Beginning of the year information
Welcome!
Dear Families,
We have an exciting year ahead of us, so let’s get started! You and your child will find the year filled with plenty of learning, friendships, and fun! Let’s work together to promote optimal growth.
In the following pages, you will find information about classroom procedures, our daily schedule, and other odds and ends. All of the information in this packet can also be found on our classroom website: www.Gavinators2.weebly.com
Everyday Folders:
Some classrooms send home “Friday Folders.” It has been my experience that parents get overwhelmed by the amount of papers (school wide and from your child) that appear in the Friday Folders. Because of this, your child will be bringing any necessary papers home daily in his/her red folder. Please review your child’s folder and empty the “keep at home” side each evening and send it back to school daily.
Snack: We will be taking a snack break each day for about 10-15 minutes. Students are encouraged to bring in a healthy (nut free) snack to eat during the day. Some good snack ideas are apples, cheese sticks, pretzels, peeled oranges, or grapes. An added boost of energy is great!
Bathroom Procedure:
We are fortunate to have bathrooms attached to our classroom. Students will use the restroom when needed, but not during direct teaching time. They will be expected to keep this area clean, as this is a space that we all share.
Gym Shoes:
Each child needs to leave a pair of white-soled tennis shoes here at school for use in gym class. It is necessary to have clean shoes to wear on the gym floor. Please put your child’s name on the shoes.
School Supplies:
Please refer to list given earlier. If you need another copy, please check it out here: Supply List
Absences:
If your child is sick for more than two days, please email or call us. We will be more than happy to compile the missed work to send home if you would like to pick it up.
Change in Going Home Transportation:
If your child is not going to leave school in his/her usual manner, (bus, car, YCare) I must have a written note from you (school policy). If this changes during the day, please call the office, rather than email. 248-489-3690
Parent Volunteering:
One of the best experiences your child can have in school is to see his/her mom/dad/family member valuing their education enough to spend an hour or so in his/her classroom. This means so much to your child and our classroom. I will have plenty of opportunities for you to volunteer. For those of you who cannot volunteer during the school day, I will have things you can do at home, too. For the safety of our students, all volunteers must complete a background check. More information about this will be given out at Curriculum Night and I will also have a Volunteer Sign Up sheet.
“Read to Self,” “Read to Someone” and “Listen to Reading” during Class Time:
Decades of internationally based research shows that students who read more--read better. They develop more expansive vocabularies and achieve higher levels of reading and writing development. This is particularly true for students who have daily opportunities to read, year after year.
It is our goal to help foster a genuine love for reading in your child. In order to do this, we need to provide ample time for your child to read during class. Daily time to read in school is not a frill or waste of classroom time; on the contrary, it is one of the best ways for your child to:
Homework:
*Monthly Goals
*Math Flash Cards
*Prepare for Show and Share topic
Birthday Treats:
We love celebrating birthdays! We usually celebrate birthdays in the afternoons. Kindly let me know in advance if your child would like to bring in a birthday treat, and make sure it is nut free.
As always, I am happy to speak to you about any questions you may have about our classroom. Please call us at (248) 426-5049 or email me at [email protected] and I will respond as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Laura Gavin
Dear Families,
We have an exciting year ahead of us, so let’s get started! You and your child will find the year filled with plenty of learning, friendships, and fun! Let’s work together to promote optimal growth.
In the following pages, you will find information about classroom procedures, our daily schedule, and other odds and ends. All of the information in this packet can also be found on our classroom website: www.Gavinators2.weebly.com
Everyday Folders:
Some classrooms send home “Friday Folders.” It has been my experience that parents get overwhelmed by the amount of papers (school wide and from your child) that appear in the Friday Folders. Because of this, your child will be bringing any necessary papers home daily in his/her red folder. Please review your child’s folder and empty the “keep at home” side each evening and send it back to school daily.
Snack: We will be taking a snack break each day for about 10-15 minutes. Students are encouraged to bring in a healthy (nut free) snack to eat during the day. Some good snack ideas are apples, cheese sticks, pretzels, peeled oranges, or grapes. An added boost of energy is great!
Bathroom Procedure:
We are fortunate to have bathrooms attached to our classroom. Students will use the restroom when needed, but not during direct teaching time. They will be expected to keep this area clean, as this is a space that we all share.
Gym Shoes:
Each child needs to leave a pair of white-soled tennis shoes here at school for use in gym class. It is necessary to have clean shoes to wear on the gym floor. Please put your child’s name on the shoes.
School Supplies:
Please refer to list given earlier. If you need another copy, please check it out here: Supply List
Absences:
If your child is sick for more than two days, please email or call us. We will be more than happy to compile the missed work to send home if you would like to pick it up.
Change in Going Home Transportation:
If your child is not going to leave school in his/her usual manner, (bus, car, YCare) I must have a written note from you (school policy). If this changes during the day, please call the office, rather than email. 248-489-3690
Parent Volunteering:
One of the best experiences your child can have in school is to see his/her mom/dad/family member valuing their education enough to spend an hour or so in his/her classroom. This means so much to your child and our classroom. I will have plenty of opportunities for you to volunteer. For those of you who cannot volunteer during the school day, I will have things you can do at home, too. For the safety of our students, all volunteers must complete a background check. More information about this will be given out at Curriculum Night and I will also have a Volunteer Sign Up sheet.
“Read to Self,” “Read to Someone” and “Listen to Reading” during Class Time:
Decades of internationally based research shows that students who read more--read better. They develop more expansive vocabularies and achieve higher levels of reading and writing development. This is particularly true for students who have daily opportunities to read, year after year.
It is our goal to help foster a genuine love for reading in your child. In order to do this, we need to provide ample time for your child to read during class. Daily time to read in school is not a frill or waste of classroom time; on the contrary, it is one of the best ways for your child to:
- Learn new vocabulary and information especially about topics of interest
- Increase speed and fluency (a.k.a. read smoothly and accurately)
- Improve comprehension
- Notice authors’ writing styles (which in turn helps their own writing)
- Develop a greater interest and love in reading and learning
Homework:
- Your child should be reading ten minutes each night. This is a wonderful opportunity for you and your child to share the excitement of reading and for your child to see the importance of reading from you, his/her role model. Your child may read books from the library, from home, or borrow books from our classroom library (as long as they are taken care of and returned in good condition).
- If your child does not finish class work in class, then it will become part of his/her daily homework. Looking through your child’s red Homework Folder nightly will allow you to check for any unfinished work.
- On Thursday, the week’s homework (Math Home Connections, Word Study, Science, and/or Social Studies) will be sent home. The homework will be due on the Thursday of the next week. We encourage you to work with your child on this homework in any way you see fit: playing the included math game, teaching, guiding, discussing, and monitoring. Since children benefit most from immediate feedback, we are asking you to please correct the homework with your child before turning it in. If your child completes the packet earlier, it can be sent to school before Thursday.
*Monthly Goals
*Math Flash Cards
*Prepare for Show and Share topic
Birthday Treats:
We love celebrating birthdays! We usually celebrate birthdays in the afternoons. Kindly let me know in advance if your child would like to bring in a birthday treat, and make sure it is nut free.
As always, I am happy to speak to you about any questions you may have about our classroom. Please call us at (248) 426-5049 or email me at [email protected] and I will respond as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Laura Gavin