The ABC’s of First Grade If your child is absent, please send a note stating the reason for the absence the following day to avoid an unexcused absence. Our class will have a 40 minute art class every Day four with Mrs. Rava. Your child has the opportunity to eat breakfast at school from 7:45- 8:10. If your child is purchasing breakfast at school, you are encouraged to put money on your child’s account. If you are sending breakfast money to school, please send it in the money pouch and have your child give it to me. B.E.E. Folders help keep us organized. The folder houses homework, notes from school, resources, and other items to assist with communication between home and school. Please send B.E.E. folders to school daily. Please follow our class blog which will be updated often, at least weekly. This will replace a weekly newsletter and will include important and fun links, highlight weekly activities, as well as list upcoming events. You can view this blog by visiting my webpage and clicking on the “What’s the Buzz?” link at the top of the page. If you would like to send a birthday treat with your child on or near his/her birthday, please feel free to do so. These treats will be eaten during our snack time. We will recognize summer birthdays at the end
Please do not send birthday party invitations to be distributed at school unless ALL of the school year.
children receive an invitation. I will send home Scholastic Book order forms for you and your child to look over every month. Book clubs offer books at reduced prices. It's a great way to build your child's home library! Go to scholastic.com and sign into our class page using the username and password: phelps01. Parent and Teacher conferences are held at the end of the first quarter in November. Watch for information and reply accordingly. Communication is important. Feel free to contact me whenever you have a question or concern. You can reach me by phone at school 3868561 ext. 224, at home at 386-2857, in person, by email (kphelps@ccsdk12.org), or by note. Discipline is simple. We will work hard as a class to make the classroom a positive and safe place for all. Our school rules are: • Be Responsible • Be Respectful
• •
Be Safe Be Cooperative
My school email address is kphelps@ccsdk12.org. I check my email daily. If you have an email address that you’d like me to be aware of, please let me know. Please complete and return the emergency contact sheet promptly. If your contact information changes during the year, please inform the office and me.
Information about field trips will come home in the B.E.E. folders and will be detailed in the field trip permission slip, “What’s the Buzz” classroom blog, and website.
Our class will have a 40 minute gym (Physical Education) class every Day One and Day Three with Mr. Wentworth (Coach). The children are asked
to wear athletic shoes on gym days.
Students will have homework in first grade. Homework assignments will vary and will be sent home in the B.E.E. folder. Unless otherwise noted, please return the homework the following day.
Independence is a goal for students because it builds self-esteem and self-confidence. First Graders are very capable of doing many things on their own and I encourage them to do as much as they can for themselves in the classroom.
Writing takes place every day in first grade. One way we accomplish this is through free writing in our journals. Encourage your child to write at home for a variety of purposes.
Keep updated by reading the What’s the Buzz blog every week. You can view the blog by clicking on the “What’s the Buzz button on the website at www.ccsdk12.org/kphelps/ and checking the B.E.E. folder every day for other notes and information.
Our class will visit the library once a week on Mondays. Our media specialist is Mrs. Palmateer. Your child will be able to check out two books when we visit the library and return it within two weeks. If your child forgets to return a book, they will not be allowed to check out a new book until it is returned. Our class eats lunch at 10:50. If your child is purchasing lunch at school, you are encouraged to put money on your child’s account in advance. The cost of lunch is $1.75.
The children will have music class every Day two with Mrs. Dean.
We will be using the Everyday math program in grades pre-k through 4th grade. This program provides students with mathematical experiences that will help them develop number sense and a positive attitude towards mathematics that will continue throughout their school career and lives. Many of our math concepts are covered through our daily calendar routine.
A weekly newsletter will NOT be sent home. Instead you can check our website and follow the What’s the Buzz” link to follow our classroom activities. Please help your child remember to give any notes and lunch money to me first thing in the morning. I will not check back packs or B.E.E. folders, so it is important that they learn this daily routine. Open House is in mid to late October.
When picking up your child, please stop by the Banford office to sign your child out. If you are picking your child up at the end of the day, please use the parent waiting area which is located by the Banford office. Progress Reports will be sent home 4 times a year. The first will be given in November at a parent teacher conference.
Questions? Please feel free to call, stop in, email, or send a note. • •
kphelps@ccsdk12.org 386-8561 ext. 224
My class will have afternoon recess from 1:00-1:30. The children will go out daily unless it is below zero or raining. Please send your child in with the appropriate outdoor clothing. We will be using a new Reading series called Reading Street. It is designed to help build readers through motivating and engaging literature using scientifically research-based instruction.
The focus of the science curriculum is on developing an awareness of the world in which we live. Science concepts and skills will be explored utilizing a literacy based, hands-on approach. The social studies curriculum focuses on the students and how they relate to others in their families, classroom, school, and community. Social studies concepts and skills will be explored utilizing a literacy based, hands-on approach. We will have snack in the classroom everyday around 9:00. Your child is more than welcome to bring in a snack daily or your child can purchase a snack for $0.40 from the cafeteria. We will be talking a lot about healthy habits this year, and I would encourage you to send in healthy snacks. I will be opening a “Classroom Store” that will be stocked with little treasures that the children can purchase using “money” that they have
earned throughout the week. The children will earn plastic coins for being responsible, being safe, being cooperative, and being kind. If your child has any changes in their transportation please let me know in writing or by email. Bus changes will not be accepted over the phone. We will be using technology a lot this year. We will use our classroom computers, SMART Response clickers, Airliner, and SMART board daily. We are also scheduled to use the Banford Computer Lab weekly. I will be looking for volunteers to help in the computer lab. Volunteers and visitors must register in the office and pick up a badge. There will be many opportunities for you to volunteer in the classroom. Over the course of the year I will be looking for volunteers for centers, royal (guest) readers, field trip chaperones, room parent/s, etc. and
The Vacations/Staff Development days on the 2009-2010 Canton Central School Calendar are: o Monday, September 7th, Labor Day o Monday, October 12th, Columbus Day o Tuesday, October 13th, Staff Development Day o Wednesday, November 11th, Veteran’s Day o Wednesday, November 25th through Friday November 27th o Monday, December 23rd through Friday, January 1st o Monday, January 18th, Martin Luther King, Jr o Monday, February 15th through February 19th o Friday, March 19th, Staff Development Day o Friday, April 2nd, Good Friday o Monday, April 12th through Friday, April 16th o Monday, May 31st, Memorial Day
In an effort to improve communication between home and school, and to develop a sense of community within our classroom, I have developed a classroom website. On it you will find important information, links to websites, link to our classroom blog, classroom projects, etc. It can be found at the following address: www.ccsdk12.org/kphelps/. If you would NOT like your child’s photo or class work to be posted on the website, please let me know. There are several things that we could use in our discoveries of learning; therefore I have established a classroom Wish List. If you would like to donate something to the classroom, check out the classroom wish list on the classroom website. When you enter and eXit the school, please sign in/out at the Banford office.
Your ideas…and suggestions are welcome!
Zzzzzzz - Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and keeping a bedtime schedule is a wonderful gift you can give your child.