Our teacher hands us a packet at the end of the week. It has a sheet to sign for if we went to church that weekend since its a church school, a conduct sheet that she circles from one to five and writes comments and tells us what our child needs extra help at home on. Phonics, numbers, penmanship whatever.
On monday we get a paper saying what they are learning for the week, and if there is anything needed or special that week.
Holly has a folder that comes home with her every day. It only has two sections - "Return to school" and "Keep at home."
The "Return to school" pocket always has the daily conduct sheet in it, which I have to sign and return. If there were any problems (which thankfully we haven't had thus far), the area(s) the kid had problems in would be circled (talking out of turn, not keeping hands to self, things like that).
There's also a weekly classroom newsletter.
I wish the teacher was an email person. Maybe Holly's next teacher will be.
I forgot to add we see the teacher everyday for pickup. (dropoff the kids go outside) So we can talk about anything then and she handed out her cell number and the beginning of the year.
We have a back and forth folder that comes home everyday. One side is stuff to keep at home and the other is stuff to send back to school.
I email the teacher and she is great about emailing back quickly. She emails the newsletter each week. She's great. I am so happy with everything. I'm sure I could call too but email is SO much easier.
thursdays the school sends home work from the past week. if i need to get in touch with the teacher or she needs to tell me something, we either email each other or she will pull me aside at pick up after school (we don't have buses here).
I talk with Laurens teacher through her agenda/folder, via email, and phone calls. I'm up at the school a lot too so sometimes I just see her and we talk that way or we are out socially and we talk. But it also helps that we are friends. I love her teacher.
Hannah brings home a folder daily with her papers in it, plus a green folder on Mondays that is important communications from the school usually more so than from the teacher. She also brings home a letter from the teacher with the basic rundown of what the class did as a whole that week, homework, and general information, plus a behavior sheet which is very basic (A stamp for each day, smilies for good behavior, x for bad). I'm glad to have that, but it's not individualized at all, so I'd like to have more info that pertained directly to Hannah, but I know there are a lot of kids and they just can't do that everyday, so I'm trying to get over it.
We have an agenda that has a plastic folder for notices at the front. The teacher would write notes in it if necessary and we can send messages in that way as well.
This year is just practice for the agenda - no official homework until grade 1.
Obviously it's not an issue with my younger 3. But with Rebecca and Crystal, it's annoying to not have much communication from the school. They mail me information about testing (3 times a year), and I'll get an update type call about once a semester. Any other things I want to know, I have to go search out myself. Granted, I do have access to all their school work, assignments, grades, and e-mail, but I don't know their teachers hardly at all and have no way to get in touch with the English teacher (she's an off-site teacher and I've never met her). Parent-teacher conferences are announced on the program my kids use, but if I don't check those announcements at least every other day or so, I miss them. My kids certainly won't tell me about them and the school doesn't tell me about them. I would love to talk with the administrator about the science and English teachers but he's nearly impossible to get hold of. Plus, it's frustrating to discuss those kinds of things over the phone.
Raven has a 3 ring 1 inch binder also. Front pocket is for papers/money that needs to go to school and back pocket is for paper to keep at home. In the middle is newsletter, behavior page(that is signed everyday), communication page, homework and homework help. So far we've had no written communication but I see her teacher everyday.
Wow, Mel - I just saw yours about the email thing. I don't know why teachers wouldn't want to go that route. It can be really helpful and time saving for little communications. Is she older? (Not to generalize, just asking. ;)
I am SO glad Gavin's teacher emails. She emailed me today just to tell me that he mentioned he had a stomach ache but seemed fine after going to the bathroom and let me know someone else had the stomach flu yesterday so she just wanted to keep me in the loop. Did I mention how much I love his teacher? Because I do!
I do not see my kids' teachers at drop-off or pickup. Parents are not allowed inside the building (except in the office) at that time.
We are welcome to have breakfast or lunch with our kids, after signing in at the office and getting a badge. But we do not have face-to-face communication with the teachers in the mornings or afternoons.
Lucas's teacher gave out her cell number and we can call anytimne after school until 9pm. Regular notes and stuff come home in his folder and anything that has to go back (today was fundraiser money and picture money) goes in the same folder. The kids put the folder in a bin when they get to school and the teacher cleans them all out.
She has been calling every Friday too just to give us an update but I think that will stop once they get farther into the school year.
He rides a bus both ways so I do not see the teacher and if I picked him up I don't thinkI would see her either unless I went looking for her.
connor rides the bus so i have only ever met his teacher at the orientation and the back to school open house night.
he brings home a folder every day. it has whatever papers that are being sent home, fundraiser info, picture day info, etc.
his teacher also gave out her email and cell phone, but i have not had a reason to use either.
i'm surprised that your school encourages parents to eat meals with their children, robin. that is definitely discouraged here. the only thing our schools allow as far as parent contact is chaperoning field trips or helping out in the school. you aren't allowed to help in the classroom your own child is in until atleast a month into the school year. they are more likely to have you making photocopies, stapling packets, etc than assisting w/crafts and whatnot.
connor rides the bus so i have only ever met his teacher at the orientation and the back to school open house night.
he brings home a folder every day. it has whatever papers that are being sent home, fundraiser info, picture day info, etc.
his teacher also gave out her email and cell phone, but i have not had a reason to use either.
i'm surprised that your school encourages parents to eat meals with their children, robin. that is definitely discouraged here. the only thing our schools allow as far as parent contact is chaperoning field trips or helping out in the school. you aren't allowed to help in the classroom your own child is in until atleast a month into the school year. they are more likely to have you making photocopies, stapling packets, etc than assisting w/crafts and whatnot.
They love parent involvement there. Last week they had Grandparents' Breakfast, this morning is Donuts with Dad--I just sent Glen with the boys, and next week is Muffins with Mom.
They're always asking for parent volunteers for stuff.
And lunch visitors weren't allowed the first month of school but we started ages ago.
Like others, Ethan brings a folder back and forth every day. One side is keep at home, the other is return to school. He also ends up with random papers (drawing, practice worksheets) in his bag from after care.
His teacher sends a weekly newsletter as well as the ocassional random email when something has come up. She also has two web sites--one general one, where she posts a weekly trivia question for the kids and pictures of art projects, etc; one for the class "pet," a stuffed animal the kids take turns bringing home so they can tell about their experience.
When I need to ask her something, I email her. Ethan takes the bus in the am and I pick up from after care so I've only met her once but I'm going on a field trip this month.
And his school invites parents for lunch after the first couple of weeks. I haven't gone yet but plan to in Oct because I have a couple of days off from work. EJ met him when he was off a few weeks ago.
connor rides the bus so i have only ever met his teacher at the orientation and the back to school open house night.
he brings home a folder every day. it has whatever papers that are being sent home, fundraiser info, picture day info, etc.
his teacher also gave out her email and cell phone, but i have not had a reason to use either.
i'm surprised that your school encourages parents to eat meals with their children, robin. that is definitely discouraged here. the only thing our schools allow as far as parent contact is chaperoning field trips or helping out in the school. you aren't allowed to help in the classroom your own child is in until atleast a month into the school year. they are more likely to have you making photocopies, stapling packets, etc than assisting w/crafts and whatnot.
Eating with them is encouraged but I don't know who would want to do it more than once. I don't because they would put me to work. I helped out in the lunch room for the first couple of weeks until they had more volunteers signed up. Now I avoid volunteering in there.
I volunteer in Raven's class for small reading groups. They will tell you(and you should already know) when being there is a distraction to your child and find something else for you to help with.
I see Raven's teacher when I take her to class and the assistant when picking her up.
I love her teacher.
