Ms. Burk's First Grade

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Visit the TeacherWeb® videos to learn about the features, modifications, and customizations available on your website. Click here to learn more. Handbook small medium large Welcome to first grade! My goals for each child are emotional, academic, and social. I’ll do my best to ensure that your child loves coming to school and loves learning; receives a sound, well-rounded academic foundation; and develops values such as independence, kindness, tolerance, and fairness. Besides myself, your child will receive instruction from APS music teacher Mrs. Regina (pronounced heh-gee’na)Stella-Watkins, P.E. teacher Coach Jarvis, and librarian Mrs. Jolanta Feliciano assisted by Ms. Anne Sensenig. Ms. Sue Estell, our technology coordinator, provides assistance in the computer lab. Student teacher Ms. Jenna Carrillo will join us one day a week during the first half of the year. Parent volunteers including Art in the Schools presenters are also much-appreciated members of the classroom teaching community. Your knowledge of your child’s unique needs and assets is a great resource for me. I look forward to visiting with you often so that together we can provide every child with an excellent education. Kathleen (Kak) Burk Kindergarten Teacher Daily Schedule 8:58 Warning bell—time to line up outside 9:00 Final bell; teachers walk children inside 9:10 Literacy block 10:40 Recess 10:50 Literacy (cont.) 11:40 Bathroom 11:50 Lunch and recess 12:20 Core curriculum (will include math, science, social studies, art, etc.) 1:20 Pull-outs (Mon. = computer, Tu. = music, Wed. = counselor every other week, Th. = P.E., F. = library) 2:05 Recess 2:25 Math 3:10 Dismissal Contacting the school in an emergency. In the event of a lockdown or “shelter in place” at school, please telephone 311 for information about what is happening and where to meet your child. Effective May 2007, the city police department and the 311 folks began working with the school district to provide information through this number, since there may be no one answering phones at the school in the event of an emergency. Keeping in touch. Please don’t hesitate to contact me; I value family communication! First graders will bring a daily agenda back and forth each day. You are welcome to write info for me in the agenda, and I will send notes to you in the agenda as well. I ask that parents sign the agenda each evening. I’ll use periodic newsletters to keep you abreast of news including field trips, and will send home a monthly snack calendar. I’ll also phone or email you, send a note, or find a moment to “bend your ear” at pick-up time as needed. During twice-yearly school conference times I will meet with families to discuss each child’s progress. I am happy to schedule conferences at other times as needed. Bandelier has moved to a trimester reporting system, so all children will receive progress reports three times during the school year. It’s helpful for me to know about changes in your child’s life (e.g. a parent away on a trip, a change in custody arrangements, etc.) that may affect learning and behavior. If your phone number or address changes please let both me and the school office know immediately so that we can always reach you quickly in case of an emergency. The school also needs to be notified immediately if there is a change in the list of people who can pick up your child during the school day. Be aware that because of regulations concerning health information and privacy, the school nurse cannot pass on health information to teachers without your permission. If there is health information that you feel I need to know, please notify me as well as the school nurse. You are welcome to call me at school (255-8744 x 39) and ask the secretary to put a note in my mailbox. I’m unable, except in emergencies, to take calls during teaching hours, but if you leave your name and number with a brief message I will receive it that afternoon or the next day, and will return your call. If it is urgent that I get your message immediately, the school secretary can contact me using the intercom. I usually take and make calls after 4:00 p.m. If you call after 4:00 p.m., please don’t hesitate to have me paged. Although I arrive early at school, my mornings are often tightly scheduled, particularly the time right before the bell rings. If you drop your child off early at Children’s Choice feel free to drop by for a quick check-in. However, for a longer visit, it’s helpful if we can touch bases after 4:00 p.m. Email (burk@aps.edu) is a very efficient way for us to communicate. I check my messages every morning. You are also welcome to call me at home in the evenings before 8:00 p.m. I prefer not to include my home phone number on the website, but will include it in your hard copy of the handbook. If I’m available I’ll pick up when I hear a parent voice. Be aware that I sometimes forget to check the machine, so don’t hesitate to call again if you don’t hear from me. Drop off and pick up. I will meet the children at 9:00 a.m. each morning. Our line-up area is on the west side of the main building. You may either wait at the line area with your child, or drop children off on the playground after 8:45 a.m. Make sure a teacher is on duty on the playground before dropping children off. If any person besides yourself will pick up your child before the regular dismissal time you may fill out a form in the office giving permission. I will walk children out to our line-up area for a couple of weeks so that you will have time to establish a meeting plan with your child. After two weeks I will release children from the classroom. The school asks that parents not meet children inside the buildings or in the courtyard. Absences and tardies. I hope to see your child at school every day, unless your child is ill (or missing school for other reasons as listed in the APS Student Behavior Handbook). However, it helps us all avoid absences if you keep children at home when you believe they may be contagious. For example, please keep at home children who are running a fever, even if it is controlled by Tylenol. Also, children who have been vomiting, who have uncontrollably runny noses or bad coughs, or who are feeling too ill to do school work should be kept home. There is no classroom supervision during recess times, so children need to stay home if they are too ill to go outside. Be sure to call the office if your child is not coming to