Back to School Night September 11, 2013 The s of First Grade Back to School Night September 11, 2013

Attendance Unless your child is ill, please make every attempt to have your child present at school and on time. Our day begins at 8:40 and dismissal time is at 3:25. Students that arrive late are missing valuable instruction. If your child absent, please provide a written note on the first day that your child returns to school. If your child is out of school for more than 3 days, please provide a doctors note.

Behavior Every student is expected to follow the Falcon 5: Be Safe Be Respectful Be Caring Be Here, Be Ready Celebrate Success Students that choose to follow the rules will move up the clip chart and earn rewards. Likewise, there will be consequences for students the choose to break the rules (moving down the clip chart, parent contact, time outs, etc.)

Curriculum Reading and Language Arts Fundations Everyday Math Science Social Studies

• Practice reading the anchor words nightly. • In 1st grade, we will focus on developing phonemic awareness, decoding skills, word recognition, comprehension and oral reading fluency. • The more sight words a student knows, the more fluently he/she will read. • Practice reading the anchor words nightly. Read to Self Read to Others Listen to Reading Word Work Work on Writing

A variety of grouping strategies will be utilized to deliver our reading and language arts curriculum. Whole class and small group lessons will be delivered to ensure mastery of skills. We will focus on the following throughout the year: Reading Strategies Comprehension Skills Reading Fluency Vocabulary and Word Analysis Spelling, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Writing Listening and Speaking

We do lots of writing in first grade We do lots of writing in first grade. Children are encouraged to use phonetic spelling when they first start. Our goal is to encourage risk taking and independence in writing. Part of this process is to stress to children that phonetic spelling is acceptable, and to build their confidence in their ability to communicate in writing even if they can’t spell the word with “dictionary spelling.” However, as high frequency words and spelling rules are introduced children will gradually move toward more conventional spelling.

By the end of first grade, students ... Understand and use the concept of “ones” and “tens” Add and subtract numbers to 20 with ease Tell time to the hour, half hour, and quarter hour Count, write and order numbers to 100 Count up and back starting at any number to 50 Identify and locate shapes in their environment Describe data and analyze and solve simple problem situations • Each day begins with

Differentiated Instruction In order to provide the best possible instruction to each child... • Not all children will be on the same page, in the same book, at the same time. • Please let me know if your child is really struggling or if he/she is not being challenged.

Fundations Fundations focuses on the word study portion of reading and handwriting. In the beginning of every Fundations unit, a parent letter will be sent home explaining what the students will be working on. You will find this in your child’s yellow folder in their binder. Included with the parent letter will be activities that you and your child can complete at home. This work does not need to be returned to school. We will introduce spelling during the third Unit of Fundations. The spelling list will be sent home at the beginning of each week, also in their yellow folder. The spelling test will be on Fridays unless otherwise stated in the weekly newsletter.

Goals and Grades

Homework Homework will be assigned on Monday for the week. You can find the homework calendar in your child’s binder in the inside front pocket. Please be sure to review your child’s homework each night and sign the homework sheet daily. In addition to reading and math homework it is important that 1st graders read EACH night. This may include practicing their decodables, shared reading with an adult or older sibling, and reading and decoding good fit books on their own.

Itinerary Oh, the places we will go and the things we will learn this year as we sail through 1st grade! To find out exactly where we are headed each week you will want to read our weekly newsletter. All weekly schedules, upcoming events and important information will be listed on our newsletter. Your weekly newsletter can be found in your child’s B.E.E. binder in the front pocket. Newsletters will also be emailed to all those who would like.

Just Right Books Studies have shown that those children whose parents are actively involved in the reading process will become the best readers. Reading to your child and listening to them read to you, taking them to the library and providing quality just right books at home is of the highest importance.

Keeping Informed Be sure to check your child’s B.E.E. binder every night for all school and class mail. Be sure to read our class newsletter each week. Watch for emails.

Learning Environment • I feel that the best way to help children learn is to make learning fun. • Our classroom will be an active environment where all students are expected to engage in the learning process.

Mystery Readers I would like to invite all parents, older siblings, grandparents, or other special people to surprise your child by being a “Mystery Reader” this year in our classroom. Mystery Readers will visit us on Friday afternoons at 2:40 for approximately 20 minutes. Remember this is top secret! Sign up calendar is in the back!

Other Items: Birthdays Class Parties Scholastic Book Orders 100 Book Club Lunch/Snack Money

Parent-Teacher Conferences Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on ________________During this conference, we will be discussing your child's academic performance,, homework, behavior and any additional concerns you may have. A sign up schedule will come home closer to the date.

Questions Please feel free to contact me anytime you have questions. You can do this in a variety of ways: • Write a note • Send an email • Call me at school • Make an appointment for a conference

Report Cards Report cards will be distributed once each trimester. November March June

Student of the Week Each child will have a special time during the school year to be the “Bee of the Week”. Students will be asked to bring in pictures and items from home for a special bulletin board and to lead us in special class activities during that week. Every child will have a turn! A list of assigned dates will be sent home shortly.

Tests All tests will be announced in our weekly news letter. Most spelling tests will be on Fridays. All tests will be corrected and sent home to be reviewed in your child’s take home folder.

Units of Study

Visitors and Volunteers • If you have time or talents to share with us, please complete and return the volunteer “Helping Hands” form. • Our school policy requires all visitors/volunteers to check in at the school office. Visitor Badges are required if you will be in the school hallways or entering a classroom. Also, anyone that wishes to help in the classroom is required to fill out our Pottsgrove Volunteer form. Information is available in the office.

Websites EDM Online Starfall.com Tumblebooks.com

EXtra Supplies In order to provide your children with the program I believe they deserve, I supplement the curriculum with extra projects. These projects are not funded by the regular education budget. Please take the time to look at my Giving Tree. I have posted apples on the tree in the classroom this evening. Any and all donations are truly appreciated! If any additional supplies are needed throughout the school year they will be noted in our class newsletter.

You…… You are your child’s first and most important teacher. I hope that we can work together this year to make your child’s 1st grade school year a huge success!

Zzzzz… Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep each night, so that he/she is well rested and ready for the challenges of first grade. It is recommended that 5 and 6 year olds get 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night. This year will ZOOM by, so let’s make the most of it.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Once again, thank you for coming this evening and for showing an interest in your child’s education. If you should have any questions or would like to speak with me further about your child, please contact me by email at Laurendelp@pgsd.org or call the school to schedule a time for us to meet.