September 8, 20010
Dear Parents,
We would like to welcome you to our ELA and Math classes at The Staten Island School of Civic Leadership, I.S. 861. We are so glad that your child will be part of our class family. We are looking forward to working with your child this year and helping them achieve to their full potential. Your child is about to embark on an exciting learning adventure- and you are coming along! We have a very busy and exciting year in store for us! Through the remainder of this letter we will share some of our beliefs and classroom policies. We believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school success. Throughout the year we will communicate with you through notes, telephone calls, quarterly reports and parent-teacher conferences. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You can call us at the school during school hours or send us a note or e-mail. Our phone number is 718-697-5250. It is extremely important to keep in mind that each child will progress at his/her own rate, acquiring skills as he/she is developmentally ready. Maintaining each child's self-esteem and building a secure foundation for future growth will always remain a priority. Here are some ways that you can help: • Celebrate your child's success, no matter how small it may seem. This will keep your child enthusiastic about learning and proud of their work!• Make sure your child reads every night. Remember to sign your child's reading log every night.
Grading Policy:
Homework/Notebook Check 20% Tests/Quizzes 50% Projects 20%
Class participation/Behavior 10%
Homework:Homework will be given on a daily basis. Your child will have a homework notebook that he or she will write in each day. This is where they will complete their homework assignments. Please take the time and go over homework assignments with your child. We will be communicating with you through this notebook so it is extremely important to check it each night. This is a great communication bridge between school and home.
Discipline:Establishing good classroom discipline is essential to each child’s success, confidence, and well-being. Every child should feel that the classroom environment is safe and secure and free from all threats of physical or emotional harm. In addition, it is important that each child learn to develop self-discipline and good work habits, to resolve conflicts peacefully, and to think independently. For these reasons, the discipline plan we have chosen has several components. First, the children will learn the purpose of classroom rules and develop the idea that our classroom is a community with the common purpose of learning, growing and becoming friends. Our classroom rules will protect each student’s right to safety and respect, as well as, outlining the responsibilities that each child has in maintaining class order. Here are the rules that each child will have to follow in both classrooms:1. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.2. Always raise your hand and ask permission to do something.3. Treat others with kindness and respect.4. Follow directions.5. Practice proactive behavior.6. Share with each other. The second facet of the discipline plan includes the logical consequences that will occur when class rules are broken. Examples of logical consequences include:1st time: Warning2nd time: Time off recess3rd time: Parent contact4th time: Office referral
Rewards:
- Your children will receive verbal positive reinforcement on a daily basis!
- Tokens: Your children will receive tokens if they “get caught doing something great!” The possibilities for these tokens are endless and the students will be rewarded in the classroom.
- Compliment chain: Every time they receive a compliment, could be individual or as a class, they will receive a link on the chain and when it reaches the floor they will get a popcorn or pizza party in class.