Classroom Logistics

Welcome to Kindergarten 2024-2025 at The Summit Preparatory School! Our classroom functions as a learning community, as we come to school every day ready to learn. Each person is an important member of the group and expected to be actively engaged throughout the school day. Let’s partner together to make this a wonderful year for your child and your family!

C O M M U N I C A T I O N

The Summit Prep Office

Ms. Kendra Pickett 

Mrs. Sherri Rose

Phone: 417-869-8077

Email: frontdesk@thesummitprep.org 

***Use this email and/or phone number to communicate with the school about changes in pick-up, absences, lunch orders, etc.  Please  “cc” Miss. Cederoth on your email.

Classroom Teacher

Miss. Taylor Cederoth

Email: tcederoth@thesummitprep.org 

***Please note: If you have an emergency or urgent message, please call the front desk to ensure that I am reached.

Remind Texting App

Connect to our classroom communication service through “Remind” by texting @summitk24 to the number 81010. Reply to the message from the Remind team with your first and last name.  

Class Blog

www.thesummitprep.org/k 

Please subscribe to the class blog to receive frequent updates from Miss. Cederoth about the happenings in our classroom and school. You can expect 2-3 posts per week including pictures and summaries of the curriculum. Feel free to ask grandparents or other family members to subscribe as well. This is a great way to spark conversation about what is happening in our classroom!

Friday Folders

Friday Folders will be sent home each week. They will contain a copy of important information from the office as well as your child’s work. Keep in mind that a lot of our hard work is not “paper pencil.” Please be sure to help your child remember to send back the folder at the start of each week.

School Communication

Please use the school website to stay informed of school-wide news and events. A school calendar is on the website.

A B S E N C E S

Please notify the front desk and Miss. Cederoth if your child will not be in school.  If your child needs to leave early for a doctor’s appointment, etc., please try to let me know with advance notice so that we can ensure your child is ready to meet you in the lobby at the correct time.  

S C H E D U L E

• • Please see the attached class schedule.  
  • Kindergarten specials classes are:
    • Spanish everyday – 30 minutes each session
    • Art two times a week – 45 minutes each session
    • P.E. two times a week –  40 minutes each session *Please have your child wear tennis shoes on Tuesday and Thursday for safety and fun*
    • Music three times a week –  30 minutes each session
    • STEM once a week – 30 minutes each session
    • Yoga once a week – 30 minutes each session
    • Outdoor Education once a week – 30 minutes each session

• Morning Drop-Off:  Students may enter our classroom between 8:30-8:45 a.m.  Class begins at 8:45 a.m. Students may not arrive before 8:30 unless they are attending morning Fun Zone. Students arriving after 8:45 a.m. will need to be signed in at the front desk.

• Afternoon Carline: The school day ends at 3:30 p.m.  Please arrive on time or let me know if something comes up. Students not picked up by the end of the carline will go to the afternoon Fun Zone.

• Fun Zone: Before and after school care is available to accommodate for changing family schedules or routine care. Please inquire at the front desk if you are interested. 

D A I L Y   S U P P L I E S   &   S N A C K S

Kindergarteners should bring a backpack, water bottle, lunch (if not ordering a hot lunch), and one small healthy snack each day.  Water bottles should have a pop top or straw lid to help prevent spills.  Examples of appropriate snacks include: a piece of fruit, granola bar, fruit snacks, veggie straws, etc.  Please do not send unpopped popcorn, candy bars, snack cakes, soda, or other desserts for your child’s daily snack. Snacks should be small and should be able to be eaten during our 10-15 minute snack period in the afternoon.  

L U N C H  

Kindergarten students will eat lunch daily from 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.  We will be dining in the K/1/2 Commons Space. It is so helpful if you send your child’s food packed in containers they are able to easily open on their own and with any utensils they will need to eat. Of course, students may also enjoy the hot lunch program if not bringing a packed lunch. Although we do have a microwave available, please ensure your child is comfortable using the microwave somewhat independently. They will need to clean up after themselves and that might take some time away from their lunch. Students should also try to bring reusable silverware if they need utensils for lunch. 

R E C E S S

We will plan to go outside for recess in the backyard twice each day, weather permitting.  Please help your child dress appropriately for the weather and send a jacket or coat if necessary.  

