Welcome!! *Before we start please take a minute to fill out the love note on the RIGHT side of your child’s desk. Please leave this special note on your child’s desk when you leave. *Everything on the LEFT side of the desk is yours to take and keep. THANK YOU so very much again to everyone who has sent in their child’s extra supplies and items from our wishing stars and Amazon wish list. I REALLY appreciate it all and can’t thank you enough!!!

The ABC’s of Mrs. Mullins’ Class Welcome to First Grade The ABC’s of Mrs. Mullins’ Class

Masters in reading and literacy 2 children-Harper and Ethan All About Me! 17th year of teaching Masters in reading and literacy 2 children-Harper and Ethan

A Absences:  PLEASE send in a note with your child upon their return, not an email, so I can turn it in. You will receive an email from me when your child reaches 3 unexcused absences. This is county protocol.  If your child goes to the doctor or dentist please get a note from them when you are there.  There is a copy of the school note included in your packet  for you to take home tonight.

B Birthdays: *Please let me know ahead of time if you would like to bring a treat for your child's birthday. ***A treat that is ALL the same always works best and is greatly appreciated! We will have our celebrations as our daily schedule allows- I ask that treats be sent with the child in the morning or dropped off in the office by 10 am. This is a special time for your child to share with his/her classmates!

B Book Orders: Scholastic Book Orders will be sent home monthly. This is a great way to encourage and excite your child about reading! Reading as a reward is an incredible way to communicate the importance of and instill the joy of reading in young children. The first order for the year will be coming home in a couple of weeks. All ordering can be done online.

*Listening, focus, and attention* are critical!!! CoGAT: (Cognitive Abilities Test) September 4th, 5th, and 6th *Listening, focus, and attention* are critical!!! The test consists of puzzles, analogies, patterns, etc. It is nationally normed and will tell you how your child performed compared to children in same age group across country. You will receive percentile scores with 50th being average. These scores are used to begin further testing for the Target program.

C Comprehension: Comprehension is a key element in a child’s reading development. Reading without true understanding is simply word calling. Reading comprehension is a MAJOR part of our Reader’s Workshop and will be addressed in many new and interesting ways each day! Communication: I believe communication between the teacher, school, and parents is absolutely essential in order for each student to be successful. PLEASE let me know any concerns, questions, or comments you have!     *EMAIL is best during the day! 

Level E – Excellent (BLUE) I am a Model Citizen. Discipline Level E – Excellent (BLUE) I am a Model Citizen. I do the right thing no matter who is watching. I am a role model for my classmates. I go out of my way to be helpful. Level S – Satisfactory (GREEN) I am on the Right Track. I am following rules and directions. I know how to behave in the hall, cafeteria and playground. My teacher can rely on me to make good choices. Level N – Needs Improvement (YELLOW) I need to make Better Choices. I need to think about my behavior. I need to show my teacher that I can make good choices. I need to treat others with respect. Level U – Unsatisfactory (RED) My behavior is Unacceptable. I need to follow rules and directions. I need to respect others. I need to accept responsibility for my choices.

Please support our Foundation during the Patron Drive Please support our Foundation during the Patron Drive! Your donation impacts every student every day! https://vimeo.com/349108842

G Grading: Measures progress toward the standard. Students will receive the following : 3+ In addition to the 3, makes applications and inferences beyond expectations 3- Consistently meeting the standard 2- Progressing toward meeting the standard 1 – Limited or minimum progress toward meeting the standard Please keep in mind first grade is a developmental year and students learn at different rates. Therefore, it is the expectation students will be progressing towards the standard. **Progress reports will come home at the 4 ½ week mark if your child is struggling with a standard

H Homework: **READING FOR 15 MINUTES EACH NIGHT IS AN EXPECTATION. **Practice trick words-reading them first-THEN-move onto spelling them all 

*Ice cream on FRIDAYS only* Lunch: Our lunch time is 11:16-11:46. ***No lunchroom guests until after Labor Day*** Lunch visitors- Please wait for us at the entrance to the Dining Room. I also ask that you tell your child Good-Bye in the Dining Room so that we can get right back to work when we return to our classroom. Lunch extras- PLEASE talk with your child and let them know if it is ok for them to purchase extra items at lunch. *Ice cream on FRIDAYS only*

