Welcome!              

"C" COMMITS TO LEARNING

"R" RESPECTS OTHERS

"E" EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE

"E" EVERYONE IS SAFE

"K" KINDNESS COUNTS



Dear Families,                                                                 

WELCOME to First Grade at Elms Road Elementary!  I am excited to be a part of this important year with your child. I put together this information so that you can better understand how your child’s classroom will be set up, how I intend to work with your child, and some school policies.

Below are some helpful hints for making your child’s transition to First Grade as smooth as possible. First Grade is a big adjustment for most children. They will be working longer and more will be expected of them.
·        Make sure your child knows how they are getting to and from school.  If they ride to a different place other than your home address please let me know.
·        Please provide a full size backpack for your child to bring to school EVERYDAY.
·        Please have your child dress appropriately for the weather. It can get very warm in the classroom in the summer.
·        Emphasize that home toys stay at home and school objects stay at school.
·        Research shows four vital factors that seriously affect a child’s learning – N.E.W.S. – nutrition, exercise, water, and sleep. Please help make sure your child is getting healthy foods and snacks, plenty of exercise and water and adequate sleep. This age still requires approximately 10-11 hours of sleep a night. 

  Please remember ME if you are moving or if there are any changes in your child’s routine or lifestyle. It is important for us to get new contact information and to be aware of situations that might affect your child’s behavior/demeanor at school.

If you ever have any questions please feel free to contact me.  I will respond in a timely manner. Also, my email address is mkelley@swcrk.org and the school phone number is 591-1249.
Mrs. MaDonna Kelley


  Snacks
Each day, we will stop instruction and energize our brains around 10:30 a.m. Each child will be asked to bring a healthy snack to school once a month for the class. No candy, sugary foods or sweets of any kind please. Good ideas are: Raisins, granola bar, cheese and crackers, etc. I do not provide any eating utensils if a spoon is needed please send it with them.  I will send home a calendar each month so you will know when your child’s snack day will be.  I will assign them in alphabetical order and make sure that they will bring snack on their birthdays, or close to it, if possible.

 Lunch and Recess
Our First Graders will go to recess each day from 12:20-12:40 and then they will come in to the multi-purpose room at 12:40 each day for lunch. A hot lunch menu will come home each month. To purchase a hot lunch or buy milk, enclose the money in a labeled envelope or zip-loc bag. I will take up lunch money first thing each morning and send it to the kitchen for them so that it will be in their account by lunchtime. You may write a check and pay in advance if you choose to do so. 

  Absences
If your child is ill, please keep them at home. Especially if they have something contagious such as Pink Eye. It is school policy that if your child is going to miss school or does miss school to either contact the office by phone or send a note for the absence to be excused. It is also very important that you make sure your child is at school on time. We do begin working right away as they arrive. 4 tardies will equal 1 absence on their report cards. Our daily literacy block begins right away.

  Rules
It is my goal to create a positive learning environment in which each child feels respected, safe, and capable. My main rules are C.R.E.E.K. Commit to learning, Respectful, Everyone is responsible, Everyone is safe, and Kindness counts.

  School Shirts
There are shirts for sale in the office. They are $7.00. They will be our class shirts and the shirts that we wear on Field Trips this year.
  
 Take Home Folders
Your child will have a folder with pockets that we will call our Take Home Folder. They will take them out of their backpacks each morning and keep them in their desks all day. During the day, assignments, homework and notes will be placed in the folder, and at the end of the day each student will place the folder in their bag to take home. It is your responsibility to check this folder each night, clean it out, and return the folder to your child’s backpack. You may also send notes or information back to school in this folder. There will be a tray on my desk for students to place all notes/papers sent from home. This routine is very important!

 Special Classes
Our specials will be different each afternoon. They will be as follows:
Tuesdays and Fridays – Gym with Mr. Dutcher  
Mondays and Wednesdays -Art or Music with Mr. Davis
Thursdays - Computers with Mrs. Holderbaum
Speech Language - Mrs. Schultz in my room Wednesday am
Library will be once a week – Mondays at 11:00.

 Newsletters and Calendars
Each month I will send home a calendar showing upcoming events and each child’s snack day. I will also include other necessary information there. I will also send home a weekly/biweekly letter to keep you informed on what we are learning in class. I do send home monthly book orders for you to order from if you choose to do so.  Books through these companies are significantly cheaper than through a bookstore. Our class account earns bonus points when you order books and I use those to order classroom materials. If you want to secretly order for birthday or holiday gifts, I can hold on to them until you pick them up.

 Parent Volunteers
I welcome volunteers to come help in any way. Please let me know if you would like to volunteer in the classroom and we will set up a time together.

  Class Parties
There are three parties planned for the school year and an end of the year picnic. We celebrate Halloween, Christmas, and Valentines Day. Notes will come home with more details as the events come around.

Be Involved
Elms has a hard-working and devoted PTA. This provides many opportunities to make a difference here at Elms Road Elementary. I encourage you to join and be a part of the team!

 Lifelong Learners
Don’t forget to help your child by doing these things daily:
·        Read to your child daily
·        Be a team with the classroom teacher
·        Check their folder daily and read all notes
·        Make sure they have plenty of rest
·        Make sure they have had breakfast
·        Make sure they are on time and present for school every day

  Going Home
It is school policy that your child must have a note if they are going home different from their regular schedule. I will not let them go home a different way on their word alone. This means if your child regularly rides the bus, but you want to pick them up that day, I need a note. If I do not have a note and/or you have not called the office, I will have to put them on the bus.
-         If your child is going to ride the bus to a friend’s house, I must have a note from BOTH parents involved.
-         Also if there are changes in your child’s usual routine, let me know as soon as possible. -         If you have a bus concern, call transportation (591-2300) or the school office. If you have problems at the bus stop, call Mr. Kitchen.
-         If you are late to pick up your child, I will send them to the office to wait.
-         If you need to pick up your child early, you MUST go to the OFFICE. The secretary will call me to send them to you.
-         I will only release your child to his or her guardian or a name listed on the emergency card.
-         If you are picking up your child at the end of the day, you must sign them out at the office and wait for them to come to you. Parents at Elms Road are NOT allowed to wait outside classroom doors.

  For the First Couple of Weeks
We will be getting to know one another, the rules, and routines. We will be reviewing color words, number words, and printing our letters correctly. We will also be reading a lot of poems, rhymes and songs together as well as beginning our Writer’s Workshop. 

 
 Supply List
·        Book Bag/Backpack – full size
·         Box of 24 crayons – not larger please
·        3 glue sticks
·        White glue (optional)
·        Pencils/eraser
·        Pencil box
·        Box of Kleenex
·        Childrens Fiskars scissors
·        Box of Zip loc Bags
·        3 folders with pockets
·        Box of baby wipes
·        Hand sanitizer
·       composition book - 2

 I sincerely believe that parents and teachers are partners in a child’s education and welcome your assistance, comments, and advice. If you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to contact me.

If you would like to correspond with me by email, please send me a quick email so I can put your email address in my computer address book. I do prefer this form of communication if you are able.

School phone number: 591-1249
My email: mkelley@swcrk.org
I am looking forward to a great year!                                               Mrs. Kelley