Welcome to the new school year! I am so excited to get to know all of my new students! Please take the time to read over this document, with your child, carefully and make sure you understand everything before signing! Inside is everything you will need to know to make this year a successful one. You can always come to me with concerns or questions. I believe that communication is a key factor in a successful classroom. Sign the disclosure here.

Contact Information
Email – tbrown@questac.org
Blog – http://qacblogs.org/tiffany.brown/
School website – www.questac.org
School phone – 801-731-9859
Please feel free to contact me at any time!

Communication
Blog – This is where you can keep on top of what is happening in the classroom. You can access my blog from the Quest Academy website, under Faculty. Parents will be required to follow my blog to receive up-to-date emails and notices about classroom happenings. Also, if you have any questions, please email or call me at the school. Click here to subscribe to our class blog.

Parents will:
*Communicate with me any questions and/or concerns.
*Check the blog, and emails to stay informed.
*Be involved in the classroom and their student’s education by asking questions, volunteering, and helping students with reading at home when appropriate.
*Treat other parents, students, and school personnel with respect and kindness.
*Be an example to their student.

Students will have PRIDE:
*P – Personal Responsibility – Come to class ready to learn and take charge of your learning!
*R – Respect – Treat each other, school personnel, parents, others, and property with kindness and respect.
*I – Integrity – Be honest to yourself and others.
*D – Discipline – Show self-control in all areas of the school.
*E – Engagement – Keep me informed of their needs by asking questions to clarify assignments and new concepts. Be an active learner and do your best every day!

Attendance
This school year Mrs. Brown’s class schedule has critical reading and writing instruction and at the very beginning of the day. Therefore, critical instruction will start at 8:30 sharp. If your child is not on time each morning, they will miss important instruction, their individualized school work, and their individualized teacher lead learning time. Please set a routine that gives your child plenty of sleep, enough time to get ready in the morning, and a good breakfast. This will help your student come to school on time and ready to learn!
Missing school days is strongly discouraged. Your student will miss learning information that can not be made up at home. Please send your child to school unless they are truly sick. You can excuse your child’s absences by clicking here.

Birthdays
The administration has asked that students not bring in any food item treats. Please do not feel “obligated” to have your student bring in anything for their birthday. Your child’s birthday will still be acknowledged. To avoid any hurt feelings, please mail birthday invitations to classmates’ homes. Each child’s birthday will be celebrated in class! Students with summer birthdays will be celebrated around their half-birthdays!

Academic Information
The information taught aligns with the Utah State Office of Education’s Core Curriculum for kindergarten. Please refer to their website for additional information at http://www.corestandards.org/

Personalized Learning Pathways Our students have the opportunity to progress through the Kindergarten standards at a pace that best fits their individual needs and strengths. Students will track their individual progress along the ELA and Math pathways. 

Grading Understanding where students are in relation to mastery of Common Core standards helps teachers and parents know if students need additional help if students are proficient, or if students need further enrichment. At Quest Academy, students’ grades are determined by student performance on various grade-level assessments. Students are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery and proficiency in standards. For example, if a student receives a below proficiency score, he/she will not only be retaught but will also have the opportunity to raise his/her score by retaking the assessment multiple times throughout the school year. We are excited about the opportunities offered to our students for academic growth.

4 – 100%-90% The student demonstrates mastery of the standard (can apply and teach).
3 – 89%-80% The student demonstrates proficiency in the standard.
2 – 79%-60% The student is approaching proficiency.
1 – 59%-0% The student is well below proficiency.

Homework
Homework is not required in our class. We do encourage you to read with your child at least 20 every day to develop their love for reading. You may also choose to practice letter and sight word flash cards.

Behavior/Rewards
Kindergarten is a chance to learn great social skills. We follow the Love and Logic principles of discipline. Kindergarten children can learn expectations and gain an understanding of following those expectations. It takes some practice for the children to gain the experience, but a classroom setup with clear expectations fosters learning. There are a few rules and many procedures, and we will spend many weeks practicing these. It is important to us that our students love coming to school and feel excited about the new things they are learning. We teach respect by example and want students to feel loved and respected. If a child makes a sad choice, there will be a consequence for their choice. Should a situation arise when your child demonstrates extreme behaviors, I will set up a conference with you.

Mrs. Brown’s Love and Logic Classroom Expectations

1. I allow students to remain in my classroom as long as they do not cause a problem for anyone else.
2. If they cause a problem, I will ask them to fix it.
3. If they can’t or will not fix it, I will do something.
4. What I do will depend on the unique situation.

Donations In order to enrich your child’s educational experience this year, we ask for voluntary donations.  Needed supplies are found on our class blog (“supply list” under “Parent Information”).  Voluntary donations for field trips and class parties are also appreciated. Additionally, donation of your time is critical to the class… we love to have parent volunteers! With the exception of a water bottle, backpack, and headphones; please do not any send school supplies from home. Voluntary donations for field trips and class parties are also appreciated. Additionally, donation of your time is critical to the class… we love to have parent volunteers!   

School Calendar
Please be sure to check the school calendar for “Early Out” or “Minimum” days and “No School” days. You can view/obtain a copy of the calendar from the Quest Academy website. There will be additional days that Kindergarten is not in session due to testing and conferences. We will provide advanced notice about these days.

Lunch/Breakfast Students need to be prepared to open containers and packages independently (i.e. opening pudding cups, opening chip bags, putting straws in juice boxes, etc.)

Discuss what to keep and what to throw away in their home lunchbox (i.e. keep Tupperware, please throw away opened juice box even if not finished, etc.)

Practice appropriate table manners and mealtime behavior with your child.
Click here to make a school lunch payment and see the menus.