School Information

Attendance: Your child's progress, both academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation. Many kindergarten activities are hands-on and on most cases the activity will not be able to be made up if your child misses school.

If your child is absent, please call the office and inform us of your child's absence and the reason for it. In addition, please send a note in your child's Communication Folder upon your child's return to school. Only absences due to illness or a serious family emergency will be marked as excused absences.

Important Information Regarding School Attendance
Both excused and unexcused absences along with tardiness and early sign-outs will be counted when determining a student’s pattern of non-attendance. A student will have a “pattern of non-attendance” if he or she is absent from school a total of 30 hours (5 days) in any one marking period or 60 hours (10 days) within 90 days.

If it is determined by a school that a student has developed “pattern of non-attendance”, sanctions may be imposed. Sanctions may range, for an elementary age student, from having his or her report card withheld if they were in school for less than 25 days in a marking period, to the child’s parent being required to appear in court. Middle and high school students who have a “pattern of non-attendance” may not earn class credit; could be required to repeat a class; could be referred to Children In Need of Services (CINS) or Families In Need of Services (FINS); could have their driver’s license suspended or be prevented from obtaining a driver’s license; or the student’s parents could be required to appear in court.
Aftercare: Country Isles Elementary provides an on-site After School Care Program. The kindergarten students are escorted by an aftercare counselor from the classroom to the aftercare meeting area at dismissal time. You must pre-register for this program. Please call (754) 323-5293 for fee and enrollment information.
Arrival: School begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. Your child should arrive between 7:45 a.m. and 7:55 a.m. and be seated quietly outside his/her classroom. A teacher will be outside the pod to supervise the students from 7:30 a.m., therefore please do not drop off your child before that time. The first bell rings at 7:55 a.m., at which time your child will be allowed to enter the classroom and begin unpacking his/her belongings. The second bell will ring at 8:00 a.m. and your child should be seated and ready to begin the day's activities by that time. Arrivals after 8:00 a.m. will be marked as tardy.

It is recommended that if your child will regularly ride the bus to and from school, that he/she ride on the first day of school. School staff will be available to help your child find his/her classroom when he/she arrives at school. They will also assist your kindergartner when it is time to go home.

Backpacks: To help your child carry messages and information to and from school please provide him/her with a backpack. In addition, your child will be taking home his/her Poetry Book (a two inch white view binder) at the end of each week. Please make sure the backpack is big enough to fit the Poetry Book and that the backpack is not the kind which has wheels.
Birthdays: We will recognize birthdays in the classroom in special ways to honor each child. Please know that "birthday parties" are not allowed during class so please do not send any food, drinks, or party favors. If you would like to have a birthday party for your child outside of school, please send me the invitations in your child’s red communication folder.

In order to avoid hurting any child’s feelings, I will ONLY pass out invitations if…

- ALL the girls are invited OR

- ALL the boys are invited OR

- The ENTIRE class is invited

If the entire class is NOT invited, please mail the invitations. Consider joining the school and/or class directory for this purpose.
Breakfast: A school breakfast is served every morning from 7:30-7:45. Please make sure to drop off your child at 7:30 if he/she will be having breakfast at school in order to have sufficient time to go through the cafeteria line and eat his/her breakfast before going to the classroom.

Communication Folder: Your child will bring home a Communication Folder each day. Please review the contents of the folder daily and initial the discipline plan paper. Please return the Communication Folder to your child’s backpack each day so that he/she will take it to school the next day.
Conferences: Two conferences are required during the school year. We try to schedule the first conference during the first grading period once we have had ample time to get to know your child and evaluate him/her on some basic kindergarten skills. A second conference takes place at the end of the school year and it is usually a student-led conference, however if you or the teacher finds a need to meet additionally during the year, a conference date and time can be arranged at any time. Please send a note in your child's Communication Folder if this is necessary.

Dismissal: Dismissal is at 2:00 p.m. (Except on Early Release days in which dismissal is at 12:00 noon). Please be prompt (or early) as five-year olds tend to become anxious if they have to wait. If you are picking your child up by car, please place you car sign on your dashboard. This will help the teachers get your child to you quickly and safely. Please wait for a teacher to take your child to your car. If there are any changes in the way your child goes home you must inform the teacher or office in writing.

Please do not wait for your child by the classroom door or the back gate. Children who are car riders or who walk home with a parent will meet with their teacher at a designated spot in the back car loop against the back wall of Pod B (Facing the Country Isles Park field) at dismissal time. Please do not take children from the line as we walk to the spot or take the children from the spot without letting the teacher know. Please advise anyone authorized to pick up your child of this very important safety rule.

Bus riders and Country Isles Aftercare are dismissed at 1:55 p.m. and are picked up by school staff to be taken to their designated meeting areas. Please do not ask older siblings to pick up your kindergartner from the classroom.
Donations: Please see our class wish list.

Early Release: Six times a year we will have an Early Release day. Students will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m. instead of the usual 2:00 p.m. Dismissal procedures will be the same as usual unless we receive a written note in your child’s Communication Folder regarding dismissal changes.

