IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

During our first week of school, our class worked together to create a list of classroom agreements. This week, we are revisiting these agreements and focusing on one agreement each day. Our four classroom agreements are:

1. We will treat people with care.

2. We will listen quietly when people are talking.

3. We will stay together.

4. We will be gentle with our classroom tools.

Today, we focused on agreement number two, with each child making a picture of a time when they listened quietly. We will compile these pictures to make a “Miss Estridge’s class listens quietly when people are talking,” book. Please feel free to ask your child about our classroom agreements at home.

Today, we spoke about respect and what we needed to do in class in order to give and receive respect.  The children came up with some ideas:

1.  Keep our hands and body to ourselves.

2.  Listen when Mrs. Bucher or another friend is talking.

3.  Use nice words.

We will be making a class book on respect. We also will have a respect jar, and as I see friends respecting each other or myself, I will put a marble in.  When we get a full jar, we will go to the big playground!  I think the children will LOVE that!!

Makayla, Mekhi, and Heaven rolling the dice and throwing the matching number of bean bags in the basket!

Jonah, Isaac, and Jason posing for a picture during free choice!

Today we had a great start to week two!  As a class, we talked about what we should be doing in our room.  It was a wonderful to hear all of the kids share their ideas on how we can work together.  Here is what we came up with:

1. Raise your hand

2. Listen when other friends are talking

3. Follow directions

4. Be kind to your friends

5. Keep your body to yourself

Over the next few days we will be talking about each one of these.  In addition, we will be writing class books that we can read over and over again to help us!  It is so great to see the kids take ownership over the room!

Our first week of school went by so fast!  I hope that your children came home excited to tell you all the various things we did from the read alouds to the three different workshops to free choice!  We focused a lot of the week on procedures and getting to know each other.  Next week we will continue to work on procedures while at school, and I hope to begin conferencing with each child while doing Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop.

On Monday, I will be sending home one notebook which will be our journal to write back and forth during the year.  I will begin the journal with just letting you all know how your child is doing in school so far.  Then, you are more than welcome to write back as often or not often as you would like.   I hope that this is something that you will enjoy throughout the year!

Mrs. Bucher 🙂

Malachi showing me his flower and sun he drew during one of the literacy stations!

Emily and Geneva preparing for their bubblegum store!

Sydney and Cha'kyra's house they built during free choice!