A- If your child will be absent please call the attendance line: 303-982-7500. If you are taking vacation and your child will miss school you will need to fill out a pre-arranged absence form.

B- We understand that birthdays are a special event for your child. We do not have time for elaborate celebrations or snacks, but I help make your child feel special, by having a small birthday lunch and hanging a banner.

Prospect valley does not have busses. So please keep that in mind as we try to make the drop-off process as efficient as possible. Stick to your scheduled drop off and pick up time.

Book-orders can be ordered online and delivered to your home. Books ordered from scholastic also help Mrs. LeBouef buy more books for the class.

C- Covid-19 has changed many of our procedures and practices. We will need to wear masks for the entire day other than while outside or while eating. We will also sit at our desks in rows.

Parent teacher conferences are conducted twice a year. They are scheduled online; watch for an email with a link to an online sign-up page.

1st grade students are allowed to check-out 2 library books at a time. Our library day will be scheduled soon and will be the same day each week. (May change due to COVID-19)

D- In order to have a safe environment where all students can learn and be successful teachers must use some form of discipline. Students who make poor choices will have to face the consequences for those choices. This may mean sitting out at recess or during a fun event. A call home or a chat with the principal may also be necessary.

E- E-mail is the preferred method of contact. However, in case of an urgent last minute change you may need to call the office ( 303-982-7535) and have them route your call to your child's classroom to contact him or her during the school day. Prospect Valley has procedures in place in case of Emergency. Please know that we care deeply about ensuring your child's safety.

F- First graders will take a couple Field Trips each year to support our curriculum. You can sign up to volunteer as a chaperon when we send out more details about each trip. (Field trips will probably be canceled due to COVID.) Virtual field trips will be planned instead.

G- Elementary grades reflect a student's current understanding of any given skill. A 1 reflects limited understanding, a 2 reflects that a student is making progress toward being on grade level, a 3 means a student is performing on grade level. A 4 means that a student is significantly above grade level.

H- Homework First graders are expected to read 15 minutes or more nightly. Many first graders arrive with basic handwriting skills, but we will be teaching where to start each letter as well as letter position and size briefly. If your child needs extra time practicing handwriting it may be assigned as homework.

I- One of our major goals this year is to foster independence. It is critical that students learn to work independently for up to 20 minutes.

J- Picking a just right book is something we teach in reading workshop. Students will be able to determine for themselves if a book is too easy or difficult based on a number of factors. A student is reading at his or her independent level when he or she can read about 95% of the words correctly. However, if a student cannot read most of the words in a book students know there are 3 ways to read a book.

1. read the words
2. read the pictures
3. retell the story

Your child will also benefit from listening to a book that is above his or her independent reading level. Make sure to stop reading periodically to practice comprehension strategies.

K- You can know what is going on by checking our classroom website, checking your child's Monday folder and reading the Flash every Monday.

L- School lunch is $2.75; this price includes milk. You can see the lunch menu for Jefferson County Public Schools here. Occasionally, last minute adjustments are made to the food items available for lunch. Students may also bring a packed lunch from home. Students may turn in books any time beforehand to the "return to library" basket in our classroom. Students are also able to take a pass to check out library books from the library most days and times throughout the week.

M- If your child needs to take medication at school it must be stored in the clinic. In order to administer any form of medication, including cough drops, this form must be completed and returned to the clinic. If your child does miss school because of illness please instruct him or her to get make-up work on the day that they return to school. However, please know that much of the work we do in first grade is collaborative, interactive and hands on. Because of this nature it cannot be done at a later time.

N- Prospect Valley Elementary emails a weekly newsletter called the Flash every Monday and the district has its own email newsletter called Chalk Talk.

O- Please ensure that your child dresses appropriately for outdoor recess every day. In the event of extreme cold, 20 degrees or lower, the school may decide to have indoor recess. Otherwise the policy is: if your child is well enough to be at school, they are well enough to go outside for recess.

P- We are proud to have a robust PTA at Prospect Valley. If you are interested in joining check out their website.

Q- Please don't hesitate to call or email with any additional questions you may have.

R- Reading is the most important skill we teach in first grade. It is of paramount importance that you read with your child nightly. Your child will benefit from reading out loud to you as well as listening to higher level stories that you read and discuss with them. Your child will come home with a guided book frequently. Usually, your child will have had an opportunity to read and or discuss this book in class; this means that the main focus at home should be reading fluency. Alternatively, your child may bring home books that they have never read before. This is a chance for your child to practice the reading strategies they use in class to decode new words. Try not to tell your child a word, suggest a reading strategy instead. In some cases your child may be a fluent reader already. In this case, much of the work we do in reading group focuses on reading comprehension and vocabulary. Your child should also have opportunities to select books that interest them. Reading only their guided reading books is not enough practice for your child, nor will it motivate them to be able to read independently throughout their lives.

S- We have snack time every day at 1:45. (May change due to COVID) Please pack something healthy that your child can eat quickly without making a mess. We occasionally have snow days in the winter months that result in school being closed. You can find out about school closures here.

T- The tardy bell rings at 8:15. That is when the instructional day officially begins. Toys are not allowed at school for several reasons. They are distracting and children can get their feelings hurt if they are broken or lost. If students bring toys to school they will be confiscated and only returned when picked up in person by a parent or on the last day of school.

U- Students with unfinished morning work may be asked to stay in during recess to complete their work. Students with unfinished work throughout the week may also have unfinished work sent home in their B.E.E. folders.

V- We love parent volunteers. Unfortunately due to COVID no volunteers are allowed in classrooms this year. Vacations are strongly discouraged. Research shows that absences from school are linked to low academic achievement.

W- If you are looking for websites that relate to what we are learning check out our student page. It is possible that your child will need your guidance navigating the web, but here is a starting point for some things that they can do at home. During winter please remind your child to pack a pair of sneakers for days that he or she has gym.

X- Mrs.LeBoeuf, Miss Woody, Mrs. Marvel, and Mrs. Noone are eXcited to be at school everyday! Being able to teach your students and watch them grow is such a joy.

Y- Please let us know if you have ideas and suggestions to share with us or the students. Do you run a small business and have ideas for a first grade economics lesson? Are you a great gardener who could help out with our living organisms unit? It is amazing how parents can help in the most unexpected ways. Your suggestions for ways to improve this website are also encouraged.

Z- zzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzzz.... Sleep is very important for your developing student. Pediatricians recommend 10 to 11 hours for 6 to 7 year olds. We go non-stop every day; students have no time to be sleepy.