HERE IS THE LETTER I'VE SENT TO ALL OF OUR FIRST GRADE FAMILIES:
Dear Parents,
Welcome to first grade! This will be an exciting year for you and your child. No matter where your child is “at”, the progress they make this year will be amazing! Let’s work together to ensure your child’s success this year.
I have had the good fortune to work for Gull Lake Community Schools for the past 19 years. This will be my ninth year teaching first grade. Previously I taught third grade and sixth grade. I received my Bachelors degree at W.M.U., as well as my Masters degree in Reading there also. My husband, John, and I have two children, Ian, a junior at the High School and Katie, a seventh grader at the Middle School. We are welcoming Ms. Rebekah VanBuren to our classroom. Ms. VanBuren will be doing a nine week internship with us. She’ll then be going to Comstock Public Schools to complete her internship in their Early Childhood program. She’ll then graduate from Spring Arbor College in December. I am excited to have Ms. VanBuren in our classroom. I know she’ll be a great asset to our learning community!
All of the first grade teachers are requesting that students do not bring backpacks with wheels to school. They do not fit in lockers and therefore are a hazard when they lay on the floor in the hallway. I’ve also seen other children trip over them has they are being pulled on our way to the busses at the end of the day. Thank you for your help and understanding with this.
Although our school district does provide most school supplies needed, it would be helpful if your child brought the following items either the night of Open House or the first day of school:
*An Art shirt with your child’s name on it. (An old shirt of mom or dad’s works great!)
*A box of Kleenex (to be shared with the whole class sometime this year)
*A plastic pencil box (not the LARGE kind) with your child’s name on it
*A box of 16 or 24 crayons (nothing larger please)
*A ½ inch or 1 inch binder (Any kind is fine as long as it is the kind with hard front and back covers.)
*A water bottle with a “pop up” top (to help prevent MAJOR spills)
*An old “odd sock” for cleaning off their individual white board.
JYour child should bring a healthy morning snack to school everyday!
Enclosed is a questionnaire that we’re requesting you take some time to answer. Please return it to us sometime the first week of school. These are very helpful as we get to know your child. We appreciate your valuable input!
Optional items you can contribute to our whole class include:
~ a box of broadline markers
~ gluesticks
~ a box of colored pencils
~ a package of pencils (plain colored)
These items dry-out, run-out, get lost, etc. as the year progresses so it’s great to be able to replenish them! (Plus the sales are great right now!) NOTE: These will go in our “community share” boxes, not in your child’s desk.
Your child should not bring their own markers, scissors, crayons, tape, glue, etc. for their desk. I’ve found items like these can be very distracting. They’ll have PLENTY of other things to keep organized in their desk.
Sign up sheets for volunteers to organize and supply items for Holiday parties and Parent Work Sessions in September (cutting, stapling, folding etc. materials for the classroom) will be available at Open House. If you are unable to attend and want to help out with a Holiday Party just let me know. I will be sending a very detailed note with specific information about our classroom the first week of school, as well as a September class calendar. Also included will be a note and form for classroom volunteers.
It’s going to be a great year here at Richland Elementary. We truly look forward to working together with you and your child!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Peggy Kendrick, First Grade Teacher
Ms. Rebekah VanBuren, Spring Arbor College Intern
We have a class webpage J.
Just go to gulllakecs.org, click on
SCHOOL LIFE, then TEACHER PAGES and go to
Mrs. Kendrick. You’ll find more information
about our class there!