190 Graylynn Drive Nashville TN 37214 USA 615.883.1108 FAX 615.885.5100
First Grade Orientation Packet
August 15, 2008
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the first grade! I am looking forward to an exciting year. I hope that the following will answer any questions you may have concerning your child’s year in the first grade.
I am very excited about the next nine months. There are many goals for this year. Please help me reach these goals by having your child at school each day by 7:45 a.m. You will need to send an excuse note should your child be absent or tardy. No make-up work will be sent home until an excuse note has been sent to school.
I would strongly suggest that you send a change of underwear and pants/shorts to school for your child in case of accidents. You might want to send these in a ziploc bag. Your child will keep these in his/her cubby until they are needed. As with all your child’s belongings, it is an excellent idea to have your child’s name put on these items.
Lunch money (and any other money that you send to school with your child) should be put in an envelope with your child’s name on it, my name on it (1S), and the purpose of the money that is sent. This way there is no question as to whom the money belongs or its intended purpose. Unless it is discussed with the teacher, ice cream will be purchased on Fridays ONLY in first grade. Visiting parents may buy ice cream or cookies for their child ONLY.
Each child will have Show and Tell twice each month for the first half of the year. The children with “ODD” numbers will have Show and Tell on the first and third Fridays of the month. Those children with “EVEN” numbers will have Show and Tell on the second and fourth Fridays of the month, beginning in September. Other that books, please keep toys, etc. at home except on their Show and Tell days. I realize that sometimes children get to school with toys that their parents do not know about. Children will be encouraged to leave these things at home.
If during the year there are problems or misunderstandings that occur, please call the office and leave a message or write me a note and I will get in contact with you as soon as possible. Together we can make this a great year for your child! Thanks for your cooperation.
We hope that this letter has answered many, if not all, of your questions regarding our expectations of your child for this school year. If not, please drop me a note or send me an e-mail segerdeb@holyrosary.edu and I will try to answer any remaining questions that you might have .We will do our best to reply that day, but it might be the next day before we are able to respond. Please help me make this a very exciting and rewarding year for your child.
Debbie Seger
MEET YOUR FIRST GRADE TEACHERS
2008-2009 School Year
TAMMY GLASS
*Born in Owensboro, Kentucky
*7 years experience at Holy Rosary Academy
*Received bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kentucky Wesleyan Collage
*Received master's degree in education from the Belmont University
*Married
*Has a twenty-one-year-old son, Stephen, a nineteen-year-old son, Chris, and an sixteen-year-old daughter, Mimi
*Attends St. Joseph Catholic Church in Madison
DEBBIE PILLON
*Born in Quincy, Massachusetts
*5 years of teaching experience in Massachusetts, 14 years experience in Metro-Davidson County Schools, and 5 years experience at Holy Rosary Academy.
*Received bachelor’s degree in education from Bridgewater State College
*Married
*Has an thirteen-year-old son, Mac, and a ten-year-old son, Hank
*Attends Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Donelson
DEBBIE SEGER
*Born in Lebanon, Tennessee
*19 years experience in Wilson County public schools, 10 years experience at Holy Rosary Academy
*Received bachelor’s degree in education from Tennessee Technological University
*Married
*Has a seventeen-year-old daughter, Haley
*Member of First Baptist Church in Lebanon
Dear Parents,
Welcome to first grade! My name is Debbie Seger and I will be your child's teacher for this year. This will be an exciting year for all of us! Your child will learn many things including learning how to be more responsible and independent. This year our class will study the Open Court Reading program, Math, Religion, Social Studies and Science. Other support teachers working with our class will include:
Computer Mrs. Helbling
Spanish Megan Walker
P.E. Mrs. Malmin & Mrs. Mascari
Library Mrs. McGowan
Library Assistant Mrs. Schroder
Music Mrs. Melton
Counseling Ms. Romley
In addition to these teachers, the other two first grade teachers will also take part in teaching your child. Mrs. Glass will teach Religion, Mrs. Pillon will teach Social Studies and I teach Science.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns about your child's progress, I will be glad to talk to you. I do ask that you call the school and set up a time for us to meet. I am available most days after school and may be able to meet with you during the school day, if that becomes necessary.
It will be a pleasure to work together as a team. We will strive to give your child guidance, strength, and support. I am looking forward to a successful school year!
HOMEWORK POLICY
I will often assign homework. The students should spend only ten minutes at a time on their homework. The assignment should come home and return to school in their agenda. This agenda may also contain important notes from me or from the office. Please help your child remember to check their agenda each night. It should come home each day!
Your child will also have a “WEEKLY FOLDER” which will contain any papers I have corrected and a weekly behavior report. This folder will be sent home each Friday. The behavior report will be done in calendar fashion and stapled inside the front cover of the “WEEKLY FOLDER”. Please go over this report with your child each Friday and then sign and return to school each Monday.
Please impress upon your child the importance of attentive listening during directions for daily work and homework assignments. Your child should have a special place that is free from distraction for doing his/her homework. You should provide your child with the necessary materials (pencils, paper, crayons, scissors, etc.). I ask that you also provide interest, attention, supervision, and encouragement with these assignments, but please do not do the assignment for your child. Please check over the homework before it is returned to school, and have your child correct any mistakes. Most importantly, give recognition to your child for his/her fine effort and work.
Thank you for taking the time to read over and discuss this with your child. Together we can make this a rewarding year for your child!
GRADING
Our grading scale is fairly simple. On report cards, we use only five marks: "E", “G”, “S”, “N”, and “U”. These letters stand for "E"xcellent (93-100%), “G”ood (86-92%), “S”atisfactory (77-85%), “N”eeds Improvement (70-76%), and “U”nsatisfactory (69% and below).
A 'check +' means that everything is going well. There may be a mistake or two, but the concept is understood and there are no problems.
A 'check' means that your child is doing work on a normal first grade level. Everything is fine, but there is still room for some improvement.
A 'check -' means that your child has not satisfactorily mastered what is being taught and needs to improve. This means extra practice should be given at home. This does not mean your child is failing. I will notify you if I see any serious problems.
Unsatisfactory means that your child failed to comprehend the material that was covered.
I assure you that you will be kept aware of your child’s progress. Look for papers that come home in the “WEEKLY FOLDER” to chart your child’s academic progress and the weekly behavior report that is sent home each Friday. If you see that your child is having trouble in certain areas, please work on this at home.
RULES
- Follow directions given
- Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself
- Use quiet, inside voices
- Walk in line
- Listen when others are speaking
- Treat others nicely
- When teacher is out of the room, stay seated
REWARDS
- Praise
- Helper jobs
- Citizenship Award
- Positive notes home
- Tangible rewards-stickers, awards, surprises, treats
- Participation in class-wide rewards
CONSEQUENCES
- Warning or breaking a rule
- 2nd Warning (per day)-move clothespin to yellow
- 3rd Warning (per day)-move clothespin to red, lose job privileges, 5 minute time out
- 4th Warning (per day)-10 minute time out and note or call home to parents
- Severe cases-Directly sent to principal, parent conference and possible detention
BEHAVIOR GRADING
WEEKLY BEHAVIOR GRADES
G—Only 1 yellow light (warning) or less during the
week. No red lights during the week.
S—2 or more yellow lights during the week. No
more than 1 red light during the week
N—Red light on more than one day during the
week
REPORT CARD GRADES
G—All G’s for the weekly grade
S—At least 1 S and may have no more than 1 N during the grading period
N—2 N’s for weekly grade
U—3 or more N’s for weekly grade
FIRST GRADE SUPPLIES
Pencils
Bookcovers (4)
Change of Clothes
Colored Pencils
Crayons (24 count)
Folders with Pockets (5)
Glue
Glue Sticks (4)
HRA Tote Bag
Highlighter
Kleenex (3 box)
Old Shirt for Art
Paper Towels (1 roll)
Pencil Top Erasers
Red Ink Pens
Rubbermaid Shoe Box
Scissors
Pencil Bag (optional)
Early or Emergency Closing Policies
If it is announced that school is closing early, you must go to your child's classroom to pick up your child. Parents may enter the building through the office doors or by the dining hall. Your child may NOT leave his/her classroom until you sign your child out of school for that day. If there is someone else that is allowed to get your child, their name(s) MUST be on the student release form that you completed at registration. You will NOT be able to add someone new to your list on one day and expect them to be picked up by that person on that same day. Remember, there is NO Escape on days that school closes early!