Welcome to Grade 1!

Welcome to Grade 1!

An Introduction:

Hello! My name is Mrs. Soloway, and I will be your child’s Grade 1 teacher this year! This is my second year teaching at Rick Hansen PS, and my ninth year of teaching elementary school. After moving with my family to Aurora from Toronto, I am glad to be welcomed into the Rick Hansen school community. I am very excited to be teaching your child this year! My goal is to be co-creating, co-learning and co-inspiring together with your child throughout the school year. I have a background in Arts Education, and a strong love and passion for the early years play based learning, and inquiry based cross-curricular programs. Grade 1 is a wonderful time to learn, grow, read, write and explore, and I am eager to be alongside your child for this journey!

Communication:

In order to communication regularly about your child’s progress, class activities, questions and exciting programs that will be happening in and outside our classroom will be using the Remind App and your child’s AGENDA for daily classroom updates, along with Weekly Friday Newsletters. Weekly Newsletters will be posted on our classroom blog at grade1in221.blogspot.ca. Please bookmark this webpage so that you always have access!

You child’s AGENDA along with his/her BEE (Bring Everything Everyday) bag and HOME folder will come home with your child daily. Please check the contents, and return the folder daily with your child in the morning. This helps build responsibility and organizational skills throughout the year.

Please provide your contact number and email address on the attached parent survey so we can all stay connected regularly. Please also send 5$ by Friday Sept. 7th for the cost of the Agenda.

Our Class Schedule:

Our Daily Flow (Daily Schedule) is busy! Rick Hansen rotates on a Day 1-5 schedule. The first day of school is Day 1. Please check the School Calendar at www.yrdsb.ca for the year-long schedule. The Entry Bell is at 9:00AM with a snack time at 10:50AM, lunch at 1:00PM and the end of day bell at 3:40PM.

Please make sure to send a pair of indoor running shoes to keep at school; along with a change of clothes (weather appropriate) in a large ziplock with your child’s name on the front.  Please label ALL belongings, including bags, clothes, lunch bags, water bottles and shoes.

Here is our Room 221 schedule at a glance, in addition to daily Literacy, Math, Exploration, Arts and Integrated Social Studies with Mrs. Soloway:

Day	Specials
Day 1	Health and Drama with Ms. Caughey Science with Mr. Vryonides Gym with Mrs. Soloway
Day 2	Science with Mr. Vryonides DPA (Daily Physical Activity) Art with Mrs. Soloway
Day 3	Music with Mr. Walker DPA with Mrs. Soloway
Day 4	STEAM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Arts/Math) with Mrs. Soloway DPA with Mr. Alexander Learning Commons / Library
Day 5	Science with Mr. Vyronides Gym with Mrs. Soloway

This is a tentative weekly schedule, and may change within the first few weeks of school.

We will be learning both inside the classroom and outdoors throughout the school year. Please make sure to dress your child appropriately for ALL weather, and send his/her with the clothes, jackets, hats, boots that he/she will need for fun in any weather.

LIGHTBULB LAB MATERIALS / LOOSE PARTS

This year we will have some great and innovative exploration centres set up in our class. One of the stations is a LIGHTBULB LAB where students can explore and create during STEAM (Science/Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) programming, using their own creativity and imagination. In order for us to build this station RM 221 will welcome the donation of any RECYCLED and/or LOOSE PARTS (found material like cardboard, paper towel rolls,  buttons, fabric scraps, tape, etc…) materials. Thank you in advance for helping foster creativity!

Please send your child with a labelled ART SMOCK for use in the Imagination Station and during Art activities.

I’m looking forward to getting to know your child over the next few months! Please keep your eyes open for further communication, upcoming dates and events. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out in your child’s agenda, by phone at 905-841-6225 ext. 221 or by email at lindsay.soloway@yrdsb.ca.

Thank you!

Mrs. Lindsay  Soloway