Welcome to a new year at Ray. I hope everyone had a relaxing summer. My name is Stacy Horgan and I will be your 1st grader’s teacher. I am a 10th year Chicago Public School teacher. I have taught grades Kindergarten, Second, Third and this will be my first year teaching First. In addition I spent three years as a Literacy Coach where I worked with children in grades K through Eighth.
Starting on the first day of school, please help your child get organized. Today, each student will also receive a Ray School folder with important school wide information as well as a student planner. Planners and folders must be brought home every night and returned to school the next day. I am asking parents to sign their planner every night after they have worked on homework and read any notes sent home. In addition to keeping a daily home to school connection these planners must also be used as a hallway pass anytime the students have to leave the classroom. Beginning next week, you will receive a weekly overview each Monday describing areas of study and upcoming events at Ray and in room 114. The Ray School Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, September 21, 2011. Please plan on attending!
A couple of things:
HOMEWORK: Beginning next week students will have nightly homework. This week the only homework assignment is for each student’s family to join the Ray PTA. Each membership is $20 and only needs to be paid once per family. If you have already joined the PTA this year with another child in your family please write a note in your child’s planner.
SCHOOL BREAKFAST: School breakfast will be served each morning from 9:00 to 9:10. Students must arrive at school by 9:00 in order to take part in the free breakfast program. Please be respectful of this time frame.
SUPPLIES: Please make sure you child has a folder for Spanish and Writing Workshop. They also need a notebook for their weekly poetry assignments. I am asking for classroom donations of black dry erase markers. We use dry erase boards on a daily basis and I am asking for black to avoid any disagreements between students regarding the color of their marker.
VOLUNTEER! I could use about 6 parent volunteers for tearing out and collating the math home-links. If you are interested, please send a note in your child’s green take-home folder and I will send the materials home with your child. Thanks in advance for your help! Please feel free to contact me with questions and concerns. I will be posting an additional volunteer schedule once things have settled in the classroom and we are well into our daily routines.
Thanks for your support and WELCOME BACK!
Stacy Horgan