Mrs Solorzano - Room 2

Dear Parents,

My name is Mrs. Minh Solorzano. As this school year begins, I want to take the opportunity to welcome your child to first grade. I will do my best to keep an ongoing communication throughout the 2010-2011 school year. Your involvement with your child's learning will further improve his/her academic experience.
Attached to this letter is information about the weekly homework packet (sample cover sheet & Read Aloud Chart is included), students' portfolio, reward system, discipline program, classroom rules and consequences, attendance and tardiness.
I look forward to a successful 2010-2011 school year. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns. You can call St. Peter & Paul School at (520) 325-2431 to leave me a message or send an email in the school website. I will reply at my earliest convenience.
By working together, we will have an outstanding year.

Sincerely,
Minh Solorzano

Homework

Your child will receive a homework packet every week. The packet will contain reading, writing (spelling), math (Saxon math page ill be sent home daily in addition to the packet/ return with packet on Friday), religion, science and/or social studies assignments to be completed by Friday. Students may turn in completed homework early with parent's signature. The assignments may vary depending on the focus of class lessons. The homework is based on what students learned the previous week — for reinforcement. It is your child's responsibility to take his/her homework packet home on Monday and return it completed on Friday. Take extra time to go over each page before signing. The packet will include a cover sheet that will contain a list of each assignment Place a check mark upon completion. There will be a place for comments on which assignment(s) that your child did well and which assignment(s) he/she had difficulties with. This will further help me to meet the students' needs. It is required that you, the parent, sign and date the cover sheet. Your child's name must be printed below. This is to verify that you have reviewed the homework packet with your child.
The first homework packet of every month will have a Read Aloud Chart attached to the back. Reading aloud with your child every day is extremely important. Exposing your child to reading will further assist him/her in his/her reading, writing and comprehension skills. List the titles of books that were read to, with or by your child. Please sign where the parent's signature is needed. Detach this chart from the homework packet and return it with your child on the last Friday of each month. This information will be noted at the bottom of the page. Ask what, when, where & haw questions during the reading. Have your child retell the story in his/her own words. Student reading 8 or more books a month will earn a prize from the class treasure box. Students that maintain the reading goal for four consecutive months will earn a reading certificate.
Please have manuscript paper at home. This is for the use of any writing assignment required for homework. Such as, writing spelling words in sentences and/or short stories.
Corrected homework packets will be sent home with your child the following week. It will include a scoring page (see sample). Preview the corrected homework,SIGN and SEND BACK ONLY THE SCORING PAGE, which will be filed.

Portfolio
Not every class assignment will be sent home with your child. Your child will have his/her own portfolio that will be kept in the classroom. This will serve as an assessment tool for me as the teacher, you as the parent and your child. Maintaining a portfolio is a great way to accumulate assignments, activities, etc. and see your child's progress throughout the months. You will have the opportunity to view your child's portfolio during teacher/parent conference.

Reward/Incentive
Students that follow the classroom rules, show effort and/or improve within their work will be given stickers to place on their reward chart. Once the chart is full, a prize will be given. This is a good way for students to succeed in short and long term goals in behavior and academics.
As a class, students will have the opportunity to work together to receive a merit for good behavior. Every time the class demonstrates positive behavior, they will receive tally marks on the white board. When they receive the goal of ten tallies, the class will receive 15 minutes educational play time or a kinesthetic activity.

