Each evening, your child will bring home a folder that includes:
A homework calendar
A pocket for the weekly poem
A word list we’ll work on throughout the year
A behavior chart
The behavior chart lets us stay in touch about your child’s school day. If there’s a rough moment—say, they talked out of turn—I’ll note it (e.g., "too much talking"). Please review this with your child and initial it each evening.
At the back of the folder, you’ll find a pocket for placing book order money, lunch payments, or important notes to me. On Fridays, additional items like office announcements, flyers, my classroom updates, and general information will be added. Please read everything and clear out the folder to return it by Monday—this helps keep our communication flowing smoothly!
Homework is sent home to give you insight into your child’s learning and to involve you in our class activities. Your role is to guide and support—not to complete the work for them. If tasks come easily, that’s great! If your child struggles or you’d like strategies to help, please reach out anytime. This is a terrific way to track progress and open communication.
Once a month, your child will bring home Scholastic Book Club forms. If you'd like to order, you may do so online or send the completed form and payment in an envelope labeled with your child’s name, my name, amount, date, and “BOOK ORDER.” The due date is listed on the form. Ordering books is a fantastic way to build your home library at a budget-friendly price—and our classroom earns bonus points with each order, which we use to add more books for everyone.
We may take a few field trips throughout first grade to enrich our learning. Parents are welcome (and encouraged!) to join as chaperones. Details and scheduling will be sent well in advance so you can plan. Due to space, you might need to drive separately if the bus is full—carpooling is encouraged! Please note: Siblings are not permitted on the bus or at the trip sites.
There will be four class parties: Fall, Winter, Valentine’s, and End-of-Year. Parents are invited to sign up to help—whether attending or contributing supplies. I’ll send out a note in advance. I’ll handle overall planning, but appreciate volunteers for supply coordination and activity stations.
We hold conferences in October and March, and all parents are expected to participate. These meetings are essential for discussing your child's growth, setting home–school partnership goals, and addressing any questions or concerns. You can also request additional meetings at any time during the year.
Parent Involvement
Throughout the year, we’ll need parent volunteers in the classroom—for small-group math or reading sessions, cutting and gluing projects, and more. These opportunities usually last about 30 minutes and can flex to fit your schedule. If you're available, please let me know! (Note: you’ll need a background check on file to participate regularly.)
We love celebrating birthdays! If your child’s birthday falls during summer, we’ll celebrate their “half-birthday” in class. You’re welcome to bring treats like cupcakes or cookies—just let me know ahead of time. Caked desserts aren’t allowed, but individual ice cream novelties can be stored in our freezer until snack time.
Party invitations for outside events may only be handed out at school if ALL boys or ALL girls (or the entire class) are invited. Otherwise, I will return them in your child’s folder.
Snack
We enjoy a daily snack break to help students stay energized and focused. To keep this simple, each family is asked to send in a class snack once a month. There is no set schedule—just send in a snack when it’s convenient for you.
Snacks should be individually packaged items that are easy to share and mess-free. Here are some examples:
Goldfish
Pretzels
Fruit snacks
If your child prefers, they are welcome to bring their own individual snack each day instead of eating the class snack.
Student progress is evaluated through observation and personalized assessments, aligned with Indiana State Standards. Report card grades correspond as follows:
A: 90–100%
B: 80–89%
C: 70–79%
D: 60–69%
F: Below 60%