Day One!

Welcome to first grade!  A new school year has begun!  We will be engaged in a wide variety of learning experiences throughout the year.   I’m looking forward to learning more about your children as we move through our first few weeks of school together.

We made it through our first two days of first grade in great shape.  The children are doing a terrific job with all of the new routines that they are learning.  Thank you for sending your children to school so well prepared.  And thank you also for your generous donation of supplies for our year together.  They are appreciated! 

Please be sure to read the other Memorial School notices sent home by the office (or check the school’s website – www.medfield.net) for lots more detailed information about schedules and procedures.  It is particularly important that you read information regarding the arrival and dismissal of your child.  If you ever make arrangements for your child to be dismissed from school via another form of transportation, other than his/her scheduled bus or MAP routine, please be sure to write a note to me on that day.  It is important that I inform the office of any such changes.  In the case of different arrival plans, please be sure to check in at the office before coming down to the classroom.  All of this will make coming and going to Memorial much easier for the children, the office and for me. 

I will pay particular attention during the first few weeks of school as the children grow accustomed to their new routine and make sure they arrive and depart safely.  The children will be instructed to return to the classroom or the office after dismissal if they ever have a question or concern about how they are getting home.  I want them to always feel that they have a safe place to return to if they are confused.  Of course, the Memorial staff as a whole is experienced at making sure this process runs smoothly.

Please be sure to check your child’s backpack each day to help keep track of books, notices and papers.  I will send more detailed information about home assignments and/or projects as I introduce them to the children.

Your child received a Home/School folder.  These folders are intended to help the children get important notes, papers and notices back and forth from school.  If you have a note for me, please put it in your child’s Home/School folder.  Your child will bring the folder back and forth to school every day so that new materials or information come to me or to you on a daily basis.  Thank you for helping your child to remember to bring it to school daily.

As parents, your input and participation will be very important to the success of our program this year.  I will let you know about the different ways that you can get involved in the classroom if you’d like to do so.  I will have sign-up sheets at Parent Information Night on Monday, September 21 if you would like to volunteer in the classroom this year.  Please keep in mind that I do not get my volunteers up and running until I feel that the children and I have had enough time to establish strong classroom routines and have begun to come together as a cohesive learning community.  This “settling in” period is a big priority for me because it is so important for the children to feel secure and confident with their new classroom, peers and teacher.  I tend to get volunteers started towards the end of October or early November.  I will give you a more definitive time frame after a few weeks have passed.

I hope that this information is helpful to you and gets us all off to a good start.  I will send frequent updates about our plans and activities here in Room 10, including ongoing descriptions of my first grade program.  In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns about any aspect of the school or classroom, you may reach me at Memorial by phone or by sending a note to school with your child.  I can also be reached via email at kravinski@email.medfield.net.  

I am very excited to teach and learn with your children this year.  I know we’re going to have a wonderful year together.

Welcome!

Greetings from the Memorial School!  I am writing to welcome you to our classroom and provide some initial information to help get us started this year.

This is the first of many informational posts.  Please stay tuned for lots more information as our year gets underway.  Many children wonder about the kinds of things they need to bring with them on the first day of school.  To start, a small snack (including a drink) for the morning and a backpack are “must-have” items each day.  You should have already received information detailing the supplies that each first grader should bring at the start of school.  These supplies will be used as needed by everyone. 

The first grade teachers will eat lunch with the students on the first day of school.  With the help of the lunch staff, we will spend time getting the children accustomed to this routine  -  how to line up, where to sit, what kinds of food they can buy and how to go about paying for it.  For those of you new to the lunch program, the cost is $2.35 to purchase school lunch, which includes milk or water.  Milk can also be purchased separately for $.50.  Your child will need a change purse of some kind (even a ziploc bag), labeled with his/her name on it, to keep the money safe and in one place.  I will ask the children to bring their money to me on the days they are buying lunch.  I will have a designated bin in the classroom to store the money and will pass it out to them when it is lunch time.  Our class will have lunch at 12:15 each day, followed by recess.

Our classroom schedule for the year will vary slightly from day to day.  The children will, however, have special instruction in specific areas on a set schedule as outlined below. 

Monday                     Physical Education

Tuesday                     Music

Wednesday              Physical Education

Thursday                    Library / Health (alternating weeks)

Friday                         Art

The first few days of first grade will be full of many new and exciting things to learn.  We will work together to make sure everyone settles in, knows where things are and what our days will be like.  I will help the children find their seats, coat hooks, cubbies and mailboxes.  We will take lots of time to adjust to our new room, schedule, friends and activities.  Our classroom is in Room 10.  When children come off the buses on the first day of school they will simply walk straight down the hall in front of them.  They will find me in the last classroom on the right.  There will be lots of adults helping to direct children the first few mornings so that everyone finds their way.  No worries!

Enjoy these last days of summer.  I hope you’re as excited as I am to meet and learn about the many friends we’ll make together in first grade.  I look forward to seeing you all on August 27!

Mrs. Ravinski