags, place agendas in the correct cubby, turn in notes and lunch money to my mailbox, Homework Folders (Friday) in the homework cubby, place their book bag on their hook in the closet, and selection their lunch.
• Students will sit quietly on the carpet so we can begin instruction right away.  

 Cues for getting students’ attention:

• To get students attention teacher will ask for five the students will respond by sitting up tall, hands in lap, mouth quiet, eyes watching, and ears listening.
• If a student needs my assistance for any reason they are to raise their hand and wait to be called on.  I do not want students out of their seats wandering, yelling out my name, or poking me.  I will respond to children as quickly as possible.  

Bathrooms:

• Students will be discouraged from using the restroom during reading whole group time, or while we are out of  the classroom.  (Discouraged not denied)   
• All other times if the bathroom door is open students may go as they need too.  If the door is closed students can listen, if they don’t hear anything knock. 
• When finished using the restroom students need to leave the door open, wash their hands, dispose of their paper towel and go back to their seats quietly.
• Bathroom signal is two fingers up

Drinking Fountain/Sink:

• Students may get a quick drink when they need one so long as they don’t get up during teaching.
• Water signal is one finger up

Students lining up to leave the room

• Students will have an assigned order to line up
• quietly push in their chair
• WALK to line up at the door.
• Anytime a student leaves the class he/she will go with a buddy

 Walkway Behavior: PBS Expectations

• Walk on the yellow line
• Always keep Hands and feet to yourself
• Look forward
• Keep our school neat and clean
• No talking (it disrupts other students from being able to learn)

Talk among students:

• Within their teams students may quietly (inside voice) discuss things related to what they are working on unless the teacher directs otherwise.  Much of our classwork involves partner sharing and team discussion.  Talking from one team/table to another is not allowed.
• Students should not discuss things that are inappropriate for school
• There will be a sign at the front of the room to let them know what the expected talk volume is (silent work on your own, whisper voices you can help your neighbor, team work inside voices aloud)

Passing out books/supplies:

• A specific team representative will be selected to come get supplies for the team
• Teams will be called to go get their books from their cubbies and to return them
• Paper distributors will pass out paper to the teams, one distributor for even one for odd

Out-of-Seat Policies:

• Students should not be out of their seats without a reason.  Example: If you are up to get a book go directly to the library select one and return to your seat.  Students should not wander about the room (sometimes our hands and mouths wander when our feet do).

Movement to or away from centers:

• Students will do center times throughout the day.  They will do literacy centers during reading, math centers during math, and may do centers or small groups during intervention time as well.  All of this center work means students have to be responsible and be able to do their job.
• Students will be assigned centers on the center chart.  Centers are labeled with a color, number and shape both on the chart and at the center location.  The assignments are hanging by the window. The students in each group are on the wall below the center chart.
• I will say give me 5 and hold up the clean up sign.  When it is time to switch I will hold up the switch sign.  Most centers have an accountability piece that I must check before they clean up.
• After centers are finished and cleaned up my Center Helper will check their station and once it is ok they will need to go to the carpet to do the next task. 

What to do when seat work is finished:

• Read quietly at your seat
• Practice a current skill
• Get an activity from the basket for early finishers

End of School day:

• Students will gather all belongings that are going home and agenda and pack them in their backpack.  They will then sit in their designated area.
• Car riders will leave at 2:35
• Teacher will read aloud as buses are called students will listen quietly until dismissed.

Student behavior during interruptions and delays:

• Students are to quietly continue working and wait for the teacher to return to teaching
• If the student completes the task at hand, they are to read quietly or work on incomplete work

Fire Drills, tornadoes, storms, etc.:

• Fire Drills are held once a month
  • Students are to quickly and quietly line up at the door to the teacher work room
  • The teacher is to grab the clipboard
  • The class is to walk to the designated area
  • The line is to remain facing away from the building silent.  The teacher is to take roll.
  • Once the all clear sounds return to the classroom
• Tornado Drill:
  • When the tone sounds the students are to go under their desks or get against a wall with no windows.  (Duck and cover)
  • If the students are in route to a location they are to enter the nearest classroom and take the duck and cover position under tables or desks or against a safe wall.

Teacher Desk:

• Do not take anything without permission, including stapler or tape
• Do not lay things on my desk/table they may get lost, place them where they belong (notes go in the note basket)
• Do not hang around or be nosey, some things like grades are private and are none of your business.

Housekeeping and student helpers:

• Student helpers will be selected every eight weeks:
  • The jobs are: Line Leader, Door Holder, Table washers, Clipboard Assistant, Afternoon Helpers, Messengers, paper distributor, lunch helper, back up helper, Center helper

Pencil Sharpener:

• Pencils are to be sharpened by the teacher in the morning only.  Please make sure all pencils are in the pencil cup at the end of the day.
• If your pencil breaks place it in the “to be sharpened” bucket and take a sharpened one from the sharpened bucket.

Student Tables:

• Be considerate of others (don’t take up the whole table, don’t wiggle it, don’t be sloppy).
• Put things away when you are finished with them
• Team containers should be in the middle of the table so everyone can reach the pencils and erasers.
• Do not be wasteful with the glue sticks make sure not to twist them up too high, use too much, or break them on purpose.  Remember to put the lid back on.

