-Important information for parents who were not able to attend the orientation.

1. Kindergarten Parent Orientation

2.  Mrs. Laura Hickson School Principal
 Mrs. Shari Jackson Kindergarten Teacher
 Mrs. Jen Williamson Kindergarten Teacher
 Miss Danyelle Ross Kindergarten Teacher
 Mrs. Susan Nadeau School Nurse
 Mrs. Susan Dowding School Secretary

3.  School Telephone Number:
(860) 648-5010
 Email:
first initial and last name @swindsor.k12.ct.us
 District Website:
http://www.southwindsorschools.org
(See the Wapping webpage under “Our Schools”.)
 School Hours: 8:45-3:20

4. Parent/guardian must send a written request
to the teacher stating when the student is to
be released and with whom.
Students will only be dismissed through the
school office (or the gymnasium at 3:20) and
the parent/guardian is asked to come to the
school office or the gymnasium to pick up the
student.

5. TRIBES - A New Way of Learning and Being Together
A TRIBES school is a learning community where teachers,
administrators, students, and parents all enjoy the mutual respect
and caring essential for growth and learning. The Tribes process
uses four agreements that are essential to building community and
establishing a positive environment for learning.
The Agreements Are:
 Attentive Listening
 Appreciations/No Put Downs
 Participation/Right to Pass
 Mutual Respect

6. The Bucket Filling concept:
 Each of us has an invisible bucket that is constantly
being filled or emptied, depending on what others
say or do. When our bucket is full, we feel great. We
fill buckets by saying or doing things to others to
increase their positive emotions - when we do this we
also fill our own buckets.
 We dip from others’ buckets by doing or saying
things that decrease their positive emotions – we also
diminish our own. It’s an important choice – one that
profoundly influences our relationships, productivity,
health, and happiness.

7.  Physical examination:
◦ completed within one year prior to entry.
◦ submitted to school before the first day of
attendance.
◦ items with an asterisk (*) must be completely filled
out
◦ TB risk assessment must be completed

8. 2016 - 2017 IMMUNIZATIONS
 DTaP: At least 4 doses. The last dose must be given on or after
4th birthday
 Polio: At least 3 doses. The last dose must be given on or after
4th birthday
 MMR: 2 doses: First on or after the 1st birthday and 2nd given at
least 28 days after the first dose
 Hep B: 3 doses: last dose on or after 24 weeks of age
 Varicella: 2 doses separated by at least 3 months, 1st on or after
the 1st birthday or verification of disease
 Hepatitis A: 2 doses given 6 months apart– 1st dose on or after
1st birthday
 Hib: If less than 5 yrs of age need 1 dose on or after 1st birthday
 Pneumococcal: If less than 5 yrs of age need 1 dose on or after
1st birthday

9. AUTHORIZATION OF MEDICATION
No prescription or over-the-counter medication may
be administered without:
 1. the written order of a licensed physician (MD or
DO), licensed dentist, a licensed advanced practice
registered nurse, or licensed physician assistant; and
 2. the written authorization of a parent or guardian.
Parents or a designated responsible adult must
supply and deliver to the school nurse the medication
in the original container. Students may not transport
medication.

10.  Standing Orders: Parental Permission form
must be completed
◦ Acetaminophen (aspirin-free pain reliever) may be
administered by and at the discretion of the school
nurse using professional judgment for headache.
◦ If sent in by a parent in the original container:
 Ibuprofen (for menstrual cramps or orthodontic pain),
 cough drops,
 sunscreen, insect repellent

11.  SNACK: Please send a healthful snack, that is easy for your
child to open independently.
 BATHROOM: Please dress your child, for school, in clothing
that is easy to manage when using the bathroom
independently. Please also send a change of clothes in case of
a mishap.
 BACKPACKS: Please send your child to school with a backpack
or tote bag that will easily hold a standard-sized folder.
 SUPPLIES: School supplies (crayons, pencils, markers, etc.) will
be provided.

