Absences If your child will be absent, please call the office absence line by 9:00 a.m. at 582-6700 and press 2 to report the absence.

If your child will be absent for an extended period of time, please contact me so that I can provide you with suggestions of alternate learning activities you can do with your child during his/her absence.  Most of the work we do at school occurs in the classroom and requires active participation from the students.

Arrival Please drop off your child between 8:40-8:45 a.m.  Children are to line up outside of the side entrance door closest to our classroom.  They line up behind the number 8 that is painted on the sidewalk.  Please do not allow your child to play on the playground before the first bell rings, as no playground supervision is available before school begins.

Attendance On-time, regular attendance is essential for academic and social growth.  Our first bell rings at 8:43 and classes begin at 8:48.  Children arriving after 9:05 a.m. will be marked tardy.   

Backpacks It is very important that your child has a backpack or tote bag for school and that s/he brings it every day.  Please make sure that the backpack is labeled with your child's name.

Behavior Management In my classroom, we have 5 rules:

• Raise your hand before speaking.

• Use a quiet voice.

• Listen to everyone.

•  Clean up after yourself.

• Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself.

A lot of time is spent at the beginning of the year discussing what these rules mean and how they look.  Good behavior management is essential for an optimum learning environment, so the time we spend laying the groundwork helps our classroom stay on task throughout the year.

I like to use positive reinforcement in my classroom by recognizing when children are making good choices.  I do this through verbal praise or sending a note home.  Only occasionally will I give a "reward" (a sticker, candy, etc.). My goal is for children to be intrinsically motivated to make a good choice because it's the right thing to do and not because they will get a reward for doing so.

Natural and logical consequences will result if a student chooses not to follow the rules.  Each situation is unique. Please contact me if you have any questions!

Birthdays Birthdays are fun for first graders to celebrate in the classroom.  The child gets a crown to wear and take home.  The class sings "Happy Birthday" to the birthday child.  If you want to add to the celebration, I invite you to participate in a "Birthday Book Program" where your child treats the classroom to a book on his/her birthday.

Please, please, please do not send in birthday party invitations for me to hand out unless all children in the class will be invited.  First graders are very observant and they do notice these things.  Thank you!

Birthday Book Program You purchase a new picture book or choose a gently used one from home, wrap it and send it to school with your child on his/her birthday. Your child then gets to open the book for the class.  I will read the book to the class and then it goes into our classroom library for everyone to enjoy.  I will include a sticker inside the book stating that the birthday book was donated in honor of your child.  A picture of your child will also be included. The book will be a part of our classroom library for years to come, for many children to enjoy!

Book-It The Pizza Hut Book-It program begins in October and ends in March.  It will be sent home with your child's Monthly Homework.  Your child must read twelve books a month in order to receive the pizza coupon.  A letter will be sent out in October explaining the program.

Book Orders Scholastic book orders are a great, inexpensive way for you to build your child's library with quality books and encourage a lifelong love of reading!  When you place an order you also help me earn bonus points.  I use these bonus points to obtain free books and materials for our classroom.

Book orders are sent home once a month.  I will send as many as 3 home at one time.  If you wish to place an order, please do the following:

• Fill out the order form(s) with your child's name and clearly mark the book(s) you are ordering. 

•  Please write one check (no cash, please) payable to "Scholastic Book Clubs" for the total of all the orders you submit.

•  Send the order back to school in a sealed envelope with your child's name and "Scholastic Book Order" on it by the due date.

I will place the orders online.  The books will arrive 7-10 days after I place the order.

Breakfast Please make sure your child arrives to school having had a nutritious breakfast.  We have a busy day, and a good breakfast will ensure optimum learning!  Breakfast is available in the school cafeteria beginning at 8:00 for $1.25.

Bucket Filling Workman Elementary strives to be a school of Bucket Fillers.  For more information, please visit the Bucket Filling page.

