Parent/Student Classroom Disclosure

Welcome to a brand new school year at Quest Academy!  I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to work with you and your child! I am very much looking forward to helping your child to experience an exciting and rewarding academic year. 

I sincerely believe that learning can (and should!) be fun and rewarding, and that each child should have every opportunity to learn.  In order to make that happen, it is necessary that all students and parents/guardians are aware of and agree to adhere to the items outlined in this disclosure.

Following are some key elements, rules, policies, and guidelines that will help our classroom to function at its greatest potential:

Rules: Our class rules will be presented and posted in the classroom, and each student will be expected to follow the classroom rules, all Quest Academy school rules, as well as all classroom procedures.  Class rules include:

1. Be respectful to others. This includes respecting property, keeping hands, feet, and objects to yourself, and not interfering with the learning of others.
2. Follow directions the first time they are given.
3. Raise your hand and wait for permission to speak.
4. Be an active listener.
5. Communicate appropriately.  This includes addressing others correctly and no use of name-calling, whining, yelling, inappropriate language, teasing, or tantrum-like behavior.

All students will be expected to be prepared with necessary materials for learning, completed schoolwork and homework, and a positive attitude for learning.

Take-Home Folder (blue folder): Each night your child will bring home his/her Take-Home Folder. One pocket will include papers that can remain at home (completed assignments, letters to parents from me or from the school, etc.) The other pocket will include papers that need to be completed and sent back to school (homework, permission slips, questionnaires, etc.) It is imperative that this folder be checked each night by a parent, as it will help to maintain communication between you, your child, and our school/classroom.  Thank you for your efforts in this!  I will try as much as possible to limit communications from our classroom to the “Classroom News” on our blog to prevent you having to read too much paperwork throughout the week.

Since we are a technology school, much of our school-work is technology-based.  In addition, my teaching strategies include the use of very hands-on, engaging, or manipulative-based learning strategies, including singing for reading, math, etc.  Please do not be alarmed when you do not see a lot of paperwork coming home – please be assured that your child is definitely learning!  While we will be using worksheets, etc. to some extent, this is not our primary method of learning, and you will not be receiving a lot of paperwork from school.  In addition to checking the Take-Home Folder, please check the blog regularly to stay updated on current classroom events and other updates.  

Homework: Homework for the week will be posted on the blog the previous Friday.  All homework, including the “Homework Form,” which must be signed by a parent, must be completed and returned to school every Friday.   The Homework Form will indicate which homework should be completed daily, and will typically include 20-30 minutes of reading and 30 minutes of additional work in spelling, math, and word sorts.

Assigning homework weekly will give you and your student a certain amount of flexibility: if, for instance, your child is only able to spend 10 minutes on homework one day, he/she can make up the remaining homework the following day.  However, please be sure that your child completes homework in its entirety by the end of the week.  Homework completion has been shown to have a large impact on students’ academic achievement, and I feel very strongly about the benefits of having parental support and continuity in attaining academic concepts.  If you feel that your child could benefit from spending extra time reading, then, by all means, I support you in encouraging your child to increase his/her progress by spending a few extra minutes reading each day. Every minute certainly counts!

Spelling: Spelling lists for the week will be posted on the blog.  Please help your child to study the spelling words for the week.  

Classroom News: Classroom News will be posted on the blog, which is how I will update you on any upcoming events, reminders, etc. Please be sure that a parent reads the notes EVERY WEEK. Very few notes will actually be sent home – most communication will be done via the blog.

Make-up Work: It can be very overwhelming for a student to fall behind, therefore, I strongly prefer that homework be completed on time.  However, I certainly believe that “better late than never” applies in this case.  If your child needs to submit late homework, please simply write (and sign) a short note on it, indicating that it is make-up homework – the word “make-up” and your signature will suffice.  The work will lose 10% of the score achieved for each day late, up to 50% on the 5^th day and beyond.

Projects:  The vast majority of our 1^st grade projects will be completed in-class, but if any projects are sent home, please, please, PLEASE! resist the temptation to do the project for your student, even in part!!  Answer questions, give guidance, provide directions, but please allow your child to do his/her own work.  Doing the project for your child takes away from the learning process and robs your child of the necessary sense of accomplishment.  Additionally, doing a project for your child makes for unfair comparisons between students’ work.

Discipline: 
Truffula Seeds: To maintain discipline in our classroom, our class will be using a “Truffula Seed” reward program.  This idea comes from the book The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, in which truffula seeds are precious seeds that grow into rare, fluffy “truffula trees.”  The Lorax book not only addresses the need to protect the environment, but also focuses on responsibility and making wise choices, admonishing readers that great things may be accomplished with caring and taking responsibility.  In our classroom, we will be using small, fuzzy pom-poms to represent truffula seeds.  Your child will earn truffula seeds for good behavior (helping others, being quiet in the hallways, completing homework, etc.), and will lose truffula seeds for undesirable behavior (talking during quiet time, not following directions, etc.).  There will be many, many opportunities to earn (and lose!) truffula seeds throughout the week.  At the end of the week, your child may trade in his/her earned truffula seeds for a variety of prizes, particularly incentive coupons.  This program works very well by providing your child with tangible incentives for making wise choices. For serious or multiple infractions, such as hurting another child or repeatedly making poor choices, a “Stop-Think-Do” form will be sent home and/or your child may visit with the principal. This form will need to be filled out by the student, signed by a parent, and returned to school the next day.  

