Welcome to First Grade!

Welcome to a new school year at Steward School! This is such a wonderful time for you and your child. Your first grader will grow tremendously during the course of this school year. My goal is to create a classroom community where children are happy, comfortable, enthusiastic about learning and love waking up to come to school every day!

                                         Happy First Day! 

                                           Mrs. Gouzie

Communication Is Key!

You are the experts on your children! Therefore, I love keeping communication open at all times. Parent volunteers and Mystery Readers will be welcomed throughout the year. A volunteer schedule will be presented on

Open House Night on September 20^th!

I am always available to chat! Here are 3 ways to contact me…

By email:

kgouzie@topsfieldps.org.

By phone:

You can call the office at 978-887-1538. My extension is 3405. I am here late most afternoons, so this is a good time to reach me.  I also check my voice-mail at the end of each day!

Write a note:

You can also place a note in your child’s Take Home Folder and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

Important Dates & Times to Remember:   

August 31st- No School

September 3rd- No School

September 20th- 

Steward School’s Parent Seminar!

7:00-7:45pm

September 28th-      

Early Release 12pm

*Please provide your child with a healthy snack to eat each day during our mid-morning break before lunch. This year first graders eat lunch at 12:55pm so having a larger snack in the morning is energizing!

·        Due to allergies please make sure these snacks are nut free to ensure our classroom is a nut free zone.

·         Buying Lunch- Children buying lunch will make their lunch choice in the morning. An account system can be set up through the Steward School Website. J

Please feel free to send your child to school with an extra cold water bottle to keep in the classroom throughout the day, especially during this hot weather!

Bus/Car Rider Notes

Children who attend after-school activities will need a note stating their destination, including Steward Station and car riders unless you send a permanent note stating the days your child will be going to Steward Station or the days your child will be a car rider throughout the entire school year. 

A note is also needed if your child is going home with a friend on a different bus, or is getting off at a different bus stop.

The bus notes are read by me and then sent to the main office early in the morning where bus lists/pick up lists are generated and provided for the staff covering afternoon dismissal duties. 

Please make your child aware of any dismissal changes which may take place during the school year. 

Thank you so much for your cooperation!

I cannot thank you all enough for sending in the wonderful school supplies for this school year. Most importantly, thank you for sending your children to school with happy smiling faces! J

Here’s to the start of a Fantastic

 First Grade Year!

Mrs. Gouzie 

One Last Mystery Reader

Thanks to Liz Anvari for being a special 

Mystery Guest Reader this year.  

Mrs. Anvari read the book, I Am Peace, and led the children in some mindfulness activities!

Stone Zoo Field Trip Reminders - June 18th

 

Dear Families,

The children are looking forward to visiting the Stone Zoo tomorrow!  Here are some reminders to help you get ready for our field trip:

      

1.  Please have your child wear a RED shirt if possible.  This can be a Steward Spirit shirt or another red shirt.

2.  Remember to bring a BROWN PAPER BAG LUNCH with your name labeled on it. 

No nuts please! 

Bring lots of WATER (It's going to be in the 90s!)

                                  

3.  Don’t forget to apply sunblock and bug spray BEFORE coming to school. If you need to reapply during the field trip, please bring it in a bag with your NAME labeled on it.                                                                                                 

4. Please wear COMFORTABLE shoes! 
                            

   

5.Don’t forget to bring your smile for this amazing day!

Fun with First Grade Friends!

Having some fun with friends on Friday after finishing a challenging Math test!

Raise the Roof STEM Challenge

Recently, the children participated in the Raise the Roof STEM challenge! The groups were so engaged during this project. I was thrilled to see such wonderful collaboration, creativity, and perseverance!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Dear Families,

     Thank you for making Teacher Appreciation Week so special for me! I love the creative artwork and all the lovely cards from the children! The surprise lunch from Panera was such a wonderful treat, it was enjoyed for several days.  Your thoughtfulness was greatly appreciated!

                                                Sincerely,
                                                Kathleen Gouzie
                                                                               

Animal Habitats

Today the children were treated to a program about Animal Habitats, which was presented by the 

Museum of Science.  The Museum brought live animals for the children to observe for clues that determined the animals' ideal shelter and food.  

The children were then challenged to pick the suitable habitat for each animal.  At the end of the presentation, the children had the opportunity to touch skin, bones and feathers so they could feel some of the characteristics that help each animal survive.  

You might want to ask your child about what they observed today, as well as the predictions and inferences they made about the optimal habitat for the animals they saw.  Special thanks to the members of TESPTO for funding this wonderful educational program for our First Graders!