Classroom Information

Supply List

1 pair of scissors

1 small school box

1 packages of black dry erase markers

2 boxes of 24 count crayons

1 package of yellow 24 count #2 pencils (sharpened ones are super helpful!)

4 glue sticks

1 spiral notebook

1 small flashlight

headphones (no earbuds please)

small family picture

 

Wish List Items 

washable markers

extra glue sticks

extra black dry erase markers

stamp pads

Clorox Wipes

Whole Brain Teaching & Kagan Cooperative Learning

This year you may notice that our classroom does not run like other classrooms. We will be learning through Whole Brain Teaching and Kagan Cooperative Learning, both research based systems that utilize all areas of the brain, keep children engaged throughout their lessons, and helps them retain much more information than the standard lecture-discussion model.

Whole Brain Teaching is a highly interactive form of instruction that delivers information to students in short “chunks.” Kids then teach what they have just learned to their partners, using hand-gestures to help remember specific vocabulary.  While students teach each other, I walk around the room to discover who understands the lesson and who needs more instruction.

Kagan Cooperative Learning is a system of structures that the students learn that guarantee 100% engagement and promote learning through social interaction. Student participation in the sharing and learning involved in the structures, helps students take responsibility for the learning content and build their social skills in the process.

Through this instruction your child will have many opportunities to participate in class by discussing key topics and ideas with fellow students. At the same time students will utilize gestures that help them remember important information. Students will always be encouraged and never discouraged due to our unique "scoreboard" that celebrates positive behavior and encourages better behavior when we seem to be a bit off task. In a Whole Brain Teaching/Kagan classroom we are always supportive and never tear down! In fact, our classroom will be so upbeat and full of task focused laughter that your child just might beg you to come to school.  With your support, we'll provide your child with instructional methods that will work every part of his/her brain.

Research shows that children retain more information when they have an opportunity to put it into their own words and use gestures to emphasize key instructional units…plus, it’s amazingly fun! For more information about Whole Brain Teaching or Kagan

Cooperative Learning please contact me or go to www.WholeBrainTeaching.com or www.kaganonline.com.

Discipline

In order for each child to do his/her best learning and feel safe, it is crucial that individual and whole class behavior is well-managed. At the beginning of the year, we will discuss and practice the procedures for routines that students will participate in throughout the year. I will make my expectations of how students are to behave very clear. They will follow four class as well as school rules. These rules should be familiar from kindergarten:

Rule1: Pay attention.   

Rule2: Act positively. 

Rule 3: Work hard.

Rule 4: Show self-control.

These four rules have gestures that accompany them. Your child will be introduced to these rules during the beginning of school and will practice them regularly. These rules are posted at the front of the classroom.

To encourage a positive environment and positive behavior, our classroom will use many strategies from Conscious Discipline. This approach to discipline focuses on building a family-like environment and using students’ strengths to help them contribute to the group as well as teaching them the skills they need to help them where they may struggle. If your student is having trouble following the school expectations, we will focus on teaching them strategies that they can use to change this behavior and be in a better position to lean and be successful. As far as consequences, the emphasis will be on natural/logical consequences that fit the situation and connect to real-life situations. Because of this style of discipline as opposed to typical punitive, one-size-fits-all approach, it will require a lot of communication between school and families to help meet each individual student’s behavioral needs.

To help facilitate this communication, your student will have a daily behavior chart in their take home folder. They will either put a smiley face or star if they had a great day or a letter representing which expectation they had difficulty with that day. If there is a letter, I will write a note or email explaining what happened and what they will be working on or possibly send home a “think-sheet” that your child filled out.

Occasionally, your child will also bring home a special note recognizing what great job they have been doing at following the expectations and contributing to our school family! Please make sure to celebrate with your kiddo and reinforce their positive behavior.  If you would like to learn more about Conscious Discipline, please feel free to contact me or visit www.consciousdiscipline.com.

Drop-off/Pick-up Procedure

School starts promptly at 8:40 each morning.  Students will be released to the classroom starting at 8:20.  The tardy bell rings at 8:40 and all students arriving after this time will be counted tardy by the office.  Please make every effort to be on time every day. School is dismissed at 3:00 on Mondays and at 3:30 Tuesday-Friday. If your child needs to go home a different way than he/she normally does, I must either have a note in the morning, or you must call the office. Please do not leave me a voicemail or e-mail, as I might not get to it until after the students have gone home.

