1st Grade -Mrs. Kerlin
Mrs. Kerlin-First Grade-French Creek Elementary School-OJRSD
August 16, 2019
WELCOME TO 1st GRADE!
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to first grade! I am anxious to meet you and your child and begin this brand new school year. I want to let you know a little about the teacher that your child will be spending the next nine months with before the first day arrives.
My name is Joanna Renaghan Kerlin. I am a graduate of West Chester University with a degree in Elementary Education. I am a former OJR student and very proud to be a part of this district. I have been teaching for 17 years and looking forward to beginning another year of first grade!
I am very excited to begin the school year. I truly enjoy watching the significant growth of the children from the first day in August to the last day in June. First graders have an enthusiasm that is contagious! I will do my best to provide a safe and stimulating learning environment for your child so he/she can reach his/her full potential. I will also try my best to keep your child’s enthusiasm and curiosity at its peak.
One of the most important parts of this school year will be an open line of communication between you and me. Please do not hesitate to send me notes or to phone me at school with your questions or concerns. Another way of reaching me is through email at jkerlin@ojrsd.com. I check my email daily. I also welcome parent volunteers in the classroom. Sometime after ‘Back To School Night’ I will send out information on those procedures.
Below you will find a list of supplies that your child will need for the first day of school. If you have any problems obtaining any of the following, please let me know.
I look forward to meeting you at ‘Back To School Night’ (September 10th) and seeing your child on August 26th. I hope you enjoy the remainder of the summer!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Joanna Renaghan Kerlin
Supplies
First Grade
1 pair of personal headphones
1 pair of kid scissors
2 packs of crayons (8 or 16 count)
2 or 3 glue sticks (large size-white only)
1-8 pack of thick washable markers (classic colors)
Dry erase markers (low odor/assorted colors)
24 #2 Ticonderoga pencils (latex free & pre-sharpened)
2 pink pearl erasers
2 highlighters-yellow
1 pack of 3 X 5 index cards
Optional, but greatly appreciated:
1 container of disinfectant wipes, 1 box of tissues, 1 box of zip style (not fold over) gallon size bags, 1 box of zip style (not fold over) sandwich size bags, and 1 package of thin washable markers (8 pack), and 1 package of colored pencils
Your child will not need a box/bag for supplies for their desk or a three ring binder. I have baskets for each child, which fit nicely in their desks and I will be providing the three ring binder for each student.
Thank you in advance for all your help in acquiring these supplies for our classroom.
Snack
We will be having snack daily. It's a long day for first graders and having a snack is helpful!
Lunch
Pack or Buy - Eating lunch in the cafeteria is so fun!
Buying lunch...
To make life easier here at school, when sending lunch money in with your child, please place it in a sealed envelope with your child’s first and last name. This will assure that all lunch money gets to the cafeteria. You can also use the online resource Schoolpay to place money in your child's account. Students are permitted to buy snacks, milk, water, ice cream, etc. when those items are available- please make sure you and your child have discussed when they are permitted or not permitted to purchase these items.
See SchoolPay for prices and menus
- Student accounts are set up as an Open Account (unrestricted purchases). If you wish, you may set your student’s accounts as Meals Only (no a la carte purchases) or May Not Charge (student would need money on account or cash to make purchases). Please contact the Food Service Office to have these changes made.
- Purchase history by student is available on SchoolPay.
- Checks and money orders should be made payable to: OJRSD Food Service.
A meal consists of five (5) meal program components: a meat/protein, a bread/starch, a vegetable, a fruit and a milk. A student must take at least three (3) different components, one (1) must be a fruit or vegetable, in order to purchase a meal. If fewer than three (3) components are chosen a la carte pricing must be charged. Regardless of meal eligibility status (paid/free/reduced), all additional meals on the same day will be sold at a la carte prices.
Student Binder
Specials Schedule
Art- Gym- Music -Library- Guidance- So Fun!
+Students are to wear sneakers for Gym days.
