Dear Parents and Students in Grades 5, 6, 7, and 8,
I would like to take this
opportunity to welcome you back to school. I hope that you are having an
enjoyable and restful summer vacation. I will be teaching Reading to Grades
5-8, and Social Studies to Grades 7 and 8. Reminders, some general information /school
rules and regulations, and school supplies are listed below. If you have any
questions concerning any of these, I will be happy to address them at the
Parent /Teacher Meeting on Wednesday, September 3, 2014.
As you know, we are
following the Common Core Curriculum, and the Reading/ELA curriculum requires
that every student reads both fiction and nonfiction texts. The children will
be responsible to buy the books that the state is requiring them to read in
order to satisfy these new standards. I will list below the names, authors, and
prices of the books that we will be reading for Unit 1 (there are six units in
all). I can order these books for you or you can purchase them yourself. If
your child has a nook, tablet, kindle, or iPad, he/she can download the books
as long as it is the right edition. They should check with me before
downloading the book. There are rules that go along with downloading. The iPad
or tablet must be brought to my classroom before 8:15 and left there until
Reading class. The children are not allowed to carry them around with them, unless
they have permission from another teacher. If that rule is not abided by, your
child will not be allowed to download books for the rest of the school year. If
you would like me to order books for your child, please send the money in an
envelope with your child’s name and grade on the first day of class, Thursday,
September 4th or you can give it to me at the Parents’ Meeting on
September 3rd. I will be ordering the books on Friday, 9/5. It is
important that your child has a copy of the book, since we will be using it in
class and at home. The same procedures will be followed for the rest of the
Units throughout the year.
Please check the blog
frequently, so you can keep yourself updated on what your child is doing in
each class in terms of homework assignments, tests, and projects. The school
blog site address is http://olqmnyc.blogspot.com/. You must check all four
teachers' blogs to keep updated about tests, assignments, and projects in each
of the six subject areas. Your child is
responsible for all work, tests, or projects, even when they are absent. So
make sure that they check the blog each evening to make sure they have
completed all work for the next day. Remember, the blog is updated by each
teacher day to day, so it needs to be checked every day.
Enjoy the remaining weeks
of vacation and I look forward to seeing you on September 3rd.
Sincerely,
Donna Toscano Larios
Reminders:
September 3rd-
Parent-Teacher Meeting at 7:00 PM in your child’s homeroom. (You will be given
a folder containing forms that need to be filled out, signed, and returned to
the Homeroom teacher by Monday,9/8- please send all forms back in the folder that you receive them in).
September 4th-
First Day of Classes (line up in the backyard before 8:00AM). All students
should have their school supplies, bookbag, money if you would like me to order
the book needed for Unit 1, and must be in full uniform.
September 8th-
Money due if you wish to order books for Unit 1 (in an envelope with your
child’s name and grade).
General Information/School Rules and Regulations:
1. Please sign all papers
distributed in the parent packet. You will receive two emergency cards to fill
out. Fill out all parts including the mother and father’s name even if you are
not living together. Include the following information: phone numbers-
including cell #’s, whom to contact in case of an emergency, and remember to fill out the back of each card
and sign the bottom. Also in the parent’s packet are an academic
contract, parent’s handbook, Internet usage form, Sept. calendar, photo release
form, textbook loan form, technology usage form, a general field trip
consent form, and a parent signature sheet for the Handbook. Please complete all forms and return them to
me no later than Monday, Sept.8 in the folder you received them in. Please do
not return the September calendar or Parent Handbook. They are for your
own information.
2. All school supplies should be in by Thursday,
9/4.
3. Please cover all soft
covered books, and maybe add some cardboard, so the books do not rip. If they
are broken and you can fix them, please feel free to do so. Please make sure
your child’s name is on each book. It is very important to cover the books
because the soft-covered books break very easily and pages start to fall out.
4. Check your child’s
notebooks, folder, and bookbag everyday to see what is going on in class, or if
there are any notes from teachers concerning homework or classwork, and make
sure that he/she has all the necessary supplies every day.
5. Please send a note
when your child is absent or when you need to pick he/she up early from school.
If I do not receive an absence note, your child will be marked illegally
absent. If your child is sick for few
days try to send someone to pick books needed to make up the work your child
has missed. All students are responsible to turn in any assignments missed
while they are absent from school. They will be given one or two days to
complete the assignments once they return to school.
6. Please read the
monthly calendar, the school blog, and the Parent Handbook carefully. Also
check your child’s grades on SIS, so you know right away if your child is
having any problems in school. You will need to get a password in order to have
access to your child’s grades.
7. Your child should
lineup in the backyard in the morning before 8:00 AM. The class will be
dismissed each day at 3:00 PM Monday-Friday. Please read the school calendar
for any early dismissals.
8. Please make sure that
your child is on time for school each day. If your child is late more than two
times per quarter, he/she will not be able to receive Honors. In addition,
he/she will not be allowed into class without getting a late pass.
9. All students should be
in full uniform each day, unless otherwise specified on the blog, IRIS alert,
or in the homework assignment book. That means shoes, socks, sweaters, vests
(for girls), having the proper haircut (boys), etc. This is all stated in the
Parent's Handbook. Good conduct, effort, keeping belongings neat and organized,
completing homework and classwork assignments, arriving to school on time, and
being respectful to classmates and school staff are other criteria which are
evaluated when determining your child’s character development grade.