Communication I value open communication between home and school and I encourage you to contact me at any time with any questions or concerns.  You can write a note on your child's communication log or reach me the following ways:

Phone: 582-6731 (classroom) or 582-6700 (office)

E-mail: campbek@pccs.k12.mi.us (school)

kelly_burnard@hotmail.com (personal)

I will respond to you within 24 hours.

Computers Once a week, I will take the class to the computer lab for 45 minutes.  I will do a structured activity with them that corresponds to what we are learning in class.

Conferences Parent-Teacher conferences will be held in November.  At this time, I will go over your child's report card with you and discuss what I have observed regarding your child's learning abilities, social skills and classroom behavior.  While this may make you feel a little nervous, please believe me when I say that I really do enjoy conferencing with you about your child.  I value your input and look forward the opportunity to discuss your child with you.  If at any time you want to schedule a conference with me, please call or email me so that we can set up a time.

Curriculum Night Shortly after school has started, the first grade team will plan a Curriculum Night for parents.  This is an opportunity for me to share with you what it is that your child will be learning in first grade.  I will go over a typical day in the life of a first grader, as well as what is taught during the school year.  Please make every effort to attend this important meeting.

D'Nealian Manuscript A copy of the handwriting lettering we use in class will be sent home.  Please keep this at home and use it as a reference when working with your child.  Please remember that this is a reference and not a mandatory rule.  We want every child to love writing and not feel threatened because they don't form their letters perfectly.  Click here to access dotted practice worksheets from abcteach.com.

Dismissal Full day dismissal time is 3:47.  Half day dismissal time is 11:48.  Bussers are walked down to their bus line in the gym.  Walkers and bike riders are dismissed out of the side school entrance door closest to our classroom.  If you are picking up your child, please wait outside of the school entrance door.  Waiting in the hallways is distracting to the students and may create confusion if we are not able to find you in the designated area.  Thank you!

Early Dismissal If you need to pick up your child from school before the end of the day, you will need to sign him/her out in the office.  The office will call my classroom to let me know your child needs to leave.

Emergency Information An emergency card for each child must be on file in the office.  In addition to your home phone number, please list all work, pager and cell phone numbers where you can be reached.  Also, please provide numbers for relatives, friends and neighbors that would be available to pick up your child in the event of illness, accident or an emergency school closing.  Please notify the office if there are any corrections, additions or deletions to this card during the school year.

Field Trips Any field trips we take this year will be taken to places we can walk.  This is due to budget cuts.  In the past, we have walked to Cherry Hill Village theatre to see a performance of a classic tale, and to Independence Park for our End of First Grade picnic.  For any field trip taken, you will need to fill out a permission form so your child may go.  Attached to the permission form is an emergency contact sheet that also needs to be filled out.  I take the emergency sheets with me on the field trip in case I need to contact you for any reason.

Full Day It will take several weeks for your child to transition to a full day of learning.  You can help ease this by making sure your child goes to bed at the same time every night and eats a nutritious breakfast every morning.  Your child may also require a short nap once s/he comes home at the end of the day.  Especially at the beginning of the year, I encourage you to limit your child's play dates and involvement in extra-curricular activities.  When your child does arrive home, allow him/her a little "down" time before asking a lot of questions and starting homework.  Like adults, children also need time to decompress.

Give Me Five  First grade teachers use this phrase to get the children's attention.  When the teacher says, "Give me five," the students are to stop what they are doing, raise their hand high and look at the teacher.  The "Five" stands for:

• Eyes are watching
• Ears are listening
• Hands and feet are still
• Mouths are quiet
• Brains are thinking

Growth First grade is a year of significant academic growth.  There is a large range of "normal" in first grade.  Some children are ready to master concepts earlier in the year than others.  It is my job to differentiate instruction so that all children will reach their learning potential.

