Welcome to First Grade
Mrs. Sanow
September
8, 2009
Dear Parents,
I
can’t believe how fast summer has flown by.
It is hard to believe that we are at the beginning of
another school year.
Below
I will explain the rules and consequences of the classroom as well
as things you can expect throughout the year.
I have also attached a copy of our classroom schedule.
Rules
and Consequences
Rules
1. I will listen and follow
directions from all adults.
2. I will keep my hands and feet to myself and my own property.
3. I will respect others and their property.
4. God has
given me many gifts and I will use them the best I can!
Every
child will begin the day with a green colored card in our Behavior
Chart. If the child chooses to break a rule after a verbal
reminder, his card will be changed to yellow. Continued
misbehavior will result in the card changing to blue and finally
red. The student can earn his green card back by improving
behavior for the remainder of the morning or the afternoon,
meaning he will begin the rest of the day. Children
who are doing a GREAT job will have their cards changed to PURPLE
for positive reinforcement and setting an example for the rest of
the class. Every child
will start the day with a green card.
Consequences:
Excellent
Behavior: Card
will be changed to PURPLE.
First Offense: A verbal reminder as a warning.
Second Offense: Change card on behavior chart from
green to yellow and a consequence depending on their behavior.
Third Offense: Change card to blue and a consequence
depending on their behavior and a note home that must be signed
and returned.
Fourth Offense: Change card to red and parents will receive
a phone call and a meeting with teacher, parent and child will be
set up.
We are also
implementing Honorable Character again this year.
Honorable Character is a program with 14 character words
that have a Bible verse to go along with that word.
Each week I will send home a paper for how your child did
the pervious week. One
side is for honorable character in which they were showing good
actions. The other
side is defining character in which they will not following an
honorable character word. The
numbers go with the character word they were or were not
demonstrating. Please
initial on both sides for the right week and return it to school
the following day.
1st
and 2nd Grade Combining
This is year
going to be different than what it has been the past several
years. As you all know
first and second grade will be combined all day.
Attached is a schedule of how the day will be.
Be aware that the schedule may change in the first several
weeks of the school year. Math,
Reading
, and Religion will be by grade level.
During the times that I am teaching second grade your child
will be working on their work or working in centers.
Centers may be a worksheet on a concept we are learning, a
game on a concept we are learning, working in the creation station
(art and writing), reading (alone or buddy reading), as well as
other activities. During
this time I will need the cooperation of all the students so that
the environment is still a learning environment.
Art, Social
Studies, and Science will be combined.
This year we will be working out of the Second Grade
curriculum in Social and Science, next year we will be working out
of the First Grade curriculum.
My plans for now are to do Science during the first and
fourth quarter and Social Studies during the second and third
quarter. My reasoning
for this is in Science there are something’s that may be better
to do outside and during the second and third quarter that is hard
to do with the weather. Of
course if there are things that need to be touched on from either
subject during the quarters they are not being taught, I will take
the time to teach it.
Reading
In first
grade we will be working a lot on reading.
We will be using the Language Arts Basil and Guided
Reading. During guided
reading the students will be reading at their own level.
Together these strategies should provide your child the
skills to spell, comprehend, and read with fluency.
This year one of my main goals is to help your child to
find reading enjoyable.
I will also
be sending home book logs. Return
this book log after you and your child have read five books
together and your child will receive a sticker on their chart.
Once they have filled half their chart they will receive a
small prize. When they
have filled the whole chart they will receive a book I have copied
the book log on both sides, you can either fill both sides and
return it and get two stickers or return it with one side filled
and they will receive one sticker and I will send the book log
home to do the other side. I
copied both sides to save on paper!.
Don’t feel that you need to do this nightly, but I would
like to encourage you to read with your child when you can!
Homework
In first
grade the students will be bringing home homework every night.
It is not a lot homework and
should not take long to do. Students
will bring home math homework.
We will have done the guided practice side of the paper
together as a class and your child will need to do the homework
side at home. The
homework side is the same as the guided practice side just
different questions. As
we get further into the math lessons they will also be bringing
home math facts homework.
Students may
also be bringing home some
Reading
homework on occasion. Within
the first couple of months your child will bring home spelling
lists. Please practice
these words with your child as they will be tested on them on
Fridays. Since this
year we will be working on guided reading your child will bring
home a Book Baggie. In
the baggie will be a book and a calendar.
Your child will already have read through the book and I
ask you to have your child read through it with you.
There will also be a calendar in the book baggie and I
would like you to sign the calendar on the date that they read to
you. If you feel that
your child struggled with a book feel free to let me know as well.
My
Goal
My goal for
the year is to motivate the students to be lifelong learners and
to teach the students how to use the gifts that God has given
them. I want to teach
them knowledge and skills to reach their
highest potential in an environment that feels welcoming
and safe.
I am looking
forward to a fun and exciting school year.
I will be sending home a newsletter every week.
I will also post the newsletter on the St. Mary’s
website.
If you have
any questions or concerns at an time
feel free to contact me at the school or you can email me at lisasanow@hotmail.com.
Also if
something comes up in the evening feel free to contact me at home
from 5-10 PM, (507)629-9132.
Sincerely,
Lisa Sanow
St. Mary's School
Welcome
to First Grade!!!