Dear Families,
We hope this letter finds you healthy, well, and enjoying these last days of summer.
Welcome to First Grade! We are working hard to get our classrooms ready for your
child’s arrival on August 30th. Our goal is to provide an enriching learning community
as well as a fun and safe environment for all students. Your child has been assigned
either Mrs. MacMaster or Mrs. Underwood as his or her “homeroom” teacher and will
travel with this group of students outside of our classrooms for Unified Arts.
Communication
Clear and continuous communication between home and school is essential.
Each week, paperwork will travel home in your child’s orange “Thursday” folder.
Please return the empty folder the next day. Additionally, you can expect bi-weekly
newsletter updates from the classroom on Fridays. Your child’s homeroom teacher
will be in touch about other methods of communication. You can always contact your
child’s homeroom teacher directly via email:
Homework
We are excited to continue developing our literacy instruction this fall based on
continued professional development around the Science of Reading and through the
pilot of EL, a new-to-our district language arts program. Home tasks will likely involve
regular reading fluency and skill practice, including practice reading and spelling high
frequency “heart” words. More information will be provided at a later date. Your child
will also be encouraged to read or be read to five nights each week for at least twenty
minutes. Supporting your child with nightly reading establishes lifelong reading habits and
reinforces his or her work in the classroom. Data shows that students who read daily show
significant growth in all subject areas. Optional digital or hard copy math games that your
child has already learned and experienced in Math Workshop and their directions will be
made available to families some weeks. This is a fun and engaging way to reinforce learned
skills and it makes first graders proud to become the expert or teacher at home.
After School Plans
Woodstock Elementary School will continue to use the PickUp Patrol app as the primary
communication tool for your child’s after school plans. Please contact Mrs. Hecker in the front
office if you have any questions regarding the use of PIckUp Patrol. If your child has a planned
absence, scheduled late arrival, or early dismissal, it is helpful to email your homeroom
teacher with this information as well as submit it to PickUp Patrol.
Unified Arts Schedule
MacMaster Underwood
Monday-Art & Spanish Monday-P.E*
Tuesday-P.E.* Tuesday-Art & Spanish
Wednesday- STEM & Spanish Wednesday-Library & P.E.*
Thursday-Library & Music Thursday-STEM & Spanish
Friday-P.E.* Friday-Music
*Please make sure your child has safe and appropriate footwear on P.E. days.
Classroom supplies
The classroom is already stocked up with learning materials for students to use throughout
the year, so you do not need to send in any “back-to-school” supplies at this time. We do ask
that you prepare your student with other personal items from home in order for him or her to
be safe and ready to learn:
a hearty, healthy snack every day
Water bottle (filled at home each morning)
Bottle of hand sanitizer (with pump)
Headphones (here’s a link for the style that we recommend.) No earbuds please.
Upcoming Important Dates to Remember:
Monday, August 28th: Meet The Teacher Night, 5:00-6:00
Details to be communicated by Ms. Mills
Wednesday, August 30 - First Day of School
Breakfast, arrival, and dismissal procedures to be communicated by Ms. Mills
As with any new school year, there are still unknowns as we embark on our first grade
journey. It is our sincere intention to provide a positive, interactive, meaningful, and safe
learning environment for our first graders and we expect to navigate any hiccups along
the way together.
See you soon!
Bonnie Underwood and Jo MacMaster
