Dear Families,
I would like to welcome you again to first grade at Indian Trail School. I am very pleased to have your child in my class and I am enjoying getting to know each one of my new first grade students. We have had a few great days and I look forward to many more exciting school days this year! The children are adjusting well to being in school all day, making new friends, having new teachers, and having a new schedule. I am sure that your child is exhausted at the end of the day, so please make sure that your child gets a good night’s rest and eats a good healthy breakfast with protein in the morning. In this post, I would like to address many of the questions, concerns, and issues that may arise during the school year.
School Day: 8:40 a.m. – 3:17 p.m.
Home Folder:
Please make sure that your child brings his or her backpack/bag to school everyday with his/her blue Home Folder and Daily News journal (coming soon) inside. Any notes going home will be in your child’s Home Folder along with their work, so please go through this with him/her on a daily basis and read about your child’s school day in his or her Daily News journal. Written notes sent in your child’s Home Folder are a good means of communication with me in addition to email and voicemail.
Specials’ Schedule:
Monday: Art and Gym
Tuesday: Gym and Music
Wednesday: Gym and Music
Thursday: Gym and ALO (Advanced Learning Opportunities)
Friday: Music, Library, and Gym
*Your child needs to wear or bring gym shoes everyday. A pair of gym shoes may be kept at school.
**An art smock needs to be brought in and kept at school for art class on Mondays.
Healthy Morning Fruit or Vegetable Snack Break:
Please send a healthy fruit or vegetable snack labeled with your child’s name to school for our morning snack break. I would also encourage you to send a water bottle with a sport top to school with your child, especially during the hot times of our school year.
Lunch/Recess: 11:50 – 12:15/ 12:15 – 12:40
The children have about 25 minutes to eat their lunches in the lunchroom. Then the children will have outdoor recess for about 25 minutes, unless it is raining or it is dangerously cold. Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the outdoor weather. As winter approaches, you may want to send an extra pair of socks to keep in your child's backpack, in case his/her feet get wet.
Library:
First graders will have the privilege of checking out two books at a time from our school library. Books will be checked out for one week and must be returned before new ones can go home. Children may return library books to school any day of the week. Our library time is scheduled on Friday afternoon.
Buddy Class:
Our class will be doing some fun, thematic school activities with Mrs. Sidell's 3rd grade class during the school year.
Field Trip:
We will be going on a curriculum-based field trip during the school year to enrich our studies. I will send you information about this trip as it is planned and scheduled. Then a permission slip will be sent home. Permission slips must be signed and returned before students will be allowed to go on a field trip.
Classroom Celebrations:
Room parents and parent volunteers will be helping with two of our classroom celebrations during the school year, including Halloween and Valentine’s Day. We may also be working together to help facilitate a treat for the First Grade End of the Year Celebration. If you wish to help and/or participate in these celebrations, please sign up at Open House/Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 17th at 6:30 p.m.
First Grade Birthday Celebrations:
In first grade, your child is invited to share a favorite storybook to celebrate his/her birthday with our class. Your child can bring a special storybook from home or a book can be chosen from our classroom library for me to read in honor of your child’s birthday. If your child has a summer birthday and would like to celebrate his/her birthday at school, we would be happy to celebrate your child’s half birthday during the school year.
Scholastic Book Orders:
Throughout the year I will be sending home book order forms for you and your child to share. These monthly book order forms include quality literature for reasonable prices. These orders will also help our class earn points to add new books to our classroom library.
Homework:
It is important that your child reads with you every day, including having him/her read out loud to you in addition to reading out loud to them. Book bags with leveled homework books at your child's independent reading level will be coming home soon. These books need to be read out loud by your child and discussed with an adult. Math practice homework will come home at times to help reinforce what we are working on or have learned at school. Your child will also receive information about our district's academic website subscriptions to help your child work at his/her appropriate level for additional practice in reading and math. Some thematic assignments will come home during the school year too.
After School Arrangements:
If your child is going somewhere different after school, please email me, send me a note, or call the school office. It is for your child’s own safety that school staff knows your child’s appropriate destination at the end of the school day.
Home-School Communication:
Soon you will get a glimpse of each school day through your child’s Daily News journal. Beginning next Friday, I will post and send a “Topics to Share” note home in your child’s Home Folder. The “Topics to Share” notes will include activities from the week and any information or reminders that you may need for the following week. I am truly looking forward to working with you and your child. Communication between home and school is very important to me and I am available to listen and help as I can. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please email me at [email protected], call me at school at 224-765-3457, or send me a note in your child’s blue Home Folder. I will get in touch with you as soon as I possibly can. I am looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, September 17th at 6:30 p.m. for our Open House/Curriculum Night for parents.
