First Day Wrap Up

Our first day of First Grade went very well! No tears, only smiles! Of course there were plenty of yawns around the room towards the end of the day. These kiddos will have to get their bodies adjusted to a full day of school so expect them to come home exhausted and maybe saying school is "boring". The first couple of weeks are about managing the classroom, rules, expectations, and routines. We practice, practice, and practice. I know this can become tiresome for the children but it is important that we are consistent in routines during these next weeks.

Today we read several stories (Wemberly Worried, Manners at School, The Night Before First Grade, Lunch Bunnies), talked about feelings, introduced ourselves and had time to chat in small groups with new friends, did a quick writing sample (which I will keep for portfolios), read poems and the morning message, took a tour of the building, learned about our classroom rules and our behavior plans and much more. There was also time for some quiet activity with white boards/markers and pattern blocks. The students were also introduced to their OWL binders. I am finding that the rings won't close tightly which makes it hard to keep items from falling out. The larger folders (orange and blue) are causing the problem since I have never had a problem with the binder rings before. I will most likely end up getting new folders that match the size of the red ones and putting them in for the students soon. Please be patient with them for now! I apologize for the hassle.

Please make sure your child comes in with a snack and a drink (or 50 cents for a milk) each day. I believe that lunch went well and there were no issues in the cafeteria. I checked on the kids during my lunch and all seemed great! I hope the children are all snug in bed and ready for day two of First Grade.

Peanut Free Classroom

I wanted to let you know that our classroom will be peanut free. I am allergic to peanuts/peanut butter and there is also a student with this allergy. Please refrain from sending snacks in with these ingredients. This only applies to snack as we eat it in our class. Lunch is different, students are allowed to bring these foods for lunch as we have designated tables that are peanut free. Thank you!!

Happy birthday to Jesse last week on 8/27. I hope you had a great day and look forward to meeting you!!

Update

Hi everyone!
Since we pushed school back to Wednesday (as of Monday night), the students will not have gym on the first day so there is no need to wear appropriate shoes. We don't have any specials on Wednesday so it will be a long day for the kids but we will plan on many fun activities and lots of great read alouds. Don't be alarmed when they come home exhausted. First Graders tend to be tired for awhile at the end of the day until they are adjusted more to a full day of school. :)

Feel free to email me with any questions. My email is jmorgan@plymouth.k12.ma.us. Hopefully I will be meeting your children on Wednesday morning!

First Day lunch/gym info

Just wanted to remind everyone that it would be great if you wanted to leave a comment introducing yourself, either from you as the parent or from the child. If you do not have a google account you can sign in anonymously and then just let me know who you are in the actual comment.

Also, it might help to become a follower of this blog. :)

I hope that the students are eager to start First Grade. Please pack a snack for your child with a drink or 50 cents for a milk. We will have a morning snack as First Grade has the last lunch this year (12:45).

Please let your child know whether they are buying school lunch or bringing a lunch. The first day can make the firsties a bit anxious and some can get very nervous if they don't know when I ask each child in the morning. Of course I will check for them, but it does help quite a bit if they come in knowing this. :) If they are buying school lunch please send in the $2.25 or a check in an envelope. There will be a spot in their OWL binders for money after the first day.

We will have gym on Tuesdays this year and Tuesday is our first day of school so you might want your child to wear sneakers!

Happy Birthday back on 8/18 to Liam! I hope you had a wonderful birthday and I can't wait to meet you next week!

OWL Binders

Each student will receive their very own organizational binder on the first day of school. OWL stands for Organized While Learning. This binder helps students establish good organizational skills in their first years of school. First Grade is a big step from Kindergarten and a very formative year.

What is an OWL binder? This binder is a binder put together by Mrs. Morgan that houses everything the students and parents need to stay informed about what is going on at school. There is a place for money, a place for spelling lists, a place for sight word cards and more. I will send home an instruction sheet that lets you know more specifically about the parts to the OWL binder.

Please note that these are put together with my own time and money so it is very important to take good care of the OWL binders. If over time folders get ripped or something is ruined, it is your responsibility to replace them.

There should be no reason for any missing money, crumpled homework, or lost spelling lists. Everything has a spot in the OWL binders! (Students will be taught specifically about each spot in their binder and should be able to tell you!)

School Supplies

Here are the supplies that your First Grader will need this year.
Keep in mind that some of these supplies will need to be replenished throughout the year. Each table group will also have community supplies (crayons and pencils) that they are able to use should they run out of their own. You do not need to purchase any folders at this time as each child will be given a special (and important) O.W.L. Binder. Please refer to the post about the OWL Binders for more information.

1 backpack that can easily fit a 1/2 inch binder (non-rolling please)

1 plastic pencil box

pencils

crayons

1 highlighter

gluesticks

markers or colored pencils are also an option (Though we won't use markers as much as crayons.)

Welcome Students and Parents!

Welcome students!
My name is Mrs. Morgan and I will be your First Grade teacher. I am excited to have you in my class this year! I look forward to meeting all of you. I hope you have been having a fun and safe summer! I have been having a lot of fun with my two children, Eliza and Reid. Recently I have been busy getting our classroom ready for the new year! I would love for you to introduce yourself to me! Have your parents help you to leave me a comment below this post. :)

Parents,
This year I have decided I will keep a blog for our classroom rather than a website. This blog will be updated throughout the week as needed. I will include photographs of the students (with permission), as well as student work. I will include information regarding our learning in class, as well as things you should know for the school year. Basically this blog will include a wealth of information regarding your child's day to day in our classroom and I hope you enjoy it and check back often. I also appreciate comments! I look forward to meeting you at Open House!