S U M M I T   U N I F O R M

Students need to be in the Summit uniform each day. Uniforms require khaki or navy blue on bottom and a Summit polo shirt on top. Girls may also wear dresses or skirts.  On Friday, students may wear jeans with the Summit polo or Summit spirit wear. Closed toe and closed heel shoes are necessary.  Tennis shoes are strongly recommended everyday for students’ safety on the playground as well in the building. Tennis shoes are required on PE days (Tuesday/Thursday).  Please do not send your child to school with tie shoelaces until they have practiced tying their own shoes at home. Your child will need a red Summit shirt for special events. You may also want to supply an additional Summit sweater or jacket for your child to leave at school. Our classroom can be a bit cool at times. Please read the uniform section in the handbook carefully.  

B I R T H D A Y S 

Birthdays are a fun part of growing up and while we do not have time to have birthday parties for everyone we will be sure to recognize their special day.  If you desire, students may bring a special treat for classmates to share on their birthday. 

C U R R I C U L U M

• • Our curriculum theme for the year is ‘Our Community’ and focuses on three major areas:
    • First Trimester: Community Helpers & Scientific Inquiry
    • Second Trimester: Urban Communities & Force in Motion
    • Third Trimester: Rural Communities & Life Cycles.

• Language Arts: The Kindergarten language arts curriculum focuses on the fundamentals of literacy. Students will have daily reading and writing experiences that foster development in letter recognition, letter sounds, letter formation, sight words, and emergent spelling and grammar knowledge. Phonemic awareness is an important part of the curriculum. Both in groups and independently, children are actively involved in working with letters, words, and sentences in a variety of ways. Students engage in literature each day by listening, reading, and responding. They learn about authors and illustrators as they are exposed to a variety of literary texts and genres. Kindergarten science and social studies concepts are introduced and supported using fiction and non-fiction book selections connecting students’ learning through the day. Kindergarteners apply D’Nealian handwriting, sentence structure, and story writing elements through the creation of their own stories, poems, captions, and personal letters.

• Math: The Kindergarten math curriculum takes an integrated approach, utilizing games, manipulatives, and activities to create meaningful connections with mathematics and other aspects of the curriculum. Number sense, an important base for mathematical understanding, is emphasized. Complex number patterns, geometry, graphing and data analysis, measurement, problem solving, and computation are part of the Kindergarten year. Students are given opportunities to explore ideas, work cooperatively, play games, and use the computer and IPads to reinforce and expand understanding.

• Social Studies: Under the year-long theme of ‘Our Community,’ science and social studies topics are woven into the day. The social studies curriculum begins with a focus on community helpers and the role that they play. During the second trimester, Kindergarteners will explore urban communities and discover elements of a community, typical and unusual modes of travel, and map use. Rural communities will round out the social studies curriculum during the third trimester. Farm life, including animals and crops, will be investigated. Field experiences, community service projects, and guest speakers enhance the social studies curriculum, when possible.

• Science: The Kindergarten science curriculum is closely related to the social studies curriculum and works in tandem to provide a well-balanced learning experience for students. We start our year with a scientific inquiry learning unit-exploring what science is, how we can explore and investigate the world around us, and how to ask scientific questions. Students explore force and motion and other transportation connections second trimester allowing students to utilize the scientific process and hands-on learning putting physical scientific concepts to the test.  Alongside rural communities, life cycles are the science focus in the third trimester. Students will be able to group living things, compare life cycles of various animals, and gain understanding of the needs of plants and animals. Additionally, students will end their kindergarten year by learning about farm-to-table and how some of their favorite ingredients are sourced directly from our local farms!

• Social-Emotional Learning: In kindergarten, my focus for SEL is on helping the students understand and  manage their emotions, build positive relationships, and develop essential social skills. SEL will be integrated into our everyday activities and routines to make learning engaging and effective. Some key components that will be discussed throughout the year are: self-awareness, self-managment, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Additionally, there are a variety of strategies that I will use in order to cover a majority of these components above are through: read alouds, role-play, emotion charts, songs and rhymes, modeling behavior, classroom activities, and calm down spaces. By integrating these strategies into our daily routines and activities, I will be able to help the students develop the foundational social and emotional skills they need to succeed both in school and in their future interactions.

Trimester Celebrations: Each trimester the students will have the opportunity to showcase their new profound knowledge to you all. Parents and family will be invited into our classroom to get a closer look into what the students have been learning, experiencing, and talking about throughout the trimester. It is a very exciting time for the students as well as for the families so I hope that all parents can attend and join our celebrations! Keep an eye out for emails each trimester with more specific details!

