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Dear Kindergartener Letter: July 20, 2007   Dear ,   Welcome to Kindergarten!!! I hope you had a fun summer of playing and relaxing!  I am so excited to start a new school year and have you in my class.  We are going to do many fun and interesting things this year!   Here is a list of the supplies you will need to bring with you when you come to school for open house: 1 three subject composition notebook, 1 bottle of anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, 3 boxes of tissue You will also need the following items for your scrap book: 1 one inch white notebooks, 2 large packs of clear plastic notebook sleeves, and 1 pack of plastic tabbed notebook dividers with pockets             You can go to www.morlansbeehive.net and see some of the fun things that we will do this year!              I look forward to seeing you soon!   Love, Mrs. Morlan                                               Information Letter:                                           “Kindergarten”                       Where you will watch your child grow!             Congratulations!  You are the parent of a Kindergartner here at Maxwell Elementary!  You will be amazed at just how much your child will grow this year!  Your child will have the seeds of reading, writing, and mathematics planted.  During kindergarten those seeds will grow and blossom.  You will see changes in your child’s thinking as he/she becomes familiar with abstract concepts and symbols.  The change will be dramatic – just compare a tiny seed with a full-grown flower!  That’s the kind of growth you will see this year!   Ways to Help Your Child Bloom The loveliest flowers usually have the best gardener – and that’s you!  Staying involved in your child’s education is the key to a successful year.  Engage your child in conversation about his/her day.  I will send home a weekly newsletter called “The Busy Bee Buzz” detailing our activities for the week.  You can use this as a springboard for discussion.  Another way to stay involved is to check your child’s B.E.E. book each day.  The B.E.E. book is a three-ring notebook that your kindergartener will use everyday to develop organizational skills and learn responsibility.  This book is a way of maintaining effective communication between home and school.  It aims to eliminate lost notes, newsletters, calendars, and homework as well as keep parents and students informed of important events and academic progress.  So, if you want to know what the “buzz” is in Mrs. Morlan’s kindergarten class, check out your child’s B.E.E. book! Here’s what you will find inside the B.E.E. book: 1 – The important buzz – The front notebook pocket will be used to send notes to the teacher that need immediate attention, such as bus changes, doctor’s appointments, urgent concerns, etc.  I will also use this pocket to send you notes that require immediate attention.  Please check this section daily! 2 – Money Pocket – From time to time, you may need to send money to school for lunch, ice cream, book orders, picture money, etc.  Please use the plastic pencil case to send money to school.  Please DO NOT use this pocket for school supplies.  Also PLEASE remember to label exactly what the money is for so we will not use your child’s lunch money for ice cream and so on! 3 – The Behavior Report from the hive – This section will have a monthly behavior log to let you know how your child’s behavior is daily.  If your child’s name was moved, it will also explain why.  Please review this daily and initial the date box.  Also, please remember that we will start our year off strict so we will be able to maintain control over the class during the year.  Students will receive a verbal warning before names are moved, but we will not continue to warn over and over. 4 – The Busy Bee Buzz – This will be your child’s weekly newsletter. 5 – Busy Bee Calendar – This calendar will list treat days, our activity schedule, and other events. 6 – Daily Schedule – Feel free to come eat lunch with your child any time throughout the year. 7 – Homework – Any work your child will need to complete at home will be placed in this pocket.  8 – Communication – There is notebook paper placed in this section.  From time to time, I will write comments about your child.  I encourage you to write any comments you may have to me as well to keep the lines of communication open.  However, if you have an urgent comment, please write a note and place it in the front pocket in the Important Buzz, send me an email, or call the school. 9 – Busy Bee Homework Helpers – Sight words your child will need to study along with other items to help your child succeed will be found in this section. 10 – Bee-tiful Work – This pocket will contain school work that may be kept and admired at home.  Please check this section daily and remove all items from the pocket. 11 – School Menu (when available) 12 – Transportation Forms – If your child’s way of traveling home changes, you will need to fill one of these out and send it to school.  Please make sure you place the filled out copy in the “Important Buzz” section at the front of the notebook so we will see it right away!       