First Grade Transition
It is a big adjustment getting used to being at school all day every day and your child will probably come home exhausted for the first couple of weeks. It takes even more energy to process a foreign language, especially after the long summer months! Please make sure that your child is going to bed early each night. Enough sleep helps immensely with school success.
Here are a few things I suggest to help with academic (and life) success:
Classroom Rules
Ada Vista emphasizes respect and a family like environment. We will talk about what it looks like to show respect for self and others. Ask your child to give examples of what respect looks like. Also, in first grade, personal responsibility is a BIG thing that we work on. This means that children should be responsible for themselves and their belongings. I am a believer of Love and Logic which empowers children to make their own choices, solve their own problems, and help to come up with consequences and solutions if they happen to make a choice that doesn't turn out so well. We want kids to make mistakes now so that they can learn from them before the stakes are bigger in the future!
Snack
In first grade we will have 2 snacks each day. Snacks are not provided for the students, but you are welcome to send one or two each day. Please remember that the best snacks are healthy snacks. Fruits, veggies, pretzels, crackers, popcorn, and dairy products are all great choices! No candy please. Please do not send any food with peanuts or tree nuts, OR that may contain traces of those things.
As we do not have a drinking fountain or sink in our room, I would appreciate if you could send a water bottle (NON-LEAKING) to school with your child. I will do my best to remind students to bring it back home at the end of every week so it can be thoroughly washed.
Toys
Please enjoy toys at home! This includes any type of video/game device. It is a school-wide policy that they should not be brought to school. Thanks.
Transportation Changes
Please send a note or email if you have an last minute transportation changes. If I do not have a note from home, I will assume that your child will be following their normal schedule for getting home.
Gym Shoes
Please be sure that your child has a pair of shoes to keep in his/her locker at school for indoor gym class. We want to be sure to keep our gym floor clean. These don't need to be brand new shoes, but can be an extra pair of shoes in which the sole has been cleaned. I would prefer that shoes with velcro, as I am unable to help all 25 of my students with tying their shoes. We need to be able to make very speedy shoe changes before gym class. Meanwhile, if your child is still working on their shoe-tying skills, be sure to practice at home daily until they've got it!
School Lunch
See the AV Food Service website for the lunch menu and to check the balance on the lunch card. You can also re-fill funds on the account on their website: http://www.fhps.net/adavista/lunch-ck-name-and-change
Lunch prices: $2.45 (includes milk). Milk only: $0.50
All students will only be allowed to use their debit cards if there is enough money in their account to cover the full amount of their purchase. Please keep a sufficient balance in your account to cover lunches through the end of the school year.
Stability Balls
I allow any child to sit on a stability ball instead of a chair provided they are using it appropriately (for sitting). However, I do not provide them for the students unless I think they REALLY need one in which case I can ask the guidance counselor if she has one that is not being used. I like to provide this option because it is better for health reasons and I also believe that it is asking a lot to expect 6 and 7 year old's to sit still in a chair all day.
If you would like to send one in for your child to sit on, great! Please be sure that it has legs or a stand, or put some sand inside of it. If they do not have legs, a stand, or sand inside, it is too hard to keep them from rolling around the room.
If you send one in with your child and he/she is using it inappropriately, I will send it back home.
Birthday Policies
Treats: It is school policy that edible treats are not allowed. However, if your child would like to bring something, here are some ideas: some sort of an inexpensive prize or stickers, donate a book to the classroom, class balls or recess toys, something else for the classroom that could be used for creative play during indoor recess time, etc. Some kids choose not to bring anything, so please do not feel that it is a requirement. We will always sing to each child on their birthday and show them how special they are! (See document at the bottom for more on this school-wide policy.)
Party invitations: It is school policy that birthday invitations are not to be passed out a school unless the entire class is involved. This includes putting them in backpacks/lockers when no-one is around. We have directories available in the office for $3.
What is Terracycle?
Terracycle is another way we can recycle and help our environment. It is a company that takes what is normally trash and up cycle’s it. They make benches, spray bottles, bags, etc. We send in these items and get money back. Each year we raise more than $1000 for our school. The money is used for field trips, items in the classrooms, etc. Below you will find a list of items we can Terracycle. The green containers for YOUR recycled items are in the front hallway.