Classroom Behavior Chart
As we begin a new school year, it is very important to communicate pertinent class procedures in order to keep the classroom climate positive. Our classroom will be using a flexible behavior system that allows students to move on a scale throughout the day. Students will be recognized, via a numbered clothespin on our behavior scale, for exceeding classroom and school expectations or for exhibiting unacceptable behaviors. This system helps students learn to monitor their own behavior and make responsible choices. The scale is flexible, allowing a student’s clothespin to move more than once on the scale to reflect their behavior throughout the day.
All students start each day on green- Ready to Learn. Being “on green” indicates that the student is making responsible choices without constant intervention. Parents should praise their child when they stay “on green”.
Students now have the opportunity to show that they have exceeded classroom expectations by moving to blue- Great Job; purple- Fantastic Effort; and pink- Super Star. This may be a change for some children whose previous systems used different colors! It may take a little getting used to, but I think we’ll quickly learn “good colors”!
Our chart recognizes when a student needs to adjust their behaviors. Student’s clothespins can be moved to yellow, orange, and red areas (Think About It, Teacher’s Choice, and Parent Contact) which gives the student a visual reminder that their behavior is unacceptable and to make a better choice. Behavioral infractions can change to yellow and then to orange if disruptive behaviors continue. The final red result is a written notification to parents of the problem that day so appropriate level at-home discussion can occur.
I am always on the lookout to catch students making the best choices. We spend time in the beginning of the year teaching children the expectations throughout the school. I am quick to catch and acknowledge good choices, especially in the beginning of the school year.
Thank you for your support as we try to help develop life-long responsible behaviors.
Communication
I can be reached via e-mail at jkerlin@ojrsd.com. This is the best way to contact me. I will be able to check email messages twice a day; I will respond to your email within 24 hours, if not sooner. A note sent in the morning will also be a great way to let me know of a concern, pick-up, or something else of importance. The office will also forward phone messages if that is your only way to contact me.
Newsletter- The Kerlin Chronicle
I will be sending our class weekly newsletters through email each Friday with the summary of that week’s learning and any school information or activities that are in the near future. I will also be posting the newsletter link on our class webpage through the French Creek website. Other classroom information is posted on our classroom webpage for your reference. You can find our page by going to the French Creek website and clicking on Class Pages. Then click on my name under –Mrs. Joanna R. Kerlin’s Page. If you do NOT have access to the internet, please notify me so I can print that information for you.
General French Creek Information
Parent Drop Off Procedures
We begin welcoming students at 8:15 AM. Students should not be dropped off and left unsupervised prior to 8:15 AM.
When dropping off students in the morning, parents should enter the front drive and immediately bear right proceeding through the visitor lot and then turn sharply to the left in order to pull up along-side of the curb at Door #12. Students must exit on the passenger side of the car and then walk directly onto the sidewalk. Parents should not park in the visitor lot and allow students to cross in front of cars or walk through the parking lot without an adult present. Parents must refrain from pulling out in front of other cars without properly moving through the procession.
Students arriving after 8:30 AM should be escorted directly to the main office by a parent. There is no parking permitted in the front of the building. This area is needed for our school buses. Please park in the visitor lot and accompany your child to the office for a proper sign-in.
Parent Pick-up At Dismissal
We must have a note if you are planning to pick-up your child at dismissal. (Please remember to always include your child’s first name, last name and teacher’s name on all notes.)In the case of an emergency, please call the office no later than 2:15 PM to have your child placed on the pick-up list. All students who are not on the pick-up list prior to 2:15 PM will ride the bus home.
Please note the school day ends at 3:10 PM. Parents picking up their children should plan to arrive between 3:05-3:10 and proceed to the designated pick-up area located in the rear of the multi-purpose room. Parents should park in the back of the building and enter through Door #8. Please do not linger and allow students, or younger siblings to run around the room or play on any of the equipment. Also, please refrain from bringing pets into the building at everyday pick up. I am sure you can understand that this presents a safety concern, and in addition, we need to clear the room quickly to prepare for after school activities.
