First Grade: Parent Orientation What you need to know about First Grade.

Attendance Students must be in the classroom and seated by 7:30 a.m. The doors open to the school at 7:00 am. Students who arrive before 7:20 will need to go to the gym until their teacher picks them up, unless they are going to eat breakfast (breakfast is served until 7:20) Students who come in after 7:30 will be counted as tardy. 3 tardies = 1 absence. If a child is absent due to an illness or doctor’s appointment, the student will need a note with the student’s first and last name, date they were absent, and reason for absence in order for the absence to be excused.

First Grade Schedule 7:20 Students are picked up from the gym. 7:20-7:30 Morning Meeting and Announcements. 7:30-8:00 Intervention 8:00-9:00 Reading/ Daily 5/ Word Study 9:00- 9:55 Rotation (P.E., Art, Music, Computer) 10:00 – 10:30 Writing 10:30 – 12:00 Math 12:00 – 12:30 Lunch 12:30 – 1:20 Science 1:25 – 1:45 Recess 1:45 – 2:25 Social Studies 2:25 – Pack up 2:30 - Dismiss

Grading This year will consist of four nine week grading periods. Grades will be as follows: D= Developing, SD = Still Developing, SD- = Not Developing as they should be, ND = Not Developing.

Snacks/Drinks We have lunch at 12:00. That is a very long time for the students, so students are welcome to bring a snack as long as it is a healthy snack. Fruit, crackers, cheese, vegetables, etc. are examples of healthy snacks. If your child brings an unhealthy snack, the teacher will ask the student to put it away until lunch. Your child is also welcome to bring a water bottle with a lid. We have a few food allergies and health issues in 1st grade this year and are trying to keep things consistent across the grade level.

Parties/ Birthdays There will be two parties hosted by PTA this year (Valentine’s Day and Christmas). Donations of $10 are requested to help cover the cost of both parties. Birthday parties at school are not allowed. However, you are allowed to send a store bought treat if it is individually wrapped and has the ingredients listed on each treat. The teacher will pass them out at the very end of the day. Non- food “treats” are HIGHLY encouraged such as: stickers, pencils, smelly markers, etc. The teacher will pass these out as well at the end of the day.

Volunteers/Field Trips All parents, grandparents, etc. are required to complete a criminal background check on-line before volunteering on any campus, or attending a field trip. You will need to complete one every year. All forms are to be completed online using this link: http://www.wylieisd.net/Page/1605 All volunteers receive an email confirmation upon submission and approval. There is no need for them to contact HR.

Change in plans for Dismissal If there is a change in plans for how your child will be going home for the day, you must send a note with the child, or call the office by noon. Although emails work great, if the teacher is out, the message may not be received until too late. Without notification from the parents, we must send the child home on their normal form of transportation.

Thursdays and Fridays Thursday is College Awareness day in the district. We encourage all students to wear their college shirts every Thursday. Wrangler Round Up will now be held every other week at 7:45 am on Friday mornings. The first Round-up will be September 4th. Each child received a school shirt and is encouraged to wear it every Friday to show their school spirit.

Money Please send all money in a baggie or envelope with: Your child’s first and last name Amount What it is for All lunch money needs to be turned into the cafeteria before school starts.

Dismissal You MUST have your blue car tag to pick up your child. If you do not have this, you must go to the office and show ID.

Spelling Our spelling departs from a traditional emphasis on rote memorization of word lists; instead, students benefit from learning basic spelling patterns in conjunction with decoding patterns. We will give you examples of words using the pattern we are studying that week.

Curriculum You can find our curriculum focus on each teacher’s webpage under “quick links.” Each teacher will have the daily objects posted in their room.

Homework Read at least 20 minutes every night with your child! Xtra Math 60 minutes a week www.xtramath.org