Sweet Summertime
July 22, 2019
Mr. Jim, Ethan, and Sherry have worked hard on the floors. Many of you will be in and out of the school soon. Please do not drag anything out into the hallway. If you need something moved, and we are not here, please leave a note on your door and we will be happy to move it for you. It is so difficult to get up scratches after the floors have been waxed. We want to make sure our custodial team sees how we protect the work they have done this summer. Thank you!
Mr. Ethan
Goals
1. Rather than fill your walls with ready made materials, an idea is to start with a blank canvas and allow student work and evidence of learning to fill your walls as the year goes on.
2. Take some time to clean out all of your book boxes in your library. Throw away outdated books, torn books, and/or books that are of low interest to students.
3. Your profile cards are in your boxes. Look at your reading levels of the student's coming into your classroom and make sure your library is filled with books that will be irresistable to your students.
4. Organize your book bins based on favorite authors, series, genres, etc.
5. For students in your class who are reading below grade level, they will need shorter, more accessible books and will move through them at a much faster clip than students who are more proficient readers.
6. Remember that a great classroom library looks a bit like a great bookstore.
7. Plan to recruit students as librarians for your classroom library in order to help you with the upkeep and organization of your library as the year progresses.
8. If you need more books, look for them at yard sales, Goodwill, etc. Also, remember that a wonderful idea is for students on a grade level to be able to shop for books in all classes on their grade level rather than just their own.
9. ELL students need to have access to books in their first language.
Important Dates:
August 12th: Your first day!
August 15th: "Find Your Spot" Night - 5:00-6:30. This is a time for parents and students to come in, locate their classrooms, and meet you.
August 16th: Opening Session at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church- 8:30-10:00
August 19th: Student's Best First Day Ever!
September 3rd: Schoolwide Cook-out - 6:00-8:00
September 19th: Rock Your School Day!
October 24th: Fall Festival
November 11th: Soup Night
January 30th: Open House
May 4th-22nd: State testing window