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AttendanceIt is important that your child be in school and be ready to learneveryday that they are able to do so. We have a lot to learn everyday!From time to time, we all have days that we cannot make it to school.Please call our attendance line, 760-731-4362, to let us know why yourchild is absent. If your family will be away for 5 or more days, pleasecontact the office, preferably at least 3 days in advance, for anindependent study contract. I will put together most of the work thatwill be missed during that time.HomeworkOur class will begin our homework program on Monday, September17 th . I will go over my homework program at our Back-To- School Night.There will also be a letter on the homework folder that explains myprogram.Back-To-School NightI am looking forward to meeting my parents and describing our classon the evening of Thursday, September 13 th at 5 p.m. This event isintended for adults, but I realize that it is often necessary for parentsto bring their children. I will have crayons and books that children canuse quietly and/or you can bring a simple snack. If you choose, childrencan play on the playground.If you are unable to attend, the PowerPoint used that evening will beposted on my website.VolunteersIf you are interested in helping out in our classroom, please fill in theappropriate information on the last page. If you can not help out on aregular basis, but would like to help when possible, just send me a note oremail as to when you are available.For health reasons, all classroom volunteers need to submit a TB testto our health clerk, Ms. Cruz.

Bathroom PassesWe have a bathroom pass system that encourages students to use therestroom during their breaks. Each student receives 5 passes for theweek. When they are finished with the restroom, they throw away theused pass. Unused passes will go into a weekly prize drawing on Fridays.If all the bathroom passes are used, students will use the class passes. Iwill never say no to a bathroom request, but I do want to encourage themto use their breaks wisely.SharingOur sharing will go along with our learning themes in reading, math,science and social studies. Examples: a sports trophy during our gamesunit in reading, a book about an animal during our animal unit in readingand science, foreign or special money during our money unit in math.There is no assigned day for sharing, we blend it into our program. Our“Monkey of the Week” may share during their week. Suggestions will beon the letter and reminder.SPARK CardsIn order to promote good work habits and behavior, my class will begina program called SPARK cards next week. SPARK stands for Super PoliteAnd Responsible Kid. Students who demonstrate polite and responsiblebehavior for the week will receive a SPARK card attached to their Fridaypapers. SPARK card names go into a weekly drawing on Fridays. Pleasecheck your child’s papers every Friday to see if your child has earned acertificate. If they do, please take the time to praise him/her. If thereis no certificate, talk to your child about it and encourage him/her to dohis/her best next week.LunchLunches may be brought from home or bought from the cafeteria.You can pay ahead for lunches at the cafeteria. You can view your child’spurchases and balance at www.myschoolbucks.com. You can also make anonline payment for lunches at this site, but there is a small fee for thetransaction.

SnacksDuring our morning recess, students may eat a snack before going toplay. Since we do reading between recess and snack, it is very helpful issnacks are healthy to fuel our minds and bodies. Below are somesuggestions.*popcorn *pretzels *fruit *cheese sticks*raisins *granola bars *yogurt *chopped veggies*fruit bars *applesauce *fruit cups *rice cakesBirthdaysBirthdays are special times to celebrate. At school, we sing “HappyBirthday” and give each child a card, pencil, and badge. If you want tosend in something special for your child’s birthday, we can do that duringour recess at about 9:45. In an effort to reinforce healthy choices andcut down on sugar intake at school, I would like to recommend alternativechoices to bringing in cupcakes for your child’s birthday:*fruit cups*pencils*stickers*granola bars*JELL-O cups*low sugar fruit snacks*pudding cups*donate a book to the classPlease remember, that all food sent to the school for the class, mustbe store bought, not handmade. Please contact me, in advance, so thatwe will be ready.In order to avoid hurt feelings, please try to handle the passing out ofinvitations outside of the classroom.PartiesIn order to maximize classroom instructional time, we only haveparties for the following times: Halloween, December Holidays,Valentine’s Day, and the last day of school. Our class celebrations,typically, include art, games, and food. In support of our district’swellness plan, I try to limit sugary treats and encourage healthy options.For safety reasons, our district requires that all food supplied for classactivities be store bought, not handmade.

If you would like to be our room parent or help out with parties,please fill out the information on the last page.Labeling ItemsUsing a permanent marker, please label your child’s backpack,lunchbox, sweaters, and jackets with their first and last names. This willgreatly increase the likelihood of their return.CommunicationAs in any relationship, communication is key to a successfulparent/teacher relationship. Please feel free to call me ore email me atanytime. I check my emails throughout the day and in the evening. I amable to respond more quickly to emails than I do phone calls.Class and School WebsitesOur school’s website can provide you with current school news, generalschool information, and helpful links to forms and sites.From our school site, you can visit our class website by selecting mefrom the teacher tab. My site will give you a chance to view pictures andvideos from our class. You also have a selection of my favorite links toeducational sites. My calendar section will keep you up-to-date withholidays, special schedules, and class happenings.San Onofre School: www.fuesd.k12.ca.us/sos