Families are asked to separate and put their recycling in the proper bins when dropping them off at school.
The following are some of the brigades that we are involved with. The following brigades are the ones that pertain to your classrooms.
SNACK BAG BRIGADE
*All Brands and sizes of Chip Bags/Salty Snacks/Cookies
*ALL Brands of and ANY Sized Candy Wrappers
*Remove Crumbs and Flatten Bags
LITTLE BITES BRIGADE
*Little Bite cookie wrappers
*Remove crumbs and flatten
DRINK POUCH BRIGADE
*Any Brand Drink Pouch
*Flatten Pouches, Squeeze Out All Excess Liquid and Leave Straws in
*Please Keep Separate From Other Items
ELMER'S GLUE CREW
*All Elmer’s Brand Glue Bottles & Sticks
*Keep lids on Bottles & Sticks
ENERGY BAR BRIGADE
*Any Brand Granola/Energy/Cereal Bar
*Also Includes Fruit Roll-Ups, Foil lined Fruit Snacks & Rice Krispy’s
* Remove Crumbs & Flatten Wrappers
GO GO SQUEEZE TUBE BRIGADE
*Any GoGo Squeeze Tube or Similar Packaging
*Remove any Excess Sauce and Leave Caps on
SCOTCH TAPE BRIGADE
*Any Brand and Any Size Plastic Tape Dispensers & Cores.
WRITING INSTRUMENT BRIGADE
*Any Brand Pen, Marker, Highlighter, Mechanical pencil.
*No Wood Pencils
Visit www.terracycle.net for more information.
It is a big adjustment getting used to being at school all day every day and your child will probably come home exhausted for the first couple of weeks. It takes even more energy to process a foreign language, especially after the long summer months! Please make sure that your child is going to bed early each night. Enough sleep helps immensely with school success.
Here are a few things I suggest to help with academic (and life) success:
- Read every day whether you are reading to your child or your child is reading to you, and dialogue about the book. It doesn't matter if it is English or Spanish. By doing this, you provide a model of what a good reader looks like as well as showing reading to be an enjoyable activity.
- Limit screen time (computer, TV, video games, etc). Studies show that kids who have more than 2 hours daily screen exposure are more likely to have emotional, social, and attention problems. They also have less time to play and be creative.
- Limit extracurricular activities. Kids actually need time to get bored so they can activate their minds and be creative! Here's a link to a great article that another teacher shared with me about letting kids get bored and limiting screen time: http://www.ahaparenting.com/parenting-tools/raise-great-kids/intelligent-creative-child/boredom-busters-good-for-kids
- Take a few minutes daily to work with your child on the list of manners I posted at the bottom of this page. I will try to work on these at school as well, but some are better suited for home life.
Classroom Rules
Ada Vista emphasizes respect and a family like environment. We will talk about what it looks like to show respect for self and others. Ask your child to give examples of what respect looks like. Also, in first grade, personal responsibility is a BIG thing that we work on. This means that children should be responsible for themselves and their belongings. I am a believer of Love and Logic which empowers children to make their own choices, solve their own problems, and help to come up with consequences and solutions if they happen to make a choice that doesn't turn out so well. We want kids to make mistakes now so that they can learn from them before the stakes are bigger in the future!
Snack
In first grade we will have 2 snacks each day. Snacks are not provided for the students, but you are welcome to send one or two each day. Please remember that the best snacks are healthy snacks. Fruits, veggies, pretzels, crackers, popcorn, and dairy products are all great choices! No candy please. Please do not send any food with peanuts or tree nuts, OR that may contain traces of those things.
As we do not have a drinking fountain or sink in our room, I would appreciate if you could send a water bottle (NON-LEAKING) to school with your child. I will do my best to remind students to bring it back home at the end of every week so it can be thoroughly washed.
Toys
Please enjoy toys at home! This includes any type of video/game device. It is a school-wide policy that they should not be brought to school. Thanks.
Transportation Changes
Please send a note or email if you have an last minute transportation changes. If I do not have a note from home, I will assume that your child will be following their normal schedule for getting home.
