Mrs.

Almeida’s
ABC’s 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. Monticello Academy and I are very excited to have the opportunity to work with you and your
child. We are here for you whenever you need us and we’re looking forward to a fabulous year!
Please keep and refer to this packet throughout the year to answer your questions and to remain updated. If
you have any questions that are not answered in the following feel free to contact me by e-mail, note, or
telephone! 

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 A
Absences: Please make sure that your
child makes every effort to attend school
every day except in cases of illness or
emergency. Please contact myself and the
office if your child will be absent. Approval
must be pursued for vacations taken during
the school year.
Allergies: Please let me know of ANY
allergies your student may have. This is very
important, especially during snack time. I
will send an email to all parents to notify
them of any food allergies in the class so as
to help insure those food items are not
brought for snack time.
Alphabet: Learning the alphabet is an
important part of kindergarten. In the
beginning, we say A, /a/ (making the short a
sound like in cat), and apple (any item that
matches the letter sound). For example,
B, /b/, bear… C, /c/, cat. Play fun games
with your child at home; such as, pointing to
letters on food items or billboards you pass,
making letters with things like straws,
blocks, or Play Doh, and spelling out sibling’s
names to see what letters they have in their
name.
Art: Your student will have art for 35
minutes once a week. Mrs. Heinig and Mr.
Hartmann will be your student’s art
teachers.
Arrival/Dismissal: Morning class is from
8:00-11:05 and afternoon class is 11:55-3:00.
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AR: Your student will be taking an
Accelerated Reader (AR) test every week.
This test is from the library books your
student checks out. It is a simple five
question comprehension test. Your student
will have an AR goal every quarter and
rewards for meeting that goal. I will need a
parent volunteer who can help with this,
please let me know if that is you!
B
Birthdays: Birthdays may be celebrated at
school during snack time. Your student may
bring something special to share with
everyone. We will not allow any sugary treats
this year, cupcakes ect.
Homemade food items are not allowed. All
food must be un-opened, store bought items.
Look for your scheduled day on your snack
calendar. Please be aware of any class
allergies.
Book orders (Scholastic): I will do
Scholastic book orders approximately four
times during the year (especially when
holidays approach). They have some
excellent, inexpensive books that your child
will treasure. The order date and class code
will be on the form. Please order online and
enter our class code L7Y37. Your order will
be shipped to the school and sent home with
your student. For every dollar you spend, we
receive bonus points to purchase books and
materials for our classroom.
Backpacks: Please send your child to
school with his/her backpack every day.
C Compass: This is your online account for
Check-Out Procedures: If you need to
check your child out of school early please
stop by the office to sign your child out and
notify me in advance.
Carpool: Please remember the procedures
for carpool; SAFETY is our number one
priority! Please have a conversation with
your student reminding them of carpool
safety (do not run up to a moving vehicle, do
not walk across the carpool lane, keep an eye
out for your vehicle, etc.) If your child is in
the afternoon class make sure you are
displaying your carpool number. AM carpool
is from 11:00-11:10 and PM carpool is from
3:00-3:20.
Centers: This is the perfect time to
volunteer if you want to help out in the
classroom! Centers are one hour of small
group time (4/5 students in a group). It is a
wonderful way to be involved and I NEED
volunteers! We will be having Centers on
Wednesdays.
Chinese: Your student will learn Chinese
this school year. The students will have
Chinese for 30 minutes once a week. Mrs. Li
will be our Chinese teacher.
Conferences: There will be two sets of
parent/teacher conferences during the year.
Please register for a time using your online
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compass account. Of course, if any concerns
arise, we can schedule a meeting at your
convenience.
Monticello Academy. This is accessed from
our homepage on monticelloacademy.net
This is where you can see your student’s
attendance, citizenship, current grade,
library books, pay your fees, etc.
D
Discipline: We believe in using positive
reinforcement and praise as our main
discipline tool. We strive to encourage good
behavior!
E
E-mail:
Phryne.almeida@monticelloacademy.net
This is my main form of communication. I
check my e-mail on a daily basis.
Early Dismissal: Occasionally throughout
the school year we have days with early
dismissal. We also have an early day EVERY
WEDNESDAY. On these days and a few
other special days, school ends at 1:30 p.m.
AM will have class from 8:00-10:15 and PM
from 11:15-1:30. I will inform you of these
dates in class emails and in our monthly
newsletter in advance.
 F
will have an effect on your student’s
citizenship grade.

