Communication is an important aspect of the school experience.

It is vital to
have communication with students, parents/guardians, principals, and other
teachers throughout each day as well as each year. Teacher to student
communication happens each and every day in a classroom, but it should also start
prior to the school year for the student to feel comfortable with a new classroom.
Teacher to parent/guardian interaction and communication is vital to having a great
school year. The parents/guardians are the ones who start the learning of a child
and continue it long after they are in the school classroom. Teacher to the
professional learning community is equally important as well. Principals should not
only be kept in the loop, but also involved as much as possible into the environment
in a classroom. Other teachers are people to not only lean on during hard times, but
also to celebrate the great times. The learning community in a school is meant to
be appreciated and used to enhance student development and learning. Below are
ideas and examples of how this will look in my classroom.
o Class Website/Blog
o It would be my hope to have a classroom website where students and
parents could go and find out about me as a teacher, get class
information, additional print offs of homework, additional forms, and
the weekly agenda for the classroom. I also hope to have an active
blog linked to the website where the parents could check in on what
had happened during the day and any great learning moments we
encountered as a class (S. Gibbs, Personal Communication, 2014).
www.msksowlclass.weebly.com *This website and blog is a shell and
would include more once assigned a classroom at a school.

Progress Reports
o It would be my wish to send out bi-weekly progress reports to parents
and also the principal to show the learning progress of the students.
This will show the parents what they can help or challenge their kids
with and also gives both the principal and parents an idea of what is
being done in the classroom academically.
o Class Newsletter
o

Once a week it would be my wish to send a classroom newsletter out

to the parents in my classroom. Whether this is in a paper format or
an electronic format will be based on the classroom environment and
the access that parents have. The newsletter would have information
about upcoming events, recap on how the previous month had gone,
book ideas that would further learning, and opportunities to have
parents come into the classroom.

o First day information sheet

o Before the school year had begun, the parents will get a First Day of
school information sheet. The front of this document would ask
questions such as parent information (i.e. names, phone numbers, etc.),
student health concerns, and availability to help within the classroom.
The back of this sheet would give the parents the opportunity to
share personal items on the student (i.e. strengths/weaknesses,
favorite items to learn about, concerns based on last year, concerns
going in to this year, and any additional information they find

relevant). This document would be handed in on the night of the Open

House or could come back on day one.
o Postcard
o Along with the first day information sheet, a postcard will come in the
mail for the student before the school year began. This postcard
would share the excitement for the year and an eagerness to meet
the student. It would also let the child know that I am ready to meet
them and learn with them that school year (B. Boldt, Personal
Communication, 2014).
o Open House
o Before the school year has officially begun, I will have a classroom
open house one night so that students may feel comfortable on their
first day and also so that parents have the chance to talk to me to
share any concerns or excitements then rather than distracting from
first day learning.
o Field Trip Forms/ Permission Slips
o Throughout the year field trip forms and permission slips will be going
home to the parents to communicate the fun activities our class will
be experiencing. These will be a quick send back to the teacher by a
specified date.
o Letters Home
o Occasionally throughout the year letters will be sent home to the
parents either from the school or from the teacher, myself. These
letters or flyers would just give the parents a heads up to happenings
with the class or the school. Also sent home occasionally will be
positivity letters. This would be a note of positives for the guardians
to know about their students, to encourage them to keep enhancing
their growth.
o Last day Letter
o On the last day of the year, the students will be given a letter from
Ms. K at the end of the day. This letter will share the joys of having
the student in the classroom as well as encouragement for the next
year. Always at the end will be a note telling them that they are

always welcome to come visit and share life stories because I will love
to hear them.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
o Once a grade term, I will set up meetings with parents/guardians in
the way that works best for them. Whether this is face-to-face,
phone call, or e-mail. Within these meetings I will go over what the
student has been struggling and excelling at, go over my personal
notes on observations, and address any major concerns. If there is a
situation that needs addressed immediately, the parent/guardian will
receive a phone call and a request to discuss the issue at hand, faceto-face.

Curriculum Director Conferences

o Before and during the school year, I will meet with the curriculum
director for my school to learn of any changes, discuss teaching ideas,
or gather feedback. This will serve as a time to deepen my learning of
the curriculum and get clarification for anything that may be troubling
me.

Principal Observations
o During the year, I will invite the school principal into my classroom to
observe my work. This will be done based on their schedule, so as to
not be a burden, but a help. This will give me feedback from my
administrators and allow me to always improve my teaching.

School Counselor Conferences

o Before and during the school year I will meet with the school
counselor. The meetings before school starts will be for me to learn

of any updates or programs I can be aware of for my students. During

the year, I will meet with the counselor for advice and to discuss any
needs of students currently meeting with the counselor.

Grade Level PLC Team

Communication
o Before school begins, and at least once a month after it begins, I will
meet with a group of my fellow grade level teachers to discuss the
problems or success we are having in our classrooms, as well as getting
the chance to bounce ideas off one another. This will also be the time
to talk about grade field trips or productions.

Special Education Teacher

Communication

o Meetings with the special education teacher will happen both before
the school year and during the school year. They will be one of my
best resources in order to find the best way to teach my students
with differentiation.