12. 8:25 – 8:45 Arrival
8:45 – 9 Morning Meeting
9 – 10:30 Reader’s Workshop
10:30 – 11:20 Math Workshop
11:20 – 11:50 Lunch
11:50 – 12:10 Recess
12:10 – 12:20 Quiet Time
12:20 – 12:50 Shared Reading/Word Study
12:50 – 1:10 Snack
1:10 – 1:50 Writer’s Workshop
1:55 – 2:35 Special
2:35 – 3:10 Science/Social Studies
3:10 – 3:20 Pack up/Dismissal

13. Art Mr. Zilinski
Music Mrs. Francolino
Gym Mrs. Fox
Library Mrs. Addesso
*Children will attend specials, each day. One
special will generally rotate.

14. Reading: Literature
•Key Ideas and Details (character, setting, events, retelling)
•Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (illustrations, compare and contrast familiar stories)
•Craft and Structure (author, illustrator, unknown words, common types of texts such as stories or
poems)
•Range of Knowledge and Level of Text Complexity (engage in reading with purpose and understanding)
Reading: Informational Text
•Key Ideas and Details (answer questions, main idea, retell, connection)
•Craft and Structure (unknown words, front cover, back cover, title page, author, illustrator)
•Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (relationship between illustrations and text-person, place, thing,
supportive information, compare two texts on the same topic)
•Range of Knowledge and Level of Text Complexity (engage in reading with purpose and understanding)
Reading: Foundational Skills
•Print Concepts (top/bottom, left/right, page by page, concept of word, letter recognition)
•Phonological Awareness (rhyme, syllables, onset and rime, isolate initial/medial/final consonants,
substitute initial sounds)
•Phonics and Word Recognition (primary consonant letter sounds, long and short vowels, high
frequency words, differences and similarities in words)
•Fluency (read emergent readers with purpose and understanding)

15. Writing:
•Text Types and Purposes (write/draw: an opinion, an informative text and a narration including a
reaction)
•Production and Distribution of Writing (add details to strengthen writing, collaborate with peers to
publish writing)
•Research to Build and Present Knowledge (author study/express opinions, recall or gather information
to answer a question)
Speaking & Listening:
•Comprehension and Collaboration (listen to others; take turns speaking through multiple exchanges;
ask questions about key details, for clarification or to seek help; describe familiar people, places, things
and events; add drawings to add detail; express thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly)
Language:
•Conventions of Standard English (print upper and lowercase letters, use frequently occurring nouns
and verbs, add /s/ and /es/, use question words, use prepositions, use complete sentences, use and
name punctuation, use capitalization such as in the word I or at the beginning of a sentence, write
letters for short vowel sounds, spell phonetically)
•Vocabulary Acquisition and Use (unknown word meanings; multiple meanings, use -ed, -s, re-, un-,
pre-, -ful, -less; sort/categorize common objects; verb antonyms; real life connections to words and
their use – e.g. colorful things at school; describe and act out word meanings – walk, march, strut,
prance; use new words learned through school experiences)

16. Characteristics of Early Emergent
Readers (Reading at Level A):
Just beginning to learn how print works
Just beginning to learn the relationship between letters and sounds
Learning to use 1‐1 matching
Learning to follow text from left to right
Differentiating between print and pictures
Beginning to notice each letter’s distinct features
Learning some easy, high‐frequency words
A

17. Characteristics of Early Emergent
Readers (Reading at Level B):
Recognize and apply repeating language patterns
Stronger awareness of left‐to‐right directionality
Stronger awareness of 1‐1 matching
Learning concept of return sweep (moving from one line of text to the next)
Able to distinguish and identify more letters according to their distinct features
Developing stronger understanding of the connection between sounds and letters
Expanding their core of easy, high‐frequency words
B

18. Characteristics of Early Emergent
Readers (Reading at Level C):
Begin to move smoothly across the printed page when reading
Begin to use some expression when reading
Eyes are taking over the process of matching the spoken word to the printed word
(removal of finger tracking)
Developing phrased reading
Noticing dialogue and punctuation and reflecting this with the voice
Developing a larger core of high‐frequency words
Consistently monitoring reading and cross‐checking one source of information
against another; self‐correcting
C