We understand that many times you may be picking up children other than your own. Students will be instructed to sit with the child they are going home with to expedite the dismissal process. All students who are planning to go home with another student must have a note. (Please remember to always include your child’s first name, last name and teacher’s name on all notes.)
Students who are signed up for intramurals and/or other after school activities will only be permitted to ride the bus home if they have a note. If students are signed up for afterschool events, they are expected to stay at school until they are picked up by a parent.
Absences
The procedures are as follows:
The evening before or by the start of the school day or the morning of the absence, the parent/guardian must call: (610) 469-5688.
The system will direct the caller to the appropriate building extension. The phone call may be recorded for security or verification purposes.
At the tone, please state:
- your (parent or guardian) name
- your relationship to the student
- the student’s full name
- the student’s grade
- the reason for the absence or tardiness
- the teacher/homeroom name, if known
- a return telephone number
If the student is absent for more than one day, the parents/guardians should call the attendance line for each subsequent day unless instructed otherwise by the building attendance clerk.
In those cases where the student is absent and the parent has not called, the school office will attempt to call the parent at home or place of work and, if necessary, leave a message.
Any student who is absent for three or more consecutive days is required to present a physician’s excuse to validate the absences.
Parents/guardians are to notify the school of their child’s absence by telephone the evening before or the morning of the student’s absence.** All documentation of student absences, including a record of all telephone calls, will be maintained in the School Attendance Office and shall be considered the official record. Communications for reporting student absences will only be accepted from the authorized parents and/or guardians. ** Written excuse cards delivered by hand or fax will continue to be accepted.
Medications
If your child is in need of a prescription medication while at school, the nurse will administer medications as needed. The prescription must come in the original packaging with the child’s name and the directions clearly marked. Questions regarding this should be forwarded to the school nurse-Deborah Weber-(610)469-5179.
Birthday Celebrations
Please feel free to send in birthday celebration favors on your child’s birthday. Due to food allergies, we will not be celebrating birthdays with food treats. Birthday favors, such as pencils or erasers, or a book for the classroom library would be suggested choices. We have 20 students in our class. The children are only permitted to give a treat to their classmates.
Birthday Party Invitations
Birthday party invitations may not be handed out at school unless every child in the class is invited. It causes hurt feelings when only a select few are invited. Thank you for your support.
Volunteers & Chaperones
The Owen J Roberts School District has approved a volunteer policy requiring volunteers and chaperones to apply for and receive Child Abuse & Criminal Record clearances. The full policy can be read on the OJR webpage. There is a $10 fee associated with each application. Volunteers must also sign an affirmation form and meet with the principal to discuss confidentiality and procedures. Also, clearances must be renewed after 5 years. Please contact the FC office at (610)469-5104 if you are unsure of your clearance status. You may also request a clearance packet to complete by contacting the FC office or downloading the forms from the FC webpage under Parents and then Parent Volunteering.
The first grade traditionally goes to a zoo in the spring. If you wish to chaperone this trip or volunteer in the classroom, you must have clearances on file in the office. Please take care of this matter early in order to avoid disappointment.
French Creek Contact Info
Main Office Number 610-469-5104
Fax Number 610-469-0443
Main Office Hours 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Student Hours 8:30 AM - 3:10 PM
Principal Dr. Malinda McKillip
Secretary Mrs. Susan McKernan
Attendance Clerk Mrs. Alexandra Lewis
Upcoming Events at FC
-Aug. 26- First Day of School
-Aug. 30- No School
-Sept. 2- No School
-Sept. 4- General PTA Meeting 7pm
-Sept. 6- Picture Day
-Sept. 10-Back To School Night Grades 1-3 6:30-8pm
-Sept. 11-Back To School Night Grades 4-6 6:30-8pm
-Sept. 20–PTA Ice Cream Social -6:30-8:30pm
-Oct. 2-PTA Meeting -7pm
-Oct. 7-Picture Retake Day
-Oct. 9-No School for Students
-Oct. 25- FC Night at OJRHS Football Game
-Oct. 31-Halloween Parade-1:30pm(more info to come)