Gym Shoes
Please be sure that your child has a pair of shoes to keep in his/her locker at school for indoor gym class. We want to be sure to keep our gym floor clean. These don't need to be brand new shoes, but can be an extra pair of shoes in which the sole has been cleaned. I would prefer that shoes with velcro, as I am unable to help all 25 of my students with tying their shoes. We need to be able to make very speedy shoe changes before gym class. Meanwhile, if your child is still working on their shoe-tying skills, be sure to practice at home daily until they've got it!
School Lunch
See the AV Food Service website for the lunch menu and to check the balance on the lunch card. You can also re-fill funds on the account on their website: http://www.fhps.net/adavista/lunch-ck-name-and-change
Lunch prices: $2.45 (includes milk). Milk only: $0.50
All students will only be allowed to use their debit cards if there is enough money in their account to cover the full amount of their purchase. Please keep a sufficient balance in your account to cover lunches through the end of the school year.
Stability Balls
I allow any child to sit on a stability ball instead of a chair provided they are using it appropriately (for sitting). However, I do not provide them for the students unless I think they REALLY need one in which case I can ask the guidance counselor if she has one that is not being used. I like to provide this option because it is better for health reasons and I also believe that it is asking a lot to expect 6 and 7 year old's to sit still in a chair all day.
If you would like to send one in for your child to sit on, great! Please be sure that it has legs or a stand, or put some sand inside of it. If they do not have legs, a stand, or sand inside, it is too hard to keep them from rolling around the room.
If you send one in with your child and he/she is using it inappropriately, I will send it back home.
Birthday Policies
Treats: It is school policy that edible treats are not allowed. However, if your child would like to bring something, here are some ideas: some sort of an inexpensive prize or stickers, donate a book to the classroom, class balls or recess toys, something else for the classroom that could be used for creative play during indoor recess time, etc. Some kids choose not to bring anything, so please do not feel that it is a requirement. We will always sing to each child on their birthday and show them how special they are! (See document at the bottom for more on this school-wide policy.)
Party invitations: It is school policy that birthday invitations are not to be passed out a school unless the entire class is involved. This includes putting them in backpacks/lockers when no-one is around. We have directories available in the office for $3.
What is Terracycle?
Terracycle is another way we can recycle and help our environment. It is a company that takes what is normally trash and up cycle’s it. They make benches, spray bottles, bags, etc. We send in these items and get money back. Each year we raise more than $1000 for our school. The money is used for field trips, items in the classrooms, etc. Below you will find a list of items we can Terracycle. The green containers for YOUR recycled items are in the front hallway.
Families are asked to separate and put their recycling in the proper bins when dropping them off at school.
The following are some of the brigades that we are involved with. The following brigades are the ones that pertain to your classrooms.
SNACK BAG BRIGADE
*All Brands and sizes of Chip Bags/Salty Snacks/Cookies
*ALL Brands of and ANY Sized Candy Wrappers
*Remove Crumbs and Flatten Bags
LITTLE BITES BRIGADE
*Little Bite cookie wrappers
*Remove crumbs and flatten
DRINK POUCH BRIGADE
*Any Brand Drink Pouch
*Flatten Pouches, Squeeze Out All Excess Liquid and Leave Straws in
*Please Keep Separate From Other Items
ELMER'S GLUE CREW
*All Elmer’s Brand Glue Bottles & Sticks
*Keep lids on Bottles & Sticks
ENERGY BAR BRIGADE
*Any Brand Granola/Energy/Cereal Bar
*Also Includes Fruit Roll-Ups, Foil lined Fruit Snacks & Rice Krispy’s
* Remove Crumbs & Flatten Wrappers
GO GO SQUEEZE TUBE BRIGADE
*Any GoGo Squeeze Tube or Similar Packaging
*Remove any Excess Sauce and Leave Caps on
SCOTCH TAPE BRIGADE
*Any Brand and Any Size Plastic Tape Dispensers & Cores.
WRITING INSTRUMENT BRIGADE
*Any Brand Pen, Marker, Highlighter, Mechanical pencil.
*No Wood Pencils
Visit www.terracycle.net for more information.