Our Library

These are questions that we begin to explore in the first days of school.

Why do we read?     

What kinds of books are there to read?

How can I find the right books for me?

 Our class read Carmen Agra’s book, The Library Dragon. The story is about a librarian who is a “real dragon” about protecting the books! By the end of the story, she has had a change of heart and realizes that everybody can enjoy and care for the books.  

       The Library Dragon, Ms. Lottascales before….                                    and after!

You may have noticed that we do not have a class library yet. Instead there are books on each table. The student library will be rolled out gradually a couple of bins at a time. In Room 5 we have a story about a class Dragon who has “hidden” the books. She will bring us more books as we demonstrate what we know about selecting, organizing and caring for books. Using the Dragon Story as inspiration provides a fun and authentic way for new readers to learn these skills of selecting and caring for books based on knowledge of fiction/non-fiction, genres, and authors. Today students sorted all of the table books by fiction/non-fiction while explaining and justifying their thinking to each other. It was exciting! 

Common Core Standards Addressed:

•  I can use what I know about authors and types of books to choose my own books for independent reading.
• I can independently read books for fun or to find out information. 

 

Room 5 First Grade Policies and Procedures

 

Room 5 First Grade Policies and Procedures 

 

Home/School Folder:  Please help your student develop the routine of emptying their school/home folder every morning when they arrive and every evening when they come home.This is a very practical way for first graders to begin to develop autonomy and responsibility. Folders will be used to send notes and homework to/from school throughout their time at CSS. 

 

Homework: I intentionally choose simple home/school activities that support our learning and nuture connection between classroom and home. I also pre teach homework routines at school before sending them home. As a parent myself, I encourage you to enjoy family time with your child. Rest, rejuvenate and have fun! Please feel free to ask how homework can be modified based on your student or family needs. 

• Reading: Please read together every day.Whether you read aloud to your child or whether they read to you, this is the best homework!  A weekly reading log will be sent home on Monday to be returned on Friday. 

• Writing: These will be brief and chosen to support our work in the classroom. For example, I may ask your student to bring a topic idea for writing or write a “Book Review” on the reading log.
• Special Assignments:  A task related to a Storyline may be sent home from time to time.  Also, there will be work sent home when students need extra practice on specific skills.

 

Holidays/Birthdays:As part of our Social Studies curriculum, we learn about and appreciate traditions and celebrations from around the world. Although we do not celebrate with parties, we do use some seasonal celebrations to connect with our academic work. Student birthdays are noted on our class calendar each month. We sing the Birthday song during our morning meeting. Please do not send candy, gifts, gift bags, etc. to school.  Invitations to birthday parties held outside of school must be arranged by caregivers outside of school so as not to distract from our learning. If you wish to pass out invitations to students at school, please include all students and pass them out at dismissal.

 

Snacks and Water Bottles: Every day your child should begin the day with a full water bottle for use at school. This saves time waiting for the drinking fountain and helps kids drink more water. Our drinking fountain is safe for drinking and refilling water bottles. We have one morning snack as lunch is not until 12:40. We do not have an afternoon snack as there is not very much time between lunch and dismissal. You are welcome and encouraged to send one healthy snack for your student. Please do not send candy or gum. Please do not pack food or water in glass bottles or jars. 

 

Dress Code: Students should wear footwear that they can run and play in. I recommend that students do not wear flip flops or sandals. We take an outdoor recess in all sorts of weather so please be certain that your student has warm clothing and a waterproof coat for rainy days. Help your student to choose their shoes for the day as there is not time and space for shoe/boot changing throughout the day.

 

Personal Items: Students should not bring toys, money/valuables, electronics or any personal items which might be distracting to school. Please contact me first if your student would like to bring an object or gum as a learning tool. 

 

Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns regarding classroom policies. Thank you for all that you do to support your child and the school. We appreciate you!

Sincerely,

Camille Omey                  

domey@pps.net

First Day of First Grade Room 5

Dear Families, 

I am excited to welcome you to First Grade! At the beginning of the year, transitions take a bit longer but this note describes our arrival and departure routines for a typical day.  Please notify the office to add authorized pick up people/siblings. 

Please fill out this form at the link that I’ll make available on Wednesday. This is an easy reference for who is authorized to pick up your child and/or any after school programs: 

Arrival: On Wednesday, if your schedule allows, please help your student get  settled in for the day before saying a brief good-bye. I will give each student a checklist for getting started. After completing the checklist, please help your child read and refer to the Morning Message. 

This will be the routine every morning. 

•  Morning Message will tell students what to work on until it is time for morning meeting. 
• When it is time for Morning Meeting, I’ll use my teacher chime to make an announcement. 

Please do your best to be on time every day unless there is an appointment or emergency. Ideally, drop off and good-byes are finished by 9:10 and students are working independently.

 If your student is having difficulty, please don’t hesitate to ask for my help. At first, students will need someone to help them when they arrive. By the 2nd or 3rd week, most kids feel confident using their checklist to put their belongings away and getting started with Morning Work. Students will learn more quickly if you help them use their resources and do the jobs themselves rather than doing it for them. 

Over the first days of school,  I am looking for a family/friend volunteer,  to take quick photos of families to post on our Family Picture Wall.  If you would be willing to take photos and send them to Fred Meyer for printing, please let me know as soon as possible. Our “Family Wall” is a room 5 tradition. It is a lovely reminder for your child while they are at school and helps us to get to know our community. Please make sure that we get a picture of you before you leave, if at all possible. Or if you have a photo you’d like to add/substitute, feel free to send one from home. Please send only copies that you are able to part with in case they are damaged or lost at school. I am really looking forward to getting to know your family!

Dismissal: 

School ends at 3:15. Thank you for being on time as I have meetings and planning after school. In order to facilitate a calm and safe dismissal for all students and staff at CSS, our administrators request that you do not pick up your student between 2:45-3:15 .This can be disruptive during what is an extremely busy time for office staff and classrooms. When the bell rings, our door will open and a helper will  invite you to come inside. If we are singing or finishing a story, feel free to sing/listen ! For safety, I ask that all students stay seated on the carpet until their guardian/designated pick up appears. Every student must give me a high five and good-bye before leaving with their pick up person. Thank you!

Warmly,

Ms. Camille