BashaElementary School

Welcome to Basha!

Mrs. Jacobs’

Kindergarten Class

2023-2024

Welcome to Basha!  Below you will find helpful information about our school, school policies, classroom procedures, and curriculum. An additional curriculum outline can also be found on my website!  If you have any questions about the information below, please let me know.

Kindergarten Hours: Basha school hours are from 8:30-3:00, with the first bell ringing at 8:25 and the tardy bell ringing at 8:30.  Kindergarten dismisses five minutes early at 2:55. With children this young, it takes a little longer to get all our little ones headed in the right direction.

Kinder Quiet Start:: Quiet Start will continue for Kinders only! Kindergarten students will be allowed to enter the building and head to their classrooms as they arrive at school. Students will unpack and then start a quiet activity at their desks.

* Keep in mind that per school policy, children are not allowed on campus prior to 8:05, as there is no supervision at this time. *Siblings of Kinders will line up outside of the school in their designated class lines.  

Children are not allowed to go with someone else, unless you have given written permission for your child to do so.  A faculty member will escort bus riders to their bus at the end of the day.  Children going to a daycare center will be walked to their daycare bus at the front/back of the school.

*During the first week of school, parents will need to be patient as we individually match up children with the correct vehicle. This procedure takes extra time the first few weeks of school, but eventually everyone learns the routine and the pick up line will move along quickly. Thank you in advance for your patience!

CHANGING PICK-UP PROCEDURES: Parents must notify me in writing or by email if a change is to be made regarding pick-up procedures. This is school policy and is necessary for the safety of your child. The only exception would be a phone call made to the office, and then the office staff will notify me of the change. If your child “tells” me he/she will not be riding the bus, I must send him/her on the bus if I haven’t received a written note or email. Please use the yellow folder to send notes to school. I check folders each and every day.

Backpacks: Clearly write your child’s name on their backpack. Please have a regular size backpack large enough to hold folders, art work, and daily papers that your child will be bringing home. Please no mini backpacksJ

It’s a good habit to check your child’s backpack daily.  Going over your child’s daily work will help you understand what we are doing in the classroom, as well as give you and your child some special time together.  Children at this age are very enthusiastic about sharing their accomplishments.

Yellow Folders: These will be used to send home special notes, homework, behavior chart, reading logs & books, etc.  Please remove the important notes and have your child return the folder to school EACH day.    

Newsletter:  During the year, I will be corresponding with you through weekly newsletters every Friday.  These newsletters will be sent to you through email.  It will contain academic information, specials schedules and important dates.

Homework:  Kindergarten homework consists of nightly reading, and the monthly calendar.

Star of the Week:  Every child will have the opportunity to be the “Star of the Week.”  A poster will be sent home the Friday before so you can put pictures on it and fill it out.  They will be the helper for the week.  Their last day as the star, Friday,  a special treat can be sent in to share with the class, if you choose.  I also invite the parents in on that day, at 2:30, to read their child’s favorite story to our class.  If you cannot make it in, you may send the book and I will read it.

Birthdays:  We will share in the celebration of your child’s birthday by singing to your child and presenting them with a crown, pencil &  crazy straw.  If you would like to bring treats for your child’s special day, please notify me ahead of time so I can plan for it.  Treats must be store bought – such as mini cupcakes, cookies, or treat bags.

Water Bottles:  I strongly suggest that your child bring a water bottle to school during the warm weather months.  On hot days the water comes out of the drinking fountain rather warm, so children prefer having their own water.  Please label the bottle clearly with your child’s name.  (Please, water only – juice, soda & flavored waters are not allowed.) I also have special buckets in the classroom for water bottles. This keeps the water from spilling on desks, etc. We take several water breaks during the day to keep hydrated.

Discipline Plan:  The emphasis in Kindergarten is BE POSITIVE & KIND!  I encourage good behavior constantly and look forward to spending each and every day with these bright and wonderful children.  The children are given lots of praise and positive reinforcement for following rules, as well as stickers, stamps, and paw awards.  The rules are simple and fair.  They will also be discussed often to help the children adjust to their new classroom environment. Good character will be emphasized through P.A.C.K.  Positive, Achieving, Compassionate, Kids.

We will spend the first week of school reviewing rules and classroom procedures.

Class rules are as follows:   

1.)    Walk on the sidewalks and in the hallways

2.)    Respect one another, use kind words

3.)    Be kind to one another.  Hands to yourself.

4.)    Use a soft voice inside the classroom.  When I am talking to the class, I ask all of the children to be respectful listeners.