Folders: Your child will have a folder that

will be sent home EVERY FRIDAY containing
I
homework, papers from the office, notes Injury/Sickness at School: If your
from me, newsletters, etc. Please check this child is injured or becomes sick at school,
folder weekly, remove any necessary papers,
I will contact you or the person you have
and return it to school on Friday. Your child’s
listed on your emergency form. AN
folder is his or her responsibility.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER MUST BE
ON FILE. Let the office know if there are
Field trips: Kindergartners have some any changes to your phone number or the
opportunities for field trips throughout the contact emergency phone number as soon as
year. Permission slips will be sent home when possible.
dates and times are determined. Parent
volunteers are always welcomed and
encouraged on these trips!

G
GREAT YEAR! It is my personal goal to
make sure that your child has a great year
J
and an unforgettable first year experience. Journals: Your student will be writing in a
I am looking forward to a great year with monthly journal during the year. As a
your child! kindergartner, ‘writing’ is not limited to

H
Homework: Your student will have
homework EVERY FRIDAY. Homework will
depend on what we are currently learning in
correctly written sentences. Sometimes
writing is a combination of words, letters,
shapes, or drawings that show their
thoughts. We will be looking for progress in
writing throughout the year.

K
class but your student will always be
required to read 20 minutes every day.
Your students homework packet will always
be in their homework folder (we provide you Kindergarten Newsletter: A monthly
with one). Please keep this folder neat and newsletter will be sent home the first
clean by taking out graded homework. Any Friday of every month. Please be sure to
permission slips, paperwork, or notes should read this carefully and look for information
go in your folder as well. Any late homework

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such as upcoming events, important dates,
our snack schedule, early dismissals, etc.
L O
Library: We will have library once a week
with our school librarian, Mrs. Ballard. This
is also where your student will get two books
to be tested for AR. It is very important
that students return and get new books
every week in order to meet their AR goal.
.
M
Monthly Newsletter/Calendar: At the
beginning of each month a school newsletter
and snack calendar will be sent home so that
you are always aware of the events going on
at Monticello Academy and in the classroom.
Math: Math concepts are covered daily.
Encourage your child to explain what they
are learning in math throughout the week.
You can always expand your child’s math
knowledge by using everyday objects to
count and add.
Music: Your student will have music once a
week for 30 minutes.
N
Names: Please be sure to write your child’s
name on all belongings brought to school:
lunchboxes, backpacks, coats, change of
clothes, etc. If your student has a
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Monticello sweater PLEASE write their name
on the tag. These sweaters look identical
and can get mixed up at times.
Office: Much of the school’s business is
handled in our office. Attendance, messages,
absences, contact information, and any
number of other business takes place in the
office. You can reach the office by calling
801- 417-8040.
Outdoors: Recess is outdoors every day,
weather permitting. Please send your child
with weather appropriate clothing and extra
warm clothes in the winter months! Snow
boots can be worn during recess (uniform
shoes on when in the classroom). We will go
outside in the snow.
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/her reach their maximum
potential. Please feel free to contact me.
Once again, email is my main form of
communication. During the school day, I am
actively engaged with students. Hence, I do
not answer my phone. Phone calls interrupt
the education time throughout the day but
if you do call I will return your call as soon
as possible.
Parties: Kindergarten students love to
celebrate holidays and other events. We will
be having parties throughout the year. I will

