I hope that everyone had a fun and relaxing summer, with lots of time enjoyed with family and friends!
I am excited to be back in the classroom, planning and setting up for another school year! Whether your child is new to Room 1, or if I was lucky enough to have taught them last year, I look forward to working with you, to ensure your child has a happy and productive year!
Please check our blog regularly for updates about what we are doing in the classroom. Instagram is another tool that I often use to share our learning, so please be sure to follow us at:
The information from the Room 1 parent handbook that you will receive at conferences is posted below, should you ever need to reference it.
Parent Information
Booklet
Mrs Stevenson
Grade 1/2
2017 – 2018
Dear Parent and Guardians,
If I was lucky enough to have taught your child last year,
welcome back! If your child is new to Room 1, I wish you a warm welcome to our
grade 1/2 classroom! We are going to have an excellent year, full of learning,
hard work and fun!
My name is Amy Stevenson and I have been a teacher with the
St. James Assiniboia School Division since 2007. Over the years I have taught
Kindergarten to grade 4 and have been lucky to teach at Linwood School since
2010.
This booklet contains information about classroom routines
and expectations. An electronic copy will be posted on our classroom blog for
your reference.
I am looking forward to both teaching and learning with your
child over the next school year! I believe that by working together we can help
your child to have a positive and successful year in grade 1 or 2!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or
concerns that may arise throughout the course of the year. I can always be
contacted by email, or a phone message can be left for me in the office. I will
then call you back as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Amy Stevenson
Philosophy of
Education
“A child develops
individuality long before they discover taste.”
-
Erma Bombeck
Education is not only about teaching children the academic
skills that they will need in the future, rather, it is about teaching the
whole child. Students need to be given the opportunity to grow academically,
socially and emotionally in a safe, positive and flexible learning environment.
Education should be about helping each child to reach their maximum potential,
in all of these areas. The ultimate goal is to motivate children towards becoming
a life-long learner.
Children should feel safe and valued at all times. If a
positive, open classroom environment is created, children will feel safe to
take risks and make mistakes. This is incredibly important, as never do we
learn so much as when we leave our comfort zone.
Education should celebrate the uniqueness of every child.
This can occur when an environment of respect is created and encouraged. An
environment of respect allows all members of the classroom to grow and develop
as both learners and individuals.
Education is a partnership. Students, teachers, parents and
administrators all need to communicate and work together, striving to help each
child thrive in the school environment. Parents as partners in their child’s
education add encouragement, support and consistency to a child’s educational
development. A team is always stronger
than an individual!
Amy Stevenson
Remind
The Remind app will once again be used to communicate with
families. Both the school and our individual classroom use this method of communication
and it has proven very successful. Parents and guardians will be asked to sign
up at conferences for either text or email reminders. This substantially cuts
down on paper use and is a quick and easy way to communicate information.
If paper does need to be sent home, it will be placed in
your child’s backpack.
Following Room 1
I strongly encourage families to regularly check our
classroom blog, as well as follow us on Instagram. Both are a great way to stay
up to date with what is happening in our classroom and to get a glimpse into
what your child is doing and learning throughout the day!
Instagram –
Linwood_room_1
Scholastic Book
Orders
Room 1 will be participating in the monthly Scholastic Book
Club. Each month I will send home a variety of book orders for you and your
child to browse through. There is no obligation to order books. Some parents
buy occasionally, some buy regularly and others not at all. It is completely up
to you!
If you do choose to order, please return order forms by the
due date, which will be stamped on the book orders. As well, cheques would be
the preferable form of payment, as every payment must be sent in the mail to
Scholastics. There is now also the options to pay online with a credit card.
Thank you!
Celebrity of the
Week
This program will be starting later in September.
A new year is a great time for introducing the specialness
of each child in the classroom. Each week, one individual will have the opportunity
of being Celebrity of the Week! (C.O.T.W.) The C.O.T.W. will be chosen by
random draw and every student will get a turn throughout the year.
When it is your child’s turn to be C.O.T.W, they will bring
home a special poster, the Friday before they are set to share. There are some
questions to fill in and your child can decorate the poster however they
choose. In the “picture of me” space, your child can tape a picture or draw
one.
Your child will be encouraged to bring personal and family
photos, as well as other special items that you deem appropriate, to show and
tell the class about. The items shared will be sent home that day, however the
pictures will stay for the week. They will be posted but no staples will be
used on the photos as I realize just how special they are!
Your child is also asked to bring in their favourite book.
Sometime throughout the week we will share it with the class. It will be their
choice if they would like to read it themselves, or have me read it. Any type
of book is okay to bring in, as long as it has appropriate content and
pictures.
At the end of the week, your child will bring home their
poster as well as a special gift to celebrate their week as C.O.T.W!
The Friday before your child is C.O.T.W, he or she will
bring home a note announcing the great news!
Other Information
Expectations for Each Child
-
Positive attitude and a desire to learn
-
Ability to work independently and in small
groups
-
Solve small problems
-
Ask questions
-
Stay focused, to the best of their ability
-
Be prepared and use time effectively
-
Willingness to listen to the ideas of
others
-
Respect for self, others and the school
community as a whole
Supplies
-
A fee of $40 is to be paid for each child,
to cover the cost of classroom supplies for the year
-
2 boxes of Kleenex
-
Indoor shoes that children can take on/off
independently
-
Non-marking runners for the gym (**These
can be used for indoor shoes as well**)
Library, Gym and Music
Library is on day 1. Please help your child remember to
return their books on time so that they are able to select a new book each
library class.
Music is on days 3, 4 and 6.
Gym is on days 1, 2, 4 and 5. Please ensure that your child
has appropriate footwear.
A classroom schedule will be sent home once we have rotated
through two full school day cycles.
