What to Bring the First Day - Since all of the school supplies will already be in your child's desk on the first day of school, all that he or she will need to bring will be a backpack, lunch (unless they are buying lunch in the cafeteria), and a water bottle. We do have a water fountain in our classroom but it is always nice for each child to have a water bottle (especially when it is so hot outside) so that they can get drinks at any time. Having 24 kids in line for a drink isn't the most efficient way to go. The only beverage allowed in the water bottles is plain water.
Lunch and Snacks - Our lunch will be at 10:50 am. We will have one snack a day at 2:20. Since our lunch is so early, your child will probably really need a snack in the afternoons. We eat this snack outside on as many days as the weather permits. We will not have a snack on Wednesdays since it is not a full day.
Dismissal - At the end of the day we will all walk out together as a crew. We leave the building a couple of minutes early so that we don't get lost in the crowd when the "big" kids come out. We stand/sit over by the bike racks and wait for parents to come and pick up their child or for the child's car to be first or second in line. Please make sure that I see you pick up your child so I can say goodbye to them.
One exception to this is when we have a "Storm Dismissal". In this case you will see a large orange flag hanging out front by the stop sign. That is the signal that you need to park your car and come directly to the classroom to pick up your child.
Coin Bags - Your child will need a small container of coins to use during math time as we learn to count money. Please put your child's name on a small plastic container, zippered pouch, coin purse, little box, etc. and fill it with 30 pennies, 10 nickels, 15 dimes and a quarter or two. We have tried using sandwich bags in the past and they rip easily and the coins get lost. Feel free to add more of each type of coin since we all know how easy it is to lose a coin. Be sure that your child can open whatever container you choose to use.
Fall Voyage - The 1st Grade Fall Voyage will be on August 27th and 28th at Camp Elim near Woodland Park with a day of rest at home on August 29th. For more detailed information about Voyages at Renaissance including packing lists, medication forms, the parent handbook and more, please visit the Voyage Information Page on the Renaissance website.
Nut Allergies - We do have several students with food allergies this year. Nut products are allowed in the cafeteria because there are tables that are designated as "nut free" zones. We do eat our afternoon snack outside so your child may have nut products then. I will be talking with those families who have children with food allergies about this at Listening Conferences and will let you know of any changes or updates.
Cubbies - Your child's cubbie will be in the hall. We will talk about keeping things tucked in the backpack and off the floor so that they don't get stepped on by other students as they walk down the hall. It is also a good idea to keep any possible distractions (toys, games, etc.) at home.
Family Photo - You are invited to send in a photo of your family that I will attach to your child's desk. This does not need to be anything fancy and will not be returned - it will probably be rather worn out by the end of the year.
Communication - I will communicate with you daily through our classroom blog. Here is the link:http://jillfisch.blogspot.com/. You can subscribe to our classroom blog by clicking on the link in the upper right hand corner that says "Subscribe by email". You will need to type in your email address and then you will get an email asking you to confirm that you want to subscribe by email. If you subscribe, then every time I add a post to the blog you will get a copy in your email box. I will post something every day once we start back to school. Across the top of the blog are some other tabs that you can click on for more information. You will find tabs for Adventure Ed, Parent Resources, Resources, etc. Those pages are great places to check for information that you might need. I love hearing from you so please email any time you have a question. It helps me know what information other families may need, too.
Birthdays – We do love to celebrate birthdays in our room. It helps us continue to build a sense of community. We strongly prefer to celebrate birthdays with non-edible treats. Non-edible treats could include things like rubber band bracelets, stickers, temporary tattoos, bookmarks, pencils, plastic insects, an extra 10 minute recess, a special read aloud time, etc. Feel free to be creative with this.
We do our birthday celebrations right at the end of the school day but you may send the non-edible treats in the morning. Students with birthdays in the summer can choose a day close to the end of the school year to celebrate with the crew if they would like. Your child does not have to bring treats on their birthday. It is completely their choice. If you choose to send in treats then you will need to know that we have 24 students in our crew.
Tentative Schedule for Each Day Except Wednesday
Wednesdays will have a different schedule.
8:45-9:00 Morning Meeting
9:00-9:45 Writer’s Workshop
9:50-10:40 Small Group Instruction & Exploration Stations
10:40-10:50 Shared Reading or Read Aloud
10:50 -11:30 Lunch
11:30 - 12:25 Reader’s Workshop
12:25 - 12:45 Word Work
12:45 -1:15 Expedition (Two Tuesdays a Month - Social Emotional Skills w/ Ms. Terri)
1:20-2:15 Arts and PE
2:20-2:40 Recess/Snack
2:40-3:45 Math
3:45 - 3:55 Closing Circle
