August 25, 2010 First Day!

We had a great first day. What a wonderful group of children. Getting a school year under way takes a lot of patience on the part of students, with a lot of time spent listening and learning. A lot of time was spent on going over expectations for certain routines. We will spend a lot of time reviewing these expectations and practicing things like freezing and listening when I ring the chime, walking through the halls in a line, etc. in the coming weeks. The lunch and bus routine went off without a hitch!

In your child’s bag you will find a yellow folder with a note of explanation inside. This will travel back and forth with your child each day, and should be placed in the basket by the door upon arrival in the morning (this can be your child’s responsibility).

Several of you asked about buying milk. Your child can buy milk for both snack and lunch. It is 35 cents and you can either give the money to Connie or tome. If you buy hot lunch, milk is included in the price. Some of you also inquired about shoes. Children need to have regular shoes on at all times, so slippers will not work. We have gym on Mondays and Wednesdays so on those days students need a pair of shoes appropriate for gym. They are welcome to leave gym shoes here, especially in the winter. Please keep asking questions!

Please, please make sure you keep Connie and I abreast of after school plans/changes for your child. It is extremely important for us to know where each child is going at the end of the day, especially at the beginning of the year. For now I have a list posted by the door showing where I think each child is going that day. If you drop your child off please glance at my list to make sure it’s correct. If your child has a set routine that you have already shared with Connie then I have that information.

I hope everyone is feeling a little more confident and comfortable about the school year. I know students don’t always immediately feel comfortable asking questions or sharing anxieties with me. Please let me know if there are any burning questions or sources of stress. My biggest priority in these first few weeks is making sure every one is comfortable in school,