Homework The homework that is given to the children is intended to enrich the learning that has taken place in the classroom.  It also fosters responsibility and helps your child establish good work habits.  Reading Bags and Math Home Links will be assigned each week.  Monthly homework will be sent home at the beginning of each month and is to be turned in at the end of each month. See below for an in-depth description of each. 

Reading Bags (aka "Bag A Book") will begin coming home regularly in mid-October.  Each week, your child will bring home 3 books that s/he is able to read.  These books are "just right" for your child to read on his/her own. 

Math Home Links will be sent home on Fridays in your child's Home Links Folder.  The Home Links supplement the math material your child has been learning in school.  Typically, there will be 4-5 Home Links that will need to be completed and returned in your child's Home Links Folder by the following Friday.

Your child's Monthly Homework Folder is sent home at the beginning of each month.  It contains a paper displaying a calendar.  Each day has a short, fun, educational activity for you to complete with your child.  Do at least 3 activities per week and check off each activity as it is completed. Send the paper back to school at the end of the month along with the monthly journal sheet.

A family art project will also be included with the monthly homework.  This is a fun activity for families to do together.  Each month I will send home a tag board template in a seasonal shape (for example, November's template will be a turkey).  Decorate the template with your child using any art medium you wish (paint, yarn, glitter, cereal, pasta, candy...be creative!) and return it by the specified date.  These projects will decorate a bulletin board in our classroom!

"I" Messages As part of the De-Bug System, we will be incorporating the use of "I" Messages to help students solve a problem with another student. 

Purposes & Uses of "I" Messages

• "I" Messages are a key part of respectful, assertive speaking that allows you to express how you feel without attacking, putting down or blaming.

• When you are upset, hurt, or angry, an "I" Message can help you talk things through without getting into an escalating confrontation.

• "I" Messages help facilitate constructive dialogue and problem-solving.

•  "I" Messages are a particularly good way to prevent escalation of arguments and avoid putting others on the defensive.

• An "I" Message is a way to be strong without being mean when you are angry, upset or disappointed with something another person has done.

• "I" Messages can also be used to express positive feelings.

Formula of an "I" Message

I feel __________________ (say your feeling) when you _________________ (describe the behavior or what happened) because __________________ (tell why you feel that way).  I want ______________ (ask for a change in behavior or what you want to happen).

Example of an "I" Message

Annie, I feel sad when you laugh at me because it hurts my feelings.  I would like you to stop laughing at me.

An alternative to an "I" Message is "A Bug and a Wish," and this may be easier for first graders to say:  "It bugs me when you ______________.  I wish you would ________________ ."

Illness Your child's health is very important in order for optimum learning to occur.  If your child is ill, please keep him or her home until s/he is well.

Label, Label, Label! Please mark all backpacks, removable clothing and loose items with your child's first and last name.  You would be amazed at how quickly unclaimed items can accumulate (especially in the winter!).  This will go a long way in helping to keep us organized.

Lost & Found Our school lost and found is located in the hallway next to the gym.  If your child loses something and it is not located in the classroom, please check this area.

Lunch Eating lunch at school is very exciting for first graders!  Our lunch time is 11:45-12:35.  You are welcome to join your child for lunch in the cafeteria.  Please sign in at the office and get a visitor's sticker before meeting your child in the cafeteria.

Lunch Boxes Children who bring lunch from home may bring it in a bag or a lunch box.  We will keep our lunches on the coat room shelf until it is time to go to the cafeteria.  If your child's lunch needs to be chilled, please make sure to include an ice-pack, as I do not have access to a refrigerator.  Please label all bags, containers, etc. with your child's name.

Lunch Tickets A hot lunch is $2.25/day and milk is $.50.  If you would like to purchase 3 or more lunches in advance, you may purchase a weekly or monthly ticket.  The lunch ticket does not need to be used on consecutive days.  If you are purchasing a weekly or monthly ticket for your child, please send in cash or a check made out to "PCCS Cafeteria Fund" for the amount of lunches you are purchasing.  Please send the money in an envelope or baggie labeled with your child's name, my name and the amount of money enclosed.  You can send this in your child's Take Home Folder and I will make sure it is sent to the cafeteria.  Please do not send in loose money, as it may get lost.  Thank you.

