Welcome to

Kindergarten

Ms. Brill’s Classroom

About Myself• Bachelors in Childhood Education

B-6 and Masters Degree in Literacy Education B-6

• Second year at Mill Road School

• I encourage a variety of experiences throughout the school year for every child

(socially, emotionally, and cognitively)

Our Classroom Rules• Be Kind

• Be Safe

• Be Respectful

• Be the Best You Can Be!

My Expectations of Parents• Communication:

• Talk to me about any questions or concerns you may have about your child.

• Home Support:• Use the resources I send home as a

way for you to support your child’s learning at home.

• Practice makes perfect! Please read with your child as often as possible, as it is key to their success in literacy.

What are your expectations?

• Home-School Connection/Communication:• Weekly Newsletters, phone calls, email,

and kid mail

• Resources available for parent use (please ask!)

• Atmosphere:

• Fun and engaging

• Supportive and yet challenging

• Provide social opportunities daily

• Parent Involvement:• Through field trips, class celebrations,

Garden visits and scheduled read alouds during rest time.

• Anything else?

Phonological Skills• Rhyme Detection and

Production

• Sentence Segmentation

• Syllable Segmentation, Blending and Deletion

• Phoneme Identification, Blending and Segmentation

• Phoneme Deletion and Substitution

Literacy Skills• All skills are reinforced through hands-

on manipulatives, games and songs

• Alphabet Recognition:• Upper and Lower case Identification

and Sound Production

• Sight Words:• 50 Kindergarten Words plus extra

• Reading:• Students will practice reading on a

daily basis, based on their individual level and needs.

Literacy Skills: Handwriting• Handwriting Without Tears

Program

http://www.hwtears.com/hwt • Practice through: wooden curves and lines, mini chalkboards, magnetic boards, and workbook. Also use music and songs

Literacy Centers• Students will rotate through centers

that focus on specific literacy skills. They have about 10-15 minutes to complete the tasks before they rotate to the next station.

• This provides meaningful academic and social experiences for children on all levels.

• Some centers have a paper extension while others do not but either way the students have a mental take-away.

Math Program• Math In Focus:• Newly adopted program and aligned with the NYS Common Core Standards.

• Wonderful website with plenty of parent resources so that math can be engaging and fun at home! Check out the link:

Science and Social Studies• Science:• Apples, Fire Safety, Seasons,

Bats, Spiders, Pumpkins, Hibernation, Dental Health, Nutrition, Insects, Plants, Frogs

• Science Experiments

• Social Studies:

• Most Holidays, All About Me Unit, Community, Occupations, Cultural Diversity

Character Education• Kindness

• Forgiveness

• Respect

• Sharing

• Friendship

• Honesty

• Courage

• Compassion

• Manners

• Diversity

Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri.8:45-9:15 Arrival & Morning Work

8:45-9:15 Arrival & Morning Work

8:45-9:15 Arrival & Morning Work

8:45-9:15 Arrival & Morning Work

8:45-9:15 Arrival & Morning Work

9:15-9:45 Morning Meeting

9:15-9:55 PE 9:15-10:00 Library

9:15-9:45 Morning Meeting

9:15-9:55 PE

9:45-10:00 Snack 

10:00-10:15 Snack

10:00-10:15 Snack

9:45-10:00 Snack 

10:00-10:15 Snack

10:05-10:50 Art

10:15-10:45 Morning Meeting

10:15-10:45 Morning Meeting

10:00-10:40 PE

10:15-10:45 Morning Meeting

10:55-11:30 Math

10:45-11:30 Math

10:45-11:30 Math

10:45-11:30 Math

10:45-11:30 Math

11:30-12:30Recess/Lunch12:30-1 Rest

11:30-12:30Recess/Lunch12:30-1 Rest

11:30-12:30Recess/Lunch12:30-1 Rest

11:30-12:30Recess/Lunch12:30-1 Rest

11:30-12:30Recess/Lunch12:30-1 Rest

1:00-1:30 ELA 1:00-1:15 ELA 1:00-1:20 ELA 1:00-1:30 ELA 1:00-1:30 ELA

1:30-2:00 ELA 1:30-2:05 ELA 1:20-2:05 Extra Art

1:30-2:00 ELA 1:30-2:00 ELA

2:00-2:30 FLEX TIME

2:10-2:50 Music

2:05-2:30 ELA 2:00-2:30 FLEX TIME

2:00-2:30 FLEX TIME

2:30-3:00 Free Choice & Dismissal

2:50-3:00 Free Choice & Dismissal

2:30-3:00 Free Choice & Dismissal

2:30-3:00 Free Choice & Dismissal

2:30-3:00 Free Choice & Dismissal

Homework• Each month there will be a packet

sent home to be completed by the end of the month. It is optional however, supporting your child with these activities will enhance their skills.

• Each night your child should be reading 10 minutes. Even if they are not reading yet, there are plenty of ways they can practice their pre-reading skills.

Bagged Books• In January, Fountas and Pinnell reading assessments are given to determine each students reading level. Once a level is established I send home 2 books a week for your child to practice reading. One book is on their level and the other is one above. The hope is that they will read this book Monday-Thursday and build important reading skills at home with your guidance. More information will follow in January.

Elephant and Piggie• Each child will have the opportunity to take Elephant and Piggie home for a weekend. They must take them on an adventure and document it in a provided journal. They can write about what they did, paste in pictures or draw about it.

• A few Elephant and Piggie books will also be sent home with the stuffed animals. Take this opportunity to have a meaningful experience with your child by reading the books with them and sharing their adventure!

Every week a new child is picked to be celebrity of the week. They are able to have special privileges that week and even get to act like a celebrity!

A star poster will be sent home the week before your child’s assigned week so that they can fill out the poster accordingly.

Celebrity of the Week!

Scientist of the Week• After Christmas break,

students can participate in a open-ended science experiment at home with you!

• On their assigned day they will explain and demonstrate their experiment to the class. You are encouraged to come in and join them!

Resources To Take Home• Please take a

packet!• Welcome Letter

• Remind Me Directions

• Parent Helper Sign up

• Class Directory Permission

• Prize Jar Information

• 50 Books to Read in Kindergarten!

• Parents Guide to Student Success from the

National PTA

• Kindergarten Reading Readiness

• The Value of Play in the Classroom

Questions• Any questions you may

have after leaving, feel free to email me or call.

jbrill@rhcsd.org

#758-2241 ext. 71032