WELCOME TO...
Dear Parents,
Welcome to a new school year! I am delighted to have your
child in my class this year. First grade is a year filled with excitement and
joy in learning many new things. Throughout the year, I will be communicating
with you regarding what we are learning and what you can do to help your child
succeed. Here are a few things you need to know to help us off to a great
start.
While most school items are provided by Bethel Park
(pencils, crayons, glue sticks, etc.), we are in need of a few extra things.
Please send the following items to school with your child.
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Snacks - Since we have a long morning (lunch is at 12:45), we will take a short snack-break every morning at about 10:30. Please provide a healthy snack for your child every day. Try to stay away from sweets and junk food. Some healthy alternatives are fruit, veggies, granola bars, nuts, cheese and crackers, fruit roll ups, yogurt, and jello. No drinks, please, as students have access to the water fountain in the room. |
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A Box of Tissues |
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A Bottle of hand sanitizer |
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A Backpack - Your child will need a backpack to carry supplies and papers back and forth from school. |
HOMEWORK - First grade homework is simple but very important to reading success. The main homework is vocabulary and reading practice. Please read the following carefully.
1) Two or three times a week, I will send home a "take-home" book. These books contain the letter sounds and vocabulary we are working on each week. Please take the time to help your child with the reading until they can read each book without difficulty.
2) Also, your child will be bringing home a vocabulary notebook each day that contains the vocabulary for the week. Please help your child to review these words each day, and sign the notebook where indicated. Once your child has mastered the words, try some extensions. You may want to go on a vocabulary search to see how many vocabulary words you can find in books, magazines, signs, game directions, etc. Ask you child to put each word in a complete sentence. See how many words you can use in one sentence. Tell a silly story using the vocabulary. Try spelling the word. Any type of extension using the vocabulary words will help your child master them.
CLASSROOM RULES - I explain my class rules at the beginning of
each school year. Please review them with your child.
- Work quietly. Do not disturb others while working.
- Raise your hand to speak or ask a question.
- Work and play safely. Do not run, push others or tip chairs.
- Be kind to your classmates with your actions and words.
I use a flip chart in my room
to remind students to follow school rules. Each student is assigned a number on
the chart. Everyone starts on green for the day. If a rule is broken, the
student is asked to flip his/her card. One flip is a warning; two flips will
result in a 10 minute time-out from recess; three flips earn the student a loss
of recess for the day with a note home to explain what happened. This method is
very simple for students to follow. What I like best about it, though, is that
we start every day on green...fresh with no mistakes.
By working together, we can ensure that
your child will have a positive and successful first-grade experience. Please
feel free to contact me if you have any questions. You can reach me by leaving
a message on my voice mail (412) 833-5005, ext 1516; or through e-mail by
clicking on the snoopy below. I will return your call/answer your message as
soon as possible. I look forward to meeting you soon.
PARENTS: TIPS TO HELP YOUR CHILD ON THE ROAD TO LITERACY
The information below, obtained from the Allegheny
Intermediate Unit, was adapted from Janie Hydrick’s Parent’s Guide to Literacy for the 21st
Century National Council of Teachers of English, 1996.
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Read aloud to your children.
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Have your children read aloud to you.
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Read billboards, signs, flyers, ads, letters,
newspapers, and comics together.
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Create a “snuggle up and read routine”. Daily reading
of at least 15 minutes has been linked to gains in vocabulary, comprehension,
and standardized test scores.
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Keep introducing new books, new authors, new genres
(animal books, mysteries, poetry, non-fiction).
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Encourage your child to act out, perform or retell stories using
puppets, pictures or dolls.
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Encourage your child to write to relatives or
friends. Their response to your child will encourage further communication.
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Make a message center and begin the habit of writing
messages for each other. You might write a question that will require a written
response. “Would you want to eat a hamburger or hot dog for dinner?” requires a
response and gives your child the chance to use your words for models.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Walsh
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