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Have you heard the expression, "No question is a stupid question?" Well, I agree with that. But-- I do get some of the same questions over and over. Here are some of the ones that I get all of the time:

Questions
1)  What's the deal with the "READING CORNER" my kinder keeps talking about?
2)  What is the best way to contact you?
3)  Why does my child have a blue folder with their name on it? What do I do with it?
4)  Does my child need a snack every day?
5)  Can I eat lunch with my child?
6)  Can I bring a treat on my child's birthday?
7)  Do the students go outside every day?
8)  I know I need to send winter gear with my child every day, but they struggle to fit all of it in their backpack. I don't want them to lose anything! What should I do?
9)  What is the deal with homework? Why do kindergarteners have it?
10)  How often do the students get homework? How much time should they be spending each night?
11)  The books coming home in my son/daughter's book bag are very easy for him/her to read. They don't seem to be challenging him/her at all. Should I suggest that harder books be used?
 
Answers
1)  Q What's the deal with the "READING CORNER" my kinder keeps talking about?
A
I'm soooo glad you asked! I challenge all of my families to install a Reading Corner in their house. It doesn't have to be a corner. It can be a chair with a basket in the living room, a shelf next to their bed, a special spot in the kitchen with a bucket or a bean bag chair with a box.A reading corner is anywhere where your kinder can sit and read and have a container for their collection of "just right" poems, little books, sight words poetry pages, and other reading materials they are interested in along with their Reading Calendar. Recently I decided that I would like to see these Reading Corners for myself. So- I told the kids that they could bring in a picture of them in their reading corner, or mom/dad can email it to me and we will share it with the class and proudly display it. Let's show our kindergarten learners that we value reading and celebrate it at school AND home. Come on Kindergarten Families! Show me that you are as excited about your kinders becoming readers as I am!
2)  Q What is the best way to contact you?
A
The best way to contact me is through email. aubrey.dau@anoka.k12.mn.us I check this multiple times a day and can usually respond immediately. Another way to send me a message is to click on the "I've got mail" link on the left hand side of this page. It will take you to a contact form that will be sent to my email. You can also contact me by calling #763-506-3490. During school hours this number will ring through to my voicemail. I check it before and after school as well as at lunch. If you are leaving a message regarding a change in your student's dismissal procedure please dial 0 to be put through to the office. This will garauntee that I get the message in time for dismissal.
3)  Q Why does my child have a blue folder with their name on it? What do I do with it?
A
Each student has a Blue Folder that they bring home each night. It will contain homework and completed work as well as communication from Mrs. Dau and the school. Often there are things to sign and return. The folder should be emptied and returned in the student's backpack the following morning. It is part of their morning jobs to put their folder in their mailbox. If they do not have it they get very concerned!
4)  Q Does my child need a snack every day?
A
Yes! We eat lunch early and the day gets long for the kiddos without an afternoon snack. You are responsible for sending a small, nutritious snack for your kindergartner each day. They may also bring a water bottle with them. Some ideas for healthy snacks include crackers & cheese, applesauce cups, bananas, grapes, granola bars, apple slices with peanut butter, carrots & dip, yogurt, goldfish or dried fruit. The purpose of the snack is to give the kiddos energy and brain power. Candy & Pop are not allowed. Please save chips, cookies & fruit snacks for home.
5)  Q Can I eat lunch with my child?
A
Of course! Eating with 4 classes of 5 year olds in a school cafeteria is an unbelievable opportunity! You will never be the same. Just meet us at the cafeteria at 11:45. Adults can buy school lunch or you can bring your own. Grandparents are welcome too!
6)  Q Can I bring a treat on my child's birthday?
A
Yes! Store bought treats are welcome on the day we celebrate the birthday. We will celebrate it on the closest attendance day. If your child has a summer birthday we will be celebrating closer to summer before school lets out. Please keep in mind our district wellness policy when sending birthday treats. A healthy snack is required. Snacks that are not a good brain food for a school day will be sent home with the kiddos to enjoy later.
