Welcome!

September 18, 2011


Dear Families,

Hello! I know that you have a lot of paper and information coming at you these first few weeks, so I apologize for adding to it! Soon we will all be accustomed to the routines of this school year, so thank you for taking the time to read all of the information you are getting! In this letter, I wanted to let you know about some of the routines of our classroom, as well as what we will be working on for the first few weeks of school. In addition, I wanted to introduce you to our student teacher from Sarah-Lawrence who we are happy to have with us, Ava-Margeaux.


Community Building

For the first several weeks of school, building a safe, cheerful and loving classroom community is the top priority. We will be having multiple conversations about classroom expectations and routines, and we will be playing different games and activities to help us get to know one another. We will also discuss difficult topics, such as how to approach teasing and what to do when conflicts arise. Many of the conversations that we have during the early weeks will remain important throughout the year. For example, we will work on how to really listen to others during whole group and small group conversations. We will talk about taking care of our classroom and the people we share it with.

Our class also has some special routines that help us maintain a sense of community. For instance, we start each day with a greeting, a fun way to make sure everyone’s presence gets acknowledged. Twice a week, we have ‘shares,’ where children can bring things or tell stories and hear responses from their classmates. Each Friday, we will have a closing circle for kids to talk about what went well, what they learned, what they are excited about or hope to change. We will also be having weekly appreciation circles- a chance for kids to notice their classmates and what they enjoy about sharing a room together.

Community building is a huge topic, and it is obviously impossible to summarize what ‘community’ means in a few short paragraphs. I just wanted to let you know that this will be at the fore of all our work for the next few weeks. You can help by talking to your children openly about what is and isn’t going well for them in school so far, and by encouraging them to make their thoughts and feelings known as we build a class together.



Snack and Water

I find that the time between drop-off and lunch can be very long, so children are allowed to bring a snack to eat each morning, usually around 10:40. They are allowed 10 minutes for snack and must bring their own; because of allergies, it can be tricky to share. Snacks should be healthy- please no candy, high-sugar cookies, or chips. The children eat their snack while they work and clean up after themselves, therefore the simpler the snack the easier to clean.

Students are encouraged to bring in a reusable water bottle so they can fill it up as needed and store at school. I would recommend having students take their bottles home on Fridays to clean and bring back the following Monday. Obviously, they can take them home each day if you would like. I find the reusable water bottle to be a good, sustainable system.



Homework

Kids receive homework on a daily basis in 4th/5th grade. They also have some homework on the weekends. The only exception comes when someone makes a ‘no homework’ birthday wish (more on that later!). Each night, children are expected to read for at least 30 minutes and record their reading on their Reading Log and sometimes post-its. Reading Log’s are due on Friday and we will use a checklist to assess our progress. Over the weekend, students will record their reading responses in their Reader’s Notebook. We will be talking about different kinds of responses. In addition, there is usually writing and math homework, as well as a little social studies. Writing work is done in the Writer’s Notebook where students ‘collect entries.’ We have been talking about different ways of collecting entries, so that students have a variety they can try. Also, I try to collect notebooks at least twice a month so that I can have a more thorough look at the children’s work and time for comments (which can be difficult during class). I really love the time I get to read through their notebook entries and see different strategies and work they are trying out. It helps inform the teaching, as well.

Homework is a complicated issue – every child approaches it differently, and similar assignments can take different children vastly different amounts of time. I never want homework to be a cause of tears, family fights, or excessive dread. If you feel that these things are happening, please come talk to me and we will work out modifications. At the same time, it is important for students to get into good routines and really try their best to complete their homework. It helps them to reflect on what they are learning and practice or prepare for activities to come.

Each afternoon, we have a ‘homework meeting’ where we go over that night’s assignment. The children copy the assignment into their notebook and are given the opportunity to ask questions about the expectations. Inevitably, there will be times when your child gets home and realizes that he or she is confused about the assignment after all. If this happens, please do not panic. Have your child write me a note explaining what happened and we will talk about it together the next day. If it gets to be a pattern, we can all sit down together to problem-solve. I will also try to ‘post’ the homework on ‘Lauren’s Blog’ each evening:
http://lauren-newsfromroom405.blogspot.com/.

