Weekly Announcements
- The Language Project Presentations were awesome! The kids did such a great job researching, writing and presenting. I'm so proud of them!
- Please bring an empty plastic water bottle on Monday. If you have extras, please bring them. We will be making Mind Jars.
- Field Day is Monday. Kids should wear their Coonley shirts and wear sunblock/hats/sunglasses. A hot dog lunch will be provided.
- Tuesday is our last day of school! Thanks for a great year!
Weekly Announcements
- Thanks for coming out to the Science Fair preview today! The students enjoyed having an audience to present their projects to!
- The Final Language Project is due this Monday, 6/12. Please scroll down to see the updated schedule for the presentations. The presentations will begin at 8:45 am in our room on each day. You are welcome to come see your child's presentation.
- We had an awesome kickball party and Mad Science party this week! Thanks for your generous donations to make us the raffle ticket winners!
- Our last math test will be on Thursday, 6/15. I will send the practice test home on Tuesday.
- All library books are now due back to school. Please return any overdue books to the library ASAP.
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Weekly Announcements
- Thank you for coming to see the concert this morning! The kids did a terrific job!!
- All library books are due back to school on Friday, June 9th.
- We are having our Mad Science Party Wednesday, 6/7 and our Kickball Party Thursday, 6/8. These are both prizes from being the highest raffle ticket winners!!
- The Final Language Project is due on June 12th. I've been encouraging students to work on it a little bit each week. Parents can type out the project. I will just be collecting the typed or written notes. Please review the presentation schedule below to make sure the date is okay for you.
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Monday, 6/12
Ade Shelby Rylo Mia |
Tuesday, 6/13
Hazel Rose Dodger Aakash Stephen Grace |
Wednesday, 6/14
Sophia Isaac Samantha Oliver Arden Eyah Zack |
Thursday, 6/15
Liam Ben Sumner Hina Olivia Emma |
Friday, 6/16
Max Maggie Henry Luca Bea |
Weekly Announcements
- There will be no school on Monday in observance of Memorial Day. Enjoy the long weekend!
- Our Classroom Concert is next Friday, 5/2 at 8:45 am in the classroom. Please join us to hear our favorite songs of the week and our interpretations of the songs. Siblings welcome!
- Science fair is Friday, 5/9 at 8:45 am in the classroom.
- Please make sure that your child is working on the Final Project a little bit each week. There are no more spelling words for the rest of the year. Please use that time to work on the project. The project notes are due on June 12th.
- Below is the revised schedule for the Final Language Project Presentations. Please let me know if you need me to switch your child's presentation date.
Weekly Announcements
- We had a fantastic field trip to the Zoo! A huge thanks to all of the parent chaperones! I couldn't have done it without you guys! The kids had a wonderful time!
- Some of the chick pictures are on the website! Click on Gallery or click here to see them.
- Please remember to work a little bit each week on the Final Reading Project. It's due on June 12th. Please see below for the presentation schedule. If you have a conflict with when your child is scheduled to present, please email me and I can try to rearrange things.
Weekly Announcements
- We said goodbye to our chicks today. We had such a fun time watching them grow. I will download the pictures of the chicks soon!
- Our field trip to the Zoo is this Thursday, 5/18. Please make sure your child is in the Coonley field trip t-shirt and brings a brown bag lunch. We will be eating snack when we return to school, so please pack snack separately.
- Our Salsa dance concert will be on Friday, 5/19 at 8:45 am in the Multi-purpose room. Families are welcome to attend the show!
- I introduced our final reading project this week and sent home the description and due dates. Click below to access the project description. I will be posting the presentation schedule soon. All presentations will be in the classroom at 8:45 am. If you cannot attend on the day your child is scheduled, email me and I can reschedule.
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Weekly Announcements
- Thank you for a great Teacher Appreciation Week!
- We will have our Topic 11 math test next Thursday (5/11). The practice test will go home Tuesday.
- Upcoming important dates:
- Friday, 5/19 (8:45 am): Dance Performance: All first grade classes have been working with a dance instructor for the past several weeks. They will be doing a final performance of salsa dancing on this day.
Friday, 6/2 (8:45 am): Concert in the Classroom: we will sing our top 10 songs of the week and share interpretations of the lyrics. This is a MUST see!
Friday, 6/9: Science Fair (morning, exact time TBD)
Week of 6/12-6/16 (8:45 am): Final Project Presentations: Our final project for reading will be assigned next week. Students will have over a month to work on it at home. Your child will present their project one day that week in the morning. The project description and presentation schedule will go home next week.
