H E L L O

Welcome to First Grade Curriculum Night!

2015-2016 School Year

Classroom SuppliesFirst Grade School Supply List• 1 large Backpack (no wheels)• 2 dozen #2 pencils, sharpened-Ticonderoga brand (please, no Roseart)• 3 large pink erasers• 1 box regular crayons• 1 set of classic broad-line markers• 1 set of watercolor paints (Crayola or Prang)• 2 black fine point Sharpies (no ultra-fine)• 4 large glue sticks (please, no small ones)• 2 Mead composition notebooks (no spiral)• 1 box of tissue (cube size)• 1 pack of skinny white board markers• 1 container of Clorox wipes• 1 box of Ziplock bags gallon (Names A-M)• 1 box of Ziplock bags sandwich (Names N-Z)• Colored pencils (package of 12)• One heavy duty 3-inch, 3-ring notebook with clear view pockets (Please label the binding with your child's name. Feel free to

get creative! Note: binders under 2 inches will need to be replaced with a larger binder mid-year in order to fit all of the first grade poems.)

Additional Classroom Supplies for Room 209● 90 sheet protectors placed in the 3-ring binder● 1 or 2 refillable pop-up style water bottles. Water bottles will be sent home at the end of each school day.

Whole Group Reading

● Word Wall● SIPPS Sound Cards ● Sight Word Flashcards ● Trade Books● Houghton Mifflin● Poetry

Reading

IndividualSmall groupDifferentiated Instruction

Poetry

● A new poem is read each day.

● I read the poem, then we choral read it together.

● We discuss vocabulary and the meaning of the poem.

● After reading and discussing the new poem, the class reviews the last five poems and then I select students to choose three to five favorite poems to review.

● Students circle the quick and easy words, put a square around letter combinations and illustrate the main idea of the poem.

Poetry

● 2 to 3 inch binder● Sheet protectors are optional, but highly recommended.● The students will bring their binders home every weekend.● Review poems together● Circle sight words● Illustrate unfinished poems together● Students will memorize these poems, so it is important to

make sure that when you are reviewing poems together, that your child is tracking each word with his/her finger using a smooth, sweeping motion.

The Poetry Lesson

● Builds vocabulary● Teaches comprehension strategies● Involves modeling of what fluent reading

sounds like and provides students the opportunity to practice fluency

● Builds the children’s sight word bank

Sight Words

● Sight Words are formally assessed in September, January and Mayo Additional assessments are completed in November and

March● The May kindergarten sight word goal is 50+ words● These are words children read without hesitation or sounding out● The May sight word goal for first grade is 200+/300● To ensure that children meet the May goal, students are expected

to have 100+ sight words memorized by January● Students who have already mastered all 300 sight words should

set their own personal goal● Additional sight word lists can be unloaded from my website under

the “documents” tab

Sight Words (Continued)

● It is important to practice sight words regularly as part of your child’s 20 minutes of reading homework. How you study is up to you. Here are a few suggestionso Check lists (Checklists and sight word phrases can be

downloaded form the “Documents” tab on our classroom SWIFT site.)

o Flashcardso Visit sight word links on our classroom SWIFT siteo Tape new sight words to the bathroom mirror or to the

back of the seat in your car

Reading

Reading

Reading

Spelling

● Spelling lessons and homework began this week

● Students will be tested on Thursdays. o Tests and the next list of words will come home on

Fridayso You will be able to view a list of the words under the

“homework” tab

● Make sure your child can read the words before you practice spelling

● Use the list of study strategies sent home with the first spelling list

Math

● Daily Math Expressions lessons are aligned with the Common Core Standards

● Homework sheets

● Flashcards

● Class calendar and group activities

● Computer lab skills practice

Math Expressions

● It combines a blend of traditional and standards-based instruction.

● Math Expressions is a complete Kindergarten–Grade 5 mathematics curriculum-offering a variety of methods and strategies to teach and learn mathematics.

● It combines elements of standards-based instruction with the best of traditional approaches.

● Math Expressions uses objects, drawings, conceptual language, and real-world situations to help students build mathematical ideas that make sense to them.

● The program covers 100% of Common Core Standards in mathematics.

● “Lessons include interventions, on-level, and challenge differentiation to support students needs.

Core Classroom Structures

● Math Talk● Quick Practice● Student Leaders● Building Concepts● Helping Community

Writing

● Daily Journal Writing● Monthly Writing Prompts● Daily D.O.L. (Daily Oral Language)

Exerciseo To teach proper grammar, use of

punctuation and capitalization ● Monday-Thursday handwriting

homework sheets

Young Authors

● Young Authors is a school-wide culminating writing project that takes place May-June

Science

● Foss Science Kitso “New Plants”o “Solids and Liquids” o “Wind and Weather”

● Science Units of Studyo Moono Frogso Water Cycles

Art

● The teacher presents an art lesson at least once a week: usually on Fridayso I teach art using the direct instruction model

for the majority of the art lessons. There are plenty of opportunities for students to express themselves independently.

