School Hours, Attendance, Tardiness

Students may arrive no earlier than 7:40 a.m. and will be greeted outside the building. Students can proceed to homerooms at 7:50 a.m. First graders at MCS are expected to enter school on their own after being dropped off on the right side of the loop in front of the elementary building. Students arriving after 8:10 a.m. will be marked tardy. If your child will be absent, please notify the office and myself no later than 8:30 a.m. 


Dismissal

Dismissal is at 2:50 outside of the elementary building. Students who attend aftercare will be dismissed upstairs to aftercare staff. Students attending clubs (Chess, Tap, Mini Milers etc) will be dismissed to the club leaders in the elementary lobby. All other students will be brought outside to meet their caregivers. Dismissal can be chaotic and it is important that you do not leave without making me aware that you have your child. Any children who have not been picked up by 3/3:05 will be brought to the main office. If your child has any dismissal changes (playdate with a friend, not attending aftercare, starting a new club, etc) please notify me in writing. In order to keep everyone safe, I default to typical dismissal plans unless I hear otherwise from a parent/guardian. I cannot dismiss a child elsewhere based on the child’s word alone.


Skating Rink

In the winter months, the MCS rink is open for free skating and hockey some days after school. The office will communicate the schedule in the late fall. The rink depends on parent volunteer supervision. If your child is attending free skate/hockey and is heading to the rink right after dismissal without a caregiver, please email me the day of so I can ensure they get to the right place and with the right people. I cannot send students to the rink without hearing from their adult. 


Communication

Email is typically the best way to contact me for day-to-day updates, concerns, and questions.  If there is an emergency, call the office and they will be able to get in touch with me. Please keep in mind that my focus will be on the children during school hours; responses will be written at the earliest convenience, and every effort will be made to respond within 24 hours. My typical working hours are from 7:30-3:30 Monday through Friday. 


Conferences & Updates

Formal conferences happen in October and February, and the office will send sign up sheets closer to those times.  If you have any questions or concerns about your child, please do not wait for a formal conference time. Send a note/email to set up a meeting. If there are any changes or events that you feel may affect your child (new job, new baby, parent away, scary experiences, etc.), please let me know. The more I know about your child the better I will be able to understand and support them in class.

Home-School Folders

On Monday and Friday, your child will take home a “Home Folder”. On Monday, it will contain the homework packet for the week (starting in October). On Friday, it will contain some work/art as well as handouts from the school. Please take a moment to look through this and empty it out before the following week. This is a great way to connect with your child about what they created and did and see their progress first-hand. I will give you a heads-up if there is something that needs to be returned or signed. 


Newsletter & Photos 

A classroom newsletter will be sent via email every Friday with curriculum updates and announcements. Photos will be shared on the Homeroom app, accessed only by 1B families.


Homework

First-graders are expected to read for 10 minutes each night. This does NOT have to be regular “reading!” You may read to them, they can read through an online app (ABC Mouse, Epic, etc.), they can read to you, etc. A mix is best! A great way to encourage this is to have time when the family reads together. Geodes books (decodable books that align with our curriculum) will be sent home in book bags starting in September for at home reading.


A short weekly first-grade homework packet (beginning in October) will be sent home containing phonics and math practice. Homework packets will be due on Fridays, and should not exceed 10 minutes of work a night. Homework will be sent home with the intention of reviewing and retaining concepts, not introducing new concepts. If your child is struggling with homework routines, please reach out to me so we can work together to find a solution.


Snack & Lunch

Please send in a snack, a leak-free water bottle, and a lunch each day, unless your child buys school lunch. Please remember that we are a nut-free classroom! Lunch can have nuts (we have a nut-free table) but snacks cannot. We have some severe nut allergies in the classroom, including myself. Additionally, please avoid sending soda or candy. First graders are encouraged to practice independence when eating, it is helpful to send in items that are easier for them to open. 


Birthdays

On each student’s birthday, we will celebrate by singing to them and letting them do a special “birthday walk”. They will also get a special birthday certificate and sticker. If your child has a birthday that falls on the weekend, we will celebrate the following Monday. If your child has a summer birthday, we will celebrate in June. Please refrain from passing out party invitations or thank you notes at school unless the entire class is invited.


Items from Home 

Make sure to label EVERYTHING! Water bottles, sweatshirts, uniforms, lunch boxes, you name it! Labeled items can often be returned quickly. Please do not send in toys or special items from home as it can distract children from their school day and also cause hard feelings when items get lost or damaged. Students will receive one warning to put home toys/items away in their backpacks before they are confiscated. There will be special times throughout the year when children can bring in and share special items, and I will inform you ahead of time when that is. 


Field Trips

We will be taking a few first-grade field trips this year that align with our curriculum. Each field trip will have its own chaperone sign-up and permission slips that will be distributed to you ASAP. Depending on the trip, we may need to limit chaperone numbers. In order to be a chaperone, you need to complete paperwork from the front office, and this can be done at any time. Chaperones will be responsible for transportation of students to and from field trips, MCS does not provide transportation. Carpools will be arranged. 


Classroom Management (Words Adapted from Responsive Classroom) 

In 1B, we follow a Responsive Classroom approach. During the first weeks of school, our class will develop a list of classroom expectations. We will also work together to create individual “Hopes and Dreams” for the year. After the creation of expectations, everyone will sign them to indicate that they agree with them and will try their best to follow them. The expectations we come up with will align with the Mater Christi Core Values.


We continue to work on following our expectations, but everyone makes mistakes. They will forget, become unsure, and test limits. Logical consequences are a way to help fix problems that result from children’s words and actions when they break or forget what is expected of them. They help children regain self-control, reflect on their mistakes, and make amends. Logical consequences should be respectful of the child, relevant to the situation, and reasonable in scale. Here are 4 types of Logical Consequences that will help maintain a safe, respectful, and caring learning environment: