St. John's KB Home

The link for Blackboard, which teachers are using this year, is http://bb.stjohnlincoln.org/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp. You will then need to enter your child's user name and password.

New this year 209-2010:

Hints for parents
Good Ideas for a happy kindergartener….

*Get plenty of sleep. 10-12 hrs minimum. I mean this. I can tell who the children are who play video games til 10 PM at night. Not good for them. A great bed time would be determined, of course, on when the child gets up. However, a good rule of thumb is 8:30 bedtime.

*Eat a nutritious breakfast. Notice I said nutritious. I did NOT say Krispy Kreme donuts or Poptarts. That will send your child into a crash dive about 9-10 a.m. And let me tell you, crashing first graders needing a sugar fix is NOT pleasant. Pair a protein with a carb. Eggs and sausage. Pancakes with peanut butter. Hashbrowns with cheese. Or if you're simple like me, toast w/ peanut butter works just fine. Having that protein in the breakfast (as well as any other meal) stabilizes blood sugars and keeps your child happy.

*Have patience. Enough said. I know what you're going through...I've been there, believe me. Know that the parents who tell you that THEIR child doesn't go through this is probably lying. Almost all parents go through this. You are NOT alone, trust me.

*TRY to cut the late night sports down to a minimum. It's so ridiculous that some of these soccer/football/tennis/swim/whatever practices go on til 8 PM at night. That is too much for a first grader, at least for September/October. They are not good for your child's well-being. That also goes for Cub Scouts, religious education (try to get the early session), etc.

*We all know the bedroom routine. Start that earlier if you can. Bath, story, relax time. Let your child know you are a constant in their changing life.

*Have high expectations. I expect my children to behave at school, listen to the teacher, and complete their homework on time. I won't accept anything less.

*When they get home, understand your child. Figure out what they need. Some need to play outside for a bit before starting on homework. Some need to veg in front of the tv for a bit. Have an after-school snack (fruit, nuts, veggies/dip--NOT sugary junk!) waiting for your child and just BE there.

First Grade Readiness Checklist

1. Does your child know the entire alphabet, along with all the accompanying sounds in capital and lowercase?
2. Does your child read two and three letter words easily?
3. Does your child count from 1 to 100 and back down from 100 to 1?
4. Does your child understand, create, and identify simple patterns?
5. Does your child write his/her first and last name?
6. Does your child write simple sentences, such as "The cat is fat"?
7. Does your child write all 26 letters in capital and lowercase? (Note: They don't have to be perfectly neat, just legible and not upside down or backwards)
8. Does your child recognize and identify all of the basic colors
9. Does your child skip count by 2's, 5's, and 10's up to at least 100? (2,4,6,8...and 5,10,15,20...)
10. Does your child write all of the numbers between 1 and 100?
11. Does your child know basic word families? (at, bat, cat, fat go together & an, ban, can, Dan, fan go together)
12. Does your child recognize and identify basic shapes?
13. Does your child recognize and identify basic coins (dollar coin, 50 cent piece, quarter, dime, and nickel) and their value?
14. Does your child know the difference between consonants and vowels?
15. Does your child understand comparisons/opposites? (greater than/less than, hot/cold, shorter/taller...)
16. Does your child know that sentences start with a capital letter?
17. Does your child know that sentences end with a period?
18. Does your child know that questions end with a question mark?
19. Does your child tell time on the hour and half hour?
20. Does your child understand and recognize rhyming words?
21. Does your child recognize and understand one-half?
22. Does your child speak in complete sentences?
23. Does your child mark vowels in a word or sentence if asked?
24. Does your child complete assignments based on oral direction? (draw a red line over the cat, circle the blue monkey...)
25. Does your child read months and days on a calendar?
26. Does your child make it until 4 pm without a nap?

KB has a Scholastic Class Homepage!! Please click on the link below. You will then need to have the User Name and Password that was sent home with your child to access the page.

The class page is exclusively for the children in KB and their parents. It is completely private access.

http://www.scholastic.com/classhomepage