You have questions... we have answers!
I consider my child to have very advanced academic skills for Kindergarten. What will you do to challenge him/her?
Our students enter the year at many different levels of academic readiness, and that is fabulous! We differentiate (teacher-speak for “meet the students where they are, and help them progress at their individual rates”) in nearly every area of our reading instruction. We do still emphasize phonics with all of our students, since early readers often are relying on visual memory for the skill. Phonics provides an understanding of the mechanics of language, a foundation that is particularly important in future grades when the students begin to encounter longer, harder words that they have not previously seen in print.
We differentiate heavily in math also, ensuring that students have a strong foundational understanding of number sense, while simultaneously working to develop strong reasoning and critical thinking skills as well.
My child has mentioned friction with another child. How should I handle that?
It's good to remind your student to use an "I message" and talk through problems with words... but at the same time, always encourage your child to tell a teacher right away if s/he is having trouble with another student. This allows us to address the situation while it is still "fresh," and helps us know immediately where we might need to provide a little extra guidance. If for some reason your child is reluctant to inform us, please contact the teachers to meet together with you and your child for a few minutes before school. This way your child can still be responsible for informing us of the situation, and maintain ownership over it, while feeling secure in the home/school connection as well. Please don't feel like you have to wait until a situation has become "serious" to let us know about it... we would much rather be proactive and ensure that your child feels secure and supported at school.
I would like to speak with the teachers regarding a question or a concern... is it all right to drop by the classroom?
We are always glad to see you and are eager to address any questions or concerns you might have... but please contact us via FirstClass to set up an in-person meeting beforehand if possible. We work hard to maximize our time in the classroom, and we will be better able to focus on our conversation with you if we have planned it into our day. Your thoughts and concerns are very important to us, and we want to be able to give them the full attention they deserve!
How does this Scholastic Reading Club thing work?
Scholastic Reading Club is a fun and easy way to keep your student supplied with new reading material, especially because new books are made available each month. Your participation benefits your student's class as well... our favorite things to "buy" with the points we earn are audio books and educational games! Orders can be placed on the Scholastic Reading Club website at any time (you will need our class activation code! It is LRFD8), but are not submitted until the 15th of every month. They all arrive together a week or so later, and we send the students' shiny new books home with them in their school bags. A catalog will come home with your child periodically, but it is for browsing purposes only... for simplicity, we do not place any paper orders, so please let Ms. Louderback know if you are interested in placing an order and are having any trouble navigating the website.
If you have ordered books that are meant as a surprise, please email the teachers and let us know, so we can send them home discreetly.
Our students enter the year at many different levels of academic readiness, and that is fabulous! We differentiate (teacher-speak for “meet the students where they are, and help them progress at their individual rates”) in nearly every area of our reading instruction. We do still emphasize phonics with all of our students, since early readers often are relying on visual memory for the skill. Phonics provides an understanding of the mechanics of language, a foundation that is particularly important in future grades when the students begin to encounter longer, harder words that they have not previously seen in print.
We differentiate heavily in math also, ensuring that students have a strong foundational understanding of number sense, while simultaneously working to develop strong reasoning and critical thinking skills as well.
My child has mentioned friction with another child. How should I handle that?
It's good to remind your student to use an "I message" and talk through problems with words... but at the same time, always encourage your child to tell a teacher right away if s/he is having trouble with another student. This allows us to address the situation while it is still "fresh," and helps us know immediately where we might need to provide a little extra guidance. If for some reason your child is reluctant to inform us, please contact the teachers to meet together with you and your child for a few minutes before school. This way your child can still be responsible for informing us of the situation, and maintain ownership over it, while feeling secure in the home/school connection as well. Please don't feel like you have to wait until a situation has become "serious" to let us know about it... we would much rather be proactive and ensure that your child feels secure and supported at school.
I would like to speak with the teachers regarding a question or a concern... is it all right to drop by the classroom?
We are always glad to see you and are eager to address any questions or concerns you might have... but please contact us via FirstClass to set up an in-person meeting beforehand if possible. We work hard to maximize our time in the classroom, and we will be better able to focus on our conversation with you if we have planned it into our day. Your thoughts and concerns are very important to us, and we want to be able to give them the full attention they deserve!
How does this Scholastic Reading Club thing work?
Scholastic Reading Club is a fun and easy way to keep your student supplied with new reading material, especially because new books are made available each month. Your participation benefits your student's class as well... our favorite things to "buy" with the points we earn are audio books and educational games! Orders can be placed on the Scholastic Reading Club website at any time (you will need our class activation code! It is LRFD8), but are not submitted until the 15th of every month. They all arrive together a week or so later, and we send the students' shiny new books home with them in their school bags. A catalog will come home with your child periodically, but it is for browsing purposes only... for simplicity, we do not place any paper orders, so please let Ms. Louderback know if you are interested in placing an order and are having any trouble navigating the website.
If you have ordered books that are meant as a surprise, please email the teachers and let us know, so we can send them home discreetly.