The of First Grade s

Back to School Night

September 26,2013

Attendance

• Unless your child is ill, please make every attempt to have your child present at school and on time.

• Our day beings promptly at 9:00 and the dismissal time is 3:30.

• If your child is going to be out, please call before 9:00 A.M. on the day of absence. Otherwise you are required to provide a written note on the first day your child returns to school. Please include date, duration, and specific reason for absence.

Behavior

• Every student is expected to follow the 5 BEEs BEE BEE BEE Respectful Responsible Always BEE BEE working lieve in Yourself safe • Students that choose to follow the rules will move up the clip chart and earn rewards.

• Likewise, there will be consequences for students that CHOOSE to break the rules (moving down the clip chart, time outs, parent contact, or in extreme cases a visit to the principal’s office, etc.)

Pink Outstanding!

If you move to Outstanding, you’ll get to take a special sticker home! You will also be able to choose a reward coupon.

Purple Great choice!

As you continue to make good choices, you’ll advance to “Great choice!”. Take home a special sticker!

each day.

Blue Good choice!

Making a good choice will help you move up to the blue section of our chart.

Green Ready to learn

You will get to start out each day on “Ready to Learn”. You will move your clip up or down depending on your choices choices.

Yellow Slow down

If you receive a warning, you will move your clip down to help you remember to think about your If you continue to make poor choices, you will move to “Think about it”. You will think about it at a table by yourself until you are ready to join the group again.

Orange Think about it

phone call home.

Red Parent contact

If you still choose to make bad decisions, you will move to “Parent contact”. You will get a note or

Common Core Standards

• • • • Reading and Language Arts Mathematics Science Social Studies

• In 1 st grade, we will focus on developing phonemic awareness, decoding skills, word recognition, comprehension and oral reading fluency.

• The more sight words a student knows, the more fluently he/she will read.

• Practice reading high frequency words nightly.

• A variety of grouping strategies will be utilized to deliver our reading and language arts curriculum. Whole class and small group lessons will be delivered to ensure mastery of skills.

• We will focus on the following throughout the year: Reading Strategies Comprehension Skills Reading Fluency Vocabulary and Word Analysis Spelling, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Writing Listening and Speaking

• We do lots of writing in first grade. Children are encouraged to use phonetic spelling when they first start. Our goal is to encourage risk taking and independence in writing. Part of this process is to stress to children that phonetic spelling is acceptable, and to build their confidence in their ability to communicate in writing even if they can’t spell the word with “dictionary spelling.” • However, as high frequency words and spelling rules are introduced children will gradually move toward more conventional spelling.

By the end of first grade , students… • Understand and use the concept of “ones” and “tens” • Add and subtract numbers to 20 with ease • Tell time to the half hour • Count, write and order numbers to 100 • Measure with simple units • Identify and locate shapes in their environment Each day begins with the students solving problems and recording their “mathematical-thinking” and solutions in Math Journals and real-world Daily Calendars .

math Math instruction concludes with a lesson in our Everyday Math books.

1 st grade students will learn that: • Weather can be observed, measured and described.

• Matter exists in three forms.

• Things can balance and move in different ways.

1 st grade students will learn about: • Families • People from other cultures • Holiday origins and traditions • Symbols, icons, and traditions of the United States • Maps and globes

•

Differentiated Instruction

To provide the best possible instruction to each child… • Not all children will be on the same page, in the same book, at the same time. • Please let me know if your child is really struggling or if he/she is not being challenged.

Fair doesn’t mean everyone gets the same thing. It means everyone gets what they need.

Email address

My school email address is [email protected]

. I check email daily. If you have an email address that you’d like me to be aware of, please let me know.

Field Trips

We will not be going on any field trips this year, but we will have special assemblies here at school.

Grades

LAL (reading, phonics, writing and grammar) E- Exceeds expectations M-meets expectations N-needs improvement Math B-beginning D-developing S-secure

• •

Homework

Every night, students are expected to complete their homework, which is located in their black homework folder. (BEE book) The homework is also written in their Student Planner. Please sign this every night.

Ice Cream

• Starting in October, ice cream will be sold on Wednesdays for 60 . Ice cream can be purchased through the Point of Sale system using your child’s pin number, in the same manner that you purchase lunch. Or, send in

60 exact

change in an envelope with your child’s name on it.

•

Just Right Books

Studies have shown that those children whose parents are actively involved in the reading process will become the best readers.

• Reading to your child and listening to them read to you, taking them to the library and providing quality

just right books

at home is of the highest importance.

Keeping Informed

•

Visit our classroom website .

•

Make sure to read the weekly news letter .

•

Watch for emails .

•

Learning Environment

I feel that the best way to help children learn is to make learning fun.

• Our classroom will be an active environment where all students are expected to engage in the learning process.

Money Practice

• We will be working with money this year. In order for the children to grasp a firm understanding of this concept, we like them to work with real money. Your child will be asked to bring in the real thing as part of their Math Tool Kit. You will get it back at the end of the school year.

Notes

Please send a note with your child if:

• If you know your child will be missing school for an extended period of time.

• A change in pick-up or after school care will be occurring.

• You would like to schedule a conference or have concerns.

Watch for notes and emails from the office and me, and don’t forget to check the homework folder nightly. This will be our primary way to communicate with you.

Other Items

• • • Birthdays Class Parties Scholastic Book Orders

Parent-Teacher Conferences

• Parent/Teacher conferences will be held during the

February, 2014.

During this conference, we will be discussing your child’s strengths and weaknesses, homework, behavior and any additional concerns you may have.

Questions

Please feel free to contact me anytime you have questions. You can do this in a variety of ways: • Write a note • Send an email • Call me at school • Make an appointment for a conference

Report Cards

Report cards will be distributed once each quarter.

• The week of November 26 th (during conferences) • February 7, 2013 • April 17, 2013 • June 14, 2013

• • • • •

Snack/Specials

Please send in a snack and drink for your child everyday.

Music with Mrs. Bonin: Tuesday and Thursday (remember to wear sneakers) Gym with Mr. Hiester: Monday and Friday (remember to wear sneakers) Library with Miss Millberg: Wednesday Art with Mrs. Wolf: Monday

Technology

Your child will have the opportunity to use the

computer, smart board

and

iPad

during center time.

Units of Study

1 st Grade ELA Unit Themes

Working Together All In The Family Fun With Friends Our World Nature

•

Visitors and Volunteers

Our school policy requires all visitors/volunteers to check in at the school office. Visitor badges are required if you will be in the school hallways or entering a classroom.

Weekly Tests

Every week the students will be assessed in reading, spelling and mathematics. These tests will usually be administered Friday and returned on Monday.

Please take the time to look them over each week and review any skills or areas of weakness with your child.

Fridays

Spelling/Word Wall Test Reading Test

Other Assessments

Math Chapter Test

E

X

it

Parents and visitors must enter and exit the school through the front office.

• •

You

You

are your child’s first and most important teacher.

I hope that we can work together this year to make your child’s 1 st grade school year a huge success.

Zzzzz…

• • Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep each night, so that he/she is well rested and ready for the challenges of first grade.

This year will most of it!

ZOOM

by, so let’s make the

• • Once again, thank you for coming this evening and for showing an interest in your child’s education.

If you should have any questions or would like to speak with me further about your child, please contact me by email at

[email protected]

or call the school to schedule a time for us to meet.

WELCOME ABOARD!