Students will still eat lunch, but at an earlier time, during Early Release days. Therefore, a separate snack time will not be scheduled. There is no need to send in a snack on Early Release days.
Email: My email address is: andrea.davalos@browardschools.com I will return your email as soon as possible! I check email multiple times daily. If you have an email address that you’d like me to be aware of, please let me know.
Emergency Card: Please complete and return the emergency card promptly. If your home, cell, or work phone number change at any time throughout the year, please inform the office and classroom teacher so you can be located quickly if an emergency occurs.

Field Trips: We plan a couple field trips that are both fun and educational for the children. Please return permission slips as soon as possible after they are sent home. Also please be aware of the due date on the permission slip because late forms and payments will not be accepted after the due date, and your child will be unable to participate in the field trip. To be a chaperone on our field trip please register at www.getinvolvedineducation.com

Grades: Kindergarteners will receive reports cards 4 times a school year. The students will receive grades of 1, 2, or 3.
    1 = The student has mastered the skill(s) independently.
    2 = The student is learning the skill(s) with assistance.
   3 = Area of concern

The number grades do not translate to letter grades in any way. Most kindergarten students are learning skills with teacher assistance through out the school year. If your child is experiencing difficulty with any skills despite teacher assistance, you will be notified mid-quarter with an interim report or conference prior to receiving the report card.

Handbooks: Remember that these guidelines are an overview specific to the needs of kindergartners and their families. You can learn more about school wide policies and procedures in our Country Isles Handbook and district policies and procedures in the Broward County Student Code of Conduct Book (both are sent home in every student’s first day of school packet.)
Health: Please notify your child's teacher in writing of any allergies your child may have, especially food allergies. We sometimes cook or do food activities to complement lessons and it would be helpful to know when we plan our recipes.

Ice Cream Day: Once a week (on a designated week day) is ice cream day! Ice cream is sold in the cafeteria during lunchtime. The cost of ice cream is .65 cents. Please place ice cream money in a name-labeled envelope or baggie. Please label it: (name) 's ice cream money. You may even draw a simple ice cream cone on the envelope or bag so that your child does not use this money for lunch.
Independence: To minimize visitors in the school and to promote independence we will have appoint a day soon after school begins as Independence Day in which all students will be expected to walk by themselves to their classroom. Country Isles staff will be available to guide the children to their classrooms if necessary.

Jobs: Your child will have a designated job to perform each week/every other week. This will help to teach him/her responsibility.

Kindness: Students at Country Isles are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our school family with kindness and respect. Hitting, biting, fighting, name-calling, and making fun of others will not be permitted. Students will receive purple tickets for first time minor offenses. However, if the offense is serious and/or dangerous to any child or teacher, the student will be referred to the administration and sent to the office. Parents may be contacted by phone or in writing regarding concerns affecting kindness.

Library Books: The students will go to the Media Center (Library) as a class as part of their specials rotation. When the children check out a book during this time, the books may be kept at home until the next time they go to the Media Center. If your child wishes to return his/her book before that time, he/she may return it by putting it in their classroom’s Library Book Box.
Lunch: The students will have a thirty minute lunch period each day in the cafeteria. Students may bring a nutritious lunch from home or purchase lunch at school. The cost for a school lunch is $2.00. If your child forgets his/her lunch please do not bring in fast foods such as McDonald’s, Burger King, etc. If your child will be buying lunch on a regular basis, PLEASE consider pre-paying by the week, month, or longer. Your child will be given a lunch account number and he/she will need to scan their lunch card when buying lunch. The money will be automatically deducted from the lunch account each time it is used. Teachers and cafeteria staff will assist students in scanning their lunch cards for the first two weeks of school until the students have learned this procedure. The lunch account number will be sent home during the first few days of school so that you may include this number in your check if prepaying for lunch. Unused days will be carried over so you won’t lose any money if your child is absent or brings lunch from home on certain days.

You can pay for your child’s lunch by depositing money in your child's lunch account with a credit card, a check made out to the school, or with cash. When writing a check for lunch, please write your child’s lunch account number on the memo portion of the check.

Whenever sending lunch money to school, please send it in an envelope or baggie with your child’s name, teacher’s name, lunch account number, and purpose for the money and place it in your child’s Communication Folder.

Lunch menus may also be downloaded from the Country Isles Web-site or accessed through the link on this site. Menus are subject to change.

Students are expected to be seated at all times while in the cafeteria, to talk in quiet indoor voices, to keep their hands, feet, food, and eating utensils to themselves and to keep their eating area as neat as possible. Please reinforce proper eating etiquette at home with your child.

Medication: Prescription medication must be given through the office and not brought into the classroom. Check with the school secretary for a medication form. If your child has a medical problem of any type please let me know.
Money: Whenever sending money to school, please send it in an envelope or baggie with your child’s name, teacher’s name, and purpose for the money and place it in your child’s Communication Folder.

Newsletter: Newsletter: The Country Isles Chronicle is our school newsletter. It can be accessed through the Country Isles website.