- Friday, 5/19 (8:45 am): Dance Performance: All first grade classes have been working with a dance instructor for the past several weeks. They will be doing a final performance of salsa dancing on this day.
Weekly Announcements
- Young Author books are due Monday, 5/1. Please return the rough draft with the final draft.
- Young Author Night is May 16th. If your child is interested in reading his/her story to a small group, please print the form below and return it to school.
| young_author_night_invite_2017.doc.docx |
Weekly Announcements
We had a wonderful field trip to The Grove! We did pioneer chores outside of the log cabin.
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- Young Authors final drafts are due on Monday, 5/1. Please turn in the original rough draft copy in with the final draft. We will keep it for the writing portfolios. Students can share their final drafts at the Young Authors Night on May 16th at 6:00pm. For the letter about the project and writing paper templates, please visit the Parents section of the website, under Curricular Resources and Writing Workshop.
- We will be constructing covered wagons out of shoe boxes for an in-school project in Social Studies. Please bring in a shoe box with your child's name marked on the bottom. If you have extras, please send them in and label the bottom "extra."
- The Beta Club is collecting donations for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. If you'd like to donate to the cause, please send money with your child next week.
- Our Topic 9 math test on place value will be on Monday. The practice test went home Thursday. We will review on Monday before the test.
- Check out our pictures from Green Week! We got to plug in an Electric Vehicle today and learn about how solar panels work! We fit the entire class in a Nissan Leaf!!
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Electric Vehicle Clown Car:
How many first graders can you fit in an Electric Vehicle? 27! |
Weekly Announcements
- Report Card Pick-up is Wednesday, 4/19. Please sign up for a conference slot if you have not already. I look forward to meeting with you all!
- Our next field trip is on Thrusday, 4/20. We are going to The Grove. Students will need to bring a nut-free bagged lunch. Don't forget to wear field trip t-shirts!
- The Scholastic Book Fair will be the week of 4/17-4/21. If you would like your child to buy books, please send money with your child on any of the days Tuesday-Friday. We will go as a class on Monday for the preview but will not be purchasing any books that day.
- Young Author stories were sent home on Wednesday. Please help your child rewrite and bind these stories into books. The bound books will be due (along with the rough draft) on May 1st.
- Young Author Night is May 16th (6-7 pm). Students are invited to come and read their stories out loud to a small audience. If they don't want to read aloud, they can come and hear/read other students' stories.
- No school tomorrow! Enjoy the Spring Break!
Weekly Announcements
- Our field trip to Lifeline Theatre will be this Wednesday, 4/5. Please have your child wear the Coonley field trip t-shirt. You do not need to send a brown-bag lunch. We will be eating in the classroom when we return.
- Our Spring Break will be starting this Friday, 4/7 and go through the next week (ending on Friday, 4/14). Enjoy the break!
- The Scholastic Book Fair will be the week of 4/17-4/21. If you would like your child to buy books, please send money with your child on any of the days Tuesday-Friday. We will go as a class on Monday for the preview but will not be purchasing any books that day.
- Our Topic 9 assessment for math will be after Spring Break.
- Thanks to Deb Stein for coming to teach our class about the ear and sound. She brought giant ear models and taught us about the structure and function of the ear. We also got to see real human ear bones and make paper models of the ear. We also got to preview a really cool App on the iPad that shows where different pitches go in the Cochlea. The lesson tied in really well to our Physics of Sound science unit. Thanks Deb!
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Weekly Announcements
- Our Topic 8 math test on time and money will be on Tuesday, 3/28. The practice test went home Thursday and is due on Tuesday.
- Please sign up for a Report Card Conference time if you haven't already. The sign up is on the Shutterfly class site.
- Our next field trip is to Lifeline Theatre on April 5th. Please return the field trip slip and payment if you haven't already done so.
- The Spring Fling is this Saturday, 3/25. I hope to see you there!!
Weekly Announcements
- The Google Slide projects are complete! Unfortunately, we are no longer able to share Google Docs with email addresses outside of CPS. So I cannot share the links with you. However, you can view your child's Google Slide presentation by logging into their email with the website: google.cps.edu. Their email usernames and passwords are taped to their yellow folders (same info that is used for Khan Academy). Please take a look at the presentations. They look great!
- Report Card Conference sign-up is on the Shutterfly site. Please sign up for a conference time for April 19th.
