Mrs. Bishop’s Classroom Handbook
2013-2014
Dear Parents,
I would like to welcome you as well as your child to first grade because this year will truly be a joint venture between parent, child, and teacher. This is an exciting year as the children learn to read, write, process math skills, develop good work skills, and gain more independence. Below is some information that I hope will be useful to you. I look forward to working with you and your child this school year!
Your Teacher
A Little About Me- I received both my undergraduate and graduate teaching degrees from East Carolina University. My previous teaching experience includes kindergarten, first, and second grade in both Wake and Johnston County.
I live in Garner with my husband and four year old son named Christopher. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with Christopher and shopping-a little too much according to my husband
I absolutely love teaching first graders and am looking forward to a wonderful year ahead!
Communication
Daily Folder- Your child will be given a folder that will be used as our way of communicating daily. This folder will carry your child’s homework and daily communications. This folder should be checked nightly and returned to school each morning. Homework will be located on the left side of the folder. In front of the homework will be a monthly behavior calendar. This sheet will remain in the folder all week. If you need to send me a note, lunch money, book order money, etc… please send it in this folder, as we do not check bookbags.
Friday Folder- In addition to your child’s daily folder, you will receive a manila Friday folder containing work that your child has completed in class. This folder will be inside of a gallon size Ziploc bag. Please empty out this folder over the weekend and send it back to school in the Ziploc bag on Monday.
Mrs. Bishop’s Contact Information-Email: jbishop@wcpss.net School Phone: 919-890-7333
Progress Reports
Conferences: Parent/teacher conferences are held twice a year. You will be notified if additional conferences need to take place and please feel free to contact me if you feel additional conferences are needed.
Report Cards: Your child will receive a report card at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarter marking periods. They will be sent home in a special report card folder that will need to be signed and returned to school.
Homework
Each Monday, a sheet will be placed in your child’s Home-School Connection folder explaining our homework for the week. Assignments should be completed each night in order to develop good homework habits. Homework will be due on Friday unless otherwise stated. Please do not leave all assignments to be completed Thursday evening. Your child should do a little bit of homework each night. Developing good homework habits is very important in first grade!
Classroom Behavior
This year our school has adopted the PBIS behavior model. PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. The students in our school are encouraged to be responsible, be respectful, and be safe. We have established common rules for all of the children in the school throughout the common areas (cafeteria, restroom, playground, hallway, etc…). Your child will attend an assembly with administration to help learn and understand what these rules and expectations are. Along with our school-wide rules, we will also have classroom rules and other incentives.
Classroom Behavior Calendars: I have high expectations for how your child should act while at school both in and out of the classroom. During the first week of school, our class will establish a set of rules that should be followed each and every day. The goal of our classroom behavior system is to establish a set of rules that help us learn and keep us safe. We will work together to create a positive and safe learning environment for your child and for the other children in our class. I promote “making good choices” and encourage students to take responsibility for their own actions. Each month your child will have a calendar to keep track of their behavior which should be kept in the folder at all times. If your child has met our expectations for the day, he/she will receive a star for that day on the calendar. To promote positive behavior in the classroom, rewards will be given to students to demonstrate good behavior and they will receive a special treat at the end of the week. If a good choice is not being made, your child will receive a verbal warning to get back on track. If myself or another staff member needs to continue to speak to your child about their choices, they will receive a behavior code on their calendar. This code will explain what your child needs to work on in order to meet our expectations. Along with the behavior code, your child will fill out a reflection form that states what choice they made and what choice they should have made. This form will be sent home, should be discussed, signed and returned the next day. If your child’s behavior escalates and becomes disruptive to the learning or safety of others, an office referral to administration will be made along with a phone call home.
Blazer Bucks: Each day, your child will have the opportunity to earn “blazer bucks” when they have been spotted following a class/school rule. When your child earns their ticket, they will write their name on the back and add it to our class bucket. At the end of each week, I will draw a few names out of the bucket to earn a prize.
Compass Coins: Our class will work together as a team to earn compass coins for our Trailblazer poster. Once we have filled up our poster, our class will earn a reward. Our class can earn compass coins for modeling positive behavior in common areas of the school, such as on the playground and in the cafeteria.
Thank you for supporting our classroom behavior system. Good classroom behavior is vital to the successful learning of all children.
Attendance
Absences: If your child is absent for any reason, please call the school or email me (jbishop@wcpss.net) to let us know that your child will not be in class for the day. This is very helpful as I mark attendance and reasons for absences on the computer system. A note needs to come to school with your child as to why they were absent when they return. Any absence that does not have a note will be considered unexcused. Although good attendance is very important to your child’s learning, if your child is out sick, please do not worry about what they will miss at school. We will catch them up when they return.
Student Check In/Out: If your child is tardy or leaving early, please stop by the office to check them in/out. The office staff will call our room if your child will be picked up early and will meet you in the office. Please remember that our academic learning begins at 9:15 every day and does not end until 3:40. If your child is consistently late or picked up early, they will miss important information. Thank you for your cooperation with this.
Cafeteria & Snack
Please make sure that your child is prepared for lunch every day. If you plan on having your child buy lunch, please make sure that they have money in their account. If a child does not have enough funds in their account, he/she will receive fruits, vegetables and water from the cafeteria. If you are sending lunch money to school with your child, please place it in an envelope labeled with their name and “lunch money” on the front. It can be sent in their daily home-school connection folder. If you plan on coming to school to eat lunch with your child, you can sit at the parent table in the back of the cafeteria.
Your child will have a time each day set aside to eat a healthy snack from home. Please see the healthy snack letter located in the parent packet for further information.
Birthdays
If your child is celebrating their birthday while we are in school, they are welcome to bring in a small treat to share with the class. Please make sure treats are store-bought and there is one for each child in our class. Snacks should not contain any type of nut product. Birthday cakes, candles, balloons, and treat bags are not allowed to come to school. Also, please do not ask us to give out birthday invitations in school. This needs to take place outside of the classroom.
Volunteering
There will be opportunities to volunteer with our class this year. Anyone wishing to volunteer must be cleared by the county. You can do this here at school. If you were a volunteer last year, you will need to go through the clearing process again this year. More information about volunteering will come home in your child’s folder.
Scholastic Book Orders
Throughout the year I will send home Scholastic book order forms with your child. You will have an opportunity to build your library at home as well as help us earn bonus points to build our classroom library at school! I use these points to purchase classroom items that correlate with our common core standards. You will receive specific information on how to order when the first book order is sent home.
Thank you for spending the time to read over our classroom handbook. I hope this guide will serve as a helpful resource for you this year. Please keep this in a safe place at home. If you have any questions once our year begins, please do not hesitate to ask.
Mrs. Bishop
