Welcome to 1st Grade



Welcome to 1st Grade“Whoooo’s” ready for a great year in Room 21! Miss Cait Clark 2016-2017Phone: 717-531-2211, ext 6121 Email: cclark@hershey.k12.pa.us125185710160000Welcome to First Grade! Dear First Grade Parent,Welcome to first grade and Room 21. I am looking forward to a successful year with you and your child. I hope you will find the transition from Kindergarten to First Grade a smooth one.The purpose of this handbook is to introduce myself to you and to familiarize you with my educational philosophy and expectations for the upcoming school year.Please read over this handbook carefully. I have tried to touch on all aspects of first grade and Room 21. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I can be reached by telephone at 531-2211 x 6121 or by email at cclark@hershey.k12.pa.us. Thank you for demonstrating your interest in your child’s academic success by reading through this handbook. I look forward to working together in a cooperative partnership of support for your child’s first grade experience.Sincerely,Cait Clark First Grade InfoFirst grade is a big step in your child’s development. Here are some suggestions to make this year both happy and healthy for all.Children who walk or drive to school should not arrive before 8:30 AM. School begins at 8:40 AM. Students are not permitted in the classrooms prior to 8:30 as this presents a safety risk.A late pass is required for admission to class whenever a student arrives after 8:40. Late passes are obtained in the Early Childhood Center office. Please report to the office immediately to sign-in and get a visitors tag when you visit school.All early dismissals must be handled from the office. Please report to the office when picking your child up before the 3:35 dismissal time. It is necessary for you to sign your child out and request that the secretary call and release your child from the classroom. Please follow this procedure to ensure the safety of all students in our school.Please call 534-2509 if your child will be absent from school. Upon returning to school, a written excuse is required. The student excuse booklet may be used for this purpose.Breakfast is available daily for $2.25.This year it will cost $3.00 to buy an individual lunch with milk. Please participate in the snap card system as it eliminates the need for children to handle money. Milk can be purchased for $0.65 for those students packing a lunch. If you make arrangements to visit for lunch, an adult lunch can be purchased for $3.80. We will eat lunch in the ECC Cafeteria from 12:05 - 12:35. Please empty and sign your child’s take home folder each evening. This is a major communication tool and should be reviewed each night.Please clearly label all personal belongings your child brings to school. School spirit day is usually the last Friday of every month. Don’t forget to dress your child in orange and blue!Meet Miss ClarkMy name is Cait Clark. I was born in Delaware and grew up in Rising Sun, Maryland (about an hour and a half from Hershey). I received my BA in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from Widener University in 2012. After graduating from Widener, I joined Teach for America and was placed in South Carolina. I taught first grade and kindergarten for four years before moving home this past June. In May of 2015, I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Johns Hopkins University. This will be my sixth-year teaching and my second-year teaching in Derry Township! In addition to teaching, I enjoy reading, going to the beach and the pool, traveling, camping, shopping, going to Hershey Park, and spending time with my family and my friends. I have a puppy, Marnie, and a three-year-old niece, Larissa, who I love spending time with. I look forward to getting to know you and your child this year. I have no doubt that this will be a successful and fun year!PhilosophyI believe that every child is a unique individual worthy of love and respect. I strive to get to know my students’ interests and family backgrounds in order to more effectively meet their needs in the classroom. It is my hope that the children in my classroom will reach their highest potential both academically and socially this year. However, it is impossible for me to do this without a tremendous effort on your part! Please help them to be prepared for every school day. They are so proud when they have everything they need for school and so sad when they do not!I believe that first grade sets the tone for your child’s academic future. Most parents want their child to be successful in school but are unsure how to make success happen. Your involvement is essential. After all, school is your child’s job. You will send a message of success to your child by being interested and excited about what they do each day. Attending special events and parties are another way to communicate the importance of a good education. There are numerous opportunities throughout the school year to be involved either at home or in the classroom. Please take advantage of these. Thank you for your support!Brag Tags In no