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| Dear Parents: I want to take this opportunity to say "Welcome". For some of you this will be your child's first experience in a school setting. It is my top goal that he/she has the time of his/her life. Going to school is a big adventure and I want it to be as fun as it can possibly be. I understand that you and your child may be a little excited or apprehensive as we start this new school year. This letter is to let you know what will be happening and to hopefully answer any questions you might have. I would like to introduce myself, my name is Mrs. Sue Schaefer. I am beginning my 20th year as a teacher, my first year here at Hillcrest Kids. I graduated from Anderson University in Anderson, IN with a B.A. in Christian Education and an A.A. in Early Childhood Education. I have continued my education at the University of Hawaii in Psychology (Developmental, Clinical, and Social) and also at Chaminade University in Special Needs Education. I have taught 3 year olds thru 1st grade, but love the 4/5's the best! I love what I do, so work is not work for me but a privilege. I look forward to being your child's guide to a wonderful, exciting adventure through learning. I hope to open doors and windows that will last him/her a lifetime. You will find in this letter some of my philosophies and policies that will be helpful in your understanding of what is happening in the class. Class Routine when entering our room We will be working on learning to write our names from the very first day, but later in the year, after Chrismas, we will be doing so in a more intensive manner. In order to support this learning activity each child will eventually be 'signing' in each day. Please remind your child when you drop him/her off to "remember to sign in". Each child will have his/her own 'cubbie' in which to put a backpack or bag of extra clothes in, every once in a while you might want to check it. Later in the year each child will have his/her own mailbox. When that happens, don't forget to have your child check his/her mailbox! (each day) This year we will have 'mailboxes' for each child. In the mailbox will go any 'work' that your child did during the day, or possibly a note from me or another class member. Be sure to encourage your child to go and check it daily. This activity encourages name recognition as well as responsibility. Parent/Teacher Relationship I believe that a good parent/teacher relationship is the best thing to encourage learning and success in the school environment. In order to establish this relationship, I will be communicating with you through notes, possible phone calls, and almost-weekly newsletters (via this site). If you have any concerns or questions, please contact the school office or email me at [email protected] Parent Participation During the school year I have planned a variety of special classroom activities and celebrations. I encourage you to attend and lend your support by volunteering or sending possible items that are needed in order to conduct the activity. School Attendance Our school hours are from 8:00 - 12:30. It is very important for your child to be here as much as possible. We will have our circle time around 8:30. This IS the most important time of the whole school day for your child. During this time, I introduce various learning concepts, explain what we are doing for the day, and pray with the children. If your child is not going to be at school please notify the office. Book Orders After reading my 'Goals for the Class' you will see why I feel literacy is one of THE most important things for the children. We participate in book ordering throughout the school year. When it is time to start the book ordering, there will be a form that will go home. That form needs to be filled out and dropped in my 'mailbox' on or before the day it is due. Ordering books from the book club (Scholastic) enables our room to get extra books and items that make learning fun. We thank you for your support in this area. Birthdays Birthdays are a special time for young children and we will be starting the year out with a BIRTHDAY theme. This will help the children to realize just how special they are. But we will have an opportunity for your child to share in celebration of his/her birthday if he/she wants. Check with the office or handbook on school policy. Discipline The classroom must be a place where your child feels safe and secure in order for him/her to learn the most. It should also be a place where they learn to discipline themselves. For this reason we have class rules and consequences. The rules are: We keep our hands and other body parts to ourselves, We use an inside voice, We listen when others are speaking, We follow directions, and We do our very best to have FUN! If a child is having a problem with one of the rules, I remind them verbally the first time, redirect the second time, and then they take a time away from the group to think about his/her actions or choices. I try my best to teach the children that WE TREAT OTHERS HOW WE WANT TO BE TREATED. Manners and Biblical principals are VERY important to me. Projects This year we will hopefully be involved in at least 2 class projects. The first is our class 'Book Worm'. More on these opportunities are in the making. Be sure to stop back and see what is in store for our class. I hope that you, your child, and your family will want to participate. They are a lot of fun for all! Class Bookworm Every time we read a book in class, whether it is to the whole group, or to a single child, we will be adding a circle to our bookworm. If read to an individual child, that child's name will go on the circle. In the past when I've done this with other prek children, the children get so excited and begin to fall in love with the books they read. I have a few more projects brewing that I want to start but need more time to organize them but they are all meant to encourage literacy... just a quick glimpse: take home 'Bag Buddies''; our class mascot "Makanalani, the Hawaiian hula bear"; "The Case of the Missing Letter"; a "Brown Bear Book Club" (a family project to promote literacy); and many more fun things that will make learning exciting! Be watching for more info! If you would like to know more about what will go on in the class be sure to check out the other areas in this site. It will constantly be updated. I try my best to have new information up there asap. Again, I look forward to working with your child and am very excited about a new year. If I can be of any other help, just let me know. Aloha, Teacher Sue |
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