The First Day of School
I'm so excited to get the school year started! Our first day of school is Tuesday, September 4th. We will meet outside on the south side of the school under the basketball hoops at 8:30 (where you met for Kindergarten drop-off). Please pack a nut-free snack for your child. We will have snack every day in the classroom. If your child is taking the bus (especially on the first day), please email me at kcheineman@cps.edu. Pick-up will be outside of the gym lobby doors along the east side of the gym. See you Tuesday!
Welcome Letter
Welcome to the 2018-19 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, talking circles, 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 every day. The snack can be kept in the regular lunch box or in the backpack. The snack must be nut-free.
Arrival/Dismissal: In the morning, scholars will line up at the brick wall on the south side of the building near the playground (under the basketball hoops). During inclement weather, students will be outside of our classroom. 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 using a volunteer on Friday mornings for help with classroom organizational tasks. I will be in touch with our room parent about signing up volunteers through the Shutterfly site.
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 child’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. once a week and Dance once a week. Our class will be split into two “color groups” for P.E. and Dance. Half the class will have P.E. class on Mondays while the other half has Dance. Then the groups will switch for Tuesday. The P.E./Dance 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 P.E. or Dance class. Please make sure your child wears the proper shoes on both Mondays and Tuesdays.
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 Shutterfly 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 need your email address to invite you to the Shutterfly site since it is password protected.
I will also post a weekly newsletter on the Shutterfly website every weekend that will contain information about the upcoming week including spelling words. I will also send home a paper copy with students on Monday.
Parent Contact Sheet and Survey:
If you have not already, please fill in the Google Form on the website in order to provide me with your contact information. I need everyone’s email address in order to invite you to the Shutterfly site. Also, in an effort to get to know your child better I have created a Parent Survey. 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 Thursday, September 20th from 6:00-7:00 pm. I look forward to seeing you there and answering any questions you may have.
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 every day. The snack can be kept in the regular lunch box or in the backpack. The snack must be nut-free.
Arrival/Dismissal: In the morning, scholars will line up at the brick wall on the south side of the building near the playground (under the basketball hoops). During inclement weather, students will be outside of our classroom. 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 using a volunteer on Friday mornings for help with classroom organizational tasks. I will be in touch with our room parent about signing up volunteers through the Shutterfly site.
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 child’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. once a week and Dance once a week. Our class will be split into two “color groups” for P.E. and Dance. Half the class will have P.E. class on Mondays while the other half has Dance. Then the groups will switch for Tuesday. The P.E./Dance 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 P.E. or Dance class. Please make sure your child wears the proper shoes on both Mondays and Tuesdays.
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 Shutterfly 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 need your email address to invite you to the Shutterfly site since it is password protected.
I will also post a weekly newsletter on the Shutterfly website every weekend that will contain information about the upcoming week including spelling words. I will also send home a paper copy with students on Monday.
Parent Contact Sheet and Survey:
If you have not already, please fill in the Google Form on the website in order to provide me with your contact information. I need everyone’s email address in order to invite you to the Shutterfly site. Also, in an effort to get to know your child better I have created a Parent Survey. 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 Thursday, September 20th from 6:00-7:00 pm. I look forward to seeing you there and answering any questions you may have.
Parent Contact Form
Please complete this form before the first day of school. It will be available to fill out at the Meet and Greet this Thursday, August 30 from 3-5 pm. I look forward to meeting you there!
