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    Welcome to First Grade!


    I am very excited you’re here and am looking forward to an exciting and productive year.  I have a very full schedule planned for your student this year.  By working together as a team, we can accomplish a lot together.  Students that have a strong home-school connection achieve at a higher level.  To insure a positive, productive learning environment for every student in room 17, the following school-wide expectations have been put into place:

    1. Be kind: Show kindness in everything you do and say.

    2. Be safe: Be aware of your own personal space and your actions.

    3. Be productive: Do what needs to be done without being told, take risks and challenge yourself.


    Opportunities for success, celebration, positive reinforcement, rewards and incentives are an integral part of our classroom community. Self-regulation and self management is the ultimate goal.  My goal is to provide all students with strategies and opportunities to successfully make choices that benefit themselves and others in a positive way.


    Our classroom is our community.  As in every community, we have choices.  Choices have consequences, both positive and negative.  I am a firm believer in natural or logical consequences.  First graders are still learning how to be little humans in a big world.  I take every opportunity to help teach them how to manage themselves and how their actions affect the others and the environment around them.  We focus mostly on making positive choices and celebrate those choices every moment that we can.  Unfortunately, everyone makes a poor choice.  The most important thing I can do is help every student learn from their mistakes.  Students have numerous opportunities to earn stickers, Falcon tickets, class incentives & rewards, and positive notes home.  Our goal is to be the best version of ourselves.


    BREAKFAST/SNACKS/LUNCH

    Free breakfast will continue to be offered to all students before school at the lunch tables from 7:45-7:55am.  Students are also welcome to bring a small snack to enjoy at our recess break time.  This is optional.  Please encourage healthy snack choices.  Our district will continue to offer free lunches each day for all students at Fuerte.  Your student is welcome to enjoy a school lunch or bring a lunch from home.  All lunches and snacks from home will be stored in student backpacks (weather permitting)



    TAKE HOME FOLDER

    I will provide each child with a yellow two pocket folder to use as a Take Home Folder.   It is very important that this folder accompany them to/from school every day, even if it’s empty. This will be the primary way of bringing things to and from school.  Please check this folder each night and make sure your student brings this folder to school with them EVERY DAY. 


    CHROMEBOOKS

    Chromebooks will only be needed at school. 

    • If you would prefer that your student leave their Chromebook at school, just have them leave it in the classroom in their cubbie.  They can give me the charge cord and I will store it for them.  I will charge the Chromebooks as needed.

    OR

    • If you would like your student to bring their Chromebook home each day, that is okay too.  Please tell your student to bring it home each day. Please leave the charging cord at home.  It will be the responsibility of the student to make sure the Chromebook is charged and at school every day.  Chargers will be available at school if needed.


    HEADPHONES

    Please send in a pair of headphones in a Ziploc bag for your student to use at school.  Please write your student’s name on headphones. Students will keep their headphones in their cubbie.  Over the ear headphones are better than earbuds. Headphones are available to borrow in the classroom if needed.

     

    HOMEWORK 

    Homework in 1st grade consists of reading. Lots and lots of reading.  Please read with your student EVERY NIGHT. The more your student is exposed to reading, the better reader they become. There will also be a few special projects sent home throughout the year that will have specific instructions included. I will notify families when these projects come home. 


    What should my 1st grader be reading?  Reading can take many forms.  Students can read books that are appropriate for their reading level, re-read a favorite book….again, listen to audio books or stories, read recipes or shopping lists, etc….  Most importantly, PLEASE do not hesitate to read to your first grader every chance you get.  This all counts as reading.  Need ideas?  Please ask.



    MORNING DROP OFF

    School begins at 8:00 am.  Morning drop off begins at 7:40 am in the traffic circle. The first few weeks of school will be busy and may take extra time as we all learn our new routines and procedures.  Thank you for your extra patience.  We are doing our best to keep everyone safe.


    DISMISSAL

    Dismissal is at 2:00pm. (Monday dismissal is at 1:00pm) You may pick up your child on campus or in the traffic circle.  First grade students will wait in the designated area closest to the crosswalk.  Students will wait with their teacher and will watch for their cars.  Please make a plan with your child about after school pick up.  Please have them share that plan with me so I know where they should be going after school.  Students that do not go to after school care or are not picked up at the door, will go with me to the traffic circle.  Again, the first few weeks/months of school will be busy and may take extra time as we all learn our new routines and procedures.  Thank you for your extra patience. 


    BLOOMZ COMMUNICATION

    I will be using the application Bloomz as our main form of classroom communication.  Please make sure to sign up for Bloomz.  You can download the free app and get notifications right to your phone.  Keep up to date on classroom information as well as current happenings throughout our school days.  If you prefer not to have the app, all posts can go directly to your email.  Please see the attached flyer. 


    BIRTHDAYS

    We will always celebrate birthdays in class.  If you would like to send something in for your student to share with their friends, feel free to do so.  Due to possible food allergies, please be sure to check with me first before sending in any food items. Please contact me ahead of time to arrange a day/time.  I highly recommend a small healthy treat or novelty item/gift that everyone can enjoy (please limit sweets & try for a healthier alternative).  Birthdays are usually celebrated at the end of the day.


    If you have any questions or any specific information about your child that I need to know, please feel free to email or leave me a message at school. 


    Sincerely,

    Dawn Himaka 

    (619) 588-3134

    jenkinshimakad@cajonvalley.net