ABCs of First Grade
My hope is that this page will answer any questions you may have about the policies and procedures in first grade and in my classroom. Please contact me if you do not see the answer to your question.
Absences 
If your child will be absent, please send a note upon their return.
If your child will be absent for an extended period of time, please contact me so that I can provide you with suggestions of alternate learning activities you can do with your child during his/her absence. Most of the work we do at school occurs in the classroom and requires active participation from the students.
Arrival Please drop off your child between 7:30-7:55 a.m. First graders are to go the cafeteria.
Attendance On-time, regular attendance is essential for academic and social growth. Our first bell rings at 7:55 and classes begin at 8:05. Children arriving after 8:05 a.m. will be marked tardy.
Backpacks It is very important that your child has a backpack or tote bag for school and that s/he brings it every day. Please make sure that the backpack is labeled with your child's name.
Behavior Management In my classroom, we have 5 rules:
A lot of time is spent at the beginning of the year discussing what these rules mean and how they look. Good behavior management is essential for an optimum learning environment, so the time we spend laying the groundwork helps our classroom stay on task throughout the year.
I like to use positive reinforcement in my classroom by recognizing when children are making good choices. I do this through "banana bucks".
Birthdays Birthdays are fun for first graders to celebrate in the classroom. The child gets a crown/visor to wear and take home. The class sings "Happy Birthday" to the birthday child. Please, please, please do not send in birthday party invitations for me to hand out unless all children in the class will be invited. First graders are very observant and they do notice these things. Thank you!
Book Orders Scholastic book orders are a great, inexpensive way for you to build your child's library with quality books and encourage a lifelong love of reading! When you place an order you also help me earn bonus points. I use these bonus points to obtain free books and materials for our classroom.
Book orders are sent home once a month. I will send as many as 3 home at one time. If you wish to place an order, you can do so on the Scholastic website or send the order form back with your child. If you send the order in with your child, please do the following:
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Fill out the order form(s) with your child's name and clearly mark the book(s) you are ordering.
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Please write one check (no cash, please) payable to "Scholastic Book Clubs" for the total of all the orders you submit.
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Send the order back to school in a sealed envelope with your child's name and "Scholastic Book Order" on it by the due date.
I will place the orders online. The books will arrive 7-10 days after I place the order.
Communication I value open communication between home and school and I encourage you to contact me at any time with any questions or concerns. You can write a note on your child's folder or reach me the following ways:
Phone:
(903)482-8805
E-mail: wdcooper@ednet10.net
I will respond to you within 24 hours.
Conferences Parent-Teacher conferences will be held in the fall. At this time, I will go over your child's report card with you and discuss what I have observed regarding your child's learning abilities, social skills and classroom behavior. While this may make you feel a little nervous, please believe me when I say that I really do enjoy conferencing with you about your child. I value your input and look forward the opportunity to discuss your child with you. If at any time you want to schedule a conference with me, please call or email me so that we can set up a time. My scheduled conference time is: 9:25-10:10a.m.
D'Nealian Manuscript A copy of the handwriting lettering we use in class will be sent home. Please keep this at home and use it as a reference when working with your child. Please remember that this is a reference and not a mandatory rule. We want every child to love writing and not feel threatened because they don't form their letters perfectly. Click here to access dotted practice worksheets from abcteach.com.
Dismissal Dismissal time is 3:05p.m. Bussers are walked down to their bus line in the gym. Walkers are dismissed out of the front entrance door. If you are picking up your child, please wait outside of the school entrance door.
Early Dismissal If you need to pick up your child from school before the end of the day, you will need to sign him/her out in the office. The office will call my classroom to let me know your child needs to leave.
Emergency Information An emergency card for each child must be on file in the office. In addition to your home phone number, please list all work, pager and cell phone numbers where you can be reached. Also, please provide numbers for relatives, friends and neighbors that would be available to pick up your child in the event of illness, accident or an emergency school closing. Please notify the office if there are any corrections, additions or deletions to this card during the school year.
Field Trips Our fields this year are: Elves Christmas Tree Farm in December and The Brain Gym in May. For any field trip taken, you will need to fill out a permission form so your child may go. Attached to the permission form is an emergency contact sheet that also needs to be filled out. I take the emergency sheets with me on the field trip in case I need to contact you for any reason.
Give Me Five First grade teachers use this phrase to get the children's attention. When the teacher says, "Give me five," the students are to stop what they are doing, raise their hand high and look at the teacher. The "Five" stands for:
- Eyes are watching
- Ears are listening
- Hands and feet are still
- Mouths are quiet
- Brains are thinking
Growth First grade is a year of significant academic growth. There is a large range of "normal" in first grade. Some children are ready to master concepts earlier in the year than others. It is my job to differentiate instruction so that all children will reach their learning potential.
Homework The homework that is given to the children is intended to enrich the learning that has taken place in the classroom. It also fosters responsibility and helps your child establish good work habits.
Illness Your child's health is very important in order for optimum learning to occur. If your child is ill, please keep him or her home until s/he is well.
Label, Label, Label! Please mark all backpacks, removable clothing and loose items with your child's first and last name. You would be amazed at how quickly unclaimed items can accumulate (especially in the winter!). This will go a long way in helping to keep us organized.
