Dear 1st Grade Parents and Guardians,

THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing your child with me! I know the start of the school year can
be exciting and overwhelming, but I believe we can provide the best for your child by keeping parent-
teacher lines of communication open throughout the year.

You can reach me by email or phone at: sbrieske@waupun.k12.wi.us and 324-3361.

For you to open your lives and share your child with me is a joy, and I naturally refer to the
class as my kids, too, because I grow to love them so quickly in the year. You know your child better
than anyone, so I have attached a survey to learn more about him/her. Together, we can be a team
and stay on the same page for your childs development. All children are different from each other,
and not all strategies work the same for each child. I value your input as we embark on this year!

In school, I create an organized and structured environment to promote your childs academic,
social, and emotional growth. I hope the following information will help you better understand how
our classroom will be managed as we work toward a successful and fun school year!

Website- I have a classroom website that provides information about our

curriculum, spelling, phonics, vocabulary, weekly happenings, and photos.
I will be using this in place of a newsletter. Feel free to check it out at
your convenience and bookmark it on your home computer. Please visit
www.mrsbrieskesclass.weebly.com. Right now, there are pictures of last years class, but those
will be updated with our new class once the academic year is underway.

Folders- your child will have a red take-home folder that will travel between school and home each
day. The left pocket is labeled Return to School, and the right side is labeled Keep at Home
(anything with a score, sticker, star, etc. will be yours to keep).

Homework- Your child will not come home with regular homework sheets. I believe children need to
be children after working hard at school all day. I value the time they spend playing, strengthening
their social skills and imaginations, and spending time with their families. I do ask, however, that you
spend time each night reading with your child, since reading is an integral part of every subject area.
Research proves that reading to and with young children changes their brains and strengthens
narrative comprehension and visual imagery. Make nightly reading fun! Let your child read subjects
that interest him/her. Students should work to build a stamina of a minimum of 15-20 minutes each
school night. If 15 minutes seems too long, start with a shorter time, like 5-10 minutes, and keep
working on building stamina. We will do the same in the classroom.

Reading Log and Book Bag-A reading log will be sent home with your childs guided reading book and
baggie (starting next week). Listen to your child read aloud the story from his/her designated guided
reading group and check off the progress on the log. Repeated readings promote students sight
word recognition, decoding skills, pace, expression, and comprehension.

Spelling- New spelling lists will be handed out each Monday, and tests will be on Fridays. We will
practice spelling patterns and word families in school, too.

Word Ring- Your child will also have a challenge word ring that will occasionally be brought home
during 1st and 2nd quarter. It will have sight words at his/her individual instructional level. These
words do not have to be practiced nightly, but my hope is that your child practices when your family
has time. Practice will help increase word recognition and phonemic pattern identification.

Snack- Our daily snack and milk break will be in the morning. First graders are welcome
to bring daily snacks for themselves (we will not have a whole-class schedule). They
may keep snacks in their backpacks. Please make sure snacks are nutritious.

Postcard Activity- In social studies, we will study

communities and traditions. Students will also be
introduced to basic maps and map-reading activities. Mrs. Brieskes Class
Meadow View Primary
As an extension, you are invited to ask traveling
601 Grandview Ave.
friends and family to send a postcard to our class.
Waupun, WI 53963
We will briefly learn about locations and compare
and contrast the areas to our very own towns here in
Wisconsin. Postcards can be mailed to:

Scholastic Book Orders- book orders are sent home early each month, and orders will be placed on
the 10th of each month. You may order online or send the paper order back to school. With each
online order, our class earns a classroom library book. To order online, please visit:
www.scholastic.com/bookclubs and use the class activation code: J4PGF
Behavior- each child is unique and needs to be treated as such. When behavior issues arise, I will
speak with the student(s) individually and discuss corrections and how to work toward proper
behavior.

I implement two behavior management programs called Responsive Classroom and Love and
Logic. They are two phenomenal concepts that help create safe learning environments. Responsive
Classroom is research and evidence- based, and it leads to higher student achievement, greater
teacher effectiveness, and an improved school climate. Love and Logic promotes positive
relationships and logical consequences. If you hear your child talk about visiting Alaska or taking a
break, it simply means s/he continued learning within our classroom from a table labeled Alaska. It
has sensory manipulatives students may use as they reflect upon their actions and learn without
interrupting instruction. Students return to their regular spot soon after. If a conversation or
consequence is necessary, I will follow up with the child. If youd like to learn more about Responsive
Classroom or Love and Logic, please visit http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/ or
http://www.loveandlogic.com/.

The Warrior Way (PBIS)- our school has also implemented PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and
Supports). We call it The Warrior Way. There are many components to this program, including
positive recognition that allows children to earn non-material incentives. Some classroom teachers
use a card system (4, 3, 2, 1) or clothespin system for students to visually be aware of their behavior
level. I will not be using this system in our classroom at this time. If there are recurring behavior
concerns, I will notify parents, our school counselor, and our principal, and we can come up with a
behavior plan, if necessary. We are a team in helping your child become the best, most responsible
citizen s/he can become.

If you have any questions about this packet or classroom procedures, please let me know. Thank you!
 Parent and Guardian Survey
Please complete this survey and return it within the first week of school, so I can learn more
about your child and focus on addressing his/her needs. Thank you! -Mrs. Brieske

Childs Name: __________________________________

Moms name: _______________________Phone #: ____________ Email: _______________

Preferred way to be contacted:__________________________________

Dads name:_________________________Phone #: ____________ Email: _______________

Preferred way to be contacted:__________________________________

**For school reminders, I use a text-generated app called Remind. It is used for important due
dates and reminders (permission slips, picture retakes, field trips, etc.)? Numbers are never
shared, and there are no open replies. Would you like me to add your number? You can learn
more at www.remind.com.

No______ Yes_____ (Cell number_______________)

Who is filling out this form? _______________________

Please list any of your other school-aged children (and grade) within our district

_____________________________________________________________________________
1. Please describe your child.

2. How would you describe your childs attitude toward school?

3. What is your childs best subject/s, and why?

4. What subject/s does your child struggle with or like the least, and why?

5. What motivates your child (positive encouragement, rewards, taking away privileges, etc.)?

6. Are there any specific areas you want me to focus on with your child (for example:
writing a detailed sentence, spelling, math facts, reading comprehension)?

7. Who generally helps with nightly reading and school-related issues?

8. What other activities is your child involved in, or what other responsibilities do they have
at home?
 9. What else would you like me to know about your child that would help make 1st grade a
GREAT year?

10. We will have class celebrations a few times this year. If you are willing, please sign up
to provide materials or snacks for one of those occasions, and I will send a reminder
note a few weeks before:
____ Halloween
____ Christmas/Winter Party
____ 100th Day of School
____ Valentines Day
____ I will help with any occasion needed.
____ I prefer to not participate.

Which do you prefer to provide:

___materials: either napkins, plates, or forks
___ a snack of your choice
___ juice boxes

11. Are you interested in helping in the classroom (making copies, bulletin boards, helping
with reading or math centers, etc.). If so, when are you available?

Have you filled out a volunteer/background check form with the office? Yes___ No___

Thank you! I appreciate your input and look forward to a great year with you and your child!