time, your child will be coming home to tell you all about the brag tag that he/she earned at school! So, I would like to take this opportunity to explain what brag tags are and how your child can earn them.Brag tags are incentive tags that your child can earn for positive behavior and choices that he/she makes during the school day. The tags are placed on a necklace that is kept at school and brought home at the end of the school year. Brag tags are not meant to take home but can be looked at if you come into school to visit! We will also have them available when you come in for parent-teacher conferences. Brag tags are earned when the teacher notices a choice or behavior that is done by a student that exceeds expectations. Brag tags can be earned for many things. Some of these may include: 100% on a test, Helping Others, Good Listening, etc. I strongly believe in positive reinforcement in my classroom and this is one method that we will use this year to encourage the positive choices and hard work.CHAMPS Classroom Management This year our classroom, as well as all of the other first grade classrooms, will be using the CHAMPs classroom management system. The overall goal of the CHAMPs management system is to teach students how to be successful in class by providing detailed behavioral expectations for every activity that we do using the CHAMPs acronym. In this acronym, C is for Conversation, H is for Help, A is for Activity, M is for Movement, and P is for Participation. On the following page of this handbook, you will see the detailed expectations for the variety of activities that we will be doing in our classroom throughout the year. Please know that these expectations will be shared and practiced starting day one. It is my belief that children reach their fullest potential when they have clear and consistent expectations. Please be assured that as we spend time practicing these expectations I will be certain to provide your child with encouragement and praise as he/she is learning our CHAMPs! I will also keep you informed about how your child is doing through CHAMPs notes that will be sent home periodically. Thank you in advance for your support of this management system.-11430041211500 Star StudentEach week a special person from our room will be featured on our “Star Student” board. When it is your child’s turn he/she will be asked to tell us some of his/her likes, favorite things, hobbies, etc. A “Me, Myself, and I” poster will be sent home for you to assist your child in completing. Posters are to be returned on Monday of the week that your child is the “Star”. In addition to the poster, please send 7 – 10 pictures of your child to school. These should include at least one baby picture and some pictures with other family members. The pictures will be displayed on the board and sent home at the end of the week.This is a great way to learn about each other’s families and to share in everyone’s interests. I will be the first “star” so the students can get to know my family and me. You may want to start gathering pictures and discussing this project with your child now rather than waiting until their week. Enjoy!Book Orders The students will have many opportunities to order books from the monthly book clubs. This will enable your child to begin a relatively inexpensive home library. It will also help us to earn more books for our classroom!As you review the order form with your child, look for books that your child shows an interest in and also any Caldecott medal books. Please do not feel obligated to purchase books. If you choose to order books, please follow these guidelines:Please make sure your child’s name is clearly marked on the order form.Make checks payable to the appropriate book club. Cash cannot be accepted. Enclose the order form and the check in a sealed envelope, clearly marked with the following information:Child’s NameTeacher’s NameRoom NumberPlease send the envelope to school by the date indicated in the weekly newsletter.You may also order online. Our classroom code is Q7TD3. 21717005080000Special ScheduleDay 1 LibraryDay 2 MusicDay 3Physical Education (P.E.)Day 4ArtDay 5GuidanceDay 6Physical Education (P.E.)Room 21’s Daily Schedule8:40 – 8:50 Opening: Take attendance and lunch countMorning WorkCheck homework and take home folders8:55 – 9:55 W.I.N: Small group reading instruction that is individualized to meet each individual child’s needs10:00 – 10:15 Recess:Recess10:15 – 11:30 Whole Group Reading:Get Ready to ReadRead and ComprehendLanguage Arts/Writing11:30 – 12:00 Recess 12:05 – 12:35 Lunch12:40 - 1:00 Class MeetingDuring this time we will focus on building our classroom community and developing and reinforcing age appropriate social skills and interactions1:00 – 2:10 Math:Math concepts will be presented in whole group and guided group format2:10 – 2:50 Special:Science or Social Studies Unit2:52 -3:32 Unit:Special3:35 Dismissal228600-457200BirthdayCelebrations00BirthdayCelebrations2057400342900We love to celebrate birthdays in Room 21! Here are some ways that you can help us celebrate your child’s birthday:Come eat lunch with