Absences

If your child needs to miss school, please remember to write a note, email me or call the office at 233-5075 telling us why your child was absent. If there is no notification within three days your child’s absence will be recorded as unexcused. If you know in advance that your family is taking a vacation, please fill out the advance family leave form in the office.

Accelerated Reader

AR is a reading program that allows your child to read a book approximately 3 times unless it's a chapter book. After feeling confident with the story they will take a comprehension quiz on the computer. Students accumulate points as they pass each test. Every nine weeks I will set a goal for your child. If their goal is met, they will attend a school wide AR party. I encourage children to read a variety of books not only AR books that is why this program is optional, but used as a motivational tool. There will be absolutely no grades taken from this program.

Attendance

School starts at 7:45. If you bring your child to school later than 7:50, you will need to walk with them to the office and sign them in. They must have a tardy slip from the office. Attendance is very important! Your child’s progress, both academically and socially, is greatly influenced by daily participation.

Behavior Management

If a behavior problem arises with your child I will let you know. I believe students thrive on positive reinforcement and praise. I work hard to create an environment of friendship and respect in my classroom. I teach students that life is about making responsible choices. If appropriate choices are not made there will be logical consequences. Your child will have a behavior sheet for the nine weeks in their folder. Each day they will be responsible for showing you what kind of behavior they had for the day. Please initial on yellow and red days!

Blank (green) = acceptable behavior

Yellow = so-so behavior

Red = unacceptable behavior.

Birthdays

Please contact me prior to your child’s birthday if you plan on bringing in a birthday snack to share with the class. Birthday snacks should be cookies or cupcakes only (no cakes) and juice boxes or bags (no cups with drinks).Students are not allowed to hand out invitations at school, unless all of the students in the class are invited.

Breakfast

Research show that children who eat breakfast learn better than those who do not so please be sure your child eats breakfast daily. We serve breakfast ($1.25) in our cafeteria every day from 7:15 -7:45 am. Your child’s breakfast account number is the same as their lunch number.

Classroom Rights

Right to be ourselves-

No one has the right to laugh at us or hurt our feelings

Right to Learn-

No one has the right to disrupt our learning or waste or time.

Right to be safe and have our belongings safe-

No one has the right to hurt us or make us afraid.

Right to hear and to be heard-

No one has the right to shout or keep us from being heard.

Communication

Throughout the year I will be communicating with you through several different methods. Newsletters, progress reports, nine week report cards, telephone calls, emails, our class website and parent teacher conferences will all be ways I will be keeping the lines of communication open to you. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Feel free to call the school at 233-5075, email me at brantcc@bay.k12.fl.us or send a note in your child’s folder.

Dismissal

We will start dismissing our class at 1:45. If you are picking up a car rider you must have a car sign provided by PTA or you will be asked to park and check the student out in the office. This is for the safety of our students! Remember to take down your sign after picking up your children.

Drills

Practice emergency drills are held on a monthly basis throughout the school year. All students will participate and are expected to walk quickly and quietly to our designated areas. To prepare the children, we will practice and become familiar with procedures before our first scheduled drill.

Early Dismissals

If your child needs to leave school before the regular dismissal time, you must go to the office to sign him/her out. Our secretary will call for your child to meet you in the office.

Field Trips

We hope to be going on field trips during the school year that are both fun and educational for the children. Permission slips will be sent home in advance, informing you of all the details regarding the trip. Please return permission slips and money as soon as possible once they are sent home. We will often request parent volunteers to chaperone field trips. Please mark the field trip form if you are available to chaperone. Remember you must be an approved volunteer to chaperone.

Flat Stanley

This is a fun project. It is based on the book Flat Stanley. We will take turns sending our class mascot, Stanley, to visit with students. The children love showing Stanley around their home and neighborhood. The children are to write a little journal entry of what they did with Stanley and either draw a picture or glue in some pictures. Be on the look out for Stanley!!!

Health

Please let me know of special circumstances that may affect your child (i.e. medications they may make him/her sleepy, a death in the family, etc.) Also, please let me know of any allergies your child may have, especially food allergies.

Homework

Homework is usually given Monday through Thursday. Please make sure you sign the reading log nightly. Homework will consist of math, reading, and spelling activities.

Illnesses

School policy states if your child has a fever they must stay at home or if fever occurs at school you will be notified to pick up your child. Please do not send your child to school if they are ill.

Library

We will visit the library once a week for book selection and check out. I will let you know our library day as soon as it is scheduled. If books are lost or damaged, the librarian will ask that you replace the book.

Literacy Stations

Literacy Stations are focused on providing PRACTICE working on literacy skills using materials, manipulatives and procedures that are the same as when the skill was taught. Because they are intended to be practice, there is often no paper product. Any papers that are completed in literacy stations will not be graded, but will be sent home in your child’s Monday Folder. Please review this work with your child as they love to share with you the skills they are learning.

