Handbook

Welcome! This year, your child will complete one of the most important milestones of his/her life…………kindergarten or enhanced early kindergarten. I hope that this handbook will help you know what to expect throughout the year and explain some policies/procedures that we will use during the school year.

I’d like to introduce myself. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Mrs. Wendee Webb (the children call me “Miss Wendee”) and I am beginning my 6^th year of teaching kindergarten/enhanced early kindergarten at AppleTree Learning Center. Before I began teaching the combination class, I taught 3 years of preschool and before that I was a teacher’s assistant at Head Start and at The Children’s Development Center in Chadron , NE. I have two children of my own, both boys, Dakota is almost 9 years old, and Kevin is almost 15 years old. I have much experience and training in working with children and my area of concentration is working with young children “at risk” or with children who have special needs ranging from minor behavior problems to Autism. I became a teacher because I love to work with young children and feel I can make a positive difference in their lives and early childhood education!

I am looking forward to working with your child this year & helping him/her achieve his/her full potential. My philosophy revolves around the fact that all children should be set up to succeed. That process involves enhancing their self esteem and encouraging them to have an “I think I can” attitude. Along the way, it’s ok for them to make mistakes as this is how we learn. Please help your child realize that mistakes are part of the process in learning. We focus a lot on social skills in the classroom as we feel that in order to learn academics, you must first learn how to get along with others. Throughout the remainder of the handbook, I will share our classroom routines and school policies.

I believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is important for maximum school success. Throughout the year, I will communicate with you through notes, telephone calls, almost-weekly newsletters, progress reports and parent – teacher conferences. Parent – Teacher Conferences are a mandatory part of our program. If you set up a time, I will expect that you will be there. If you don’t show up, it will be up to you to contact me to reschedule a meeting at my convenience. If you need to get in touch with me regarding questions, concerns, or comments, the best time to reach me during the day (237-1952) is between 12:30 and 2:00 Monday-Friday. Otherwise, you can try me at home at 237-4729.

School begins promptly at 8:45 a.m. We begin the day by journaling, which is a representation of their work kept in their portfolio’s. If your child is late, he/she cannot participate in this part of our day and will be reflected at the end of the year and during assessments. Portfolio’s are the most accurate reflection of your child’s growth throughout the year and a vital tool used in assessing that growth.

There are many concepts that are reinforced during this time. We say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing a patriotic song. We then discuss our individual “feelings” (which is an integral part of our program.) We learn the days of the week in English and Spanish, we discuss the idea of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, how many days are in a week, and then we spell the day. We learn the month (in English and Spanish) and then count to whatever the date is, during this time we are also working on number recognition, writing numbers, patterns, sequence, and 1 to 1 correspondence. We then begin discussing the weather using complete sentences, temperature, and clothing that should be worn for that type of weather. We also sing many songs during this time before heading off to snack.

All children are given a nutritious snack and encouraged to try at least one bite before cleaning off their spots. When all the children have finished snack, we brush our teeth to our favorite “Toothbrushing Song” sung by Raffi.

During this time, we learn new songs and have many movement opportunities that may include dancing, exercising to classical music, stretching, following directions on listen & move tapes, etc. All children are encouraged to participate.

We use this time to learn more about the theme or letter we’re studying. We may read stories, do art projects, writing experiences, cooking experiences, or work on social studies activities. Many of our social studies activities are centered around having guest speakers come to our classroom or visiting the residents in our intergenerational program.

The children use this time to “work” at centers throughout the room. They plan where they want to go and change to different centers when they want as long as there is room for them to work there (each center has a specific number of children that can work there.) The centers are child directed which means simply that they decide what to do. There are no worksheets or teacher directed activities at the centers. Our centers include the following: Block area, Manipulatives/Math, Art, Dollhouse, Writing Table, Science, Housekeeping, Texture Table, Library, Listening Center/Musical Instruments, Dramatic Play, and Painting at the Art Easel. The only requirement during this time is that the children are “working” on something & not just wandering – also, that they clean up their work before moving to a different center!

For the most part, outside play is child directed play. The teacher may support and interact with their play, occasionally setting up an activity for the children to participate in.

Sack lunch days are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On these days, the children are required to bring a nutritious lunch from home. We do have access to a microwave if needed. The lunch should already be prepared so that it only has to be put in and heated up. We will provide drinks to those children who do not have one in their lunch. If your child does NOT bring a lunch, we will make him/her one and you will be assessed a $5.00 fee to your bill for each time it happens. The teacher does not have time to call the parents and request that a lunch be brought, so please be sure on these days that you’ve checked that your child does have his/her lunch with them.

