Rogers' Roadrunners Mission Statement

Mrs. Rogers' Roadrunners will be ready to learn by being Prepared, Accountable, Respectful and Kind.  We will cooperate with our friends and learn from one another.  We will practice what we have learned to become better learners so that we will be ready for first grade.

My classroom expectations are very simple - PARK.  We are PREPARED to learn, we are ACCOUNTABLE for our choices, we are RESPECTFUL to ourselves and others and we are KIND.  We focus on this a lot in Kindergarten and expect all students to respect each other, school supplies and themselves.  We use "Flash Line" when walking around campus.  This helps remind us to be respectful of others who are trying to learn.

It is also expected that all students be respectful of each other in the learning environment - the classroom.  Each student will be given the same opportunities to learn as everyone else.  As we know everyone learns differently and has different needs.  I will be respectful of each and everyone's needs in our classroom.

We will hold classroom meetings to address items that may come up where someone is not being respectful.  During the class meeting, we will come up with different ways to handle the situation.  This is student led, so some of the ideas will work and others will not.  This will allow us to help each other learn and grow not only academically, but socially as well.

Mrs. Rogers’ ABCs of Kindergarten

I am looking forward to working with your child this year. Whether this is your first child beginning school or your  last coming through, you are probably experiencing some mixed emotions concerning school right now. I realize this and hope this information will help you and your child have an easy transition into Kindergarten. I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with you and your child. We are here for you whenever you need us and we are looking forward to a fabulous year!

A

Absences: Please make sure that your child makes every effort to attend school every day except in cases of illness or emergency. If your child will not be at school, please call the office by 9:00 AM. Please send a note or doctor’s excuse stating the reason for absence when they return.

B

Birthdays: Birthdays may be celebrated at school. I have found that it works best to celebrate at the end of the day at approximately 3:00. Please let me know at least one day in advance if you are sending in a snack, so we have enough time to celebrate your child. Homemade food items are not allowed. All food must be un-opened, store bought and in its original container.

Breakfast: We will begin our day with a healthy breakfast.  All students will have the opportunity to eat at school starting at 8:30.  You may give your child breakfast before coming to school. However, we will all report to the cafeteria for breakfast for those who did not eat. Your child may eat another breakfast if they want.

C

Check-Out Procedures: If you need to check your child out of school early, please stop by the office.  Please let me know in advance, if possible, so that I can have their items ready for a speedy check out.

Cafeteria: Students will eat breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria. You may have your child bring a lunch or purchase a lunch each day.

Car Tags:  You will receive a blue or purple car tag at Meet the Teacher Night.  It will have a number that you will use when picking your child up after school.  Please have this tag visible in your car so that we can identify your child.

D

Drop off/Dismissal:  Students can be dropped off at 8:30am (please give your hugs and kisses at this time) at the Kindergarten gate located at the south end of the school.  They will then proceed to the cafeteria for breakfast.  Please do not drop your child off before 8:30, as there is no supervision.

Dismissal is at 3:25.  Please have your student's pick-up number visible to those staff members who are on duty. 

Discipline:  We use the clip up/down chart for monitoring behaviors.  Please review the discipline procedure in our back to school letter.

E

 E-mail: Cheryl.rogers@dvusd.org.  This is an excellent way to communicate with me. I check my e-mail on a daily basis.

F

Folders:  Your child will receive a folder that will be used daily containing homework, papers from the office, their behavior calendar and notes.  Please check this folder nightly, remove any necessary papers, and return it to school the following day. ALL correspondence should go through this folder. Please leave the daily behavioral calendar in the folder. 

G

GREAT YEAR! It is my personal goal to make sure that your child has a great year and an unforgettable first year experience. I am looking forward to a great year with your child!

Goals:  Each month we will assess our students.  After each assessment, your student will graph his/her own score and see where they are at in regards to their end of the year goals.  This shows them how they are doing and we will use this data at conferences.

H

Homework: I assign very little homework throughout the year. Depending on what we are learning in the classroom, your child may have activities that will be sent home to practice.  These activities are based on your child’s needs.

I

Injury/Sickness at School: If your child gets injured or becomes sick at school, the school nurse will contact you or the person you listed on your emergency form. AN EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER MUST BE ON FILE in the office. Let me know if there are any phone number changes or the emergency phone number as soon as possible.

J

Junk: Everyone is not able to be directly involved in the classroom, but one way you can help is for you to donate items that we will need in our classroom.  I will send an email with a list of items that we will need throughout the year.   Also, small toys can be sent in for the treasure box!

K

 Kindergarten Newsletter: Newsletters are sent home frequently via email.  We will use the email that you provided when you registered.  Please be sure to read this carefully and look for information such as homework, upcoming events and important dates.

L

Lunch: Our lunch/recess time is from 11:45 – 12:30.  Students may buy lunch or bring one from home.  Please remember to label any lunch box you send with your child.

M

Monthly Newsletter/Calendar: At the beginning of each month a school newsletter/calendar will be sent home so that you are always aware of the events going on.

Money: When sending money to school with your child, please send it in a sealed envelope with the following information written on it:

• Your child first and last name
• Teacher’s name
• The amount of money
• Purpose of money

Medication:  Any medications that will be administered at school must be given to the school nurse by parent/guardian.  Parents must complete and sign a permission form available in the office before medication can be administered.  All medications must be marked with dosage and time to be administered. Medications will be stored/locked in the nurse’s office. All prescription medication must be in the original bottle from the drugstore.  Please do not send in cough drops or throat drops to school.  Students are not allowed to have these in their possession.

N

Names: Please be sure to write your child’s name on all belongings brought to school: lunchboxes, backpacks, coats, water bottles  and change of clothes.

Nurse: We do have a registered nurse here at the school, but we make it a point to only make visits to the nurse’s station if absolutely necessary. If your child has any health issues please make her aware of these. 

O

 Office: Much of the school’s business is handled in our office.  The office hours are from 7:30 – 4:00.   If your child is absent, please call the office at (623) 445-4100.  Your child should be checked out at the office if you are picking them up before dismissal.

P

 Parent/ Teacher Relationship:  I feel that we must work closely together as a team to best meet the needs of your child and help him or her reach their maximum potential.  Please feel free to contact me by note or e-mail any time.  I am more than happy to discuss any comments, concerns or questions you may have during the school year! I will communicate to you through notes, newsletters, progress reports, and parent-teacher conferences.  Please refer to our school website for any information you may need.

Q

Quiet/Rest Time:  We do not have a rest time.  Our day is very busy, so please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and a good night’s sleep.

R

Recess: We will have recess each day from approximately 9:55 - 10:15 and 12:15 – 12:30. We will be use the playground as the weather allows. Otherwise, we will have activities in the classroom. Please dress your child accordingly for outdoor weather, and send a coat/jacket when necessary.

S

Skills at Home: Your child not only learns at school, but also at home. Please work with your child on the following: letter names, letter sounds, counting to 100, reading, sight words, and tying shoes.  We will send home activities that you can do at home to help with the skills that we are working on in class.

Snack: We do not have a snack time.  We will have several days throughout the year where we will have a special snack (birthdays, holidays, earned snacks, etc). 

T

Transportation: Please make sure you fill out the transportation form.  This is how we will know how your child gets home each day (bus, parent pick up, day care van).  If your child’s mode of transportation changes, please put it in writing.  If you do not put it in writing, we will keep the mode of transportation as listed on the transportation form.  Please do not tell your child that they are going home a different way without notifying us in advance.

Thematic Units: We will be learning the basic Kindergarten skills through literature-based thematic units.

U

Unique: The special ages of four, five and six are a unique time of curiosity, energy beyond belief and rapid learning. It is a time when a child receives his or her first impression of school. At this age, children soak up information like little sponges, and are introduced to many new concepts and ideas. We use a lot of repetition and re-learning to ensure that these basic skills are absorbed and understood for lifelong learning.

V

Visits: We will have the opportunity to visit a couple of places for field trips.  We will go to the Wildlife World Zoo in the Fall and another venue in the spring.  These are subject to change.  We will let you know all of the details, dates and times in advance.  There is usually a cost for these. 

