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It is my pleasure to welcome you and your child to our classroom! I am looking forward to a year filled with learning and challenges. As your children and I learn together this year, I will work to build upon the rich experiences they bring from home and past school experiences within a safe, caring, and rigorous classroom environment.
One of the most important things that you and I can do to support your child’s learning is to communicate regularly. Should questions or concerns arise throughout the school year please feel free to contact me.
I will check my email throughout the day; if you would rather call the best times to reach me are from 11:00 - 11:45(lunch/recess) and before or after school. I have staff meetings every Wednesday morning from 7:45 - 8:30am.
To minimize disruption my classroom phone does not ring between the hours of 8:30am & 3:30pm. If you need to get a hold of me during the day please call the main office (720- 424- 7780), they can take a message or connect you to my voicemail.
You are always welcome to send a note with your child, e-mail or send a note through Class Dojo.
Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures
Students are not allowed on the playground before 8:30 am when playground supervision begins. Free breakfast is offered to all students starting at 8:00 am. The cafeteria is supervised and students will be dismissed to the playground at 8:30 am. Students are not allowed in the hallways prior to 8:40 am unless they are meeting with a teacher. If your child is coming to the classroom early they will need to pick up a pass from the office. I will pick students up at 8:40 am from the East side of the building in front of the playground.
If students arrive later than 8:50 am, they must get a tardy slip from the office.
Students must be picked up at 3:30 pm. We will wait as a class in the same area that I pick the students up from in the morning. It is very important that parents notify me when they pick up their child. Please let me know if your child is attending an after school program, Kaleidoscope, or if they are getting a ride home with someone else.
Homework
A homework Folder will be sent home each week in your child’s Thursday Folder. Homework will include a reading response, a written reflection and math from out Engage New York Curriculum. Please check out the videos that are also on this website if you need some help, or reach out to me.
Students are expected to be reading at home for 15-20 minutes a night.
Snack Time
Please pack a healthy snack everyday in your child’s lunchbox or backpack (I do not allow candy or any drinks {other than water} during snack time). Please pack something easy and quick to eat (no utensils, etc.). Each child is responsible for bringing their own snack every day; I do not have extra snacks in the classroom. Please label your child’s snack with their name. Students are encouraged to bring in water bottles with lids.
Thursday Folders
These folders are Edison’s main source of communication between school and home. Each week the folder will be filled with student work, school information, homework packets, etc. Please return the folder on Friday; students who return their folder on time will receive a sticker on their folder. I also send home the weekly newsletter via e-mail. Please let me know if you would like to be on this list.
Classroom Volunteers
* If possible I would love to have a parent do Thursday folders for me every Thursday morning. *
I LOVE having parents help out in our classroom! After you have completed a ‘Background Check’ with the office you are welcome to sign up for a time to help out in our classroom. If you are interested in volunteering please fill out the link :
Thank you in advance for all of your help! It is greatly appreciated!
Field Trips
As a grade level we plan to go on 2 or 3 field trips this year. Our hope is to do one each trimester (Fall, Winter, & Spring). For each field trip we ask that parents pack a disposable lunch for their child.
We will need chaperones for each field trip; the number of chaperones varies depending on our field trip needs. I take chaperones on a first come first served basis.
Celebrations
We will celebrate birthdays during lunchtime. Students are welcome to bring in treats for their classmates, however district policy states that all treats must be store bought and come with an ingredients label. This is meant to protect students with allergies. Parents are welcome to come for their child’s birthday celebration, please let me know if you will be bringing any treats so I can plan accordingly.
Specials
Edison will offer gym, music, and art this year. Please make sure your child has gym shoes on our gym days. They can leave a pair in their locker if that works best for your family.
Classroom Rules
I strive on building a strong community within my classroom, in which we all respect and support each other. We will work hard in the first few weeks to develop good classroom behaviors as well as continue to build on them throughout the year.
Students are expected to follow our school wide Character Education Program (CARES):
Community Minded
Aware (of surroundings and what you are doing)
Respectful (of yourself and others) & Responsible (for your actions and learning)
Empathetic (towards others)
Safe
Within our classroom we will create a list of non-negotiable rules together. This will be OUR PROMISE TO EACH OTHER that we will work as a class to build a strong community.
We will also practice school rules and expectations within our classroom. Please take some time and read these rules over with your child at home—they can found on the Edison website: (Edison Student Expectations)
Classroom Behavior System
Students are expected to follow our classroom rules and learn to self-manage behavior. Our class rules are: Be respectful, be responsible and be safe.
Friday Afternoon Club (FAC)
Friday Club (3:00 – 3:30) all first grade teachers host Friday Afternoon Club (FAC). The purpose of FAC is to allow students to have a choice time if work and homework is complete. If students need to complete work they may do so at this time.
Star Student of the Week
Beginning the third week of school each student will have a chance to be “Star Student” for a week. They are encouraged to bring in pictures and any other special items that they would like to share on the Monday of their week. Once your child has presented their artifacts, I will hang them on a special bulletin board for the remainder of the week. Please keep an eye out for the schedule and help your child prepare. The schedule will also be posted on our classroom website (see below).
Weekly Newsletter and Classroom Communication
As an effort to go “Green” I will be sending home our weekly classroom newsletter on Thursdays via email. Please let me know if you would like a hardcopy. Our classroom newsletter will discuss up-coming events, what students have been working on, units of study, and any other important announcements. I have set up a classroom website:
https://sites.google.com/a/dpsk12.net/larsons-firsties/
The main purpose for our blog is to keep an open line of communication about events, projects, homework, announcements, etc. Every Thursday our newsletter will be uploaded to our blog (in addition to receiving it in an email); our blog may also be updated throughout the week. I strongly encourage you to ‘Subscribe’ to our blog; this enables you to receive emails each time new information is added.
Parent Portal
Parent Portal will continue at Edison this year, Parent Portal provides parents with the opportunity to have access to their students’ attendance, behavior, and academic progress. If you would like to sign-up for Parent Portal please visit the main office for more information.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Conferences are scheduled twice a year as a way for us to celebrate your child’s accomplishments. The first set of conferences will be held in mid-October. Conferences are also a time to discuss any concerns that you or I have. Additional conferences can be scheduled at any time.
Closing
I am looking forward to building a classroom community in which each student feels confident and safe. Please feel free to contact me at any time with comments or concerns. First grade is such a magical time filled with wonder and curiosity, I feel fortunate to be able to share this experience with your family!
I know we are going to have a great year together!
Thanks for your support,
Ann Larson
720-424-7792