1. Supplies: It would be helpful for your child to have the following items: A pencil box, a dry-erase marker with their name on it with permanent marker (these are for workshops),
and a backpack. I will supply as many dry-erase markers as I can.
2. Homework: I have a weekly sheet that goes home stapled to the spelling words on Mondays to be returned to me on Fridays. Please watch for these. Also please check backpacks daily. I try to stand at the door at the end of each day and check for school work and notes that are suppose to go home.
3. Runny Noses: During the month’s we’re in school the children use many Kleenex tissues. If you are able PLEASE send a box or two of tissues to school with your child, as one box is used up I will put out another. THANKS
4. Media Center: Our class time is Tuesdays at 1:50.
5. Physical Education: Our class time is Thursdays at 2:00. Please make sure that your child is wearing appropriate clothes for physical activities.
6. My Books: The students are encouraged to read books from my own personal library. If you find books with Rusk in the front cover please have the student return them to me. Also, if you are thinking of getting rid of any children’s books please consider donating them to the classroom to give the students a wider selection of books to choose from. THANKS!
7. Class Visitors: You are welcome to visit our classroom, but please check in at the office. I would appreciate at least a day’s notice just in case there is a conflict with assemblies, etc.
8. Parent Helpers: I welcome parent helpers who are able to help with classroom chores and Give one-on-one help to students. Once, I get workshops going I would love volunteers between 10:15-11:20 daily. I also appreciate parents who are able to help with field trips or share special talents, occupations, hobbies, etc. with our class. The children love to see their
parents involved at school in one way or another.
9. Toys, etc: I would appreciate it if you would stress to your child that these things need to be left at home. The first time I see a student playing with a toy I will take it away and they may have it back after school. The second time a parent will need to come in to get it.
10. Book Orders: Several book orders will be sent home each month. This gives each child an opportunity to choose their own reading books. There are usually some great books that go along with our units as well as different authors that we study. If you are paying with a check PLEASE make the checks out to each individual Book Club. If you’re not interested, just toss them. THANKS!!!
Classroom Wish List: hand soap, hand sanitizer, white/colored pipe cleaners, resealable sandwich bags, yarn, 30 pairs of big goggle eyes
Miss Rusk’s Daily Schedule
8:20-8:35 Silent Reading: A time when the students are responsible for their own behavior. Students will be expected to come into the classroom, select a book and then sit and read/look at it.
8:30-8:40 Pledge, Attendance, Lunch Money , and other class business
8:40-9:00 Every Day Count, Mountain Math, and Mountain Language: Every Day Counts is a calendar program that reviews different math concepts such as: time, money, place value, and calendar skills. Mt. Math and Mt. Language are also reviewing of key concepts in math and Language Arts.
9:00-10:00 Reading: We will be doing the Open Court Program this year. This is the same reading program that they had last year, except on a first grade level. Open Court has group instruction, companion reading, individual reading, workbooks, and other reading exercises. There are also exercises that promote Phonemic Awareness for our students. Students will bring home decodable stories (these go along with the letters and sounds we are learning in class) that they need to read to themselves, read to a parent, and then have a parent sign it and then they are to bring it back to school.
I will keep track of these. PLEASE read these books with your child–
reading practice helps them become better readers.
10:00-10:15 Recess
10:15-11:20 Workshops. Student will work independently with a partner on two different activities a day. I will be meeting with small groups of students at this time.
11:20-11:40 Spelling
11:45-12:25 Lunch/Recess
12:25-1:25 Math: We are using the Scott Foresman Math Program this year in the first grade. However, I use the math book as a teaching tool. I don’t start on page one and do 2-3 pages until the book is done. I will use pages in the book to reinforce concepts that I have taught them using more hands-on methods. I teach with a lot of Hands-on-Activities using many different kinds of manipulatives. I also integrate a lot of literature into my math program. I use literature to reinforce many math
concepts.
1:25-1:40 Recess
1:40-2:00 Math Continued. We will do ADD (Arithmetic Done Daily). This is a short math
review that helps student to develop problem solving skills.
1:45-2:15 Computer on Mondays.
1:50-2:10 Library on Tuesday. Students will leave the school library books at school.
2:00-2:30 P.E on Thursdays. Please send your child to school in clothes that they can run around in and be active in on Thursdays. Thanks.
2:30-3:00 Music on Tuesdays.
2:00-3:00 Inter-Connections. Some of the units that we will cover from the 1st grade core are: personal hygiene, nutritious foods, safety (school, pedestrian, bike, fire, and water), Family, friendship, choices and consequences, national symbols, plant growth, seeds, water, maps, globes, communities, deserts, and Australia! ( These would be some things that you and your child can start researching!!!)
