A

Absenteeism:  If for any reason your child misses school, you must call the attendance hotline (862-5015) in the morning.  The office will let me know why your child is gone.  If your child is gone for an extended time, I will be happy to gather his/her work.  Any work missed at school due to an absence may be made up and returned to school.

B

 Birthdays:  Your child may bring a special treat for the class on his/her birthday.  We usually celebrate birthdays in the late afternoon.  If you plan to have a party, please do not send invitations to school, unless you plan to invite the entire class, or all the girls or all the boys.  This helps eliminate hurt feelings.

Book Orders:  I will send home several book orders every 5-6 weeks.  The orders usually take about 2 weeks to arrive, once the order has been placed.  Book orders create bonus points that I can use to purchase books for our classroom.  You may make one check out for orders from different clubs or pay in cash (exact amount please!). You can now also order on-line!

Backpacks: Backpacks on wheels are strongly discouraged due to safety concerns. In addition, they do not fit on the coat rack in our classroom.

Breakfast: Parkside now serves breakfast from 7:55-8:15 everyday. The cost is $1.00, unless your child qualifies for free/reduced lunches

C

Contacting Me: 

Please feel free to contact me if you have ANY questions, concerns, or comments about your child or our class.  I am more than happy to discuss these with you!  My phone number and e-mail address are on the inside of this folder. The best way to reach me is through e-mail, or before or after school by phone.  I try to arrive at school by 7:45 a.m. and leave school by 4:15.  You can also write me a note in the FISH book.

D

Dismissal:

The bell rings for dismissal at 3:00 p.m.  I will walk the children out to the front of the school.  During the first few weeks it is helpful for you to review each day what your plans are for your child after school. (Walk, pick up, bus, after-school program, etc.)

E

Emergency Contacts: It is vital that you let the school know of changes in your home address, home or work phone numbers.   Please keep me informed if any of your information changes.

F

FISH Books: These organizational notebooks will be an important communication tool between home and school.  Watch for them to come home next week. They need to be returned daily.

Friday Folder:  :  All of your child’s weekly work and most notes from the school will be sent home on Friday (or the last school day of the week).  The Friday Folder will also contain a newsletter telling you about our week and upcoming events in our school and class.  The purpose of the Friday Folder is that you can anticipate when the work and important information will come home.  Please take time to sit down with your child and look over his/her work.  Please empty the folder and return it with the FISH book on Monday. 

G

Graded Work: Graded work in First Grade is based a numbered grading scale:

3=

2=

1=

These scores are entered into our district Skyward grading system. You can access your child’s grades online. If you do not have a family password, please call the office to set one up.  Some work we do in class is just for practice.  Those papers may have a happy face check or minus mark.

H

Homework: Next week we will begin our homework program.  At the beginning of each week your child will be bringing home a blue folder inside their F.I.S.H. book with an assignment sheet inside.  The assignment sheet will list the child’s homework to be done each evening and returned the next morning.  Your child will be responsible for taking it out of his /her FISH book and putting it in our Homework basket each morning.  Most nights homework should take about 10 minutes.  Homework is usually a review of what we have done in class that day.  I know that some nights can be hectic, and there just might not be time for homework.  I don’t mind if homework is turned in a day or two late on occasion.  A sample of the homework sheet is enclosed.  Homework completion is reflected on the report card.

 I

Information: Please send any important papers, money or information to school inside the FISH book

J

Job “Well Done!”: Be sure to look for the good in your child’s work and praise them for a job well done.  A rule of thumb we try to follow at Parkside is 7 praises for 1 negative! Wow!

K

Kindness- We are going to work very hard on treating our classmates and others with kindness and respectfulness!

L

Lunch:  Children may purchase lunch tickets before school on Mondays at a table outside the office.  Your child will need to write his/her name on the back and put the tickets in their numbered drawer in our classroom.  Each day he/she will take out a ticket and put it on the “lunch board” until lunch time.  First grade goes to recess first, then eats lunch from 11:45-12:10 p.m..  If you would like your child to go home for lunch, you must sign him/her out and back in at the office. If your student loses a ticket, he/she may borrow one from the office. If your student continues to borrow, a notice will be sent home indicating how much your child owes.

