Welcome to the 2011 – 2012 school year!  My name is Skye Mulligan.  I am delighted that your child is in my class this year. This is my ninth year teaching at the Whiting Elementary School.  With your encouragement and support, your child will be part of many exciting and rewarding experiences this academic year. 

          I want your child to enjoy coming to school every day, I will be working hard to make your child’s classroom environment one that will be filled with many positive and enriching experiences.  In order to accomplish this task, it is important to develop and maintain positive parent-teacher communication.  If we build a strong relationship with each other, we will be more likely to motivate your child, increase your child’s self-esteem, nurture and support your child, and reach common goals.  My commitment to you and your child is genuine and our interaction is essential to your child’s education, both academically and behaviorally. 

Even though I have been on maternity leave, I have been busy attending workshops and planning many fun-filled learning activities and cannot wait to get started! 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.  When I am back from maternity leave, I can be reached from 8:30am to 4:30pm at Whiting Elementary School (732) 350-4994.  If that time is not good for you, feel free to call me at home.  My phone/cell number is (732) 691-5063.  I look forward to getting to know you and your child.  

Finally, I am very pleased to inform you that we have three very talented classroom para-professionals, Mrs. Zakerski, Mrs. Azotea and Mrs. Zdanowicz!  The students and I will refer to them as teachers.  They will be with the class throughout the day. 

DISCIPLINE PLAN

I firmly believe that lifelong success depends on self-discipline.  I have developed a Classroom Discipline Plan using aspects of the Responsive Classroom Approach that gives each student the opportunity to manage his or her own behavior. I will discuss this plan with the students, but I would really appreciate if you would take the time to review the plan with your child as well. Working together, will ensure that your child will receive a positive educational climate.

The Responsive Classroom Approach is an approach which helps the child develop positive social skills. This approach also uses practical strategies for bringing together social and academic learning through out the school day.                         

The components that we are using this year are:                                                                    

   * Class Meeting  * Rules and Logical Consequences * Guided Discovery           

* Classroom Organization  * Reaching Out to Parents and Guardians

Positive praise first ~ students will be verbal praised very often, followed by earning classroom money for appropriate good desirable behaviors.

 

LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES                                                                       

There are three basic kinds of logical consequences that we use.

* TAKE A BREAK- If a child is losing self control, s/he goes to a designated spot in the room to gain control. The break is short. The child returns to the learning activity as soon as s/he has gained control. Eventually children may go voluntarily to "take a break".

* LOSS OF PRIVILEGE- If a child misuses a material or acts out during an activity, s/he will be told to stop using the material or doing the activity for a while. The privilege will be restored when the child and teacher have talked about how to prevent a similar problem in the future.

* "YOU BREAK IT, YOU FIX IT"- If a child damages something or hurts another's feelings, s/he will try to fix the damage. In the case of hurting another's feelings, the child might offer an apology of action- writing a card, helping with an activity, making an illustration, or taking some other action beyond verbally saying sorry.

Whiting School Rules:

1.    I keep my hands and feet to myself.

2.    I am kind, polite and respectful.

3.    I follow all directions.

4.    I follow all safety rules.

The Classroom Rules will be made by your child with the guidance of the teachers and the Whiting School Rules

 

If a student chooses to break a rule, these are the consequences:

1.     First incidence: Verbal Warning Student will owe some time  

2.    Second incidence: Student-Teacher Conference  “My Action Plan” is completed

Student will owe more time  

3.    Third incidence: Parent, Student & Teacher Conference

“My Action Plan” is completed and signed

Student will owe a lot of time   ~ Time owed may be taken from: Recess, special(s), fun class activity, Class party/celebration etc.

 

At the end of each school day your child will be asked to self-asses how they did following the school rules.  Assistance and reminders of the day will be provided when fictitious assessments are given.

·         Full sticker ~ great job all day 

·         Missing a corner ~ good job most of the day or only one short incidence

·         Half a sticker ~ several opportunities given, student did not respond appropriately

·         No sticker & X ~  many opportunities given, student did not respond appropriately, and or major extended out-burst, did not regroup from 

 

 

 

 

 

OUR SCHEDULE  

Lunch ~ 1:00 – 1:50

All specials are 1:50 – 2:40

SNACKS

Daily snacks will be permitted.   Send quick HEALTHY items to eat.  I often ask the children if what they are eating are “BRAIN FOOD” or “After lunch snacks”. Water bottles are allowed and encouraged!  Please send in water only.   