let you know ahead of time in the newsletter
and through emails. Volunteers and
donations are greatly appreciated – so be on
the lookout for upcoming events!
Q
Questions: Please don’t hesitate to ask
questions or express concerns! Feel free to
write me a note, call, or email.
R
Reading: We will start, establish, and
expand reading skills in kindergarten. Please
remember to read with your child every day!
Also, allow your child to read to you! In
kindergarten, we have three ways to read:
read the words, read the pictures, or retell
the story. Encourage any and all reading your
child may do (books, magazines, comics,
internet, signs, electronics, etc.). All these
forms of reading help your child develop
reading skills and foster an excitement for
reading.
Recess: We will have recess each day for
approximately 10/15 minutes. We will be on
the playground as weather allows. We will go
outside in the snow. Otherwise, we will have
free choice time in the classroom. Please
dress your child accordingly for outdoor
weather, and send a coat/jacket when
necessary. Snow boots may be worn during
recess but your student will not be allowed
to wear them inside the classroom as our
uniform policy states.
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S
Science and Social Studies: We
integrate our science and social studies
instruction within our teaching themes. We
will be exploring a variety of topics
throughout the year. Check the website for
what we are currently working on.
Sharing Can: The “Sharing Can” is our
version of show and tell. Each week one
special student will take the sharing can
home with them. On Friday they must bring
it back to school with one secret item in it.
They need to provide three clues for their
item. This can be any item they wish to
share with the class. Please be aware that
this does not mean your child gets to play
with a toy at school, it is simply for show and
tell and then the item goes into their
backpack for the rest of the day. Directions
are on the sharing can as well.
Snack: We will have a snack every day. The
snack calendar will be in your student’s
homework folder. Each family will be
assigned one day to bring a snack for the
class. This will be a monthly calendar and
families will be rotated. It’s a great way to
build a community environment in our
classroom and encourages your child to try
different and new snacks. Please remember
that homemade food items are not allowed.
If you are unable to contribute or are unable
to contribute more than asked, please
contact me.
 T
Toys: Toys are NOT permitted at school.
Your child will receive one warning to put the
toy away in their backpack. If your child has
the toy out again I will take it. A parent or
guardian must come to me personally to
get the toy back.
U V
Uniform: ALL students at Monticello
Academy are required to be in proper
uniform. There is a link on our website
(monticelloacademy.net) specifically with our
uniform policy for you to refer to. Please
note…
 Kindergarten is the only grade that is
not required to wear a belt.
 ALL boots are considered outdoor
wear, even fashion boots. Students
are not allowed to wear boots inside
the classroom. They may wear boots
outside during recess if they choose
to change their shoes and do it
independently.
 Please label all Monticello sweaters
with your student’s name. They are
identical and can get mixed up quite
often.
 Any uniform discrepancies require
your student’s teacher to send them
to the office and miss valuable class
time so the office can contact the
child’s guardian. Please don’t be out of
uniform 
Unique: The special ages of four, five and
six are a unique time of curiosity, energy
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beyond belief, and rapid learning. It is a
time when the child receives his or her first
impression of school. At this age children
soak up information like little sponges and
are being 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.
Volunteers: As you may know, Monticello
Academy encourages parent participation in
their child’s education. We require 40 hours
of volunteer work of parents. There are so
many ways to volunteer! I need help with
homework folders, centers, field trips,
grading, a party planner, a snack planner,
take home projects, cleaning the classroom
afterschool, helping with supplies, etc.
There are SO many ways to help out.
Volunteering is a great way to know what is
going on in our room. Students always love it
when their families come to school and help
them learn. It’s a great way to be involved in
your child’s education! If you cannot find any
time to come into the classroom, there are
alternative ways to get your volunteer hours.
Please contact me and let me know. 
W
Writing: We will be writing in the
classroom almost every day. It is very
important for your child to practice writing
their name and letters at home. Students
will use inventive spelling later in the year;
please don’t discourage your child for any
misspelled words.

Weebly: This is our class website. It is
another form of communication for you. I
update it every first Friday of the month. It
is a great way to know what we are learning,
see our schedule, find your snack calendar,
and stay up to date with events. Please visit
www.mrsalmeidakindergartenweebly.com
Websites:
 mrsalmeidakindergartenweebly.com
 monticelloacademy.net(access
compass)
X
“Xtra” Clothes: If in doubt, go ahead and
send extra clothes in your child’s backpack
(please make sure they are labeled). Even
seasoned bladder-control experts can have
an off day!
Y
Yearly Calendar: The calendar is posted
on both the school website and our weebly.
YOUR Input: I want you as a parent to be
satisfied and 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, e-mail, or phone
at any time. I am always open to suggestions
and will strive to do my best to meet the
needs of you and your child.
Younger siblings: It means so much to
your kindergartner to have your undivided
attention when you are at school with
him/her. I realize that situations may arise
when younger siblings need to accompany a
parent to a volunteer commitment or class
party. I am very understanding of this. If
absolutely necessary, please contact me
about bringing a younger sibling with you to
volunteer. A volunteer with a sibling is
better than no volunteer at all!
Z
ZZZZZ’s: Make sure your child gets plenty
of rest. Setting and keeping a consistent
bedtime is a wonderful idea!