5.)    Always clean up

6.)    Follow directions when they are given

7.)  Do your personal best…ALWAYSJ

Class Discipline Procedures:  A behavior chart will be in the folder.  Students will get a letter circled for their behavior (E(Excellent), S(Satisfactory), I(Improving), N(Needs Improvement).  These are the same letters on the report card.  After 2 warnings, your child will not receive an E. Instead, a different letter will be given i.e. S (satisfactory), I (improving) or N (needs improvement). This a learning process for most students. 

1. First Verbal Warning
2. Second Verbal Warning
3. Receive an S (satisfactory), an I(improving) or an N (needs improvement)
4. Time-out/think time in our room
5. A misconduct ticket might be necessary, depending on the severity of the action

VIOLENCE- THREATS- FIGHTING-PROFANITY are NOT tolerated at Basha.  Those responsible will be sent directly to the principal, and the appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.  Parents will be notified immediately. 

Toys/Electronic Games:  Toys and/or electronic games are not allowed at school per school policy. During the school year there will be special days when your child is allowed to bring a toy from home (ex: show n' tell days).

Snacks:  Due to our early lunch schedule Kindergarten will be having an afternoon snack.  Each child will bring their own snack from home.  Please keep it in a separate place from their lunch box & in a throw away baggie or container.

Breakfast:  $2.25

Lunch:  $3.25

Thematic Units:  During the year we will be working on a variety of Thematic Units through our ELA adoption HMH Into Reading.  Thematic Units let students learn new concepts by integrating all curriculum areas: math, reading, language, science, and social studies.  Through these fun Thematic Units students will become cooperative learners, develop self-esteem and enjoy working in a positive classroom environment. 

Curriculum:   Please go to my website and view the curriculum power point! For additional information refer to our district/school website. Arizona Standards have been adopted and implemented, and all lessons are based on these standards! *Individualized Instruction/Assessments: Each child will be assessed and receive work in reading groups according to their instructional level!

Language Arts: In my classroom, Language Arts will consist of whole group instruction, Literacy Stations, small reading group instruction, writing, and a print rich reading environment! Arizona ELA Standards focus heavily on reading, questioning, and learning from informational text. Therefore, our language arts program will integrate science and social studies.

Individualized Small Group Reading Instruction: I meet with students 3-4 times a week in small groups. Each group receives instruction on their level. Some groups might be working on learning letters and sounds, while others may be reading books. The book will come home in the yellow folder.  Please sign the reading log that indicates the reading has been completed and return it to school the following day.  More communication will come home when groups are about to start.

*Please be patient, as it takes a few weeks to learn classroom routines, and assess student levels prior to starting small group work.

Writing: In Kindergarten, students start with pictures, then add words, and then sentences to communicate thoughts, ideas, and stories. This is a process that develops over time, but at the end of the year you will be amazed at your child’s progress. Our district handwriting program is based on Ball & Stick writing.

Math: In Math, we will do both whole group and small group work. Many of our activities are hands on, so you will not always see daily worksheets coming home. Arizona Math standards want children to investigate and discover math outcomes! This will be done in class, guided by the teacher, and recorded in math journals.

Science/Social Studies: As mentioned above, science and social studies will be integrated into our language arts program. We will also do many investigations and record our findings in journals.

Volunteers:  We love volunteers in Kinder!  Please give us time to settle and we will contact you.

School Colors/Logo:  Our school colors are Navy Blue & Tan/Khaki, and our logo is the Bobcat (Zoomer).

School Supplies: School supplies are provided by the district for all students. We have pencils, scissors, and glue, and each child has their own box of (8) crayons.

I understand that young children are very excited to shop for school, so a new backpack and water bottle are always great ideas!  

If your child wants other items, it’s always a good idea to keep them at home in a special place to use for homework and school projects.

Donations: Throughout the year, we do many special projects that require extra supplies.  Here are some that could get us started for the year: 

• Gallon, sandwich & quart size Ziploc bags
• Elmer’s glue sticks
• Fun Bandaids
• Fine tip black dry erase markers

The Amazon List has the rest.

Our domain is www.cusd80.com  If you have any questions regarding the above information please feel free to contact me at jacobs.lynne@cusd80.com. You may also contact me through voicemail at 480-883-4436. However, email is the most convenient form of communication for me. I check my email at 7:30 am, 11:20 am, and after school at 3:15 pm.  

 Thank you and I look forward to a fabulous year!

Cheers,

Mrs. Jacobs