August 2012
Dear Parents,
Welcome to First Grade! I am very excited for the year ahead! I have written down some housekeeping details to hopefully make our year together go smoothly, as well as to let you know what is expected in First Grade. Please read over these items and be sure to ask questions if you have any.
We want to welcome our new friends in 1st Grade—Jon Sorenson and Zeno McCarthy. We are happy that they are a part of our class! Welcome to Jon & Zeno and their parents! I am also pleased to inform you that Mrs. Michelle Bruemmer will be in our classroom every morning for an hour as our classroom aide.
HOMEWORK Any unfinished schoolwork brought home in their homework folder is to be completed at home and returned to school the next morning. The students will also be bringing home their reading book a few times per week (usually on Mondays and Tuesdays) to read their current reading story to you. They will know which story to read to you! Please do not read ahead in the reading book—it takes away from the presentation that I do when I introduce the new story. But, feel free to reread any of the previous stories we have done. Some nights you will also find a paperback book that is a guided reading text to fit their current reading level. It is very important that all reading books be returned to school the next day! There will be 1 or 2 nights when you can expect routine homework—starting next Monday there will be a paper called ‘Monday night homework’ that the kids will get every Monday, and on Wednesday you can usually expect some math homework. We will also be starting spelling the following week, with the kids getting their spelling list on Mondays and the test on Fridays. PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR CHILD’S HOMEWORK FOLDER AND BACKPACK EVERY NIGHT—THEY MAY NOT ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT THEY BROUGHT HOME! There will also be a few family projects throughout the year, but I will send a letter home with the project explaining what is to be done.
LIBRARY AND LIBRARY READING The First Graders have library on Fridays. They will check out one book and it is due the following Friday. Their library book will come home in a Zip-lock bag with their name on it. Mrs. Egeland expects the book to be returned in that bag as well, so please help your child to keep track of both. Library reading, whether your child reads to you or you read to your child is a very important part of the First Grade curriculum. Please see the attached SAMPLE of the DAILY READING LOG sheet for reading requirements. The reading log will begin next Tuesday, and I will send a sheet home at that time. Remember, their reading stories can certainly count on their reading logs. With the reading log being kept in their homework folder at all times, it also serves as a good place for communications between parents and myself. I like to list weekly events on the reading log also to help you and your child remember what is happening at St. John Bosco. So please don’t be afraid to jot down a note or message or a question if you need to. I will be doing that as well. We will also be participating in the Pizza Hut Book It reading program that will begin in October.
PARENT SIGNATURE Occasionally you will see homework or school papers with a P.S. (parent signature) written on the top or bottom. Please take the time to review the paper with your child, sign it and return it to school. By signing the paper and returning it to me, I can be sure that you are aware and involved in your child’s learning.
LITURGY The First Graders will attend mass on Fridays at 8:20. The First Graders will be planning and participating in the liturgies very soon, and I will send a letter at that time. Please join us for mass during the year if you can.
BOOK ORDERS I have chosen the Scholastic book clubs for this year. If you would like to order from one simply fill out the order form and send a check for the total amount due made out to the book club. Please do not send cash, thanks!
READING BUDDIES On Thursdays beginning in October from 9-10 a.m. we will have Reading Buddies in our room. I have 6-7 grandparents/older parishioners/retired folks who commit to being a 1st grade reading buddy each school year. They are assigned the same 2-3 1st graders each week (depending on how may 1st graders there are), and during their hour together your child will be read a story, and then they will read 1-2 stories to the reading buddy. After the reading is done, I have a craft project for them to work on with the guidance of their reading buddy. Both the students and the reading buddies have found this time together to be very rewarding and both look forward to it each week! If you know of someone who would be interested in being a reading buddy and would be able to commit to this weekly time, please let me know and I would be happy to call them and invite them to join us.
BIRTHDAYS Your child may bring a treat to share with the class on their special day if they wish. We have 20 students in our class. The children with summer birthdays may pick a day during the year to celebrate their day.
NOTES Please be sure to send a note to school when there is a change in the transportation for your child—no bus, going home with a friend, etc… Also, please send a note for any planned absences due to appointments or family plans.
DISCIPLINE Please see the attached sheet with the First Grade discipline plan we will be following in our room.
SCHOOLWORK, PROJECTS AND ART WORK Did you know that there is a category at the Door County Fair for the children to enter their schoolwork, artwork and projects and receive ribbons for their efforts? Please consider saving a couple pieces of your child’s work and entering it in the fair next August. Just contact the Door County courthouse in June for the entry form or I will try to have the information for you before summer break. What a thrill it would be for them to see their work displayed with a ribbon attached to it!
SHOW AND TELL We will have show and tell at the end of the day, as we are getting ready to go home. If your child would like to bring something for show and tell, he or she will be allowed to do so only once a week. Please help your child choose show and tell items that are related to school subjects like science, religion or reading, photographs or souvenirs from a family trip, or other educational items. Please no toys, stuffed animals, or items of little educational value.
That should do it for now. I am looking forward to a great year with your child and want to thank you for all the help and guidance you give your child—it truly does make a big difference in your child’s life! If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Thank you in advance for your help in making your child’s First Grade year a fantastic and memorable one!
