ROUTINES & ANSWERS TO COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
ARRIVAL: We begin welcoming children in the classroom at 7:40 each morning. All children should be at school and ready to start the day no later than 8:00.
CLOTHING: Our room gets HOT, so it is best for the children to dress in layers. Students should wear sneakers on P.E. days and always have footwear that allows them to run around and play.
RECESS: I like the children to get outside and play each day. Families should plan on their child being outside for some part of each day. Ithaca weather is unpredictable at best and has to be pretty extreme for us to have inside recess.
LUNCH: Our class will go to recess first at 11:55 and then to lunch at 12:15. I will send home a school lunch menu each month to help the children decide if they want to eat school lunch or pack one from home. (Breakfast is also available through the school’s food service.)
DRINKS: People do their best thinking when they are well hydrated. If you’d like to send your child to school with a water bottle, please do so. It should have a re-sealable cap and contain water only (not juice).
BIRTHDAYS: We will celebrate each child’s birthday as a class. Some families like to send in a special treat on that day. This is nice, but not necessary. Summer B-days will be recognized on a different, agreed upon, date.
SNACK: WE ARE A PEANUT FREE ROOM. We will have a shared snack about mid-morning each day. I will pass out a snack calendar for each month and names rotate about every three weeks. Please try to bring something healthy and low maintenance for the group. In the past carrots, applesauce, crackers, cheese, or apples have all been popular. Some families like to bake, and the children love that. It's nice to offer volunteers in the room a snack so, if possible, please send a bit extra (we currently have 17 students in our class.)
I will always have extra snack available so if it's not a good time for you, or you forget, DON'T WORRY. Also, water is the preferred drink, so please don’t send juice.
SHARING: Sharing should be an interesting rewarding time for all of the children. To steer it away from a competitive experience, we have a list of “acceptable items” to share.
•Acceptable “shares” are:
Experiences, things from nature, homemade items, books and educational tools that the class can borrow.
•Unacceptable “shares” are:
Weapons, store bought items, expensive or fragile items, trading cards and toys.
DISMISSAL: Please send a note to the school if your child's routine for the end of the day is going to be different. First graders that are walking or being picked up by a car are released to the BACK door. The only exception is if there is a kg. sibling. If you forget to send a note in the morning, or have any questions or concerns, please call the main office before the end of the day(274-2129).
VOLUNTEERS: I welcome volunteers into our classroom. I will be putting out a notice soon to see if you're interested in joining us for a day or on a weekly basis. There are also "jobs" which can be completed at home. Thanks to ALL of our families for getting your children to school each day.
HOMEWORK: Yes. Students will have a "homework packet" which will go home at the start of most weeks of school and is to be returned at the end of the week. The purpose of the assignments is:
To reinforce work done at school
To keep you in touch with your child's growth
To help the children feel a sense of responsibility and accomplishment.
Knowing that one level is never right for all children, you are the boss to modify the assignment to best suit your child's goals. Please know that all efforts are applauded. Please call me with questions and or comments.