Welcome Parents!Welcome Parents!Welcome Parents!Welcome Parents!Thank you for coming!Thank you for coming!

Miss Birckholtz

Nuts and Bolts• Change of Dismissal: If your child will be going home

in a way that is different than usual, please write a note informing the office of the change.

• Lunch Money: If your child is buying lunch with money, please send the money to school in a labeled envelope or wallet.

• Pin-Number: If your child is buying lunch (with money or with the pre-paid account), they will need to give their 5-digit pin number. *See inside of folder for pin.

• Birthdays: Birthdays are now celebrated with non-food items only.– Alternative Ideas: distributing a small gift such as

pencils or stickers to the class, bringing in a favorite song to play, bringing in a favorite book to share

•Invitations: If your child is distributing party invitations in school, please make sure that there is one for each person in the class.

Nuts and Bolts (cont.)• Water Bottles: Your child may bring a water bottle to school to

keep in their backpacks. This prevents from frequent trips to the water fountain.

• Snack: We have snack every afternoon. We do not have any food allergies in the classroom. Please do not send any glass containers to school.

• Gym: We have gym on Thursdays and Fridays. Please help your child choose appropriate footwear.

• Home Folder: Please check your child’s home folder each night, as important documents will be sent home on a regular basis.

• Classroom Website: Please visit our classroom website to see what we are learning each week, and to find special announcements.

– *See sticker on folder for website address!

http://teacherweb.com/NJ/FrostElementarySchool/Birckholtz/apt1.aspx

Scholastic• 2 ways of ordering: by catalogue or online

• Catalogue: Select books and return order form to me by the due date below.

• Online: Order online by the due date below and our class receives a free book! (See letter for details on how to order online.

Due Date For Month of September: 9/30

Reader’s Workshop

• My Goals/Goals of the Curriculum:

– To help your child become a confident, fluent, and active reader.

– To provide differentiated instruction so that every child, regardless of his or her reading level, can be successful and reach his/her fullest potential.

– To provide children with “just right” books that are on their independent reading levels.

Reader’s Workshop• “Just Right” Books:

– Your child will be “shopping” for just right books from the classroom library each week.

– Our classroom library is leveled. As independent reading levels change, your child will shop in different bins.

• Bag of Books: – Your child will bring home their “just right” books in a bag that

will go back-and-forth to school each day.– We use these books in reader’s workshop every day.

• Sight Words: Your child’s sight word rings will also be kept in his/her bag of books. New words will be added to the word ring each week.

• Reading Log:– This log will come home every Monday. Children are required to

read for 10-15 minutes each night, and record their reading on the log. Logs are turned in on Fridays.

*Reading and rereading “just right” books at home and at school is the key to helping your child grow as a reader!*

Writer’s Workshop• Children will be writing both fiction

and non-fiction pieces this year.– Small Moment Stories– How-To Books– All-About Books– Poetry

Everyday Math Program• Spiral Program

• Differentiated instruction allows students of all levels to achieve success

• Centers: Teacher center, partner center, independent center

• Home Links will come home almost every night.• Practice fact fluency at home.*

ScienceWe study:

•Weather

•Organisms: guppies, pill bugs, millipedes, bess beetles

•Plants

Social Studies• Text Book - Text Book - People and PlacesPeople and Places • We study:We study:• FamiliesFamilies• Our WorldOur World• All Kinds of JobsAll Kinds of Jobs• Good CitizensGood Citizens

HealthText Book – Text Book – Your HealthYour Health

We study:We study:

our body and how it works,our body and how it works,

how to stay healthy,how to stay healthy,

feelings and emotionsfeelings and emotions

Character Education

• Tickets for positive behavior• Teamwork board• Character ed. Lessons taught

school-wide in the beginning of the year

Grading

• Tests that come home will no longerhave a letter grade or a numeric grade.

Thank you for coming!

Please don’t forget to sign up for Octoberconferences on your way out!