Calico Cookie Kindergarten 2
Welcome!
My name is Terry Tunkel. I am married since 1986 and have three wonderful boys of my own, ages 13, 11 and 2 years old. My hobbies are reading and gardening. I enjoy dancing and science fiction. I have a B.A. from Douglass College of Rutgers University. I have Nursery and Elementary certification. I teach Kindergarten at West End School.
I also enjoy writing. Check out my "School Solutions" column in NJ Family where I write on topics such as comprehension, retention and Kindergarten readiness. NJ Family is published in Union, Morris, Essex and Central Jersey. "School Solutions" appears regularly in Union, Morris and Essex, and occasionally in Central Jersey.
Our classroom is
beautiful room 16 on the end by the playground. We have a bathroom and drinking fountain right in
our room. Our teaching assistant is Mrs. Towey.
This web page is a quick reference for the parents of my students. Here you can find information about parties, homework and projects for the current year.
Your child will learn many things in Kindergarten as we cover such topics as farms, butterflies, night, chicks, nursery rhymes and much more. We will learn about letters and sounds and many children will be readers by the end of the year.We do many writing activities through our phonetic spelling-Kid Writing program.
We will also learn about numbers; building on important math concepts including sorting, counting, graphing, classifying, patterns, time, money, measurement, problem solving, and addition and subtraction. I am looking forward to working with your child and helping him or her to achieve his/her potential.
We perform at least one play a year. Throughout the year there will be a variety of special classroom activities and celebrations. I encourage you to attend these functions and to support them by sending needed supplies and treats. Parents are encouraged to visit on special theme days, volunteer to help with writing and parties, and share hobbies or skills.Your support of school activities makes your child feel important and sends the message that you value school.
Please visit my original Kindergarten web page, Calico Cookie Kindergarten, at www.calicocookie.com for an extensive description of activities and units for our classroom. I also send home on Fridays or Mondays our classroom newsletter, Peek at the Week. In the newsletter you can read about the activities and things your child has done in the past week. It will let you know what themes and skills we are currently working on. Look for the paper with the little schoolhouse on top.
We are using Everyday Math from Chicago Math, Scott Foresman Reading and Science, Kid Writing, Project Read and Guided Reading from Rigby. We test using DRA2 and district assessments.
Poem
By: Ray A. Lingenfelter
I dreamed I stood
in a studio
And watched two
sculptors there,
The clay they used
was a young child's mind
And they fashioned it with care.
One was a teacher;
the tools she used
were books and
music and art;
One was a parent
with a guiding hand
and a gentle loving heart.
And when at last
their work was done
They were proud of
what they had wrought
For the things they
had worked into the child
Could never be
sold or bought.
And each agreed she
would have failed
if she had worked alone
For behind the parent
stood the school,
and behind the teacher
stood the home.
More Sites to Visit
(Parents, although I have personally visited these sites and determined them to be appropriate, sites do change sometimes. Please notify me if there is a change in any of the sites. While I do periodically check that content remains the same I only check the sites about three times a year. )
New!! Do you want to be a doctor? Do you have to visit the hospital? This site has information for you.
http://www.childrenshospital.org/arthur/index.html
Weather; Learn about a volcano, hurricane, lightning,etc.
http://www.fema.gov/kids/p_lib.htm
Butterfly Photos http://www.butterflyfarm.co.cr/ed/photo_gallery.htm
Virtual Veterinarian's Office
http://www.shrewsbury-ma.gov/schools/beal/curriculum/critterclinic/fieldtrip/fieldtrip.html
2007-2008
November 5-9-Schools closed for students; Teacher workshops
November 14-16,19-20-Conferences; 4-hour days
November 22-23-Schools closed for Thanksgiving
December 5-7-PTA Book fair
Decmeber 24-January 1-Schools closed for winter recess
January 15-Concert
January 21-Schools closed for Martin Luther King's birthday
February 5th will be a 4-hour day
February 18-Schools closed for President's Day
February 19-Tentative Family Bingo Night for Mrs. Tunkel's Class
March 21 & 24-Schools closed
April 9-Smile Train Show
April 21-25-Schools closed for spring recess
April 28-Tentative Evening Sight Word Contest for Mrs Tunkel's Class
May 9-Kindergarten Family Day
May 17-West End School Fair
May 26-Schools closed for Memorial Day
June 3rd will be a 4-hour day
June 20-Tentative last day of school
Report Card Distribution
November 14-16;19-20 (during conferences)
February 15
April 18
June 20
Latest Update From Room 16
The
Kindergarten year-end goals are broken down into marking period goals,
or "expectations". Your child's report card will indicate whether or
not he or she is meeting these expectations.I will include an exact
list of the expectations along with the report card.
