Kindergarten

Reading:  The reading program used is the Superkids reading program. Within this program, the children are recognizing each letter, the sound associated with the letter, writing the letter, and reading sight words.

Math:  The math program used is Sadlier Math.  Within this program our math lessons utilize the smartboard as well as many hands on activities to learn skills and concepts. Some of the skills we work on are recognizing numbers to 100, comparing numbers, 2 and 3 dimensional shapes, and addition and subtraction.

Science and Social Studies:  Our science and social  lessons are based on monthly themes.  We incorporate the use of the scholastic magazines Science Spin and Let's Find Out into the curriculum as well.  Some of our themes are:  All About me, Needs and Wants, Holidays, Presidents, Community Helpers, Weather and Seasons, Plants, Living and Non-Living, and Motion.

Religion:  To help us explore our relationship with God and Jesus, we use various bible stories.  We are involved in morning prayer exercises with the school and also say prayers for snack and lunch time.

Reading Centers:  The children work in small groups during this time, based on their skills and abilities. The children are working on reading skills at their current ability level, including recognizing and reading sight words and reading a book at their reading level.

Writers Workshop (One of the Centers during Reading Center Time):   The children work in small groups during this time.  We work on learning to express ourselves though both drawings and writing.  Each month a piece of work is saved in our writing portfolio in our binders as well as in our class memory books.  Some of the topics we work on are:  personal narratives, acrostic poems, informational writing, procedural writing, and opinions.

Picturing Writing:  This program fosters literacy through art and is a progression of literature, art and writing experiences designed to teach the key elements of writing to students.  The lessons incorporate reading quality picture books that support the focus of the day.  The main topics that our class books will focus on are:

-Pumpkins -- descriptions of a pumpkin

-Who Am I? -- Animal Book on Penguins, including a description of the animal and a poem

CLASS RULES AND POLICIES 2024-2025

KINDERGARTEN RULES AND POLICIES:

1.  Schedule:   Our school day officially starts at 7:45a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m.  If you would like your child to participate in all activities, please have them in school before 7:45a.m.  Each morning at 7:30a.m., Mrs. McLoughlin and I will meet the children at the kindergarten door and welcome them into the classroom. After entering the classroom, your child will unpack at his or her desk before putting his or her book bag and jacket into the closet.  Lunch boxes and water bottles will stay at your child’s desk.  The communication folder will be placed in our special bin in the classroom.  While we wait for the bell to ring at 7:50 for period 1, your child will socialize at his or her table with the other children, color in their coloring book or read books.  When the bell rings at 7:50 we will gather on the rug for our morning meeting.  After our morning meeting, your child will then have the opportunity to play with the items on our table toy shelves.  After this we follow the schedule that will be sent home in your child’s folder on the first day of school.

2.  Monthly Newsletter:   A newsletter is sent home each month, listing the academic and skill areas we are working on, along with important parent information.  Every two months, your child will also bring home a sight word list.  Please review those words with your child and have him or her use the words in sentences.  In class, we will be using the words for various activities.  The sight word lists for the school year are available on the Bishop Dunn website in case you misplace a list that is sent home.  The first sight word list will come home in October.

3.  Discipline:  We feel that it is best to relate to the children in positive ways.  They will receive lots of praise and positive input for good behavior and hard work.  We do expect the children to obey the rules both in the classroom and outside.

Bishop Dunn Memorial School Rules:

Be inclusive and welcoming to all

Demonstrate responsibility in all we do

Maintain a positive attitude

Show integrity and honesty

Our classroom uses special Glow and Grow Notes.  Each day we are looking for two students to send a Glow Note home letting you know about the great job your child did in school that day. If anyone needs reminders about following the rules, we will send home a Grow Note.  Please know if a Grow Note is sent home, we have discussed with your child why the note is being sent home and what behavior would have been a better choice.  Each day that your child does not bring home a Grow Note, he or she will receive a sticker on his or her chart.  When the sticker chart is filled, your child will be able to go to the “Prize Bear.” 

We also work together as a class to spell BDMS Knights.  Each day that the children, as an entire class, work hard and follow directions, the class earns a letter in BDMS Knights.  When the children have spelled out BDMS Knights, they earn:  extra recess, extra toy time, a special movie, or game time.  Each child will also receive a small prize from our bear treasure chest. (Mrs. McLoughin or I will hand out these mystery prizes.) This activity of spelling BDMS Knights helps to promote the importance of working together and the idea that we are all part of the same class.

