California Montessori Project Carmichael Campus

							  California Montessori Project, Carmichael Campus

           Gardenia Classroom
                           2010-2011
                          First Grade
                      Ms. Joey and Ms. Lori




Daily Schedule
As the children adjust to the classroom routine, we will be working towards
the goal of the following schedule:
8:15-8:30 Drop off
8:30-8:50 Morning Circle
8:50-10:55 Morning work time
           o Spelling groups
           o Math or Language lessons
           o Handwriting or word building workbooks
           o Leveled math practice or Language practice
11:00-11:45 Lunch and Recess
11:45-12:30 Story Time
12:30-1:40 Afternoon work time
          o Journal writing or writer’s workshop
          o SRA
          o Small reading groups
          o Rosetta Stone
          o Accelerated Reader
1:30-2:30 Cultural Rotation: History, Geography, Botany, or Zoology
2:30-2:50 Clean-up/Closing Circle
3:00 Dismissal
The PE schedule will be announced soon.
The schedule will be modified to accommodate special projects, events,
guests, assemblies, birthdays and field trips.
Family Handbook and Classroom Policies
The CMP Family Handbook is a wonderful resource for you regarding
school policies. Please review these documents and keep both the Family
Handbook and the Gardenia Classroom Policies in a safe place to
reference if questions arise throughout the year.


Parents in the Classroom and Communications
Parent involvement is key to building our campus community. Having
parents participate is so important to the children, and we will offer many
different ways for you to get your parent hours. However, in order for the
students to acclimate to the classroom routine smoothly, we ask that
parents say their goodbyes either in the drop-off loop or outside the
classroom door. An adult will be at the loop to assist your child from the
car, or if you prefer to walk your child onto the campus, please allow
enough time to park in the east lot and walk your child in through the side
gate by the playground. Please note there is no parent parking in the west
staff lot or in the front of the school.
After we have reached a normalization period, around 6 weeks, and the
children understand what is expected of them, parents who have clearance
may assist in the classroom. It is not beneficial to the classroom or your
own child, however, to enter the classroom and “hang out.” This disrupts
our routine, and all the children feel the effects of additional adults in the
classroom. If you need to speak with one of us, a note to call you would be
very helpful. We can then arrange a meeting after school if necessary.
Weekly classroom newsletters will be sent home regularly to keep you
informed of activities, due dates, fieldtrips, assignments, etc. In order to
reduce the amount of paper use, these newsletters, the monthly homework
calendar, and other handouts will be posted on the CMP website
(www.cacmp.org). You may leave a message on our classroom voice mail
by calling the office at 971-2430. You may go to the schools web page to
access the link to our classroom e-mail. We will respond within 2 school
days.


Classroom Guidelines
Our philosophy is based on love and respect. We believe that adults must
be the models of the behavior they wish to elicit from the children. We
recognize the dignity and worth of every human being within our class. We
want the children to intrinsically develop a positive self-image and respect
for themselves, others and the environment. We believe that by treating
the children with fairness and respect, they will react kindly. The goal of
discipline is to help a child change his/her behavior from negative to
positive. Redirection is used to redirect their activity in order to help a child
with the process.
The California Montessori Projects guidelines are:
Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible by using the Montessori
Principles of:
Respect of Self, Respect of Others and Environment, Grace and Courtesy,
and Control of Movement.
We expect children to make good choices, and our goal is to help them in
those choices. If there is difficultly making a good choice, there will be a
series of actions including:
1. Reminder of a positive behavior
2. Child to be excused from the direct area
3. Child will be removed from the classroom for a time to finish an
assignment or think about better choices. They will fill out a recovery form
to be signed by the parent and returned the next school day.
We thank you in advance for your support, and look forward to a wonderful
year!

Classroom Assignments and Homework
Each child will be given a weekly work plan. It will list the individual jobs in
which he or she will participate. These are kept on a clipboard so the child
can carry them around the classroom. Every day, we will initial next to the
completed jobs. These work plans will be sent home every Monday from
the previous week for your review. Homework is a very important
reinforcement tool in your child’s learning. It gives them the opportunity to
recall concepts that were practiced in class that day. We have noticed a
great difference in increased learning when a child completes their
homework daily. The packet will go home on Monday and is to be returned,
completed, on Friday. This homework does include a reading log located
on the back of the assignment sheet. Please make sure this returns also,
so that we may tally the number of minutes that your child has read that
week.

Snack and Lunch
We allow a short break around 10:00 a.m. when children are encouraged to
eat “brain food” such as bagels with cream cheese, fresh fruit, nuts, cheese
or yogurt as a snack. This gives them the extra energy to continue to work
until recess and lunch time.
To help the children to develop good work habits, we strongly discourage
the addition of high sugar foods in lunches. This type of food can give the
child a “burst” of energy and shortly thereafter give them a lower amount of
energy. Candy, gum, and caffeinated drinks are not allowed at school.
Children are never allowed to share their food with any other child due to
the possibility of food allergies.
Lunch is at 11:00, followed by recess at 11:20. Children are required to sit
for 20 minutes during lunch in order to allow proper digestion of food. We
practice grace and courtesy at this time. This is to improve manners and
safety. Most choking accidents occur because children are standing or
moving around while eating.

Field Trips
We will have several field trips this year. Parent drivers are always needed.
If you would like to drive on fieldtrips, please complete the necessary
requirements found in your participation packets: TB test, Live Scan finger
printing, Driver History Report (can order online), and copies of driver’s
license and proof of insurance up to $100,000/$300,000. Please note that
many families do not carry the minimum insurance amount required by
CMP. Often insurance carriers will add additional liability insurance for a set
day for a fieldtrip, or for the school year, with very little additional charge.
Check with your individual insurance carrier. Parent Participation hours are
earned for driving other students on fieldtrips and for doing the Live Scan.
Possible fieldtrips:
October 8 – Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland 9:00 am-12:00 pm
October 29 – Walk to the Park (weather permitting)
November 19 – Walk to the Park (weather permitting), Gardenia’s Pancake Breakfast
December 16 - B Street Theater “Junie B. in Jungle Bells, Batman Smells!” (date is not
confirmed yet)
February 11 – Walk to the Park (weather permitting)
February 25 – Carmichael Library 9:00 am – 11:00 am
March 12 – Saturday Family Field Trip to Point Reyes
April 1 – Walk to the Park (weather permitting)
April 15- Mad Science (comes into the classroom), 12:00pm – 1:00 pm
May 20 – Walk to the Park (weather permitting)
June 10 – TBA

Gibbons Park and North Mission Park Field Trips
At Carmichael CMP we are so fortunate to have Gibbons Park and North
Mission Park located less than one mile from our campus. To give the
children a little exercise and a lot of fun, we would like to walk to these
Parks when are schedule allows and weather permits, to have lunch and
play. With your signed permission, we will make this an on-going field trip
during the 2010-2011 school year. If you do not wish to give your
permission, please let us know, and your child may stay with another
classroom during this time.
We will need 2 parents to walk with us both to and from the park. We will
put a notice in the newsletter and a sign-up sheet outside the door as park
days are scheduled. Please let us know if you can walk with us by the
Thursday before our “Park Day.”

Spelling Tests and Math Tests
Math tests will be given weekly to confirm that the students have mastered
the skill that they were working on that week. Should they not master the
concept, we will revisit the skill. Every Friday, students will be given a
spelling test on the spelling words that were given that week. Since these
assignments will be completed at home, please be sure to check over your
child’s work nightly.

Birthdays
We celebrate the students’ birthdays on the Friday before or the day of
their birthday. We sing a special Montessori Birthday song and if you like
students may bring in one flower for each year to make a special
arrangement. The entire class will share goodies if you choose, so please
bring enough to share with 20 students.
Some healthy snack ideas that the children really like are:
Cut up Fruit, Fruit kabobs, Muffins, Breads, Frozen Go-Gurts, Cheese and crackers,
Veggies and dip, etc. Other healthy ideas are welcome.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences are held during October and March.
Look for a sign-up sheet during that time. It will be located just outside the
door to the classroom near the bulletin board. Notices will go home in the
weekly newsletter. You may e-mail or call me to sign up if you are unable to
come onto campus.

Pick-ups
If you need to pick up your child early, we request that you send a note in
the morning if possible. We can help your child to be ready, and it will be
less disruptive to the class.
Your child’s safety is our number one concern. Your child will only be
allowed to leave school with those names on his or her emergency card. If
someone else is picking up your child, we must receive a written notice.
This person needs to show ID if the teachers do not know him or her.
Thank you so much for your cooperation!
Please wait until 3:00 to come into the classroom to pick up your child. The
last few minutes of class are an important time for our end of the day
reflections.
Me Museum
Your child will be chosen to be the Me Museum person for a specific week.
They will be a line leader as well as help lead opening and closing circle.
Please help your child choose up to 10 items that are special to him/her. It
is important that these items can fit into a 10-gallon aquarium, so they
should fit into a large grocery bag when they come to school. These items
will remain on display for the other students to look at for this week. Also
you child may bring in flowers to arrange on the tables.

Parent Volunteer Positions 2010-2011
Room Parents (party organizers/helpers)        Dusting shelves
CAC Representatives                             Knitting group
Dusting shelves                                 Special project helpers
Field trip parent coordinators                  on Friday afternoons
Harvest Faire class coordinator                 Art docent
Walk with class to the park approx. 11am-1pm    Sharpen pencils
Spring Carnival class coordinator
Pancake Breakfast class coordinator
Classroom party helpers
Computer helpers (Rosetta Stone/Accelerated Reader)
Put homework folders together Monday mornings
Reading with students
Classroom maintenance

At Home Jobs…
Cutting of laminate       Cutting of paper       Reading log parent




Other dates of importance are listed on the school calendar, monthly
school newsletters, and weekly classroom newsletters.


                      Welcome to the Gardenia Class!
                          Ms. Joey and Ms. Lori
                     California Montessori Project
                              Gardenia Class
    Field Trip and Classroom Volunteer Requirement Receipt
Please make a copy of all paperwork you hand into the office to keep for your
 files. Please have the office staff that receives your paperwork date and sign
 that they did receive your paperwork below. Items # 1 and 2 are required to
work in the classroom. All items #1 through 5 must be completed and turned in
     to drive on a field trip 2 weeks prior to our first field trip. Thank you!

                        DATE                  Recipients’ Signature

1. TB Test Results _________________             ___________________



2. Live Scan       _________________             ___________________
Finger Printing



3. Driving History _________________             ___________________
Report


4. Copy of Driver’s_________________             ____________________
License


5. Proof of Insurance_______________              ____________________
*Must be updated in the office whenever your policy is renewed.