school, even if you have notified the teacher. Snow days. If there is snow in the air or the roads are icy, you may listen to the radio or TV to find out if school will be delayed or cancelled. Please don’t call the school. If school is cancelled, the missed day will be made up later in the year. If school is delayed, the radio will announce the length of the delay (usually two hours). Snacks and lunch. We will have a mid-morning snack. For the beginning of the year I’ll prepare a snack calendar; later we may ask families to send daily snacks in lunch boxes. We have no sink in the room so it will be a huge help if snacks are easy to pass out and not messy. Dried fruit, bagel quarters, whole grain crackers will work well, but I prefer to avoid messier snacks (e.g. fruit cups, yogurt sticks, etc.) Birthdays. Although we don’t celebrate birthdays with full-fledged parties, you are welcome to bring a sweet snack such as cupcakes on your child’s birthday. Please don’t send favors, drinks, etc., however. To avoid hurt feelings, we ask that you not distribute birthday party invitations at school unless every member of the class is invited. Clothing. Mark jackets, mittens, etc., with your child’s name, and (no promises, but . . .) we’ll do our best to round ‘em up and get ‘em home to you! Children are generally required to go outside during recess, so be sure to insist that they bring sweaters or jackets if you think there is a chance they will need them. When the weather turns cold, girls may wish to skip dresses or to wear leggings with them. No need to be fancy—I’m delighted if children come to school in play clothes. First grade is a messy time of life, and it’s very liberating to have kids dressed for play and painting. On P.E. days, all children should wear pants and athletic shoes. We have wonderful parent volunteers who drive children in need of clothing to the PTA Clothing Bank. The Clothing Bank sets up kids with nice outfits in good condition (including winter coats when the weather begins to turn). Don’t hesitate to let me or our counselor know if your family could use this service. Fingerprinting. The district requires parents to be fingerprinted by either APS or CYFD before they can be alone with children other than their own (e.g. working in the hall with children, walking alone with them or driving them on field trips without a school staff member present). Our current understanding is that once you get fingerprinted, and if you continue to be active at school, you will not have to have it done again. We’d love to have as many of our parents as possible get the check done as it is extremely helpful to have fingerprinted parents in the classroom and on field trips. Parents may be required to pay for the fingerprinting; this has varied from year to year. For information on arranging APS fingerprinting, see our school secretary. Field trips. We will take several field trips this year. The system for managing field trip permission forms and money is different than it was in kindergarten: I’ll send permission forms and money requests for each field trip. Observing and volunteering. Our school has an open-door policy. You are welcome to observe your child’s classroom at any time, unless your presence is disruptive (this happens rarely, but once in a while children fall apart when their parents are around). I love to have parents volunteer! Volunteers are especially helpful when scheduled ahead of time, and when they dependably show up. At times, if a parent has volunteered to come in, I will plan activities that require the extra adult. If you don’t show we are left in a scramble, so please make arrangements for another parent to sub for you unless you’ve contacted me the day before. When you come in to help, you will not be working exclusively with your own child. Parent volunteers may be asked to prepare materials or to work with a particular child or group. If you observe or help out in the classroom, it is very important that you keep confidential any observations you may make about a child. If something concerns you, please discuss it with me or with our principal if need be, but not with another parent. Be aware, though, that we cannot share the specifics of a child’s situation with you. There are times when teachers treat different children differently. This may be at the direction of the child’s doctor, counselor, etc., and the child’s condition may not be obvious to a visitor. When you help in the classroom, please ask questions of children and encourage them to think for themselves and do their best work. It is a disservice to children if an adult gives them answers or does their work. Feel comfortable redirecting children in a positive, firm way. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have a question, need support, or if a child is not responding to your direction. If you are working in the class during recess time, I—and the children—love to have you go out to recess with them. Please ask the teacher on duty to let you know the play boundaries and rules. Would you like a regularly-scheduled role in some area of school other than the classroom? We greatly appreciate parent volunteers who schedule time to work in the library or the office, or who can provide extra supervision o n the playground. We need parents on various committees and on the school Instructional Council. If you are interested in presenting art lessons to children, you may wish to become an Art in the Schools volunteer. AIS provides outstanding training to volunteer parent presenters. Please go to the office and sign in before observing or volunteering in any area of the school—this includes visiting your child on the playground during recess! Program Academic program. Bandelier’s goal, as a liberal arts magnet school, is to provide children with an excellent education in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, music, and art. Our district has developed teaching standards that guide me in planning lessons in these content areas. • I follow the Balanced Literacy model of teaching language arts and will use the Harcourt Trophies series for reading instruction, supplemented by the Wilson Fundations literacy and phonics program. • I use hands-on activities to build mathematical skills and to develop problem-solving ability. I use the Everyday Math program. • I teach science units using some activities from district-provided kits, which I supplement with additional materials and activities. I also frequently introduce