On Time: Another reminder to please make sure that your child arrives in school on time and is ready to begin work at 8:00 a.m. Tardiness disrupts your child’s morning routine, as well as interrupting teachers at work and the concentration of other students.
Open House/Meet & Greet: Parents are invited and encouraged to attend this event in their child’s classroom. This is an opportunity for parents to meet the teacher as a group and learn pertinent information such as policies, curriculum, and teacher expectations. Please make every effort to attend this meeting

Personal Items: Personal items such as backpacks, lunch boxes, and coats/jackets must be labeled with child’s name. Please do not send any extra items such as toys or valuables unless specifically requested.
Phone Number: Know the school phone number (754) 323-5250 and keep it with you at all times. (Hint: Put a copy in your wallet, in your vehicle glove box, and program it in your cell phone.)

Questions: Since so many of you are new to the Country Isles Family this year, you may still have some unanswered questions. Please feel free to call the school, write an e-mail, or send a note in your child’s red communication folder.

Recess: The children will play outdoors for approximately 15-20 minutes each day. Please keep this in mind when selecting shoes for your child to wear to school. Sneakers or closed-toe shoes with a back are best. Clogs, flip-flops, and shoes without a back are not allowed for safety reasons.
Report Cards: Report cards will be sent home at the end of each nine weeks.
Restrooms: Kindergarten classrooms are equipped with restrooms. Children are free to use the restroom as needed, but must notify the teacher if they are going to the restroom. Please make your child’s teacher aware of any medical problems that might require frequent restroom trips.

Scholastic Book Club: Book Clubs: Every month your child will receive an order form for you and your child to look over. These clubs offer wonderful books at reduced prices--what a great way to build your home library! Ordering through the book club is strictly voluntary, but please adhere to the due date if you will be ordering because the orders are placed on the day of the due date so that the children who ordered can receive their books as soon as possible. Books usually arrive within ten working days from when the order is received.
Snack: We will schedule approximately 15 minutes daily for students to have a snack break. Please provide your child with a small, healthy snack and drink. Please do not send any snacks that come in glass containers or that are difficult or dangerous for children to open independently. Students will not be able to use the refrigerator to store their snacks and teachers are unable to prepare any snacks that need to be heated for the students. In addition, we ask that students do not bring soda, fruit roll-ups, or pudding/yogurt in a squeeze bag.

Please send the daily snack in a disposable labeled snack bag. If your child is bringing lunch to school, lunch must be in a separate bag or lunch box. Students will place their snack bags in a designated snack cart or basket each morning. Remember to label the bag SNACK and include your child’s name on the outside of the bag. Also, if your child requires a spoon, fork, or straw to eat or drink the snack please provide one in the snack bag as we do not have these items available in the classroom.
Specials: In addition to our regular kindergarten program, your child will receive instruction in Physical Education, Music, Art, and Media (Library), and Computers throughout the year with a teaching specialist. Each day the students will attend a different special class.

T

Toys: Students are not allowed to bring toys to class other than for the purpose of special activities on designated days. This includes trading cards and stuffed animals. If a student brings a toy for an after school care activity, it must remain in the backpack at all times. The first time, the student takes a toy out of the backpack he/she will receive a verbal warning. The second time the item will be taken away and not returned until a parent comes to pick it up between 7:45 and 7:55 a.m. the following morning.

Unified Dress Code: Country Isles has adopted a mandatory school uniform dress code. (*Exemptions request forms must be submitted within the first 10 days of the school year.)
Tops:
Polo shirts with collar in the following colors: red, white, navy, light blue, and gray.
Any top sold by PTA and the Kindergarten Class T-Shirt
Bottoms:
Colors: Navy, khaki, and black. NO denim.
  Boys: Shorts or long pants
  Girls: Shorts, long pants, skorts, capris, or jumpers
School Spirit Days:
   School Spirit T-Shirts and the Kindergarten Class T-Shirt may be worn with denim on Fridays
Denim bottoms are allowed to be worn only on Fridays

Volunteers: PTA will have a volunteer meeting during the first four weeks of school for parents and family members that are interested in volunteering in the school. Please check your child’s monthly calendar for the date of this meeting. Every volunteer will need to fill out a volunteer application by visiting the following website: http://www.getinvolvedineducation.com/

Websites: Regularly check out the Country Isles Elementary website and mine to stay up to date with school and classroom happenings. Yellow Data Folder : Your child will bring home a yellow data binder along with their quarterly report card shortly after the end of each quarter. Please take the time to review your child's data folder and ask your child about his/her progress and goals. Please make sure to sign both the data folder and the report card envelope and return both to school. All papers attached to the data binder must be returned along with the report card envelope. You may keep the report card.

I am eXcited to work with you and your child this year!

Yellow Data Folder: Your child will bring home a yellow data binder along with their quarterly report card shortly after the end of each quarter. Please take the time to review your child's data folder and ask your child about his/her progress and goals. Please make sure to sign both the data folder and the report card envelope and return both to school. All papers attached to the data binder must be returned along with the report card envelope. You may keep the report card.

Make sure that your child gets plenty of Zzzz’s each night. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift that you can give to your child. It will help them to be alert and ready to learn each day!

Mrs. Davalos

The ABC's of Kindergarten