Welcome to 1st Grade

Thursday, August 26, 2010
Welcome to 1st Grade
Ms. Pamela Backman - Room 12
Phone 264-3800
E-mail backmanp@tenino.k12.wa.us

Welcome to Parkside and Room 12. I am pleased to introduce myself to you and to welcome your child into my class. A good learning experience is built upon a cooperative effort among parent, child and teacher. I look forward to the work and growth we will accomplish this year. This letter will give you and your child some operational guidelines for our classroom. You may want to refer to the following schedules, guidelines, and procedures as the year progresses.

Each week, I will send your child home with a blue and white “Homework Folder.” In this folder you will receive news and announcements from Parkside’s office, news from Room 12 letting you know about what we are doing at school, book orders, completed work, etc. This folder will be sent home EVERY FRIDAY. Please look for this folder in your child’s backpack. Return the folder to school with your child on the following Thursday of each week with your child’s completed homework inside. By sending the folder and homework home on Friday (instead of Monday as we have done in the past), your child can get a jump start on mastering the week’s vocabulary and spelling words before they are introduced on Monday.

VOLUNTEERS:
In the past, I have had parents volunteer their time in the classroom, and I encourage this because it provides opportunities for more children to receive personal attention. If you are interested in volunteering (beginning in early to mid-October), please let me know. This can be done on a weekly, monthly, or occasional basis for class parties or field trips or to share a special skill or area of interest with the students. All volunteers will need to complete a new volunteer packet to be eligible to assist in the classroom. Volunteer packets can be obtained from the school office and must be completed every year.

AFTER SCHOOL:
It is my job to be sure that each child learns which bus to take and to see that everyone gets to the appropriate place after school each day. Each day, your child gains more confidence in his/her routine. If you plan for your child to do something out of the ordinary after school such as ride home with a friend or be picked up by Mom or Dad rather than ride the bus, you must send a note with your child regarding this change of plan, call the school, or come to the office to inform us.

SNACKS:
We will be having a snack time each morning in Room 12. Please consider sending your child with a HEALTHY snack each day as I will not have snacks available for those who forget. Fresh fruit, veggies, a sandwich, a bit of cold cereal in a plastic bag, string cheese, a few crackers or pretzels, or a granola bar are popular and healthy snack choices. Please do not send a beverage or high-sugar snacks such as donuts, cookies, candy or fruit roll-ups.

EXAMPLES OF HEALTHY SNACKS INCLUDE:
• Air-popped popcorn
• Beef jerky
• Breadsticks
• Celery stuffed with cream cheese
• Cereal and pretzel mix
• Cold pizza
• Fresh fruit
• Hardboiled eggs
• Mini-pitas stuffed with cheese
• Bagel with cream cheese
• Goldfish crackers
• Half a pb and j sandwich
• Sliced ham or turkey rolled around a cheese stick
• Vegetables with dip
• Yogurt

BIRTHDAYS:
Birthdays are special occasions and we enjoy celebrating them at school. Please know that you are welcome to send treats to the classroom on your child’s birthday, either of the edible or material kind. We will be sure to take a few minutes to honor your child with singing and a special birthday book created by your child’s classmates.

HOMEWORK:
Starting next week, your child will have homework which will be due each Thursday. This homework will come home in the Homework Folder each Friday. You can expect your child to have a math page to complete, a short list of vocabulary words to master, & a short book to read. There will also be a place for you to record your child’s reading minutes. A minimum of 100 minutes per week is expected. These minutes can include time spent mastering the weekly vocabulary words, time your child spends reading the Take-Home book or other books and time spent having an adult read to or with him/her. Later in the year, your child will have a spelling practice sheet to complete and spelling words to master. ALL HOMEWORK IS DUE ON THURSDAY unless your child is absent on Thursday. In which case, homework must be turned in on the day the child returns to school. HOMEWORK NOT TURNED IN ON THURSDAY WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT. This is an all-school policy.

Your assistance is vital if your child is to succeed in 1st grade. Your child will need your help to master weekly vocabulary words. Please don't wait until the last day or so to begin working on these words. Instead, spend just a few minutes once or twice a day reviewing the words until they are mastered. These words are reinforced in the weekly Take-Home book. Have your child read the Take-Home book until he/she can read it with confidence and fluency and study the vocabulary words until they are mastered (read quickly without hesitation or stopping to sound out). AGAIN, YOUR ASSISTANCE IS VITAL TO YOUR CHILD’S SUCCESS IN FIRST GRADE! I firmly believe that every child can master this first grade content given enough support at home and at school.

SPECIALIST SCHEDULE:
Monday: PE
Tuesday: Music
Wednesday: PE
Thursday: Music (Library books due today!)
Friday: Library and SHOW & SHARE

Please dress for PE on Mondays & Wednesdays including socks & shoes good for running & jumping. Girls may wear dresses but should also wear shorts beneath. Library books are due Thursday along with all weekly homework.