Weekly Announcements
- Thanks for helping to make a really successful Heroes Wax Museum! The kids did an excellent job! If you have a good group photo, can you please share it on the Shutterfly website? Remember to turn in the Hero Profile on Monday, 3/13 (if you haven't already).
- Quarter 3 Progress Reports will be going home on Wednesday, 3/15 in the Coonley folders. They do not have to be signed and returned. You can keep them at home.
- This week we started a residency dance program. For the next 8 weeks, a dance instructor from Design Dance will be coming every Thursday to teach our students dance. There will be a final performance at the end of the year (date TBD). They are currently learning to salsa dance!
- Coonley is having a button design contest for Celebration Week. Papers went home this week and are due next Thursday. If your child would like to design a button, please have them work on it at home and return it next week.
Weekly Announcements
- The First Grade Showcase is coming up this Friday, 3/10. For the Showcase, we will have the Hero Wax Museum. See project description for more details. Families are welcome to attend. It will be at 8:45 am in the classroom. The Hero Profile is due Monday, 3/13.
- Thanks for everyone's participation in Kindness Week!
- We have a multiplication test next Tuesday. Practice test will go home this weekend so you can have more time to practice.
- There will be no homework or spelling words next week. Please use the time to prepare for the Hero Project.
Weekly Announcements
- The last date to turn in "Read to Succeed" logs is Monday, 2/27. If your child would like to participate, please log 6 hours of reading on the reading log. Students who complete the challenge will receive a free ticket to Six Flags. If you need another copy of the reading log, click here: http://static.sixflags.com/readtosucceed/StudentReadingLog.pdf
- We have a field trip to Raven Theatre to see "Aesops Fables" next Friday, 3/3. Please send in the signed permission slip and money by Monday, 2/27. We will be eating lunch at school when we return from the trip so there is no need to pack a sack lunch. Please dress your child in their Coonley t-shirt for the field trip.
- The Hero Wax Museum is on Friday, 3/10. If you have any questions about the project, please email me.
- Next week is Kindness Week at Coonley. The Student Council has organized school-wide activities centered around kindness. Part of Kindness Week is wearing a certain color each day (optional). Here is the color schedule for the week:
- Monday: blue
- Tuesday: yellow
- Wednesday: purple
- Thursday: red
- Friday: green
- Monday: blue
Weekly Announcements
- Report cards for second quarter are going home today in the Coonley black folders. There is also a report of your child's reading level.
- Tuesday, 2/14 we will have our Valentine's Day party. Your child may bring valentine's for the class to pass out at the party. Please do not put anything edible in the valentines. Non-edible things are okay to attach to the valentines (i.e. pencils, etc).
- I sent home information on the Hero Project this week. The Hero Wax Museum will be on Friday, 3/10 at 8:45 in the classroom (families are invited to attend). The Hero profile is due the following Monday, 3/13. The Project description and rubric are posted on the website under "Parents" and "Important Forms and Documents."
- The "Read to Succeed" logs are due on 2/22. If your child would like to participate, please log 6 hours of reading on the reading log. Students who complete the challenge will receive a free ticket to Six Flags. If you need another copy of the reading log, click here: http://static.sixflags.com/readtosucceed/StudentReadingLog.pdf
Weekly Announcements
- There will be no school on Friday, 2/3.
- Our Valentine's Day party will be Tuesday, 2/14. Students may bring valentines for the class. Please do not give any edible valentines out.
Weekly Announcements
- The Topic 6 math test will be Thursday, 2/2. Tuesday I will send home the practice test. If you'd like it earlier, please download it from the "Parents" tab of the website under "Curricular Resources."
- We will have no spelling words next week due to the short week.
- There will be no school on Friday, 2/3.
- I will be making the Scholastic book order on Tuesday, 1/31. Please submit your orders if you'd like to buy books this month.
- Mark your calendars! The First Grade Showcase morning will be on Friday, 3/10 from 8:45-9:45 am in the classroom. This is an opportunity for you to see what we've been working on in Social Studies. The Showcase will be the presentation of the Heroes Wax Museum (a project that will be sent home shortly). Please join us for this special morning.
Weekly Announcements
- There will be no school on Friday, 2/3.
- Mark your calendars! The First Grade Showcase morning will be on Friday, 3/10 from 8:45-9:45 am in the classroom. This is an opportunity for you to see what we've been working on in Social Studies. The Showcase will be the presentation of the Heroes Wax Museum (a project that will be sent home shortly). Please join us for this special morning.
