Dear
1st
and 2nd
Graders and Families,
Here is a letter that covers
the “nuts and bolts” of my classroom. I hope you find this
information helpful. I ask that you keep this in a place that you
can reference throughout the year. The last page contains a daily
schedule. Please
Arrival:
School starts promptly at
7:40. Students can enter the building at 7:30. I encourage kids to
aim for the 7:30 time. This gives students a chance to talk with one
another and settle in before the day starts. You will notice in the
schedule that we practice our sight words from 7:40-7:50 each day.
This is the only time designated for specifically working on these.
If your child arrives late, he/she will miss an educational
opportunity that others are receiving. I truly appreciate your
effort and the respect you give the 7:40 start time.
After the 1st
week of school, I ask that you allow your child to take care of their
own things as they arrive.
You are more than welcome to come into the classroom, but I want
them to gain a sense of independence fairly early. This may not seem
like much but it goes along way in teaching the students to take care
of their own things and classroom items as well.
I
am very excited about the school year and am looking forward to
working with your children. I use the Responsive Classroom approach
to teaching. I enjoy this approach immensely and find it creates a
wonderful classroom environment. If you are interested in finding
out more about this approach check out www.responsiveclassroom.org
or pick up a copy of The
First Six Weeks of School
by Paula Denton.
Homework:
Your child will be given a
plastic Ziploc bag on the 1st
day of school. I use this bag to send home homework and any notes
that I need you to read. Please
make sure to return the bag and the homework contents each day.
Each student will have reading
homework Monday-Friday. (most weeks) Math homework will look a
little different. I will be teaching all of the 1st
graders for math and Mr. Hubbard will be teaching all of the 2nd
graders. It is the only subject that we switch kids for. First
grade math homework will consist of an online tool. I will share
more information about this once the kids have been introduced and
are using it fluently here at school.
Absences:
(THIS IS
IMPORTANT)
I
understand that kids will miss school for a variety of reasons.
Between illnesses, family obligations, vacations, and anything in
between, there will be times where your child might miss school. If
your child is sick or has an appointment, I will be responsible for
getting the make up work together for your child (most likely the
next day). If it is possible to do it the same day, I will.
However, this isn’t always possible. If
your child is missing school for travel, vacation, and/or personal
decisions, I will ask that you schedule a time to meet with me upon
your child’s return to school.
It will be your responsibility to create a plan to make up the
missed work. While your child is out, I ask that you have he/she
read everyday and write in a journal (about their travel) daily. I
will ask that the journal be presented to me upon return. Please
understand that some things may not be able to be made up, and your
child will simply miss out on some of the opportunities.
Snack:
This year we will be eating
snack/breakfast at 8:10 during our read-a-loud time. I ask that
snack consist of a healthy food item and/or drink. If your child is
finding that he/she is getting hungry during the morning, please pack
them an extra piece of fruit or small item that can be consumed
during day. If they have a snack and lunch in the same bag, please
make sure he/she knows which is which.
Birthday
Celebrations:
Students are welcome to bring
in healthy “treats” to celebrate their birthday. I am asking for
healthy (fruits, veggies, etc.) treats because we will tend to eat
these in the morning. For those who have a summer birthday, I
encourage you to celebrate your sixth month birthday. If you are
planning an out of school birthday party that does not include all of
the students (or all boys/all girls), please mail the invitations
from home. I am happy to distribute invitations that are inclusive
and do not cause a child to feel left out. In
order to meet then needs of each and every student, I need to be
informed, in advanced, if you are planning on sending something in.
Please be respectful of each and every child and honor/respect this
request
Gym
Days:
We
have gym on Mondays and Tuesdays. Please make sure your child wears
sneakers on these two days. Students can leave a pair of sneakers at
school if that makes it easier. I actually recommend that kids wear
shoes that they can run in (comfortably and safely) each day.
Blog:
I
will again be using the blog as my primary communication tool. This
year I will be posting on Mondays and Fridays. If you want a paper
copy sent home, please let me know (tyoung@wwsu.org). Otherwise I
will assume you are receiving the information electronically. The
blog address is http://mryoungsclassroom.blogspot.com.
It can also be accessed through the school web page.
Supplies
I
am asking that each student bring in a canvas/fabric grocery bag that
you find in the grocery stores. They will be using these for
“in-class” book bags. This is the only supply that your child
will need this year.
Please
feel free to contact me via phone, or e-mail or just stop by the
classroom before or after school. Phone: 583-7901 or
tyoung@wwsu.org.
I will respond within 24 hours. If you email me on the weekends, I
may not get to it until after the weekend.
That
is all for now. I am looking forward to our year together and I am
excited about all of the possibilities that lie ahead. If your child
wishes to email me a note about their summer, I would love to hear
from them. My email address is above.
Schedule:
Attached
is a schedule for this year. You will see that we have a lot of
specials in the afternoon and that Thursdays are filled with
specials. I am on a district and state committee and a lot of the
meetings happen on Thursday afternoons. By having specials during
this time, it has the least amount of impact on the students’
learning.
