Bienvenue a la première année!!
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Bonjour et bienvenue ! My name is Michelle Cyrzan and I will be your child’s teacher for the
upcoming school year. I have been teaching Grade 1 at Ecole Edwards for the past 3 1/2
years. I am a graduate of a French Immersion program in Ontario and have two daughters
who are currently both in the French Immersion program, at Ecole Airdrie Middle. I look
forward to working with both you and your child during their learning journey.
Communication between home and school is a key factor in your child’s education. Please do
not hesitate to contact me via e-mail, [email protected] or by telephone at (403)
948-5922 to discuss your child’s learning.
We are fortunate to have a student teacher with our class this year until Christmas Break
in December.
Hello! My name is Chelsea Michtich and I am so excited to be a student teacher in your
child's class from September to December. I am in my final year at the University of
Lethbridge, working toward completing my Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education
combined degree. I have had the opportunity to work in three Grade 1 classrooms and one
Grade 4 classroom. I am looking forward to working with you and your child over the next
few months! Fun fact: I went through the French Immersion program at Edwards as well!
There are a number of items that I would like to familiarize you with, in order to assist your
child in settling in to their new routines:
Agenda- Each student will be given an agenda book. It will come home every night and should
be returned every morning. Please check the dated page and the front pouch for notes home
and reminders and initial daily. Feel free to communicate with me on the right side of the
page, as students will be writing on the left. Please fill out the inside cover with your
contact information and email address.
** Our Agendas have not yet arrived at school and should be available by the end of
September. Until then, I have copied pages to use in September so students become
accustom to using their agendas daily.
Busing- If there is a change in the daily routine, (i.e. being picked up/not taking the bus)
please write in the agenda to avoid confusion. If a message is not communicate to me via
the agenda or e-mail your child will be sent home via their regular routine (i.e. bus, daycare
etc.…)
Snack – Every morning and afternoon, the students will be eating a snack in class. So that
snack time does not interfere with instructional time, students are asked to bring a quick
and nutritional snack such as a small apple, cheese and crackers, carrot sticks, juice box,
yogurt, etc. Please note that nuts and/or sesame seeds are NOT permitted at school. For
further information please visit our school website.
Water- I strongly recommend that your child bring a water bottle to class. Please ensure it
has a pop-top lid or flip top (not a screw lid) and has ONLY WATER in it. Also, please fill
your child’s water bottle each day.
Physical Education- Our school has a two-shoe policy, requiring each child to have indoor
and outdoor shoes. The first pair should be suitable for DAILY P.E. activities (e.g. runners).
Shoes worn to school need to be left in the boot room when entering the school. Please have
your child wear Velcro runners to start if they cannot tie their own shoelaces as this makes
it easier for transitions and reduces injuries when shoelaces are left untied. With the daily
Physical Education Component of the Alberta curriculum, students should be dressed
appropriately for the classes (i.e. girls wearing dresses or skirts should bring a pair of
shorts to wear underneath).
Dressing for the weather-Please check the weather forecast daily to ensure that your
child is appropriately dressed for our always changing weather. Students are expected to
go outside twice a day.
All items (shoes, backpacks, lunch kits, coats, etc.) belonging to your child need to be
clearly labeled with your child’s name and classroom code (1C).
E-mail information- I will be sending general information about classroom activities,
curriculum information and important reminders as much as possible through e-mails. If I
have not received your e-mail address I would appreciate it as soon as possible. Please email me at [email protected] to go on the list. I will use the emails for classroom
updates as I’ve mentioned above and will call you if I need to reach you regarding your
child’s learning. I would also appreciate a phone call or e-mail if you have any concerns.
Home help- Various PowerPoint presentations have been created to assist parents and
children with the concepts that will be covered this year. Parents and students are able to
click on images and letters to hear pronunciation and to reinforce vocabulary. It is a good
idea to review concepts with your child such as numbers, the alphabet, and classroom
vocabulary. Word wall words, which are high frequency words taught in Grade One, are also
covered. These can be located on the Ecole Edwards website under Mme Cyrzan and home
practice.
Homework- For when homework is assigned, I would like to make a few recommendations.
 Assist your child with his/her homework as a way to reinforce skills and concepts.
 Sessions do not need to be lengthy (quality not quantity) and should always be
pleasurable for you and your child.
 Some projects may require your input or assistance, thus giving you an opportunity
to get involved in your child’s educational activities.
Volunteering- I welcome and encourage parents to come into the classroom and be involved
in our activities this year. Please be sure to complete the volunteer forms and return them
to the school as soon as possible if you are interested in volunteering. All parents wishing
to volunteer at school or on field trips must complete a police check. Please keep in mind
that September is a busy month and we will be happy to welcome volunteers in October.
Late Arrivals & Illness- If your child is sick, please allow them to stay home to recover, to
reduce the spreading of germs to other students. If your child arrives to school late or
leaves school early, they must check in/out at the office.
Toys- Please remind your child that if they would like to bring toys to school to keep in mind
that toys can get lost, misplaced, or taken by other students. To avoid disruptions in class,
toys must remain in backpacks except during recess or with permission.
School Schedule- Monday – Thursday school runs from 9:05 am until 3:45 pm.
School runs from 9:05 am until 2:00 pm.
Friday
Learning Commons (Library)- We will have library once a week. Your child will bring home 2
books, one in French and the other in English. Our class will be going to the Learning
Commons on Thursdays.
Scholastic- Each month, Scholastic Book Club forms are sent home with the students. If
you are interested in ordering books, please return the form (payable by cheque to
Scholastic Canada Ltd.) by the date stamp indicated on the form.
What to Expect in Grade One- This will be an exciting year for you and your child. From
September to December you will notice your child beginning to use French vocabulary such
as colours, numbers, classroom words and the beginning of word wall words. In January, your
child will feel comfortable speaking another language and will be more excited to share that
with you. We start by strongly focusing on oral vocabulary and learning the alphabet. Next
we learn sound blends, then on to reading. We start with proper letter formation, to basic
sentence structure and finally on to writing full sentences to create stories. In Math, we
learn how to count, add, subtract, make patterns, write out number words, shapes,
measurement, and sorting and solving problems. I will do all I can to ensure that you are
comfortable with the resources and that you are always given the information you need to
help your child succeed. For further curriculum outcomes please visit:
Alberta Education website: www.education.gov.ab.ca
Home Reading Program- The Home Reading Program will start by the end of the month.
More information will be sent home at that time, addressing how you can assist your child
with their reading development in these early stages of literacy acquisition.
I hope you find the information in this letter helpful and informative. Please feel free to
contact me if you have any questions. I strongly believe in having an open door policy where
common interests and questions may be shared. I look forward to a very exciting year and
working in the best interest of your child.
Merci
Sincerely,
Madame Michelle Cyrzan
Madame Chelsea Michtich