September 2015
Dear Parents:
Welcome to Mrs. Zaret’s first grade classroom! I am looking forward to meeting everyone at Meet the Teacher Night Thursday, September 17th. It will be wonderful to see some “old” faces and meet some “new” ones!
Attached to this letter are a Student Information Survey and a transportation note. If you could please complete and return these to me immediately that would be most helpful!
A healthy snack such as fruit, vegetables, crackers, pretzels, etc. should be packed each day. Drinks may be brought in on half days only, so tomorrow they may bring a snack and a drink.
If you have gotten your books from your local school district, please be sure that your child has the first Reading text and Writer’s Notebook along with the Math text and workbook by Friday as we will begin using them.
This entire letter, along with an additional packet labeled “We’re in First Grade Now!” can be found on the class webpage in the resources section headed “Welcome to First Grade”. There is very important information concerning school policy, homework policy, attendance, etc. contained in the First Grade packet and I strongly recommend that you print out those pages. Please bring them with you to Meet the Teacher Night if you have any questions. The student information survey and the transportation information are included on the webpage as well. It is not necessary to print these pages as I have sent them home with this letter.
Once again, I look forward to meeting each of you. I know it will be a wonderful school year!
Thanks for all your cooperation,
Mrs. Zaret
WE’RE IN FIRST GRADE NOW!
SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PUT THE PUZZLE
TOGETHER
HOMEWORK POLICY: Math, Reading and Language Arts homework will be assigned Monday-Thursday. A homework sheet will go home every Monday for that week. Please do not go ahead on homework assignments, remember, homework is assigned in order to reinforce material that has been learned in class. School is your child’s job and responsibility so it is important that your child has the right tools to work with. Create a homework center of your own with all the things necessary for successful completion. Crayons, scissors, pencils, paper, glue, manipulatives, and any item they need in school will be necessary for homework. If you keep these tools in a box and in the same place, they will be able to find what they need and access it on their own.
At the beginning of the school year your child will need your help and guidance to complete their homework. It should take them approximately 20-25 minutes to complete the work assigned. Some will go shorter, some may take longer. Be patient, each child works at their own pace. I recommend that homework be completed at the same time each day; this is good for consistency and keeps your child on a regular schedule. If they seem to dawdle over their work, set a timer or if they have a favorite thing they want to do, don’t let them do it until they have completed their homework. All written homework is to be completed in the homework book.
Homework should be reviewed by an adult each night to ensure that they have completed all of it in a neat and correct fashion. If you find an error, don’t just make the correction, rather draw the child’s attention to the answer and ask if they think that is the best answer. Getting them to think and review is great practice!
Please be sure that your child writes their name and the number they have been assigned on all loose homework sheets. This will make it easier for me to know exactly who the sheet belongs to in case there are multiple children with the same name.
ABSENCE/LATENESS: In order for students to realize their greatest potential, they must be present. Absence from school should not be taken lightly. If your child is ill and is absent for one day, the work may be requested or made up the following day. School begins at 8:20am so children should be in the classroom at that time. For extended absences, please make arrangements to have the missed work picked up at the front desk between 2:25-3:30. Compliance with the school attendance policy will be reflected on the Growth and Development section of the Assessment Card.
END OF DAY DISMISSAL: Students are only permitted to ride the buses for which they are registered and have a bus pass. Parental permission will not allow any student to ride a bus to which he/she is not assigned. All students need written parental permission if there is to be any deviation from their regular travel procedure. A written note conveying this change is requested. Please place the note in your child’s MAIL FOLDER. If there is a change during the school day, please notify the main office prior to dismissal.
FORGOTTEN ITEMS: If your child has forgotten any items in school, be advised that only your child may go to the classroom and it must be before the office closes. These times are: 3:30 from Monday-Thursday; before 2:45 on Friday and before 12:30 on early dismissal days.
LUNCH/SNACK: If lunch is forgotten, the other students will be asked to share some of their own lunch unless I have been told expressly by you that this is prohibited. Phone calls home are not permitted for lunches, library books, sneakers, money, etc., so you understand the importance of remembering lunch! Hot lunch orders and pizza orders are paid in advance. It is advisable to send in pizza orders on Wednesday, because they MUST be in by Thursday, 8:45am. Healthy snacks should be packed daily. We do not have drinks at snack time unless it is a half day dismissal. So remember when choosing a snack to eat that they will have nothing to drink!
