Important Things...
- Beginning of the Day/End of the Day Procedures
- Volunteers/Picking Up Early
- Snacks
- Social Media and Privacy
- Birthdays
- Homework
Beginning of the Day: The Importance of Becoming Independent
Students may enter the building at the first bell (8:15 am). After the second bell (8:20 am), you must bring your child to the office to sign them into school. By bringing them to school by 8:15, you are allowing your child time to organize locker items, take a bathroom break and get ready for the day. You are welcome to walk your child inside the building to the lockers. If you do so, please encourage your first grader to feel proud and important by doing the things below on his/her own. Or, if this is too overwhelming, small steps...maybe one or two of these things, adding one more each day:
Please wait on the playground or outside our room for your child if you are picking them up. Our end of the day procedures are very important in promoting independence, responsibility and reflection. Dismissal is at 3:25pm. If you need to pick up your child early on a certain day, please contact me or the office to let me know.
- Hang up coat
- Hang up backpack
- Give a kiss & hug goodbye
- Bring in folders/take-home books, notes from home in the classroom
Please wait on the playground or outside our room for your child if you are picking them up. Our end of the day procedures are very important in promoting independence, responsibility and reflection. Dismissal is at 3:25pm. If you need to pick up your child early on a certain day, please contact me or the office to let me know.
Volunteer Procedures/Picking Up Early: The Importance of Safety
If you come to school during school hours (other than dropping off your child), for safety reasons, you must sign in at the office. At the beginning of the year, you will receive information and a Volunteer Consent Form to complete . This is simply to make our school as safe as possible for every child in our building. After your form has been processed, you will be able to pick up your EGRPS name badge from the office each time you come to our building. By wearing this badge at school, students, teachers and staff will be able to quickly see that you are a trusted adult.
If you come to school during school hours (other than dropping off your child), for safety reasons, you must sign in at the office. At the beginning of the year, you will receive information and a Volunteer Consent Form to complete . This is simply to make our school as safe as possible for every child in our building. After your form has been processed, you will be able to pick up your EGRPS name badge from the office each time you come to our building. By wearing this badge at school, students, teachers and staff will be able to quickly see that you are a trusted adult.
*Volunteers are
WELCOME in our classroom for many types of activities (and for at-home prep
work). Your help is greatly appreciated! Volunteer forms will be
passed out at our 1st Grade Informational Meeting with
dates/times/descriptions, etc. and then we will get started right away.
Snacks: The Importance of Feeding Your Brain
Please send a healthy snack with your child each morning. It is great brain food!
Social Media: The Importance of Privacy
Social media sharing of pictures (via Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, etc) has exploded in the last few years. To respect your privacy, I will not be posting your child's pictures on our blog or website. During school parties and events, I would ask for your discretion when taking pictures of your child. If pictures are taken that you would like to share, please make sure the families of the students in pictures have given permission before sharing on social media outlets.
Birthdays: The Importance of Celebrating!!
Birthday celebrations are welcome on the day of your child’s birthday in the afternoon at 3:00pm. Please email/call to arrange your birthday celebration.
Please consider presenting the class with a FAVORITE READ ALOUD book to donate to our classroom library! We will make it an extra special read aloud afternoon. Trinkets add up in a big pile at home and because there are many allergies to eggs/nuts, many of our friends will not be able to eat baked goods from home.
If your child is planning on having a birthday party outside of school without inviting the entire class (which is totally understandable and, at times, considerably more peaceful), please keep in mind that 1st graders are just beginning to understand friendships and relationships outside of their families. Hearing others talk about a party they are not invited to will cause very hurt feelings. Please do not send invitations to school and please, please, please encourage your birthday kiddo to refrain from talking about parties at school.
Homework: The Importance of Role Models
Our first graders are expected to "work" most nights for 10 minutes with YOU. Most children at this age are not developmentally ready to work on their own and should not have that expectation. As a parent of a first grader, you play the starring role as a model for developing study skills and expectations for school work at home. Therefore, it is important to work along with your child and model how things can be done with personal best work.
After our First Grade Informational Meeting on September 16th, your child will bring home a “reading club book” a few times a week. This is a book that has been practiced many times in a small group, individually and is at his/her reading level. Your child should be able to read this book smoothly, practice strategies to figure out unknown words, and answer a few questions about the book after it has been read.
Your child will also bring home information about our online math IXL program to participate at home. If you do not have access to the internet at home, please let me know and I will be more than happy to accommodate.
Our first graders are expected to "work" most nights for 10 minutes with YOU. Most children at this age are not developmentally ready to work on their own and should not have that expectation. As a parent of a first grader, you play the starring role as a model for developing study skills and expectations for school work at home. Therefore, it is important to work along with your child and model how things can be done with personal best work.
After our First Grade Informational Meeting on September 16th, your child will bring home a “reading club book” a few times a week. This is a book that has been practiced many times in a small group, individually and is at his/her reading level. Your child should be able to read this book smoothly, practice strategies to figure out unknown words, and answer a few questions about the book after it has been read.
Your child will also bring home information about our online math IXL program to participate at home. If you do not have access to the internet at home, please let me know and I will be more than happy to accommodate.
