Specific Parent Information Night (SPIN)First Grade

Forest Pines Drive Elementary

• Mrs. Cortright• Mrs. Harwood• Ms. Newton• Ms. Quinn

• Mrs. Watkins

• Welcome/Agenda• Common Core• Balanced Literacy Plan• Daily 5/CAFÉ• High Frequency Words• Letterland• Writer’s Workshop• Math• Thinking Skills• Social Studies• Science• Homework• Testing & Assessments• Grading• Field Trips & Volunteers• Behavior Management• Home Connection• Parent-Teacher Conferences

Agenda

• North Carolina requires that all schools follow the “Common Core Standards” for English Language Arts and Mathematics. Information pertaining to these standards can be found at the following websites:

• www.corestandards.org• http://www.wcpss.net/parents/

guides/new-standards/

Common Core

Balanced Literacy Plan

9:15-10:50• Comprehension

Mini-Lesson• Guided Reading• Daily 5• Letterland

(Phonics)

• Literacy Units:– Reader’s Build Good Habits– Tackling the Tricky Parts– Connecting with Characters– Learning about the World through

Informational Text– Readers are Brave and Resourceful– Exploring Genres to Learn about a Topic– Dramatizing Characters in Small

Groups/Reading Clubs– Becoming Science or Social Studies Experts– Fabulous First Grade Readers: Readers

Celebrate All Their Hard Work

Literacy, contined

Daily 5/CAFE• Read to Self – Students will build reading stamina

daily. – Pick “Good-Fit” books– Practice skills introduced in mini-lessons

• Read to Someone – Students will practice fluency and comprehension by reading to a partner.

• Word Work – Students will work on phonics skills that were focused on in Letterland lessons s, as well as high frequency word recognition.

• Work on Writing – Students will work on building their writing skills in their writing journals.

• Listen to Reading - Students will improve reading fluency while listening to stories on tape or computer (KidsA-Z).– KidsA-Z is also available for students to use from home.

High Frequency Words• There are 200 High

Frequency words your child will be responsible for reading and spelling over the course of this year.

• These words will be practiced in class and also need to be practiced at home nightly (located in the daily binder)

• Letterland is a research based program that teaches phonics, phonemic awareness, and fluency through engaging interactive lessons

• Students use tapping skills to apply their knowledge of phonics when sounding out words.

• Students are assessed on these skills weekly (not used as grade) and tri-weekly (used as a grade).

Letterland

Writer’s Workshop• Writer’s Workshop: 10:50-

11:30

• Writing Units:– Personal Narratives– Opinion Writing– How To Writing– All About Writing

• This year in writing, students will be working on:– Punctuation/capital letters– Illustrations matching stories– Sequencing ideas/events– Spacing between words– Phonetic spelling– Writing a complete thought

• Math: 12:55-1:55• Big Ideas:

– Read, Write, and Count to 120– Addition and Subtraction within

20– Place Value– Comparing Numbers– Time– Shapes– Fluency and Accuracy for

Addition and Subtraction – Equality– 2-Digit Addition– Nonstandard Measurement– Partitioning Shapes– Data

Math

• Parent resource videos for each math standard can be found at:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNDkuWRw1gGRpuFSgmHjf07KamFfj

q8Gz

*Search for the ES 1 videos only. These are designed to explain first grade math standards.

Math, continued

• Monday-Thursday: 2:45-3:10

• This program is designed to:-Create innovative learners-Promote questioning and problem solving-Encourage thinking about thinking

Thinking Skills

Social Studies Units:• “I am a Citizen of

Many Communities”

• “Our Community Celebrates”

• “I Can Find My Way Around My Community”

• “We Care for Our Community”

Social Studies

Students will be engaged

with hands on science experiments. Science journals will be kept to record

predictions/data.Science units:• Comparing and

Measuring• Balance and Motion• Pebbles, Sand, and

Silt• Organisms

Science

• Homework is given weekly in reading, math, writing and phonics.

• Homework reviews skills that students have been working on in class.

• Homework is sent home on Friday and due the following Friday.

• Please make homework a priority.

• Set a routine when doing homework.

Homework

• Testing– No standardized testing in

first grade

• Assessments– Mclass benchmark

assessments• Beginning of year• Middle of year• End of year

– Writing rubrics– Summative Math Assessment

(Middle and End of Year)– Daily Observations– Classroom Assessments– Practice

Testing & Assessments

• Student Performance:

4=Exemplary

3=Proficient

2=Approaching Proficiency

1=Non-Proficient

• Work Habits/Conduct:

3=Meets Expectations

2=Inconsistently Meets Expectations

1=Does Not Meet Expectations

Grading

*Please note that Literacy grades are determined based on whether or not the student is able to perform the standard using a grade level appropriate text. They must show proficiency with the standard while reading/using a grade level appropriately text independently.

• Field Trips:– Wakefield High

School Theater Performance – “HONK” (March 11)

– Blue Jay Point County Park (April 11 and 14)

• Volunteers:– You MUST re-

apply and be approved each school year to be approved as a classroom/field trip volunteer.

Field Trips & Volunteers

• Students are rewarded with positive reinforcement when they follow school and classroom expectations.

• School Wide:– SLY is our school motto!

Classes earn compliment cards for being “SLY”

Show respect, Listen and Learn,Your safety counts!

• Classroom:– Clip chart– Punch Cards– Coupons/Prize Boxes– Secret Walker

Behavior Management

• Practice high frequency words by making flash cards.

• Complete homework and read nightly.

• Practice basic math facts.

• Encourage your child to use “KidsA-Z” at home and/or read take home baggie books.

• Always praise and encourage your child’s progress.

Home Connection

• Wake County Public Schools requests 2 conferences per school year.

• Conferences are usually held after the first and third quarters or on an as needed basis.

• The best way to contact your child’s teacher is by email.– Mrs. Cortright –

dcortright@wcpss.net– Mrs. Harwood –

yharwood@wcpss.net– Ms. Newton –

enewton2@wcpss.net– Ms. Quinn – cquinn@wcpss.net– Mrs. Watkins –

swatkins@wcpss.net

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thank you for coming to SPIN!

Do you have any questions?