Lost & Found Our school lost and found is located in the hallway next to the cafeteria. If your child loses something and it is not located in the classroom, please check this area.
Lunch Eating lunch at school is very exciting for first graders! Our lunch time is 11:05-11:35. You are welcome to join your child for lunch in the cafeteria. Please sign in at the office and get a visitor's sticker before meeting your child in the cafeteria.
Lunch Boxes Children who bring lunch from home may bring it in a bag or a lunch box. We will keep our lunches on the coat room shelf until it is time to go to the cafeteria. If your child's lunch needs to be chilled, please make sure to include an ice-pack. Please label all bags, containers, etc. with your child's name
.Library Our library day is Tuesday. Please make sure your child brings their library book, so they can check out a new book.
Money Please send any money to school in a sealed envelope labeled with your child's name, my name, the amount, and the reason (i.e., lunch, book order, etc.). Please put the money in your child's Take Home folder so that I am sure to receive it.
Newsletter You will receive a classroom newsletter via email. It will give you an idea of the happenings in our classroom and keep you up-to-date on the things we are learning!
Outside Weather permitting, we will go outside for recess. Please make sure your child has appropriate outside attire.
Panthers We are the Van Alstyne Elementary Panthers! Our school colors are blue and white! 
Questions If at any time you have questions about anything going on in the classroom, do not hesitate to contact me. I will be glad to talk with you!
Recess Students will have recess each day. Recess provides children with a physical release and gives them a time to socialize with friends from other classrooms. Unless it is raining, we will go outside every day. Please keep this in mind when your child is getting dressed in the morning. If you wish, you may have your child keep a pair of tennis shoes in the classroom that s/he may wear out to recess.
In the winter, we will go outside Please do not allow your child to bring toys from home to play with on the playground. We will have balls and other equipment for the children to use during recess time. Thank you!
Report Cards Report cards are issued 6 times a year. I will send home two copies; please sign one and return it to me. The other report card is yours to keep and hang on the refrigerator!
Specials We participate in specials for 45 minutes each day: Mon- PE, Tues- Music, Wed- PE, Thurs- PE, Fri- Computers Please make sure your child has the appropriate clothing and shoes for PE. Our specials time is: 9:25-10:10a.m.
Take-Home Folder On the first day of school each child will receive a Take-Home Folder that is to travel to and from school each day. Your child will bring home important papers from school in this folder. You can also send notes to me in it using the Communication Log. Lunch money, book orders, etc. can also be sent to school in the Take-Home Folder. I will check the folders daily and return them to your child each afternoon.
Thursday Folders Please check your child's for important notes from the office, PTA, progress reports, report cards, etc. I will also send home graded papers from the week in the Thursday folder. Please sign anything that needs to be returned and send it back in the folder. Also please sign the front of the folder by the corresponding date.
Tardies If your child arrives later that 8:05a.m., they need to be signed in at the office before walking down to the classroom. Our morning routine begins the minute the bell rings. It is important that children are at school on time so that they can get settled in and become acclimated.
Toys Toys may only be brought in on your child's designated sharing day. Toys at school are usually a distraction from our learning. This includes trading cards, electronic games & devices, stuffed animals, etc. We also don't want a treasured toy to be broken or damaged as a result of an accident with it at school.
Transportation Changes If your child will be going home a different way than usual, please send me a note in his/her Take Home Folder or call the office before the end of the day. Please do not email me about a transportation change, as I may not check my email until after school is over. Your child will not be allowed to go home a different way than usual without written or called-in notification from you.
VAISD Quick link to Van Alstyne ISD home page: http://www.vanalstyneisd.org/
Visitors We welcome visitors to our school! For the safety of all in the school building, we ask that you sign in at the office and obtain a visitor's badge when you arrive. Please make sure you have your driver's license when you sign in. Please do not walk directly to the classroom without obtaining a visitor's badge. If you are a frequent visitor, I know that this may seem like a hassle but our responsibility as a school is to maintain a safe environment.
Volunteers I value volunteers and encourage parents to volunteer in my classroom. If you are unable to come into the classroom to volunteer but would like to do some work at home, I am grateful for that assistance as well. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact me so that we can plan a schedule for you.
Website Check out our website Mrs. Cooper's Fabulous First Graders
I will update it regularly with photos of classroom events, newsletters and other happenings. I encourage you to use this resource.
X'tra TLC Especially at the beginning of the year, children may need some extra assurance from you that they will do just fine in first grade. It is perfectly normal for children to feel overwhelmed, tired, nervous, etc. during the first several weeks of the school year. Simply acknowledging this with your child will be a big help for him or her. Once routines at home and school are established, things will run quite smoothly. Strive to maintain a positive attitude for your child. Rest assured that I will do my best to make the transition as easy as possible for you and for your child. Please contact me with any concerns at any time.
You You are the most important adult in your child's life, and no one knows your child better than you. You are your child's biggest supporter in their education, and I sincerely value your input.
Zzzzz Young children need plenty of rest each night to prepare for a full day of learning. It's important to set and stick to a nightly bedtime so that your child is ready to go when morning comes.
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