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 28th. 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, Mrs. Underwood, or Ms. Morse as their
“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 continued piloting of EL, a new-to-our district language arts program entering
the second phase of implementation. Home tasks will involve regular reading fluency
and skill practice, including rereading familiar decodable texts and practice reading and
spelling high frequency “heart” words. More information will be provided at a later date.
Supporting your child with nightly school-based and pleasure reading establishes lifelong
reading habits and reinforces their 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 during math instruction 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_________________Morse
Monday-Art & Spanish Monday-P.E.* Monday- Spanish
Tuesday-P.E.* Tuesday-Art & Spanish Tuesday-STEM
Wednesday- STEM Wednesday-P.E.* Wednesday-P.E.*
Thursday-P.E.* & Spanish Thursday-STEM Thursday-Music & Spanish
Friday-Music Friday-Spanish Friday-P.E.*
*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 them to be
safe and ready to learn:
a hearty, healthy snack every day
Water bottle (filled at home each morning) every day
Large bottle of hand sanitizer (with pump) for community use in the classroom
Headphones (here’s a screenshot of the style that we recommend.) No earbuds please.
Upcoming Important Dates to Remember:
Monday, August 26th: Meet The Teacher Night, 5:00-6:00
Details to be communicated by Ms. Mills
Wednesday, August 28 - 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!
Jo MacMaster, Bonnie Underwood, Ashley Morse