 

CURRICULUM OVERVIEWS

See your childs IEP for goals and objectives

ABSENCES

 

If your child is absent from school, please send a note explaining the absence. All homework and class assignments must be made up.  The time period allowed for make up work is your child as two days to complete work for everyday missed.  So if they are absences 2 days they have 4 days to make up work (weekends count). It is important that your child come to school. We do a lot of activities in class that are difficult to make-up.  

 GRADING

 Your child’s grades are based on a variety of assessments that will demonstrate how well he/she understands a concept. The beginning of the year assessment & follow up assessments allow me to place your child. Grading will be done based on your child’s I.E.P. and progress made.

On class work and projects                                                                                  I = independent, C = whole class, S = with a little support,                     WA = with assistance for at least two or more steps,

On Report Cards                                                                                        

· 1^st & 2^nd grades I (independent), P (progressing), E (emerging)                           

· 

Independent:   The student demonstrates with relative ease, grasps, applies, and extends the key concepts, processes, and skills for the grade level.  The student consistently meets, and at times exceeds more depth/extension with near grade level work and/or is performing at a higher level. 

            ·       Consistently meets near grade level requirements

·       Understands, applies and transfers concepts or skills.

·       Performs using independent work habits

 

Progressing: The student demonstrates proficiency in the vast majority of the level expectations.  The student, with limited errors, grasps and applies the key concepts, processes, and skills for their level.

            ·       Requires some guidance

·       Understands concepts or skills

·       Shows steady progress towards expectation

 

Emerging:    The student is beginning to grasp and apply the key concepts, processes and skills for their level but produces work that contains many errors.

            ·       Gaining awareness

·       Gaining confidence in skill level or concept

·       Requires frequent assistance

·       Beginning to work at expectations

·       Demonstrates beginning in understanding

 

3^rd grade A, B, C     Please remember that a C is average! 

 

HOMEWORK POLICY

Students will be given homework Monday through Thursday.  The homework will be a review of the lessons that your child did that day/week, so nothing is “new”.   The children will put their homework assignments in their homework folder’s.   Children should be able to complete their homework with minimal help from you.  If your child has a hard time completing the homework, please call me!  Please make sure your child completes the homework listed for that day.

 

Parents, please sign your child’s homework planner after they have completed the assignment EVERY NIGHT!  If a homework assignment is missing or is not completed, a note will be sent home attached to this planner.  Also, your child must complete the missing homework during their free period and he/she will receive an incomplete grade.  Homework is very important in reinforcing their lessons and transferring knowledge from school to home!

 

Tips to on how to help your child with homework:

·         Have a special place where they will do homework.  This place should have little distractions.

·         Homework should be scheduled into your child’s life.  Make up a schedule for the best time each day for homework.

·         Children should do homework on their own.  Check for understanding and, if necessary, go over the directions together.  If necessary, do the first problem or two together.

·         Motivate your children to do their best work.  Praise, break up the assignment into smaller assignments if necessary.

·         Have the following supplies available:

o   3 pencils ·  Pencil sharpener ·  Pack of crayons · Markers  Colored pencils · Place to keep everything (pencil box)

CLASS WEBSITE

We have our own website, http://teacherweb.com/NJ/WhitingElementary/MrsMulligan/index.html         On the site is activities for your family, spelling lists, calendar, sight words, party times/info, and this handbook.  Please check it out!

                                                SHOPPING

The only item you really need to send your child into school with is a backpack.  However, if you happen to go shopping, and see any of these items, and want to them for your child, please feel free to pick them up for your child to use.   

o   Chap stick & cheap head phones (for computer & reading on CD station)

o   Soft Tissues, Pencils (Please no pens!), Glue sticks, Stickers

o   Ziploc Bags (all sizes),Foam shapes (for math activities)

BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays are very exciting for your child.  We would like to celebrate your child’s birthday with the class.  It would be wonderful if you could send in cupcakes or other birthday treat that we could eat after lunch.  What birthday wouldn’t be complete without a present?  Your child will receive a gift from “the class”.   About a week before your child’s birthday please write me a quick note letting me know what day works best for you.  I know that you are a very busy person, so it is not required, however, encouraged that you here to share in your child’s birthday joy.  The time that would work best in our schedule is after specials 2:40 – 3:20.

Invitations may not be passed out at school unless each classmate is invited or unless boys send invitations to all the boys or girls send to all the girls.  Please consider how your child would feel if he was the person who was left out.

PARENT CONFERENCES and VISITS

If you would like to meet with me or work inside our classroom, please send a note with your child or call the school at 732-350-4994 to make an appointment.  Children love seeing their families in their classroom.  You are invited to make plans to read to the class, help run work stations, plan and follow through a craft, and/or anything educational. 

                                               Love, Skye Mulligan