Managing School and Home--Tips for Parents

*These ideas are courtesy of the Grand Rapids Press  (They should have been shared a long time ago, but this post was misplaced!  They are excellent, do-able ideas!)

• Set up a comfortable, well-lit homework area.
• Have a designated spot to stow backpacks.
• Use a month-by-month calendar with spaces big enough for all family activities.
• Color-code:  Assign each family member a color for any calendar items (let kids pick their own color).
• Dry erase boards are great for daily or weekly family activities
• Have a "school papers in" basket located in your family center.  Children should be responsible for placing all paperwork in this basket immediately after getting home from school.
• Keep a seperate school art basket/box/folder for each child.
• Put the date and grade on all art/paperwork that goes into the folder.  At the end of the year you can sort for the items that are super-special and saved for the long term. (Everyone asks me this...my children each have one inch of storage space per grade, per school year).
• Have kids fill out and keep their own planner or calendar.  This will establish routines for middle school and later, life.
• Establish routines that are easier on children.  For example: each night before school, have kids pick out their clothes, pack their lunches, and pack their backpacks.  It makes the morning easier!
• Establish a bedtime procedure that includes downtime and an early bedtime.  Children in the 4th and 5th grades still require 10-11 hours of sleep per night.

Conferences

Conference week is a busy week for everyone!  You, parents, have a lot of places to be and you have to get there in a short amount of time!  Thank you for taking the time to come into school to talk with me about your child's academic gains and strengths.

For the that reason, please make every effort to be on time for your scheduled conference.  Late conferences create a domino effect of many other late conferences.  For that reason, I will start and end all conferences on time.

As you can see from the attached document, I am booked solid during the week's conferences.  If for some reason you can't make your scheduled conference please contact me via email and we will set up a new time for you.  I don't want to miss any conferences!

Thank you again!  I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Amy Perrien

**Remember...field trip on Thursday!  :)

Field Trip and Other News...

Parents-

I am excited to let you know that we are heading to the James De Young power plant next Thursday for an energy-related field trip.  The permission slip is attached here for you to print and return, or you may sign and return the note your kids are bringing home today.  One important item about this trip is that the children must wear heelless, closed-toed shoes.  This is a request of the power plant staff.

TEST

The children do have a science test on Monday that covers our energy transfer unit.  They will be bringing home their science journals as well as a study guide we worked on in class.  We will take the test first-thing Monday morning.

MONDAY

Monday is a 1/2 day of school, due to parent-teacher conferences.

CANDY

Although fine in lunches, please don't send Halloween candy as a classroom snack for the next few weeks.  It provides a sugar-rush that doesn't do much for classroom focus and effort during our morning workplan time.  Thank you!

Upper Montessori Vocabulary

Our first vocabulary quiz will be tomorrow.  The quiz will be testing the students on the vocabulary terms we have been studying while learning about energy transfer.

The next vocabulary unit is on collective nouns.  It will be a two week unit.  In fact, all vocabulary units will now be two weeks in length.  The attached worksheet is the collective nouns vocabulary word list.  Students will have the collective nouns work on their workplan but are able to do the word study work at home.  The collective nouns quiz is on November 3.  In the meantime, have fun with the words!

Important Dates for 5th Graders

5th grade Parents-

Please make note of the following orchestra dates:

This Thursday, all 5th graders will get a visit from the middle school orchestra teacher and a few orchestra students. 

We will visit the middle school next week to see and hear the middle school orchestra in action. (This is my favorite trip!)

Finally, a parent meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 27 at 7 p.m. in the Harbor Lights cafeteria.  (A note should have gone home last week explaining the parent meeting.)

**I strongly encourage you to consider orchestra for your 5th grader.  It was a wonderful experience for Evelyn.  I "forced" her to play, and she now loves the violin!  (Score one for Mom!)  I also found her teacher, Mr. Rizner, to be the absolute best at introducing her to this new medium, and inspiring her to want to learn and grow as a violinist!

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Mrs. Perrien

One down, one to go! (CORRECTED, with photos this time!)

Parents-

One week of the MEAP is finished, the second week is upon us!  This coming week we will be testing in math and science (5th) or writing (4th).  Please continue to get your kids into bed EARLY.  It's hard to take a test when you're tired, so remember those early bedtimes!

Workplans--What you'll see on Monday night is the workplan from the first week of October.  This is the workplan you'll be asked to sign and review with your child.  We did not have a workplan last week--it was too hard with three days of testing.  We will have a small workplan this coming week.

We continue to work on classroom routines and behaviors, and we continue to need practice.  Please encourage your child to work hard at school and socialize at lunch and recess!  Thank you for your help!

Please enjoy these pictures from our guest speaker on Friday:  Abby's father.  Abby's father works at a solar power facility near Grand Rapids.  He shared neat devices with the kids, demonstrated solar panels, and helped us better understand solar energy.  THANK YOU!





It's going to be a busy week.  Thanks again for your help!

Mrs. Perrien

Pet Research!

We spent time in September learning about our classroom pets.  In small groups, students researched one of the classroom pets as well as a "wish pet."  Just as soon as we all have a better handle on classroom behavior and routines we will hopefully be adding a turtle to our classroom menagerie.