Welcome to Mrs. Loredo's First Grade News, 2014-2015 !

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.

e-mail:  sloredo@wsesu.org

School Phone (802)254-3743 ex:113 (same as our room number)

Beginning of School Information:

First Day of School:  School will begin on Thursday, August 28th, 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 to determine their bus number, pick-up/drop-off time and location, and any other questions you may have:) 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 or the Meet & Greet! 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 (labeled with their name) in case of a spill or accident (shirt pants, underwear and socks)

To and From School:

Arrival:

Upon arrival at school, children may drop off their backpacks outside their classroom hallway (this is for first-graders only, other grades must go right out to the playground upon arrival) and then 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.  Please 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:  Sick Child

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.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.  If your child has an allergy to certain foods, please let us know and be willing to provide a back-up snack, labeled with their name, just in case we are serving a food item that might contain an allergen, we will provide your child with his/hers substituted healthy snack that you have provided. 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. A monthly menu will be sent home in advance, please review it carefully.  Daily choices will include a choice of salad, sandwich, hot entree,  and yogurt & fruit parfait.  On days when the lunch choices are not preferred for any reason, it is probably best to have your child bring a lunch from home. Hot lunch costs $2.35.  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. During the school day, the best way to communicate with me is through email, or a note brought in from your child,  unless it is an emergency, then please call the classroom:)  I check my emails throughout the day, and every morning before coming to school.  Please note:) The mornings are an especially hectic time as I am trying to organize the learning that will occur during that day, or I am busy with meetings and generally unavailable... and because of this, I would ask that you respect this valuable teacher time and defer discussions until after school - I am usually available in the classroom until 4:30, or use email, or a note from home, and/or feel free to schedule a meeting. 

  Classroom Communication:  -upcoming special events, teaching/learning activities, photos of life in the classroom, etc.: Most classroom information is communicated through our classroom blog  (Mrs. Loredo's  First Grade News) located on the web site academyvt.com under the first grade tab on the top of the site. This is where you can information about events happening 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 on "permissions form." 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. 

Parent Involvement:

Nothing is more empowering and motivating to a child, than to have parents show an interest in their work. 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. 

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, planning events and parties, and/or sharing a special talent are a few examples of ways parents can help during our school day.  During the Meet & Greet I will have a form to fill out if you are interested in volunteering in the classroom.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this very important role:)

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. As many clothing items look similar, please label sweaters, jackets, boots, etc. with your child's name in permanent marker.

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. Also, because I am not aware of the ingredients used in baked treats coming from other parents, if you prefer your child have an alternate treat because of possible allergens, please provide an alternative treat ahead of time, labeled with your child's name. We will store this for your child and provide them with their special treat when the time arises. 

             

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. 

I firmly believe that each child truly wants to succeed in school, and it is our job as teachers and parents to support them as they work to become socially responsible, motivated students.  

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:)