Absence - Of course we want your child to be present each and every day at school. But, in the event your child will be absent from school please call 641-816-5629. For record keeping purposes, a signed and dated note explaining the reason for the absence should be brought to school upon his/her return.

Birthdays - Children are invited to bring special treats to share with the class in celebration of their birthdays. Children who have summer birthdays can pick a day during the regular school year to commemorate their special day. Just send a note with your child before the chosen date to facilitate classroom planning. If your child is having party and only a few classmates are invited, please mail invitations rather than sending them to school. If everyone in the class is invited, it is fine to have your child deliver the invitations at school.

Book Orders - On occasion, your child will bring home a form for ordering books. Ordering is optional. If you do decide to purchase books, make checks payable to the book club or send cash. Books usually arrive within two weeks. (Place book order money in an envelope labeled with book order and your child's name and put it inside the zippered pouch in the O.K. notebook for safe transport.)

Conferences - Contact Mrs. Tracy anytime you wish to discuss your child's progress. District wide conferences will be held in the Fall and Spring. Watch classroom newsletters for details.

Homework - One of the most important homework activities in kindergarten is reading. Try to read with your child 15-20 minutes daily. On most Fridays, your child will bring home an activity extending topics being explored at school. Place completed homework in the homework pocket of O.K. notebook. Finished homework can come to school any time the following week.

Illness - Your child needs to be symptom free for 24 hours before coming to school. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and so on. This includes vomiting or diarrhea for any reason - even if your child seems fine afterwards. Encourage your child to cough or sneeze into his/her elbow, keep hands away from the face and to wash hands regularly with soap. This will help everyone stay healthy.

Labeling Items - Please label your child's backpack, hats, coats, mittens, scarves, individual crayons, sweatshirts, boots, and other accessories with your child's name. This will help prevent loss of these items.

Lunch - Parents/guests can can eat lunch with kindergartners - call the office at 641-816-5629 so the cooks can prepare. (The office requests that guests not make lunch reservations during the first two weeks of school and the final two weeks of school.)

Newsletters - On Fridays, your child will bring home a classroom newsletter summarizing classroom happenings from that week. On the back you will find your child's personal classroom news. Ask your child to tell you about the message/drawing. Then, print a message related to the topic back to your child and read it to your child. The newsletter will be added to your child's portfolio - so be sure to return it to school the following week. Greene Elementary will also send home a weekly update. Watch for it on Thursday or Friday.

Notes from Home - If your child will be going home a different way than usual, please send a note to school that includes the date and your signature. Place notes inside the zippered pocket in your child's O.K. notebook. You can also leave a message with the principal or secretary by calling 816-5629. If you are picking your child up early, please go directly to the office and they will call your child for dismissal. If you are sending someone other than yourself to pick up your child, please inform the office of this by calling 641-816-5629. Guests also need to report to the office rather than picking children up directly from the classroom.

O.K. (Organized Kid) Notebook - This notebook serves as a tool for us to communicate back and forth. It also contains helpful school information. Using and taking care of the notebook will encourage your child to practice organizational skills as well as learn to take responsibility for school items. Encourage your child to keep this in his/her backpack when it is not in use and to bring it to school each day.

Portfolios - Three ring binders will be used to house children's classroom memories, photos, work samples and other assessments showing their progress over the course of the school year. These will be referred to during conferences. Children can take their portfolios home on the last day of kindergarten.

Progress Reports - Student progress will be recorded on report cards which will be issued at the end of each quarter. These can also be accessed online at http://www.frontiernet.net/~ltracy/Ktracy08/index.htm or
from the North Butler homepage at http://www.greene.k12.ia.us.

Rules and Decision Making - Throughout the year, children will participate in developing a classroom promise, classroom procedures as well as many other classroom decisions. Having the children participate in writing their own promises (rules) and procedures for doing things helps establish a community of learners who work together. After creating the document, the class must come up with reasonable consequences for broken promises. This is recorded on the circle of respect promise board. Children then sign their names around the edge of the circle pledging their allegiance to their class promise. They are also issued a clothespin with
their name on it which is then clipped to the outside edge of the circle. If someone breaks a promise, they are asked to move their clip from our ‘Circle of Respect’ to another location (simply a yellow paper hanging on the wall under the promise circle) and follow the consequence listed. Children earn back their spot in the circle by demonstrating to their classmates that they can follow the formally broken promise.

Volunteering - Parents are encouraged to help with special classroom activities, chaperone field trips, and so on. Watch the classroom newsletter for opportunities. Call, email, or send a note if you are interested. If you wish to volunteer regularly in a classroom, contact the office for opportunities.

Shoes - If your child does not yet tie shoes have him/her wear slip-on or velcro shoes that he or she can put on independently. Shoes with a covered toe are required for recess.

Show and Tell - During choice time, a special area in the classroom will be designated for sharing. Children can share as often as they wish but should bring only one item per session - avoid toys - instead encourage your child to share items he or she has made, significant photos, or artifacts from interesting experiences.

Supply List -Click Here

Toys - Please help your child remember to leave toys and other play items at home. These can easily become lost or damaged. Leaving extra items at home help backpacks stay clean and free from clutter.