- Your kids can do Kahn Academy at home. Just go to the website: www.kahnacademy.com and follow the login directions taped to the yellow homework folder. It's a great way to practice math that is individualized to each child's level.
Weekly Announcements
- There will be no school on Monday, 1/16. Happy Martin Luther King Day!
- There will be no spelling words this week due to the short week
- Your kids can do Kahn Academy at home. Just go to the website: www.kahnacademy.com and follow the login directions taped to the yellow homework folder. It's a great way to practice math that is individualized to each child's level.
Weekly Announcements
- Our topic 5 math test will be the Thursday 1/12. I will be giving the math practice test on the Tuesday that we return from break. Feel free to download the practice test from the website earlier if you'd like your child to work on it before then. It's in the parent section of the website under Curricular Resources (scroll down to the bottom of the page
- There will be no school on Monday, 1/16 (Martin Luther King Day).
- Have a wonderful break!! Happy New Year!
Weekly Announcements
- There will be no spelling words next week.
- Our topic 5 math test will be the Thursday that we return from break. I will be giving the math practice test on the Tuesday that we return from break. Feel free to download the practice test from the website earlier if you'd like your child to work on it before then. It's in the parent section of the website under Curricular Resources (scroll down to the bottom of the page for math).
- Our Winter Party will be next Friday from 1:00-2:00pm. The room reps will be sending out information soon about volunteering for the party (on the Shutterfly site).
Weekly Announcements
- The Scholastic book order for December will be made on December 16th in order to allow time for books to arrive before break.
- We started coding in computer class this week. We will be learning to code from now on during computer class time. There are many cool coding games that your child might be interested in playing (we did some of these this week). Here's the link: https://hourofcode.com/us/learn
Weekly Announcements
- The Scholastic book order for December will be made on December 16th in order to allow time for books to arrive before break.
- Read to Succeed Reading logs went home this week. If your child would like to participate, they need to read for a total of 6 hours and record the books on the reading log. The due date is February 22nd. All students who turn in the completed reading log will get a free ticket to Six Flags.
- I put the next few math practice tests on the website under the Parent tab (curicular resources). Feel free to download the practice tests early. Our next math test will be next Thursday. The practice test will be sent home on Tuesday.
Weekly Announcements
- Class and individual pictures were sent home yesterday. If your child did not receive them and you ordered them, please contact Picture Day (the photo company) at support@picture-day.com. If your child did a retake, it might be a bit longer for their photos to come in.
- The newsletter for next week is uploaded to the newsletters page of the website.
- Below are two resources for leveled reading. They both list several reading skills to work on at each level of reading. This can be a good resource for reading with your child at home.
- I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Thank you for being such a great class of scholars and parents! I truly appreciate all that you do!
| fountas-pinnell-reading-assessment-checklist-all-levels.pdf |
| strategy_by_level.pdf |
Weekly Announcements
- There will be no spelling words or newsletter next week due to the short week. No homework!
- Tuesday, 11/22 is Woodlands People Day. The entire first grade will be rotating through 4 stations doing activities that the Woodlands People did. The day will end with a drum circle in the gym.
- No school Wednesday 11/23-Friday, 11/25. Happy Thanksgiving!
Weekly Announcements
- Our field trip to The Grove is Thursday, 11/17. Please have your child wear the Coonley field trip t-shirt. Also, dress for the weather because we will be spending part of the day outside. Please pack a nut-free lunch in a disposable bag. We will be having snack when we return from the trip, so make sure that snack is pack separately from lunch.
Weekly Announcements
- Congrats Room 101!! Our class raised the most amount of money for the Pride Stride!! We have earned a glow stick party in the gym (date TBD). This year the Pride Stride raised over $91,000!!! Thank you so much for your fundraising efforts! It makes a real difference and the teachers and students at Coonley REALLY appreciate it!
- The Scholastic Book Fair is next week (11/7-11/10). We will be going to preview the Book Fair at the beginning of the week. If you would like to send money for the Book Fair, please send it on Tuesday and Thursday.
- Report card pick-up day is Wednesday, 11/9 (no school for the kids). If you haven't signed up already, please do so on the Shutterfly website.
- We have no school on Friday, 11/11 in observance of Veterans Day.
- Our next field trip is on Thursday, 11/17 to the Grove. We will be learning about Native American cultures. Please return the field trip slip and payment by 11/10.
- There will be no spelling words next week due to the short week.