Learning Center/Shared Materials:

• Please treat materials respectfully.
  • Handle them carefully
  • Do not be wasteful
  • Put things back in their proper container
  • Check around the area to make sure pieces are not lost
  • Do not use materials without being given permission
  • Remember Center time is not play time you are there to work

Library:

• Checkout
  • Upon entering the library quietly take a seat at a table.
  • When given permission go locate a book or books to checkout
  • Once books are checked out sit quietly looking at the books until the class leaves.
• In General:
  • Students should only speak in quiet voices
  • Treat books respectfully (do not throw, bend, tear, abuse)
  • Be respectful of the Librarian and aide
  • Follow all Library rules and procedures
  • No more than four students may go to the library at a time
  • No more than two students may be in the classroom library
  • Students will only be allowed to go to the library during specific times

Computer Lab:

• Students are only to be using programs they have permission to use.
• Students are to leave the computers set up the same way they were the students arrived.
• Students are to do their own work.
• Students are not to abuse the computers (use them for inappropriate uses)

Lunchroom

• Follow all cafeteria rules
• The first 15 minutes of lunch will be SILENT!  After that students may speak and have conversations with their friends for the last ten minutes.  You are not to yell or use “outside voices”
• Treat the cafeteria like your home dining room
• If you don't like something just say "no thank you" or don't take it.  Please do not make rude comments about the food.  It is unkind.

Class Discussions

• Students must be responsible for what they say.
  • Do not say anything hurtful (do not put down what other people say)
  • Do not get off the topic
  • Do not use language or topics that are inappropriate for school
  • One person may speak at a time.
  • Do not interrupt someone who is speaking
  • Everyone should contribute something

Students turning in work

• Classwork
  • Writing Notebooks, Math Journals, and Reading Response logs will be checked by the teacher in class. 
  • Class work assignments not in a folder or journal will be turned in to the team basket on the back counter or collected by the teacher.  Team baskets are labeled with colors to match the color on their table and cubby.   
• Homework
  • Homework will be given Monday and due on Friday.  If I have time I will pass them back on Fridays so that you can work on them over the weekend.
  • Homework folders will be turned in to their cubby Friday morning. The folders will be emptied, restocked, and sent home Monday so homework can be done. 
  • Please use the flashcards, but be careful not to lose them.

Handing back assignments:

• Every Wednesday students will be given graded/checked work back in their “Wednesday Folder”
• Some assignments may be kept for student files

Make up work:

• Students will have one day for each day missed to make up work.
• When students are absent the teacher will keep a make-up work folder and place any materials and assignments into the folder
• Some assignments will not be able to be made up and the student will receive an alternate assignment.

 Agendas

• Need to have a fitness goal, the name of the book you read at night, and a social goal. They will also have the behavior marked.  I will check agendas during block.
• Agendas should be read and initialed nightly by the parent

Parents attendance is very important.  Please make sure your child is at school on time ready to learn.  That means in class before 8:00 that is when the tardy bell rings and instruction begins.  Also please do not check your child out early if it is not an emergency as part of a quality education we are working and learning all the way up to 2:40 when the bells begin to ring. 

Parents please make sure that you are checking the agenda, Wednesday folder, and doing homework.  The agenda especially check daily for communication about what is going on.  There seems to be about half the class doing homework regularly and the other half doing none.  I would love to see all students practicing at home to reinforce what we do.

I hate playing the uniform police, parents please make sure if your child's pants have belt loops that they are wearing a belt.  The shirts need to be red, white or navy blue.  Pants need to be khaki, black, navy or denim.  Jeans cannot have embroidery or decoration all over them.

If your child has a birthday during the school year you may ask what you can do...

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO

• Fruit smoothies (blend berries, bananas, and pineapple)
•  Trail/cereal mix (e.g., whole-grain, lowsugar cereals mixed with dried fruits, pretzels) - See the recipe on the next page.
• Hummus with whole grain crackers or pretzels
• Fresh fruit with low fat yogurt dipping sauce
• Baked tortilla chips with salsa or bean dip
• Low-fat pudding, low-fat yogurt, low-fat yogurt parfaits or banana splits (e.g., yogurt and fruit topped with cereal, granola, or crushed graham crackers)
• Angel food cake, plain or topped with fresh fruit
• Pretzels,
• low-fat or air popped popcorn,
• rice cakes
• Whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese cubes or low-fat string cheese
• Vegetable trays with low-fat dip, celery and carrots with peanut butter and raisins
• Low-fat or nonfat plain or flavored milk,
• 100% juice and water
• Dried fruit (e.g., raisins, cranberries, apricots, banana chips),
• 100% fruit snacks
• Fresh fruit assortment (e.g., fruit and cheese kabobs, fruit salad, or fruit with low-fat whipped topping)

ACTIVITIES TO CELEBRATE THE CHILD

•HALLOWEEN

 Instead of candy, try small toys: (e.g., temporary tattoos, stickers, small plastic spiders or ghosts, spooky plastic rings, or false teeth). Bring in materials and ask the class to create a “Celebrate Me” book. Have the celebrant’s classmates write stories or poems and draw pictures to describe what is special about the birthday child.Instead of a party, organize a special community service project, e.g., invite Senior Citizens to eat in the cafeteria with your child’s class, make “curechiefs” for chemotherapy patients and blankets for rescue dogs.Instead of food, purchase a book for the classroom or school library in your child’s name. Go to school with your child and read the book to the class.Work with the teacher to see if children can be given extra recess time instead of a class party. See if the birthday child can choose and lead an active game for everyone.

Healthy Party Snacks:See list above

 Plan special party games and activities.  Provide game supplies, pencils, erasers, stickers, and other small school supplies instead of food.

 Parents can help schools promote a healthy learning environment by providing healthy celebrations that shift the focus from the food to the child. Send in a game or craft that the children can make. If you are sending in food, make it count with healthy choices!  You can even incorporate a fun nutrition lesson by involving your child when planning and preparing the healthy snacks.