Dear First Grade Families,                                   

Welcome to First Grade at Frenchtown Elementary!  The summer days have been gorgeous lately, and I am looking forward to an equally fabulous fall, especially getting to know this fun new group of children in my class.  I also assume that some of the children (and parents) are a bit nervous about the first day of 1st grade.  Honestly, every year, I have a bit of the ‘jitters’ when I’m getting ready for that first day of school, too.  

I hope you and your child enjoyed the summer and are ready to embark on an important milestone in your child’s life.  First grade is a year of growing socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually.  Your involvement, interest, and enthusiasm will help make this a wonderful year of growth for your child.   

What to bring to school:

 Your child will need to bring a bag or backpack to school every day to carry home papers/projects from school.  Please check the contents of your child’s backpack daily.  Any important notes from the office or me, as well as projects, will be sent home in the backpack on Tuesday.  I love shopping for school supplies, and the sales are on now!  The supplies needed are:

1- 1.25oz. bottles of white glue (no gel)

6- Glue sticks

2- Boxes of Kleenex

3- Plain plastic two bottom pocket folders

1- 100 page WIDE RULE composition notebook

2- Boxes of 16-24 crayons

24- Ticonderoga or Dixon #2 pencils

1- Box of either fine tip or regular watercolor makers

Non-marking shoes for PE/ headphones with a braided nylon cable/backpack 

Please put names on all backpacks, jackets, boots, etc.  You wouldn’t believe how many of us shop at the same stores and have identical outerwear! ☺

A Little About the Teacher:

 Teaching is a wonderful job, and I feel blessed to spend each day with these kiddos!  I do know that your children represent the best of you and are your most precious treasure.  I promise to treat them with respect and love.  I will challenge them to do the very best they can and hold them to high expectations.  I feel honored and privileged to be teaching your children and will give you and my students the best I have each day.  This will be my sixth year teaching at Frenchtown Elementary School.  I taught preschool-4th grade for 24 years before joining the amazing team of educators here.  When I’m not at school, I enjoy spending time with my big, crazy family. We all love hiking, kayaking, playing games, and reading.

Communications Between Home and School:

I believe that parents, the teacher, and the student need to work as a team to achieve the best possible learning experience in first grade.  I look forward to a cooperative relationship that will foster a positive, comfortable, secure, and joyful environment at school.  Please contact me anytime you are unsure about anything.  I will be using ClassDojo to communicate, so be looking for instructions on how to join our classroom on that app.

 Behavior Expectations:

 I follow the Love and Logic philosophy in my classroom.  By focusing on positive behavior and always treating students with respect, these principles truly help defuse most behavior problems.  More information on this philosophy can be found here: https://sites.google.com/view/mrspavlik/love-and-logic

Homework:

 As a first-grade student, your child has very limited homework.  We will work hard all day long so your child can relax and enjoy time with your family after school.  Mainly, reading each night with your child is the most important ‘homework’ your kiddo has.  Just snuggle up together and read a fun chapter book as a family, or read the comics together.  I will send home small decodable books that will help practice whatever phonics skill we are working on that week, and this should only take a few minutes each night.  This is extra practice and is not mandatory.  It helps you see what we are learning in class. 

For math, working on a few math facts each night would be super helpful.  The more automatic their recall of addition facts up to sums of 10 becomes, the easier math is for them.

 Writing grocery lists, wish lists, or letters to family and friends are all ways to practice writing skills at home.

Snack Time:                                                                                                                             

The school provides a small, healthy snack each day.   However, it is a long day for these kiddos, and their tummies are pretty small. If you want to send in a HEALTHY snack with your child, they are free to eat this during the day.  I do ask that you do not send sugary snacks like candy, cookies, or potato chips.  Granola bars, fruits and veggies, crackers, etc., are great examples of healthy snacks.

 Again, I am so excited to meet all of you.  Please contact me with any questions.  We are all in this together, and your child is my top priority!  

Sincerely,  

Shannon Pavlik

shannonpavlik@ftbroncs.org