WELCOME BACK LETTER AUGUST 2009

August 19, 2009 Dear Parents, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to the third grade. I am looking forward to working with you, so that the 2009-2010 school year will be both a productive and enjoyable experience for your child. If you ever feel that you need to speak with me, please feel free to contact me by sending me a note in your child’s notebook. If you need to e-mail me, you must e-mail it to the school’s e-mail address, (olqm1@aol.com) and Mr. Woods will forward it to me. The teachers are no longer allowed to accept e-mail from parents. There is also a new blog site for the school, which will keep you updated about what we will be doing in class, homework assignments, tests and projects. The blog site is http://olqmnyc.blogspot.com/ The following are some school/class regulations and reminders: 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 is an academic contract, parent’s handbook, Internet usage form, supply list, Sept. calendar, permission slip etc. Please complete all forms and return them to me no later than Friday, Sept. 11th. All school supplies should also be in by Friday 9/11. 2. Please cover all soft covered books, preferably with a transparent cover so the books do not rip. Please write your child’s name on each book. It is very important to do this because the soft-covered books break very easily and pages start to fall out. 3. Check your child’s notebooks, folder and backpack everyday to see what is going on in class and make sure that he/she has all the necessary supplies. 4. Please send me a note when your child is absent or when you need to pick he/she up early from school. If your child is sick for few days try to send someone to pick up the homework. 5. Please read the monthly calendar and Parent Handbook. 6. Your child should lineup in the schoolyard in the morning before 8:00 AM. The class will be dismissed each day through the Sherman Avenue doors at 4:00 PM Mon.-Thurs and 2:30 on Fridays. Please read the school calendar for any exceptions. Parents are not allowed to escort their child to class in the mornings. 7. 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. If you arrive after 8:00AM, please do not enter the class with your child. This causes the other students to become distracted. 8. Our gym day will be on Tuesday(tentatively), so your child will need to wear the school gym uniform (tee shirt and sweat pants) and sneakers. The gym teacher will not allow your child to participate if they are not wearing the correct gym uniform. 9. Make sure that your child completes the HW each day. All Homework will be written in the Purple Homework Assignment Book that each child will receive on the first day of class. Any notes written by the 3 teachers to you will be written in this book. Please read it each night and sign, so the teachers know that you have seen the Homework and any reminders for that day. Please check the folder each night also, in case I send a note home or some word lists. 10. New York State requires that every student from grades 1-8 read at least 25 books per school year. In order to fulfill this requirement, your child will be responsible to read a book each week and complete some type of assignment on the book. This will be discussed on the blog. 11. Remember that your child will change classes this year, which means they will have three teachers. I will be teaching Reading, Spelling, Language Arts, Mr. Badia will be teaching Math and Science and Miss Saville will be teaching Social Studies,Handwriting, and Religion. Again all HW will be written in the purple HW book, so please check it every night. A supply list will also be given by each teacher, so make sure that your child knows what is needed for each class. 12. I also will need to know if your child has a library card in order to borrow books from the Public Library. I will be asking the first week of school, so that I can make sure that each child has one to use. That is a brief overview of some of the important things that you need to know. If you do not understand something or need something clarified, please contact me. It is very important for us to work together to ensure a good learning experience for the children. Do not make your child anxious about the work. Allow them to become used to third grade and a new schedule. Thank you for your cooperation and again welcome! Sincerely, Donna Toscano Larios