How We Roll

 Miss Christine’s

Class of 2015-2016

My mission is to help your child reach their full potential as they blossom into respectful, knowledge filled children READY to enter the world of public school.

As you look around my class you will see some familiar early childhood things, but I hope you will also notice some new things.

In my class I utilize the Responsive Classroom model.  The responsive classroom believes:

-social curriculum is as important as academic curriculum

-how children learn is as important as what they learn

-the greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction

-children will learn the social skills C.A.R.E.S - cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control, in order to be successful

-we must know our children individually, culturally, and developmentally

-knowing the families of the children we teach is as important as knowing the children

-teachers must model the social and academic skills that they wish to teach their students

With the responsive classroom you will see the following:

Morning Meeting- To be explained later

Rule Creation- helping students create classroom rules

Interactive Modeling

Positive Teacher Language-using words and tone as a tool to promote children’s active learning, sense of community, and self-discipline

Logical Consequences- Responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity.  The goal is to avoid external control and focus on internal control

Guided Discovery- All centers and items in the classroom will be closed the first week or 2 of class.  As a group we will be introduced to items and shown how to use them properly

Academic Choice

Classroom Organization

Working with Families

Collaborative Problem Solving

I am here for you and your child and I will provide the best learning environment I am able to.  However, YOU play a huge role in your child’s learning.  They look to you to see if you participate, help with homework, be involved in their learning and always come to me with any questions or concerns you may have. 

My expectations:

I expect you and your child to come to the class to participate in the Morning Message each morning.  Morning message is a little note that will end in a question for your child to answer.  (Now I know sometimes it’s faster or easier to “help” your child, but it doesn't help them to learn.  IT IS OK FOR THEM TO FALL, I will help pick them back up)  The Morning Message is a way to get children to transition easily into the class, and get them excited for what we will be learning.  Morning Message also helps develop and reinforce language, math, and other skills in a meaningful interactive way. 

Children will have one change of weather appropriate clothing and underwear.  Please make sure they are their current size.

Children will NOT come to school with toys unless for special occasions (eg. Teddy bear picnic, and ME bag)

Children can ALWAYS bring books.  Please put a name in it.

Please have a labeled water bottle.

I will not tolerate the talk or “use” of play weapons in class.  If it looks or sounds like a weapon, it’s a weapon.  Weapons are not funny or cool and should not be treated as such in a school setting.   However, some literature will include weapons due to the period it is set (eg.  Magic Tree House book about knights may mention swords).  We will then discuss.

Children should have weather appropriate outdoor apparel.  If your child does not have appropriate outdoor gear, then they will have to stay inside with another class.

Our day will start each morning as children are transitioning from home and until 9:00 children will be expected to use a table top activity.

At 9:00 each morning we will start our day.  There will be a greeting, share, activity, and reading the morning message.  Children will learn respectful ways to greet peers, and focus on making eye contact.  We will work on talking in front of a group, finding interesting topics, staying on topic, and using appropriate tone.  Activities will get both sides of the brain moving, some are theme based, and others will work on phonetic skills.  MM will have a lot of repetition and as the year goes on more and more children will be able to read the message.  Math skills such as graphing will be focused on.  Questions will get more open ended as the year progresses.  PARENTS are expected to come into class in the morning to help read the morning message to their child

I also will read-a-loud a book based off our current classroom theme (there will be a letter of the week as well as a science or social studies theme each week). 

After a book we will have recess.  I will go out EVERY DAY as long as it is not raining.

After recess we will do calendar, days of the week, weather, and attendance.

 Each day there will be an art, math, and science or social studies activity.  Some other activities will be Journal responses. 

During transitional times I will read a variety of chapter books.  This will include the Magic Tree House series, and Junie B. Jones.  I will not read anything suggested unless previously read to check for content.

Our academic day ends at 2:00.  Your child's education is important.  Please try to have them here between 9 and 2.

Four things I would like to explain fully are SHARE, the ME Bag, Taking a  Break, and the chime.

          During Morning meeting each morning we take some time to do share.  There will be a schedule posted in circle area so that each child is aware of when they are sharing.  This way each child can come to class prepared with a brief story to tell about themselves.  This could be as complex as “last summer I went to the beach with my family and we played in the sand and made a sand castle” or it could be as simple as “last night we had pizza for dinner”.  Children will be expected to share on their share day.  If they are absent on their day they can make up their share on another day.

SHARE TIME IS NOT SHOW AND TELL.  Children should not be bringing items in to share unless they get permission from me before. 

          That being said, I am aware that children love to share things from home.  Therefore I would like to implement a ME Bag.  This ME Bag will occur on a weekly basis with one child each week.  It will be show and tell like in nature, and children can fill the bag with 3-4 pictures, toys or items from home that are special to them and help explain who they are while all fitting in the bag.  The child with the bag will be expected to talk to the class about all the items in the bag and why they were chosen.

          Next is the concept of “Taking a Break”.  Most of your children are familiar with taking a break but this year they will hear that a lot.  I have assigned a specific area in the class for children to “Take a Break”.  This is a spot where they can take a moment, breath, and relax.  This can allow children to pull it together before it escalates.  In the area, books and magazines can be found to help settle down.  I will NOT tell an individual when they can leave, they should be able to monitor how they are feeling and whether they feel like they can return to the group.  “Take a Break” is intended for children to self-initiate, but when a child becomes distracting then I or another teacher may ask them to take a break before things get out of hand.  

          Last is my chime.  Only I use my chime.  It is used in order to gain everyone’s attention without shouting or shutting of lights (both methods which can startle a child).  I tap the bell once, and at that time children are expected to stop what they are doing, put their hands on their heads, get quiet, and make visual eye contact.  Then I can give further instructions.  If you have not seen this in action, IT IS AMAZING.  You’ll want one for home.

LET’S HAVE A FUN YEAR.  I CAN'T WAIT TO GET STARTED!