In order to be sure that the students are ready for the responsibility associated with working independently, I will provide modeling and guided practice for at least two weeks BEFORE beginning guided reading groups.

Lost and Found

We have a school lost and found in the cafeteria. Please label your child’s clothing that is worn to school, especially clothing that may be removed such as jackets, coats, sweaters, and sweatshirts.

Lunch

Lunch is from 10:45-11:15. The price of school lunch is $2.00. You may put money in your child’s lunch account by visiting the cafeteria, sending money with your child (properly marked), or on the Internet at mylunchmoney.com. You are always welcome to come join your child for lunch; however, please meet us in the cafeteria.

Math

Math instruction will be delivered using Saxon Math materials. Saxon Math starts out with the very basic concepts that cover all areas of math and gradually adds new information. Each new concept becomes a part of daily practice. Saxon does have a website if you care for more information: www.saxonpublishers@harcourtachieve.com.

Monday Folders

Each week, it will contain school work, lunch menus, notes from the office, etc. for you to review with your child. Their will be a weekly behavior report that needs to be signed each week. Other items may need to be signed and returned as well!

Newsletters

Newsletters will be posted on our class website on Mondays. Please notify me if you would like a hard copy sent home. The Buzz will contain information about our classroom activities, schedules, and upcoming events.

Progress Reports

Progress reports are sent home at the halfway point of each 9-week grading period. Progress reports are designed to reflect the progress your child is making toward the grade level expectations for that 9-week marking period.

Reading Block (90 minutes daily, uninterrupted)

Direct, whole group reading instruction occurs every day in one (or more) of the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Guided reading also occurs every day in our classroom. I will meet with small reading groups to provide quality instruction in reading skills and strategies that are specific to that group’s needs. The lessons are focused and researched based. They incorporate a variety of leveled readers.

During these guided reading groups, the rest of the class is working at literacy stations.

Reading Bags

Reading bags go home every night and are returned to school each morning. Please don't forget to sign the reading log.

Report Cards

Report cards are sent home every 9-weeks.

S/N/U scale represents the following

70-100=S 60-69=N 59 and Below=U

90-100 A

80-89 B

70-79 C

60-69 D

0-59 F

Scholastic Books

Throughout the year, students will be able to order books from the Scholastic Book Club. The Scholastic Book Club is a great way to help foster your child’s love for reading and to help their home libraries grow. Not only does it benefit your child, but is also helps our classroom accumulate bonus points. You may also order online through our website.

Special Area

Our special area time is from 11:30-12:15. We have PE on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Music will be on Monday and Art will be on Friday. Students will not be allowed to participate in PE if they are not wearing athletic shoes.

Special Needs

Please contact me to discuss any medical, religious, or family issues that will require my special attention.

Spelling

We will have around 10 spelling words as well as dictated sentences each week. The children will get a chance to practice them daily. I encourage you to also practice them at home with your child's spelling activities. Your child will be responsible for completing three spelling activities each week for homework. Our tests will be given on Friday mornings.

Thematic Investigation (Social Studies & Science)

In our classroom, traditional subjects are integrated in meaningful ways to make learning engaging and more fun! This means that we often explore “theme” rich in science or social studies concepts while incorporating reading and writing as an integral part of the unit. Patronis has a new science lab this year which will enable our class to participate in several scientific experiments!

Toys

Toys of any kind are not allowed at school except for special occasions in which I will let you know ahead of time. If your child goes to an after school program and is allowed to take these items, please let your child know they must stay in their backpack until they arrive at the after school care facility.

Transportation Changes

Contact school by 1:00 for change to take place. If your child is going home with someone else I must have a note signed by you and it must be approved by the front office. If a child fails to bring a note and is supposed to do something different from the normal schedule, the child will not be permitted. (i.e. If your child is normally a bus rider, but thinks he/she is getting picked up but does not have a note, the child will be sent home on the bus.)

Uniforms

Patronis shirt colors are green, yellow/gold, and white. Please reference the district dress code for further clarification. Our class shirts may be worn any day of the week but let's also wear them every Friday. Busy Bee shirts should be worn on all field trips.

Visitors

All guests, including familiar faces, must sign in and get a nametag in the school office. Patronis welcomes and encourages family involvement. It is important to remember that while this may seem inconvenient to frequent visitors, it is the goal and responsibility of the school to create a safe learning environment.

Volunteering

Volunteers are an integral part of Patronis Elementary School and our classroom! There are many ways you can help us out throughout the year. Please note that a Bay County School Volunteer Application must be filled out two weeks prior to volunteering at school OR chaperoning a field trip.

Writing

Students will receive direct instruction in the following areas of writing: voice, word choice, ideas and content, organization, sentence fluency, and conventions. Writing practice will be integrated into literacy work stations and direct instruction will occur as part of writer’s workshop.

Zz Zz Zz…

Please make sure that your child gets plenty of rest each night. Setting and keeping a bedtime helps them to be alert and ready to learn each day!