Tuesday and Thursday are hot lunch days and the children are provided with a nutritious hot lunch prepared by AppleTree. Second and third helpings may be given provided that there are extras.

The children will be given a rest period daily. Besides being a mandatory requirement of the Department of Family Services, we have found that this is necessary to help the children “recharge their batteries”. The children may use this time to nap or relax and read quietly. Please send a small blanket for your child to use at rest time. Rest time will be a quiet part of our day.

We work independently or in small groups with math tubs or do an activity that involves math. The math tubs contain various manipulatives, including pattern blocks, unifix cubes, animal counters, domino’s, puzzles, links, and other items used to reinforce math concepts. We often focus on a math skill that we’re learning throughout the week or month.

During the science portion of our day, we may do small experiments, reading, discussions, exploration, etc. about a theme that we’re working on for the week or month.

Once again, the children are offered a nutritious snack and are encouraged to at least “take a bite” of it before clearing their places.

It’s so nice to end the day with a good book! Occasionally, we’ll review our themes, letters, or other language building topics.

We will attempt to provide opportunities for field trips this year. In order for our class to do this, we will need to have parent volunteers to assist in transporting the children. Each driver must have working seat belts in their car and proof of insurance. In the event that a child’s behavior has not been appropriate, the teacher reserves the right to have the child stay back with another class at AppleTree while his/her class is on the field trip.

A large component of the program is built of making positive relationships. To assist with this, we provide many opportunities for children to interact with others. This includes visiting residents of Shepherd of the Valley Care Center . We participate in activities with the residents twice a week - the children learn tolerance and acceptance among other character building traits from these interactions.

We will have a Winter Program in December that we put on for family and friends in the gym of PV School. We also have our dress rehearsal for the residents upstairs.

Our class participates in a Valentine’s Day Ball with the residents – there is a crowning of the King and Queen (residents) and Prince and Princess (children) that takes place with lots of dancing.

We will have our annual Graduation with the residents in May. The children will perform something that we’ve worked on during the course of the year and diplomas are handed out by everyone for each of the different programs the children have participated in.

Vic Orr and his assistant Victoria, from The Self Help Center, will continue to visit our classroom on a weekly basis. This program (called “Cooperation Can Be Fun”) focuses on problem solving and conflict resolution in a positive and empowering way for the children. This is the 6^th year we have had this program and have seen positive results from it on a continual basis.

Fireman Dale Anderson, along with other firemen, will be visiting our classroom monthly providing us with important fire safety tips. This is the 11^th year for this program and it, too, has shown tremendous results!

The Natrona County Public Library, brings the Bookmobile to our location every other Wednesday afternoon. The children have an opportunity to pick out a book although it does have to stay in our classroom.

Book orders will be sent out monthly. You do not have to participate in this program, however, we can earn extra books for our classroom with every purchase made by parents. They are at a minimal cost and make great birthday or Holiday gifts.

Classroom Celebrations: Generally, we have class parties for Fall (Halloween), Thanksgiving, Christmas & other December holidays, Valentine’s Day, and an end of the year picnic. We do not celebrate Halloween with costumes, etc. BUT instead we have a party with different seasonal activities.

Birthdays are special occasions for young children. We are happy to celebrate birthdays during our afternoon snack time. If you wish, you may send cupcakes or a special snack on your child’s “special day.” Please send a note, or talk with me, if you wish to do this so I can inform you of the number of children in our class. Children who have summer birthdays will be able to celebrate their birthdays during the month of May.

Show & Tell will be every Thursday. Your child may bring something that relates to the theme we’re working on or whatever is specified in the newsletter. Show & Tell must be small enough to fit in your child’s backpack or cubby. It must be non-violent (no Power Rangers or things with guns/knives/swords, etc. Please be sure that your child brings show & tell as they feel very left out when they are unable to participate because they’ve forgotten. (This is another activity that may be taken away if a child’s behavior is inappropriate.)

Homework is primarily sent home for parent/child interaction. It also gives you an opportunity to observe your child’s work. It should be turned back into the teacher as it’s put in your child’s portfolio and assists in measuring growth. It will not be graded & doesn’t need to be perfect (otherwise, it wouldn’t be a true assessment of your child’s work). Occasionally, if a child needs extra help in a certain area, work will be sent home so that the parent can assist the child.

All parents must read and sign the attached late fee policy form and return to the Director.

PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED GUIDANCE AND DISCIPLINE POLICY FOR ALL CHILDREN THAT ATTEND APPLETREE ATTACHED!

