Classroom Information

Welcome to Grade One!

It is hard to believe, but summer vacation is over and we are beginning our first week of school!  It is with great pleasure and excitement that I welcome you and your child to Grade One.  I am looking forward to a rewarding and successful year with each student having the best Grade One experience possible.

Information You May Need to Know

Reading:
Reading skills are one of the most important things we will develop this year. The best thing you can do with your child at home to help him or her at school is to make sure that you read together every night. Later in the fall, we will begin our home reading program as well as sight words, so watch for forthcoming information about these programs. In the meantime, please ensure that your child reads each and every night.

Bell Times:
School begins in the morning at 9:00am and goes until 3:36pm, Monday to Thursday. On Friday, school begins at 9:00am and ends at 2:05pm.

Lunch:
Lunch is from 12:55am to 1:25pm. Each child is required to bring their own lunch if they will be staying at school. There are no microwaves available for student use. Please ensure that your child does not bring a lunch that needs to be heated up.

Snack and Water Bottles:
We will be having a snack twice daily- Once in the morning at around 10:25am and again in the afternoon around 2:25pm. As part of the nutritional component of our curriculum, we ask that your snacks are nutritious. Some snack ideas include: fruit, vegetables, cheese, crackers, yogurt, granola bars, sandwiches, etc. The best beverage for students to drink throughout the day is water; students may keep their water bottle on their desk or in their backpack and will have access to it throughout the day whenever they need a drink. Water fountains are unavailable this year at the school, so please ensure that your child has a water bottle large enough to hold water for the entire school day.

Allergies:
If your child has allergies and you have not done so already, please provide us with a list of the things your child is allergic to and a detailed description of the ways in which your child reacts to these items. If your child requires medication or has a medical condition, please speak to us about it so that we are up to date of your child’s needs. If your child has an epi-pen or inhaler in their backpack or at the office, medication forms will need to be filled out. Please contact me for a copy of these forms if you have not received them (write a note in your child’s agenda and I will provide copies). Our first priority is the health and safety of your child, so thank-you in advance for your cooperation in providing any necessary information.

Birthdays:
For the 2020-2021 school year, we are unable to have food items sent in for student birthdays. However, we will make sure to celebrate your child’s birthday and make them feel extra special in other ways!

Contact Information:
It is vital that we are able to get a hold of you for a variety of reasons. For this to be possible, we require an up-to-date phone number and email address. Please advise both the office and myself of any changes that may occur during the year.

Indoor Shoes:
Shoes must be worn at all times in the school, so please ensure that you send a pair of “indoor” shoes that can be left at school. Runners (with socks) are the best shoes to wear because we go to the gym every day.

Absences:
Please let us know if your child will be away from school. You can make me aware of your child’s absence or you can phone the school office at (403)-948-5922.

Agendas:
Student agendas will be sent home each night and are to be initialed and brought back to school every day. The agenda will be used for small reminders, to send notes to and from school, and to store notices/forms from the school. Feel free to attach any notes in the agenda to communicate with the school. Agendas will be used daily.

Learning Commons:
Our library time will look different this year. More details as to what library time will look like in the 2020-2021 school year will soon follow.

Scholastic Book Orders:
I will periodically be sending home Scholastic Book Orders with students. A portion of the order each month is given back to the classroom to purchase books, so your order also helps to supply books for our classroom. These orders are a great way to purchase reasonably priced books for your own child or as gifts. Orders may be paid for online using the Parent Pay feature (please still send the order form to school so I can place the order) or by sending a cheque with your child’s order (no cash please).

Volunteers:
Volunteering will look different this year. In the past, many parents have come to the school to help with art activities, reading with students, field trips and other various projects we are working on in class. For this school year, I am looking for parents who would be able to help with creating student scrapbooks and helping to prep materials as students now each require their own individual supplies. If you are able to help out in any capacity, please let me know. Our volunteers are always greatly appreciated J.

Wet Wipes, Band-Aids, Ziploc Bags, Playdoh, etc.:
Our class is always in need of items such as: wet wipes (baby wipes and Lysol), Kleenek (If your child can bring their own Kleenek supplies that would be greatly appreciated!), Ziploc bags, Band-Aids, Playdoh, etc. If you are able to send in one or two of these items, either now or throughout the school year, it would be greatly appreciated!

Weather-Appropriate Clothing:
Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. This may mean that they need to dress in layers when mornings are cool but the afternoon warms up. Additionally, we go outside for recess most days unless it is very wet or very cold, so please ensure that your child is properly dressed for any inclement weather such as rain, snow, and cold weather.

Let’s work together to make this year a great year for your child! Should you have any questions throughout the school year, please feel free to contact me. I am looking forward to working with each of your children and I know we are going to have a wonderful year!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Farran Harkonen
Grade One Ecole Edwards
403-948-5922
fharkonen@rockyview.ab.ca