Mrs. Cusick’s Kindergarten Behavior Policies
In my Kindergarten classroom, I will be using a more positive approach to discipline and guidance. We will use class meetings to learn about appropriate behaviors and become a close-knit community. I want to promote a sense of family so all of the children respect and care for each other. All children are going to exhibit inappropriate behaviors at some point in their young years. This is all part of the learning process. My job is to help your children understand how to problem solve and make better decisions about their behavior. Class meetings allow children to discuss problems together and come to a solution together. The children have the responsibility of creating their own positive environment. In class meetings, we all meet together and discuss specific problems or issues that have occurred that day. The children all have the opportunity to give their input and offer solutions. We try out the solution that the children have come up with and then meet back later in the week to see if it was a good solution. This helps children learn from each other and understand the feelings of others. Young children struggle with empathy, and class meetings are an excellent way for them to hear how the other students feel about something that happened.
Your child will also be working with their table to earn rewards. The goal of this is to reward the cooperation of the group and not one individual student. They will earn a ball in their bucket for different types of good behavior throughout the week. When the table’s bucket is full, the entire group gets to go to the treasure box.
I also understand the importance of natural consequences. For example, if your child is playing during work time, he or she will be required to work during play (free) time. If a child is disturbing others during work time or circle time, the child may be asked to leave the area.
Parent Notification: You will not receive a weekly or daily behavior report. The behavior management will occur throughout the day in our class meetings. If your child is exhibiting a repeated behavior, and is not responding to the class meetings, I will notify you by phone or note. This note will be in your child’s take home folder. If it is necessary to send multiple notes home for a specific behavior, your child may need a visit to the principal to talk about making better decisions. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Mrs. Cusick J