As we discussed back in September at our initial meeting, we really discourage toys coming to school.
PLEASE KEEP TOYS AT HOME!
Several problems arise from the variety of home toys that come into the classroom. There is the obvious sharing difficulty, as well as toys being lost or broken, which always leads to tears and upset. However, there is also the distraction element that these toys bring into the learning environment that is the most disruptive problem for teachers.
Every day we are asking children to put toys back into their backpacks so they won't get lost or distract students. We remove them from little hands as a lesson is being taught because everyone wants a turn to look and touch the item. Several times, over the last week, toys from home were left behind in the classroom only to be remembered as the bus was departing, thus causing tears and upset at the end of the day.
The other problem is collectible cards being traded, lost, and even shared. If there are not enough cards for every child then we have children who didn't receive a card crying that they didn't get one. If there are enough to go around then, inevitably, someone loses their card and wants another. (Yikes!)
Please help us reduce these problems for the next couple of weeks and again in September for next year. Thank you so much for your assistance in this regard.
EXCEPTION to the RULE: For those students who are now participating in afternoon recess - this rule does not apply to outdoor toys (such as balls, skipping ropes, and outdoor chalk) as those toys DO NOT come into the classroom.