7)  Q Do the students go outside every day?
A
We go outside if the temperature or the wind chill is above zero. Make sure to bundle your kids up on the colder days! Outside play help make our afternoon productive. Please make sure the students wear shoes that they can put on independently! When they are taking shoes off and putting boots on in the winter Mrs. Dau cannot put on 20 pairs of shoes and still have time to go out to recess! Smiley
8)  Q I know I need to send winter gear with my child every day, but they struggle to fit all of it in their backpack. I don't want them to lose anything! What should I do?
A
It is important to have snow pants and boots to protect from the cold even when there is no snow on the ground. If your child's backpack is too small consider placing their boots and snow pants in a plastic bag. I am planning on using an XL Ziploc bag made for large sports equipment for my school age son's winter gear. They will be able to zip their backpack and carry the plastic bag as well. If they try to carry their boots chances are they will be left on the the bus!
Please make sure each item of clothing is labeled with the first and last name of your child!
9)  Q What is the deal with homework? Why do kindergarteners have it?
A
Ah, homework. My least favorite part of teaching! I call it HomeFUN to inspire the sweet little learners! In kindergarten the most important aspect of homework is introducing students to the responsibility of taking home assignments, completing them and returning them on time. This includes remebering to get them out of their backpack and put in the right place! Not as easy as it sounds. However, we are trying to build a foundation for future years and the homework that is looming for them! Smiley We will not have homework every day. Most of the time they are very excited to have it and will remember to tell you right away.
10)  Q How often do the students get homework? How much time should they be spending each night?
A
The students have a long-standing homework assignment to read for at least 20 minutes every night and record it on their WEB Calendar. However, I do understand that some nights can be very busy and it may not be possible to read for 20 minutes. In these instances it is perfectly acceptable to shorten the reading time. If the students can read for even 5 minutes they are instilling a great pattern for life-long learning. If there is 1 night a week that seems to be chock full of family activities I completely understand that you might have to skip reading time altogether. WEB Calendars are mandatory and should be returned on the last attendance day of every month.
When assignments do come home they should be independent for the most part with minor help from mom and dad. If you find that your child is really struggling with the task, let them stop and jot me a quick note to let me know that it was taking a long time and they didn't seem to be understanding it.
Beginning in October a STORY SLIP will be sent home each Monday. The purpose of the story slip is to connect the valuable skill of reading and remembering with retelling and other comprehension strategies. I will read a really good literature story to your kinder at school. The story slip will have a question for you to ask your kinder. Please write their response on the back in their own words- even if you think it is wrong! We will review these at conferences.
Math Home-links come home periodically. Most of the time they are for your use at home and to help you engage in what concepts we are exploring at school. If there is a house icon with a back and forth arrow along with a due date- please return the home-link. If there is no house icon and no due date it is for your use only.
Purple Poems will come home every Wednesday. Poetry is a VITAL part of phonemic awareness as well as a useful tool for practicing fluency, phrasing and intonation. Expressive language and interesting vocabulary is often found in poetry. Your kinder's job is to take the purple poem and put it in their purple poem folder (handed out at parent night.) Your job is to read and re-read and re-read these poems with your kinder often.
Little Books- At school we are learning to memorize certain high frequency words. The kinders need o be able to read them and write them instantly. Occasionally a "little book" will come home with the new word wall word highlighted. Please save this book in you reader's reading corner for them to read and re-read as the year goes on. Remind them to use their "reading finger" to point to each word as they read the page.
11)  Q The books coming home in my son/daughter's book bag are very easy for him/her to read. They don't seem to be challenging him/her at all. Should I suggest that harder books be used?
A
You will receive a note before I start sending guided reading books home.
In answer to the question: No! Each student has been meticulously tested and is working at an appropriate instructional level during guided reading. The books that come home are for practice in fluency and expression. Along with that comes a comprehension piece that is reiterated through independent reading and discussion. These books have been thoroughly explored in reading group and should be very easy for your child to read. If the books coming home are hard for them, that is when we might be concerned.