Volunteers: We will need volunteers to accompany us on our field trips.  All volunteers need to be volunteer trained prior to the field trips.  We will need about 6-8 people per field trip, however more will be accepted if space permits.  Volunteer training can take place at any of the schools in our district.  You only have to go through the training once, as long as you have a child in one of our district schools.  Please let me know if you go through the training.

W

Writing: We will be writing every day in the classroom. It is also very important for your child to practice writing their name and letters at home. Students will use inventive spelling later in the year; please do not discourage your child for misspelled words. Also, watch how your child holds a pencil and correct it if it is not correct.

X

Extra Clothes: Please send an extra pair of clothes and underwear with your child to leave at school. We will have times when various accidents (bathroom, sickness, playground, etc.) happen at school and your child will need to be changed.   Please write your child’s name on each item.

Y

Yearly Calendar: The calendar is posted on both the district website and the school website.

YOUR Input: I want you as a parent to feel at ease with every aspect of your child’s education. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, feel free to contact me by note or e-mail at any time. I am always open to suggestions and willing to do what I can to best meet the needs of you and your child.

Z

ZZZZZ’s: Make sure your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and keeping a consistent bedtime is a great idea!

Zip: Before we know it, this year will be over. I hope we have a great year together. I am looking forward to working with each of you to ensure that your child enjoys his or her Kindergarten experience. Believe it or not, this year will ZIP by!

Daily Schedule

8:45 - 8:55 SEL

8:55 - 9:55 Math

9:55 - 10:15 Recess

10:15 - 11:45 ELA 

11:45 - 12:30 Lunch and Recess 

12:30 - 1:10 Social Studies and Science

1:10 - 1:35 Tier 2/3

1:35 - 2:00 Math Tier 1 and SGI

2:00 - 2:45 Specials

2:45 - 3:15 Writing

3:15 - 3:25 SEL

3:25 Dismissal

Kindergarten Supply List

All students should have a backpack (labeled), lunch box (if needed) and a water bottle.

• Expo Dry Erase Markers (Black/blue)
• 1 Highlighter (Yellow)
• 1 Box crayons (24 count/Crayola) - school will provide a box of 8 crayons
• 1 primary composition book with a drawing box at the top 
• 1 pkg. PlayDoh - for math
• 1 container Disinfectant Wipes
• 1 package - Baby wipes
• 1 Box Zipper snack bags
• 1 Box Zipper Sandwich Bags
• 1 Box Zipper Gallon Bags
• 1 pair of OVER THE EAR headphones clearly marked with your child's name AND IN A ZIPLOCK BAG. (NO EARBUDS as they do not fit in small ears) **They will be kept in your child's cubbie*********WISH LIST:
• Treasure Box items

***Please only label the headphones.  All other supplies donated will be used by all students.

All supply lists are OPTIONAL. Arizona law requires that public schools provide supplies required for academic success. This list represents optional, supplementary items, which you may supply at your discretion. If you have questions, feel free to contact your child's teacher.

Great Websites for Kids

• DreamBox
• Starfall
• PBSKids
• Scholastic 
• Storyline Online
• Reading a-z
• Read Write Think
• Professor Garfield
• LIteracy Center
• Fun Brain
• Reading Eggs
• Cool Math
• Disney
• Illuminations
• Fish for Words
• ABCYA
• Tumble Books
• Brain Pop
• National Geographic kids
• ABC Mouse
• TIME for Kids

My Name is Cheryl Rogers and I am a Kindergarten Teacher here at Park Meadows Elementary School. I have been in education since 1987 and here at Park Meadows since 2002. I have a BA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in psychology from California State University San Bernardino and a MAEd in school counseling from the University of Phoenix.  I started my educational career in Palm Springs, California teaching special education to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Upon moving to Arizona, I worked at Dysart Unified School District as a school counselor. Since coming to Deer Valley Unified School District, I have been a counselor, Developmental Preschool Teacher, Special Education Teacher and now a Kindergarten Teacher.