Riley Skains 03/23/24
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I am thrilled to welcome you and your child to first grade at Sam Houston Elementary School!
My name is Miss Skains, and I am so excited to be your child’s teacher this school year.
I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and share a little bit about my background.
This is my first-year teaching, and I can’t wait to see what my first year holds. I have a passion
for helping young learners grow and succeed. I graduated from Sam Houston State University
with a degree in Victim Studies, and I am currently going through an alternative program called
teachworthy to get my certification. I am dedicated to creating a positive and supportive learning
environment where every student can thrive.
Here are some classroom procedures we will implement into our first-grade classroom. I will
implement classroom management procedures to promote a positive and productive learning
environment. A morning routine will be a consistent routine to help students transition smoothly
into the school day, which will include procedures for arrival, unpacking backpacks, morning
greetings, and classroom tasks that need to be completed. We will always line up the same way
everywhere we go. The students will line up in number order, but if their class job is line leader
or caboose they will go in front or back of the line.
Grading rules: Assess students based on specific learning objectives, skills, and standards that are
appropriate for first grade. Assessing mastery of foundational skills in reading, writing, math,
and other subject areas. Formative assessments strategies, such as observations, quizzes,
classwork, and homework to monitor student progress and provide feedback for improvement.
Communicate regularly with parents about student progress and achievement. Provide feedback
on student performance, areas of growth, and strategies for support at home. I will use the
simplified grading scale of 1-4 (1-Below Expectations 2-Approaching Expectations 3-Meeting
Expectations 4-Exceeds Expectations) to provide a clear indication of student performance
relative to grade-level expectations and allows for meaningful feedback to students and parents.
Students will need to bring back their homework two days after taking it home (I’ll always
communicate a date to bring it back) and they will need to bring it back in their folder. Students
will only have one opportunity to redo or retake assessments.
Student/parent meetings: Schedule meetings in person during my conference time (2:05pm-
3:00pm) or after school if needed by email, Dojo, or phone number. If in person is not an option
for you, we can schedule a time to meet over the phone or a zoom call. I have multiple channels
for communication—such as email, phone, or Dojo.
I am committed to open communication and collaboration with parents, and I believe that strong
partnerships between home and school are essential for student success. I encourage you to reach
out to me with any questions, concerns, or insights you may have throughout the school year. I
am here to support you and your child in any way I can.
Please be on the lookout for important information and updates via email, newsletters, and on
Dojo.
I am looking forward to getting to know each of you and working together to make this a
fantastic school year for your child. Thank you for entrusting me with your child’s education ad
for your partnership in their learning journey.
Sincerely,
Riley Skains
Email: rskains@cisd.org
Phone: 903-641-5742
