See below for the ABC's of First Grade. This gives information about first grade and some information about school procedures. Please take some time to read through this information.
ABC's of First Grade
Absences – If your child is going to be absent, a parent must call the school in the morning. When your child returns to school, he or she must have an absent note. Absent note slips will be provided by the school and are available on the school website.
Arrival – There will be a staff member in the gymnasium starting at 8:00 each morning. For your child’s safety, please do not arrive earlier than 8:00 as there is no adult supervision in the gym before that time. When the bell rings at 8:20, the children will be brought into school. Students are considered late if they are not in line at 8:20.
Art – Our class will have Art with Mrs. Rowland every Wednesday
Backpacks – Students should bring a backpack to school every day. Please make sure the backpack is large enough to accommodate the take-home folder. Backpacks should not have a lot of unnecessary items inside. A lunch box, snack, take-home folder, and Homework books and copybooks should be in the backpack. Please mark your child's name inside his/her backpack.
Belongings - Please mark all belongings (backpack, lunch box, sweat shirt, etc.) with the first name and the last name of the student.
Birthdays – First grade birthdays are very special times. Children love to be the center of attention on their day. The birthday child will be recognized during morning announcements and will receive a N.U.T (NO UNIFORM TODAY) Pass to be used on a day that you wish as long as we are not going to Mass.
Book Orders - Every month I send home a Scholastic Book Order. This is an opportunity to order reasonably priced books on your child's level. When you purchase books our class is credited with points which I use for additional books for our class library. Please make checks out to Scholastic. You may also order on-line using our class code of LJHHZ
Classroom Behavior - A three-card system is used to monitor behavior in school. Every student starts the day on green. If behavior becomes a problem the student will be asked to change his card to yellow. I tell the students a yellow card is to remind them that they have to remember school rules. If the behavior continues the student will be asked to change his card to red. At the end of the day the students will color the day's box on the calendar in their take home folders so you know what color card they had. I will follow up with a call or an e-mail to discuss the red card. Please check your child's calendar each day. All red cards MUST be signed by a parent so that I know you have seen the calendar.
Church - Please make weekly attendance at Mass a family priority. I can always tell by church behavior which first graders have been attending Mass regularly. They will not behave better if you don't give them the opportunity to practice. To say nothing of the beautiful gift of being able to visit with the Lord!
Conferences – Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled during the first trimester. Each family is scheduled for a fifteen minute conference. This is the only scheduled conference for the year. However, conferences can be arranged any time the parent or teacher feels they are necessary.
CARES – MPRCS has a before and after school program. Information regarding the CARES program can be found on the school website. Details can also be requested from the school office.
Computer Class – Our class will have Computer with Mrs. Sabatini on Tuesdays
Dismissal – Car riders will be dismissed from the gymnasium at around 3:00. Your child will be dismissed when the car reaches the gymnasium door. Please place a sign with your child’s last name on it in your car window so the teachers can read it.
**** If there is a change in your child’s normal method of transportation at dismissal, a note must be sent into school. For example, your child is a bus rider. You will be picking him up by car. I must have a note stating that change in writing.
Early Dismissal – If your child needs to leave early for an appointment or due to sickness, there are a few school procedures that must be followed. When you enter the school to pick your child up, you must first go to the office to sign your child out. The office will call down to the classroom and we will have your child packed up for dismissal.
Emergency Procedures – If an incident should occur, school will first contact the parents. If the parents cannot be reached, they will contact those people you have designated on the information sheet filled out in September. Be sure to update any phone number changes as needed throughout the year.
Occasionally minor accidents happen during the day. If I feel that a situation was handled properly, I will not call you at work. Examples: applied bandage, cleaned a cut or scrape. All head injuries will require us to notify you.
