West Madison Elementary First Grade Welcome Dr. Jah / Mrs.Miller Mrs. Daniel Mrs. Massey Mrs. Stallworth Mrs. Sweeney Miss Baines

Character Development We are promoting KINDNESS this year. We are looking for students who are showing kindness and do kind deeds for others. We will be celebrating students that do kind deeds each month. It is based on the novel Wonder.

Ways to be Informed: School Messenger School website: Teacher Website www.wmes.madisoncity.k12.al.us Teacher Website On WMES Website / Staff / Teacher’s Name Principal’s Newsletter

Curriculum/ Assessment Alabama Common Core Standards Alabama College and Career Ready Initiative www.alsde.edu/home/general/alccs.aspx * DIBELS: Dynamic Indicator of Beginning Early Literacy Skills 3 times yearly (all students) / Monthly in each classroom First Grade Goals: Fall Winter Spring Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) 58 58 58 Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) (CLS) Correct Letter Sounds 70 (WWR) Whole Words Read 21 Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) 51 51 51 Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) --- 34 69

Report Card / FRY / STAR / AR Grading Scale – 1, 2, and 3 Progress Reports every 4 ½ weeks/ Report Cards every 9 weeks First Progress Reports shows Behavior Skills only Report Cards are standards based – Parents will receive a detailed explanation of the 3, 2, 1 grading system with the first report card in mid-October FRY Words – 50 in Kindergarten / 150 in First Grade Lists will come home to practice / Daily practice in class STAR testing – Reading and Math Computer Tests 5 times a year AR – Accelerated Reader – Students read library books on their reading level and take computer tests for points. Please ask your teacher for more individualized details.

Reading Curriculum Wonders Reading Series (30 Lessons) Weekly test (usually on Friday) Based on the College & Career Ready Standards (CCRS) Spelling words & tests Classwork, homework and test (usually on Friday) Weekly Newsletter Contains spelling pattern(s), vocabulary words, weekly story titles and important classroom or school information Reading textbook Two stories weekly / One “cold read” covered on Friday test

Math Curriculum EnVision Math Weekly Test (falls on the next day after we finish the “Topic”) AMSTI Investigations Whole group and small group math “learning games” Based on Math College & Career Ready Standards (CCRS)

HOMEWORK It is an extension and a review of what students are learning Homework comes home in Binders on Friday or Monday It is an extension and a review of what students are learning in class Return Homework to school by Friday If it is finished before Friday, it can be returned earlier Please return it altogether on the same day, except Reading Log, which is monthly. Parents and students can complete reading log together.

Schedule Reading Block in the morning Math Block – just before and after lunch Music First Semester/ Art Second Semester (once a week) Computer Lab (twice a week) Guidance (twice a month) PE (daily)

Other Important Information: Tardies: The first bell rings at 7:25am / Class starts at 7:40am Absences: When student returns to school, please send in a parent or doctor’s note (teachers have provided forms) Transportation Changes: Please send in a written note when your child will be going home a different way (teachers have provided forms; these can also be found on our school website)

Behavior Expectations: First Grade teachers use “Class Dojo”: Students begin Monday with zero points and accumulate points throughout the week. Students must end the week with 10 or more points to go to Fun Friday on Friday afternoon Students can earn points for showing respect, helping others, following directions, being “on task”, working quietly, making good choices in the cafeteria, hall, bathroom, PE, music/art, counseling, Spanish, etc Students can loose points for not following directions, being “off task”, not showing respect to students, teachers or the classroom materials, not following rules in the cafeteria, on the playground or in the hall, at recess, music/art, PE, counseling, Spanish, etc **Other faculty and staff can also change points on Class Dojo **Please sign up for Class Dojo. This is the main way we communicate with parents.

Snack, Lunch and Birthdays around 9:30am daily / Please send in ONE healthy snack Milk .50 cents, Baked Chips .50 or Water is $1.00 Breakfast $1.75, Student Lunch $2.25 / Adult Visitor $4.00 Please join us for lunch (Mon. – Thurs.) Baines 11:00-11:30 / Daniel 11:05-11:35 / Massey 11:10-11:40 Sweeney 11:15-11:45 / Stallworth 11:20-11:50 Ice Cream on Friday .75 cents extra Birthday invitations If you send in invitations, please send one for every student Birthday celebrations You can send in a healthy treat for the whole class for snack time or lunch time OR buy ice cream for the students at lunch on Friday

Volunteer Opportunities Room Parent A parent to be responsible for coordinating special activities, classroom volunteers and “Duty Free” lunch for the teacher Other activities throughout the year Teachers often need help with cutting, copies, Die Cut letters, sorting, stapling, etc Teacher “Wish Lists” Items needed during the year may be hand sanitizer, paper towels, white card stock Please ask your teacher if you would like to donate items You can also ask about bringing in crafts to do with the class PTA needs volunteers for various activities during the year Please join the PTA and get involved Thank you for coming to Curriculum Night!