Welcome to First Grade!
Hopefully you have already received your letter explaining some preliminary information relative to the first days of school. In the letter, I mentioned that I would post the "First Grade Handbook" which is located below and provides a lot more information about first grade and Academy School.
First Grade
Handbook
Welcome to First Grade at Academy School.
What an exciting year we have ahead of us!
I want to take this opportunity to provide you with some information about our classroom. Hopefully this will answer many of the questions that you may have. Please be sure to contact me if you any additional questions.
School Phone (802)254-3743 ex:113 (same as the room number)
Home Phone (603)363-2725
Beginning of School Information:
First Day of School: School will begin on Wednesday, August 29th, and will run from 8:18 to 2:50. Please note that the late bell rings at 8:25. If you plan to have your child take the bus, you may call First Student Bus Company at 257-1761 for schedule information or visit our district website and click on bus schedules. http://www.wssu.k12.vt.us/
Important Paperwork: Please be sure to promptly fill out all of the initial paperwork that comes home in the first days of school. This information is very important for the school to have on hand should we need to contact you or provide your child with medical attention in the case of emergency.
What to Bring:
On the first day of school your child will need:
*a regular sized backpack labeled with their first and last name
*lunch and drink unless they are planning to order hot lunch from the cafeteria
*an extra set of clothes in case of a spill or accident (shirt pants, underwear and socks)
To and From School:
Arrival:
Upon arrival at school, children should go directly to the playground unless they are going to eat breakfast, in which case they should first go to the cafeteria. Morning recess runs from 8:00 until 8:25. If you arrive earlier, you must wait with your child until a teacher is present. In case of rain, look for a sign on the office window which will say “Inside Today”. In this case, first graders should go to the music room to be supervised until 8:25.
Dismissal:
If you are picking up your child, you should plan to arrive at 2:50 p.m. Please park only in designated spaces and meet your child at the front of the building. The school asks that all parents wait in the lobby during pick-up/dismissal time. Try to avoid arriving early and waiting outside of the classroom, as this can be distracting to the children in the classrooms around you. If you need your child to be dismissed early, please call the office as early as possible. We will do our best to have your child ready and waiting for you, but don't be surprised if we need you to come on down to the classroom and help them pack their belongings. Life can be busy during a school day!
Children who ride the bus will wait in the classroom with a teacher until the busses arrive at the school.
Changes in Transportation:
Any changes in transportation plans for your child must be communicated in writing or by phone with a teacher in our classroom or the office. If this does not occur, we must send your child home by their usual mode of transportation. It is not enough to tell your child to inform us of the change, for obvious reasons:) This is a school wide policy that is strictly enforced for your child's safety. Please also do your best to avoid last minute changes, as this causes much confusion at pick-up time. We ask that all changes be made before 1p.m.
Absences:
If your child is going to be absent, you must call the office ASAP to let us know. The attendance phone line is 254-3743.
Food at School:
Breakfast:
A nutritious breakfast is served in the gym before the start of school. The cost is $1.50.
- If your child is eligible for free or reduced breakfast, please complete the application form and return it to the school ASAP. The funding is not retroactive, so any meals ordered before the application is returned will be billed to you.
- If you will be paying for breakfast, please send the money to school in an envelope marked with your child's first and last name, the amount, and what the money is for.
Snack:
Our class will be participating in the Healthy Snack Program in collaboration with the Brattleboro Food Co-op. Children in our class will have the opportunity to try many new foods, participate in fun activities periodically, and eat as a group each day. When we join together to share a meal in this way, there is a strong feeling of community, which is so important throughout the year. We will ask that each family contribute a small monthly fee of approximately $4-$6 to help pay for the food. Please let me know if this presents a hardship for your family, as every child will be included in the program, regardless of ability to pay.
Lunch:
We will eat lunch in our classroom daily from 11:30-12:00.
Children may:
- bring a lunch from home (please be sure to send healthy food and drink! Candy and soda are strongly discouraged!)
- buy lunch from Café Services. Hot lunch costs $2.25. Milk is included in the cost of hot lunch, but may also be purchased separately for .65. Please send money in a clearly marked envelope with first and last name. If you fail to pay for lunch, and accrue a balance of $15.00 or more, Café Services will limit your child's lunch choice to a sandwich, fruit and milk until payment arrangements are made.
Home-School Connection:
It is vital for parents and teachers to have a strong relationship. We are truly a team in working toward a positive learning experience for your child at school. My classroom has an open-door policy, and you are welcome to participate in whatever way may work for you as long as we have discussed and planned for your involvement.
Communication:
Most information will be communicated through the web site academyvt.com (on the left margin under classes go to 1st, then click Loredo). This is where you can information about events going on in the classroom such as … what we are currently studying, general classroom logistics, as well as highlights and pictures of classmates if permission is granted. Please let me know if you don’t have regular access to a computer, other arrangements will be made to get this information to you.
Your child’s completed school work will be coming home periodically, please take the time to review their work with them each week, I know they will be thrilled to share their work with you. This is also a good way to keep tabs on their learning and monitor their progress. Nothing is more empowering and motivating to a child, than to have parents show an interest in their work.
Parent Involvement:
Parent volunteers are so important in the smooth running of a classroom. There are a variety of tasks which can be done both in and out of the classroom. Reading to children, playing games at recess, preparing snack, and sharing a special talent are a few examples of ways parents can help during our school day.
Outside of the classroom, parents can be a room parent, prepare materials for classroom use or chaperone a field trip. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this very important role. If you are able to help out, please let me know with a phone call or through e-mail. I check my e-mail at least twice daily, so that is an effective way of communicating with me.
Odds & Ends:
Recess:
We will go outside at least twice each day for recess. Please dress your child appropriately for the weather, as we may take a much needed walk even on rainy or snowy days and unless it is below 10 degrees, we will have recess outside. Although umbrellas are great fun, children are not allowed to use them at school, as they can be very “pokey”. Also, if your child is too sick to go out, they should probably stay at home to rest.
Sickness:
If your child is running a fever or has vomited within 24 hours of the school day, they need to be kept at home. Usually this means they are still contagious, and although we want children to come to school when they are well, we also hope to minimize sickness for the rest of our classroom community.
Field Trips:
Throughout the year, we will schedule various field trips to enhance our curriculum. Before each trip, (with the exception of walking trips) you will receive a permission slip and trip information. We will always need parents to volunteer to be chaperones, if you are interested, please let me know.
Celebrations and Birthdays:
We will have various celebrations throughout the year. We will also honor each child individually on their birthday. You are welcome to send a snack for your child to share with the class on this special day. Please send a note to let us know of your plans, so that I can inform you of the number of children in our class.
A Note on Classroom Behavior:
Every child in our classroom is a vital member of our community. In order to ensure a positive learning environment, children work hard to develop skills such as communicating their needs appropriately, cooperating with their peers, sharing materials and ideas as well as respectfully listening to each other. As a class, we will establish simple rules to guide our behavior while we work to master these skills. Your child will be involved in the process of establishing class rules which encourages them to take ownership, and enables them to understand the reason for following them.
As a class, we practice following our rules, and discuss fair ways to help us all to remember them. We use logical consequences, which directly relate to each child's actions.
Again, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at the numbers or e-mail listed on the front page of this booklet.
