Dear Families,
Hello! My name is Mrs. Mariah Balmer and I am your child’s teacher for the 2023-24 school year. First grade will be an exciting and important year for your child. I feel very privileged to be a part of it!
I am looking forward to the first day of school on Tuesday, August 27th. Our school doors open at 7:45 a.m., and our day starts at 7:55. Please note that there is no school on Friday, August 30th, or Monday, September 2nd for Labor Day weekend.
The first grade teachers suggest that your child has a backpack, sneakers for gym class, and a pair of headphones. Warwick will supply iPads, folders, and all other school supplies. Art shirts will also be provided. Please do not send alternate folders or supplies to school, as we have a color coding system.
When you choose headphones, please choose a pair that can be plugged in (no rechargeable or wireless). Please remove these from the packaging, check the fit, and mark with your child’s name. Headphones need to be kept at school.
We will use our Warwick iPads each day in the classroom, but first grade does not assign any homework on iPads. The first grade team highly recommends that students keep devices at school. In the event of a Flexible Instructional Day (FID), devices are sent home with all students, and a technology agreement form is not required.
Your child may bring a water bottle. Please make sure it has a pop top or a flip top (no screw tops) to help prevent spills around our iPads. First grade teachers prefer plastic over stainless steel since students tend to drop them, and stainless is very loud when it hits the hard floor.
If your student will be buying lunch this year, we highly recommend the online pre-pay system as it prevents the stress of lost or forgotten lunch money. Students simply scan their Warwick provided ID card in the lunch line. Please see the Warwick Food and Nutrition Services page on the district website for more information.
Your child will be dismissed according to the information posted by the transportation office on the Warwick web portal. If you ever need to pick up your child instead of having them ride the bus/van, you must send a written note to school. Any permanent change in transportation (e.g. to a daycare provider) must be made with a written form filed with the district transportation office, and there is processing time before the change is made. Please also communicate and confirm the change with me!
The dismissal bell rings at 2:35 p.m.. After all of the buses have been called, the walkers are dismissed out the side doors located at the kindergarten playground at approximately 2:40. Caregivers who are picking up must park in the lot, and walk up to the dismissal area with a photo ID. You may not pull up to the curb to pick up. I will give each student verbal permission to leave after checking ID. If someone other than a parent/guardian is picking up (e.g. a neighbor, grandparent, sibling, or sitter), you must write us a note, and that person must be listed on the school emergency card on file in the office. These building procedures are for your child’s safety. Thank you in advance for your patience as I learn who you are, and dismiss each child individually. I promise, the process will get faster as the year progresses. ☺
If you haven’t visited my Warwick website, please check it out! From the Warwick home page, go to the staff directory and find my name with the alphabetical links. Stay tuned for more information about our Back to School Night for parents and guardians in the fall.
I promise to do my very best to help your child stay healthy and safe, to feel valued, and to learn and grow! I am looking forward to getting to know all students and families! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for any reason this year. Enjoy the last few weeks of summer!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Mariah Balmer
