Happy Summer!

 Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Dear Fabulous Fourth Grader,

I know that you still have a few more weeks of vacation left to enjoy, but I wanted you to know that I can’t wait to see you on the first day of school! We are going to have an amazing year together full of wonderful learning, joy, and exciting challenges that will help us grow! We’ll spend time developing a growth mindset, practicing mindfulness, empathy and flexibility, and tackling tasks with optimism and persistence!   

To tell you a little bit about myself, I have two children, Anson is almost eight, and Haven is five; you may know them from school! We love hiking, skiing, and kitchen dance parties. This will be my third year in fantastic fourth grade at Richmond Elementary School, and I can’t wait to spend our days growing, making mistakes, and having fun together! Previous to RES I taught at Smilie Memorial School in Bolton, Cambridge Elementary School, and even taught Preschool at Poker Hill School! My goals are always that you feel connected to your community, that you enjoy school, and that you develop a love for learning!

I am so excited for all of the adventures that await us! Here is a list of school supplies that you’ll use throughout the year. I always have extras in the classroom, but if your family is able to supply these items, it would be helpful. Please put your name on all personal items and leave all toys and fidgets at home. I have plenty of fidgets for you to utilize when you need one!

• Water bottle

• 1 set of comfortable earbuds/headphones for Chromebook use

• 1 1” 3-ring binder (no velcro or fancy closures)

• 1 set of 3-ring binder dividers with tabs

• 1 durable two-pocket home/school folder (Plastic folders hold up the best!)

• 3 packs of 3”x3” Post-it notes (standard, NOT Pop-Up/Accordion) 

• Small pencil bag or box that fits in your desk

• 1 pack of mechanical pencils with lead with 0.7mm lead

• 1 or 2 ball point pens 

• 2 wide-ruled composition notebooks*

• 1 math notebook (1 cm or ¼ inch grid paper)

*Make sure the lines in your reader’s and writer’s notebooks are a good fit for your handwriting. You should only get college-ruled paper if you like to write very small; otherwise, choose wide-ruled. Before school starts, feel free to decorate your composition notebooks with personal photos, drawings, magazine clippings, or words that inspire you!

You may choose to bring in your own special art supplies like tape, markers, colored pencils, liquid glue and/or scissors. I also have art supplies for everyone to share! 

In addition to personal supplies, you are welcome to donate extras of any of the school items listed above to our classroom, or any of these supplies for class use:  

• High quality scissors (like Fiskars)

• Headphones (not earbuds)

• Transparent tape, ¾ or ½ inch

• Fun motivational stickers

• Colorful Duct tape for bookmaking

• Non-perishable healthy snack items 

• Nontoxic table wipes

• Boxes of soft facial tissue

• Gentle Liquid Hand Soap in pumpable bottles

Our classroom is going to be an exciting and busy place! To keep up our energy for all of this hard work and creativity, we will have a designated snack time everyday. It is important that you eat healthy foods to help refuel your body and charge your brain, so pack something nutritious or opt for a RES snack bag! You should also bring a spill-proof water bottle to keep at your table to stay hydrated throughout the day. (Water only, please). 

 

We are going to have an awesome year learning, creating, and growing together! Enjoy the rest of your summer! See you on the first day of school, Wednesday, August 30th!  

Sincerely,

Ms. DesRoches