Dear Parents,
Welcome to First Grade! I am very excited for the year ahead! I have written down some housekeeping details to hopefully make our year together go smoothly, as well as to let you know what is expected in First Grade. Please read over these items and be sure to ask questions if you have any.
We want to welcome our new friends in 1st Grade—Jon Sorenson and Zeno McCarthy. We are happy that they are a part of our class! Welcome to Jon & Zeno and their parents! I am also pleased to inform you that Mrs. Michelle Bruemmer will be in our classroom every morning for an hour as our classroom aide.
HOMEWORK Any unfinished schoolwork brought home in their homework folder is to be completed at home and returned to school the next morning. The students will also be bringing home their reading book a few times per week (usually on Mondays and Tuesdays) to read their current reading story to you. They will know which story to read to you! Please do not read ahead in the reading book—it takes away from the presentation that I do when I introduce the new story. But, feel free to reread any of the previous stories we have done. Some nights you will also find a paperback book that is a guided reading text to fit their current reading level. It is very important that all reading books be returned to school the next day! There will be 1 or 2 nights when you can expect routine homework—starting next Monday there will be a paper called ‘Monday night homework’ that the kids will get every Monday, and on Wednesday you can usually expect some math homework. We will also be starting spelling the following week, with the kids getting their spelling list on Mondays and the test on Fridays. PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR CHILD’S HOMEWORK FOLDER AND BACKPACK EVERY NIGHT—THEY MAY NOT ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT THEY BROUGHT HOME! There will also be a few family projects throughout the year, but I will send a letter home with the project explaining what is to be done.
LIBRARY AND LIBRARY READING The First Graders have library on Fridays. They will check out one book and it is due the following Friday. Their library book will come home in a Zip-lock bag with their name on it. Mrs. Egeland expects the book to be returned in that bag as well, so please help your child to keep track of both. Library reading, whether your child reads to you or you read to your child is a very important part of the First Grade curriculum. Please see the attached SAMPLE of the DAILY READING LOG sheet for reading requirements. The reading log will begin next Tuesday, and I will send a sheet home at that time. Remember, their reading stories can certainly count on their reading logs. With the reading log being kept in their homework folder at all times, it also serves as a good place for communications between parents and myself. I like to list weekly events on the reading log also to help you and your child remember what is happening at St. John Bosco. So please don’t be afraid to jot down a note or message or a question if you need to. I will be doing that as well. We will also be participating in the Pizza Hut Book It reading program that will begin in October.
PARENT SIGNATURE Occasionally you will see homework or school papers with a P.S. (parent signature) written on the top or bottom. Please take the time to review the paper with your child, sign it and return it to school. By signing the paper and returning it to me, I can be sure that you are aware and involved in your child’s learning.
LITURGY The First Graders will attend mass on Fridays at 8:20. The First Graders will be planning and participating in the liturgies very soon, and I will send a letter at that time. Please join us for mass during the year if you can.
BOOK ORDERS I have chosen the Scholastic book clubs for this year. If you would like to order from one simply fill out the order form and send a check for the total amount due made out to the book club. Please do not send cash, thanks!
READING BUDDIES On Thursdays beginning in October from 9-10 a.m. we will have Reading Buddies in our room. I have 6-7 grandparents/older parishioners/retired folks who commit to being a 1st grade reading buddy each school year. They are assigned the same 2-3 1st graders each week (depending on how may 1st graders there are), and during their hour together your child will be read a story, and then they will read 1-2 stories to the reading buddy. After the reading is done, I have a craft project for them to work on with the guidance of their reading buddy. Both the students and the reading buddies have found this time together to be very rewarding and both look forward to it each week! If you know of someone who would be interested in being a reading buddy and would be able to commit to this weekly time, please let me know and I would be happy to call them and invite them to join us.
BIRTHDAYS Your child may bring a treat to share with the class on their special day if they wish. We have 20 students in our class. The children with summer birthdays may pick a day during the year to celebrate their day.
NOTES Please be sure to send a note to school when there is a change in the transportation for your child—no bus, going home with a friend, etc… Also, please send a note for any planned absences due to appointments or family plans.
DISCIPLINE Please see the attached sheet with the First Grade discipline plan we will be following in our room.
SCHOOLWORK, PROJECTS AND ART WORK Did you know that there is a category at the Door County Fair for the children to enter their schoolwork, artwork and projects and receive ribbons for their efforts? Please consider saving a couple pieces of your child’s work and entering it in the fair next August. Just contact the Door County courthouse in June for the entry form or I will try to have the information for you before summer break. What a thrill it would be for them to see their work displayed with a ribbon attached to it!
SHOW AND TELL We will have show and tell at the end of the day, as we are getting ready to go home. If your child would like to bring something for show and tell, he or she will be allowed to do so only once a week. Please help your child choose show and tell items that are related to school subjects like science, religion or reading, photographs or souvenirs from a family trip, or other educational items. Please no toys, stuffed animals, or items of little educational value.
That should do it for now. I am looking forward to a great year with your child and want to thank you for all the help and guidance you give your child—it truly does make a big difference in your child’s life! If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Thank you in advance for your help in making your child’s First Grade year a fantastic and memorable one!