Attendance
It is extremely important that your child attends school consistently. Much of the work in first grade is hands-on learning that cannot be made up. If your child is going to be absent, please call the school to let us know. If your child is absent one day, I will send home any homework that needs to be completed. Please return it as soon as possible. In case of extended absences (more than 2 days), please make arrangements with me to pick up the missing work after 2:30 pm.

Lunch Money

If you send lunch money to school with your child please make sure you place this money in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, teacher’s name, and the amount enclosed in the envelope.  Place the lunch money in your child’s take home folder.  I check these every morning when your child arrives at school, and I will make sure the money makes it to the cafeteria.

Take Home Folder

Each child will have a folder that goes back and forth to school with them each day.  In this folder you will find important notes, your child’s work, and your child’s behavior chart.  Please check these folders each night, take out what needs to stay at home, and send them back to school the next day. Also, please sign or initial your child’s behavior chart nightly.

WOHE Shirts

At Meet the Teacher you will fill out what size WOHE shirt your child will need.  Every child in the school receives one free school t-shirt in their size. These shirts are centered around our theme for the year. There will be order forms sent home a couple of weeks into the school year that will give you an opportunity to order additional shirts for your child or for your family if choose to do so.  These shirts are worn on Fridays.

Snack Time

We do not have a traditional snack time in first grade.  However, I know that their little tummies get super hunger by the end of the day.  Your child is invited to bring an individual snack to enjoy while I read our chapter book at the end of the day.  This could also be an item from their lunch box that was leftover. If they do not bring a snack, it will not be a big deal.  They will simply enjoy hearing the chapter book without a snack. Let me know if you have any questions!

Newsletters

I will send home a weekly newsletter on Friday.  The newsletter will contain an overview of some of the learning that took place in our class that week.  I will also include a section detailing the events of the following week. This newsletter will also be uploaded to the classroom website (http://mrshappelslittleapples.blogspot.com/.).

Birthdays

If you would like to send treats for your child’s birthday, all you need to do is let me know ahead of time.  I will set aside time to celebrate your child’s birthday with the class.  If your child has a summer birthday, he or she can celebrate on the half birthday (i.e. July 27^th celebrates on Jan. 27^th). Please note that all birthday treats need to be store bought.

Book Orders

I will send book orders home approximately once every 3 weeks.  If you would like to purchase books from the order, please send a check made out to “Scholastic” in an envelope along with the order form.  Please write your child’s name and total enclosed on the front of the envelope. The form will also be accompanied by a note giving instructions on how to order books online as well. If there is ever a time that you want the book order to be a surprise (i.e. birthday present or Christmas present) just enclose a note to me and I’ll let you know when the books have arrived.  We can then make arrangements to get them to you secretly!

Mystery Friend & Star of the Week

To help get to know each other better, each Friday we will pick a “Mystery Friend” who will then become our “Star of the Week” the following week. For our Mystery Friend, I will use the “Star of the Week” sheet that you received at Meet the Teacher Night to give the class “clues” about the student. They will use these clues to see what they all have in common and then to guess who our Star of the Week will be. This is a great way for the students to connect with and get to know each other, and for your kiddo to shine in the spotlight during their week! When it’s your kiddo’s turn, they will get to be the line leader, bring a show and tell bag, and sit in a special spot! Please make sure you and your kiddo fill out their Star of the Week paper and send it back ASAP so that they can enjoy this fun activity! I will let you know when their paper is chosen so that you know when they can bring in their show and tell bag.

Recess

We will have recess daily from 11:45-12:15.  Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for the weather conditions.  We will go outside, weather permitting, if the temperature is above 30°F and the wind-chill is above 25°F.  In the case of extreme heat, we will go outside for only 10-15 minutes.       

  

Toys at School

Please do not allow your child to bring toys or other special items to school, as they could easily become misplaced or damaged, and are often a distraction. If your child has something special he/she would like to share with the class, you may contact me to let me know and we can arrange a time for sharing.

Special Classes Schedule

Each day we will go to one of our “Special” Classes.  We have 5 Special Classes in our building.  Those classes are:  Art, P.E., Music, Library and Computers.  I am providing our Special Class schedule for this year for your convenience.  In parentheses I have included the Special Class teacher’s name.

·         Monday – Computers 

·         Tuesday – Music 

·        Wednesday – Art 

·         Thursday – Library 

·         Friday – P.E.

In addition to these five special classes we will also be attending counseling with Mrs. Perryman every other week.