Chandler Public Schools

Mrs. Lewis’ Kindergarten Class Hand Book

Contact Information:  

     Latricia (Trish) Lewis

     Email: trish.lewis@chandlerlions.org

     Office: (405)258-1872

Welcome!

Welcome to Kindergarten! Kindergarten is an important milestone. I am excited to get to know you and your child!

Parent Participation

Your support of school activities sends a message to your child that you value school. There will be a variety of special classroom activities throughout the school year. I encourage you to participate in these activities when possible and to support them by sending needed supplies.

If you are able to volunteer your time at school, let me know so I can keep you in mind when needs arise.

Parent/Teacher Communication

Throughout the year, I will communicate with you through Class Dojo, progress reports, notes on student work, and parent/teacher conferences. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You may call me at school or message me on Class Dojo. I will do my best to answer any questions as early as possible. However, if it will take more than a couple minutes, I will call you at the end of the school day. If you send a message during evening hours, I may not be able to answer it until the following morning.

It is imperative that you sign up for Class Dojo and make sure to keep your contact number updated. This is especially important for times of bad weather or whole-school emergencies when we may need to contact you on short notice. It is important that you receive notifications in a timely manner. You may email me or contact the office if you need help getting signed up. 

Parent Teacher Conferences are held during October and March. I will do my best to accomodate you with a time that works best for you. It is important that we get together to discuss the Kindergarten skills that your student has mastered, as well as the skills he/she needs to work on. Please make every effort to attend the meetings.

Special Occasions 

Birthdays are special occasions for young children. While we do not have time for birthday parties at school, your child may bring snacks to share with the class on his/her birthday. If your child has a summer birthday, you may send a snack on his/her "half birthday" if you choose. Please notify me a few days ahead of time if you plan to send a snack so we can discuss details such as student allergies or other requirements.

Christmas party: We ask that each student bring small, inexpensive party favors for each student in the class. We will make sacks at school for students to collect their gifts. Students are allowed 2 guests to attend their Christmas party.

Valentine celebration: We ask that each student bring Valentine cards for each student in the class. We will make snacks at school for students to collect their Valentine cards. The Valentine celebration is a smaller event that only students and staff may attend.

Please keep in mind that students are not allowed to receive deliveries at school (such as flowers, balloons, gifts, etc).

What to Wear

Kindergarten can be a messy place! Please do not send your child to school in their very best clothes. We paint and use scissors often. We also play outside as the weather allows. We will go outside for recess twice a day as long as it is not excessively wet/muddy, below 32 degrees, or above 95 degrees. Our first recess is at 8:40 a.m. so it is often still cold at this time of morning. Your child may need to wear layers or a jacket for much of the year.

Kindergarten goes to P.E. class daily. Please keep P.E. and recess in mind when choosing shoes for the day. Flip flops, sandals, and boots can be hard for students to run, climb, and play in. It is usually best for students to wear comfortable shoes to move around in all day. We have 20+ people in a small classroom so it is very easy for exposed toes to get stepped on or banged against objects. My personal preference is that toes are covered.

Backpacks

• Students should bring their backpack or daily.
• Backpacks should be emptied/reviewed every evening by an adult.
• Students are not allowed to take library books home without a backpack or envelope.
• We will provide 1 large white envelope for students that do not carry a backpack.
• Please do not allow students to bring toys or valuables to school.

Label All Backpacks / Lunchboxes / Clothing

It is important that you label all lunchboxes, water bottles, jackets, or other clothing items with your students name. It is not possible for the teacher to keep up with the personal belongings of 20+ students. Lost items found around school are turned in at the office to go in the Lost & Found box. You have the best chance of being reunited with lost items if you make a habit of labelling everything.

Toys / Jewelry / Items from Home

Students are not allowed to bring toys to school. Jewelry is often treated as a toy at school. Teachers cannot be responsible for toys, jewelry, or other items brought from home. We have plenty of activities for students at school. If your child brings an item from home, I will keep it until you can pick it up.

Kindergarten Rules

1. Be kind
2. Follow directions quickly
3. Be in the right place
4. Keep hands and feet to yourself

Playground Rules

1. No fighting games
2. No chasing games
3. No jumping out of swings or off climbing equipment
4. Do not leave the playground without teacher permission
5. Line up when the whistle is blown

Consequences for Misbehavior

1. Warning (1st nine weeks only)
2. 5 minutes time-out
3. 10 minutes time-out
4. Conference with parent and/or principal
5. If a child bites, deliberately hurts another child, or openly defies the teacher, he/she will be taken to the principal.

Final Note

I am looking forward to a great year working with your child! Thank you in advance for your support throughout the school year. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time.