Miss Park's First Grade News
September
WELCOME TO FIRST GRADE!
I am pleased to be your child's First Grade Teacher! Each month, I will send home an electronic newsletter similar to this one informing you of special events and academic guidelines. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please email me at npark@methacton.org - I will be happy to get back to you as soon as possible.
Important Dates:
9/5 School is CLOSED
9/11 Open House Night
9/13 Scholastic Book Orders* DUE
*Scholastic Book Orders are in your child's orange Homework Folder. Orders can be placed on-line (see handout) or made through me by sending in your order forms along with CASH or check made payable to SCHOLASTIC BOOKS.
I'm looking forward to working with you and your child this year!
Na Park
Important Dates:
9/5 School is CLOSED
9/11 Open House Night
9/13 Scholastic Book Orders* DUE
*Scholastic Book Orders are in your child's orange Homework Folder. Orders can be placed on-line (see handout) or made through me by sending in your order forms along with CASH or check made payable to SCHOLASTIC BOOKS.
I'm looking forward to working with you and your child this year!
Na Park
Happy Birthday!
25th: Miss Park
26th: Mia Kowit
Our School Theme!
A little snack time after a long day!
Happy eating Disney PLANES pretzels!
ELA UPDATE
The first few weeks of school will be spent reviewing some of the basic skills and concepts that may have been "lost" over the summer. Each week, a copy of a mini-edition newsletter will be sent home. This is from our ELA program, "Storytown," and is meant to be a guide for parents NOT an assignment for students.
Spelling will begin on Monday with Lesson 1. The children will have daily homework and their first spelling test on Friday, September 13th.
On Monday, you will receive a dark blue "High Frequency and Robust Vocabulary Folder." This folder is to be kept in a safe place at home and used daily. There will also be a light blue paper explaining the folder. We will discuss this further at Open House.
Spelling will begin on Monday with Lesson 1. The children will have daily homework and their first spelling test on Friday, September 13th.
On Monday, you will receive a dark blue "High Frequency and Robust Vocabulary Folder." This folder is to be kept in a safe place at home and used daily. There will also be a light blue paper explaining the folder. We will discuss this further at Open House.
MATH UPDATE
Our district uses the Everyday Mathematics program to teach math in the elementary schools. It is a lot of fun and very hands-on. At the start of each unit, I will send home a "Home Link" letter attached to a packet of Home Links (aka homework pages). A different Home Link will be assigned each night. However, the packet does NOT come back to school until the test day. We will talk about this further at Open House Night.
THIS MONTH
The first few weeks of school will be filled with a lot of getting to know you activities (thank you for sending in your family photos) as well as kindergarten sight word assessments. Each day we will "interview" a student in our class. This is an excellent opportunity for the students to ask and answer questions from their peers as well as get to know their classmates. Each child will have a chance to be interviewed and bring home a personalized "Star Student of the Day" book created by the class.
HOMEWORK
Homework will begin in stages. Each Monday, I will send home a Weekly Homework Checklist. This will explain what your child should be working on at home each night. Spelling will begin on Monday. It will be explained in class and a letter will go home as well. Math will begin a week or so later. PLEASE make sure that your child is reading (or being read to) for at least 10-15 minutes each night. This will continue throughout the year as a Home Reader Program (which will begin in October once I have all of the students' reading level assessed).
If you have not already done so, please put your child's art smock in a gallon size ziploc bag. These will be kept in your child's backpack throughout the year and washed at your discretion.
If you have not already done so, please put your child's art smock in a gallon size ziploc bag. These will be kept in your child's backpack throughout the year and washed at your discretion.
LUNCH
If your child will be purchasing lunch, I ask that you do two things:
1. Please be sure that your child knows what he/she should buy for lunch each day. As the children enter the room, they will need to sign up for lunch or indicate that they are a packer. Whatever your child signs up for is what he/she needs to take - they cannot change their mind once in the cafeteria.
2. Please set up a POS account for your child so that he/she does not need to carry money to school. Your child will be assigned a number that he/she must enter on a keypad in the cafeteria. Please practice the number with your child.
Information about the lunch program and menus are available on the district website.
1. Please be sure that your child knows what he/she should buy for lunch each day. As the children enter the room, they will need to sign up for lunch or indicate that they are a packer. Whatever your child signs up for is what he/she needs to take - they cannot change their mind once in the cafeteria.
2. Please set up a POS account for your child so that he/she does not need to carry money to school. Your child will be assigned a number that he/she must enter on a keypad in the cafeteria. Please practice the number with your child.
Information about the lunch program and menus are available on the district website.
SNACK AND DRINK
Your child is encouraged to bring a water bottle to school each day. Please do NOT freeze the water bottle as this results in the condensation leaking onto the desks and ruining books, papers, etc. Also, only regular water should be in the bottle - no fruit flavored water, juices, teas, etc. as they are very sticky when spilled...and trust me, there are always spills! Also, please make sure your child knows how to open/close the water bottle - as often times they will be emptied and can be refilled at the water fountain.
We will be having a daily snack each afternoon. Please send in a HEALTHY snack with your child every day. Make sure your child knows where his/her snack is located in the school bag (some students in the past have eaten their snack at lunch because it was in their lunch box and they thought it was part of their lunch - that usually results in tears and a hungry first grader).
We will be having a daily snack each afternoon. Please send in a HEALTHY snack with your child every day. Make sure your child knows where his/her snack is located in the school bag (some students in the past have eaten their snack at lunch because it was in their lunch box and they thought it was part of their lunch - that usually results in tears and a hungry first grader).
I am looking forward to meeting you at Open House Night!
~*Na Park*~
~*Na Park*~