September+Newsletter

Dear Families,

Welcome to first grade! Our first couple of weeks have been very busy! We have had fun making new friends and learning new things! We are working hard and getting used to the first grade classroom routines! Using our new lockers, eating in the cafeteria, going to specials, and having recess every day are some of our highlights!

Each month I will be sending home a newsletter similar to this one. It will explain what we will be working on that particular month. The letter will be detailed explaining specifics from our curriculum and fun activities that will be coming up. Other letters will come home sporadically when things pop up that I need to make you aware of. Please make sure to check your child’s blue folder each night. Please send the blue folder back and forth to school daily. If you have any notes for me, please place them in the blue folder. Your children will be emptying them daily when they get to school. Thank you for your help with this!

Thursday, September 13th will be our parent night here at Chester Elementary. I will take that time to explain more of our curriculum and what we actually do in first grade. I will talk about our reading program, literacy centers, writing curriculum, our math program called Investigations, classroom routines, homework, volunteering in the classroom, etc. Please bring any questions with you that you might have. You will also have an opportunity to sign up for a parent conference which will be held in October.

Literacy homework will be sent home weekly. Homework in first grade should not take more than 15 minutes. Homework will always come home with directions and due dates on it. Literacy work is usually given on Mondays and is not required to be back until Friday of the same week. If math homework is given, it is required to be returned the following school day. Math homework will not be given weekly. Books on their independent reading level will go home weekly as well, usually on Wednesdays.

Please send your child to school daily with 2 snacks. We will have a working snack in the a.m. and a share time snack in the p.m. They usually will eat it all, especially as the year goes on!

I am looking forward to a fun and exciting year working with your children as well as all of you. Please feel free to call me with any questions or concerns. My extension is 104 and my voice mail is confidential. I will return your phone call as soon as possible.

I am looking forward to meeting all of you this week at open house and working together as a team this school year.

Sincerely, Keri Sciuto