Parent Orientation 2011

School Calendar Reminders:

• August 23 School Pictures• September 2- Ram Run Kick Off • September 5- No School- Labor Day• September 15 Early Dismissal• September 23 Ram Run• September 26- Field Trip to Nashville Zoo• September 30 First grading period ends• October 3-7 Fall Break• October 14- Field Trip to Lucky Ladd Farm• October 18 Report cards  

Academic SubjectsLanguage ArtsLanguage-

Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, Subjects, predicatesAll tied to writing

Writing-Writing WorkshopPersonal Narratives, Descriptive, Explanatory, Comparative, Expository

ReadingCombination of basal, trade books, novel studiesRotation of groups depending on needIndividuals set AR goals Reading celebration every 9 weeks

Spelling-Pretest on FridayHomework nightly- Spelling workbook and Spelling Activities sheetAlternate group has words covering the same skill, more difficult words

Math-New math series-pearsonsuccessnet.comRegrouping (borrowing) 10’s and 1’sMultiplicationFractionsTelling time to the ½ hour and 15 minute intervalFocus on memorizing addition facts in preparation for adding higher numbers. Math journaling

Science-Combination of textbook and kits:ButterfliesSoilsChanges-physical scienceBalancing and weighing

Social Studies-Focus on communities, rules and lawsMap skills CitizenshipSpecial projects

Famous AmericanBingo board with choice of projectsGovernment

Ways You Can Help Out• Contribute to class store, healthy snacks, or classroom

supplies/wish list• PTO rep- Volunteer needed• Room mother- Volunteer needed• Kroger cards – Gives us money for our classroom• Volunteer in the classroom

Ways We Will Communicate• We will communicate by notes in the agenda, email correspondence,

information posted on our class web page (homework is updated daily), personal phone calls, and through class newsletters. Please check your email daily in case I have sent you an email, and I will do the same.

• We may also schedule a conference at school to discuss your child’s progress. Twice a year we will have Parent/Teacher Conferences. The first conference will be held October 20th from 2:45-6:00.

• To contact me by phone, please call the school office at (615) 904-6715 and leave a message for me to return your call. If you send in a note, ask your child to show it to me first thing in the morning; permission forms for trips must also be collected first thing in the morning and placed in the black wire basket on my desk.

• If your child has a change in transportation, please send a note or email the information to both my school email address halimir@rcs.k12.tn.us and to the school attendance office hoodk@rcs.k12.tn.us (Mrs. Kelly Hood) so the office may prepare a change in transportation tag for the student. Remember to inform the person transporting your child about dismissal procedures and car tags. If a change in transportation is necessary during inclement weather early dismissal, please contact the office.

• The TFAA Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) has asked for parents to register email addresses at PTO website (link on TFAA homepage). Be sure to keep me updated with changes in email and home phone numbers or addresses.

• The class newsletters will be on my webpage. If you do not have access to a computer and need a paper copy, please let me know and I will provide copies of correspondence.

• Check the Agenda to review any notes and student behavior marks on a daily basis, and initial the date. PLEASE don’t sign blank dates.

Your child will receive a mark if they have broken a rule.

A red take-home folder (Home-School Connections folder) will be sent home on Thursdays. It will contain weekly graded papers and may contain parent flyers or newsletters. Please sign the signature sheet inside, indicating you have received the graded papers that week. Leave the signature sheet in the folder PLEASE! Remove the papers from the folder to review and discuss with your child. Keep the papers at home, unless otherwise requested to return them to class for student work samples. I will remove the parent signature page when it is complete.If an assignment has a note indicating it has not been completed please sit with your child and help them complete the assignment. Return it to school the following day. If an assignment says “see me” that means your child had to have one-on-one time with Mrs. Crabtree or myself in order to help them better understand the assignment. These assignments will not be assigned a higher grade, they are reviewed to ensure the necessary skills have been mastered.

Reading Guidelines

• Students will set Accelerated Reading goals each nine weeks. Goals for the first nine weeks will be determined once the children are able to log in. Your child will be asked to record their goal for the nine weeks in their agenda. The children will complete a simple book project over several of their books. Most of the work will be completed in class.

• Students will receive a book level after taking the STAR test. When selecting books I try to guide the children toward literature that is age and grade appropriate. Keep in mind high-level fiction books may contain content that is not age appropriate.

• Each child should read at least twenty minutes every night.

Homework

• Homework and class assignments will be neatly completed in pencil (no pen).

• Students will head their class papers with their Name, student number#, and date.

• Daily homework assignments will be written on a focal wall for students. Students are responsible for recording everything from the homework board into the agenda each day. If no homework is assigned, the student will write, “No Homework.” Generally, students will not have homework on Fridays. Homework is due the morning following the assignment. Projects, book reports, and other special assignments may have extended due dates. Any student who does not complete and turn in the homework assignment will generally completed it in the morning with other morning work ore during recess academy. If you have a special circumstance to occur in the evening that prevents your child from doing their homework please send a note. I will consider the circumstances and allow extra time for the work to be completed. Please refer to the School Wide Discipline Policy in your child’s agenda. Failure to write down the assignment or to bring home the required materials is not an acceptable excuse.

Class Parties, Celebrations, and

Birthdays Class Parties and Celebrations: Exact dates will be announced.

Characters Come to Life (Dress up as a storybook character)(October)Winter Party (December)Friendship Day (February)End of the Year Party (May).

A/R Reading Celebration: An Accelerated Reader Reading Celebration will beheld each 9 week grading period.

Birthdays: Please let me know if you would like to send cookies or cupcakes for your child’s birthday. Students could enjoy these treats at recess or in the classroom before recess. Surprise birthday parties are not permitted. If the student has a birthday that falls at a time we are out of school, he/she may choose another day to celebrate during the school year.

Responsibility Party: We celebrate responsibility every Friday. Returning homework, making good choices, and completing class assignments are required to attend.

Field Trips

Nashville Zoo- September 26 to observe animals in natural habitatsLucky Ladd Farm- October 14Barfield Park- Animal Explorations

 A signed parental permission form is required from every

student who will participate in a field trip. We expect for all students to go on the field trips, however, any student who is unable to participate will be escorted to another teacher’s class with assignments to do for the day. Each trip will have its own permission slip that will be sent home in advance of the event. Please sign and return the permission form. Send in the exact amount of money requested in cash or check payable to TFAA by the due date in an envelope. (Sorry, TFAA cannot provide any change for overpaid amounts. Any money overpaid will go into the General Fund. No refunds.) Students bring a labeled sack lunch and drink. NO late money will be accepted!!!!!

Students must ride in the school bus for the trip and are not permitted to drive in separate cars with a parent or friend. Likewise, students must return to school with the class on the bus.

Parents wishing to go along as chaperones, please submit a separate payment for yourself. On some fieldtrips only a limited number of chaperones may go along. We do allow and encourage parents to ride the bus whenever there is extra room.