Barn Swallows
Sherry Reuter s.reuter@fgcschool.org
September 2008
Welcome
We are off to a fantastic beginning! Thank you all for participating in our family visits. They have served as a valuable time for me to get to know a little about your child before the school year began. This week I have seen new friendships forming, as well as a lot of enthusiasm for learning! We have been learning daily routines and procedures, as well as practicing them, to help set a solid foundation for learning throughout the school year. We have a wonderful group of people in this class!
Your Child’s Weekly Schedule
Monday- Italic Handwriting Class
We will have instructive handwriting class weekly, with many opportunities throughout the week to practice new handwriting skills.
Tuesday- Art Class
Students will be using a variety of materials and are welcome to bring a smock or old shirt.
Wednesday- Out and About Class
This is our scheduled time to study outside of the classroom. We will be ‘Out and About’ for most of the afternoon. Many of these excursions will be to wet and muddy places. Please help prepare your child to spend Wednesday afternoons outside, rain or shine. Rain boots are a good choice, as long as he or she can comfortably walk in them. A rain coat, warm layers, gloves, hat, and scarf will help ensure that your child has a positive experience outside.
Thursday- Physical Education Class
All students should wear athletic shoes and clothes that allow them to be active. We will almost always have Physical Education outside, so please be sure your child has appropriate clothing. Water bottles are also important. Please send a full reusable water bottle with your child every day. This will help ensure that they are comfortable physically throughout their days at school.
Friday- Early Dismissal
Dismissal is at 1:05 for the entire school every Friday.
Recess and Lunch
During the first week of school we have been walking to Central School play yard for recess. Our normal schedule will have two recesses each day where we will be able to use our school’s back yard. We are trying a ‘pack it in, pack it out’ policy with lunches. This means that any uneaten food will come back home, rather than going in the garbage. Fruit and vegetable food scraps, such as peels or cores, will be composted at school. At our school we are dependent on volunteers to help supervise your children during recesses and lunch. If you are able to volunteer please contact Vickie Jares at school (503) 359-4600. Thank you!
10:20-10:40 Recess
11:40-12:10 Lunch and clean up
12:10-12:30 Recess
Class Snacks
Please read the attached sheet prepared by one of our room parents, Kim Parrett. Contact Kim (503)547-8835 or Sherry (s.reuter@fgcshool.org) if you have questions, comments, or perhaps more ideas to contribute to help form our classroom and family community.
Birthdays
If your child would like to bring in a treat for the class to celebrate his/her birthday, please send a non-food item (sticker, book mark, etc.) to be handed out at the end of the day.
Themes for the Year
Harvest
Farming, nutrition, and food celebrations
Communities
Local architecture (building design and materials)
Transportation (invention and innovation)
Local heroes (every-day heroes of our community)
Ecosystems
Local forests, wetlands, and the Oregon coast
