Classroom Information

Contact Me

If you need to contact me, please do one of the following:

E-mail me at fhoffman@mtsd.us
Send a note in your first grader's blue folder
Call (609) 466-7605 and leave a message

Change in Dismissal

If your first grader is attending an after-school activity, or there is some other change in dismissal, please send in a dated and signed note with your first grader. In the event that this change occurs after your first grader is at school, please call the main office.

Snack

Please be sure to send in a NUT-FREE snack each day. It should be a small, healthy snack, which can be easily eaten. I ask that you do not send juice boxes or milk for snack time, as they tend to be messy. Students may bring a water bottle to school with them each day.

When your first grader comes to school, we will be opening many things that are packed for snack. Please have your first grader practice opening items by themselves! If your first grader can open everything in his/her snack, that means less time waiting, more time eating, and less germs (even though we are washing our hands and disinfecting diligently)!

Birthdays

Birthdays are a very important event in every child's life! We love celebrating them and I hope that you will be able to join us in the celebration. We will honor your first grader's birthday with a "birthday book." A family member or special person may join our class to read a book of your first grader's choice. If you or a special person is not available to come in to the classroom to read the book for any reason, just send a book in with your first grader and we will read it together as a class. Summer birthdays can be celebrated on half birthdays or In June!

Please contact me at least a week before you would like to come into school so an appropriate time can be scheduled into our day! I look forward to sharing your first grader's special day!

Homework Policy

We believe that the primary focus of school should be cultivating a love of learning. In very young learners, research has shown that formal homework does not have a substantial academic benefit. At Orchard Hill, we believe that time should be used to read nightly, with adult involvement. In addition, we believe that children should have developmentally appropriate experiences that promote social and emotional growth. Some examples include: active play, participation in after school activities, crafts and family time. Due to these beliefs, Orchard Hill does not assign formal homework.

Clever

Clever is a website where students can use one login to access multiple resources. To access the Montgomery Clever Login Page, please click here: MTSD Clever Login

For information about how to use a QR badge or a student username, please click here: Logging into Clever

Very Important Person (V.I.P.)

You are welcome to join our class to share...

a talent
a hobby
an aspect of your career
a holiday
a tradition
a read-aloud that is a cherished family favorite
new discovery

If you are interested, please click here to fill out a Google Form! Thank you for considering!

Happy Happenings

In our classroom, we celebrate all students' achievements, both in and out of school, as well as share fun and exciting things we do with our families. Throughout the year, students may bring in photos to share and add to our wall.

Bucket Fillers

Within our classroom, students are encouraged to be "Bucket Fillers". Students learn what it means to be a bucket-filler at the beginning of the year. We use the book "Have you Filled a Bucket Today? (A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids)" by Carol McCloud. Based on this idea, when your bucket is full, you have positive feelings, and when your bucket is empty, we feel upset and sad. When you do something kind for others, you can actually fill that person's bucket, as well as your own. You can find more information about Bucket-Filling here.

Brain Growers

There are certain Habits of Mind that help children to be successful. Students will be learning about these through read alouds and class discussions. As a class, we will celebrate when we see these habits in action.

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