Fun With Firsties! Curriculum Night Presentation Miss Newberry

Welcome to First Grade! Follow this presentation to find out how to successfully manage your child’s year in first grade.

A is for Attendance Your child’s regular and prompt attendance at school is crucial to his/her success. I cannot emphasize this enough! Many of our learning activities are group oriented and involve interaction with classmates. Therefore, it makes it very difficult to make up work at home. Please view school as a priority and help your child attend everyday except in cases of illness or emergency. If your child will be absent, please call the attendance line at

B is for Backpacks To ensure that your child’s belongings get to and from school, it is necessary that he/she brings a backpack daily. Make sure your child’s name is on the backpack. C is for Communication I believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school success. Throughout the year I will communicate with you through: –Notes home –Phone calls – s –Weekly newsletters –Daily Folder

D is for Daily Routine Greeting/Pledge/Lunch Count Bell Work Reading Block Recess & Snack Literacy (Reading Skills, Writing) Lunch & Recess Read Aloud Calendar Specials Math Science & Social Studies Closing Activities Dismissal

E is for The best way to reach me is by F is for Fieldtrips Throughout the year, we will schedule fieldtrips into the community to enhance our curriculum. Permission slips and chaperone sign-ups will be sent home prior to each trip. Fieldtrips are funded entirely by Tax Credit donations.

G is for Grading Report Cards: End of Each Quarter Progress Reports: Mid-Quarter First Grade Markings: = student shows mastery (80% or higher) = student is progressing (60%-79%) = area of concern (59% or lower) No mark = not formally graded

H is for Homework Homework is meant to reinforce the skills that we work on in class. The homework is not labor intensive, but it helps the student develop good study habits and build a sense of responsibility. Homework is posted each Friday. It is due the following Friday. Students should spend minutes per night on homework. Students should also read their book from their reading folder nightly. I is for Independence A goal in first grade is for students to become more independent than in the previous grade. Students will be able to complete tasks and follow directions with less reliance on an adult.

J is for Journals Composition books are used for teacher assigned tasks. Notebooks are for children to write and draw in as they complete assignments early. K is for Keeping Kids Safe Fire Drills Lock Down Drills Bus Evacuation Drills Closed Campus

L is for Literacy Students will have multiple opportunities to develop literacy skills in first grade. Reading and writing is incorporated into almost everything we do in first grade. Reading Block: All first grade students are grouped according to ability level for the most appropriate small-group guided reading instruction. Harcourt Literacy: Our class will develop reading and writing skills using the Harcourt materials provided by the district. Write From the Beginning: We will use this Thinking Maps based program to develop writing skills. This is a program used in grades K through 6 at Fulton.

M is for Math Math lessons are designed in three steps: Step 1-modeled by the teacher (I do) Step 2-practiced whole group (we do) Step 3-practiced independently (you do) We use a hands-on approach in math with the use of a variety of manipulatives. Students learn math more concretely when they can directly apply their knowledge to something that they can either identify with or manipulate with their hands. Students will: Play skill-based math games Practice skills independently Work in small groups Work as a whole class

N is for Nurse Our nurse is on campus Monday through Friday. Please advise us if your child is on any medication or has any medical history that we should be aware of. *Students must be fever-free for 24 hrs before returning to school. O is for Ordering Books Scholastic Book Orders will be available online each quarter. This is an inexpensive way to build your home library and our classroom library.

P is for Parties & Celebrations Every student at Fulton will have the opportunity to celebrate his or her birthday at the Birthday Book Club. We will also sing to each student in our class on his or her special day. Birthday invitations may be passed out at school only if everyone in the class is invited. Q is for Questions You may have questions or comments this year. Please feel free to me or call me anytime.

R is for Rules Our class has four rules: 1.Follow directions the first time. 2.Keep hands, feet, and unkind words to yourself. 3.Be an attentive listener and raise your hand to speak. 4.Use walking feet and inside voices in the building. Good behavior will be supported with positive reinforcement. S is for Science & Social Studies ScienceSocial Studies Life ScienceCivics & Government Earth & Space ScienceAmerican History Physical ScienceWorld History Health ScienceGeography Inquiry ProcessEconomics History of Science

T is for Thinking Maps Fulton is a Thinking Maps school and you will see Thinking Maps related to all content areas of learning. There is a link on our website where you can learn more about the thinking processes that are the basis of Thinking Maps. Your children will be able to name, use, and draw all 8 thinking maps by the end of first grade.

U is for Understanding Please keep me aware of anything that is going on in your child’s life that might affect your child’s behavior and learning. This will give me a better understanding of how to help your child. V is for Volunteers Your help is greatly appreciated! I will use you to listen to readers, prepare materials, work with students one-on-one, or work with small groups. Please remember that confidentiality is very important when working with children in our class. Check the volunteer calendar for your assigned date to volunteer.

W is for Website Check out Fulton’s website for information on procedures, curriculum, and teachers. Fulton’s website: CUSD’s website: X is for XXIV We have 24 children in our class. Please keep this in mind when sending in things to be distributed to the whole class.

Y is for Yo-Yo Your child is not a yo-yo. I will be consistent in the way I teach and treat your child. Z is for ZZZZs Make sure your child is well rested and has received an appropriate amount of sleep each night so that he/she is refreshed each day and ready for school.

Thanks for coming!