P A R E N T  I N V O L V E M E N T  O P P O R T U N I T I E S

• Field Trips: Students will have the chance to attend at least 3 field-trips throughout the school year. These field trips will align with our curriculum at the time. These field trips greatly enhance the students learning as they are able to explore their knowledge more with hands-on experiences!

• Guest Speakers: Throughout the year, I will reach out and ask you all for help in the classroom. At the beginning of the year, we talk about community helpers and what better way for the students to learn about such an important and impactful topic than from their loved ones! Additionally, there will be more oppourtunities to come into the classroom and be a guest speaker. For example, you could be one of our mystery readers for the week! I appreciate your help suggesting individuals to speak to the class, or assistance with service projects!

• Service Projects: Once a year kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students will work together to complete a service project altogether. There will be an opportunity for parents to help us out with this exciting upcoming project as well. I will send more details and information on our service project once it comes. 

• Chaperones: If you are interested in serving as a Chaperone, please complete The Summit volunteer training. Contact our school counselor, Becky Breckner, about the next training date.

P R O G R E S S   R E P O R T I N G 

• • Your child’s progress will be communicated through both scheduled touchpoints and more informal check-ins throughout the school year. Progress reports will be sent home at the end of each trimester. These indicate your child’s mastery level of each skill, along with a narrative report providing more details about their learning and classroom experience. 

• Conferences: Back-to-School conferences are the week of the first day of school. This is where parents are able to sit down with Miss. Cederoth for the first time and discuss everything that is expected of the year ahead. First Trimester conferences are held in Novemeber. These conferences are for talking about concerns, sharing ideas, and asking questions. Student-Led conferences are held in February and give your child the opportunity to take ownership of their learning, focus on self-reflection, and share their successes and challenges from kindergarten so far. Optional End-of-Year conferences may be held at the request of the classroom teacher or parent.

• Miss. Cederoth will reach out as-needed throughout the year with any additional concerns, suggestions, or at-home supports that may benefit your child.

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

• • Toys: To prevent special items from being lost or broken all toys and stuffed animals should be left safely at home. If a student does bring an item from home that should not be at school, I will keep it for the day and then give it back to them at the end of the day. 
  • Technology: Kindergarten students will have access to classroom computers and iPads.  Students will be allowed to only visit sites and apps designated by a teacher. Websites related to our learning are listed on the classroom blog. 

• Transportation: We will travel to the church gymnasium down the street for P.E. using the Summit shuttle bus twice per week during winter months or in most cases of inclement weather. We will also utilize the Summit shuttle bus for field trips throughout the school year, when possible.

• Authorized Pick-Up Family Members:  Students may not leave the premises with any adult that is not listed on your family’s authorized pick-up list. Please confirm that any family members that may pick up your child throughout the year are already on file with the front desk. In addition, please notify Miss. Cederoth if any changes to your authorized pick-up list occur throughout the year. 

The fun doesn’t stop when you leave school!

• Nightly reading is extremely important for Kindergarten students. Please be sure that you are taking the time to read with your child at least 20 minutes each evening. This reading can be you reading, your child reading, or a combination of the two. I will attach a reading log to the back of this packet. The reading logs are to help you all keep track of the books that are being read at home. I do not need to see this list but it is insightful as I will be choosing engaging books for book bags in the future! You may keep the reading log in a safe place for the week (the fridge is a good spot or by books) and then send it back to school on Monday when Friday Folders are brought back! 

• Throughout the year, I may send home additional learning activities on an individual or class-wide basis. Examples of activities include handwriting practice, sight words, word work, math activities, and more. These activities will better your child’s knowledge and challenge their comprehension more, outside of the classroom.
  • Sight words: Once the students start to learn more about their letters and sounds, I will send home weekly sight word lists. Most of the words on the list will not follow our reading patterns that we will be learning throughout the year. That is why they are called ‘sight’ words so the students recognize these words by sight instead of trying to sound them out. There are 100 words the students should master before going to 1st grade. Each Friday I will “quiz” each student on their sight words to see if they can be given the next list. If not, they will get the same list to practice another week! I will give more details about sight word lists when the time comes. 
  • Book Bags: Towards the middle of the school year each student will be given a book bag with a couple of books that align with their current reading level. These can switch weekly or daily depending on how fast the students read through the books that they were given. Parents will need to sign off on the sheet next to the book that the student has completed. This opportunity gives the students a chance to show their parents and families how much they have progressed in their reading skills! I will give more details about book bags when the time comes.