*This information will be coming home hardcopy as well*
Hello Parents!
Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year. I am very excited to
have all of your children in my class this year. I wanted to send out some
general information that will be helpful to you for getting the year started.
Communication:
Ways to get ahold of me:
Phone at Whitehead: 626-5200 (before or after school
hours)
Remind App: you can send as well as receive message from
me
Agenda Books:
Each student has an agenda book they will be writing their
homework and project information down on daily. Each night you are to read
their agenda to see what they have for homework and initial on the right hand
side every night. Each morning students with a signed agenda book get a stamp.
I count the stamps at the end for the week and those are used as a grade for
responsibility. I am teaching them how to be responsible for managing their work.
Homework:
Students will have homework each week starting the week
of 8/15/16. Homework will come home on the first day of the week (generally
Mondays) and will be due the last day of the week (generally Fridays). There will be 3 types of homework each week.
Reading Log: They are to read for 20 minutes nightly
and work on part of their reading log for 5 minutes each night. By Thursday
they should have the whole Reading Log complete and ready to turn in on Friday
morning.
Math Fact Practice: They are to study multiplication facts
through 12’s until fluent. They will have access to a site called XtraMath. There
are apps you can download. This program is like a digital version of
flashcards. They do not have to use XtraMath, they can use flashcards or
worksheets as well. They need to be doing quick repetitive practice of the facts
in order to memorize them. There will be a sheet they will fill in and you sign
twice during the week. I want you to check their progress or quiz them two
times during the week so you are aware of how they are doing.
Spelling: The students will have spelling lists on a
site called SpellingCity. There are activities they will do online to help them
practice their words. They will have a test at the end of the week on the
words.
Class Behaviors:
Students will be rewarded for having expected behaviors. We
talk often about having polite and professional behaviors in class. They know
that they are practicing for being adults and they need to gain the skills now
in order to be successful in the future. They can be rewarded several ways.
Class Cash: Students can earn money for displaying expected
behaviors. Students will save the Class Cash and can purchase rewards from me.
Rewards are things like: homework pass, prize box, free seating for the day,
wheely chair for the day etc.
Class Dojo: We are using a digit behavior system as
well called Class Dojo. You will be able to log in and check their progress at
any time and get live updates when they are rewarded or deducted Dojo
points. Students will receive a weekly
Dojo printout of their week long behaviors. You will sign the page and send it
back in to class. The students will be rewarded for the amount of points they
earned by having a signed and returned Dojo form.
Class Marble Jar: The whole class earns marbles in a
jar for the whole class displaying expected behaviors. When the marble jar is
full they can earn whole class prizes like; pizza parties, extra free time,
technology time etc.
If students are having unexpected behaviors they will have consequences
for those choices. Consequences depend on the level of severity; loss of Dojo
Points, loss of Class Cash, afternoon recess detention. I will always let you
know if I have behavior or academic concerns about your child.
There are many ways you can help in our classroom. I have
set up a site called SignUp.com I will send out an email with a link to the
site where you can sign up for classroom volunteering. Here are some of the ways
you can help:
Class field trips
Classroom help- copying, making projects, light grading etc.
Classroom small group leader- during Reading or Math I can
assign several students to your group and you can assist them with the work
they are doing.
Public Relations J-
I can always use help organizing field trips and guest speakers. I would love
someone to help make calls and arranging extra-curricular activities for our
class.
Party Planners- we have birthday parties monthly and holiday
parties as well as they come up. I would love several parents to help organize
and plan these events.
Communication Checklist
In order to communicate with you efficiently you will need
to be logged onto several resources. Below is a link to the Checklist. Please initial next to each item
when you have logged in to each resource. Your initials let me know you are on
and can and will access information from these sites as necessary.
Parent Login and Password Sheet
To help keep you organized and able to remember all the logins for our class I've created a sheet for you to keep track of the login information for each site. The students have their own copy in their agenda books.