4.  Folders:  We will be using one of the folders that you send in as our communication folder from school to home and home to school.  One side of the folder will be labeled leave at home – these papers are yours to review and keep at home.  The other side of the folder will be labeled return to school.  These papers are homework, projects or parent notes that need to be completed and sent back to school. Please make sure to check the communication folder each night to make sure there is no important paperwork that needs your attention and to empty out the leave at home side.  The other folder will be left at school.

5.  Homework and Projects:  The children will receive a weekly homework packet filled with different activities to do at home. These assignments are a good way to review the skills and concepts that we are working on in the classroom. The first homework packet will come home on Monday, September 16.  Throughout the year, your child will also bring home different projects to complete.  The projects are set around the different topics that we are working on.  A note will always accompany the project, explaining what needs to be done and when the project is due.  Projects are expected to be completed and returned.

6.  Snacks and Lunch:  The children will have a snack each morning between 8:20a.m. and 8:40a.m.  Please send your child to school with a juice box or water and a nutritious snack i.e.:  fruit, vegetables, crackers, yogurt, etc.  Please do not send in glass bottles for snack or lunch drinks.  Lunch will be at 12:00p.m.  Please pack a lunch, drink and a snack for lunch every day.  WE ARE UNABLE TO WARM UP LUNCH IN A MICROWAVE. If your child is staying for the extension program, please pack a drink and snack for after school.

7.  Dismissal:  If you are picking your child up after school, please be sure to wait for him or her in the car dismissal line.  Dismissal is at 2:30p.m.  Car pick up will be in the back of the school.  Please get on the line further away from the building and closer to the baseball field and pavilion.  I will be outside, guiding the children to the cars. Please remember to wait at your car for your child.  The children wait on the circles outside of the kindergarten classroom to be called to go home.  (Pre-k, first, and second grade, as well as any siblings, are also dismissed through the kindergarten door.)  Information about our School Dismissal Manager will be coming home.  By utilizing the School Dismissal Manager you will be able to let us know of any changes to your child’s dismissal procedure.  Mrs. McLoughlin will wait with those children leaving by bus, and will send them out of the classroom to the teachers on bus duty as their respective buses are called.  Children who are in our after care program will wait on the kindergarten rug and the after care teacher will come and pick them up.

8.  Desk and Carpet Seating:  Desk spots will be moved after the first Friday of each month. Your child’s entire desk will move with them.  This gives the children the opportunity to socialize with different friends each month.  Spots on the carpet are changed each week.

9.  Birthdays:  We will recognize your child on his or her birthday with a special birthday crown to wear and we will sing Happy Birthday. We also ask that you send in a favorite story for us to read at the end of the day. Birthday treats for the class to enjoy can be sent in.  Please make sure the item you are sending in is store bought with an ingredient label. We will pass out birthday treats during lunch time.  Ordering pizza for lunch is another way you can celebrate too.  If your child has a food allergy or food intolerance, we will ask that you send a special treat that we can keep at school to give them for birthday celebrations.  If your child has a birthday in July or August, we will celebrate those children during the last week of school.  Goody bags are not allowed.  Please give one week’s notice of celebrating your child’s birthday to make sure of no conflicts in our schedule.

10.  Uniforms: Uniforms may be purchased at Little Darlings in Wappingers Falls or from Donnelly’s, the uniform supply company that the school uses. Please see the Bishop Dunn handbook for approved uniform combinations for your child.  Please note your child is expected to be in the correct uniform each day.  We also have a uniform exchange table that you can utilize.  

11.  Bathroom:  We have a bathroom in our classroom.  Only one child may use the bathroom at a time.  Please remind your child that he or she will need to raise their hand and ask to use the bathroom.  We will also have bathroom breaks throughout the day such as before snack and before lunch.  Mrs. McLoughlin will also be bringing some of the children downstairs during our bathroom breaks to use the bathrooms outside of the STEAM room. 

Every two months, the children bring home a list of ten sight words to practice reading and recognizing by sight. 