10. Detention is given to
any student that breaks school or class rules such as misbehaving in class, not
completing homework or classwork, or not signing notes or test papers.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Supply
List for Grade 8
Reading
and Social Studies:
3 Marble Notebooks
(should have 100 or more sheets). Spiral
Notebooks are not allowed!
4- 2 pocket folders-
plastic is more durable (pockets should be on the bottom, not on the side). Three
will stay in school for tests, and the other will be used for HW (Reading and
Social Studies), tests, or notes. The ones sold in the supply room are good, since they do not rip.
1 large box of Kleenex
tissues to share with the class.
1 bottle of Hand sanitizer
The
following items can be shared with the other classes, but should be available
everyday:
Lots of looseleaf- Keep
inside of the folder, and refill the folder when you are running out!
1 USB drive (can be
shared with other classes)
3x5 lined white index
cards
Blue or Black pens
Red pens
Yellow highlighters
Package of colored
pencils
Pencil Sharpener
Scotch Tape
Sharpened pencils with
erasers
Scissors
Ruler
Glue
Some type of case to keep
pencils, pens, glue, colored pencils, etc. in.
Book covers (transparent
if possible)
All supplies must be in
by Thursday, September 4!
Book to purchase for Unit
1:
The Great Fire by Jim
Murphy, Scholastic, 1995 $10.00
___________________________________________________________________________________
Supply
List for Grade 7
Reading
and Social Studies:
3 Marble Notebooks
(should have 100 or more sheets). Spiral
Notebooks are not allowed!
4- 2pocket folders-
plastic is more durable (pockets should be on the bottom, not on the side). Three
will stay in school for tests, and the other will be used for HW (Reading and
Social Studies), tests, or notes.
1 large box of Kleenex
tissues to share with the class.
1 bottle of Hand sanitizer
The
following items can be shared with the other classes, but should be available
everyday:
Lots of looseleaf- Keep
inside of the folder, and refill the folder when you are running out!
1 USB drive (can be
shared with other classes)
3x5 lined white index
cards
Blue or Black pens
Red pens
Yellow highlighters
Package of colored
pencils
Pencil Sharpener
Scotch Tape
Sharpened pencils with
erasers
Scissors
Ruler
Glue
Some type of case to keep
pencils, pens, glue, colored pencils, etc. in.
Book covers (transparent
if possible)
All supplies must be in
by Thursday, September 4!
Book to purchase for Unit
1:My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln
Collier & Christopher Collier, Scholastic 1974 $ 7.50
___________________________________________________________________________________
Supply
List for Grade 6 Reading
1 Marble Notebooks
(should have 100 or more sheets). Spiral
Notebooks are not allowed!
3- 2 pocket folders-
plastic is more durable (pockets should be on the bottom, not on the side). Two
will stay in school for tests, and the other will be used for HW for Reading, tests,
or notes.
1 large box of Kleenex
tissues to share with the class.
1 bottle of Hand sanitizer
The
following items can be shared with the other classes, but should be available
everyday:
Lots of looseleaf- Keep
inside of the folder, and refill the folder when you are running out!
1 USB drive (can be
shared with other classes)
3x5 lined white index
cards
Blue or Black pens
Red pens
Yellow highlighters
Package of colored
pencils
Pencil Sharpener
Scotch Tape
Sharpened pencils with
erasers
Scissors
Ruler
Glue
Some type of case to keep
pencils, pens, glue, colored pencils, etc. in.
Book covers (transparent
if possible)
All supplies must be in
by Thursday, September 4!
Book to purchase for Unit
1: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by
Roald Dahl, Puffin Books, 2013 $ 7.50
___________________________________________________________________________________
Supply
List for Grade 5 Reading and Homeroom
1 Marble Notebooks
(should have 100 or more sheets). Spiral
Notebooks are not allowed!
3- 2 pocket folders-
plastic is more durable (pockets should be on the bottom, not on the side). One
will stay in school for tests, and the other will be used for HW for Reading, tests,
or notes.
2 reams (500 sheets) of
white copying paper for printing (8½ x11)
1 large box of Kleenex
tissues to share with the class.
1 bottle of Hand sanitizer
to share with the class
1 large roll of paper
towels
1 plastic container of Clorox
or Lysol Disinfecting Wipes
The
following items can be shared with the other classes, but should be available
everyday:
Lots of looseleaf- Keep
inside of the folder, and refill the folder when you are running out!
1 USB drive (can be
shared with other classes)
3x5 lined white index
cards
Blue or Black pens
Red pens
Yellow highlighters
Package of colored
pencils
Pencil Sharpener
Scotch Tape
Sharpened pencils with erasers
Scissors
Ruler
Glue
Some type of case to keep
pencils, pens, glue, colored pencils, etc. in.
Book covers (transparent
if possible)
If your child has a laptop, he/she are asked to bring it to school for a project they will be working on with Ms. Serewko and Mr. Placido. You will be told more about this by both teachers.
If your child has a laptop, he/she are asked to bring it to school for a project they will be working on with Ms. Serewko and Mr. Placido. You will be told more about this by both teachers.
All supplies must be
in by Thursday, September 4!
Book to purchase for Unit
1:Thomas Edison, Young Inventor by
Sue Guthridge, Aladdin
Paperbacks, 1986 $7.00