- Our next math test will be Thursday, 11/10. The practice test will go home Tuesday and is due Thursday.
Weekly Announcements
- Report Card pick-up day is 11/9. If you haven't already, please sign up for a 10 minute time slot on the Shutterfly website
- The Fairy Tale Project is due Tuesday, 11/1. The presentations will be Tues.-Thurs. of that week at 8:45am in the classroom. See below for the schedule of when each student will present. Please feel free to come see your child's presentation. If you cannot make it on the day they are scheduled, email me and we can try to switch it around.
- The first grade will have Woodlands People Day on Tuesday, 11/22. This is a day when the entire first grade rotates through different activities that the Woodlands tribes would have done. It ends with a big drum circle in the gym. We will need 4-5 parent volunteers from 12:00-2:00. If you're interested, please sign up on the Shutterfly site.
- We do not have school on Friday, 11/4.
Fairy Tale Project Presentation Schedule
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Tuesday, 11/1
Rylo Henry Maggie Mia Max Aakash (book) Zack (book) Oliver (audio) Rose (audio) |
Wednesday, 11/2
Benjamin (audio) Bea (audio) Ade Samantha Grace Sumner Liam Olivia Isaac |
Thursday, 11/3
Arden Hina Shelby Emma Eyah Hazel Sophia Stephen Luca Dodger |
Weekly Announcements
- Report Card pick-up day is 11/9. If you haven't already, please sign up for a 10 minute time slot on the Shutterfly website
- Our Halloween party will be Friday, 10/28. Please have your child wear their costume on that day (if they want to). Please no masks or weapons. We will not be dressing up on Halloween day (10/31). If you would like to volunteer for the party, please sign up on the Shutterfly website.
- The Fairy Tale Project is due Tuesday, 11/1. The presentations will be Tues.-Thurs. of that week at 8:45am in the classroom. Click below to see the schedule of when each student will present. Please feel free to come see your child's presentation. If you cannot make it on the day they are scheduled, email me and we can try to switch it around.
- There will be no homework or spelling words this week so students can work on their Fairy Tale Project.
- Below is a letter about our next Second Step lesson.
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Weekly Announcements
- Photo day proofs were sent home today in yellow folders. Please make your orders online. If you would like to do a retake, they are doing retakes on Friday, 10/21.
- Our Halloween party will be Friday, 10/28. Please have your child wear their costume on that day (if they want to). Please no masks or weapons. We will not be dressing up on Halloween day (10/31). If you would like to volunteer for the party, please sign up on the Shutterfly website.
- Report Card pick-up day is 11/9. Please sign up for a 10 minute time slot on the Shutterfly website.
- If you still have your child's published writing piece at home, please send it back to school. We will be keeping all of the writing pieces in a writing portfolio for the year.
- Our math test will be Monday, 10/17. Please make sure your child completes the math practice test so they are prepared for Monday's test.
- Below is the letter for our next lesson in Second Step.
| Lesson 5 Second Step |
Weekly Announcements
- We started RAZ kids this week. Students were sent home a letter about it with their password. We will be doing it at school and they can also do it at home. It's a good opportunity for students to practice reading books at their level. To access the website, click on Parents, then Frequently Used Websites.
- Our weekly newsletter is posted in the newsletter section. However, if the teachers go on strike next week, I will be updating the newsletter with homework, etc.
- I sent home a project description for the Fairy Tale Project today. This can also be accessed in the Parent section of the website under important forms and documents. The planning sheet is due 10/21 and the final project is due 11/1. However, these due dates will be pushed back if we are on strike next week. I would recommend getting started with this project to give students plenty of time to complete it at home.
Weekly Announcements
- We started a new computer game in math centers called Prodigy. The students solve math problems at their level. Students can play Prodigy at home. A letter is going home today with their usernames and passwords. Please feel free to do it at home for extra practice. The kids usually really enjoy this game. The website is: https://www.prodigygame.com/Play/
- Our weekly newsletter is posted in the newsletters tab of the website
- Click below to view the letter about our Second Step lesson next week:
| Second Step Lesson 4 |
Weekly Announcements
- Our first math test is next Thursday, 9/29. I will send home a practice test on Tuesday and they will have two days to complete it. Please review the practice test with your child. It will have the exact type of problems as the test.
- Our first field trip is coming up on Tuesday, 9/27 to the Planetarium. Please make sure your child wears the Coonley field trip t-shirt. Please pack a brown bag lunch. We will be having snack when we get back to the classroom so please pack the snack separately.
