WELCOME to 1st grade with Mrs. Neff!

Communication Classroom Website: neffsfirsties.weebly.com Email Contact: jneff@icsmail.org Phone Contact: 618-281-5353 ext. 122 Phone Contact: 618-420-1022

Schedule Our daily schedule is different each day. Below is an outline of what is covered during the day. 2 hours of Language Arts 1 hour of Math 1/2 hour of Religion 1/2 hour of Science or Social Studies 1 hour per week of Handwriting 20 minutes of Storytime 3 times per week

Specials P.E., Music, & Computer class: 30 minutes twice a week Art: every other week All School Mass: 1 hour each week Library: 30 minutes once a week for the 1st semester

Important Dates August 16th: First Day of School October ?: Zoo Field Trip (Date TBA) October 23rd & 25th: Parent Teacher Conferences November 20th : 1st Grade Presents: The First Thanksgiving at the All School Mass April ?: Butterfly House Field Trip (Date TBA) Be sure to check our website and newsletters for other important dates throughout the year.

Important Reminders In 1st grade, students are to bring to their own snack from home for morning and afternoon recess. This is different from kindergarten when your child ate snack with the class. Please send two healthy snacks with your child each day. Examples include: fruit, crackers, cereal, etc. We have a no nut policy in school. Please stay away from any snacks containing any nut products. Candy is not allowed and will be taken until the end of the school day. Also, we are not allowed to use the snack machine during school hours. In other years, parents bring a box of snacks for the week to keep in lockers. Students will be allowed to keep water bottles in the classroom. Please send in a water bottle with a secure lid to prevent spills!

Important Reminders Students are to wear correct uniform shirts and bottoms each day. In addition, belts, socks and tennis shoes or rubber soled shoes are required as well. Only black, navy, or white socks are allowed. Shirts must be tucked in to bottoms. Please make sure your child is dressed accordingly. During winter months, please send gloves, hats, and a winter coat for recess. Only solid navy or ICS logo sweatshirts and sweaters are allowed to wear in the classroom. No hoodies of any kind will be allowed. Please refer to the student handbook/calendar for further explanations.

Birthdays We love to celebrate birthdays! Feel free to send in nut-free treats (school policy). We celebrate birthdays at the end of day. Students will get a birthday crown, bracelet, and bookmark! If you are sending in invitations for a birthday party, please make sure you are inviting the whole class. Summer birthday? Feel free to send in treats for a celebration on their half birthday! (Just let me know when)

Homework Reading First graders will be expected to read 10 minutes per night in a book of their choosing (one day a week a book will be assigned to them). Research has shown daily independent reading to be one of the most important factors in student success in school. Please encourage your child to read daily, and ask questions about what he/she is reading! Each Friday your child will turn in a Reading Log that will be used as a completion grade. An overview of our Language Arts curriculum for the week will come home each Monday. On this page is a list of new Words to Read (sight words) and vocabulary words. Students must be able to read the sight words and know the meaning of the vocabulary words by Friday. We practice this A LOT in class, but it may be beneficial to ask your child once or twice a week to read the sight words and ask the meaning of the vocabulary words.

Homework Religion Math After most chapters in Religion, your child will bring home the chapter pages with a family discussion page. Please discuss this with your child. It is very important that your child sees that you are involved in their faith formation. Math If your child struggled with a math concept, I will write a note at the top of their page that day. Please review the material with them. Fact fluency is also something we work hard at in first grade. Practicing addition/subtraction facts helps build a strong foundation for future learning.

Homework Spelling At the beginning of each week, students take a pre-test over a new phonics skill (for example: words with short i). This is a PRE-test. It is not graded! We talk a lot about being brave spellers. This helps me see where the class is as a whole while allowing me to provide differentiated instruction. If a student gets 90% of their words correct on the pre-test, then they will receive a challenge word list for the week. As a class, we discuss how every student learns in different ways and at different times. I emphasize that it doesn’t make any difference which color words you have for the week because we are all learning. A list of new spelling words will come home each Monday and a test will be each Friday. While we do practice a lot in class, it is beneficial to practice at home as well.

Homework Overview Reading: 10 minutes of reading per night; student completes Reading Log Math: conditional Religion: once per week. Language Arts: Sight Words and Vocabulary once or twice per week Spelling: Practice words nightly or until mastered

Grading G+ - I understand - Neat and Complete - Excellent Effort G - I mostly understand - Mostly neat and complete - Good Effort S - I understand some - Not all neat and complete May not be my best effort I need to ask more questions/help. I may need more practice at home. N - I do not understand - May not be neat and complete -I need to ask more questions/help. - I need more practice at home.

Grading You may see a G- or S+ which is borderline G or S work. You may also see a S- which is borderline N work. Every child develops on a different spectrum. Typical letter grades are not given until third grade when the student can understand percentages. I want each child to understand the above rubric for improvement. Thanks for your help!

Focus Five This year, we will be building a cooperative learning environment. Our class will be spending a lot of time together this year and becoming a team that can work together in a fun, productive way. The “muscles” and skills required of a strong team member need to be developed and strengthened. To do this, we will participate in an approach that empowers students to take ownership of and be responsible for their own behavior while building the skills necessary to establish a sense of self-control, accountability, and teambuilding in the classroom. We will be working on controlling our 3 tools: body, voice, and imagination, while strengthening two important skills: cooperation and concentration. We will reflect on how we used these tools each day in order to improve.

RESPECT Expectations Class Rule The most important rule in my class is: RESPECT Students must respect themself, others, the school, and learning.

Thank You! I appreciate all your collaboration and cooperation to make this a successful year! If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to contact me!