Welcome to First Grade in Room 7

The beginning of the school year has arrived and is filled with anticipation, excitement and maybe even some apprehension.  In the next few weeks, we will participate in many activities to assist us in getting to know one another and to develop our classroom community.  As our level of comfort grows, so will our ability to support one another in an atmosphere of friendship and learning.

 As your child’s teacher, I look forward to developing a positive, collaborative relationship with you as well.  Your child’s success depends on the involvement that both you and I take in his or her education.

To facilitation school/home connections, you will receive a classroom newsletter each Friday, as well as the school newsletter, Panther Points.  Additionally, please feel to contact me, via note, phone or email, if you have any questions.

To ease the transition from home to school and to support a successful school year, please refer to the following information:

Lunch and Snack:  We will eat lunch everyday in the cafeteria at 12:20.  You are welcome to join your child any day for lunch!  If your child buys lunch frequently using his or her POS (point of sale) number, please help him or her to memorize the number within the first week of school.  This will ease the transition into school lunch routines and maximize the time your child has to eat lunch.  You will receive reminders when your child’s account balance gets low.  Please be clear with your child each day as to whether he or she should buy lunch or eat a lunch brought from home.  This will help to alleviate any confusion as we prepare for the cafeteria.  Snack time will be at 11:00 each morning.  Please send a small, nutritious snack, drink and napkin.  It would be helpful to pack snack in a labeled bag separate from lunch items. 

Supplies:  Please provide your child with a small, labeled, pencil box to hold his or her writing implements.  Your child will need a supply of pencils throughout the school year.  Coloring, cutting and gluing materials are available in the classroom; however, your child is welcome to bring some of these supplies from home if desired.

Specials:  Our schedule for our specials is as follows:

Monday…….….rotation day (posted in Panther Points)

Tuesday…….….art

Wednesday…….gym

Thursday………music

Friday………….library

            Please remember that for art class children should wear “work” clothes or clothes that can get messy, and for gym class children must wear sneakers.  Library books in must be returned in order that a new one may be borrowed.

Birthday Celebrations:  Children are invited to celebrate their birthday at school by participating in a birthday ceremony. A reminder will be sent home a few days prior to your child’s birthday to let you know the day we will be celebrating. Please send in a picture for each year of your child’s life beginning with a birth picture.  If you like, a brief story can be written about each picture highlighting developmental milestones or special events in your child’s life that year.  As part of the birthday celebration, the child will carry the globe around the “sun” for each year of his or her life, while the pictures are shown to class and the story is read.  The festivities will end with the class singing “Happy Birthday”.  We prefer that special snacks not be sent in as part of the celebration, in order to maximize instructional time, honor South Windsor’s Wellness Policy and respect children with dietary allergies.  Summer birthdays will be celebrated the last month of school.  (Please do not bring party invitations to school.)

Volunteers:  Parents are welcome to assist in our classroom in a variety of ways.  Sign-up sheets and details will be available at Open House and I will schedule times that are mutually convenient.

Book Orders:  Once a month, I will send home a Scholastic Book Club Flyer with the Friday newsletter.  If you would like to place an order, please just return the order slip with cash or a check made payable to “Scholastic Book Clubs” by the date stamped on the order form.  Please be sure your child’s name is on the order slip and payment.

Homework Folder: 

Your child will bring home his or her homework and important notices in a glossy folder every day.  The homework folder should be checked and returned to school each day.  Notes and important items from home can be transported to school in the folder.  I will check each folder everyday.  Please help your child to take good care of the folder as it will be used for the entire school year.

Homework will commence in a few weeks and will coincide with math lessons.  Children will take home a math Home Link to complete and return almost every day. Home Links provide added practice of the day’s math lesson and give your child an opportunity to explain to you his or her understandings of the concepts.  Additionally, please spend at least 15 minutes a day reading with your child:  to read aloud to your child or for your child to read to you.  In the next week, you will receive a calendar to record “Reading at Home” minutes.  After the first couple of weeks of school, books at your child’s independent reading level will be sent home in a plastic bag.  Consider the following tips as you begin to assist your child in forming consistent homework habits:

1) Find a quiet spot (free of distractions such as TV) that has a chair, good lighting, and a writing surface where your child will regularly do homework.

2) Model the importance of homework time by your interest and participation.

The Four Agreements:  Every member of the Pleasant Valley Community follows the same four agreements in order to work and play in a safe, competent and happy environment.  Our four agreements are:  Attentive Listening, Mutual Respect, No Put Downs (Give Appreciations) and Right to Pass (Right to Participate).  We will be discussing, modeling and practicing these agreements throughout the year.  All staff throughout the school uses the same language and community building techniques prescribed in the Tribes Process.  This provides consistency to the students in terms of behavior management, cooperative learning situations and student expression.  More information on Tribes will be discussed at Open House.

Open House:  I look forward to welcoming all parents to Open House on Tuesday, September 16^th from 6:30 – 8:00 pm.  This will be a chance for parents to visit the classroom, learn about routines and curriculum and address questions about first grade. 

Finally, I am incredibly honored and privileged to share in your child’s education.  I enthusiastically anticipate each child’s growth and discovery, academically, socially and emotionally. Thank you in advance for your open communication, support and commitment to your child’s education.

Lisa Smith-Horn