Thank you for your support and cooperation!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Heidi VanderVere
I would like to welcome you again to first grade at Indian Trail School. I am very pleased to have your child in my class and I am enjoying getting to know each one of my new first grade students. We have had a few great days and I look forward to many more exciting school days this year! The children are adjusting well to being in school all day, making new friends, having new teachers, and having a new schedule. I am sure that your child is exhausted at the end of the day, so please make sure that your child gets a good night’s rest and eats a good healthy breakfast with protein in the morning. In this post, I would like to address many of the questions, concerns, and issues that may arise during the school year.
School Day: 8:40 a.m. – 3:17 p.m.
Home Folder:
Please make sure that your child brings his or her backpack/bag to school everyday with his/her blue Home Folder and Daily News journal (coming soon) inside. Any notes going home will be in your child’s Home Folder along with their work, so please go through this with him/her on a daily basis and read about your child’s school day in his or her Daily News journal. Written notes sent in your child’s Home Folder are a good means of communication with me in addition to email and voicemail.
Specials’ Schedule:
Monday: Art and Gym
Tuesday: Gym and Music
Wednesday: Gym and Music
Thursday: Gym and ALO (Advanced Learning Opportunities)
Friday: Music, Library, and Gym
*Your child needs to wear or bring gym shoes everyday. A pair of gym shoes may be kept at school.
**An art smock needs to be brought in and kept at school for art class on Mondays.
Healthy Morning Fruit or Vegetable Snack Break:
Please send a healthy fruit or vegetable snack labeled with your child’s name to school for our morning snack break. I would also encourage you to send a water bottle with a sport top to school with your child, especially during the hot times of our school year.
Lunch/Recess: 11:50 – 12:15/ 12:15 – 12:40
The children have about 25 minutes to eat their lunches in the lunchroom. Then the children will have outdoor recess for about 25 minutes, unless it is raining or it is dangerously cold. Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the outdoor weather. As winter approaches, you may want to send an extra pair of socks to keep in your child's backpack, in case his/her feet get wet.
Library:
First graders will have the privilege of checking out two books at a time from our school library. Books will be checked out for one week and must be returned before new ones can go home. Children may return library books to school any day of the week. Our library time is scheduled on Friday afternoon.
Buddy Class:
Our class will be doing some fun, thematic school activities with Mrs. Sidell's 3rd grade class during the school year.
Field Trip:
We will be going on a curriculum-based field trip during the school year to enrich our studies. I will send you information about this trip as it is planned and scheduled. Then a permission slip will be sent home. Permission slips must be signed and returned before students will be allowed to go on a field trip.
Classroom Celebrations:
Room parents and parent volunteers will be helping with two of our classroom celebrations during the school year, including Halloween and Valentine’s Day. We may also be working together to help facilitate a treat for the First Grade End of the Year Celebration. If you wish to help and/or participate in these celebrations, please sign up at Open House/Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 17th at 6:30 p.m.
First Grade Birthday Celebrations:
In first grade, your child is invited to share a favorite storybook to celebrate his/her birthday with our class. Your child can bring a special storybook from home or a book can be chosen from our classroom library for me to read in honor of your child’s birthday. If your child has a summer birthday and would like to celebrate his/her birthday at school, we would be happy to celebrate your child’s half birthday during the school year.
Scholastic Book Orders:
Throughout the year I will be sending home book order forms for you and your child to share. These monthly book order forms include quality literature for reasonable prices. These orders will also help our class earn points to add new books to our classroom library.
Homework:
It is important that your child reads with you every day, including having him/her read out loud to you in addition to reading out loud to them. Book bags with leveled homework books at your child's independent reading level will be coming home soon. These books need to be read out loud by your child and discussed with an adult. Math practice homework will come home at times to help reinforce what we are working on or have learned at school. Your child will also receive information about our district's academic website subscriptions to help your child work at his/her appropriate level for additional practice in reading and math. Some thematic assignments will come home during the school year too.
After School Arrangements:
If your child is going somewhere different after school, please email me, send me a note, or call the school office. It is for your child’s own safety that school staff knows your child’s appropriate destination at the end of the school day.
Home-School Communication:
Soon you will get a glimpse of each school day through your child’s Daily News journal. Beginning next Friday, I will post and send a “Topics to Share” note home in your child’s Home Folder. The “Topics to Share” notes will include activities from the week and any information or reminders that you may need for the following week. I am truly looking forward to working with you and your child. Communication between home and school is very important to me and I am available to listen and help as I can. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please email me at [email protected], call me at school at 224-765-3457, or send me a note in your child’s blue Home Folder. I will get in touch with you as soon as I possibly can. I am looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, September 17th at 6:30 p.m. for our Open House/Curriculum Night for parents.
Thank you for your support and cooperation!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Heidi VanderVere