Parent Information
You ask, “What’s in my backpack?”
Written by Donna Whyte (2002)
You ask, “What’s in my backpack?” Please don’t look so unhappy
When I come home each day. When you open the zipper wide.
I wonder what you hope is there. What you are looking for today
If it’s empty, is that okay? Is all on my inside.
I tell you about my busy day, Ask me about my hands and ears,
How the teacher watches over me. My nose and my eyes.
We sing, we laugh, we share, we learn- Ask me what we talked about,
That’s the way it’s supposed to be. And if I remember why.
You ask, “What’s in my backpack?” Each day we do so many things,
I say, “Today it’s empty.” So many books to read.
I see the disappointment Sure is nice my teacher knows
As you look down at me. Exactly what we need.
School is much more than “things” That backpack on my back today
That you can see and touch. Carries back and forth my stuff.
It’s all of my life lessons, If you want to know what I learned,
And that means so very much. Listening to me will be enough.
For if you really want to know My teacher wants to plant a seed,
What I do each day, Get my “love of learning” to sprout.
It won’t be on a paper; She wants it to last a lifetime-
You’ll know by what I say. That’s what school is all about.
It’s in my head and in my heart
That learning will take place.
“Childhood should be a journey...
Don’t look at it as a race."
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
The learning environment in the classroom is most effective when the students are respectful of each other. Our classroom is going to be a safe place where no one hurts themselves or others. The following three classroom expectations were developed with the students. Each child agreed upon them and signed the expectations:
1. Everyone has a right to learn
2. We respect and appreciate individual differences
3. Everyone will improve or show progress
Discipline and Behavior: Positive reinforcement→ one on one talk→ child writes a letter and processes significance of their actions (sent home for parent signature)→ behavior contract→ call home
BIRTHDAYS
We will celebrate all children’s birthdays, even if the birthday falls on a weekend, holiday, vacation, or during summer. Each birthday child will receive a birthday bag with goodies. Please do not send birthday treats to school. Also, please do not send birthday invitations to be given out at school unless everyone in the class is invited. Feelings are hurt when children are left out. Please let me know if you do not want your child’s birthday celebrated in class. To foster our home-school connection, I encourage you to consider donating a book to our classroom library in honor of your child’s birthday. Please have your child bring it to the classroom a couple of days beforehand so that your child’s birthday book can be incorporated into our daily schedule on their birthday. Birthdays that fall on a weekend or long breaks will be celebrated the Friday before and summer birthdays will be collectively celebrated the Wednesday of the last week of school.
BEDTIME
EARLY! Tell your child, “Ms. Kuan said so.” When children come to school tired, it is much harder for them to concentrate, stay on task and to get along with the other children. They may fall behind academically and become behavior problems, both of which do not enhance a child’s self-esteem. My recommendation is an 8 o’clock bedtime each night.
CONFERENCES
Parent conferences are scheduled in October. At that time, you will be invited to meet with me to discuss your child’s strengths and goals that you wish to see your child achieve during the year. In order for me to hear and best address your concerns, I will not informally meet with parents in the few moments before school begins, but I will be happy to set an appointment as needed.
FIELD TRIPS
As trips are planned, notes/permission slips will come home with specific information. We will ask for your written permission, a donation for the cost of the trip, and request parent chaperones to accompany us. If you are interested in being a parent chaperone, please sign up when the form is passed out (the general policy will be first come first serve when taking parents on trips…so please turn in your forms promptly!)
SPELLING
My goal in teaching spelling is to make it as effective and useful as possible to the children. Each child needs to not only learn to spell words but to learn several strategies to find out how to spell those words they do not know. It is important that there is a connection between their spelling and their writing. My focus is on teaching your child good spelling skills and strategies rather than memorizing a bunch of words that will be forgotten moments after the test. In first grade our focus is on studying how words are put together and finding similarities between words (word families). 10-15 minutes each day are dedicated to word study in our classroom. We will not have the traditional weekly spelling test. However, their spelling skills and word study progress is closely monitored and assessed regularly.
THURSDAY FOLDERS
Your child’s completed class work will be sent home in his/her Thursday Folder. Any incomplete work will be included in the homework folder on Mondays. Please help your child finish and have them return their completed work inside their homework folder on Fridays. Please remember to sign your child’s Thursday Folder each week, write comments in response to my comments on the weekly update form for your child and read the weekly bulletin sent home!
HOMEWORK
Homework in first grade will begin this year on September 15th, 2008. An academic skills game board set designed to target all the math and language arts standards will come home with your child each week. Please find a designated time to play the board game with your child and return the game board set on Friday along with the reading bag.
