Birthday Celebrations Handwriting Helpers Wanted Homework Long term assignments/ book report Labeling Library Reading Vocabulary and Spelling/Language Arts Folders Pencils Physical Education Pretzels Spelling Creative Writing Test/Quizzes/Exams Troll and Scholastic Book Orders Yes/No Slips
You may send in cupcakes, brownies, or small treats to celebrate your the children. They will have these treats with their lunch. Small treats or pre-bagged items are best since many children already have enough for lunch.
The students will have a creative writing notebook throughout the year. In your child’s creative writing notebook, you will be able to see the different phases of writing. Most beginning writers draw first. As they become more comfortable and more knowledgeable with letters and sounds, they will start to write. In the beginning, their writing will probably be difficult to understand. I will be stressing to the children to sound out the words. Please be supportive and model writing to you child. Demonstrate how to sound out words. In this notebook only, the children start a new page for each new assignment.
When practicing handwriting remind your child: to use a sharpened pencil, sit up straight with his/her feet on the floor, and to hold the pencil properly. (Pencil grippers will train your child to do this.) His/her book should be slightly slanted to help him. He/she should also remember to finger space appropriately.
I am looking for any interested parents to help in the classroom with small groups of children. I would love to have you, and the children will reap the benefits. We would like to have at least five helpers a week. All parent volunteers must be STAND approved prior to helping with the children. ( Click here to see the Archdiocesan website for more details.- STAND APPROVED REQUIREMENTS) For those of you unable to help in the classroom, I have a few things that you could do at home from time to time. Sometimes need someone to color and cut out learning centers, trace patterns for art activities, or to make xerox copies. If interested, please let me know in what capacity on the survey we sent home.
The children will receive a homework sheet for the entire week or copy their homework from the board each morning. Please make sure your child arrives at school on time. Homework is given each night. On Fridays, there is no written homework, but I suggest that you try to spend some time reviewing. Review work includes reading vocabulary words, spelling words, math facts, and reading books. If you notice that your child is having difficulty or struggling with something, then please send me a note, so that we may help your child when a problem arises. Let's not wait until they are way behind the rest of the class.
Please initial or sign your child's homework sheet for each night and write the amount of time spent on homework. If your child has several problems incorrect then explain how to do the problem correctly. Have your child go back and correct the incorrect problems. You can ask them questions to lead them to the answers but do not give them the answers! If they still do not understand the concept then write me a note at the top of the page that they had a difficult time with this concept. This will help me help your child.
Whenever your child starts a ditto or completes work in his copybook make sure H.W. followed by the date on the paper. You will notice that C.W. and the date will be on all work completed in class as classwork.
Homework is due the following day. However, if there is a problem at home and the homework is not completed, a note must accompany your child. The missing assignment should be turned it the next day.
LABELING -- Put your child's name on everything!
book bag, crayons, erasers, folders, glue, lunch box/bags, notebooks, pencils, pencil cases/boxes, pencil grippers, scissors, gym uniforms. When sending in money please make sure it is an envelope marked with your child's name, Room 106 - 1A, and purpose (example, Troll, milk money, special lunch, etc.).
The children will go to library on Thursday at 1:00PM. Please send in your child's library book on Thursday. If your child does not return his/her library book then he/she should bring it in on Friday. First graders do not pay a fine for overdue books.
LONG TERM ASSIGNMENTS AND BOOK REPORTS
These assignments are due on the respective day.
READING VOCABULARY and SPELLING/LANGUAGE ARTS FOLDERS
The clip folders will hold reading vocabulary words and other important information. Please cover these folders with clear contact paper, so the folder will last the school year. These folders will go home every night and the reading words/rules are to be reviewed each night. Your child will not need to review all of the words each night; however, the difficult words for your child should be reviewed until they have been mastered. When reviewing with your child point to different words at random, do not follow the order that they are in the rows. (I recommend flash cards for those words difficult for your child.)
When we begin a new story, I will assign a given page to study for a week. The sheets will contain vocabulary words, rhyming words, phrases and sentences to practice reading smoothly and with expression, and new skills. In most cases the SKILL sections will not have been taught the day I assign the vocabulary sheet. Please wait a day or so before you review the skill with your child.
Pencils must be sharpened at home. Students should always have 6 sharpened regular pencils. No small pencil sharpeners are allowed in our classroom.
The children should wear their tennis shoes to school as well as their gym uniform (See Handbook for additional information and important dates). Our gym day is Tuesday, 1:45 PM.
Pretzels must be pre-ordered twice a year. No other snack may be eaten during snack time.
You will find a listing of all of our units in the Spelling/ Language Arts Clip folder. Spelling tests will be given about every 7 to 8 days. On a spelling test, your child will find the current spelling unit words, previously tested spelling words, and dictated sentences which will be checked for correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Make sure you review regularly.
TROLL AND SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS
I will send home Troll and Scholastic book orders each month. If you are interested in ordering, please send back the order form in an envelope. The envelope should be labeled with your child’s name, Troll order, and the amount enclosed. Make checks payable to Troll Book Club or to Scholastic Book Club. If you would like to purchase any book for a gift, let me know and I will wrap the books up, so your child will not know the contents. Thank you for your support with the book orders. We receive free items for the classroom.
We receive several promotional advertisements throughout the year from Highlights and other companies. These companies have a short letter describing their merchandise and the cost. We are able to receive free items for the classroom with each response. In previous years, 1A has received 16 dictionaries, over 5000 stickers, a magnifying glass and many hardback books. If everyone checks no and signs the slip we can receive many gifts. Please take the time to check no and sign it. I do not need any other information unless you are ordering the item for your child. Thanks for your support!
We are looking forward to a wonderful year!!