Classroom Rules & Consequences

• Respect yourself, others and things.
• Contribute to the learning environment.
• Follow classroom procedures

I will discuss each rule with the students the first week of school. There will also be Discipline with a Purpose Program (DWP) activities so that students can demonstrate understanding of the rules. Included in this packet is a list of the DWP Self-Discipline Skills that we, as a class, will focus on and put into action throughout the school year.
Students will be required to know the Student Learning Expectations. As a class, we will focus on one topic of the expectations monthly. I will introduce the SLE's the first week of school. The SLE's will continually be reinforced in several ways. For instance, students will learn a fun song to remember the SLE' s.
A traffic light discipline chart will be used to regulate students' behavior. Every student will begin each day on green. A student that is unable to follow these rules will place a stick figure in a yellow pocket on the discipline chart as a warning/reminder. If the behavior continues, his/her stick figure will be moved to the red pocket. A note will be sent home explaining the reason(s) the student received the red light. Then, he/she will not be able to participate in center activity time at the end of the day. The student will write a reflection about what he/she could have done differently.
Any type of physical harm towards another student or him/herself will result in sending the student(s) to the Principal / Vice Principal's office and Parent(s) will be notified.
Every note that may be sent home will require the parent(s) signature, reply and returned.

Student of the Week
Once a week, a student will have the opportunity to tell the class about him/herself (i.e. special interests, favorite book, etc). He/she may bring a favorite object from home and share it with the class. Students are aloud to ask the speaker questions about his/her presentation. The objective is to build students' communication skills. A notice will be sent home several days prior to presentation. Students will be selected alphabetically.

Shared Reading
Students will be selected, according to the roster, to bring their favorite book to class. A student will have a chance to read aloud to the class each Friday. A notice will be sent home in preparation for Friday. The students will have an opportunity to predict, ask, comment and answer questions about the story. The objective is to build fluency, comprehension and verbal skills.

Book Report/Book Review
A book report/review will be assigned at the beginning of each month starting in September. Students may select a book suitable to their reading levels from home, public or classroom library. A book report form will sent home with the homework packet on the first week of each month. A due date will be printed on the cover of the homework packet. Students will have about two weeks to complete their report. The report will be due on the second Friday of the month. Students will have the opportunity to read fiction and nonfiction texts. It will be alternated monthly starting with fiction in September. Students will be organized in small groups to discuss details about their books with other classmates. It is a wonderful way for students to experience a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts with the teacher's guidance.

Attendance
It is very important that your child does not miss any school days. If he/she does miss any school day due to illness or other reasons, please provide a note stating the reason(s) and send it with your child when he/she returns to school.

Tardiness
It is very important that your child arrives to school on time each day. When the first bell rings at 8:00 A.M., your child is expected to be in line to enter the classroom. Otherwise, arrival after 8:00 AM will be considered tardy. He/she must pick up a pink slip from the office before coming to class. Five tardies will result in detention (REFER TO PARENT HANDBOOK).

Snack
You are responsible for supplying a snack for your child every school day. It is recommended that your child eat a healthy and nutritious snack. Such as, fruits, vegetables (i.e. sliced carrots/ apples), crackers, yogurt, etc. Include milk, juice or water to drink. Please reduce sugar type snacks, like chocolate, cookies or candy.

Birthdays
Parents may bring healthy treats for the students on their children's birthday. Please notify me a head of time. I will be glad to help distribute them. Parents may bring fruit cups, yogurt, sugar free jell-o with juice , etc. Cupcakes and cakes are not recommended. This is done during snack time.

Please Note:
Please Do Not pack foods that needs to be heated in a microwave or oven.
Thank You, 
Mrs. Solorzano

What Parents Should Expect from Their Child's Teacher

Dear Parents,

Below is a list of expectations that you should have of me, your child's teacher. Please note: I love teaching, and I love teaching your child. However, it is important that you be aware of the fact that you are the primary teacher of your child. That means that lessons on morality, ethics, religion, and dealing with others should begin in your home; it should be reinforced by me in the classroom.

You should expect:

QUALITY INSTRUCTION RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION
ORDER AND DISCIPLINE IN THE CLASSROOM
FAIRNESS
INDIVIDUAL CONCERN FOR THE CHILD
TIMELY UPDATES ON THE CHILD'S PROGRESS
COMMUNICATION OF PROBLEMS
PRESENCE AT ACTIVITIES 
VALUE FOR YOUR INVESTMENT 
IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION