Welcome to St. Ferdinand! My name is Ms. Howry.

I hope you enjoyed a

relaxing summer and are ready for fun in first! In the first couple of weeks we will be getting to
know each other, learning WHOLE BRAIN classroom routines, and reviewing Kindergarten
standards. This year, I am looking forward to helping your child grow closer to God and discover
their strengths. Your child will also learn how to use an abacus, an arithmetic calculating tool,
which is known for improving self-confidence, concentration and memory. I invite you to be
partners with me in helping your child continue their academic and spiritual journey.


Homework plays an important role because it teaches children how to set priorities and goals, and
develops discipline. These are important habits to develop now so that your child will be able to
meet goals throughout their life. Homework also serves as a link between the home and school,
informing parents about learning taking place in class. Homework will be a review and should take
no longer than 30 minutes each night.

A math homework packet and Reading Journal will be sent home Mondays and will be due Fridays.
Please do only one page of math homework per day, as each page is a reinforcement of the lesson
taught that day. All English homework and the Good News Religion Magazine is to be completed
in the Reading Journal. The English Homework Schedule is as follows:

Mondays: Choose a Spelling Activity and complete it for the weekly spelling words (Spelling
words are sent home Mondays).
Tuesdays: Reading Journal
Wednesday: Reading Journal
Thursdays: Read Good News Magazine and answer the questions in complete sentences, restating
the question, in the Reading Journal.
Friday: Turn in Reading Journal and Math Packet.

Weekends: Read 10-15 minutes each day.
Nightly: Read, practice prayer, and study for spelling test on Friday.

Homework will be checked and returned the following week. Homework counts towards the
homework grade on report cards.


Birthdays and Parties
We will not use class time to pass out treats or invitations. We will recognize your childs special
day in our class by singing! If you wish to pass out something, I request that parents come five
minutes before the bell rings, and pass out the treats to children on their way out of the classroom.
Please try to stick to small gifts such as books, pencils, treat bags, or healthy snacks. If you wish to
pass out birthday invitations, please make sure that every child receives an invite or an invite is sent
to all children of the same gender. We will have a Christmas party and Valentines Party. Following
these guidelines will help our class maintain an appropriate learning environment.
Contact:
If you need to reach me please call the office (818)361-3264 and leave your name and phone
number. If I do not contact you, please see me directly, as the message may have not reached me.
Email: First@stferdinand.com.
Tutoring:
I will be holding English tutoring from 3:00-3:40 on Mondays. I will let you know if your child
needs
to attend.

Absences:
Our school day begins promptly at 7:50. If your child is tardy, he/she must go to the office and get a
tardy pass to come to class. If your child is sick, please keep him/her home so as not to infect
others. In the event of an absence, please send a doctors note or parent note the next day that your
child returns to school.
Math Enrichment:
In addition to learning the abacus in class, I will be providing an additional after school enrichment
course on the abacus. The course is designed to improve your childs concentration, self-
confidence, math computation, accuracy, and speed, while training the right brain in coordination
with the left, balancing brain development. Students will be ready to take on the challenges of
competition with a healthy spirit!

Details on sign-ups will follow in upcoming weeks of school. The program will run once a week
from 3:00-4:30 pm, beginning in October and ending in June. The proposed day (Tuesday or
Wednesday) will depend on what level (Junior or Senior) your child is ready for.


Daily Schedule:
Morning Meeting
Religion
Math
Recess
Language Arts
Lunch
Grammar/Writing
Social Studies/Science

Specials:
Music (Wednesdays/Thursdays)
Art (Fridays)
P.E. (Tuesdays/Thursdays)
Technology (Wednesdays)

Grading:
I will be sending home all tests as soon as they are graded. Here is the grading scale for our online
grading system, Gradelink: www.gradelink.com:

VG /4 (student is working above grade level)
G /3 (student is working on grade level)
S /2 (student is developing towards working on grade level)
NI /1 (student is working a grade level below and emerging)
P /0 (student is working far below grade level)

Weekly Tests/Quizzes:
Thursdays: Vocabulary and Grammar Quizzes (Words sent home Mondays)
Fridays: Spelling Tests (sent home Mondays)
Fluency and Comprehension Tests: Days vary depending on your childs reading group

Discipline:
If there are any discipline problems at school I will be in contact you. Some of the classroom
management systems I use are Whole Brain Teaching by Chris Biffle, ClassDojo, and Color Cards.
Soon, I will give you the login information so you can track your childs behavior daily with
ClassDojo on your iphone or computer. You can also check what color your child was on at the end
of the school day. Students can move up or down the color chart throughout the day depending
upon the choices they make. I also follow Love and Logics principles by Jim Faye and Foster W.
Cline, M.D. They are presenters on parenting, positive discipline, and classroom management. Here
are the websites if you would like more information:
http://wholebrainteaching.com/, classdojo.com, http://www.loveandlogic.com/

Whole Brain Class Rules:
1. Follow directions quickly
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat
4. Make smart choices
5. Keep your dear teacher happy

Card Colors:
Purple (Above and Beyond What is Expected)
Green (Expected Good Behavior)
Yellow (Warning)
Orange (Missed Recess/Standards Practicing the Rule Broken)
Red (Detention)

For further information please refer to the school handbook. Thank you in advance for your
support as we begin a fun year in first.

Peace be with you,

Ms. Howry