In general, homework should be an independent pursuit in 4th/5th grade. I would much rather a child make mistakes on his or her homework than see a perfect paper that is not the child’s own work. The mistakes are one of the many things that help me understand what the child needs to work on. Also, I know that homework can sometimes lead to intense frustrations within families; allowing your child to make her own mistakes and then learn from them is one way to dissipate some of this tension. Again, if your child is really struggling with an assignment, the best thing you can do is encourage him to write me a note or come talk to me about it the next morning.

One thing that often comes up with regards to homework at this age is the actual condition of the homework paper. Over the next week, we will talk about how to use a binder and folder to carry extraneous homework sheets, and this should keep the sheets protected and safe. Crumpled, folded, and torn homework is unacceptable- a child gets one warning about this and then I will ask them to redo the assignment. Again, this is a part of developing independence and taking pride in their own work.


Communication

I try to write regular curriculum letters through the school year to keep you informed about what we are working on. I will post these letters, in addition to notes and photos, on the class blog: http://lauren-newsfromroom405.blogspot.com/. These can help you start conversations with your child about her/his learning. I am also very accessible by e-mail and am happy to e-mail with families about issues that are coming up for your child. My address is lauren.room405@gmail.com. If you need to have a conversation with me for any reason, feel free to write a note or call the school and leave a message.

As you know, the children often receive a great deal of mail each day. Please talk to your child about a system you can develop to make sure you see her/his mail every day. One suggestion is to have a specific place in your home where they empty their backpack in the afternoon and leave any mail.


Birthdays

Every month, we go over the calendar and mark any birthdays. On their birthday, each child makes a ‘reasonable wish,’ anything from extra recess or project time to no homework, from running morning meeting to helping create the next day’s schedule. If you discuss it with me in advance, it is also fine to bring a special birthday snack for a birthday celebration.


Drop-off and Dismissal

School begins each morning at 8:20 a.m. Anyone who arrives after 8:30 will be marked late. It is important to know that attendance and lateness from both 4th and 5th grade play a big role in a child’s middle school application. Furthermore, we start the day’s work promptly at arrival time, and getting to school late means missing out on an important activity. Thank you for working on punctuality and helping the whole class start each day on the right foot!

Dismissal is each day at 2:50. Extended day will begin on September 26, and you will get more information on that soon. Many children at this age dismiss themselves by walking downstairs or to their after-school on their own. Thank you for returning the independent dismissal form already.


In-take Meetings

I am looking forward to meeting with all of the new parents and families this year! I am sending home a ‘Hopes and Dreams’ sheet for you to reflect a little on before we meet together. Attached is a sign-up sheet. If the times do not work for you, please send me a note or email me some times that would work: lauren.room405@gmail.com. I will also keep a sign-up sheet outside the classroom and update it as times get filled.


Wow! I know that was a lot of information! I hope this was helpful for you. Please be sure to let me know if you have any questions. Lastly, I wanted to thank you all for your generosity with supplies! We are already off to a great start. I truly look forward to our work together this year!


Yours,
Lauren


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In-Take Meeting Time Preference Sheet

Please circle at least 2 times that work for you. Remember, this is a short meeting that usually lasts between 10 and 15 minutes. Again, feel free to email me, as well to set this up: lauren.room405@gmail.com. If you would prefer to speak with me by phone or through email, I am happy to do a chat that way, just let me know. As soon as I get your preferences back, I will send home or email a confirmation note for our meeting.

Monday Sept. 19
8:00- Ayanna
3:00
3:15
3:30

Tuesday Sept. 20
8:00
3:00- Jake
3:15
3:30- Nico
3:45
4:00
4:15
4:30
4:45

Wednesday Sept. 21
8:00
3:00
3:15
3:30
3:45
4:00
4:15
4:30
4:45
5:00

Thursday Sept. 22
8:00
3:00
3:15

5:00
5:15

Friday Sept. 23
8:00
3:00
3:15
3:30
3:45
4:00
4:15
4:30




Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
9/26 9/27 9/28 9/29 9/30

8:00 8:00 8:00 NO SCHOOL NO SCHOOL
3:00 3:00 3:00
3:15 3:15 3:15
3:30 3:30 3:30
3:45 3:45 3:45
4:00 4:00 4:00
4:15 4:15
4:30 4:30
4:45 4:45
5:00 5:00

-- Lauren