Grading System for First Grade to Third Grade O = Outstanding Equivalent to A+
VG= Very Good Equivalent to A
G = Good Equivalent to B
S = Satisfactory Equivalent to C or Average
I = Improvement Needed Equivalent to D
U = Unsatisfactory Equivalent to F or Failing
HASA – The Home and School Association organizes a number of programs that benefit both the school and the families of MPRCS. There are at least three membership meetings during the year. There are also many ways for parents to become involved at MPRCS through HASA.
Homework – Homework is an excellent opportunity to develop good work and study habits. It also allows parents to see what we do at school and gives the student practice on skills that are being developed. Homework is assigned on Monday. Check our class website for the current week’s homework assignments.
Hot Lunch/Drinks – we have a free hot lunch program that is available to all students daily. Occasionally, the hot lunch program is unavailable, and you will be notified ahead of the date to prepare a lunch from home.
Jewelry – No jewelry is to be worn with the school uniform except for a cross or a religious medal. Earrings must be post-type earrings.
Late Arrival – A student is considered late if he is not in line in the school gymnasium at 8:20. If your child is late arriving to school, he must be signed in at the office. The student may come directly to the classroom, but the parent should go up to the office and sign the child in.
Library – Our class will have Library with Mrs. Jennings on Wednesdays.
Medication – If your child needs to be given any type of medication, you will need to come to school to administer it. Please contact the office with questions.
Music – Our class will have music with Mrs. Purpura on Thursdays
Physical Education – Our class will have P.E. with Mrs. Meehan every Thursday
Report Cards and Progress Reports – Report cards are issued three times a year. Progress reports are issued in the middle of each trimester as needed.
Snack – We will have a short snack time every morning. Please send in a snack that your child can eat in a short period of time (five or ten minutes). Make sure the snack is nutritious (no candy, please). We will not be having any drinks with our snacks. We will visit the water fountain after our snack and bathroom break. There is an option of ordering a pretzel for snack. The pretzel order is for the upcoming month. We also have the option of having a free breakfast item from what Mrs. Washel calls the “Snack Bar”.
Spanish- Our class will have Spanish class with Mrs. Kelly on Mondays
Student of the Week - Each student will have the opportunity, over the course of the year, to be Student of the Week. The student's pictures and info page gets hung up in the first grade classroom. Students are recognized during morning meeting on Monday and throughout the week. They will also be the line leader for the week.
Take-Home Folder – This is a communication folder. This folder must be brought to school every day. Please make it a habit to check this folder every day because it will contain work, notes and newsletters. Please be sure to empty your child’s folder of anything on the “Keep at Home” side. Your child will be responsible for checking for notes for me in their take-home folder. We will check this folder every morning, so please put notes, money, and anything that needs to be returned to school in the folder. When sending in money, please put the money in an envelope in the folder. Also, please mark the envelope with your child’s name and what the money is for. Do not send any money loose in the folder.
Tattoos and Nail polish – As per the school Student Handbook, no student is allowed to wear any tattoos or nail polish. If temporary tattoos or nail polish are applied over the weekend, please remove them before they return to school on Monday.
Teddy and Tedderina- Teddy and Tedderina are our class pets. They like to visit the first graders over the weekend. They come in a backpack with spare clothes and a journal to write in and to be shared with the class. They will go home with a different first grader every Friday and they must be returned to school by the following Tuesday. Children should record their events from the weekend in the journal and include pictures. A sample from last year's class will be in the backpack for you to see how it is done.
Test folders - Red Test folders will come home every Tuesday. Please sign each of your child's tests at the top of the page and RETURN them in the Test folder each week so that I know you have seen their grades.
Uniforms – Please refer to the MPRCS handbook for information on what first grade girls and boys should wear for the Summer and Winter uniform. No jewelry is to be worn, except for small post earrings on girls (no hanging earrings). Be sure your child has the proper shoes for the change from summer uniform to winter uniform.
Volunteers – There are many opportunities to volunteer in both the school and the first grade classroom. It is Archdiocesan policy that all volunteers have clearances before they can work in the school. Please contact the office for a list of the clearances needed to volunteer.