Dear Parent(s),
My name is Mr. Michael Minnich, and I will be your child’s grade 4 teacher for the 2008/2009 school year here at Belle Terre Elementary. I have even more exciting skills and activities to share with your child that will provide vigorous activity and high levels of success!
Allow me to share with you a little about myself. I was born in March of 1968 and raised in California. I entered the United States Air Force in 1988, and served honorably for 10 years. After the Air Force, I entered the North Dakota Army National Guard and served honorably for 2 years, working on my Bachelor of Science in Education Degree. During my military experience, I decided to become an elementary teacher. I wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of our youth. Through my university studies, I learned many alternative teaching and learning strategies that help students find academic success. It is my personal goal to help your child find his/her academic success.
I encourage parental support in the classroom. Volunteer parents make student learning even more exciting and purposeful! I believe that every child is capable of success and ready to accept high expectations to perform well, both academically and behaviorally in the classroom.
My classroom is run using procedures that the students will enjoy to learn and follow. Each school day will be a positive experience for every student, especially when courtesy toward others is expressed and procedures are followed. I care for every child and wish for him/her to become successful; therefore, your child needs to provide the self-directed effort needed to reach their individual potential. I look forward to working together and providing abundant pathways for success that your child can experience, own, and use throughout their lifetime as a life long learning. The following are the classroom rules, assessment schedule, consequences, and procedures for this school year:
Classroom Rules and Expectations
v Listen carefully, follow instructions/procedures carefully, and be ready to work quietly.
v Respect yourself, your neighbors, and your school.
v Come to school with a desire to learn. J
Assessment
I will be following the Flagler County School District guidelines for assessment, focusing on student knowledge, ability, participation, and exerted effort while implementing the board approved curriculum and content. I will also be continuously analyzing progress monitoring assessments and scors to effectively drive instruction and ensure each student finds academic success.
Consequences Private Warning: The student will receive a private warning regarding his/her inappropriate or unacceptable behavior.
1st Reminder: The student will spend three (3) minutes of their personal class time and brainstorm positive ways to improve his/her behavior.
2nd Reminder: The student will spend their lunch in class and write a paragraph to his/her parent(s), explaining their inappropriate or unacceptable behavior, and offer positive interventions for improvement.
3rd Reminder: The student will spend their lunch in class, and a phone call will be made to the student’s parent(s), discussing the student’s inappropriate or unacceptable behavior.
Last Reminder: I will seek guidance from our Assistant Principal, Mr. Wills, and schedule a parent conference in order to discuss the student’s inappropriate behavior, as well as identify interventions to guide the student into more appropriate behaviors.
Procedures
I use many procedures within my classroom instruction, which have been derived from the book The First Day of School by Harry Wong. The explanations for each procedure are included with this parent letter. A list of classroom procedures is a follows: Give me 5; Hey, hey – ho, ho; Morning Board Work; Getting into line; Sitting correctly in class; Working Quietly; Stop, look, and listen; Passing in homework; Student jobs; Going home; and FREEZE.
I am available Monday through Friday from 8:20 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. if you would like to discuss any concerns or simply chat. J I look forward to having parent involvement within the classroom, so again, please consider volunteering for balanced literacy, math, social studies, or science. I am very excited to begin teaching your child the skills necessary to succeed in our global society, and I believe every child will thoroughly enjoy their grade 4 experience. I look forward to meeting with you, and I encourage you to call or visit our school if you have any questions concerning your child or the curriculum. It’s going to be a wonderful and joyous year of learning. My email address is minnichm@flaglerschools.com, and my phone number is 447-1500, ext. 5008
Sincerely,
Mr. Michael Minnich