A reading bag with a Chinese book on CD and English reading books (each student chooses 2 English books a week to read and write about on their reading log) will be sent home each week, please return the take home reading books and reading logs on Fridays. A new reading bag for the next week will not be sent home until the previous one is returned. Please help your child practice ownership and responsibility by always putting the books and CD back in the bag and giving the reading bag a permanent home in your child’s room so it won’t go missing.
BOOK CLUB
I will send home book orders monthly with your child. You are under no obligation to buy anything. I will send home forms from Scholastic SeeSaw, Lucky, and Click. These clubs offer a variety of books at a variety of reading levels. They are a great way to add to your child’s library. The prices are much cheaper than bookstores. They make great birthday and holiday gifts. The more books ordered by you, the more bonus points the class gets, and the more books I can add to the classroom library as well. Take a look at the orders each month and order if you wish.
LABELS
Sweaters, jackets, and sweatshirts need to be labeled on the inside with your child’s name. In addition, young children often forget what they wore to school or what belongs to them. Please also label your child’s lunch bag and water bottle with his/her name and room number. These items are commonly misplaced and can be easily returned if they are labeled.
NOTES TO AND FROM SCHOOL
Please tell your child when you send a note for me in his/her backpack. I can also be reached by e-mail, which is my preferred method of correspondence. When sending money with your child, please place it in a sealed envelope. Do not send loose change or bills.
PUNCTUALITY
Please note that school begins promptly at 8:30AM. This means that students should be inside the classroom ready to begin the day at 8:30AM. Students walking in after the second bell will be sent to the office for a late pass. Late arrivals are disruptive to the other children and the children who arrive late are often embarrassed and uncomfortable. Please also note that for safety reasons students are not to arrive for school before 8:15AM. Students are only supervised from 8:15– 8:30AM. If your child must come to school before 8:15AM, please have him/her wait by the flagpole in front of the office.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Thank you for the school supplies that you have sent in with your child. A backpack is particularly helpful in promoting student organization and responsibility, especially since graded papers will be sent home, and it helps to safely carry their homework and Thursday folders home.
SNACKS / LUNCH
Please send a nutritious snack with your child each day. Students frequently complain of being hungry if they do not have a snack. In other cases, some students will eat their lunch for snack, leaving them nothing for lunch. Please prepare lunch inside a lunchbox or brown bag. It should be separate from the student’s book bag. Also, please be sure that the drink container can be opened and tightened up easily by your child to avoid spilling problems. Lastly, please avoid packing “junk food" for your child.
FOOD ALLERGIES
This year we have first graders with severe food allergy problems. It is safer for all of our first graders to have food with no nuts at all when at school. Therefore, please pay extra attention when packing snacks and lunch for your child. Thank you for your cooperation!
WISHLIST
As the need arises and we run low on supplies in the classroom, I will be posting items that our class is in need of on the leaves on our classroom door. Please help us purchase items as you are able, please do not feel obligated to buy anything! If you are able to help us out with purchasing items that we run out of, please take the corresponding leaf from the door and bring the leaf back with the item purchased. Thank you so much for helping us out in this way!
VOLUNTEERS
I need help in- and outside of the classroom on a regular basis, as well as for special projects. It is strongly recommend that volunteers interacting with students be able to fluently speak the designated language. Please note that all Meyerholz volunteers must A) have a TB test on file in the office, B) attend a training session, and C) sign a contract before entering the classroom.
HOW TO REACH ME
As stated previously, I will be sending home weekly progress reports. I do read these when they are returned on Friday morning. If you need to speak to me or set up an appointment please do so on these notes. You can reach me at school before or after school by phone (408) 252-7450 ext. 210. Please do not call the classroom while class is in session. If it’s an emergency, please call the office and they will notify me. You can also email me at kuan_grace@cupertino.k12.ca.us My only request is that you not email me anything that is urgent. I try to check my email throughout the day, but oftentimes I will not be able to respond until the end of the day or the next. If it is urgent, please call the office. To reach a secretary in the office please call:(408) 252-7450. I have an open door policy. I welcome you to stop by or chat after school if the need arises. Just be warned, visitors will be put to work! ☺
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
1. Special Person of the Week- On Friday a student will take home a ME poster. They will fill the poster with drawings, photos and/ or magazine pictures that show us more about them. They must bring back the poster on the following Monday.
2. Each Friday our class mascot (a stuffed animal dog) and a journal will be sent home with one child. The child will record the dog’s weekend traveling experiences and adventures. On Monday the student will share his/ her journal entry.
