Welcome to Reeder!

The ABCs of Kindergarten

Mrs. Lees Classroom Policies and Routines

is for Attendance, Absences, Arrival, and Allergies

Attendance - A successful school experience is the responsibility of the child, the parents, and the school. Your child's progress, both academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation. Regular attendance without tardiness is critical. Absences - Students need to be in school as much as possible. We are building language, working on auditory development, and using hands-on materials to enhance our learning. These activities cannot be duplicated for students who are missing. Excessive absences hinder a childs progress. If your child is going to be absent, you must call the office at 715-6420, by 9:00 A.M. Please try to plan family trips during our scheduled breaks. Arrival - Kindergartners should arrive at school no earlier than 8:25 A.M. Your child should be dropped off in front of the school and then walk to line up on the sidewalk by the wall closest to the office windows. The first bell rings at 8:35 A.M. The Tardy bell rings at 8:45 A.M. Allergies - If your child has any allergies, please make sure that we are aware of them. We especially need to know about food allergies and insect bite reactions.

is for Birthdays, Book Orders, and Backpacks

Birthdays - Birthdays are very important to children. In class, we will celebrate your childs birthday in a special way! If your child has a summer birthday, they may pick another day to celebrate their birthday, so as not to miss out on this fun school experience. School policy does not permit party invitations to be brought to school and shared unless everyone in the class is being invited. Book Orders - We will send home Scholastic book orders each month for you and your child to look over. If you want to place an order, please make checks payable to Scholastic. It may take up to two weeks for the orders to come in. Backpacks - Backpacks help your child carry folders, notes, projects, and books to and from school. Your child will be expected to empty their backpacks each morning. Please make sure the backpack is big enough to hold at least a regular size of paper. We ask you to not send backpacks that have wheels.

is for Curriculum Night, Clothing, and Counselor

Curriculum Night Reeder Elementary will be having a Kindergarten Curriculum Night on August 27th from 6:00-6:45 P.M. On this night, we will go over our daily schedules and explain the Kindergarten Curriculum and yearly plan. Clothing - Please dress your child in comfortable clothing that is appropriate for Kindergarten and the weather. During winter months, we do go outside unless the wind chill is below zero. In order for your child to play in the snow, they must have a snowsuit and snow boots. Counselor - Mrs. Beth Kohler is our counselor at Reeder. Mrs. Kohler visits all the classrooms every other week for a 30 minute lesson. Her lessons focus on academic, personal and social skills, such as listening, following directions, cooperation, friendship, bullying, trustworthiness and so much more! She works with students in small groups and is available to work with students individually as well!

is for Dismissal
Dismissal - Dismissal is at 3:30 (except for Wednesdays). It is extremely important for you to call by 3:00 to let us know if there are any changes in the way your child normally goes home in the afternoon. We will walk them out the front doors and you can meet them on the sidewalk, by the flagpole.

is for Email and Early Dismissal

Email Our email addresses are located on our home page. We are able to check Email throughout the day, so it is really the best way to reach us. Please allow twenty-four hours for a response. However, if you have to get an important message to your child regarding an after school change in plans, please call the office and they will notify us directly. Early Dismissal We have early dismissal every Wednesday at 2:00 P.M. Be sure to make arrangements and tell your child care providers.

is for Field Trips, Friday Folders, and Fire Drills

Field Trips - Throughout the year, we will schedule field trips to enhance our curriculum. Permission slips and requests for fees will be sent home prior to each trip. This year we hope to plan a trip to Valas Pumpkin Patch and to the Henry Doorly Zoo. School buses will provide the transportation. Parent volunteers are welcome to join us. No siblings may accompany us on our trips. Friday Folders - Notes, homework, and completed work from the school or from class will come home in these folders. Friday folders must be returned on Mondays. Please help your child build responsibility by making it their job to put it back in their backpacks once checked by you. Fire Drills - Fire drills are held on a monthly basis throughout the year. All students will participate and are expected to walk quickly and quietly to our designated exit. We will practice and become familiar with procedures before our first scheduled drill. Fund Raisers - Our school participates in several fund raisers throughout the year to raise money for various things for our school. These are sponsored and organized by our PTO. I hope that everyone can participate, but it is not required.