● Art Docents typically teach one lesson a montho Introduce various artistso Teach specific art techniques and provide

students opportunities to apply those techniques

Room 209 Events

● September: Applesauce● October: First Grade Open House/Harvest Party/Partnership

Conferences● November: Cranberry Bread Baking● December: Holiday Sing-a-long/Stocking Stuffer Party● February: Valentine’s Day Celebration● March: Dr. Seuss Day● April: Spring Break● May: Mother’s Day Tea● June: Father’s Day Doughnuts with Dads/Young Authors/Field Day● Field trips and first grade play-TBD

Classroom Rules

● Treat others the way you want to be treated. This means to be kind to everyone through words and actions.

● Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.

● Follow directions the first time asked…“the fast way!”

● Look, lean and whisper during buddy sharing.

● Raise your hand to share out.

● Be a good listener (eyes on the speaker, voice off, body still).

● No talking during quiet work times (daily journal writing, tests, independent reading).

● Always use walking feet, with the exception of grass and big toy areas.

PAWS-itive Behavior

● Each student begins the day with his/her clip on green. Children will record their color at the end of each school day. The monthly behavior log is kept at the back of the take home folder. Please initial each night.o Pink: Outstanding day (recognized for exceptional behavior 3+ times)o Purple: Great day (recognized for exceptional behavior twice)o Blue: Good day (recognized for exceptional behavior once)o Green: Ready to learno Yellow: Make better choices (one warning and conference with the teacher)o Orange: Consequence (loss of a privilege, quiet space away from others, o Red: Parent contact (Following two warnings and two conferences with the teacher, the student’s

behavior continued to disrupt the learning community. The student will owe recess and journal about his/her behavior.)

o Office Referral: Visit to the principal and parent notification. (After moving to red, the child continued to disrupt the learning environment and made no effort to change his/her behavior.)

● *Certain behaviors; such as, fighting, destruction of property, defiance, biting, etc., will result in a visit to the principal’s office. Please review the student handbook, the district’s Harassment, Bullying and Intimidation (HIB) policies and classroom rules with your child.

PAWS-itive Behavior

Behavior Management

● Students will keep a behavior log in their daily take-home folders and record their PAWS-itive Behavior color at the end of each school day. Students on orange and red will spend time reflecting on their behavior and what they need to do differently to earn blue, purple, and pink days.

● The goal is for all students to engage in appropriate social behavior throughout the school day (during various activities) and for students to learn to reflect on their behavior through journaling.

General Health Information

● Children should practice frequent hand washing!

● Children should sneeze and cough into their elbow

● Keep your children home for at least 24 hours after a fever or vomiting

● Children with a mild cold should attend school...unless they have a severe cough

Morning Snack

● Please pack one, small, healthy snack for your child each day

● It should be small enough for your child to eat in 10 minutes and fit into a sandwich bago Example: string cheese,

baby carrots, apple slices, pretzels, banana, crackers.

o Cookies and chips are not healthy snacks

Water Bottles

● Water bottles are encouraged as the classroom can become very warm at the beginning of fall and late in the spring

● Pop-up tops are necessary, because they alleviate large spillso Please no juice or popo Please do not freeze water bottles...as they “weep”

or “rain” onto the desk

Volunteers

● Volunteers are appreciated in Room 209

● Please provide the office with a current volunteer form and a copy of your drivers license

● I will provide a monthly volunteer schedule

Lunch Money

● I strongly encourage paying for lunches in advance to alleviate the problem of lost lunch money. It is best if you can write one check at the beginning of each month, if your child buys hot lunch. If you cannot do this, I ask that when you are sending cash that it come to school either in a sealed envelope or plastic baggie and include the following information on the front:

o Lunch Money

o Student’s Name (first and last)

● Also, if your child eats cold lunch on a regular basis, it is a good idea to have 1 or 2 lunches purchased in advance…just in case your child forgets his/ her lunch at home.

This and That

● Transportationo Written permission from home (signed by

a parent/guardian) is required for any type of dismissal other than the normal routine

o We cannot take your child’s word for any changes in transportation

● Belongingso Please write your child’s first and last

name (with a permanent marker) inside all of their articles of clothing, lunch pail, and backpack

This and That

● Toyso Toys are not allowed at school. Please do not

allow your child to bring toys and costume jewelry to school.

● Birthdayso If you would like to send in a birthday treat to

celebrate your child’s birthday, please phone or leave a note in your child’s homework folder, at least one day prior, so I can set aside some time in our day.

o Birthday invitations may only be given out if the entire class or all of the children of the same gender are invited. If you plan on inviting only a few students from our class, I ask that you give out invitations outside of school. Thank you for your consideration.

Daily Take Home Folder

● Your child received a folder on the first day of school● The folder will come home every day. This is where

your child will put his/her homework and any papers that they need to bring home. It is also where you put anything that needs to be sent to school; such as, notes, school forms, lunch checks, etc.

● Please check it each evening, empty old papers, and make sure that your child brings it back to school EVERY DAY!

Specialist Schedule

● Monday-PE ● Tuesday-Music● Wednesday-PE● Thursday-Library● Friday-Music● Our specialist times are from 1:20 p.m.-1:50 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 2:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. on Friday.