Bethany Elementary School, Plano, Texas

Bethany is called the Bethany Bunch- each grade level has a different mascot that begins with a B, in Kindergarten we are the Bethany Bears!

The Bethany school doors open at 7:15 am each morning. Before 7:30 AM, students enter the gym and sit with other students from their grade level. At 7:30 the bell rings and students walk to their grade level. After putting their backpacks, jackets, and lunchboxes in their lockers, the Kindergarten students will bring their take-home folders, enter the rooms and begin Writer's Workshop.

Kindergarten lunchtime is from 12:15-12:45. Students may bring their lunch, buy a lunch from the lunch line, or do a combination of both. Each student will have a lunch code. This is a number that is entered if the child buys anything from the lunch line. Parents are welcome to come and sit at the guest table with their child after the first six weeks, once our lunchroom procedures have been established. Because of our limited lunch time kindergarten students do not participate in the purchasing of ice cream at lunch.

If your child is celebrating their birthday, their teacher will take the time to recognize their special day. This year kindergarten will be recognizing one student a week as a “Star Student”. Different classes begin this activity at different times.

Recess -During the school day, the kindergarten students will have a 30 minute block of time for recess. This will usually be outside play from 12:45 to 1:15.

Snack - Each morning the kindergarten students eat a snack. Your child will need a simple snack that is packaged separately from their lunch. It should be one they can open easily and manage independently. Your child may bring a bottle of water to class. Their name should be marked clearly on the water bottle to prevent your child's water from getting mixed up with that of another child. Ideas for healthy snacks can be located on the following website www.squaremeals.org.

Rest Time - Kindergarten is a busy place and the students work and play the whole day. Our schedule has us involved in learning academically and socially from 7:30-2:45 each day. At the beginning of the year after recess, we will take a few minutes to lay down on the floor and listen to a story, look at books in our personal area, or just rest our bodies and brains. As the year goes on, this time will become more academic and less rest. To start the year off, your child may bring two bath size towels. We will send these home each Friday to be washed. Starting in early October, you will not need to return the towels.

Field Trips - Kindergarten takes two field trips. In the fall we will visit Frisco Fire Safety Town. In the spring we will go to the Outdoor Learning Center.

Through experience, we have found that children strive to meet our expectations. At Bethany Elementary, we have high expectations for your children both academically and behaviorally. Our goal is to teach the students to be:

In Kindergarten, we establish and model behavior expectations for the classroom, the restroom, the hallways, cafeteria, playground and even in the neighborhood. As a visual reminder, we have a "color stick" in the classroom. The stick (a painted yardstick) has the colors purple, green, yellow, blue and red painted on it. The specifics of the behavior plan are explained in the curriculum meeting at the beginning of the year and in information packets that go home. An explanation is also in the child's take home folder where a colored smiley face indicates how your child's school day went.

A communication card is in each childs' take home folder. It should be signed by the parent daily and returned to school each morning.

After the Winter Break, a behavior plan will be introduced that will prepare the children for first grade. Letters of explanation will be sent home as this new plan is initiated.

Each day your child will bring home a folder. Some days it will contain finished work. This is our way of transporting information from school to home and home to school, so please place any papers from home in this folder also.

The students will bring their folder to an assigned place in the room and then at the end of the day place it back in their back pack. At home you may want to have an assigned place to keep this folder each night or after looking at it you may want your child to keep it in his/her backpack. This process will prepare them for their agenda in first grade.

After the children have settled into the routine of getting things back and forth between school and home, book bags will start being sent home. This is a zip lock bag containing a book that is on your child's independent reading level. Your child will have read this book several times in class and should be able to read it to you easily. After reading with your child, please return the book (in its bag) to school the next day.

Throughout the year we will have star word homework and integrated curriculum activities to extend learning at home.

Kindergarten homework is sent home on a monthly calendar. ALL students are encouraged to complete the homework and return it to their teacher. The monthly calendar will be sent home at the beginning of each month. If you have any questions about the homework, please contact your child's teacher. Each child is encouraged to read or be read to for 20 minutes daily.

* A Rainbow group made up of several students from each kindergarten class was formed to level out class sizes during specials.

Return to Top

Writing

Writer's Workshop - First thing each morning students use pictures and words to express their thoughts. As we move through the year, students write more and draw less.

Modeled Writing - The teacher writes in front of students demonstrating writing mini-lessons. This is also a time to show correct penmanship.

Shared Writing - Students share personal experiences with the class. Some writing is done by the teacher and some by the student.

Guided Writing - The teacher does mini lessons to teach new writing skills or reteaches skills that may need more work. This is done with the whole class, a small group, or with an individual.

Handwriting without Tears - Our kindergarten uses a handwriting program that introduces correct letter formation and finger grip.

