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  I am very excited about the potential for progress to be made this year! Below you will find a copy of my "beginning-of-the-year" parent letter that I sent home the first week of school, just in case you need a handy reference to the information it contains about the structure and content of our classroom/program. Thursday, August 17, 2006Dear Parents, Welcome back! I can honestly say that I am SO excited about getting started again after a relaxing (and fun, baseball-filled) summer break, and I hope that it was the same for you (except baseball may not have been your thing-Ha!). I am also pleased to be working with your child again, or in some cases, for the first time. For those of you who do not know me, here is a brief introduction, and I look forward to meeting you very soon. I have a 16 year-old son who attends Mauldin High as a junior, has been on the JV baseball team for the past two years and plays the snare drum in the marching band. My husband works as an international manager in the IS department at Bowater, Inc. (paper company) downtown. For more information, you can go to my website (Just go to Oakview’s home page.). This year we will be using the following research-based, direct instruction programs: Basic Reading Skills: PROJECT READ PHONOLOGY (multisensory approach to teaching reading, writing and spelling skills) and supplementary materials(including computer programs, such as "Earobics" and "SOS") Reading Comprehension: SRA SPECIFIC SKILLS SERIES, the ASK IT strategy ( a Strategic Intervention Model), SRA REASONING & WRITING, PROJECT READ’S BONNIE KLINE STORIES along with a novel study and Story Mapping and DIBELS(not an instructional program, but rather a system used to monitor fluency and recall which greatly impacts comprehension); also, supplemental materials (including computer programs, such as HOOKED ON SCHOOL SUCCESS) Written Expression: SRA REASONING & WRITING and HIGH PERFORMANCE WRITING and various supplemental materials Math (reasoning/calculation): SRA CONNECTING MATH CONCEPTS and supplemental materials (including computer programs) Oral Expression & Listening Comprehension: A combination of some of the aforementioned programs, supplemental materials (including computer programs, such as EAROBICS and LOOKING FOR WORDS) Social Skills: SKILLSTREAMING as well as supplemental materials, role-playing activities and direct instruction Getting Started This Semester We have so much to work on this semester! As always, your child will be learning the skills that are addressed in their Individual Education Plan (IEP). This year, I will be teaching ELA (reading and writing) as well as some social, oral expression and listening comprehension skills. Mrs. Hinds, the other Resource teacher, will be working with most of the math students and some of the writing students and will also have a social skills group. Your children will see us on a rotating basis if they are served in both math and ELA. We have a Week A and a Week B schedule set up. During Week A, children that have math and ELA will see Mrs. Hinds on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and wil come to me on Thursday and Friday. During Week B, it is just reversed. If your child has only math, social skills or is in Mrs. Hind's written expression group, they will see her every day each week. If your child has only ELA objectives, they will see me only (with the aforementioned exception of the one writing group that Mrs. Hinds will instruct. We believe that this format for instruction will allow us to more efficiently address your child's goals for the year. Classroom Management I will continue to use the token economy system. It rewards students for following our rules. At the end of each days class, students who have displayed appropriate behavior will receive a sticker on their personal incentive charts (kept in their Resource folders). When the chart is full, students may select any item from the Treasure Chest or the Choice Jar. I also reward students for returning signed paperwork that I have sent home to you (such as mid-term and quarterly reports). This system truly encourages personal accountability! Rules for the Success Center (Mrs. Clark's Class) The foundation for our rules is mutual respect and based on sound societal principles for kind and courteous behavior: "LET'S GET ALONG" Use kind words. Be quick to forgive. Listen. Share. Encourage others. Take turns. Think before acting. Talk it over. Rewards: Daily incentive chart stickers Visit to the Treasure Chest to select a prize each time charts are completed (There are 20 spaces on the charts.). Smiles & praise Special stickers & "Sunshine" notes home Consequences: No daily sticker Note and/or call to parents Visit to the assistant principal (Form included to be signed by parent(s) and student): I have read the rules, rewards and consequences and understand them. Parent-Please sign ____________ Student-Please sign ___________ Date ___________ THANK YOU! Susan Clark My Goal For This Year I have quoted this poem for the past couple of years because I feel that it is such an excellent example of what our program is all about. It is from A Teacher's Heart by Colleen L. Reece and Anita Corrine Donihue. "Inner Vision" If you could see beneath the rumpled hair, The pizza stained shirt, behind the freckles. If you could look inside a squirming body; Dreamy eyes staring out the window, What would you find? A second Einstein? Another Michaelangelo? Or a child like any other child, Longing for you to turn the key; To set him free to become what he longs to be. As always, I consider it a privilege to have the task of assisting your child in the search for just the right "keys," and with our programs, your support and your child's cooperation, we can accomplish so much. What a wonderful team we can be when we work together! I believe in open lines of communication so pleased do not hesitate to call or e-mail your questions/concerns. Oakview Phone: 355-7100 EXT 7132 (The phone in my room will not ring unless it is an emergency but a light alerts me to the fact that I have a message, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.) Home Phone: 288-5724 District E-Mail Address: sclark@greenville.k12.sc.us Home E-Mail Address: slsclark@bellsouth.net My lunch is from 12:45-1:10 and I have planning after that. I check my e-mail at least twice a day. I am so pleased to be working with your child and YOU. We are going to have an awesome year! Sincerely, Susan Clark |