- Scholastic Book Club fliers were sent home today. If you'd like to order, please make your order online by September 30th. The website is: scholastic.com/readingclub (code: JFVLX).
- Our weekly newsletter is posted in the newsletters tab of the website
- Click below to view the letter about our Second Step lesson next week:
| Second Step - Lesson 3 |
Weekly Announcements
- I have started sending home the math packets this week. The first two pages are pages what we worked on in class. You can look at these with your child to see what we learned. The last page titled “Homework and Practice” is the optional homework page. Again, the first two pages are only sent home so you can see what your child was working on and how much they were able to complete during math class. But the third page is the only one they should complete for optional homework. The entire packet can be returned in their yellow homework folders.
- We still need one more chaperone for our field trip to the Planetarium on 9/27. Please email me if you’re interested.
- Our Open House is this Wednesday, 9/21. There will be 3 identical twenty minute sessions at 6:00pm, 6:20pm, and 6:40pm. Please plan on attending one session. I will have a Power Point presentation that I will post on the website in case you are not able to attend but would like to learn more about our class. If you bring your children, I ask that they either read or draw quietly in the back of the room so we can hear each other (I will supply paper, markers, and books!).
- We now have a class Shutterfly page (thanks Meredith!). Click here to access it: Class of 2024 coonley. If for some reason you are not part of the page, please email me and I will add you. On this page, you can sign up to be a volunteer in the classroom or a chaperone for a field trip. I will have Friday morning volunteer spots to help around the room. So please sign up if you’re interested.
- We are using a new program called Second Step that helps develop social and emotional skills. It’s been really useful so far and the kids seem to enjoy it. A letter was sent home about it this week. For more information, visit the website: www.secondstep.org and enter the activation key SSP1 FAMI LY71.
- Click here to view our classroom schedule: Classroom Schedule
- This will be posted in the Parents section of the website as well.
- This week I introduced the Culture Box Project and sent home a letter explaining it. To see the letter, click below. The project is due September 30th.
| culture_box_letter_to_parents.doc |
Weekly Announcements
Thanks for a great first week! We spent a lot of time learning the routines of first grade and we're doing a fantastic job! Every weekend I will post weekly announcements on the website. I will post the weekly newsletter on the "Newsletters" tab of the website. I will also be sending home the newsletter every Monday. Here are a few things to know for next week:
- We will have our first spelling quiz Friday. See the newsletter for the words of the week.
- Our first field trip will be 9/27 to the Planetarium. Please email me if you're interested in chaperoning
- Our Open House is 9/21 at 6:00pm. Please join us to learn all about the classroom.
Welcome to First Grade!
Welcome to the 2016-17 school year! I am so excited to be teaching your child in the First Grade Options classroom. This year will be a great adventure in learning for the scholars of this classroom. Your child will be challenged academically. In addition, I feel that it is important to nurture and develop social and emotional skills this year. Therefore we will be spending some time learning about character, citizenship, conflict resolution, mindfulness and how to work together as a community. We will be using a Social Emotional Learning program called Second Step to help develop social and emotional skills. There are some important things I would like to tell you about to start the year off right:
Attendance: We look forward to seeing your child in school every day. If they are sick and need to stay home, please send a note on the day they return. The note should state the reason for and the date of the absence, the child’s full name and room number. Without a note, the child is considered to have an unexcused absence. Absences for vacations cannot be excused.
Homework: Daily homework for first graders is optional. However, the highest performing students spend time outside of school engaged in some academic activities like reading, writing, and math games. Optional math homework will be sent home (Mon.-Thurs. only) because many students like to do it and also it keeps parents informed as to what we are covering at school. The math homework should take no more than 15 minutes. If it takes more than 15 minutes, it’s okay not to finish it. We also suggest 15 minutes of independent reading every night to promote reading growth.
Suggested nightly assignments will be written daily in assignment notebooks (agendas) by the students every morning. Homework will be taken to and from school in the yellow homework folder. This skill will teach students responsibility and accountability and helps keep parents aware of assignments. On my classroom website, there is a list of practice resources (i.e. websites and games) for those students who want additional practice.
If students choose to complete the homework, they will turn it into their mailbox each morning. Students who choose not to complete the math homework will not be penalized. In order to avoid overwhelming parents with too much paperwork, completed homework will be checked in but not sent back home. If you would like specific feedback on a homework assignment, please let me know and I will return it. I will be sending home graded work and classroom assignments in the yellow homework folder.