Mentor Teacher Communication

o I will meet with my mentor teacher roughly once a month, with phone
calls and e-mails regularly discussing any questions, concerns, or needs
I may have. This will allow me to gain wisdom from a teacher who has
more experience and gives me another team member to bounce ideas
off of.

School Board Meetings

o During school board meetings, I will talk to the board to gain help and
perspectives from multiple different positions. This will also be a time

for me to discuss concerns for students that I have with school

problems.

Staff Communication
o Secretary- I will communicate with the secretary often and
throughout the entire year. They are the backbone of a school and
very vital to a school running efficiently. This will be done by
conversations face-to-face, phone calls, and e-mails. I will also be sure
to communicate appreciation to the secretary through thank you cards
and other similar gestures.
o Janitor- I will communicate with the janitors about what my students
are expected to complete at the end of the day, so they are aware
that the room will be partially cleaned, will warn them of any big or
messy projects, and will also show them appreciation.
o Lunch Staff-I will communicate with the lunch workers during the
year about any student situations they need be aware of or if my class
is acting up in the hall or cafeteria what the norms and normal
consequences of the class are. This gives consistency with the
students. Once again I will show appreciation to these school workers.

You Whooo!
Classroom Calendar

Monday:
Community

o I Tuesday:
will communicate during and before the school year to the
community about events the school or class is having during the year
and also ways they could help out our classroom. This would include

Wednesday:

getting visitors to the classroom from the community.

Thursday:

Friday:

Upcoming Special
Events:

OWL Aboard!
Third Grade is a Hoot!!

*Please talk to Ms. K

about helping out in
the classroom. We
would love to have
you!

Ms. Ks News
September 12-16, 2016

News from the Nest:

What: Get to Know the Classroom

Where: Ms. Ks Third Grade Classroom
When: August 20th, 2016
Dear Parents/Guardians,
It is almost that time again! Time for your student to

Reading is

grow in wisdom and in self! With this time often come many

KnOWLedge!

Whos Whooo
(Star of the Week)

nerves, so I am hoping to settle these at our classroom open

Books to enhance learning:
house! The students will have the chance to meet me, get a feel
for the classroom, and maybe even meet some classmates. This
is also a time for you though! I will be explaining homework,

grading, discipline, and my classroom procedures. You will also be

E-mail- Kaydee.Kuhnle@gmail.com

able to pick up a materials list for the year. Come with your
Phone- (586) 876-4998
Websitequestions, so I can know how to make this the best year for

www.msksowls.weebly.com

both you and your child! This will also be the night you turn in
the First Day Information sheet! I hope to see you there!

OPEN HOUSE

Sincerely, Ms. K

Please call the following number with questions:

586-876-4998

E-mailKaydee.Kuhnle@gmail.com
Websitewww.msksowlclass.weebly.com

First Day Information Sheet

Childs Name

Mothers Name
Fathers Name
Home Phone
Moms Work Phone

Dads Work Phone

Home E-mail
Work E-mail
Home Address
Childs Allergies/Health Concerns (if any)

I am available to help:
Monday

Morning

Afternoon

Tuesday

Morning

Afternoon

Wednesday

Morning

Afternoon

Thursday

Morning

Afternoon

Friday

Morning

Student will be

Afternoon
parent pick up or

bus

(See Back)
Share your childs strengths/special qualities:

Share your childs weaknesses/fears:

What is your childs favorite thing about school/least favorite:

Tell me about your childs experiences from previous years:

Any concerns for the year:

Anything else I need to know:

One Year Wiser

Dear (Student Name),

I cannot believe our classroom time is up

already! It has been a joy to have you in school
this year! Getting to know who you are was a
blessing to me and I loved watching you grow.
Remember that even though school is done for this year,
learning is never done. Challenge yourself this year to learn
something new and exciting! When you come back to school I
hope you will come say hi to me and tell me about the
challenge you tried. I will be sure to tell your new teacher
about how wonderful you are in class, and I hope you show
them too! Congratulations on finishing the third grade! You
have come so far and you truly are one year wiser!
Sincerely,
Ms. K

Field Trip
Form
Ms. Ks third grade class is going on an adventure!
Our class is headed to

on
(Destination)

from

(Date)

to
(Time)

*Please pack a lunch on the day of the field trip!

Keep this slip as a reminder because it will really be a hoot!
Ms. K

has my permission to go on the class

field trip to

Parent/Guardian signature:
Are you interested in being a chaperone on this trip?
YES! Phone number:
Not this time

Welcome Back!
Dear Third Grader,
I am so excited to have you as a student in school this year! We will be
having a ton fun learning new things and going on new
adventures. Our themes for the year are owls and
nature. This is so our classroom is filled with the
ideas of knowledge and growth. I cannot wait to
meet you soon! To learn more please check out our
class website! Web address:
Ms. K
Feel free to check out our class website: www.msksowlclass.weebly.com

Student Name:

Date:

Progress Report- Academic

Language Arts:
-Spelling:

-Handwriting:

-Reading:

Mathematics:

Science:

Social Studies:

Student Name:

Date:

Progress Report- Non-Academic

Follows Norms:

Effort/Behavior:

Other Feedback: