LES Kindergarten Kickoff

Welcome to Kindergarten!

We are so excited to have you join our Liberty family! We know this is a big transition for your family. Here are some frequently asked questions that might help you prepare.

What’s Kindergarten screening, and does my child need to do it?
Kindergarten screening is a short assessment incoming Kindergarteners take before school starts. Every Kindergartener needs to be screened. If you did not already sign up at Kindergarten Kickoff, please call the school office at (615) 790-0892 and schedule an appointment as soon as possible. We will be screening July 27, 28, and 29.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B4AAAA62FAAFA7-63306511-kindergarten#/

What are Small Group Days?
Small Group Days are days when Kindergarteners come to school to get introduced to the building, meet other kindergarteners, and learn some school rules and procedures in a smaller group setting. This year’s Small Group Days will be Tuesday, August 11th for boys and Wednesday, August 12th for girls. Then the second small group day they will attend will be based on their last name: Last Names A-M will attend on Friday, August 14th and Last Names N-Z will attend on Monday, August 17th . All Small Group Days will begin at 9:00 AM and dismiss at 1:00 PM. Bus transportation is not available on these days. Students will eat lunch while at school. Please either send lunch money or a cold lunch from home for your student on those days.

When will we find out which teacher my child will have?
After the first two small group days, we will finalize class lists and you will find out your child’s teacher before Parent Orientation on Thursday, August 13.

When is the first full day of kindergarten?
The first full day of kindergarten is Tuesday, August 18. Students will attend from 8:30-3:30. Kindergarteners will be able to ride the bus on this day.

What’s the dress code?
Students need to be in school appropriate clothing. We ask that they wear tennis shoes every day so they’re ready for P.E. and recess. If your student would like to wear a dress or skirt, please have them wear shorts underneath to keep them covered while sitting on the carpet and playing on the playground.

What school supplies do we need?
Supply lists are located on the school website in the “Students and Families” section. You can also grab a copy of the list in the school office. If possible, please send school supplies with your student on the second Small Group Day. There is also an option to have your child’s school supplies ordered through the school website. These supply boxes will be delivered to your child’s teacher prior to the first day of school.

Where’s the lunch menu? How do I pay for my student’s lunch?
You can find menus and other helpful information about lunch by clicking on the “Students and Families” tab and then the “Lunch Menus” option on our school website. You can pay for lunches on that website, or by sending money to school in a labeled envelope. Students are also welcome to bring their lunch from home. Please do not
send in any food from outside restaurants (McDonald’s, Subway, Chick-fil-A, etc.).

Is there a snack time?
Yes! We have a daily snack in Kindergarten. Please send in a healthy snack each day. We also ask that your child brings a water bottle to school.

Is there a nap time?
We have a daily rest time until Labor Day. After that, we won’t be having a rest time. Please do not send any blankets, mats, stuffed animals, etc. to school.

What does a typical day in Kindergarten look like?
We stay very busy in Kindergarten! A typical day will include these activities, plus more…

2 Hours+ of Reading/Writing Instruction (Whole Group, Small Groups, Phonics, Literacy Centers, Word Work, Writing, Read Aloud)

1 Hour+ of Math Instruction (Whole Group, Small Groups, Math Centers)

30 Minutes of Science/Social Studies

1 Hour of Specials (P.E., Music, Art, etc.) and 30 Minutes of Recess

Bienvenidos al Kinder!

¡Estamos muy emocionados de que te unas a nuestra familia Liberty! Sabemos que esto es un gran cambio para tu familia. Aquí tienes algunas preguntas frecuentes que podrían ayudarte a prepararte.

¿Qué es la evaluación de entrada en kinder y mi hijo necesita hacerla?
La evaluación de kinder es una prueba corta que realizan los niños que ingresan antes de que comience la escuela. Todos los niños de kinder necesitan ser evaluados. Si aún no te inscribiste en el evento de inicio de kinder, por favor llama a la oficina de la escuela al (615) 790-0892 y agenda una cita lo antes posible. La evaluación se realizará los días 27, 28 y 29 de julio.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B4AAAA62FAAFA7-63306511-kindergarten#/

¿Qué son los Días de Grupos Pequeños?
Los Días de Grupos Pequeños son días en los que los niños de kinder vienen a la escuela para conocer el edificio, conocer a otros niños y aprender algunas reglas y procedimientos escolares en un grupo más pequeño. Los días de grupos pequeños de este año serán martes 11 de agosto para los niños y miércoles 12 de agosto para las niñas. El segundo día de grupo pequeño al que asistirán será según su apellido: Los apellidos de la A a la M asistirán el viernes 14 de agosto y los de la N a la Z asistirán el lunes 17 de agosto. Todos los días de grupos pequeños comenzarán a las 9:00 a.m. y finalizarán a la 1:00 p.m. No hay transporte en autobús disponible en estos días. Los estudiantes almorzará mientras están en la escuela. Por favor, envíe dinero para el almuerzo o un almuerzo frío de casa para su estudiante en esos días.

¿Cuándo sabremos qué profesor tendrá mi hijo?
Después de los primeros dos días en pequeños grupos, finalizamos las listas de clases y usted conocerá al maestro de su hijo antes de la Orientación para Padres el jueves 13 de agosto.

¿Cuándo es el primer día completo de kinder?
El primer día completo de kinder es el martes 18 de agosto. Los estudiantes asistirán de 8:30 a 3:30. Los niños de kinder podrán usar el autobús ese día.

¿Cuál es el código de vestimenta?
Los estudiantes deben vestir ropa apropiada para la escuela. Pedimos que lleven zapatos deportivos todos los días para estar listos para Educación Física y recreo. Si su estudiante quiere usar un vestido o una falda, por favor que usen pantalones cortos en el caso de las niñas debajo para mantener la cobertura al sentarse en la alfombra y jugar en el patio de recreo.

¿Qué materiales necesita ?
Las listas de materiales se encuentran en la página web , en la sección " Estudiantes y Familias& quot. También puedes conseguir una copia de la lista en la oficina del colegio. Si es posible, por favor envía material escolar a tu alumno en el segundo Día de Grupos Pequeños. También existe la opción de pedir los útiles escolares de tu hijo a través de la página web del colegio. Estas cajas de suministros se entregarán al profesor de tu hijo antes del primer día de clase.

¿Dónde está el menú de la comida? ¿Cómo pago la comida de mi alumno?
Puedes encontrar menús y otra información útil sobre la comida haciendo clic en la pestaña quot. Estudiantes y Familias quot y luego en la opción quot. Menús de la comida quot en la web de nuestro colegio. Puedes pagar los almuerzos en esa web, o enviando dinero al colegio en un sobre etiquetado. Los estudiantes también pueden traer su comida desde casa. Por favor, no envíes comida de restaurantes externos (McDonald's, Subway, Chick-fil-A, etc.)

¿Es hora de merendar?
¡Sí! En kinder tenemos un merienda diario. Por favor, envía una merienda saludable cada día. También pedimos que tu hijo lleve una botella de agua (reusable) al colegio.

¿Hay hora para la siesta?
Tenemos un tiempo de descanso diario hasta el Día del Trabajo. Después de eso, no tendremos tiempo de descanso. Por favor, no envíes mantas, esterillas, peluches, etc. a la escuela.

¿Cómo es un día típico en kinder?
¡Estamos muy ocupados en kinder! Un día típico incluye estas actividades, además de más...

2 horas de instrucción de lectura/escritura (Grupo completo, grupos pequeños, fonética, centros de alfabetización, trabajo de palabras, escritura, lectura en voz alta)

1 hora+ de instrucción de matemáticas (Grupo completo, grupos pequeños, centros de matemáticas)

30 minutos de Ciencias/Estudios Sociales

1 hora de actividades especiales (educación física, música, arte, etc.) y 30 minutos de recreo

Screening: July 27, 28, 29
Your student will come for a 20 minute appointment time on one of these days.

Meet and Greet: Wednesday, August 5 3:30-6:30 PM
Students and their families can come meet all the kindergarten teachers, get bus and aftercare information,
and fill out beginning of the year forms.

Phase In Days: August 11, 12, 14, 17 9:00 AM- 1:00 PM
Students will attend 2 abbreviated days to get used to kindergarten routines.
August 11- Boys August 14- Last Names A-M
August 12- Girls August 17- Last Names N-Z

Kindergarten Parent Orientation: Aug. 13 5:30-6:30 PM
Students do not need to attend. Kindergarten teachers will notify families which class they are in before this meeting.

First Full Day of Kindergarten: Tuesday, August 18 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Boohoo/Yahoo Breakfast for Parents-  Enjoy breakfast with fellow kindergarten parents after
you drop off your student for their first full day of school.

Be sure to follow our PTO for information on Kindergarten playdates at the school in the summer to meet other families!

Proyección: 27, 28 y 29 de julio
Tu estudiante vendrá para una cita de 20 minutos uno de estos días.

Encuentro y Saludo: miércoles, 5 de agosto 3:30-6:30
Los alumnos y sus familias pueden venir a conocer a todos los profesores de infantil, obtener información sobre
autobuses y cuidados posteriores, y rellenar formularios de inicio de curso.

Días de fase en la fase: 11, 12, 14, 17 de agosto 9:00 AM - 1:00 
Los alumnos asistirán a 2 días abreviados para acostumbrarse a las rutinas de infantil.
11 de agosto - Edad 14 de agosto - Apellidos A-M
12 de agosto - Chicas 17 de agosto - Apellidos No-J

Orientación para padres de infantil: 13 de agosto 5:30-6:30
Los estudiantes no necesitan asistir. Los profesores de infantil notificarán a las familias en qué clase están antes de esta reunión.

Primer día completo de infantil: martes, 18 de agosto 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Buuu/Yahoo Desayuno para Padres-  Disfruta del desayuno con otros padres de infantil después de dejar a tu hijo en su primer día completo de clase.

!No olvides seguir nuestro PTO para información sobre las citas de juego en el kinder en verano para conocer a otras familias!

In accordance with requirements of the Tennessee Department of Health and the policies of Franklin Special School District, all Kindergarten students are required to have proof of a physical examination and a valid Tennessee Department of Health “Certificate of School Immunization.”  This document is available from your child’s healthcare provider who provided your child’s immunizations or from the local health department (you will need to provide a copy of your child’s vaccine record).  For students who have medical or religious vaccine exemptions, the “Certificate of Immunization” is still required to document the physical examination and the exemptions. 

The health department is anticipating that their facility and area pediatricians will be extremely busy in the upcoming few months and are requesting that families go ahead and make appointments as soon as possible for their physical exam and necessary vaccines. If your child is not yet five years old, you should schedule the appointment now for a date on or soon after their fifth birthday.

Additional items required to complete enrollment for Kindergarten students includes completion of the online enrollment application, a copy of the child’s birth certificate, and two proofs of residency. 

All items must be on file for your child to start kindergarten.  If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the school where your child will attend.

Tennessee’s academic standards are used for English language arts, math, science, and social studies. Visit the Tennessee Department of Education website to access them. Learning goals are based on these standards.

Some of the academic standards for reading/language arts include recognizing and writing alphabet letters, using letter sounds and other clues to read simple words, answering questions about details in stories, speaking clearly to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas, and using a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to create a story. In math, children count, sort and classify objects, compare quantities, identify and describe basic shapes, add and subtract small numbers and use addition and subtraction to solve word problems. In science, children explore the world around them, including plants and animals. They build knowledge based on experiences with their families, schools, and communities in social studies.

In addition to these academic goals, kindergarteners continue to develop skills for collaboration and adjusting to a classroom environment.  In FSSD, the focus is on the whole child, including their physical, social, emotional and academic growth.  Experiences in movement, art and music are a vital part of the kindergarten curriculum.

You will receive a report card four times during the year in addition to other teacher communication. This is a chance for us to share your child’s academic achievement, challenges, work habits, and social development. 

FSSD uses a standards-based report card that measures progress toward academic goals in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Curriculum benchmarks are specifically identified on this report card. It is the progress toward these goals that we will monitor and report to you. This enables us to better recognize academic needs, tailor teaching strategies to meet them, and provide parents with the resources to help reinforce specific skills at home. Our teachers differentiate instruction, so each child learns at a pace that is comfortable, yet challenging. The report card will also communicate your child’s progress in developing responsible behavior that is essential to learning.

Thank you so much for your support and partnership as we begin an exciting journey with you and your child. Kindergarten is a special year full of wonderful experiences. We look forward to sharing them all with your child.

Here are some ways that you can help your child learn and reinforce what is being taught in school:

• Help your child develop a positive attitude about school and his or her ability to learn. It is important that children come to school well rested, fed and ready to learn.
• Make every effort to bring your child to school regularly and on time. It begins the day on a positive note and sets a good work habit.
• Talk to your child about their school experiences. Ask them about the best thing that happened in school each day. Show interest in what they are learning and doing at school.
• Establish a routine for reviewing information that is sent home with your child.  Be sure to return information as requested.
• Talk with your child’s teacher regularly about your child’s progress.  Ask about what you can do to help them learn and grow. 
• Volunteer to help in your child’s classroom or school.
• Set high expectations for your child. Make it clear that school and learning is a priority.  Encourage your child to work hard, even when presented with learning challenges. 
• Dedicate at least 15 minutes a day to talking with your child and reading together. This will help develop literacy skills important for reading and writing.
• Limit the amount of time your child spends watching television and playing video games.
• Take opportunities to help your student learn as you go about your daily routine. Talk about how objects are alike and how they are different. Name letters and numbers on signs and in other printed materials. Ask the student to count objects and to put sets together and take them apart to build understanding of addition and subtraction.
• Help your child practice writing his or her name. Also, encourage them as they work on self-help skills, such as zipping, buttoning, and mastering bathroom skills.
• Give your student jobs around the house and offer praise when those jobs are successfully completed.  This can foster a sense of responsibility and a feeling of importance.
• Encourage your student to listen and follow directions.