WELCOME TO FIRST GRADE
Congratulations you have found the website for Mrs. Soukey at Old King's Elementary School. My classroom is room number 142.
You may contact me at (386) 517-2060 ext. 1142 I can't always come to the phone when the children are here, but I will return your call as soon as possible. If you leave a message, I may be able to respond to your concern in your child's planner before they go home.
You may also e-mail by simply clicking on the blue e-mail.
I would like to take this opportunity ti introduce myself. I have been teaching for 18 years. I began my teaching career in New York. The majority of my teaching career has been spent teaching jr./sr. high school health education, but I have taught physical education, coached 3 varsity sports, and taught elementary school. This is my seventh year in elementary.
I am married to a retired art education teacher. We have been in the Palm Coast community for five years. We love the area and all it has to offer. I also consider myself very lucky to have found an educational home in Old King's Elementary School. It is a wonderful environment for education. The district is very progressive and the staff is devoted to quality education.
I enjoy teaching young children. It is very exciting because they progress and change so quickly. They are also eager to learn. I look forward to working with your child this year.
It is very important for us to work as partners to assure success for your child. Please take time each day to talk to your child about their day, look over their papers, and most importantly read together. Reading is a skill. Like any other skill it requires practice. The more practice your child has the more confident and successful they will be as young readers. When children are first learning to decode words they need guidance and support. Try not to just give them the words they may struggle over. Help them sound out each letter and then blend them together. I will be helping them develop strategies that will further enable them to decode text. You will be amazed at what "we" can achieve if we both do our part consistently and effectively.
I will need your cooperation with the following this school year:
-If your child is to go home a different way than usual, you must supply me with a note or call school. If I do not have a note or phone call, your child must be sent home his/her usual way. I cannot rely upon his/her word or that of a sibling. Please do not write this note in the planner as it must be sent to the office. I also may not look in the planners until later in the day. This information may not be e-mailed. I will not have a chance to read e-mails until after the children have left.
-I will be sending home papers almost daily. Please go through the backpack and take a moment to go over papers with your child. Occasionally, I will send papers that need immediate attention. Please fill out and return them the next day if possible.
-If your child is absent, please be sure to call the sick line (517-2062). Work that is missed will be sent home and your child may complete it and turn it in within a week of returning to school. This is to assure that they do not fall behind in their studies.
This year recess time has been replaced with a state required physical fitness program. All children in attendance must participate each day. In the past, I have been able to pull students from recess to make-up exams which they may have missed during an absence. I can no longer do this, however, I do not want to penalize children with "0" grades. Since I have found this out, I have stuggled with solutions for this inevitable situations. It is not fair to take away valuable instructional time from the rest of the class who have attended school regularly to administer exams. Therefore, I am offering 3 choices:
1. You may bring your child to school on an appointed day between 8:30-9:15.
2. I can pull them from a special area to take their exam.
3. The child may go to the time during lunch time to take the exam.
I know these options are not ideal, but my hands are tied. That being said, please try not to be absent. Should it become unavoidable, the sooner we choose 1 of these options and complete the option, the better it is for your child. Any work not accounted for within ten school days after a child has returned to school will then become a "0" in the grade averaging.
-Please do not allow your child to bring toys, or unnecessary items to school. We have a very full academic day and they are safer at home to avoid problems.
-On very hot days, you may wish to send in a frozen bottle of water to take outside. It is a good idea to write your childs name on it so that they know which one is theirs. We don't want to spread germs.
-We will be using student planners again this year. Planners are a way of teaching the children organizational skills and are a critical tool for communication between home and school. Please check your childs planner daily and initial that you have seen it. I sometimes put important notes in the planner. I will also note daily behavior. This year we will be rewarding children who choose to conduct themselves appropriately at school. If your child has not behaved appropriately I will note that in his/her planner. It will be difficult for a child who does not receive rewards that the rest of the class may receive. Please understand that we are not doing this to be mean. Children must earn these rewards and privileges. Those who choose to act out will quickly learn and change if they want to earn rewards. We want our school to be safe and respectful. This is our "action plan" to get that result. Please support this by talking to your child about personal responsibilities. We want everyone to feel welcomed and successful, however we will not tolerate disruptions to our major goal which is learning.
-I will send homework folders home at the beginning of the year. A note explaining the homework procedures will be in the folder. The homework will prepare the child for reading and review skills taught in class. With that said, it is best that it be completed the week it is assigned. Tests are regularly given in first grade to determine the pace of instruction and the progress of the child.
- You can reach me at school usually between 8:15 am and 4:30 pm. If I am unavailable to come to the phone, please leave me a message. I will try to return your call that day or the next morning.
-If yolu are interested in being a volunteer and coming in to class I will always welcome you. You must however, apply for a volunteer badge through the school office for security purposes. If you do not wish to serve as a volunteer, but wish to meet with me or observe your child's class in action, please call me the day before so that I may notify the office. I can offer twice as much to this year's class with some volunteer assistance.
If at any time you have questions or comments (positive or negative) I will be more than happy to meet with you. Communication is important. Often, I find myself writing memos quickly at the end of a hectic week. I want to keep you as informed as possible. Please understand, the demands on our time are many. My correspondance will be brief and to the point. Don't hesitate to ask for clarifications if needed. We are trying to communicate more with e-mail. We have a very limited paper supply this year. If you have an e-mail please provide it to me. I will only use it periodically to communicate short and needed information.
Our scheduled lunch period is fairly late. I would like to ask parents to send in a contribution to our snack shack once a month. Snacks can be individually portioned but they do not have to be. Here are some suggestions:
boxes of cereal fruit gummies dried fruit
string cheese pretzels goldfish
microwave popcorn graham crackers
I want the kids to have a mid-morning break so they can focus. There are 19 students currently enrolled in this class. If each child brings one thing we will have just enough for the month. We are only allowed to serve store bought snacks that arrive sealed and unopened. We do not have birthday parties but if you would like to send store made cupcakes on your child's special day, we will be happy to serve them at lunch.
You may have read in the newspaper that we have a new daily physical education requirement. That being said sneakers are the best choice for your child. Our handbook should address dress code and other questions you may have.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation this year. I look forward to a GREAT year with you and your child!
Mrs. Soukey