The share for the week of September 22nd is your favorite hat.  Students need to bring in a hat that they like and be able to share why they care this hat; special memory, represents an event or place, it's fun or interesting, whatever that hat means to them. 

Start of Year Observations

We have had a good first week of school.  Right now bringing home and returning to school their folder is their homework.  You can help your child by establishing routines for going through the folder and returning it to their backpack.  Parents often take responsibility for putting the folder in the backpack.  Work towards having your child take responsibility.  Next week we will begin our nightly reading and recording in their weekly Reading Log.  Monday a reading contract will come home and will explain the expectations.

 

Please remember to send a note whenever the routine dismissal changes.  We (as a class) have a rather complicated dismissal routine; many students do different things on different days.  It is VERY distracting to children if they are concerned about what they are suppose to do after school.

 

Our specials schedule is very different this year.  In addition to gym (twice a week), art, music and library; we now have computer three times a week.  Next marking period we will drop computer and will have either Spanish or Health three times a week.  This increase in specials is a response to several challenges which involve fitting more into our school day.  The hope is children are not being overwhelmed with too many topics in one day, and it does minimize some disruptions to the teaching in our classroom.  The down side is I have less time with students.  It is critical that students make good use of the time we have together.   It is also important for students to have a good breakfast before school.  Some days students can not have snack before 11 am due to specials.  If your child can not eat breakfast at home, please consider having him/her eat here at school.  Breakfast starts in the lunchroom at 8:30.  Students are allowed to get off the bus early for breakfast.

 

I had a very high return rate on the questionaire about your child.  It was VERY helpful.  As parents, you see and understand things about your child that could take me months to realize.  I thank you for share these important insights.