Miss Lo's First Day Information Packet

Green Folders

It is important your child has their green folder in his/her backpack everyday.  This folder will be used to carry notes and homework to and from school.  All notes, homework, lunch money, book orders, etc. should be placed in this folder.  I will have the students check them everyday to turn things in.  Please be sure to check your child’s folder and backpack everyday for important information.  This folder is a tool for open and effective communication between school and home.

Friday Letters

Every other Friday there will be a “Friday Newsletter” sent home or sent via e-mail (if you choose) so you are aware of what’s going on in the classroom and at school.  Included in the Friday Newsletter will be information about curriculum, important dates to remember and what we’ve been working on.  If there is any other important information, I will send a note home in your child’s folder.  After the newsletter has been sent home, it will be posted on our classroom website.

Classroom Website

Our classroom website is a great way for you to see what’s happening in the classroom.  The website has our daily schedules, classroom policies, newsletters, volunteer calendars, special friend information, spelling words (McGraw Hill and Rebecca Sitton), and web links for your child, photos and student projects.  Here is the address: http://www.newcastle.issaquah.wednet.edu/Teachers/lo/

Dropping Off and Picking Up Your Child

When dropping off your child in the morning, please make sure that your child is not early because they will have to wait outside in the “waiting area.”

If you will be picking up your child early, please remember to sign him/her out at the office.  If you are aware of this in advance, please let me know so I can have your child ready to go at the appropriate time.  If someone different will be picking your child up, please send me a note or e-mail so I will be aware of the arrangements.  It is important that I know where your child needs to go after school so that I can get them to the appropriate place.  If I don’t have a note or e-mail, I will send your child home the “normal” way.

Bus Passes

If your child will be going home with a friend or relative after school, please make sure to notify the office (phone or note) so a bus pass can be issued.   However, during the first few weeks of school, no bus passes will be issued.  Also, please write me a note so I can make sure to remind your child where to go after school.

Lunch

Please make sure your child has a lunch everyday.  If your child brings lunch to school, please clearly mark their lunch bag and use containers that will not leak.  If your child will be purchasing school lunch, it is essential they have money in their lunch account.  You can write a check for any amount out to the Issaquah School District and it will be deposited into your child’s account.  I encourage you to put money into your child’s account for those days when your child doesn’t have a lunch.   There are always two main choices, salad & potato bar, or what I call a “grab it” lunch (yogurt, cheese, and graham cracker).  If you would like me to order you a lunch (for those days when you are volunteering or eating lunch with you child), please let me know at the beginning of school so I can place your order in the morning.

Snack

Since we will be eating an early lunch, there will be a brief time in the afternoon for a snack.  Please send an easy snack to school with your child.  The snack should be healthy and NON-PEANUT (because of allergies).  Some snacks could include: crackers, fruit, veggies, package fruit snacks, popcorn, string cheese, etc.  Please do not send candy!  The snack should consist of something that can be eaten in approximately five minutes and your child should be able to open their own snack.  If you would like to leave a box of something at school at school for your child, I would be more than happy to pass it out each day.  Snacks are a good way to help your child re-energize themselves in the afternoon.

Birthdays

Your child’s birthday is a special day and we will celebrate it at school.  However, it is a school policy that there are no treats brought to school.  Newcastle has special mementos to celebrate each child’s birthday.

Special Friend

After the first few months of school, we will start our Special Friend program.  Each week a student will be designated “Special Friend” for the week, in which they will share all about themselves (family, favorite things, goals, etc.) so that their peers can get to know them a little better.

Book Orders

Book orders are a wonderful way to help build your library at home.  There are many books to choose from, allowing your child to have fun and appropriate leveled books to read.  Each month I will send home book orders.  If you would like to order, please total the amount due on all the forms.  You can write ONE check (even if you order from different forms) made payable to Scholastic Books Clubs.  Please do not send cash.  When the books come, I will send them home with your child.  You can now order books on-line through Scholastic with your credit card.  More information will come in the first book order packet.

Here's the information to order books on-line:

Classroom Volunteers

I encourage all parents to volunteer in and out of the classroom.  This is a wonderful opportunity for you to see how our classroom runs, be involved in our activities and more importantly be apart of your child’s learning.  I don’t begin using volunteers in the classroom until after curriculum night, this gives us a chance to become a community and establish our classroom routines and procedures.

Homework

The first grade team has worked hard to develop homework activities that promote a child’s ability to work independently, enrich school experiences and apply school learning to leisure time activities and to provide extra practice on skills previously taught.  Your child works hard all day at school.  We want to create a good balance between spending time with family, relaxing, playing with friends and also giving your child opportunities to practice skills learned at school.  Please choose what you think will best benefit your child.  If your child is having a hard time completing the activities, choose the ones that will bring success to your child.  Please remember that homework is for your child to do, not you!  If you are wondering if you should correct your child's mistake(s), our team advice would be yes.  This is a great time to re-teach your child the skill being reinforced.  Mistakes are a great way for your child to learn.

Homework is sent home each Friday in a bag and is due the following Friday.

Here is a brief description of the activities that will be provided in your child’s homework bag.

1. Reading is the key to your child’s success in school!  It is very important for your child to grow and gain confidence as a reader during their first grade year.  Each evening, there should be time set aside for reading (at least 10 minutes a day).  This could be your child reading to you, you reading to your child or shared reading.  A reading log will be sent home to keep track of nightly readings in the homework packet.  It is important that your child fill-out this reading log to practice writing titles of books  Your child will also receive 2 homework books to read at their appropriate level.  Some of the books are chosen by the teacher, while others are chosen by the student.  All books are due back on Friday as part of the homework bag.
2. Writing Activity – this activity will vary depending on our story of the week from our district adopted reading curriculum.
3. Math – this activity will help reinforce math concepts learned in class
4. Spelling – a list of new spelling words will be sent home every Friday along with a few fun activities for your child to do while practicing their words.
5. Along with these weekly activities, there will be a monthly cooperative family activity related to our various themes throughout the year.

 During curriculum night we will be talking more about homework activities that will be provided for your child.  We will not begin homework activities until after curriculum night (September 28).   Learning takes practice and your help is greatly appreciated.

Behavior Policy and Classroom Rules

Our school rule:   We make choices that don’t cause a problem for anyone else.

Our classroom expectations/rules include:

1. Be respectful
2. Follow directions
3. Keep your hands, feet and objects to yourself
4. Always try your best
5. Have a good attitude

We use a behavior card system (rocket board), in which all students start off on green every day.  Students need to make good choices when it comes to their behavior and they need to be accountable for their behavior as well.  If students are not following the school rules or classroom rules, they will first receive a verbal warning.  If the behavior continues they will be asked to “flip their rocket” to yellow or red.  During the first few weeks of school we will be discussing and role-playing appropriate school behaviors.  Students will also learn and practice the routines and procedures of the classroom throughout the year.

0-1 warnings=Green Rocket

If students remain on green all week, they will receive a “green all week” certificate on Fridays,

2 warnings=Yellow Rocket

Students will owe 5 minutes of their recess to discuss the choice(s) they made and a note will be sent home for you to sign.

3 warnings=Red Rocket

Students owe their entire recess to discuss the choice(s) they made and a note will be sent home for you to sign.

I strongly encourage you to participate in our behavior system and carry it over from school into your home.  I have seen participation to be really effective in managing children’s behaviors at school and at home.  My hope is that once students are aware of the classroom routines and my expectations, there will be no room for them to make poor choices.   If we set high behavioral expectations together, the children will know that we expect the best behavior at all times!