science-related art activities. The hands-on aspect of art is developmentally appropriate for, and very effective with, young children. • In social studies, I focus on the state standards and on helping children develop tolerance and kindness toward others, and a sense of responsibility. I promote critical thinking and vocabulary development in every aspect of my teaching program. I’ll send more detailed information to you in newsletters, so that you can reinforce at home what we’re studying at school. Behavior management. I see the elementary school years as preparation for adulthood. My goals are to help students develop the commitment, independence, and skills to be good classroom citizens, so that they will be prepared for citizenship in school, in our country, and in the world. I eliminate many behavior issues by challenging children, keeping them busy, and letting them know how much I enjoy them. Then, since I believe that children are best motivated to be positive and independent when they are given age-appropriate responsibility, I spend time at the beginning of the year developing goals and expectations with the children. I also spend considerable time teaching children procedures to follow for different activities. Emphasizing procedures rather than rules means that we practice (a lot!) rather than punish. This initial time investment in conversation and practice helps keep our classroom running happily and smoothly throughout the year. When children fail to fulfill their commitments, I usually give a reminder, then use a refocus spot or other consequence as needed. I call home if a child has a particularly difficult day, if I see a developing pattern of behavior that concerns me, or to gather information from you that will help me with your child. I work with families as needed to develop behavior contracts. One of the behaviors that we often discuss with young children is tattling, and your guidance at home can be a great help to us at school. Understandably, children often have a difficult time deciding whether and when to “tell on” each other. There are times when adult intervention is important, and other times when children can and should work out problems independently. In cases of everyday annoyance, children benefit from learning to assertively but nicely tell the annoyer to “please stop that” as well as by learning to calmly walk away from trouble. However, there are times when adult intervention is necessary. I encourage children to ask themselves whether or not a person or object is truly being hurt. If a child observes or is subject to physical harm (as opposed to annoyance), or to bullying, or if property is being damaged, an adult needs to be made aware. Also, I certainly want to be told if a child is touched in a private area, which I define for children as an area their swimsuits would cover. If your child tells you about a bad day, it helps the child gain perspective if you can talk through the problems and review good ways for handling those situations. Please notify me of anything you hear that concerns you; I prefer to address concerns immediately, before they blossom into big problems. Your calls, visits, and emails are so helpful! What can I do to help my child succeed in school? Lots of good news here! First, due to the vast amount of brain research that has been done regarding teaching children to read in the last ten to fifteen years, teachers and parents now have a wealth of sound information on which to rely. Second, the vitally important things that parents need to do to ensure children’s academic success are both straightforward and inexpensive. Here are two of those simple and inexpensive ways to make a BIG difference in your child’s academic progress: 1) turn off the TV, computer, and video games, and 2) read aloud to, or talk with, your child instead. The story is this: One of the most important tools we can give children to help them succeed in school is a rich vocabulary. With only a few exceptions, TV shows and computer games are not particularly useful for building vocabulary. Quality children’s literature (both fiction and non-fiction), however, is an excellent source of vocabulary. Why is an extensive vocabulary so important? There is a huge difference in the number of words different children have mastered by the time they enter school. A child who has had varied life experiences and has been read to a great deal may understand thousands more words than a child with more restricted early childhood exposure to language. However, both children may be successful in the early years of school. This is because much of the work in early grades involves learning to read, and is done with texts containing simple words. Children who are good at decoding (i.e., at sounding out words and recognizing sight words) may be able to sound out and understand these simple texts, even if their own vocabularies are quite limited. However, by fourth grade or so, children are expected to “read to learn,” that is, they are expected to independently read social studies textbooks, science texts, etc., containing more sophisticated academic language. At this point, children who can decode well but have limited vocabularies are at a distinct disadvantage. If they are unfamiliar with the meanings of many of the words in their textbooks, their good decoding skills are no longer enough to support comprehension of a text. They find themselves struggling with many assignments because of their inability to comprehend the more sophisticated vocabulary. You can see that one of our most important tasks as teachers and parents of children in the early grades is therefore to build oral language competency. I will not assign a great deal of homework, but I would like every family to read aloud to children every evening, and talk about what they’ve read. (Research suggests that read-aloud is important for children through sixth grade.) Twice during the school year I will do a reading program with children and will ask families to keep track of the books they’ve read with their children. However, for children to do their best in school, they need to be read to and conversed with year-round. This classroom handbook supplements the Bandelier Student Handbook and the APS Behavior Handbook; it does not replace them. Or, would you like to view and optionally restore one of these previous versions? Password: Forgot your password?

Ms. Burk's First Grade

Handbook

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