Kindergarten Sight Words

Oct./Nov.           Dec./Jan.          Feb./Mar.            Apr./May

at                           am                     an                          are

can                         and                   be                          did

go                           by                      if                            do

had                         he                     like                       for

it                              him                  she                       get

let                            in                      up                        has

of                             is                        us                        just

the                         me                     we                        no

to                            on                     what                   said

will                         play                   you                     was

Sharing starts each school year in October 

Sharing schedule for the month is posted at the bottom

As part of our oral language program, we have “sharing” in our class. Two children each day bring a special toy, book, picture, poem, tape, etc. to class to show the other children and talk about it. We ask that children do not bring in toy weapons, toys related to war or violence, or pets. The children are asked to describe what he/she is bringing to class (e.g. what it is, how it works, where he/she received or bought it from, etc.). Practice at home using complete sentences is recommended, so your child will feel comfortable telling about his/her special item. After your child has shared the item with the class, he/she will be able to answer three questions from the children in the class. The children enjoy being the teacher and teaching us about the item. Your child will leave his/her sharing item in the closet until sharing time. When sharing is finished, the item will be returned to your child’s book bag or closet hook.  The sharing schedule is attached each month to the monthly newsletter and posted below. We remind your child the day before to bring an item to share. If your child forgets to bring in an item on his/her sharing day, your child has to wait until his/her next turn to share an item with the class. If your child is absent on his or her sharing day, please have your child bring an item in on the day that he or she returns to school. If you have any questions about the sharing program, please just let us know.

SHARING SCHEDULE 

Kindergarten Schedule for the 2024-2025 School Year

Check back the first week of September for our new schedule

Below is a sample schedule from last year:

Kindergarten Class and Teacher List 2024-2025

Girls                                                                           Boys

Teachers:

Mrs. Colleen Middlemiss –Teacher

Mrs. Cathy McLoughlin – Co-Teacher

Mr. Raymond Berry – STEAM Teacher

Mr. Aaron Czarnecki --  Physical Education

Mr. John Newhall – Music Teacher

Our class uses the ixl.com program for work on both Reading and Math skills.  Login and password info will be sent home in October.

Here are some other helpful websites you can visit:

www.aaamath.com
This site contains hundreds of pages of basic math skills divided by grade or topic.

www.starfall.com
This site is filled with fun seasonal interactive stories as well as letter and word family activities.

www.bookadventure.com
This site features a free reading incentive program dedicated to encouraging children in grades K-8 to read.

Here are some helpful materials to review some of the topics from the classroom:

5 Senses

Nursery Rhymes

Plant Webquest

Here is a list of a few read aloud suggestions for starting school.  Many of these stories will help your child to feel more comfortable about school and being a kindergartner.  Please do not feel like you need to purchase them.  Many of these books are available at your local library or on YouTube.

The Kissing Hand,by Audrey Penn (We will be using this book to do a fun first day of school project.)

The Night Before Kindergarten,by Natasha Wing

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten,by Joseph Slate

Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come,by Nancy Carlson

When You Go To Kindergarten,by James Howe

Countdown To Kindergarten,by Alison McGhee

Chrysanthemum,by Kevin Henkes

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,by Kevin Henkes

I Am NOT Going to School Today,by Robie H. Harris

KINDERGARTEN SUPPLY LIST FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2024-2025

*DRESSED IN CORRECT UNIFORM EACH DAY (please see school handbook for uniform information)

Supply Items:

Please label the following items with your child’s first name:

*ONE EXTRA SET OF CLOTHING (PLEASE PUT THIS IN A PLASTIC STORAGE BAG -- It does not need to be a uniform.)

*BACKPACK  (Make sure the lunchbox and folder can fit inside.)                          

*LUNCH BOX

*BOX OF CRAYOLA 24 CRAYONS

*ONE INCH BINDER (It will be left at school and returned at the end of the school year.)

*DIVIDERS FOR THE BINDER (We only need 5 dividers.)

*2 PLASTIC 2 POCKET FOLDERS (Plastic is sturdier for daily use. Please have the pockets on the bottom rather than the left or right side.)

*WATERCOLOR PAINTS (Please no more than 16 colors.)

*HEADPHONES (Please take them out of the box and make sure all necessary wires are attached. Headphones are stored in each child’s desk for use on our classroom Chrome Books.)

*COLORING BOOK

The following supply items do not need to be labeled:

*A PACKAGE OF NAPKINS

*A BOX OF TISSUES

* 2 PACKAGES OF BABY WIPES

*2 SKINNY BLACK DRY ERASE MARKERS

*2 CONTAINERS OF PLAY-DOH (can be any color)

**ADDITIONAL SUPPLY ITEM:  WE ARE REQUESTING $8.00 PER FAMILY TO USE FOR OUR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE SCHOLASTIC MAGAZINES LET’S FIND OUT AND SCIENCE SPIN (Please make checks out to Bishop Dunn Memorial School)**

Some of the items will need to be replenished throughout the school year.  Our monthly newsletter will list any items that are running low. 

SUPPLY LIST—FOR HOME

*CRAYONS

*SCISSORS

*GLUE

*PENCILS

Kindergarten Writing Rubric