Welcome to 1st Grade Miss Almond Ms. Caswell Ms. Farquhar Ms. Gornbein vistaverde1stgrade.weebly.com

Vista Verde 1st Grade Tonight we will discuss… Philosophy Curriculum Parent-teacher partnership Success and growth for all students Curriculum Snack and lunch Dress code Homework Volunteers

Sound familiar? 1st graders go through many behavioral changes throughout the year…all of these are normal! Want to be “best” and “first” Have boundless energy May be oppositional, critical, and silly May have difficulty being flexible Cry easily *From the American School Counselor Association

They learn to… Develop positive, realistic self-concepts Respect themselves Gain awareness of their feelings Express feelings Participate in groups Learn from their mistakes *From the American School Counselor Association

STAR Program Safety First There and Ready Act Responsibly Respect Self and Others

Thinking Maps To enhance our thinking and learning in all curricular areas we use Thinking Maps school wide. Provides a visual representation of a student’s knowledge of a concept.

Reading Groups (GROW) Differentiated reading instruction will be provided based on reading assessments completed 5 times throughout the year. Students will be grouped according to the level of support or enrichment they need. Flexible groups remain fluid throughout the year, allowing children to participate in activities focusing on the skills they need. Please consider volunteering for this time if you are comfortable leading a small group. Commitments are weekly for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Curriculum - Writing Daily exposure to writing strategies Letter names and sounds Penmanship and proper pencil grip Writing fluency Ability to write a complete sentence with a naming part and an action part. Writer’s Workshop: Students will learn the formal writing process for three genres 1. Narrative 2. Informative 3. Opinion

Curriculum - Spelling Phonetic spelling helps the flow of ideas for writing. Please encourage your child to write the sounds they hear rather than spelling the words correctly for them. Students are taught to be resourceful by using dictionaries, room environment, and other resources to spell grade level appropriate word. Conventional spelling develops by the end of first grade. Spelling tests will be given weekly beginning in the fall.

Curriculum - Math McGraw Hill My Math Curriculum is a rigorous program based on developing conceptual understanding, learning procedural skills, and developing mathematical fluency Concepts include: number sense algebra and functions measurement and geometry statistics, data analysis, and probability mathematical reasoning Hands-on learning Problem solving strategies Enrichment Marcy Cook Math Tiles (volunteers needed) ST Math IXL math

Curriculum – P.E. Physical Education Coach: hand-eye coordination, ball skills, aerobic movement, and games that encourage cooperation Club Viking: additional program taught by selected middle school students Jogathon, Spring Field Day, June

Curriculum – Science, Social Studies, Health Solids and Liquids Air and Weather Plants Social Studies Citizenship Times Long Ago American Symbols Health The Great Body Shop Technology/Computers Digital Citizenship Username & password Keyboarding skills Sending a pair of headphones with your child, although optional, would be highly beneficial. 

Curriculum-Other special activities Computers & Library Weekly Music Choral taught by a music specialist (provided by IPSF) Every other Friday morning. Art Meet the Masters: The life and style of art masters (provided by your generous donations to PTA) Arts Advantage: Artistic composition, use of space and color (district program)

Procedures Snack and Lunch Please put your snack in a separate bag and label it. Label all items with your child’s name Water bottle Emergency account lunch money Dress Code Close toed shoes Please no spaghetti straps Label all removable clothing items with your child’s name Please keep an extra sweater in backpack

Homework Homework will be sent home each Monday. It will also be available on our 1st grade website: vistaverde1stgrade.weebly.com Completed homework should be returned to your teacher on Friday in the provided Homework Folders. Homework is intended to be a review of lessons taught in class, daily. Please complete pages of homework according to the weekly pacing guide. Homework will consist of math review, spelling practice, and reading.

Home Communication Remind Quick, easy way, to send real time messages from school to home. Grade Level: Text: @vv1s to the number 81010 Individual Teacher: Ms. Almond - @missa1to the number 81010 Ms. Caswell - @mscaswell2 to the number 81010 Ms. Farquhar - @farquhar to the number 81010 Ms. Gornbein -Text: @msg2017 to the number 81010

We can’t forget… Absences Volunteers always welcome! Attendance line Excused/unexcused absences Excused: illness, Dr. appointment, death in immediate family, religious holiday Volunteers always welcome! Sign-ups will be available at Back to School Night Please register with Help Desk in the front office before you begin volunteering. You will be required to check in and out each time you come to school. New volunteers will need to submit a copy of their drivers license.