Color Chart: If discipline becomes a difficulty for your child in particular, I may choose to assist him or her using a visual color system.  A color chart will be labeled with the  student’s name and includes a red, yellow, and green section.  If your child stays on green, they have obeyed all of our classroom rules. If your child moves to yellow, he/she had to have a warning.  Red means that he/she has broken a rule and has had 2 warnings.  If your child  moves to red, he/she will need to complete a “Stop-Think-Do” form, which serves as a review of what needs to be worked on to improve behavior;  the parent will be contacted by way of sending home the “Stop-Think-Do” form.  The form must be filled out by the student, signed by a parent or guardian, and returned to school the next day.  For serious or multiple infractions, your child may be referred to the office and a parent will be contacted. (See Parent Handbook for additional information on behavioral discipline.)

Availability: I will be available at the school from 3-3:45 Monday through Friday to help you and your child or to answer any questions you might have.  If needed, you may choose to meet with me in the morning before class begins, but please schedule this with me in advance, as I usually dedicate my mornings to preparation for the school day.  Please refrain from discussing issues with me during class time; it is very difficult to be unexpectedly interrupted once class begins, and it takes away from valuable instructional time.  You may also e-mail me with any questions or for help on specific items that I can work with your child on during school.  I am usually very, very quick to respond to e-mails – even more so than to voicemail, etc., so e-mail is usually the best way to reach me outside of the classroom.  My e-mail address is mdunmeyer@questac.org. 

Birthdays: Administration has asked that students not bring in any food-type treats.  Please do not feel obligated to have your student bring in anything for his/her birthday.  Your child’s birthday will definitely be acknowledged!!  (I love to make a fuss over birthdays!)  If you do choose to bring something to school to celebrate your child’s birthday, please make arrangements with me prior to the school day on your child’s birthday – either the morning of your child’s birthday before class begins, or preferably before.  Once class begins, it is very difficult to be unexpectedly interrupted.  There are 27 students in the class.

To avoid any hurt feelings, please mail any birthday invitations to classmates’ homes; please do not pass them out before or after school. If your student brings birthday invitations to school, I will instruct him/her to place the invitations in students’ file folders, which students empty at the very end of the day, and I will ask that students not open the invitations until they are at home. 

Parent/Teacher Conferences:  Conferences will be scheduled in advance.  I will have a sign-up sheet at Back to School Night for fall conferences. 

School Calendar: Please check the school calendar for “early days” and “no-school days.”  Early-day dismissal is at 1:00 pm.  You can obtain a copy of the school calendar from the Quest Academy website (www.questac.org).

Uniform Policy: Per Quest Academy policy (see Parent Handbook), please be sure your child is in compliance with the school uniform policy.  If your child is not dressed appropriately for cold weather, at recess or P.E. time your child will be asked to choose a coat from the Lost and Found, and will still be required to participate in recess or P.E. as per the school’s policy. PLEASE be sure that your child is dressed appropriately for cold weather – this may include gloves, warm boots, hats, and snow pants or coveralls.

Name Badge Violation: Each student at Quest Academy is given a name badge at the beginning of the year and is required to wear it.  These badges need to remain at school each day.  If your child forgets to remove their badge at the end of the day, please have him/her immediately put it in his/her backpack to ensure it will come to school the next day.  If your child is missing his/her name badge, he/she will need to get a temporary badge at the office.  If the badge is lost or broken, a new one can be purchased at the office for $5.   If after three days the badge is not returned to school or a new badge has not been ordered, the student will receive lunchtime detention.

SIS Grading Program: Grades will be posted on a weekly basis.  Please be sure to check your student’s progress regularly.  You can obtain a username and password for the SIS system at Back to School Night.  I usually update SIS on Friday or the weekend, so Monday would usually be the best day to check your student’s progress.  If your student has a “0” it means that the assignment is missing.  The grading program we use does not allow an “E” for excused or “M” for missing. 

Students will be graded in each subject based on total points.  I will follow the Quest Academy Grading Scale, which states:

Curriculum: Please see the “Curriculum” link on our classroom blog.

Technology: Students will have access to both the PC and MAC lab, as well as use of laptops in-class.  Please be sure to fill out the Internet Usage form, otherwise your child will not have computer access.  Your child will be assigned to a specific laptop computer and a specific computer in the computer lab.  If your child breaks or damages any computer equipment, whether intentionally or unintentionally, you will be billed for any replacements or repairs, as per the Internet Usage Policy.  We have had several parents billed for replacements and repairs in the past, and I strongly encourage you to have a serious discussion with your child about the importance of respecting school property.  I will also be teaching the children the correct way to handle our technology equipment.

Physical Education: P.E. is held in either the gym or outside.  We do exercises, run laps, practice P.E. skills, and play games.  Additionally, our class will often exercise to music in order to get out “the jitters” and prepare for “mental exercise.”  Therefore, your child needs to wear appropriate clothing and footwear, as per the school Uniform Policy.  If you feel your child should not participate in P.E. activities on a particular day, please submit a short note, stating the reason, with your signature.  All students will be expected to participate unless excused. 

Parent Volunteers: I love to have parent volunteers in the classroom!  Typically, parent volunteers either assist with with reading activities.  I will have a sign-up sheet for Parent Volunteers at Back to School Night.  If you are unable to volunteer in the classroom, that is just fine: I may have things to be sent home and worked on – please let me know if this is an area in which you can help.  I am also looking for someone to be our Room Captain; this position is the liaison between our classroom and POQA and is in charge of 2-3 class parties during the school year.

Please click on the following link to print and sign the Read and Review Form.  Please return the signed form to school either on the first day or at Back to School Night.  Thank you!

Read and Review Form 

Please find the supply list for Mrs. Dunmeyer’s class by clicking on the “Supply List” tab at the top of the blog page.