L Listening:   *Students HAVE to be able to listen in order to be as successful as possible in first grade. This is one of the most important work habits in first grade and I stress the importance of this from day one!  ]

M Math Workshop: *OG math drill *Mini-lesson with hands on modeling *Guided practice with work mats, bars, and manipulatives *Independent and partner practice *Daily small math groups providing enrichment and remediation *Problem solving with written explanations *Math partner games reinforcing and extending skills learned *Challenge activities *Closing review and sharing of days learnings

M Mystery Reader: Friday 8:00-8:30 *Please bring a couple books of your choice to read *You may sign up for one more time per family tonight!

N http://cobblearning.net/hmullins Newsletter and Blog: *Please make sure you subscribe to our class blog if you have not already done so. *PLEASE make sure you take time to read over this as it is always filled with lots of important information http://cobblearning.net/hmullins

Orton-Gillingham: A Methodology for Teaching Reading & Spelling to ALL Students! Whole class & small group lessons Differentiation in reading and spelling based on student ability No “spelling tests.” As we teach a phonics rule or pattern, students will read & spell words with that rule or pattern. Assessment through dictation and application of phonics rule/pattern. (ex. –ck rule) These words do not need to be memorized. Trick words: words that do not follow a rule or pattern. MUST BE MEMORIZED for reading and spelling. 3 Trick words will be introduced at a time and will be memorized for spelling and reading. (ex: said) Your donations at work.

P October 14th-18th Parent/Teacher Conferences: Parent Volunteers: You must be trained through Mt. Bethel in order to be a parent sub. August 9th: 9:30-10:00 am August 19th: 10:00-10:30 am September 18th: 8:00-8:30 am

What does the PTA do? What can I do for the PTA? Provide invaluable classroom support Family & Community Events: Concert on the Green * Spring Thing * Fun Run Community Outreach Character Education Visiting Author Reflections and MUCH MORE!!!!! What can I do for the PTA? Volunteer – at home and in school opportunities Participate in Read-a-Thon (August 19th – August 23rd) – Primary Fundraiser of the Year Visit us at www.mtbethelpta.org Follow us on Facebook and Insatgram

R Reader’s Workshop: *Mini lesson *Independent reading time, small guided reading groups, individual student conferencing, goal setting *Partner/buddy reading *Closing review and sharing of days learning **Please look for your child’s BAG OF BOOKS to come home shortly!!!

R Reflections: GREAT home and school communication tool! *Please review this with your child at night and initial. *Great place if you need to write me a note too.

S Snack: working snack daily around 9:15 ***HEALTHY snack **Water only **NO candy **PLEASE make sure snacks are packed SEPARATE from their lunches.  Thank you so much for your support of this as it makes your child’s time with me at school as effective as possible! 

**No bus passes will be approved** T Transportation Changes: *All transportation changes must be made in writing. We do not accept FAXED, EMAILED, or phone changes to dismissal. **only exception-a phone call through the front office to keep a child in ASP. *Make sure you fill out the ENTIRE change of dismissal bus pass-EVEN THE BOTTOM PORTION- **No bus passes will be approved** until after Labor Day

T Take Home Folders: RED folder Trick Words: *Will come home each night and needs to be returned every day. *Please let your child know if there is a note or envelope so they can get it to the basket. Trick Words: *The expectation by the end of the year is that students are able to READ, SPELL, and APPLY all of these words correctly.

T T.E.A.M Procedures: Rules that we follow in common areas – places that the whole school uses.  A copy of each of these are included in your packet to take home and review if needed. 

W Writer’s Workshop: *Mini Lesson *Independent writing time with individual student conferences *Share Time (Author’s Chair, buddy share, group share) with author compliments *Closing review and sharing of the days learnings

W Work Habits: A huge part of first grade is developing positive work habits.  We work really hard on this from putting our name on all of our papers, to keeping our room neat, to keeping up with our materials.  It is an ongoing process, but we set the stage in first grade.

XYZ Your Support:    Thank you so much for your support.  I could not do what I do without you. 

I look forward to a wonderful year with all of you! Please don’t forget: *leave your child’s love note on their desk *sign and leave the FERPA paper on the table *sign up for one more mystery reader