Please be aware that there is no school for students the week of November 5-9.
I will be touching base with you over the next few days to set up a date for conferences. Then you will receive a reminder notice. Conference times are scheduled 15 minutes apart. I look forward to seeing all of you then.
The children are enjoying learning about spiders. Ask your child to sing "Tommy's Pet Spider" to you.
During the month of November we will focus on learning about farms and Thanksgiving. Please help your child to learn how to tie shoes and zip his or her coat.Thank you to Mrs. Herdoiza for being a room mom!
General Information
To learn more about social development and behavior in five-year olds please visit the Pediatric Behavioral Health Resource.To learn more about knowledge and skills to prepare your child for Kindergarten visit Kindergarten Readiness.
The school day is from 8:25-2:35. The half-day schedule is from 8:25-12:25. On half-days your child will continue to have his or her specials but periods will be 20 minutes long. No lunch is served on half-days but breakfast is still available. The school lunch is available daily and can be purchased for $2.00 and reduced lunch is 40 cents.
Your child's regular and prompt attendance at school is crucial to his or her success. Many Kindergarten activities are group oriented and involve interaction with classmates. Therefore, it is very difficult to make up work at home. Please view school as a priority and see to it that your child attends every day, except in cases of illness or emergency. If you need to pick up your child during the school day, you must sign him/her out in the office. When your child is ill please make arrangments for him or her to stay home if they have had a fever or vomited within the last 24 hour period.
Please note that every Friday is "School Pride Day". Children are encouraged to wear their school shirt or colors...gray or maroon.
Our school collects "Box Tops". Please send them to school with your child and help us earn points to purchase educational materials. Your child may earn a "Westie" for bringing in "Box Tops", showing their school pride, being kind, etc.
A "Westie" is a special coupon that goes in a grade level box. Each month a student's name is selected from the box for a specal treat. Your child may also receive a special "thank you" hand stamp in our classroom when he or she displays kindness or is helpful.
Supplies
Your child will need a backpack (not the rolling kind), three-hole sturdy folder, and binder for school. At home you will need crayons, scissors, glue and pencils for homework.
"All children need a laptop. Not a computer, but a human laptop. Moms, dads, grannies and grandpas, aunts, uncles – someone to hold them, read to them, teach them. Loved ones who will embrace them and pass on the experience, rituals and knowledge of a hundred previous generations. Loved ones who will pass to the next generation their expectations of them, their hopes, and their dreams." –
General Colin L. Powell
Behavior Expectations
Please review at home these expectations of classroom behavior with your child before school begins.
Please remember to mind your manners. Use the words “please”, “thank you” and “you’re welcome” often to your classmates and the teacher.
Please remember that good manners include listening when someone is talking, taking turns to speak and waiting until someone has finished speaking before interrupting. If you must interrupt say, “Excuse me”. Please raise your hand to ask for a turn to speak during group and whole class activities.
Before you speak ask yourself if this is a “tattle” or a ” tell”. When tattling, you are trying to get someone else in trouble and this is not in the spirit of kindness. Remember that the teacher is in charge of correcting the class.
Please clean up the classroom and put away items you are playing with before getting more out or when asked to clean up. Be careful with our toys and supplies. Keep them clean and do not break them or lose pieces. There are many of us who want to use them.
Loud voices are not polite voices inside the classroom.
Sometimes you may feel upset or angry in our class. When that happens it is the most important time to remember to mind your manners. Don't shout or hurt anyone, instead talk calmly to the person you are upset with or to an adult in the classroom so that we can all help each other.
Please be kind to one another, share toys, help each other and be proud of our class.
Remember that a smiling face makes this a happy place.
Discipline
The emphasis in our classroom is on using manners and following routines and procedures that are established and repeatedly practiced the first month of school.
As needed, a behavior plan can be put into action where a child earns a happy face for each day of appropriate behavior.
The children have consequences to their actions. If a child hurts another child, he or she will have to apologize and find a way to make up for the hurt feelings such as playing a game with the other student. If a child breaks or dirties an item he or she will have to replace or clean it.If a child is loud or performing an unsafe action (such as running in the hallway, classroom or during playtime) that directions and safety instructions can't be heard the child will miss the rest of playtime.
We have three rules:
Be a good friend.
Be a good listener.
Be a good worker.
