ABC's of First Grade

Hi All,

Thank you for bringing your wonderful family to first grade open house!  We welcome new first grade friends, Arabella, Arthur, Cora, Daniel, Destiny, Emma, Michael (R), and Wolfie.
The first day of school is Monday August 13!

First off: CELEBRATE AUGUST 13, the first day of first grade!

There will be many milestones and moments to cherish on your child's path this school year. To ease into first grade, why not make the first day a precious memory for all? 

IDEAS FOR THE DAY BEFORE...

• going on a special walk/hike 
• making first day "jitters-away" goo 
• looking at your old school photos and sharing a family school story
• starting a scrap book of the school year
• tucking a special note into your child's snack pouch 
• planning on a fun activity after the first day of school
• taking an "off-to-first grade" photo

IDEAS FOR THE NIGHT BEFORE ...

• Prepare lunch box and snack together (include utensils and washcloth/kitchen towel/cloth napkin)
• Set out first day of school clothes+shoes together
• Relax with a favorite book/bubble bath
• Tuck in early! For a happy first day, get a good night's sleep. (My tried-and-true recipe: to get 10 hours of zzzz's, start bedtime routines by 7:30, snuggle in bed by 8:30pm.)

Please read the following orientation piece before Monday carefully really attentively. I hope it will help make first grade your child's new home away from home.
Warmly, Jutka




ABC's of First Grade

A:  Attendance.  School starts each day at 8:15.  We do lots of work each day and missing just a day can make it harder to keep up!

B: Breakfast.  We eat breakfast at home.  Please send kids to school with a happy tummy!

C: Communication.  It is key.  If you need anything or if your child says something that I need to know please text, email, call or talk to me. Also check the class blog weekly at  tisa1fun.blogspot.com. To make blogging easier on you, I created a tool that you will find in the upper right corner of the blog. It says "Sign up below to be notified of new blog posts via email." Please enter your email address there to receive automated notifications in your mailbox.

D: Dismissal is at 3:30.   We encourage folks to loop around at pick-up. Please park at the school lot if you plan to walk to get your child. Please only park at TISA’s designated parking. Thank you!

E: Email.  Please check email messages from the SCHOOL OFFICE as well as from me regularly. 

F: Folder.  Your child will have a weekly folder that goes home on Thursdays and comes back on Thursdays.  Please remove anything from it that needs to stay home.

G: Great behavior.  I expect great behavior all the time.  There are rewards – notes, praise, special activities, treasures, and treats. We can always use small treasures for our prize box and welcome contributions at any time! If there is a behavior concern to address, a "Fix-It" sheet will go home for you to discuss, sign, and send back with your child.

H: Homework is very important. It will go home Thursday and will be due the next Thursday. It will be part of your child’s grade.

I: Independence.  Your student can do a lot more than you think.  Look for times to allow them to do the work.

J: Journal. Every child is a great story-teller! We will keep writing journals throughout the year.

K: Keeping Updated.  Please check for a weekly email and blog posts. You will hear from ME regarding our class and you will get important school-wide updates from the OFFICE. 

L: Lunch.  We eat lunch at 11:15. Healthy school lunches are provided by the Farm House Café. There is no fridge and microwave available for home lunches. 

M: Morning.  We will meet each morning on the playground. Children will be going into the classroom at 8:15 to start the day. 

N: News.  If your child has any important news please share it with me.  Not only will this help with learning but it will help me to connect with your children as people.  

O: Outside time (Recess and PE) Your child will get sixty minutes each day for outdoor recess and PE throughout the year.  Please make sure your child wears SNEAKERS or TENNIS SHOES and weather appropriate clothing each day.  

P; Progress reports will be sent home three times a year during parent conferences. Your child’s grade will reflect her/his academic progress, behavior, attendance, and homework.

Q: Questions! Please ask how your child’s day went each day after school.  Ask what they learned, who they played with, and what they ate.  AND feel free to ask me questions as well! Remember, in general, in the morning in the interest of the children TEXT IS BEST!

R: Reading. Our big first grade goal is to have everyone be comfortable and fluent in reading at their own level. Please read to your child every night and use the reading logs we send home. Our goal is to read 15 books each month.

S: Snack. Your child will bring his/her own morning and afternoon snack and water. Please only pack healthy items and water. Sugary treats, gum, candy, lollipops, and sugary drinks are discouraged. Students will not be sharing snacks with each other, except for birthday treats. Please let me know if your child has food allergies or dietary restrictions.

T: Teacher.  That’s me!  I am Jutka (say: YOUTkah), but don’t worry about pronouncing my name right!! It’s a Hungarian name and takes some getting used to. Our educational assistants, Miss Wally and Miss Rosalie  and Grandma Susan will be also on our class teaching team.

U: Unfinished Work.  We will have lots of this.  Please finish it up at home and send back if you wish. 

V: Volunteers.  We love them! Please give us a few weeks to get our routines down and rapport with the students.  A note for this will come home when we are ready.  

W: Water.  Your child can bring a LABELED water bottle to school each day only if it seals completely.  It must not leak and cannot be juice. I discourage sugary drinks and sodas.

X:  The NIX list!  Please do not NOT allow your child to bring/wear the following items at school. They will be “saved” and sent home. Here is the X list: TOYS, WEAPONS (Leatherman’s are super popular!), HIGH HEELS, FLIP-FLOPS, WATCHES, removable JEWELRY (large necklaces, bracelets, rings, NECKTIES and large hair pieces). However, we will have special fun days such as "dress-up day," "fancy dress day," and "game day" scheduled too!

Y: Your help.  Please check in with your child, keep up with office emails and the class blog, help your child with their homework, read each night, and clean out their backpacks daily! 

Z:  ZZZZ’s.  Kids need lots of sleep. I suggest 10 hours of sleep for a first grader. Especially at the beginning of the school year you can expect your child to be super tired at the end of the day. They work so hard in school!