is for Goals for Life

Goals for Life- Each morning we start our day by reciting our Goals for Life. They are: I can take good care of myself even if I am mad. I can be productive and follow directions even if I dont want to. I can be OK even when others are not OK. We spend a lot of time discussing what each of these goals mean. Our Kindergartens are safe and happy places where lots of learning happens. We are a classroom family where teamwork and good relationships are expected. Positive behavior is rewarded with Gold Tickets. We will spend time learning class procedures and practicing them. Each student is expected to act within our standards of behavior. Problems will be dealt with one on one. If misbehaviors continue, we will contact you for support.

is for Hands-on Learning

Hands-on Learning - The best way to help children learn is to make activities fun. Important concepts can be learned by doing meaningful hands-on activities. There are times when seatwork at the tables is required and necessary, but for the most part, our classrooms will be active learning environments.

is for Internet Usage and Independence

Internet Usage - Kindergartners will have many opportunities to use the internet. We will go the computer lab one time a week and we also have computers in each classroom. Independence - Independence is a goal for students because it builds self-esteem and self-confidence. Kindergarteners are very capable of doing many things on their own and we encourage them to do as much as they can for themselves in the classroom. Please continue to work on zipping and tying skills. Also, we expect them to be carrying in their OWN backpacks every morning. We practice how to hang them up on the hook and how to hang their coats or sweaters over them. These are skills that must be taught and practiced. Thanks for your support.

is for Joyful Learning

Joyful Learning - Children learn best when they are feeling loved and encouraged to try new things. Our classrooms build a feeling a mutual respect, being risk-takers, and supporting each other even when we make mistakes. Happy faces are so important!

is for Kindness
Kindness - Students in our classrooms are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our class, as well as others in society, with kindness and respect. Bothering others, bullying, and interrupting learning will not be permitted. Our two rules are: It is never OK to be hurtful. It is never OK to be disruptive.

is for Labeling, Library, and Lunch

Labeling Please label all personal items that your child brings to school, especially his or her lunch box, backpack, and outerwear. Library - We have a scheduled library time every week. Kindergarten students will check out one book and listen to a story. Be sure to help your child remember to bring them back each week. There will also be many other opportunities to use the library for collaborative lessons with Mrs. Kozak, our Media Specialist. Lunch-Students will be able to make their lunch choice each morning. The weekly menu is posted on our school website, and in the school newsletter. It might be a good idea to review the lunch choices the night before and discuss with your child what they will be eating the next day.

is for Meetings and Duties

Meetings and Duties - Please respect that teachers are not available before or after school unless you have a scheduled appointment. As you can imagine, our schedules are quite full with weekly staff meetings, staff development trainings, or other committee work and school obligations. We also have supervision duties before and after school. Because of this, we are not able to meet with you unless you have a scheduled appointment. School policy is that you stop in the office and ask Ms. Swoboda or Mrs. Hanusek to call our room to see if we are available to speak with you. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

is for Newsletters and Nightly Reading

Newsletters classroom newsletters are sent home in Friday folders. It will contain information about our reading, math, and science units, classroom activities, announcements, and upcoming school events. The school newsletter, The Weekly Reeder, is sent to parents on Fridays via email. Please make sure that we have a current email address on file for you. If you do not have access to the internet, then a paper copy can be sent home. Nightly Reading Nightly reading is essential for future success. All students at Reeder are expected to read nightly. In class, we will work on many reading comprehension strategies and we will share those with you to practice at home as well. Your reading aloud to your child is just as important as your child practicing their independent reading. The books we send home should be practiced over and over. Building fluency is an essential part of successful reading.

is for Office Staff

Office Staff - Please help your child learn the names of the office staff. It is important that they respectfully learn their proper names. Mrs. Hinman, Principal; Mrs. Theissen, Instructional Facilitator; Ms. Swoboda, Attendance and Records Secretary; and Mrs. Hanusek, Office and Health Room Para.

is for Parties, Parent Involvement, PTO, and Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parties - We will have two parties throughout the year. PTO organizes our room moms and volunteers for our two main parties Halloween and Valentines Day. The room parents organize these events and coordinate volunteers and donations. All are welcome to participate in the festivities! Parent Involvement - We love Parent Involvement! Please be involved in your childs Kindergarten year as much as you can. Your support of school activities makes your child feel important and sends the message that you value school! We are always happy to have your help for special activities in the classroom. We will try to let you know at least one week ahead of time if we need help. Requests for help will be published in our newsletters. We hope that you can come and join in the fun! We also encourage you to come in and share information about your family. We would love to hear how your family celebrates special holidays, where you are from, anything that will help us get to know you and your child better. PTO (Parent/Teacher Organization) - All parents are encouraged to join the schools PTO. This is a great way to meet other Kindergarten parents, and get involved in all the great things they support! Come to meetings and find out more about community outreach, enrichment activities, fundraisers, student achievement support - and of course all the fun social events like the Turkey Bingo and Spring Into Art Night.

