September 8, 2009
Dear Grade 1 Families,
I welcome you to this new school year and hope that you and your family have had an enjoyable summer. I am looking forward to getting acquainted and working with you and your child this year.
Our class has 21 students, 3 are new to the school. We would like to welcome them to the Queen Victoria Community.
My name is Brenda Wotten and I am your child's teacher. I have been teaching at Queen Victoria for seven years, all of those years in the primary division as a Classroom Teacher and Resource Teacher. I have a little girl of my own. Vanessa is beginning grade 7 in Peterborough. She is now taller than I am, but I still refer to her as "my little girl". I am thrilled to be returning to Grade 1 and working in the early primary grades. I have my Reading Specialist and have been working towards my Special Education Specialist. Grade 1 is an exciting year! Children make so many connections and strides in their reading and writing. It is a wonderful year!
Library and Gym
Mrs. Lautenschlager is our teacher-librarian. Our scheduled library day is Day 5 during the 6 day cycle. Your child will record this in their agenda on Day 4 as a reminder to return his/her book. Gym is scheduled for Days 2 and 4. Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately and has indoor funning shoes for every scheduled gym class. Appropriate running shoes are necessary to participate in gym classes. To help our Custodians, Mr. Daynes and Mr. Evans, keep our school clean, please make sure that your child has a pair of indoor running shoes to be kept at school. Each child in our class has a labeled cubby to keep his/her shoes in at the end of each day.
Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork
As we begin to settle in this week, this letter is letting you know about some "housekeeping" items that will help our year run smoothly. Today, several forms are being sent home for you to complete and sign and return to the school as soon as possible. This information will then be forwarded to the office to update and maintain student files. Please fill these forms out completely and promptly and return to the me as soon as possible so that I can then forward them to the office.
Money
If you are sending money to school, please put it in an envelope or Zip Loc bag and let me know, in your child's agenda or a note in the bag, what the money is for to help me with the accurate handling of money in the classroom. Reminder: please send money by the due dates (e.g. milk orders, hot lunches, class trips, etc.) to me directly so that I can make sure it is accounted for on my class list. Please avoid sending money to the office directly. Thank you for your cooperation.
Agendas
The agendas are a great organizational tool and a great way to maintain home/school communication. I look at the agendas each morning and, at the end of the day, each student will write their homework and notes in it. Please read and sign your child's agenda each day to show that it has been read. Homework, assignment due dates, test dates, and classroom/school events will be recorded in the agenda. Feel free to write any notes that you wish to share with me. The cost of the agenda is $6.00. Please send this money as soon as you can and I will forward it to the office.
Scholastic Book Orders
To help promote reading at home and at school, I will be ordering books from Scholastic Book Club this year. This is a voluntary service I provide to enhance and encourage reading with your children. The first order will be sent home on Monday, September 14th. It will be due on Monday, September 28th. Please make your cheques payable to Scholastic Canada Ltd.
I am looking forward to an exciting year in Grade 1 and working with your child. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call me at the school and we can set up a time to meet.
Yours truly,
Ms. B. Wotten
Grade 1 Teacher