Lunchroom Rules Workman Elementary's lunchroom rules are:

• Use the same behavior in the lunchroom that you would use at a restaurant.

• Students are responsible for disposing of all food, paper, plastic bags and trays before leaving the lunchroom.

• Students must wait in the lunchroom until they are dismissed by an adult or by a safety.

Medication In order for medication to be given at school, we need a signed permission slip from the parents and a signed doctor's order indicating the drug name, dose, time and method of administration, and duration of treatment.  Possible side effects should also be indicated on the permission slip.  Your child's medication must be labeled with a pharmacy logo and must indicate your child's name.  According to state law, no over the counter drugs will be administered without a written order from a doctor.  This includes items such as Tylenol, aspirin, cough drops, etc.

Money Please send any money to school in a sealed envelope labeled with your child's name, my name, the amount, and the reason (i.e., lunch, book order, etc.).  Please put the money in your child's Take Home folder so that I am sure to receive it.

Newsletter You will receive a classroom newsletter almost every Friday in your child's Take Home Folder.  It will give you an idea of the happenings in our classroom and keep you up-to-date on the things we are learning!  I will also post my newsletters on the website, www.mrscampbell.com.

Outside Weather permitting, we will go outside twice a day for recess.  Please make sure your child has appropriate outside attire.

Parties Our classroom parties are coordinated and run by my Party Planning Team.  If you are interesting in being on this committee, please be sure to sign up during Curriculum Night.  We typically have the following parties in my classroom: Halloween, December Holiday, Valentine's Day & Spring Fling (Easter).  All activities are planned and run by parents, and supplies/prizes are donated for the parties through the coordination of the Party Planning Team.

Photographs I love using my digital camera to give you a picture of what it is we are doing in our classroom.  I will often include pictures in my newsletters and post them on the website.  Please make sure you have filled out and signed the Photo Release Note.  I will not use your child's photograph without having this form from you.

Questions If at any time you have questions about anything going on in the classroom, do not hesitate to contact me.  I will be glad to talk with you!

Recess Students will have recess each day.  Recess provides children with a physical release and gives them a time to socialize with friends from other classrooms.  Unless it is raining, we will go outside every day.  Please keep this in mind when your child is getting dressed in the morning.  If you wish, you may have your child keep a pair of tennis shoes in the classroom that s/he may wear out to recess.

In the winter, we will go outside if the wind chill is 10ºF or above (this is a district-wide policy).  Children need to wear boots each day to be allowed off of the playground blacktop when there is snow on the ground.  Don't forget the snow pants, gloves, hats and scarves as well.  You would be surprised how quickly the children can get wet without the proper outside attire!  You may want to keep an extra pair of socks in your child's backpack during the winter months..."just in case."

Please do not allow your child to bring toys from home to play with on the playground.  We will have balls and other equipment for the children to use during recess time.  Thank you!

Report Cards Report cards are issued 4 times a year.  The first report card will be given to you at our fall conference where I will discuss it with you in-depth.  When report cards are sent home with your child, they will be enclosed in an envelope.  Please sign the front of the envelope and return it to me.  The report card is yours to keep.

Restroom Our classroom has one restroom for the children to use.  At the beginning of the year, I teach the children sign language for "bathroom."  If they need to use the restroom while I am actively teaching or during a group activity, they need to give me the sign and I will then nod to give them permission.  If the children need to use the restroom during independent learning times, they need not ask me before doing so.

Snacks Each morning we will take a snack break.  The children need to bring a healthy snack from home.  Due to allergies, acceptable classroom snacks are limited to fruits and vegetables.  This includes canned varieties and applesauce.  Please do not send juice or milk for snack.  Thank you for understanding!