your child on his/her special day. (once the students have learned their lunchroom routine and a letter is sent home from the office)Send in a small non-edible treat (pencil, eraser, bookmark, etc.) for the students in Room 21. Induct your child into the Birthday Book Club by purchasing a book for our classroom library. The book will be affixed with a special label commemorating your child’s birthday and your child will be the first one to read the book. This is a great way to share the gift of your child with his/her classmates and future students in Room 21!If your child has a summer birthday (Late June/July), we will celebrate him/her on their half birthday! Please look ahead to when this will be for your child so that you can plan if you’d like to also celebrate using one of the above-mentioned ways. August birthdays will be celebrated at the end of August. As a reminder, please make sure that you do not send in edible treats, as they will not be accepted. This is for the health and well being of all of the students in Room 21. Thank you for your support and cooperation with this matter!Homework PolicyBeginning sometime in September homework will be assigned. The assignments should take no longer than 10 to 15 minutes to complete and will be a review of concepts or skills already introduced in class. The homework assignments will be listed in the newsletter each week. I usually send homework as a packet for the week. This packet will include Home-Links for Math. Packets are to be returned to school on Friday’s. This gives you time each night to work on it. Most assignments will need to be turned in and checked by me. Other assignments will not be turned in and are things students will just practice at home such as The Family Times packet, spelling practice, reading a story, or reviewing sight words. I would encourage parents to sit down with their child for 10 to 15 minutes each evening as they work on their assignment. The homework is designed to reinforce concepts and for parents to get an idea of the content being covered. Please contact me should you find your child is struggling with homework or if you have any other concerns. 205740011049000DismissalDismissal:Walkers and Parent Pick up students are dismissed at 3:35. The bus riders will immediately follow. During the first week of school, I will physically put your child on his/her bus. This is to relieve any anxiety about missing the bus. After the first five days, I then just walk them to the vicinity of their bus to see if they can find it on their own. Then by the middle of the second week, they are able to try it by themselves.** Special Dismissal Procedures** Dismissal time is a very busy time. If your son/daughter has different dismissal arrangements, you need to state them in writing the morning of the dismissal. The transportation department does not allow children to take different buses home for play dates. If you have arranged a play date, you need to pick up both children or arrange it to happen after the children get home. If there is an emergency where you cannot get home in time for your child or you need to pick your child up at school, please do not call me in the classroom and leave a message. I won’t get it until it is too late. Instead, call the office and speak to the office secretary about your particular situation.If you plan to pick your child up from school at a different time, or in place of their normal bus, you need to send a written note in with your child in the morning. Thank you!Technology Based Classroom Education434340062738000Our classroom is a technology based room. This is my sixth year with an interactive white board. Your child will have the unique opportunity to participate in some of the most recent technology advancements for education. Below are some of the great experiences your child will have this year:web searcheson-line educational gamesEveryday Math websiteTumblebooksWikisMany more web-based learning opportunitiesEducational Ipad apps including Dreambox and Reading EggsBe on the look out for great websites and activities that you can participate in at home.1143008255000400050015049500422910012001500Thank you!Dear Parents,Thank you for taking the time to read through this handbook. I hope the expectations and procedures have been well explained. If for some reason you would need further explanation or clarification, please write me a note, e-mail me, or call me. I would be happy to help you.I look forward to a successful year with you and your child. Every effort will be made to instill the desire to be a LIFELONG LEARNER.Would you please take the time to fill out and return the detachment at the bottom of the page? This is documentation that your family has read the handbook.Thank you again! Let’s get this year off to a GREAT start.Sincerely,Cait Clark _________________________________________________________I, _______________________ have read the Room 21 handbook. I understand the expectations and procedures for the classroom.________________________Signature and date ................
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