First Day Information!

September 6, 2017

Dear  Carr & Finke Homeroom Families,

Welcome!  Mrs. Finke and I are excited to teach and learn with your child, and we look forward to working with you this year.  We hope that this post will address some questions you may have regarding our classrooms.  We apologize for the length, but the information is important.

Communication:

• Weekly News – This is a must read!  On Fridays, please read both sides of this news carefully and sign/return to let us know that you have read it.  This way we can help your child stay organized with assignments as well as communicate to you about his/her week and upcoming events. 
• Google Classroom – Also very important to check regularly! If you have provided us with your email, you will receive regular updates on your child’s grades, upcoming assignments, and missing work. You can also find a link to Mrs. Finke’s math website in the “About” tab on her Math google classroom.
• Take Home Folder - please check your child’s folder nightly to clean out work sent home and look for important notices.  (This can also be a great launching point for discussions about your child’s day.)
• Mrs. Carr's Blog-updated regularly with important information and pictures from class! 

Homework: We believe strongly that homework should not be time-consuming or stressful; kids need to play after working so hard at school!  If your child is showing frustration or is spending more than an hour TOTAL on homework, please write a note so we know and then STOP the assignment. We will start the year with a paper agenda, but once we teach them how, students should be taking a picture of the homework using his/her Chromebook.  If your child forgets, he or she can check Google Classroom or email a friend. 

• Until your child has mastered his or her math facts, the nightly homework will be a math facts log.  After that, math practice papers will be assigned: please refrain from helping your child with this homework.  Mrs. Finke often uses homework to make decisions about where extra help is needed, so she needs to know if your child is struggling (see above).  Should a paper assignment be lost or left at school, your child can pick up another copy in the extra paper basket at school the next day or ask a friend to email a picture of the paper.
• The ELA homework Mrs. Carr assigns will be beneficial to your child’s growth academically, as well as teaching your child responsibility. It is expected that your child reads independently every night for at least 20 minutes. Students will be given an independent reading log that they will need to fill out  home after they read. Please check your child’s reading log daily and sign each night.

o    We will be working in class to select “just right” books based on the student’s reading and interest levels. Students will be able to check reading levels using www.lexile.com.

o   Sometimes as readers, we select a book that isn’t “quite right” or does not hold our interest. I give students the opportunity to abandon books that are not good fits only after conferencing with me and explaining their reasoning for not finishing the book. You will see a designated space on the reading log for this as well.

o   In addition to independently reading each night, your child will eventually be asked to set a weekly reading goal to help them focus on a skill we have worked on in class. They will practice the skill throughout the week and reflect on Thursdays on their progress. 

Snack: Please send in a reusable water bottle with your child.  Students may bring in a working snack that may be eaten during independent work time.  ***Please contact us ASAP if your child has a food allergy that would require us to restrict the types of food allowed into the classroom.

Lunch: 12:43-1:13 in the HJ Cafeteria

• Buying lunch: Prepaying is a hassle-free option for both you and your child.  You can send in a check made out to Hilton Food Service.  A copy of the lunch menu is sent home monthly.
• Please note that your child has the ability to buy extra ice cream, chips, and gummy snacks using the money in your account.  You can contact the food service if you would like to place limitations on the account.
• Bringing lunch: This is always an opportunity for you to be more involved in your child’s lunch choice as well as to limit access to sweets and snacks.

Dismissal: If you are changing your child’s normal dismissal routine, you need to notify the school nurse or send in a note/email to your child’s homeroom teacher in the morning.  For safety reasons, if by the end of the day we do not have notification from you of the change, we will have to follow the regular routine, no matter what the child tells us.  Your help in this matter can avoid anxiety for both the students and us teachers. J

Birthdays: If you would like to celebrate your child’s birthday with the class, please let your child’s homeroom teacher know a few days ahead of time.  The birthday treat must be store bought, and due to allergies please avoid pistachios and apricots.  Please contact us if you would like us to distribute birthday invitations for you, so as to avoid having students feel left out.

It is of great importance to us to maintain a partnership in sharing the education of your child.  If you ever have any questions, comments or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact us at school at 392-1000 ext. 5149 (Finke) and ext. 5172 (Carr) or by email at sfinke@hilton.k12.ny.us, or jcarr@hilton.k12.ny.us.  You can also send in a note with your child.  We would always rather talk about a problem while it is fresh and easier to solve.  Sometimes students feel more comfortable telling their parents/guardians when something is bothering them, and we are relying on you to let us know if we have missed something so that we can address it.  Thank you in advance for sharing your child with us!  We can’t wait to get to know the interests and skills of your child, and to help him or her grow.  We look forward to a great year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Finke and Mrs. Carr