Specials We participate in four specials a week for 45 minutes each: Gym, Art, Library & Music.  Once I know the schedule of these classes, it will be posted on our Daily Schedule page.

Star for 2 Days In January, I will begin an activity that allows each child to be the class Star for 2 Days.  During this time, your child will be recognized for the special person s/he is!  You will be asked to write a letter about your child telling the class what makes your child unique.  Your child will also get to share 5 special things with the class, as well as a treasured picture book.  More detailed information will be sent home when this program begins.

Take-Home Folder On the first day of school each child will receive a Take-Home Folder that is to travel to and from school each day.  Your child will bring home important papers from school in this folder.  You can also send notes to me in it using the Communication Log.  Lunch money, book orders, etc. can also be sent to school in the Take-Home Folder.  I will check the folders daily and return them to your child each afternoon.

Tardies If your child arrives later that 9:05, they need to be signed in at the office before walking down to the classroom.  Our morning routine begins the minute the bell rings. It is important that children are at school on time so that they can get settled in and become acclimated.

Toys Toys may only be brought in on your child's designated sharing day.  Toys at school are usually a distraction from our learning.  This includes trading cards, electronic games & devices, stuffed animals, etc.  We also don't want a treasured toy to be broken or damaged as a result of an accident with it at school.

Transportation Changes If your child will be going home a different way than usual, please send me a note in his/her Take Home Folder or call the office before the end of the day.  Please do not email me about a transportation change, as I may not check my email until after school is over.  Your child will not be allowed to go home a different way than usual without written or called-in notification from you.

Visitors We welcome visitors to our school!  For the safety of all in the school building, we ask that you sign in at the office and obtain a visitor's badge when you arrive.  Please do not walk directly to the classroom without obtaining a visitor's badge.  If you are a frequent visitor, I know that this may seem like a hassle but our responsibility as a school is to maintain a safe environment.

Volunteers I value volunteers and encourage parents to volunteer in my classroom.  Each month I send home a volunteer calendar.  If you want to volunteer weekly, bi-weekly or monthly I encourage you to do so!  If you are unable to come into the classroom to volunteer but would like to do some work at home, I am grateful for that assistance as well.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact me so that we can plan a schedule for you.

Water Bottles I strongly encourage you to send a water bottle labeled with your child's name.  Research shows that hydrated brains are learning brains!  The children will bring the water bottles home on Fridays to be washed.  Please make sure that the water bottle cap is the "pull up" kind and not the twist off kind.  This will really help with spills.

Website Check out our website www.mrscampbell.com!  I will update it regularly with photos of classroom events, newsletters and other happenings.  I encourage you to use this resource and please contact me with any suggestions of things you may like to see included!

Wildcats We are the Workman Wildcats!  Our official school colors are blue and white and our official logo is shown below. 

WSN-TV 9 News Every morning at 9:00 our school news is broadcast to each classroom.  The morning news contains information about school events and policies.  Classrooms take turns hosting the news during the school year.

X'tra TLC Especially at the beginning of the year, children may need some extra assurance from you that they will do just fine in first grade.  It is perfectly normal for children to feel overwhelmed, tired, nervous, etc. during the first several weeks of the school year.  Simply acknowledging this with your child will be a big help for him or her.  Once routines at home and school are established, things will run quite smoothly.  Remember--your child is transitioning from spending 3 hours at school to spending 6 hours at school.  This is a big undertaking, especially for 5- and 6-year olds.  Strive to maintain a positive attitude for your child.  Rest assured that I will do my best to make the transition as easy as possible for you and for your child.  Please contact me with any concerns at any time.

You You are the most important adult in your child's life, and no one knows your child better than you.  You are your child's biggest supporter in their education, and I sincerely value your input.

Zzzzz Young children need plenty of rest each night to prepare for a full day of learning.  It's important to set and stick to a nightly bedtime so that your child is ready to go when morning comes.

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