Welcome to

Kindergarten!

East Penn School District

EPSD 1/2017

Administrative Offices

800 Pine Street

Emmaus, PA 18049

(610) 966-8300

24-hour Information Line (610) 966-8480

Vision: The East Penn School District will empower students to maximize their

potential and become lifelong learners and contributors to society.

Mission: The East Penn School District will provide a learning environment in

which students become problem solvers, collaborators, and critical thinkers.

Welcome!

This is the beginning of an exciting journey into the

world of elementary school. In this brochure, you will

find information about the Kindergarten program and

ways we can work together to help your child have a

wonderful school experience!

Kindergarten Philosophy

Kindergarten makes a unique contribution to the education of children in East Penn because it is the first year of a child’s formal public school educational experience. Basic procedures that will be used in succeeding levels of school are introduced as part of the kindergarten program. Equal emphases are placed on the academic, social, emotional and physical growth of the child.

We recognize that children come to kindergarten with a wide variety of abilities in these four areas. Therefore, large-group, small-group and individual activities are planned by teachers for specific purposes throughout the kindergarten year.

The curriculum is designed to provide educational experiences appropriate for the developmental level of kindergarten children and to prepare each child for first grade. An emphasis is placed on promoting inquisitiveness, capitalizing on the natural curiosity of children and fostering a love of learning.

The Kindergarten Program

The kindergarten program provides opportunities for your child to learn to relate to others and build respect for the teacher and his/her classmates.

Experiences are provided which increase knowledge and improve skills, develop good habits and attitudes, and build understandings of responsibility to self and the group.

A good classroom atmosphere helps a child develop a sense of security and belonging. Natural curiosity is directed into a zest for learning.

Registration

Proof of the child’s birth date (State Birth Certificate). To be

registered, the child must be 5 on or before September 1.

Verification of immunization for diphtheria, tetanus, polio, German

measles (rubella), measles, mumps, chicken pox (varicella) and

Hepatitis B.

Two proofs of residency (see registration forms).

Proof of identification – Valid Parent Photo ID.

Completed registration packet.

Registration of a child for assignment to an East Penn kindergarten

is complete when the following items have been verified:

East Penn Elementary Schools

Alburtis Elementary 610-965-1633

Jefferson Elementary 610-965-1645

Lincoln Elementary 610- 965-1636

Macungie Elementary 610-965-1617

Shoemaker Elementary 610-965-1626

Wescosville Elementary 610-395-5851

Willow Lane Elementary 484-519-3300

If you have a question…

Building Assignment Asst. Superintendent (610) 966-8321

Bus Assignment or Stop Transportation Office (610) 421-6039

Elementary Academic Progress Classroom Teacher or Support Teacher

Building Principal

Parent Volunteer Building Administrative Assistant

School Parent Group

Community Liaison (610) 966-8335

School Closings Channel 69

Local Radio Stations

District Website (www.eastpennsd.org)

Autocall

Elementary Classroom Assignment Building Principal

Special Medication Classroom Teacher

Nurse

Elementary Assignments During Illness School Administrative Assistant

Classroom Teacher

Family Vacations on School Days Principal

Communicable Diseases School Nurse

Special Education Services Student Services Office (610) 966-8355

If you have a question…

When you have a question:

Classroom teachers, IST teachers, guidance counselors and

building principals are responsible for the workings of each

building. If you have a question or problem, it can be best

answered or solved by speaking to the person or persons

responsible for that area.

Classroom Situation:

The best person to talk to about your child’s academic

progress, classroom behavior or daily concerns is your child’s

teacher. You can contact the teacher easily by sending a note,

emailing or calling the building to schedule a personal or phone

conference.

Assignment

Your child will attend one session, either morning or afternoon. Several factors, including transportation schedules and enrollment equalization, are taken into consideration in making assignments.

For special reasons (parent’s work schedules, daycare situations, home emergencies, etc.) you may request assignment to a particular session and we will make every effort to accommodate you.

Assignment letters and transportation information will be mailed home in August.

Attendance

Excused Absences:

Illness, death of close relative, quarantine, impassable roads, inclement weather, exceptionally urgent reasons.

Unexcused Absences:

Visiting, away from home, or overslept.

Notify the teacher when your child is going to be absent for three or more days.

The kindergarten child should abide by the same rules and attendance regulations as other children in the elementary school. Each child should be present unless absence can be classified as excused.

Coming to school every day, on time, is very important. It will help develop good habits and aid progress in schoolwork. Appointments with physicians and dentists should be made for after school hours.

Before School Starts

We will:

Make sure that each kindergarten classroom has a warm,

understanding and serious teacher who will help your child make a

good start.

Prepare materials and equipment.

Set-up the transportation schedule. Not all children will be transported.

The same rules for transporting other elementary children apply to

kindergarten.

Prepare for Kindergarten Orientation before the start of school.

Prepare for the Parent-Teacher Conferences in fall and spring.

The First Day of School

If your child will be transported by bus, wait at the bus stop until the bus arrives. Make certain the bus tag, which will contain valuable information for the bus driver and teacher, is worn for the first few days of school. Help your child learn the number of his/her bus.

If you accompany your child to school, follow specific drop-off procedures for your school. Give a cheerful, but firm, farewell. The teacher will call you in case you are needed.

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Label all clothing or anything else your child takes to school.

Work with your child to learn the following:

To say first and last name, address and phone number

How to get to and from school safely

To recognize own possessions

To tie own shoe strings

To button, snap and zip

To put on and remove outer clothing and hang it up

Set aside a daily time to read to your child.

Involve your child in family outing and learning experiences.

Encourage appropriate speech in sentences, without baby talk.

Make opportunities available for play with other children of the same age.

Assign simple duties at home and expect them to be carried out.

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Be consistent and reasonable in the behavior you require.

Share experiences and places of interest; explain what is seen.

Listen as experiences are being shared with you.

Offer experiences that teach your child to share and take turns.

Give encouragement freely. Be enthusiastic about schoolwork, but do not

expect perfection.

Never make comparisons with other children in the family or neighborhood,

because every child is different.

Help your child to accept corrections when needed without becoming upset.

Help your child develop self-confidence. Praise your child’s strengths and

discuss ways to solve problems.

If your child tells you a disturbing story, talk it over with the teacher immediately

rather than simply attributing it to a vivid imagination.

Weekly Time Allotment

Kindergarten programs must be flexible. Each teacher sets up a schedule

that best suits the needs of the class and the school. The weekly time

allotment of approximately 800 minutes per week is a basis on which

teachers build daily programs that include:

Opening, closing activities

Language Arts

Mathematics

Social Studies

Science

Health, Safety

Music, Art

Library

Physical Education

Please visit our East Penn website under Curriculum at

www.eastpennsd.org to access the curriculum for Kindergarten.

Language Arts

Through kindergarten experiences your child develops:

Auditory Abilities Reasoning

Hearing sounds Solving simple problems

Discriminating between sounds Planning

Visual Abilities Sequence of Ideas

Likenesses-differences In stories

Memory In experiences

Left-to-right and top-to-bottom In classroom activities

Listening Skills Love of Literature

Stories Storytelling

Directions Listening to stories

Vocabulary and Word Meaning Poetry

Experiences

Class interest and activities

Language Arts

The kindergarten Language Arts curriculum is centered around

reading and writing activities that help children progress on

their journey toward literacy. Developmentally appropriate

learning opportunities enable children to explore oral and

written language through active learning that incorporates

reading and writing experiences.

Reading to children, with children and by children are all

integral parts of the kindergarten day. The relationship between

sounds, letters and words is explored as the children learn

about reading and writing.

Content areas are integrated into the kindergarten program

through the inclusion of a wide selection of children’s literature.

Mathematics

In kindergarten there are many opportunities for children to use numbers and hands-on math materials.

Children participate in activities that provide experiences in the following areas:

Problem Solving and Reasoning

Look for patterns

Use a graph

Classify objects

Use manipulatives

Use calculators and computers

Mathematics

Number Sense Money/Consumer Skills

Recognize, read and write numbers Recognize penny

Label sets of objects Recognize nickel

Identify whole numbers Recognize dime

Counts in sequence Use coins to solve problems

Mental Math/Estimation Geometry/Spatial Sense

Estimate number of objects Recognize circle

Estimate measurements Recognize triangle

Estimate various time components Recognize rectangle

Recognize square

Recognize diamond

Recognize 3-D objects

Social Studies

Responsibility – Member of a Responsibility – Member of a Family Kindergarten Class

A family group Working together Living together Care of room and materials Working together Learning about school The family community Learning about the playground School Government

People & Places Long Ago & Today Community helpers Our country Heroes and leaders Transportation Housing Communication Geography Holidays

One aspect of the kindergarten program is that of social living. It is designed to help your child acquire knowledge, habits and skills that result in understanding how people live and work together.

Science

Natural Phenomena

Weather

Seasons

Mechanical Processes Living Things Transportation Animal babies

Construction Animals & the environment

Tools & technology

The kindergarten child is curious and eager to watch, touch and

question. The science program provides daily exposure to scientific

concepts. Some of the areas that may be explored are listed below:

Creativity and Play

Choosing Body Control

Senses Gymnastics

Dramatics Imitation

If there is need, special physical activities can be provided.

Creative Expression

Children learn to work creatively with paints, chalks, blocks, crayons and

clay. Through music, they gain pleasure and skill in group singing.

Rhythmic activities help develop muscular coordination and poise.

Play Activities

Play activities contribute to your child’s whole development – physical,

mental, emotional and social. Through play (directed and supervised),

physical ability and control are gained. The physical education program

includes the following activities:

EPSD Board of School Directors

Alan C. Earnshaw, President

Dr. Kenneth Bacher, Vice President

Carol J. Allen

Charles H. Ballard

Paul Champlain

Chris Donatelli

Rebecca Heid

Dr. Ziad Munson

Rev. Waldemar Vinovskis

Janine Allen, Board Secretary

Robert Saul, Treasurer

Marc S. Fisher, Esq., Solicitor

Dr. J. Michael Schilder, Superintendent of Schools

The East Penn School District is an equal opportunity education institution and will not discriminate in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion ancestry, disability, union membership, or other legally protected classification. Announcement of this policy is in accordance with state and federal laws, including Title VI, Title IX, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. For information regarding 1) civil rights, 2) grievance procedures, 3) services, activities and facilities that are accessible to and useable by disabled persons, or 4) employee or participant complaints harassment or discrimination, contact Personnel Office, Compliance Officer, 800 Pine St., Emmaus, PA 18049 (610) 966-8330.

Thank you!

• Have a great year!

• We are glad you are with us!