A Few Procedures To help keep things growing “weed-free,” it helps to remember our class procedures.   1 – IMPORTANT – If you must change your child’s transportation home, a request MUST be made in writing.  To ensure the safety of all students, changes WILL NOT be accepted by telephone.  Change forms or written requests may be made during the school day by stopping by the office and making the request in person. 2 – Please label any money you send.  Ice cream is sold every day at lunch time.  The cost is 75 cents.  Lunch is $1 and breakfast for all students will be provided free.  On a monthly basis, I will send home a book order form.  If you would like to order books, please fill out the form and send the correct amount of cash or write a check payable to the book club. 3 – We go to PE, music, art, and computer lab on alternating days.  Please dress your child appropriately on PE days.  These days will be listed on your monthly calendar to help you remember. 4 – Parent / Teacher Communication – In addition to the report cards and scheduled conferences, I am always available to meet or speak with you.  If it is not urgent, please jot a note and I will respond as soon as possible.  You may call the school or email me as well.  In return, I will contact you by note or telephone if there is something that I would like to discuss.  If your contact information changes during the school year please be sure to update me so I will always have a way to get in touch with you.  5 – I have a class web site where I post all of our class information.  This may be helpful and give you a better view of what your child is doing throughout our kindergarten year.  www.morlansbeehive.net 6 – Number 6 in the B.E.E. book is the “Busy Bee Behavior Report.”  This is a discipline report so you will be aware of your child’s behavior daily.  If your child has obeyed the rules, he/she will receive a sticker on the beehive for that day.  Be sure to congratulate him/her for having super behavior!  If your child’s name was moved to yellow, he/she will receive a warning for the day and his/her beehive will be colored yellow.  If your child’s name was moved to red, then his/her behavior needs improvement and the hive will be colored red.  You will receive a note if your child ends the day on red or in the class Reflection chair.  If your child has to visit the Reflection room, you will receive a phone call.  Please help to encourage super behavior! morlanb@mcduffie.k12.ga.us   (school email)      becs52472@bellsouth.net (home email) school number – 986-4800 ext.5837     web address – www.morlansbeehive.net Seeds need sun and water… Here’s what we need! Mrs. Morlan’s kindergarten supply list:  one bottle of antibacterial hand sanitizer, three large boxes of Kleenex, book bag, one 3 subject composition notebook, one 1 inch white 3 ring notebook, two large packs of clear plastic page protectors, one pack of plastic tabbed dividers with pockets In addition to the school supplies that your child will need, we always welcome donations.  A few items we will use throughout the year are:  cotton balls, paper plates, buttons, and white and brown paper bags.                                                   Here’s wishing you a wonderful year of growth!!!!!                                              Busy Bee Behavior Plan: *Each child has a bee with his/her name on it.  All the bees are on the beehive.  The beehive consists of three colors.  The top of the hive is green, the middle is yellow, and the bottom is red. * Each day the bees start off on green.  The first time a child breaks a rule, he/she will be verbally reminded of the correct way to behave. * The second time the child breaks a rule; he/she will have to move his/her bee to yellow on the hive. * The third time a rule is broken; the child will move his/her name to red on the beehive.  If a child ends up on red at the end of the day, he/she will receive a note for his/her parents.  This note will explain why the child ended his/her day on red. * If the child continues to misbehave while on red, he/she will have to sit in the Reflection chair in the classroom.  The child will write an action plan while in the chair.  This plan will show what the child did wrong and what he/she should have done instead. * If the child continues to misbehave, he/she will be sent to the Reflection Room where he/she will write out another action plan.  The teacher in the Reflection Room will contact the child’s parents by telephone and a notice will be sent home for the parent to sign and return. * Severe and/or constant disruption will result in a visit to the Reflection Room. * Students who behave appropriately will be positively rewarded with verbal praise, caught “bee-ing” goods, and chances to get a treat out of the “Honey Pot.” * On Friday, I will draw one name out of our “Caught Bee-ing Good” bucket.  The person who is drawn will get to pick a neat prize out of the “Caught Bee-ing Good” bag. * Parents will receive a “Busy Bee Behavior Report” daily to inform them of the child’s behavior daily. * Please view our school wide discipline procedures listed in the student handbook.   *******Students that remain on green throughout the entire month!!!!!!!!!!!!