M

Mornings:  It is VERY important that your child be on time in the morning. The first bell rings at 8:05 a.m.  We begin our day with journals and communicate important information about the day.  If your child is tardy, he/she misses this valuable time and also interrupts our learning if they arrive late.  On Monday’s we begin in the gym for a whole school assembly.  All other days of the week children go to the playground to play until the bell rings. 

N

Newsletter: I will do most of my communication with you through the weekly “Aper Paper”.  Depending on our schedule, it will be in either the Homework folder on Monday or the Friday Folder on Friday.  Please be on the look out for this.  It will tell of upcoming events, needs and give you an idea of what we have been doing in class. 

O

Office:  The Parkside office staff are wonderful people and can be a big help for you and your child!

Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Bosquez

School Administrative Manager:

Mrs. Greenburg

Nurse:

P(Positive Behavioral Intervention System): Parkside participates in the PB IS program. This positive based behavioral program allows your child the opportunity to follow three expectations throughout the school setting: be respectful, be responsible, and be safe.

Parties: We will have three holiday parties in First Grade. We will have a Halloween party, Winter Holiday party, and a Valentine’s Day party. The room parents will coordinate the parties and will be calling other parents for help. All parents are welcome to come to the parties. Due to the large classes and the size of the rooms, please make other arrangements for younger siblings if you wish to come to the party.

Q

Quick and Quite Hello’s: When you volunteer in our classroom or building, your child will give you a quick and quiet wave hello.   This will be a way to greet you, but not interrupt our class activities.

R

Report Card: Your child will be receiving a new report card three times per year. These will be computer generated. The first report card is scheduled to be sent home the latter part of Nov. You will also have access to your child’s report card via internet.

Recess: Your child will go outside for recess at lunch time if the temperature is above 22 degrees.  Please be sure you send your child dressed for the outside weather!  The kids go to recess before their lunch time with 1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th graders and occasionally in the afternoon with just our class.

S

Specials:  In First Grade we have the following “Specials” each week:

Library: 2 times a week, 1 time is “technology time” and the other is to check out books.  Books are checked out for one week.

Music: 2 times a week

P.E.: daily, your child MUST have on tennis shoes.  If he/she does not wear tennis shoes to school, please be sure a pair is in their back pack or here at school.  Children without tennis shoes do not get to participate.

Art: 1 time a week

Shoes:  Heeley’s: (tennis shoes with wheels)  are not allowed at Parkside Elementary due to safety concerns.  Your child is encouraged to wear tennis shoes to school.

T

Things We Need: Throughout the year there are often things our class needs to do a project or just keep our classroom functioning.  Your help with these is GREATLY appreciated!  I will let you know about these through the newsletter or you can also find the list on our web site.  New this year is an opportunity to contribute toward a larger need for our room on the web site: www.donorschoose.com.  You can contribute as much or as little as you wish toward the item listed.  I will let you know what the name of our project is. Currently it is “A Place For Penguins To Park”.  This site might also be a wonderful way for Grandpa and Grandma to help their darling grandchild’s class! J

U

“U” –YOU are the one who sets the tone for your child’s school experience.  Young children listen and learn from their parent’s conversations and attitude about school.  Help your child have a great year by setting a and being cautious about what you say in front of them.

V

Volunteer Opportunities: Parents are a big part of our class!  Research shows that children who have parents that invest in their school do better than those who don’t!  There are many opportunities for you in the “Help Wanted” paper enclosed in this folder.  I appreciate all  the things that parents do for our class more than I can say!

W

Web Site: Our class web site is located at www.unit5.org/aperma  You will find all kinds of information about our class; including photos, big events and the weekly homework and newsletter.  The web page is a work in progress, so if you spot errors, please let me know! 

X-Y-Z

I am excited to work with You and Your child this year!  Make sure he/she gets plenty of Z-Z-Z-Z’s each night as we have exciting days planned this year!