Dear Kindergarten Families:

Welcome to New Franklin! Kindergarten is such an exciting time for you and your child. I’m sure you have many questions and I hope that this letter answers some of them for you.

With full day kindergarten, we have lots of time to learn, explore, play, create, and reflect. Each day your child will have opportunities to visit free and assigned center activities in areas such as literacy, mathematics, science, art, and play. We will have a whole group meeting, which will include calendar, stories, math lessons, poetry, songs, finger plays, and movement. We have blocks set aside for reading, writing, math, and science or social studies. Your child will regularly visit the playground (weather permitting) and attend a “special” such as music, art, gym, computer, and library. 

We have a snack time and encourage healthy snacks from home. Kindergarteners will also eat lunch at school. Lunch monitors will be in the cafeteria to help children with any needs they may have. You may send a lunch or buy one from the cafeteria.

(Please note: As birthdays come up during the year, we will celebrate each child’s birthday with a special song chart and book. New Franklin has requested saving “party food” for our special holiday parties.)

A backpack is recommended to carry items such as lunch, snack, library books, art projects, and notices to and from school. Children will be assigned their own cubby to leave things in. It is important to dress your child appropriately for the weather as we do go out for recess every day. In the winter, snow pants, boots, and mittens are required to play in the snow. Students will also need sneakers for gym class. Please provide your child with a change of clothes (accidents happen). Keeping pencils, crayons, scissors, and a glue stick at home for any projects will be helpful. Many families ask if there are any supplies their child needs for school. We do provide typical supplies at school but if you would like to contribute, we are always in need of tissues and Clorox wipes.

In order to build on emerging literacy skills, please point out a variety of print in your environment, as well as recite the alphabet often. In September, we will begin to learn nursery rhymes in order to develop phonemic awareness. Practicing lots of rhymes at home would be beneficial for your child. Most importantly, please read to your child at least 20 minutes each day. Throughout the year we will use the Building Blocks literacy framework as well as the Lucy Calkins writing program.

Students will also do a lot of math using the Everyday Mathematics program. Encourage your child to count to twenty (more than twenty or less than twenty as needed) each day for practice. Look for numbers, shapes, and patterns in your surroundings as well. We will build on basic math concepts steadily as the year progresses.

Kindergarten is such a special time when children should develop a joy of learning, gain cooperative working skills, and most of all feel good about their accomplishments. Here’s to a year of wonder ahead! 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Hennigar, and Mrs. Keil


Kindergarten – Typical daily schedule

8:20- 8:30 – Question of the Day, Attendance Graph, Morning Warm-Ups

8:30- 9:00- Whole Group- (Calendar, Shared Reading (big books), poetry charts, alphabet activities, etc.)

9:00- Writer’s Workshop and author’s share

9:50- snack 

10:05 – Everyday Math workshop

10:50- book tubs/self-selected reading

11:10 – *special (art, gym, music, library, or maker lab)

12:05 – recess

12:30 - lunch

1:00- read-a- loud stories and share box

1:30- assigned centers (reading, math, writing, art, science, social studies, or seasonal)

1:50- free centers (dramatic play, building, art, games, math, and listening center)

2:05- pack up and a quick recess if time allows

2:40- dismissal

*Special schedule will be announced at the beginning of the year. Adjustments to the basic schedule will be made as needed in order to accommodate those times.
*Please send sneakers on gym day.