We will have weekly spelling quizzes every Friday. Scholars will learn the words of the week on Monday and will be working with the words throughout the week in class. Students may also study words at home to practice for the quiz.
Supplies: All of your child’s folders and notebooks will be provided by Coonley and labeled at school for each particular subject. Supplies including pencils, markers, crayons, dry erase markers, glue and scissors will be group supplies kept in caddies in the middle of each desk cluster. Please see the Coonley website for the list of supplies.
Classroom Management: I believe in positive behavior management, therefore I like to focus on rewarding good behavior instead of only punishing bad behavior. I have many rewards and point systems set up for the scholars to be successful. Some of these systems include: bonus bucks, Classroom Dojo, treasure chest, and classroom marble jar.
In order to manage off-task behavior, I will use the stoplight system. In our classroom, we have a stoplight with student clips. If the scholar is doing what is expected, he/she is on green. If the scholar gets off task, he/she will be given a warning. After that warning, if the behavior has not improved, the clip will be moved down to yellow. If the behavior continues after another warning, the scholar will be moved to red. If a scholar is moved to red, he/she will need to write a letter home about the incident. Throughout the day, I will evaluate if scholars should be moved back up to green or yellow. I always like to discuss behavior with scholars so they understand what happened and how they can do better. I also believe that every day is a fresh start. There will also be a blue section above the green for scholars who have showed exceptional behavior that day.
Snack: This year we will have afternoon snack in the classroom. Every student should bring a snack to eat everyday. The snack can be kept in the regular lunch box or in the backpack.
Arrival/Dismissal: In the morning, scholars will line up at the brick wall on the south side of the building near the playground. During inclement weather, students will be picked up in the gym. Please do not walk your child to the classroom door if they are late. For dismissal, we will exit through the Leavitt street gym lobby doors. The other three first grade classes dismiss from right outside that door. However, we will walk along the outside of the gym to the southeast corner of the building to allow more room for pick-up. Please make sure that your child tells me before leaving with you or a caretaker.
Parent Volunteers: I am so excited to be in a community with parents who want to be involved. I would love the help of parent volunteers. I will be in touch with our room parent about signing up volunteers.
Birthdays: If you would like to be a “Mystery Reader” on your child’s birthday, you are welcome to come read the class first thing in the morning. Please email me if you would like to be a Mystery Reader for your chid’s birthday. Do not bring any edible treats for the class. Students may bring stickers, pencils, etc. to pass out. Please see the Coonley Birthday Policy for more details.
Physical Education: Your child will have P.E. twice a week. Our entire class will have P.E. on Tuesdays. Half the class will have the second P.E. class on Wednesdays and the other half will have the second P.E. class on Thursdays. The second P.E. class day will depend on your child’s color group. I will post the color groups on the classroom website so you know when your child will have the second P.E. class. Please make sure your child wears the proper shoes on those days.
Contact: The best way to contact me is through email. My email address is: kcheineman@cps.edu. I will be checking email first thing in the morning and at the end of the day. I will try to check email during the day if I am able. If there is ever an emergency, please contact the office at 773-534-5140 and Maribel Quiros can contact me immediately.
Communication: I will be communicating important information on our classroom website. The website can be accessed through the Coonley home page. You can also go directly to my website: http://kcheineman.weebly.com/. I will also post a weekly newsletter on the website every weekend that will contain information about the upcoming week. I will also send home a paper copy with students on Monday.
Parent Survey:
In an effort to get to know your child better I have created a Parent Survey. This survey is two pages. Please complete and return it as soon as possible and keep this information sheet.
I look forward to working with you and your child this year! If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. There is Parent Open House on Wednesday, September 21st at 6:00pm. I look forward to seeing you there and answering any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Heineman
First Grade Options Teacher
Email: kcheineman@cps.edu
Attendance: We look forward to seeing your child in school every day. If they are sick and need to stay home, please send a note on the day they return. The note should state the reason for and the date of the absence, the child’s full name and room number. Without a note, the child is considered to have an unexcused absence. Absences for vacations cannot be excused.
Homework: Daily homework for first graders is optional. However, the highest performing students spend time outside of school engaged in some academic activities like reading, writing, and math games. Optional math homework will be sent home (Mon.-Thurs. only) because many students like to do it and also it keeps parents informed as to what we are covering at school. The math homework should take no more than 15 minutes. If it takes more than 15 minutes, it’s okay not to finish it. We also suggest 15 minutes of independent reading every night to promote reading growth.