Return to Top

Reading

Modeled Reading - The teacher selects good literature to read to students.

Shared Reading - The teacher and the students read stories together to build reading skills.

Independent Reading - Students reading books independently.

We do a lot of work with words - putting words together, taking words apart.
Rhyming, Blending, Changing.

Kindergarten has 24 Star words. Our Kindergarten students need to know how to read them, write them, and locate them in sentences. Click here to see the Star words.

Return to Top

Math

Calendar
Days, weeks, months, and years
Number order, counting, odd and even
Patterns, sequence, ordinal numbers
Graphs, place value, weather, position words

Whole group instruction - Daily block of time to teach grade level appropriate math skills and extend mathematical thinking.

CGI math (Cognitively Guided Instruction) - Time used to solve story problems and work out math concepts with individual counters.

Classroom Station - Area in room where independent math activities take place. Students are also able to revisit other math games and manipulatives.

Return to Top

Classroom Stations

Computer Station - This station has computer programs to develop math, reading, writing, science and social study skills.

Literacy Stations - These stations have activities that develop and extend literacy skills learned in the classroom.

Math Station - This station has manipulatives and math games that extend math concepts.

Teacher Station/Guided Reading Table - Area of room where the teacher will work with small groups.

Return to Top

Learning Centers

In Kindergarten we have a large area where students work on sharing and verbal communication skills. This area is made up of several small areas each set up to help foster social and academic growth.

These areas include:

· Manipulatives

· Computers

· Puppets/Felt Boards

· Library/Writing/Listening

· Art

· Home and Family Center

· Sand and Water Table

· Math Blocks

Return to Top

Integrated Curriculum

Science and Social Studies are taught each day. We call this our Integrated Curriculum. Each six weeks we have a new overarching idea.

First Six Weeks
"Off to a Beary Good Start"
Solid Foundations

This first six weeks focuses on the need for rules and harmony and the importance of being a good listener as well as taking responsibility for one's actions. Citizenship concepts are introduced including: "we are all unique," "we are alike as well as different," and our class is a "family." We learn about sharing and taking turns, listening without interrupting, and participation. Finally, a celebration is held to reinforce the learning that has taken place.

Second Six Weeks
"All Aboard for Systems"
Systems

We learn that a system is defined as a group of parts that works together to do a job. We explore how the parts of a "clicker" ball-point pen work together to do a job. We further examine other types of systems through many hands-on activities. We move from the concrete exploration to the abstract concept that the alphabet, numbers, and music are systems as well. The study culminates with students using classroom building materials to contruct their own system.

Third Six Weeks
"How Do I Learn About My World?"
Communication

The students learn how to use their five senses to gain information about the world around them. Students are introduced to the use of tools such as balance scales, hand magnifiers, and nonstandard units of measurement. They will learn how to measure the distance around an object as well as determine if an object sinks or floats. We also spend time learning how to ask good questions that will help us find out what we need to know. The students will apply and practice the skills they've learned with objects from the natural environment such as trees and leaves.

Fourth Six Weeks
"What's the Connection?"
Interactions

We initially spend time developing an understanding about what a connection is. We learn about concrete connections, such as toothpaste and toothbrush. We also learn about connections between our environment and ourselves. For example, we explore the connection between the weather we are having and the clothing we choose to wear. We investigate the connections between an animal's body parts and they way they eat, move and protect themselves. We make the connection between healthy habits and wellness. We also explore the outside envirionment to observe changes and make connections. Finally, students will have the opportunity to observe live animals in our Animal Research Center.

Fifth Six Weeks
"What's Alike/What's Different?"
Diversity

Students will learn that diversity means the ways objects, animals, plants, and people are unique. Students will observe the diversity of plants and begin to formulate criteria for living and nonliving objects. We explore animals as living things and learn characteristics of living things. We will learn about animal habitats and the diversity among animals' homes. Then students will apply what they have learnied to create their own diorama of an animal habitat.

Sixth Six Weeks
"Change is all Around Me"
Changes

In this unit, students will be introduced to the concept of change. Our focus will be on observing and communicating a change rather than understanding why a change has occurred. Students will perform a simple experiment and will observe, discuss, and compare changes in themselves. Next, they will observe and communicate changes that take place among plants and animals. Students will investigate their own impact on environmental issues, litter, recycling and how they can make changes in the environment. Finally, the students will make peanut butter and communicate the changes they observe.

Return to Top

Grade Level Volunteers

All parents should fill out the PTA volunteer form that came home at the beginning of the year. We need lunchroom helpers, classroom helpers, center helpers, and material helpers. You can read in the classroom, take things home, or volunteer in other areas of the building. The grade level liaison or classroom aide will contact you once you have signed up. If you wish to volunteer, please be sure to complete the PISD online background check to insure the safety of our children. If you need help with this, please contact the office.

Return to Top