Help your child be successful!
Attendance:
The student is responsible for doing/making up/finishing work that was missed during the absence. I will send the work home where it states date of absence. Upon completing the work, send the work back to school so that I may look at the work.
Behavior:
I am very proactive and do a lot of positive reinforcement. However, if a child is having a difficult day in terms of behavior (ex. not following our class constitution/school rules, they tend to use a loud voice instead of an indoor voice, they horse-play, they do not keep hands and feet to self), not working to full potential (ex. not starting or completing work assignments because of lack of focus, excessive talking that disrupts their and classmates’ work time, etc.) then:
1. Warning (I give several, about 3, warnings)
2. Thinking Time: Student sits out for 4-5 minutes during free choice time
3. A note goes home to parent if behavior continues
4. Parent must come to school and speak with me regarding behavior
5. Student will be sent to Principal's office (we hardly ever have to get to step 5)
When students are doing what they should be doing they put a pebble in our bucket and they are called "bucket-fillers." However, if I need to call on a student for not following or doing what they should be doing, we talk about "bucket-dipping" and the student has to remove a pebble from our classroom bucket. At the end of the week, if we have a certain amount of pebbles in our bucket, the students get rewarded as a whole class, teaching them that our reward is a group effort and everybody wins if we work together, but we can lose if others choose to make wrong choices.
Awards:
Grades:
ETK students do not get grades. They are evaluated throughout the year using an assessment tool called the DRDP (Desired Results Development Progress) twice a year. Once in the beginning to start off the year and at the end of the year to measure their progress.
Birthday Celebrations
- Absences:
The student is responsible for doing/making up/finishing work that was missed during the absence. I will send the work home where it states date of absence. Upon completing the work, send the work back to school so that I may look at the work.
- Tardiness:
- Early Release:
- Dismissal (M, W, Th, F, unless otherwise noted, dismissal is 2:38PM, T 1:38 PM due to Faculty meetings) from side gate on Texas
Behavior:
I am very proactive and do a lot of positive reinforcement. However, if a child is having a difficult day in terms of behavior (ex. not following our class constitution/school rules, they tend to use a loud voice instead of an indoor voice, they horse-play, they do not keep hands and feet to self), not working to full potential (ex. not starting or completing work assignments because of lack of focus, excessive talking that disrupts their and classmates’ work time, etc.) then:
1. Warning (I give several, about 3, warnings)
2. Thinking Time: Student sits out for 4-5 minutes during free choice time
3. A note goes home to parent if behavior continues
4. Parent must come to school and speak with me regarding behavior
5. Student will be sent to Principal's office (we hardly ever have to get to step 5)
When students are doing what they should be doing they put a pebble in our bucket and they are called "bucket-fillers." However, if I need to call on a student for not following or doing what they should be doing, we talk about "bucket-dipping" and the student has to remove a pebble from our classroom bucket. At the end of the week, if we have a certain amount of pebbles in our bucket, the students get rewarded as a whole class, teaching them that our reward is a group effort and everybody wins if we work together, but we can lose if others choose to make wrong choices.
Awards:
- Reading Achiever - (Once a month) - Reading Log is sent home once a month and it is returned on due date in order for the student to receive a Reading Award on assembly day.
- Math – (Once a month) – I will issue a Math Challenge homework for the month. Student brings home the “math challenge homework” and parent is responsible for helping the child complete the homework and making sure that the child turns in the math challenge homework on due date in order for the child to receive an award on assembly day.
- Citizen of the Month – (Once a month) – Students vote and decide who will be the recipient of this award based on good student citizenship for the month. In a democratic way, students nominate candidates, vote, and decide on recipient. For this assembly, we invite the parents to come and witness their child being recognized during the assembly.
Grades:
ETK students do not get grades. They are evaluated throughout the year using an assessment tool called the DRDP (Desired Results Development Progress) twice a year. Once in the beginning to start off the year and at the end of the year to measure their progress.
Birthday Celebrations
- Birthdays are important celebrations, especially at this age, however, school policy is to not take much needed instructional time away from the students, therefore birthday celebrations should take place the last 20 minutes of class.
- If you would like to celebrate your child's birthday please let me know at least the weekend before the birthday so that I may add it to my lesson plan book.
- Coming the day of with treats or sending your child with treat without prior notification will not work as I am not expecting it.
- If possible, think about cupcake alternatives (most people bring cupcakes) so as not to promote sugary snacks/treats.
- In addition, sometimes I have students who have allergies. With enough notice I can tell the child's parents and then the parents can supply an alternative birthday treat so that child with allergies is also part of the celebration.
- If you work and are not able to be there for the celebration, you may drop off the birthday treats in the main office with a note (child's name, teacher name).
- On the day of the celebration, I give the birthday student a birthday crown and we sing happy birthday. No pinatas allowed.
- Some parents like to give birthday goody-bags, at this time, due to COVID-19 we cannot take the goody-bags or pass them out. Handing out goody-bags is very thoughtful but unnecessary.