Sight Words/High Frequency Words
Below is a basic list of words your child will learn to read in Kindergarten. We will include more as the year progresses. See your child's binder for a comprehensive listing.
my mother fun
said bear are
the not you
go I will
to and we
a did baby
can father run
get is in
it have
Math Expectations
The Kindergarten year-end goals are broken down into marking period goals, or "expectations". Your child's report card will indicate whether or not he or she is meeting these expectations.You will receive a list of the expectations to refer to when viewing your child's report card.
Grading
Students receive a report card four times a year. I will contact you during the year at other times to let you know of your child's progress. This may be through a phone call, letter or happy-gram. If at any time you would like an update on your child's progress please contact me at the school telephone number 1-908-769-6083 or e-mail me.
Student progress in Kindergarten is determined through teacher observation, checklists and rubrics, informal assessment through small groups or 1:1 activities, and formal district assessments.
In addition to academic skills in reading, writing, and math, (no grades are given in science) your child will be observed in areas of social and work habits such as:
* Puts forth best efforts in work
* Takes care of school materials
* Uses self control to follow school rules
* Works independently
* Completes work in a reasonable amount of time
* Follows directions
* Listens attentively to others
* Stays on task
* Willingly participates in activities
Schedule of Specials for 2007-2008
(Gym is daily except for Thursday when the students have Health. Please send your child to school with proper shoes for gym class. No high heels or flip flops. Heelies are never allowed.)
Monday is Gym and Music.
Tuesday is Gym and Computers.
Wednesday is Gym and World Language.
Thursday is Library and Health.
Friday is Gym and Art.
Arrival and Dismissal
We will be lining up for arrival on the blacktop area outside of the lunch room/community room (around the back). Line up by the number 16. We will dismiss out the same door. We will line up in the community room and I will release your child to you when I see you come to the door.If someone other than yourself will be picking up your child please send a written note prior with instructions and the name of the person who is authorized to pick up your child. Please do not leave your child unattended outside the school building.For your child's safety, children are not allowed on the playground unsupervised. Children are not allowed to walk through the parking lot unescorted. You must pick your child up at the designated area outside of the community room.For safety reasons parents are not permitted to enter the building at the end of the day to pick up their child.
On days of rain or bitter cold (below 32 degrees) the children will be allowed to enter in the morning to the school; and will be supervised by the student patrols as they line up outside of our classroom.Please dress your child appropriately for the weather. Children go outside most days for recess.Flip Flops are never allowed.
Snack
Your child will have a break each day for snack. You will receive a note sent home to inform you when it is your child's turn to bring in a snack and napkins. We open one box of snack at a time for the whole class to share. This is less expensive and less time consuming for parents. Also, this way all children share the same snack and no one feels jealous of another's snack. Possible snack choices may be crackers such as Ritz or Goldfish (different shaped crackers give us an opportunity to talk math while we eat), graham crackers, alphabet cookies, raisins, pretzels, cereals such as Cheerios and Alphabits, and dried fruit. No candy, chips or other junk food, please. We have an excellent, cold water fountain in the room and children should not bring in juice, water bottles or soda.
*Please let me know if your child has any allergies or a special diet.
Homework
Please review sight words often with your child at home. You can find the list of sight words in your child's binder. In the binder you will also find the monthly homework page with daily activities to do at home. These do not need to be returned to school. Also, please help your child practice reading the Sentence Practice Sheets, sight word searches and little readers that are sent home on Mondays. Please keep the Sentence Practice Sheets at home and practice reading through daily over the course of the week.
If your child is still learning his or her letters and sounds it is helpful for you to review these daily for a brief time such as 5-10 minutes. Start with only one or two new letters or sounds and add on as your child masters them.
Have your child practice counting to 10, then to 20, to 100, backwards from 10 and 20, by 10's, 5's and 2's. In your child's binder you will find a math guideline that will explain what your child should be learning monthly.
Book Club
Some months your child will bring home a form to order books. If you wish to order fill out the form making sure to indicate your child's choices and name. These orders are provided as a convenient way for parents to buy quality literature inexpensively. Of course, you are never under any obligation to buy books. Return the form and send the correct money or a check made out to the book company in an envelope. Make checks out to Scholastic Book Club.
Money
On the occasion it is necessary for your child to bring money to school; please send the money in a sealed envelope with the following information on it:
Your child's first and last name
The amount of money and what it is for
Place envelope in the plastic pouch of your child's C.A.T. (Collect All Things) Binder
"A teacher affects eternity; she can never tell when her influence stops."
-Henry Adams
