April 8, 2013

Dear Parents/Guardians: I hope this letter finds you all relaxed after a week-long spring break it is spring, right? Regardless of the weather, I am excited to be back to full-time teaching after enjoying my maternity leave with my children. I know there are only a few months of school left this year, but I would love to meet you and encourage you to drop by our classroom anytime in the weeks ahead. Although Miss Delorme will be missed and had her own teaching practices, I feel it is important to our classrooms functionality that the students and I find routines that work for us. That being said, Id like to take this opportunity to briefly outline a few of the classroom routines and procedures that we will be implementing for the remainder of the year. Homework I understand that sometimes the homework load can seem to pile up, especially when coupled with 20 minutes of nightly reading and home assignments. Other times, personal circumstances and situations make it difficult to complete any homework. If you find that your child cannot complete his or her homework for a valid reason, please let me know with a note in his or her agenda. I try to only assign what I think is a fair amount of work to be completed in the allotted class time. If it turns out that your child is bringing unfinished work home, it may be attributed to him or her not using class time wisely. Any other time I assign homework, a fair due date will be set that allows ample time for its completion. Any homework that is not brought in on time or that is incomplete (without a valid reason signed by a parent) will be documented. Recess or after school time will then be used to complete the work. Discipline Policy We have one simple rule in Room 600: respect that everyone has the right to learn. Any behaviour that is taking away a peers right to learn (i.e. speaking off-topic, poking a neighbour, etc.) will not be tolerated. Should a student choose not to follow this rule, the following course of action will be taken (assuming behaviour persists or escalates): 1. The student will receive a verbal warning. 2. The student will fill out a yellow slip identifying and correcting their behaviour. 3. The student will fill out a red slip that involves meeting the teacher to discuss their behaviour and a suitable consequence at recess. These slips will be sent home. 4. I will phone home to discuss the behaviour directly with parents. 5. The student will be removed from the classroom and meet with the principal to discuss their options.

Water Bottles & Snack Since I am always thirsty throughout the day, I can imagine how thirsty the students are after running around at recess, lunch, and during Phys. Ed. To eliminate always having to leave the room for a drink, I encourage your child to bring a water bottle to school if he or she desires. Snacks that are brought to school must be nutritional and are highly encouraged. Our mornings are very intensive, consisting primarily of Language Arts and Math. The mid-morning break helps to rejuvenate the students for the last stretch of work before lunch. Parent Involvement & Agendas Parent involvement is crucial to having a successful school year. Thank you for all youve done and all youll be doing to help your child with homework. Also, thank you in advance for any volunteering you may do this year. Next month is our turn to organize Davison Schools hot lunch, so I hope to get to see some of you then. Agendas are a primary form of daily communication so please make a point of reading and initialling your childs agenda each night. The students record important reminders each day and I check for notes from you each morning. Our Blog Our blog will serve as a primary source of classroom information. Daily blog posts will contain agenda messages and occasional pictures and updates of what we are covering in class. Among other things, you will also find a calendar there that contains important due dates and school events. Please check the blog on a regular basis. It can be accessed via the following link: http://davison600.blogspot.com/. Contact Information For those of you who are Internet addicts as I am, emailing is a great way to get in touch with me. My email address is blechner@mail.gssd.ca. You can also email me directly from our class blog should you misplace the above address. Alternatively, you can reach me by phone at work (728-3955) or at home (728-2775). I look forward to a fantastic finish to the school year. Please drop by for a visit! Yours in Education,

Mrs. Brandy Lechner