1. Mrs. Drozek 2016 - 2017 Elementary I

2. Dear Families, Welcome to a new school year! This is sure to be a terrific year. I am excited to be a part of your child’s education, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with you and your child. As a team, we can ensure that your child is on the path to success! As the year begins, your child will spend time reviewing and building upon previously learned concepts. This allows your child to start the year out on a successful and positive note. Beyond academics, your child will be taught valuable life skills such as following directions, time management, and responsibility. The knowledge and skills your child gains this year will help lead your child to future academic success. Communication between home and school is important. The best way to contact me is ramona.drozek@rps205.com. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. I also use ClassDOJO to record student’s work and alert you to behaviors in class. Please visit www.classdojo.com and set up an account to receive regular notifications from me. Our class code is: PZMWWDX.www.classdojo.com I am looking forward to an outstanding year filled with fun and learning! Sincerely, Mrs. Drozek

3. School start time: 7:40 Dismissal: 2:10 Lunch & Recess: 10:55-11:35 Our Daily Specials Monday _ 8:40 am Music ____________________ Tuesday _ 9:30 am PE ____________________ Wednesday _ 9:30 am Music _________________ Thursday _ 9:30 am Art ____________________ Friday _ 9:30 am Art_________________________ School Phone Number: (815) 654-4906 Email: ramona.drozek@rps205.com

4. In this handbook you will find important information that you may need to reference throughout the school year. The following topics are covered. Homework Absences Class Rules Behavior Plan Birthdays The information contained within should provide you with useful information, but I realize that after reading this information you may be left with a question or two. If you find that you do have a question about the contents of this handbook, please do not hesitate to contact me.

5. The Elementary I team will use a weekly Reading Log to track nightly reading. We want to stress the importance of reading for leisure and enjoyment. Every student will be expected to read for 15 minutes each week day or week end night. The book should be one that the student selects and enjoys. The log will be sent home on Fridays and due Fridays. Please make sure that you fill out the form every night of reading and initial. Please make it the responsibility of your student to return their logs each and every week. This is an important skill to develop for later grades. No reading logs will be sent home over Thanksgiving, Christmas or Spring Breaks.

6. Regular attendance is a big factor in student success. When students attend school regularly, they do not miss out on valuable instruction and/or practice of new skills. However, life happens and sometimes absences are unavoidable. If your child is absent from school, please be sure to call the office so that the absence(s) can be excused. Prearranged absences must be coordinated with the school office. Please DO NOT email absence information. When a student is absent, his/her presentations and work choices will be added to the current work plan. Students will have the same presentation given during the absence. Packets will not be made or sent home for extended absences such vacations.

7. Following the rules is important. By implementing a set of classroom rules, students are better prepared for the real world where they will be expected to follow established rules and laws. My expectations are that my students work hard, be polite and kind, work neatly, and follow the rules. Our classroom rules will be established the first week of school. A copy will be sent home. Students who are continually disruptive to the learning environment or disobedient to classroom rules will be disciplined as outlined in the district code of conduct.

8. I believe in providing a positive atmosphere in the classroom. Some of the positive reinforcements that I use to recognize good decision making are: Acknowledgement of proper choices Encouragement of kind words and behaviors Providing leadership roles or activities Consequences are a result of poor decision making. After redirections and conferencing with the student, the following sequence will be used to address a student’s poor decision making: Think Spot (time to reflect on choices) Think sheet (written reflection on choices) Parent/Teacher/Student Conference Removal from classroom for disobedience or harmful actions to self or others Please encourage your child to make smart choices each day. Remind him/her of the importance of following the rules. I try very hard to be fair and your support is always appreciated.

9. Birthdays are special days. As such, I will recognize each student’s birthday as it occurs throughout the year (even those whose special day occurs during the summer months). Students will make a timeline celebrating their life. They will be able to share the timeline with their classmates and families. Please be ready to send a few pictures to school. As a school, our policy does not allow any type of treat to be shared in class. However, if you would like to send in something to recognize your child’s birthday, you may send in favor bags that contain small gifts or small, healthy snacks. The favor bags will be distributed during closing circle at the end of the day. Birthday invitations may ONLY be distributed at school if ALL of the students in class are being invited. If you are only inviting a select group of children, please use the school directory provided by the PTC; those invitations should be mailed via USPS. Please discuss the importance of NOT talking about birthday parties in class with your student. Feelings at this age are easily hurt. As a parent, I appreciate that not every student can be invited to a party! However, we can help our students to be mindful of other feelings by not talking about plans for their parties. Thank you in advance for respecting and following the established birthday policy.