HOLIDAY/BIRTHDAY PROCEDURES: No personal gifts are exchanged among students in school at Christmas or on birthdays in an effort to be sensitive to all children and to respect the finances of all. The students do not exchange Christmas or Valentine cards. Holiday parties are coordinated by the class mother and me. If you would like to send in something for the entire class, it must be cleared with me in advance. Birthdays are celebrated at snack time. Any special snack you might wish to share with the class should be brought in with your child or dropped off at the front desk by 9:15. Individual treats such as donuts, cupcakes, cookies, etc., are recommended. Potato chips, popcorn and lollipops of any kind (any sticks) are not permitted. Please remember to send in napkins. Children are permitted to come in DRESS CLOTHES on the day they celebrate their birthday! This is not an opportunity for dress down; they must follow the dress code for appropriate dress.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS: Order forms for the book club will be sent home at the beginning of the month and you are under no obligation to order. If you do order, please return the form, along with a check made payable to “Scholastic Books”, in an envelope marked with your child’s name. This should be done within one week so that the order is not delayed. Ordering on line yourself will be available. The code will come home with the first book order.
GYM UNIFORM: Students are required to wear their gym uniform under their school uniform on Thursday and must carry sneakers in their backpacks. Navy shorts and a white SROL T-shirt or the uniform white shirt are the only acceptable dress code for gym. In the fall or spring, classes may be held outside and the students are encouraged to bring or wear navy sweatpants, a navy sweater or sweatshirt depending on the weather.
PARENT/TEACHER CORRESPONDENCE: Please send any correspondence to me in your child’s MAIL FOLDER. This folder MUST be checked nightly and returned the very next day. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. If you need to speak to me we can arrange a time for a phone call or set up an appointment for a conference. You may also contact me via email as follows: . I check my email daily and will respond accordingly.
PENCIL BOX: Every Friday the children will bring home their pencil boxes. Please take this opportunity to be sure they have 5 sharpened pencils and one large eraser to begin school on Monday. At the same time you can check their crayon and glue supply to see if they need replacing. Please, no personal sharpeners! We do have an electric sharpener in the classroom for the children to use.
YOUNGEST AND ONLY: Each Tuesday the only child or the youngest child in the family will receive a “youngest and only” packet. This packet will contain reminders and information concerning school events. This information can also be found on the school webpage at www.stroseschool.net. Some of the items will be time sensitive (pizza order, hot lunch) so be sure to check the MAIL FOLDER each Tuesday for this important packet.
I so look forward to this year together!
Mrs. Zaret
STUDENT INFORMATION SURVEY
Please complete this survey in order to help me to get to know your child. Thank you!
Name of Student______
1. Name and ages of siblings:
______
______
2. Any medical concerns or food allergies? ___ Yes ___ No If yes, please describe.
______
______
3. Does your child participate in sports, dance, music or girl/boy scouts after school? If yes, please describe what he/she does.
______
4. How social is your child? Check one.
____Very social, lots of friends and play dates.
____Social, gets along well with other children.
____Shy and needs time to warm up to new situations.
____Not very social, prefers to play alone.
____Has difficulty getting along with other children. If you checked this, why do you
think this is?
______
______
5. What is your child’s most favorite thing to do?
______
______
(please turn over)
6. What is your child’s least favorite thing to do?
______
______
7. How would you describe your child as a reader? Does he/she enjoy reading? Does he/she struggle with reading? What kind of books does he/she enjoy?
Would you consider reading to be one of his/her strengths? ____Yes ____No
______
______
8. What does your child like about school?
______
______
9. In regard to school, tell me what your child does well.
______
______
______
10. In regard to school, tell me what your child struggles with.
______
______
______
11. Describe your child in five words or less!
______
______
Lastly, please provide me with an email address for class updates: ______Is this ___mom’s ___dad’s?
Thank you so much for this very helpful information! I look forward to a great year!
Dear Parents/Guardians:
In order to be sure I have all the correct information for each student, please complete the form below and return to school with your child tomorrow.
Thank you,
Mrs. Zaret
Student Name:______
Address: ______
Phone: ______
Date of Birth: ______
Public School District: ______
If your child takes a bus, please write the bus route number here: #______
If your child is a walker, please check the box and write the names and relationships of any person(s) who have permission to pick up your child if you are not present:
Name Phone Relationship
______
______
Parent/Guardian Signature Date