P/T Conferences Reeder Elementary schedules October and February parent-teacher conferences. The conference will be scheduled for 20 minutes. It is so important that you arrive to your conference on time. Our conferences are scheduled back to back. So, if one person is late, then that makes everyone else late. At these conferences, we will discuss your childs accomplishments, strengths, and overall progress. If you feel the need to have a conference other than these times, please call the school, send a note, or email us to make arrangements.

is for Questions
Questions - Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding your childs education. We will make every effort to meet with you and discuss your concerns. We feel that it is our job to work together as partners to help your child have a successful first year.

is for Report Cards and Restrooms

Report Cards - We are on a quarter reporting system and report cards will be sent home four times a year. Our hope is to be in continual conversations with you regarding your childs learning. Please take every opportunity we provide to understand how your child is achieving at school: completed papers in Friday Folders, newsletter information, and through activities on the monthly homework calendar. Restrooms Children are allowed to use the restrooms as needed, although not encouraged during a directed instruction time. Unfortunately, accidents will happen and we will make sure that your child is sent to the health room for a change of clothes. Keeping an extra set of clothing in your childs backpack is optional.

is for Safety
Safety - Your childs safety is top priority. We will take every precaution when your child is in our care. Please be sure the office always has your updated emergency contact numbers (work, cell, and home) and the numbers of your emergency contacts in an event you cannot be reached.

is for Tardies and Toys

Tardies - Students late to school (after 8:45 A.M.) are considered tardy. The school keeps a record of these tardies and they will be documented on your childs report card. Excessive tardies is disruptive to the class as well as your childs learning. When you must be tardy, please notify the office ahead of time, and be sure to walk your child into the office and sign them in. Toys - Please keep all toys at home. Also, try to limit jewelry as it might break, or be misplaced. These items are better left at home because they quickly become too large a distraction at school. If they do appear, the items will be put away until they can be returned to an adult.

is for Unique
Unique - Each child in our classes are unique and wonderful. In kindergarten, we learn about how we are unique and special, and we celebrate our differences and similarities. We also learn about the different cultures within our class.

is for Visitors and Volunteers

Visitors - Reeder has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces) are required to check in at the school office and wear a visitors badge. If you do not have a pass, then you will be escorted back to the office to sign in and get a badge. It is important to remember that while this may seem inconvenient to frequent visitors, it is the goal and responsibility of the school to create a safe learning environment. Volunteers - Volunteering in the classroom is encouraged and welcomed! Occasionally in Kindergarten, students will behave very differently when their parents are helpers in the room. If this becomes a problem, we will ask that you help prepare projects in the kindergarten volunteer area instead of helping in the classroom. In addition, younger siblings will not be permitted to join you on your volunteer day.

is for Water Bottles and Web Site

Water Bottles - Please send only pop top water bottles to school. Students will be able to keep their water bottles at their seat. Web Site - Our school has a website which can be accessed at http://www.mpsomaha.org/reeder/. It is full of useful information, including the Weekly Reeder, current lunch menu, school and district calendars, staff email addresses, grade-level information and links, photo albums, and much more.

is for X-tra Special and eXciting!

X-tra Special and eXciting - Kindergarten is such an eXciting, magical year! Each child is eXtra special to us and we will guide them gently and consistently all year long. Thank you for sharing them!

is for YOU!

You! - Please remember that YOU are your child's first and most important teacher. No one can influence your child's life in the way that you can! You can help to make your child feel successful this year by discussing your childs school day with them. Ask questions like, What did you learn today?, What did you work the hardest on?, What was the best part of your day? or What are you getting better at? These questions cause children to reflect on their learning which in turn helps them remember new information. Dont let them tell you nothing. Ask your child about stations, reading, or math work. The way your child perceives your feelings about his/her school and teachers will have a direct effect on how he/she feels about them. Show an enthusiasm for learning. It is contagious!

is for Zzzzzs and Zoom

Zzzzs - Your child should get plenty of rest each night. Kindergarten students require 10-12 hours of sleep per day. Set a bedtime and be consistent. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to your child. It will help them to be attentive and prepared to learn each day! Don't forget to read a book before bedtime! Zoom - Sit back and watch your child's skills take off! You will be amazed and surprised at the incredible growth and changes this year.