First Grade open House 2017 Mrs. Abshire’s Class

Welcome to First Grade My name is Katie Abshire and I am thrilled to be your child’s teacher! I am from The Woodlands. I graduated from Texas A&M in 2007 This is my 10th year to teach (I have taught first and second grades) I have a 2 year old son, Mason I have a daughter, Emma, on the way at the end of January. Contact Information: katieabshire@tomballisd.net 281-357-4526 x 3863

Schedule Please have your child’s library books in their backpacks every Tuesday for our library visit. Please send your child to school in closed toed running shoes suitable for PE. Students attend PE every day. Students can bring a morning snack and also an afternoon snack if you wish. They have been getting headaches. Please keep snacks small and the less messy the better!

Classroom Conduct Students are rewarded in the classroom with: - Punch Cards- 20 punches = a prize of their choice and a sticker on the wall chart. 2 stickers = a happy note home - Fuzzies- Students can earn fuzzies in the hall to put in our class jar. A full jar = a reward of their choice. Last week they filled the jar and chose popsicles. - Name on the 100s club poster for receiving a 100 on a test. Verbal warnings are given many times before a conduct mark is issued. 1-2 marks for the week is an S (satisfactory). Students then have to walk 5 minutes at recess as a consequence. I only mark conduct marks. If the box is blank it means there was not an issue or only verbal warnings were given. Please initial nightly!

Daily Take Home Folder Please place all transportation notes in the pocket of the folder. Transportation notes need your child’s first and last name, the date, transportation change and signature. This is all to protect the safety of your child! Lunch money and other notes can be put into the pocket as well. Students have learned to check their folders and turn things into me in the morning. Please keep all Wednesday papers at home. Please initial the reading log nightly. I check it on Friday and put a sticker if all boxes are filled for the week. Ms. Hock our librarian has a blue slip for recording reading as well. This can be kept in the folder or at home. Students complete this slip to earn spirit sticks!! Please the Take Home Folder back to school every day.

Book Bags Each student has been issued a book bag that is to come home each night. It is the child’s responsibility to bring it home and back to school. The current system is the student picks two books for the bag for the week. I will begin reading groups soon and most of the books in the bag will then become a book we have worked on in group. Sometimes the books in the bag might grow to 5 books. Books can be reread many times to help fluency and comprehension. Please make sure the books get put back into the bag and then backpack each night. I will take the books out and rotate them, so no need to worry! Students are to read for at least 20 minutes each night. They can read the book bag books, library books, books from home or work on RAZ Kids……..

RAZ Kids Students have been practicing using RAZ Kids at school. The login information is on your child’s desk. This is a website that has books on your child’s level that they can listen to, read, and answer comprehension questions. When your child has read all of the books on the level, they may move to the next level. Or else, I might move the child myself. This is an extra resource for students to use for reading. We use RAZ Kids at school during our Daily 5 Listen to Reading Station. Students can earn points by listening to, reading and answering questions. They can use those points to build robots and space ships. They can do the building at home, they do not build at school! Login: https://www.kidsa-z.com/main/Login

First In Math and Prodigy These are both Math Websites. The login information is on your child’s desk. First in Math will be used at school and Prodigy is on a reward basis as more of a “fun” activity. Both can be played at home as you wish! First in Math https://www.firstinmath.com/?msg=Login Prodigy https://prodigygame.com/

Grades Students receive number grades in first grade per the TISD grading guidelines. There is also a specified number of minor and major grades for each subject. Grades below a 70 are not considered a passing grade. There are four 9 weeks grading periods. You may view your child’s grades online: I will contact you if I have concerns about your child’s grades, please contact me as well if you have questions or concerns.

Spelling Tests Note sent home to parents…..Any Questions?

Volunteers On the first day a note was sent home to parents to check who was interested in volunteering. I sent a sign up genius to those people who had checked they could work on small jobs at school. There are always LOTS of small jobs, if you are ever free and want to come for a little bit here or there, please email me. I will surely have something for you to do!!! 

How Can I help? As a parent, I understand that your child is your most special gift. Please know that it is my goal to always have your child’s best interests at heart. I hope to create a happy place for your child at school. Please email with concerns about your child, either socially or academically.

From Mrs. Deyoe About Attendance: Excused absences are listed in the handbook, but those include an illness, doctor visit, religious holiday.   Unexcused are vacations or a day off from school for no reason covered under excused absences.   Also, if we never receive a note explaining the absence, it will become unexcused.   The Perfect Attendance Award is presented to any student who:  Did not miss any days (could have left during the day for a doctor visit but must return with the doctor note), and did not have any early releases or tardies.  Students  receive a certificate, medal, and are entered into a drawing for a nice prize (we have given fitbits the last two years).  Parents and students are invited to attend the Attendance Awards Ceremony. The President’s Education Award of Outstanding Academic Excellence (Gr 1—5) is for those with 97% attendance, all A’s on the report card, and all E ‘s or S’s in conduct.  These students and parents are invited to attend the Attendance Awards Ceremony where they receive a special certificate from the President of the United States and US Secretary of Education and a medal.