Hello Red-tailed Hawk Families and Welcome to the 2024/25 school year!
I hope you all had a wonderful summer and are excited to begin another year (or your first year) in the RTH classroom. I am very excited to welcome Ms. Beth as our classroom assistant this year. Many of the students and families are already familiar with Ms. Beth, as she was a "classroom float" last year, and spent a lot of time in the Red-tailed Hawk's classroom and extended care program.
We have a busy, productive and fun year ahead. Our "Meet the Teacher" meetings are in full swing and it brings me so much joy to introduce our new friends to the community. The start of the school year can be a hectic time, so here are some notes and housekeeping items to help with a smooth transition into 2024/25. We will also be discussing things more in-depth at our first classroom meeting on Wednesday, August 7th.
This year we have 23 students. We will have a list of allergies available in time for our first classroom meeting. If your child has had any changes in their food restrictions or allergies, please notify Ms. Sue in the office as soon as possible. It is important that our food restrictions are updated and accurate, as we begin cooking and baking immediately in the classroom.
Communication is best done through email, or a "gold note" through School Cues. Phone calls to the office are fine, however, as I am in class with the children all day, and often have afterschool meetings, it may take me a few days to return your call. I check my email daily, and will respond as soon as possible. Each Friday we will provide a "Friday Tidbit" through email. Please be sure to check this, as it is a great way to keep informed of what is happening in the Hawks. A more detailed communication will be provided monthly through our "Classroom Updates" on Keystone's Website. This is also a good reference for past communications throughout the year.
"Going Outs" are an essential part of the Montessori Elementary philosophy. Some common destinations include the local grocery store, hardware store, pet store and library. Please bring in your child's library card so they may participate without interruption. We will also be distributing permission forms for the year during our classroom meeting for various other off-campus opportunities.
Lunchtime in the Hawks' class is an opportunity to practice grace and courtesy. This includes a "formal lunch" with place settings and placemats. This year we are asking students to bring in a coffee mug for use in the classroom during the year. Please see that the mugs are dishwasher-safe, and "breakable" (meaning no plastic, silicone, sippy cups, etc.).
As a reminder, lunches should be healthy, precooked food. We have a microwave in the classroom for reheating meals as needed. Sometimes the line for the microwave can get quite long, so we have a one-minute limit for reheating food. Please include an ice pack in your child's lunch bag, as they are stored inside the room, but not refrigerated. Related to this, please be mindful of the size of your student's bag. We have limited space for storage, and must make room for 23 bags. We serve chilled water at lunch time, so there is no need to send in any other beverages. Juices, milk, etc. often spill, and because we eat inside the classroom, this poses a problem with ants and other critters. Serving chilled water is also part of the Grace and Curtesy we practice in the classroom.
In addition to bringing lunch, elementary students bring in their own snacks. Please ensure snacks consist of a fresh fruit, vegetable, or lean protein. The purpose of snack is a quick "refuel" for the students during the morning work cycle. Some suggestions for snack include apples, bananas, string cheese, rolled turkey, nuts etc. Please do not include trail mix which contain chocolate or candies.
Expanding a bit on our limited space, there is no need for your child to bring a backpack. Please only send a backpack with your child if there is a specific need (i.e. they have an afterschool activity, they go back and forth between households, etc.) Water bottles are also unnecessary, as we have water available during class and drinking fountains for recess.
Lastly, please note that Keystone Elementary is an electronics-free environment. Any electronics, including smart watches, phones, etc. are unnecessary and distracting to the learning environment. If any of these items are needed (for example in multiple households) they may be left at the office. Also, as students at this age are working on telling time, please see that only analogue watches are worn in the classroom.
Thank you for the pleasure and privilege of working with your children. Ms. Beth and I look forward to a great year!
In peace and appreciation,
Mrs. Amie