********* I reward all my students that can remain on green the entire month each month by purchasing them an ice cream at the end of the month, placing their picture in the hall on our good behavior wall, and by giving them a good behavior certificate.  (The certificate will be placed in the child’s scrapbook that he/she will receive at the end of the school year.)  Please help to encourage good behavior.  Also, please remember behavior must be under control in a class in order for the teacher to successfully accomplish her job as an educator.                                                   Meet the Teacher Letter: Ever Wonder: Who is this lady that will be teaching my child in Kindergarten?? Mrs. Becky Morlan   This is my 13th year teaching kindergarten.  My first two years teaching kindergarten were spent in Warrenton and the last ten here at Maxwell.  I received my Early Childhood Degree from Georgia College in Milledgeville and my Masters degree from Augusta State University.  I am a Nationally Certified Teacher with a Teacher Support Specialist and a reading endorsement.  I was honored with being selected in the “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” in the 10th, 11th, and 12th editions.  I received the great honor of being elected by my peers as J.A. Maxwell's 2007 Teacher of the Year.  During the 2004-05 school year, I received a Teacher will travel home with your child on Monday and will be kept until Friday of each week.  My students over the past three years have really enjoyed them.  During the 2005-2006 school year, I received another Teacher Incentive Grant to implement “Hot Dots” in my classroom.  This is an extra center and Incentive Grant to create Discovery Bags.  Your children will have the opportunity this year to experience the Discovery Bags as well.  They are homework bags that small group phonics related program that your children will also experience this school  year.  Last year, I was fortunate enough to receive a grant to create "Busy Bee Tunes" for my students.  These are learning CDs which will help your child learn our sight words as well as a few other skills.  Your child will bring home a new CD each nine weeks.  The CDs are for your child to keep and use at home!  I am married to Jessie Morlan, the THS band director.  I have two daughters.  Courtney is ten and is in the 5th grade  at Norris Elementary.  Jessica will be two in December.  When I am not teaching school, I spend time with my family and teach twirling classes to "The Sparklers."  I am also the Auxiliary director for the THS Dance Line, Flag Line, and Majorettes along with the TMS twirlers.  My afternoons are very full each day and my Friday nights are spent at the football games with the band.  I like to stay busy! :) I believe all children are capable of learning and it is my mission to help each child in the class succeed.  In our class, we will work as a "team" in order to meet our learning goals.  I really enjoy my job as a kindergarten teacher and put my whole heart into all that I do to create success for the students in my room and myself.   I look forward to working with you and your children.  In my opinion, it takes both the parents and the teacher working together to create the best learning environment for all students.  My classroom will always be open to you and I look forward to a wonderful year with your child!  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you ever have any questions or concerns!   morlanb@mcduffie.k12.ga.us  (this is the fastest and easiest way for me to communicate if you have email) becs52472@bellsouth.net    www.morlansbeehive.net   Maxwell Elementary – 986-4800  my extension: 5837   Student Information Form: Now that you have met the teacher, help the teacher meet your family!   Student’s Name: _______________________ Birthday________________   Parent’s Name: _________________________________________   Email address if available: __________________________________   Brothers and Sisters with ages: ________________________________________________________   Favorite family activity: _______________________________________   Student’s favorite activity and other areas of interest: ______________________________________   Are there any concerns that you have about your child that I should know? _______________________   Student’s favorite color: _________________________________   Student’s favorite food or treat: ___________________________   Student is allergic to: ___________________________________   Student is afraid of: ____________________________________   I often take pictures of the students doing various activities.  These pictures are used for end of the year memory books, to post on our walls, various school projects, and maybe used for our web site.  May I have your permission to take photos of your child throughout the school year? ______ Yes, you have my permission to take pictures of my child. _____ No, I do not want any pictures taken of my child.     ______Yes, you may use my child’s picture on your web site.  www.morlansbeehive.net ______No, I do not want any pictures of my child on the web.   _______________________________________________(please sign)