This week we are still really focusing on rules and procedures and we help the students through the beginning stages of school, adjusting to new environments and expectations, and learning what it is like to be in school all day!
A few notes about procedures:
- This week will be the last week you will be able to walk your child down to the classroom. After this Friday, September 7th, please say goodbye to your child in the commons area, outside, in the car, etc. Part of becoming independent is learning how to navigate through the school (even if it is from the back door to the classroom) and arrive at the classroom. This procedure really helps to ease the transition into other independent tasks and helps Ms. Crowther and I be able to focus on the students thoughts, feelings, needs, questions, etc. in the mornings. This policy also applies to older siblings, so please discuss the procedures with them as well.
- Also beginning next week, we will begin using an "Inbox" and "Message Station" outside our front door for morning communications. If you have a last minute question, concern, transportation change, or need to notify us of something, please use the provided materials (pens, paper, notepad, envelopes) to write a quick note and drop it in our inbox. As much as we value the home-school relationship and welcome open communication, the arrival time of 8:15-8:30 is not time to conference with Ms. Crowther and I, as our focus is on the students. For notes and communications that are not last minute, email and notes in the daily folder work great! If you have any questions about this procedure, please feel free to ask. The materials and Inbox are currently up if you are interested in stopping by to see it in person.
- I want to thank everyone for abiding by our current lunch procedures. As a reminder, for the first 9 weeks of school you cannot eat lunch with your child or stop by to greet them and ask them about their day during lunchtime. This rule has been set in place because it is another way of easing the transition into school and helping your child gain independence. The lunchroom is a busy, chaotic, new place- especially for a 5 year old! By eating lunch with only their classmates, students are able to learn the rules, procedures and expectations among their peers. They are also able to learn how to open the containers and items in their lunchbox or ask a tablemate for assistance. This rule also helps with students who may be feeling lonely or missing their mom/dad/etc. because it allows us to teach them coping strategies for lasting the entire school day without them (and realizing that they are OK!). Once the first 9 weeks have ended, we welcome you to join your child for lunch or stop by to say hello!
- I wanted to remind everyone that much of our school day continues to focus on rules and procedures within our classroom and school. We are currently learning about the various centers around the classroom and what is expected at each of them. This will continue into next week before our daily routine and subject-based lessons begin. Ms. Crowther and I firmly believe students need a strong foundation and understanding of their environment and what is expected in order to reach their maximum potential in academics. This time spent on rules and procedures also facilitates in reducing stress-related problems and anxieties due to confusion in procedures once we really start teaching and learning together, and allows for more learning to occur throughout the year in a safe and understanding environment.
- Last but not least, this week will be the last week that Ms. Crowther and I "micromanage" your students and their belongings. For the past 2 weeks, we have continually reminded students of the specific items to unpack, to get their snack and water bottle for recess, to go back and remember their water bottle on the picnic table outside, to pack all of their belongings in the afternoon, etc. After Friday, we will not be specifically reminding each student to unpack, pack, or remember their items. We have been reminding students of this, and they are really beginning to get better. However, sometimes they have to forget in order to remember! This means that if they forget an item at recess, they can not go back out to get it until the next transition period or the end of the day. If an item is forgotten in the classroom at the end of the day (after we remind students to get all of their belongings) they will not be able to go back to the classroom to retrieve it. This is a learning process and we are here to help your child be successful in life in as many aspects as possible, including being responsible for their belongings.
Now on to the fun things!!!
- This week we are studying All About Me and Family. We are also doing a literature study on Laura Numeroff and her books.
- Today we made puppets and learned about "circle stories."
- Tomorrow we will be making pancakes to go along with If You Give a Pig a Pancake. The students will be making the pancakes from scratch and independently by following a recipe. It is a great lesson and experience for everyone! We will be tasting blueberry, maple, and strawberry syrup on the pancakes and graphing the results! What fun! All health information I received showed that we do not have any class allergies. Please notify me immediately if your child has a food allergy.
- We will be eating different flavors of muffins Friday in conjunction with If You Give a Moose a Muffin and graphing the results of our favorite muffins. Flavors are chocolate, blueberry, and strawberry.
- Library trips to Imaginon will be on Tuesdays. Our first library trip will be next Tuesday, September 11th. We will be taking the bus to the LYNX station and going uptown to the library. If you want to chaperone this trip, you will need to meet us at the Tyvola LYNX station and purchase your own light rail ticket, as we do not have room on the bus (we are taking the small bus). We will leave the school at 12:15, so chaperones should plan to meet us at the train station by 12:30. This event will be posted and available on MRSAEvents tomorrow for you to sign-up. We only need 2 chaperones maximum, so it will be on a first come, first serve basis. I sent out reminders tonight for anyone who does not current have a public library card or a library bag at school. If you have questions or concerns, please let me know via email.
- Reading folders will go home with individualized books for your child next Tuesday. I have not sent them home because I want to be able to explain the various books in the classroom and the system we use for testing, etc. on curriculum night next week so you have a better understanding of the books your child brings home.
- Curriculum night is next Monday, September 10th. I hope everyone is able to attend. There will be 2 sessions to accommodate for parents with multiple children at the school. Both sessions will involve a short blurb from me of curriculum and classroom information followed by parent Q&A sessions. The times are 6:30-7:00 and 7:30-8:00. There will be no formal introductions or talking from administration, so you can meet in the classroom.
- We started jobs this week! Ask your child what their job is!
- Mystery Person is a positive behavior activity we do in the classroom each day. Every morning after calendar we pull a name stick from the Mystery Jar. We do not tell the class whose name is on the stick. All day we pay attention to the mystery person and how they behave, follow directions, etc. At the end of the day if the mystery person has done their best and been a model student, they get into the treasure box. If they have not made good choices that day, the person remains a mystery to everyone in the class.
- Guess & Show has begun in our class! Every child will receive a turn to take home the journal, Mick (our class stuffed animal), and bring in a special item from home to share with the class over the next 18 days. Details are provided in the journal!
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