It is our intent to always be working with the children to guide them to make appropriate choices. However, because they are children, it is only understandable that they will not be making appropriate choices all of the time! We will work to prevent problems before they occur by reviewing rules daily, giving gentle reminders of appropriate choices, and modeling appropriate behaviors. It is our goal to give the children the tools to effectively solve problems, interact with others, tolerate differences, and respect others’ “space”, so that they will be able to have successful relationships in the present and future.

Class Rules:

1. Listen to all of the teachers.

2. Keep your hands and your feet to yourself.

3. Use a quiet voice when inside.

4. Use walking feet when inside.

5. Clean up your own mess

6. Be a good friend to others.

We practice the rules using modeling and role playing. This enables the children to have a “hands on” experience to understanding why we have the rules that we do.

The class as a whole will be working on recognizing and articulating feelings. This is a routine part of our circle time activities and we’ll use this strategy during the course of every day to resolve conflicts and handle problems as they arise or in order to prevent them from happening. It’s a very empowering experience for the children to know that they can state how they feel about different issues.

Because we work on conflict resolution and problem solving skills throughout the year, the children are encouraged to feel confident enough to handle issues among themselves appropriately. If they are needing assistance, I (or other teachers at AppleTree) will ask them if they’ve tried to work it out themselves. If a problem arises that they are unable to work out, the teacher immediately becomes involved to act as mediator, support, or remove a child to discuss the issue more calmly. In the majority of cases where a teacher needs to become involved, a reminder of the rules is usually all that is needed. In cases where the problem continues, the child is removed from the group or activity and are once again reminded by the teacher what the rule are, why we have the rules, and help them identify other positive options they have. The child is asked to think about all that’s been discussed, then allowed to rejoin the group or activity whenever they feel they are ready to act appropriately. In the event that there is a persistent problem, parents may be called or the teacher may leave a note. Special conferences and goals may need to be set up so that the parents and teachers can work together in providing premium care and education for all the children.

AppleTree Learning Center ’s private Kindergarten is certified through the Dept. of Education. Because of that, children in both the kindergarten and early kindergarten are required to attend school every day during the times of 8:45 a.m.to 3:15 p.m. The exceptions are if your child is ill or if your child is going on vacation.

Attendance is an important part of the school curriculum as each day’s learning is based on the previous day. Unless you child is in school every day, you cannot expect him/her to learn successfully or keep up with school work. Please also help by making sure your child gets enough sleep so that they are not tired at school (see parent responsibilities portion of the handbook.)

Now is the time to establish good attendance habits. Help your child realize that school is an important part of his/her life ant that you expect your child to attend school daily – and be on time to class. Do not give the impression that there is a choice about attending school.

To this end, we would encourage you to have your child in school every day (unless he/she is ill) and on time. Please attempt to schedule all medical and dental appointments either before or after school. Please send your child to school even if he/she will be late – it’s always better to come late rather than miss school. However, if your child will be coming in late, it is mandatory that you call AppleTree by 8:00 a.m. to let someone know that your child will be there. Please do the same if your child will be leaving early or is ill and won’t be in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is understood that in the absence of medical certification, when students are sent to school, they are able to participate in normal daily programs. Many students are sent to school sick. This is not the school’s responsibility! That problem belongs to the parent. It is unfair to the teacher, the class, and the sick child to send them to school when not in reasonable health. The school is not equipped or staffed to accommodate any contagious or serious illness or an illness that does not allow the child to perform at his/her typical level. It is, therefore, reasonable to send sick children home. Home is the place to recuperate! Children who have been ill must be home for a FULL 24 HOURS AFTER BEING ON ANTIBIOTICS, AND SHOW NO SIGNS OF ILLNESS BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL.

As a parent, we expect that you will actively support AppleTree Learning Center ’s Kindergarten and Enhanced Early Kindergarten in the following:

*You will provide your child with nutritious meals on sack lunch days and a nutritious breakfast or have them at AppleTree prior to 8:00 a.m. daily to eat breakfast at school.

*Your child will wear appropriate clothing for all learning activities, including daily outdoor activities.

*Your child will be given the proper support for school work, including projects, to be completed at home. This includes a quiet space for studying or doing their work.

*You will ensure and support open communication between parent/teacher and child to provide optimum learning. Including any information medical, physical, emotional, or behavioral that may affect your child’s or other children’s learning.

*You will take part in reading newsletter, notes, etc. regarding your child’s education – and will participate in sending appropriate supplies when requested.

*You will support the teachers and staff in reinforcing the rules while your child is at AppleTree Learning Center .

*You will make every effort to see that monthly tuition payments are made on time.