Classroom Rules

            Our district implements a program called B.I.S.T.—Behavior Intervention Support Team.  The philosophy behind this program is not punishment and forgiveness, but teaching and protecting.  One important thing to remember….If your child gets sent to the safe seat, they are not in trouble.  They have just gotten off track and need a minute to think about what they should be doing.  I’m moving them there so they don’t continue the behavior and get in trouble.  Do discuss with your child why they had to go to the safe seat, but it shouldn’t be a reason to punish.  I will probably only write in a child’s folder about safe seat visits if they have had several in one day or I see a pattern of behavior that we need to help them change.  I have included an additional page in this packet that gives more information about how I will use BIST in my classroom.

Daily Folders

            Each day your child will be bringing home a daily folder. On the LEFT side of the folder will be papers that should be LEFT at home—completed & graded papers, newsletter, notes from the office, etc.  On the RIGHT side of the folder will be papers that need to be sent RIGHT back to school—homework, daily calendar/teacher comment page, book log, etc.  On Monday I will send home a weekly newsletter and spelling list for the week in this Daily Folder. 

There will be a daily calendar/teacher comment page.  If you see a star, smiling face, or even nothing then you can assume your child’s day was fine.  If there were any problems or I have something to tell or ask you I will write it in the box for the day.  This is also a place where you can write me notes, ask questions, etc.  You need to sign your sign your child’s folder (this page) each day and return it to school the next day.

Class Newsletter

            The newsletter will briefly review the past week as well as explain upcoming topics, events, and school functions.  There will be a section for each subject, letting you know what we will be doing that week.

Homework

            Your child receives a homework grade based on their ability to complete and turn in homework on time.  All homework will come home in your child’s Daily Folder. The following are a list of homework for the week and when it is due:

1.      Spelling List: This will come home Monday. Study a little each night. There is nothing to turn in.

2.      Book Log:  A book log will also be in your child’s folder for you and your child to record all of the books they read.  They need to read at least one book per week, but I encourage more.  When the book log is full I will put a new one in the folder.  The one book read each week can be done anytime during the week but no later than Thursday night.  I will check book logs on Friday.

3.      Math:  A Home-Link math page will come home about every night except Wednesdays and usually Fridays.  This needs to be completed that night and returned the next day.

 Spelling

            Your child’s spelling list will be sent home in their Daily Folder on Monday.  Your child needs to be studying the works a little each night.  Spelling tests will be on Friday of each week and will include 10 spelling pattern words, 3 word wall words, 3 challenge words, and 1-3 dictation sentences.  The dictation sentences are not given to the students ahead of time because I am assessing their application of the spelling and phonics rules.  The challenge words are not counted against your child they are bonus.

 Reading

            The more children read the better readers they will become.  Every child should read 10-20 minutes every day at home.  I know that evenings are busy, but try to make this a priority.  This can be a combination of you reading to your child and them reading to you.  Our reading series incorporates spelling, English, reading and phonics.  This is what I will use during our instruction time.  Another component of our reading program is book clubs.  This is the time during the day when I am working with groups based on their instructional reading level.  The groups are flexible and dynamic--- meaning they change as the students’ reading levels change.  Students will be doing the Daily 5 while I meet with groups other than theirs.  It will include work with words, reading alone, reading with a partner, listening to reading or writing.  In addition to the phonics in our series, we also use a phonics program called Pathways.  This will be an extension of what they learned in Kindergarten and first grade.

Book-It Program

            The Book-It program will begin in October and continue through February.  When the students have filled out their Book-It record sheet, they will earn a pizza certificate redeemable at Pizza Hut.  The Book-It record sheet will specify how many books they need to read for that month.  These can be the same books they are reading and recording on the Reading Log for our Bananas for Books Reader’s Club.

 Bananas for Books Reader’s Club

            The Bananas for Books Reader’s Club was created to keep track of and motivate students to read more than 1 book per week.  At FieldSchool we have the 60 and 100 Book Clubs.  Any child who reaches these goals are rewarded by Mrs. Grozinger and I at the end of the year.  For every 30 pages your child reads that is counted as 1 book.  For example, if they read a chapter book that has 72 pages that will be counted as 2 books.  On the Reading Log there is a place for the number of pages in the book.

Math

            We use Everyday Math.  This curriculum is designed to engage students in making sense of mathematical ideas.  This series has a homework page for every lesson, so your child will have Math homework just about every night depending on how many lessons we do in a week.  I will be sending home family letters every so often that will give you more specific information about what we are doing in class.  These newsletters also have the answers to your child’s homework pages. 

            Something else we will do in math to help learn our addition and subtraction facts is called Banana Split Time Tests.  With each test your child takes and passes they will earn a different part of a banana split. We will then celebrate and the children will get to eat what they earned!

 English/Writing Workshop

            English skills will be taught through writing workshop and our Daily Language morning work.  We will be learning some of the different parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.  We will also be doing different writing projects: letters, informational, narrative, descriptive, and poetry.  We will be using 6-Trait writing as a model for our writing.

            Another component of our writing workshop is our Home-School Journals.  Your child will be writing you a letter on Friday telling you about what they have done the week in school.  You will need to write a letter back to your child for them to share on Monday.

 Science & Social Studies

            I will be team teaching with Mrs. Hill during this time.  I will teach Social Studies to both classes and she will teach Science to both of our classes.

Handwriting

            We will be using a program called Handwriting Without Tears just as Dewey does.  To begin the year we will be reviewing the manuscript letters.  After Christmas, we will begin learning the cursive letters.

 Birthdays

            If you want to send treats, they must be purchased at a store—nothing homemade.  Let me know with a phone call or note if your child is bringing treats to celebrate.  Summer birthdays are often overlooked, so if your child would like to celebrate at their six month date, let me know.  Also, birthday invitations can only be given out at school if your child has one for everyone in the class.

Class Parties

            We will have three parties during the school year—Fall, Christmas, and Valentines’ Day.  If you have not signed up to help with a party, please talk to me about which party you can help with.  At our Christmas party the students do not exchange gifts.  FieldSchool traditionally attends a movie at the Grand 6 Theatre.  Each grade level will have their party and will then attend the movie.  More information will be sent home about this closer to Christmas.

Book Orders

            I will send book orders home once a month.  It usually takes 2 weeks to get the orders back.  Please make checks payable to Scholastic.  Your orders help us earn free books for our classroom!

 Lunch & Breakfast

            Lunch and breakfast prices are in your Field School Handbook.  Please make sure when you send money to school you put it in an envelope with the following information written on the outside: Child’s Name, Teacher’s Name, Amount of Money.

            If you plan to eat school lunch please call the office by 9 am.  If you are bringing lunch in for your child from a fast food place, please bring a drink other than pop for your child.

 Special Classes

            This year we will have a new specials schedule.  Each special class will be 50 minutes long and at the same time each day.  If a day is missed that special is not made up.  The specials are set up on a 6 week schedule.  You will need to look at newsletters each week for the current week’s special schedule and the following week’s schedule.  For example in the past your child has always had PE or Music everyday and then Art or Library on a specific day of the week.  This year your child will have Art (A) and Library (L) on different days each week and sometimes not at all.  Your child will have PE and Music on days that specify PM or MP— 25 minutes each.  Please remember:

·        On PE days wear tennis shoes.

·        Library books will need to be returned the day before our Library day.

·        Students sometimes wear paint shirts in Art but not always.