Classroom Information

Mrs. Murphy’s Class Info

Home/School Communicators – Children are responsible for bringing these folders to and from school every day. These folders are vital to parent-school communication. Please make time to go through this folder each night to check for papers that may need to be returned and those that can be left home. On the front cover is a sheet with information you may find useful.

Communication — If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to write a note, contact me through e-mail at sharon_murphy@sdst.org, my voicemail at 215-233-6080 ext. 4620, or call the school at 215-233-6080 and leave a message with our school secretary, Mrs. Smith.

School Work – Please take time to go over your child’s school work and ask your child questions about what was completed and learned. Invite them to explain it to you! Children love being the expert! Give lots of specific praise and show sincere interest. Class work will generally come home in your child’s Home Folder, the day after it was completed.

Homework – Your child will have homework every night. On most occasions, it will be a language arts assignment and/or a “Math Homelinks” (a part of our Everyday Math program). In addition, your child should read or be read to about 15 minutes each evening. If you child receives a paper that needs to be corrected, the paper should be corrected at home and returned to school the next day.

Snack – We have snack time each morning. Please send a nutritious snack with your child each day. This is in addition to his/her lunch. Many parents often forget to send in a snack when their child buys lunch---please try to remember. Tummies get very hungry and faces get very sad when they don’t have a snack. Please do not send candy, gum, or any liquids. Suggestions include: raisins, cheese and crackers, vegetables, fruit, popcorn, pretzels, goldfish, cheese sticks, etc. We have a water fountain in the classroom for drinks. Do NOT send in HUMMUS or KIWI for morning snack.

Shoes – Children will need to wear sneakers on gym days (Wednesday). If your child does not know how to tie shoelaces, please practice this at home. School policy states that only closed toe shoes only should be worn for safety reasons.

High Frequency Words – Each week your child will have six new words to learn through fun activities. These words will come home each Monday with an activity sheet in an “Word Wall Bag”. The entire bag (with the words and activity sheet, which needs to be signed by a parent) must be returned the following Monday, when new words will be added. This will probably begin the third week of September. Weekly words are posted on the "High frequency Words" page.

Book Orders – During the year, Scholastic Book Orders will be sent home. This is an opportunity for you to buy quality books for your child at a low price. You can order online by using the code HPC7M or send in a personal check. It usually takes 2-3 weeks for delivery. Books that are purchased help us receive credit toward free books for our classroom library.

Specials Classes — A schedule of our specials is on the cover of the Communicator/Home/School Folder and on the Special page of this website.

Attendance/Dismissal Procedures –

vAbsences – a dated note is needed when your child misses school or needs to leave early.

vTardiness – children must first “check-in” at the office to get an admittance slip before reporting to class.

v Dismissal – a note MUST be sent in if your child is to go home a way other than his/her normal way (i.e. with a friend, a grandparent, etc.). If something arises during the day and you need to change the way your child is going home, you may email me, if it is before 2:00. If this happens after 2:00, please call Mrs. Smith in the school office and she will get the message to me.

Birthday Celebrations –

We love to celebrate birthdays in our classroom!

It is a very special day for your child and we want to be part of it. Many parents send in a birthday snack and we sure love that! May I suggest cupcakes, cookies, brownies, munchkins, rice krispy treats (no cakes, please), or non-edible treats such as pencils, bubbles, etc. (Please send in napkins with edible treats.) It has been a tradition in our classroom for parents to purchase and donate a book for our classroom library in honor of their child’s birthday. Many parents gift-wrap the book and then their child opens it in front of the class and we read it. I place a nameplate inside the book, stating that it was a birthday gift given by your child and the date. Birthday books are a favorite pick by the class during independent reading time.

Thank you for all your help and support.