Thursday, August 11, 2011
In the largest of worlds, what adventures await the smallest of ships?
- From The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis
Dear Parents,
I just wanted to touch base with you and let you know how excited I am to have your children in my classroom for the next two years. I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone and establishing great relationships.
I am not going to bombard you with too much information right off the bat (you’ll learn plenty about our classroom along the way) but there are a few items that I would like to share so as to make our transition into the new year and classroom as smooth as possible.
Contacting Me:
The very best way to contact me is to e-mail me at chass@richland2.org. I do check my e-mail daily and, at times, in the evening. Please remember, though, that any changes in dismissal need to be made through the front office. If you send me an e-mail that your child needs to go home with another child I may not read that message until well after dismissal time.
Class Schedule:
Here is a forecast of how the majority of our days together are likely to progress.
8:00 Explorations/Morning Work
8:30 Special Area
9:25 Morning Meeting/News & Journals/Language Appreciation
9:45 Math Workshop
10:40 Songs
10:50 Lunch
11:20 Recess
11:45 Writing Workshop
12:35 Inquiries into Science/Social Studies
1:25 Reading Workshop
2:35 Read Aloud
Homework:
I am not a big proponent of large amounts of homework. I’ve yet to find a study that links the volume of homework to either learning (our primary academic goal) or achievement (our secondary academic goal). Homework for homework’s sake is a waste of everyone’s time.
That said, I do think it is important to read each and every night because to live the life of a reader, and to develop a literate identity, our students need to be spending as much time as possible reading for a variety of purposes. This may mean spending 20 minutes reading a picture book, a chapter book, a magazine, a newspaper, an electronic text, or any of a whole host of other texts that we find ourselves engaged in on a daily basis. By second grade this 20 minutes should generally be independent reading – meaning it is in addition to the reading that you do to your child at bedtime or any other part of the evening (which I REALLY hope is a nightly routine). I will be introducing a reading log to the class during our first full week and you can expect to see this coming home soon. The students are responsible for all recording (which is very minimal). You need not sign or initial but please do help to make sure they are recording properly. I do not want the reading log to be cumbersome in any way. I only require it so that I can use it as an artifact to assess your child’s text choices, reading rate, dedication to finishing books, etc.
In addition to reading there may be a few assignments that will come home on Mondays and will need to be returned on Friday. Students may complete these assignments whenever it best fits their schedule. This is intended to help you avoid those “monstrous” nights when there is scouts or practice or church or…
These assignments are meant to be an opportunity for you to both observe and work alongside your child. It provides you an insight into his or her strengths and struggles. I really want to keep homework to no more than 5-10 minutes plus reading. I would rather your child spend his or her evening talking and exploring and playing games with family and friends.
Partnership
Please keep me informed as to how your child is doing at home. If there are any concerns, celebrations, or even funny stories I would love to hear them. I promise to do the same for you. Together we will make these next two years among the very best in your child’s academic career.
Lastly, as partners in this journey I would GREATLY appreciate if you would all address me as Chris rather than Mr. Hass.
Thank you,
Chris
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