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First Graders at Saint Irenaeus |
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FAQ
Does my child need to bring a snack? Yes! Even if they are purchasing hot lunch, they still need to bring a snack to eat at recess time. It is important that you help your child understand what food they should eat at recess, and what they should eat at lunch. Some parents put the snack in a special container, like a paper bag, to help their child differentiate between snack and lunch. What kind of shoes are required? Students need to wear traditional tennis shoes every day. They can be SOLID white, black, or navy blue with matching laces or velcro closures. Tuesday and Friday Wear Shorts and Tennis shoes When do we turn in the Reading Log? Reading Logs are due on Fridays, unless it is a short week. Then they are due on the last day of that week. Are the Bonus Spelling words optional? Yes! However all the children are asked to try to spell the bonus words each week on the test. Any bonus words that they spell correctly are awarded extra points. It is usually up to the family whether or not they want their child to practice the bonus words during the week. What counts as 'reading' on the reading log? Reading to your child counts as part of the 15 minutes of reading on the reading log. Shared reading counts as well (you read a page, they read a page, or you read and they chime in on words they recognize.) A first grader reading aloud to someone or silently to themselves counts as well. What day do first graders attend mass? Our regular day for the 2009-2010 school year will be Fridays starting in October. Parents are welcome to sit with us! Students do not need to dress in formal uniform for our weekly mass. However, if there is a Student Body Mass, we will not attend mass on our scheduled day for that week. Students should ALWAYS wear their formal uniform to Student Body Masses. Students are responsible for bringing P.E. clothes to change into if a Student Body Mass falls on a P.E. day. Students are responsible for remembering to change at recess or lunch time. What are the homework policies in first grade? Homework Policy Homework helps to reinforce what has been learned in the classroom. It is also a chance for the family to see what material is being taught. Please be sure to check your child's homework for neatness and completion each night. A weekly homework sheet is sent home on Monday, or the first day of the week. Daily homework will be sent home in your child�s homework folder. Students should bring their homework folder to and from school each day. Please check the folder each night. Clean out any corrected work. Work that is graded or has comments can be stored in a file folder for reference. PLEASE do not leave graded work in the homework folder. This will help your child keep their folder organized. Completed homework and any notes to the teacher or paperwork for the school office should be placed in the folder. Homework should take between 30-45 minutes to complete each evening, Monday through Thursday. Homework will always include reading with your child nightly (this is a part of the 30-45 minutes). Please help your child log their reading each night. The reading log will be due on Fridays, or the last day of the school week. The weekly spelling words are introduced on the homework sheet. The children will be tested on these words every Friday. A �No Homework� slip will be sent home whenever a child does not have their homework, or the homework is incomplete. This includes the reading log on Fridays. Consequences for 3 or more instances of incomplete or �No Homework�s� may include losing 5 minutes of recess, a lunch detention, or any other appropriate action determined by the teacher. Please help your child learn to be responsible for completing their homework each night. Next year they will be responsible for completing daily homework and writing down their homework assignment every day. Do first graders bring their library books home? Generally no, first graders do not bring home their library book. In first grade, students keep their library books in their desk to read throughout the week. How do the homework folders work? Over the first few weeks of school, first graders learn how to be responsible for their homework folder. They will receive explicit instruction and have time to practice turning in important papers to the teacher along with turning in their homework assignments. Children take time learning this procedure, so patience is necessary. The homework folder goes home every night and is stored in the student's desk every day. Parents can help their child by placing homework on one side of the folder, and homework on the other. Talk with your child about what papers need to be given to the teacher. Do the Friday Hawaiian shirts need to be tucked in? At this time the Friday Hawaiian shirts do not need to be tucked in. I will let everyone know if this changes. Students always need to wear a belt if their shorts or pants have belt loops, even if they have their Friday Hawaiian shirt untucked. What prayers need to be learned in first grade? Prayers The following prayers should be memorized in the first grade: First Quarter: Sign of the Cross Second Quarter: Lord's Prayer Third Quarter: Hail Mary Fourth Quarter: Grace Before Meals We say all of these prayers daily in class all year long. Each quarter we will check with your child individually to see if they need extra practice at home on one of the prayers. Grading Policy Papers that are graded will be placed in your child's homework folder. Please check the folder nightly and remove any graded work. Saving work in a file folder can be useful in tracking your child�s progress. If your child is struggling in with a subject, we expect the family to coach the child nightly. We appreciate your support. When are birthdays celebrated? Birthdays Once a month we recognize the children who have had birthdays that month. August and September birthdays are celebrated together at the beginning of the year. June and July birthdays are celebrated together at the end of the year. Our goal is to celebrate throughout the year equitably. This means that we will have the same treats each month for the party, and we ask that you do not send in goody bags. We will have a sign-up sheet posted on the back classroom door for our birthday parties. Look in the �notes� section on the homework sheet for dates and times for our monthly birthday parties. Thank you! What is "share" time and when does my first grader have it? Sharing Your child's regular 'share day will be posted on the homework sheet. In most cases the theme will be specific. At all other times please use parental discretion when sending share items to school. (Nothing breakable and only non-violent toys please.) Students will be graded on their Speaking each week. This grade appears on the Student Learning Assessment under Listening and Speaking. What is the first grade discipline policy? Discipline Plan In order to guarantee your child, and all the students in my classroom, the excellent learning climate they deserve, I am utilizing the following discipline plan. Class Rules I will not hurt anyone on the inside or outside I will not deprive anyone of their right to learn. This means: 1. I will listen to the teacher 2. I will follow directions 3. I will raise my hand to talk 4. I will listen quietly Discipline Plan A stamp card is used to reinforce positive behavior. Happy stamps are given throughout the day. �Buster� stamps are given as a consequence, they cancel out happy stamps. At the end of the week, students who have earned a given amount of stamps are invited to the treasure box to choose a reward for their good behavior. (We are always happy to accept donations for the treasure box!) Ways to earn happy stamps: 1.Take care of classroom materials, including books, supplies, and cleaning up after yourself. 2.Complete assignments; show that you are on task and not distracting other students. 3.Do your best! Print neatly, color nicely, and use any manipulative or supplies that will help you do your best work. 4. Any other positive behavior observed by the teacher can result in a happy stamp. A �behavior tree� is also utilized. When a student needs to lose a recess, or part of lunch, their apple will be turned to red. Green apple: great! Red apple: losing recess or part of lunch, note home to parents. *Bodily harm or vandalizing school property will result in an immediate red apple and any further consequence determined to be appropriate by the teacher and school administration. |
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