In order to better engage in your child's education here are some things your family can do together
Talk to your child about the rules at school. This will help them remember to follow them.
Practice counting and saying the alphabet.
Practice writing names. First letter should be the only capital letter. All letters start at the top.
Help your child recognize letters and numbers.
Read with your child 15 minutes daily. Have your child retell the story.
Fun and Education Websites
Kindergarten
Handbook
Green Forest R-2
Mrs. Konkel & Mrs. Manson
2022-2023
Table of Content:
Attendance
Backpacks
Binder
Birthdays
Bus Notes
Communication
Concession Stand
Discipline
Dismissal
Homework
Lunch & Breakfast
Newsletter
Nurse Notes
PE
Reading Counts
Report Cards / Progress Reports
Snacks
Title 1
Toys
Volunteer
Water Bottles
Ways to Help Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten
Attendance:
Attendance is VERY important. Please have your child at school by 8:00. If your child is sick, please let me know. We will arrange for work to be picked up if several days are missed.
Backpacks:
Please be sure to check your child’s backpack daily! Discuss your child’s schoolwork with them every evening and ask them questions about their day! Keep your binder in your backpack for safe keeping.
Binder:
A boomerang binder will help keep you and your child organized all year. They must bring it to school every day. Below is a description of what is in the Mustang Binder. When you are not using the binder, the best place to keep it is in your child’s backpack. Please don’t let your child play with the binder and teach them to keep it safe and organized!
1) Keep at Home Work - front of binder will be all work completed at school – remove papers and keep at home. There will also be important information about school/field trips.
2) Important Papers - Money – this pocket is to be used to send money and important notes to and from school. Mark on the paper what the money is for and put money in the Money Pocket.
3) Monthly School Newsletter & Menu
4) Classroom Weekly Newsletter
Birthdays:
We are promoting healthy eating habits and would like to have healthy treats or have an activity for birthdays. Treats must be store bought and in individual packages. We will have a summer birthday party at the end of the school year.
Bus Notes:
If there are any changes to where your child is to go after school, please call the school or send a note.
Communication
*Phone Numbers 729-3902 & 729-9412 & 729-2451
*School Website - www.gfr2.k12.mo.us
*Green Forest App
*Facebook Page - Green Forest R-2 School District
*Facebook Class Page
*Administration All Call
*Classroom Weekly Newsletter (binder)
*Green Forest Monthly Newsletter (binder)
Concession Stand:
Monthly fundraiser for CTA (Certified Teachers Association). A note will come home with items at the concession stand. Please circle what you want your child to get. Please put paper and correct amount of money in a baggie.
Discipline:
At Green Forest, our students follow the Mustang Pledge
Mustang Pledge
I will always do what my teacher asks!
I will always try my hardest!
I will keep my hands and other object to myself!
I will smile a whole bunch!
Students will be rewarded for their good behavior with “fuzzies”. After they earn 10 fuzzies they get a Caught Being Good Ticket. Fuzzies can be earned and taken away. Tickets earn them a prize from Mrs. Crocker at the end of the day. Students can also receive a ticket randomly throughout the day.
JUST BECAUSE YOUR CHILD DOES NOT GET A TICKET or PRIZE DOES NOT MEAN THEY HAD A BAD DAY!!!!
Negative behaviors will result in minutes lost at recess. Students may have to sit/run/walk during their recess. In Kindergarten it is a learning process, I know we have a lot of rules and it takes time, we will work together to fix behavior issues. Negative behavior forms will be sent home if your child continues to repeat behaviors that we are working on correcting. Please sign the form and return to school the next day. If the behaviors continue, I will call, and we will decide what is best for your child to resolve the issues.
~ Severe disruptions will be sent to the principal immediately and a phone call to parents will be made.
*Students who are not able to follow the Mustang Pledge may not be able to attend field trips for safety reasons.
Dismissal
The bell will ring at 3:35 every day. Students will be dismissed by buses number,
Pick-up students will be dismissed out the front door.
Homework
We do not have daily homework in Kindergarten. The best way to help your
child is to read the weekly newsletter. The weekly newsletter will let you know
exactly what we will be working on the following week. By the end of the school
year we will have weekly test on sight word sentences, reading words and
spelling words.
Lunch & Breakfast:
No glass containers!
Lunch is $2.60 per meal and breakfast is $2.00 per meal. (prices may change)
If a student brings a lunch from home, they need to bring a drink from home or
buy a milk. Milk is .35 cents and money should be brought to school in their
lunchbox. If your child brought their lunch do not forget a spoon or fork if
needed.
Newsletter:
I will be sending home a class newsletter every Friday or the last day of the week. Please leave the newsletter in your child’s binder for safe keeping. This newsletter is the best way for you to know what is going on at school the following week. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have questions. A school newsletter with a breakfast and lunch menu will be sent home at the beginning of each month.
Nurses Notes
We will not be using paper nurses notes at school. A message will be sent to
parents if needed. You will receive a phone call if it is an emergency!
PE
For outside PE, your child will wear whatever shoes they wear to school that day. Tennis shoes will be the best choice. Cowboy boots and flip flops are not the best for running around in. They will need a clean pair of shoes for indoor PE. These shoes are left at school.
Reading Counts:
READING COUNTS IS NOT MANDATORY
*Reading Counts the first semester is based on behavior!
Reading Counts is a computer program from Scholastic that encourages kids to read. Each quarter students have a goal to meet. Students read books and take a computer test on the book. At the end of each quarter students who have met their Reading Count Goal will go on the Reading Count Field Trip or special activity at school. Students will have the whole quarter to meet these goals. Kindergarten students will have their own set of goals for each quarter and must have good behavior. By 4th Quarter Kindergarten students will have a Reading counts goal and be testing on books they read.
· Not for a grade
· Students need to learn responsibility - where to put the book when they need to test - not checking out the same book they have tested on.
· Students who do not earn the trip stay at school.
Report Cards/ Progress Reports:
Progress reports are sent home mid quarter and report cards at the end of the quarter. Progress Reports will not be sent home on the same schedule as the rest of the school. Check newsletters for dates.
School Supplies
· Large Pink Eraser
· 4 Boxes of 24 “Crayola” brand crayons (No CraZArt)
· Child Size Scissors
· Lots of small size Glue Sticks
· Headphones to use with an iPad
· Binder – 1 inch - needs a front and back pocket
· Backpack – not a small pre-school backpack –
(The binder must fit in the backpack easily)
· Gym Shoes - do not have to be new but must be clean!
· 1 Box of Ziplock bags – any size
· 2 containers of Clorox Wipes
· Large Hand sanitizer
I will provide all students with an ART BOX.
This art box will be saved and used next year in 1st grade.
Snacks:
A healthy snack will be provided daily at school. It is strongly recommended to bring a snack from home because we have a very long afternoon.
Title 1 School -
Green Forest is a Title 1 school. We have Title 1 teachers, who are available to help students who need a little extra help in these areas. From time to time your child may see one of these teachers. If you have any questions or feel your child could use some extra help, please let me know.
Toys
No toys are needed at school.
Volunteer:
I would encourage you to join PTO (Parent Teacher Organization). Meeting dates are listed in the Parent Handbook.
Water Bottles
Students must bring a water bottle to school. We have bottle filling stations and no water fountains. We have a special place to put them at our desk. It must be a plastic bottle with a good, tight lid. NO GLASS!!! For health reasons I will have students throw away disposable water bottles at the end of the day unless they bring a reusable bottle. Reusable bottles will need to go home and be washed daily. The metal reusable bottle is great. I will send them home every day to be washed and returned the next day. ONLY WATER - no soda, juice, or milk. PLEASE send water bottles to school EMPTY - this keeps everything in their backpack safe from spilled water!!! THANK You!
Ways to Help Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten
1. Read books every day!
2. Develop fine motor skills: holding a pencil, coloring, cutting with scissors.
3. Print first name with only the first letter capitalized. No letters start at the ground.
4. Learn to follow 2-step instructions: “Please go get your shoes and put them on.”
5. Follow directions without making comments or asking why.
6. Use good manners: “Please” and “Thank You”
7. Talk about social skills: sharing, taking turns, positive words, how to handle anger, what to do if you don’t feel good, don’t steal, don’t talk back, don’t argue with adults…
8. Help your child learn responsibility: put their binder in their backpack, clean up messes, blow their nose, dress themselves (put on their own shoes and coat), open their bag of chips (fruit snacks), zip their backpack, snap, button, tie their own shoes, bathroom issues (toilet paper goes in the toilet, boys -pants don’t need to go the floor but down far enough to not get it on your shirt). All of this is easier for you to do for your child but is necessary for them to learn before school! Take the time to help your child!
9. Practice number recognition: Count objects daily!
10. Practice letter and sound recognition. Practice saying the letters and their sounds, read letter on road signs.
11. Build self-esteem. Praise your child often because Kindergarten is hard!!!!
Please feel free to contract me with any questions or concerns you may have. If you call the school, I will return your call when I am not in class. We can also communicate through our Class FACEBOOK page or Messenger.
School 729-3902 Email: kkonkel@gfr2.k12.mo.us