Suggested nightly assignments will be written daily in assignment notebooks (agendas) by the students every morning. Homework will be taken to and from school in the yellow homework folder. This skill will teach students responsibility and accountability and helps keep parents aware of assignments. On my classroom website, there is a list of practice resources (i.e. websites and games) for those students who want additional practice.
If students choose to complete the homework, they will turn it into their mailbox each morning. Students who choose not to complete the math homework will not be penalized. In order to avoid overwhelming parents with too much paperwork, completed homework will be checked in but not sent back home. If you would like specific feedback on a homework assignment, please let me know and I will return it. I will be sending home graded work and classroom assignments in the yellow homework folder.
We will have weekly spelling quizzes every Friday. Scholars will learn the words of the week on Monday and will be working with the words throughout the week in class. Students may also study words at home to practice for the quiz.
Supplies: All of your child’s folders and notebooks will be provided by Coonley and labeled at school for each particular subject. Supplies including pencils, markers, crayons, dry erase markers, glue and scissors will be group supplies kept in caddies in the middle of each desk cluster. Please see the Coonley website for the list of supplies.
Classroom Management: I believe in positive behavior management, therefore I like to focus on rewarding good behavior instead of only punishing bad behavior. I have many rewards and point systems set up for the scholars to be successful. Some of these systems include: bonus bucks, Classroom Dojo, treasure chest, and classroom marble jar.
In order to manage off-task behavior, I will use the stoplight system. In our classroom, we have a stoplight with student clips. If the scholar is doing what is expected, he/she is on green. If the scholar gets off task, he/she will be given a warning. After that warning, if the behavior has not improved, the clip will be moved down to yellow. If the behavior continues after another warning, the scholar will be moved to red. If a scholar is moved to red, he/she will need to write a letter home about the incident. Throughout the day, I will evaluate if scholars should be moved back up to green or yellow. I always like to discuss behavior with scholars so they understand what happened and how they can do better. I also believe that every day is a fresh start. There will also be a blue section above the green for scholars who have showed exceptional behavior that day.
Snack: This year we will have afternoon snack in the classroom. Every student should bring a snack to eat everyday. The snack can be kept in the regular lunch box or in the backpack.
Arrival/Dismissal: In the morning, scholars will line up at the brick wall on the south side of the building near the playground. During inclement weather, students will be picked up in the gym. Please do not walk your child to the classroom door if they are late. For dismissal, we will exit through the Leavitt street gym lobby doors. The other three first grade classes dismiss from right outside that door. However, we will walk along the outside of the gym to the southeast corner of the building to allow more room for pick-up. Please make sure that your child tells me before leaving with you or a caretaker.
Parent Volunteers: I am so excited to be in a community with parents who want to be involved. I would love the help of parent volunteers. I will be in touch with our room parent about signing up volunteers.
Birthdays: If you would like to be a “Mystery Reader” on your child’s birthday, you are welcome to come read the class first thing in the morning. Please email me if you would like to be a Mystery Reader for your chid’s birthday. Do not bring any edible treats for the class. Students may bring stickers, pencils, etc. to pass out. Please see the Coonley Birthday Policy for more details.
Physical Education: Your child will have P.E. twice a week. Our entire class will have P.E. on Tuesdays. Half the class will have the second P.E. class on Wednesdays and the other half will have the second P.E. class on Thursdays. The second P.E. class day will depend on your child’s color group. I will post the color groups on the classroom website so you know when your child will have the second P.E. class. Please make sure your child wears the proper shoes on those days.
Contact: The best way to contact me is through email. My email address is: kcheineman@cps.edu. I will be checking email first thing in the morning and at the end of the day. I will try to check email during the day if I am able. If there is ever an emergency, please contact the office at 773-534-5140 and Maribel Quiros can contact me immediately.
Communication: I will be communicating important information on our classroom website. The website can be accessed through the Coonley home page. You can also go directly to my website: http://kcheineman.weebly.com/. I will also post a weekly newsletter on the website every weekend that will contain information about the upcoming week. I will also send home a paper copy with students on Monday.
Parent Survey:
In an effort to get to know your child better I have created a Parent Survey. This survey is two pages. Please complete and return it as soon as possible and keep this information sheet.
I look forward to working with you and your child this year! If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. There is Parent Open House on Wednesday, September 21st at 6:00pm. I look forward to seeing you there and answering any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Heineman
First Grade Options Teacher
Email: kcheineman@cps.edu