19. Characteristics of Early Emergent
Readers (Reading at Level D):
Eyes can track print over two to six lines per page
Can process texts with fewer repeating language patterns
Voice‐print match is smooth and automatic; finger pointing is rarely needed, if
ever
Notices and uses a range of punctuation and read dialogue, reflecting the
meaning through phrasing
Can solve many regular two‐syllable words, usually with inflectional endings (‐ing).
Consistently monitors reading and cross‐checks one source of information against
another; self corrects
D

20. joyofkindergarten.blogspot.com
“Words Their Way’s developmentally-driven and hands-on instructional approach in word study, providing a practical
way to study words with students.” Pearson

21. The kindergarten program incorporates hands-on activities and strong
handwriting habits to develop capable writers who practice writing letters
from top to bottom and use the appropriate letter case (e.g. Name).

22. the a is you to and we that in
for am look my was at with it on
can are of this as have he I they
come go said his like see be from play
by she up put some what him went our
then litt
le
us out but your how thei
r
ther
e
her want them thes
e
if not or had one
word all were when do use an each whic
h

23. Typical Kindergarten Writing at the
Beginning of the Year

24. Typical Kindergarten Writing
in the Middle of the Year

25. Typical Kindergarten Writing
at the End of the Year.

26. Counting and Cardinality
• Know number names and the count sequence.
• Count to tell the number of objects.
• Compare numbers.
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Understand addition as putting together and
adding to, and understand subtraction as
taking apart and taking from.
Number and Operations in Base Ten
• Work with numbers 11–19 to gain foundations
for place value.
Measurement and Data
• Describe and compare measurable attributes.
• Classify objects and count the number of
objects in categories.
Geometry
• Identify and describe shapes.
• Analyze, compare, create, and compose
shapes.

27. “Investigations is a complete K-5
mathematics curriculum, developed
at TERC in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. It is designed to help
all children understand fundamental
ideas of number and operations,
geometry, data, measurement and
early algebra.” TERC
EACH LESSON PROVIDES:
FOCUS POINTS
AN ACTIVITY
A DISCUSSION
A MATH WORKSHOP
A FOLLOW UP
CLASSROOM ROUTINES

28. Science
National Geographic Units:
•Weather/Seasons
•Living and Nonliving
•Materials
•Plants
•Pushes and Pulls (Simple Machines/Force)

29. Social Studies
Exploring Where and Why Units:
•History and Holidays – Past, Present and Future
•Civics – Responsibility and Cooperation
•Culture – Diversity and Uniqueness
•Economics – Basic Needs and Wants
•Geography – Map Skills

30.  Read to your child, often.
 Talk with your child about the books you read.
 Try to have your child point under the words as you read.
 Practice letter recognition and beginning sounds.
 Play rhyming games.
 Ask your child to write his/her full, first name with an upper case letter, only at the beginning.
 Draw pictures with your child.
 Encourage your child to label things in his/her pictures.
 Practice cutting and gluing.
 Use different materials to draw and write (crayons, pencils, markers etc.).
 Model writing for your child (Include your child when you are making a grocery list. Write notes
to him/her).
 Encourage independence.
 Read books about going to school. This can ease any worries that your child may have.
 Make learning fun. Try visiting Wapping Elementary School’s Kindergarten Webpage. You will
find lots of information and many wonderful activities for your child:
http://wappingkindergarten.weebly.com/.

31. The Date by Which a Student Must be Five Years Old in Order to Attend Kindergarten
2014 Publication By Education Commission of the States

32.  Volunteers are an extremely important
resource and are appreciated by classroom
teachers and other school personnel.
 The Parent Teacher Organization assists in
volunteer orientation and recruitment.
 Volunteers assist in many ways at Wapping
School. They, most definitely, enrich the
school experience for our students.

33.  Bus Ride/Cafeteria Visit: Thursday, June 2nd at 11:30 am
 Kindergarten Visits: May 18th and May 25th at 2:00
 Meet and Greet: TBA

34. We are happy to help. Please ask.

35. Thank you for coming!
Please take a few minutes to visit the
kindergarten classroom. We look forward to
working with your child and your family!