Welcome Families: Please sit at your child’s seat. Please write your hopes and dreams for your child in first grade. Please take a minute to look through the books your child will use this year in first grade! Please begin looking through your child’s packet. Feel free to begin filling out the forms. They do not need to be turned in tonight.

Mission Statement Sunny Hills is a community of life-long learners who are committed to academic and social growth and who celebrate each student’s unique strengths.

First Grade Introduction Expectations Overview of the First Grade Curriculum Extras Sign up to volunteer in the classroom Sign up for parent/teacher conferences

Expectations: What you can expect from me I will strive to meet the academic, personal, and practical goals of each individual student. Weekly newsletters Open communication and a willingness to resolve any academic, behavior, and/or social challenges your child may experience Firm, fair, and consistent discipline Regular checking of emails/phone messages with timely responses (3 days). To foster a caring and encouraging environment for your child, where learning is applicable, challenging, engaging, and fun.

Expectations: What I will expect of your child: To come to school on time, ready to actively participate To exhibit good learning behaviors To take personal responsibility To develop independent problem solving skills To follow our class rules: Show Respect, Make Good Choices, Solve Problems To try his/her best

Expectations: What I will expect of you: To read with your child everyday To review the story with your child-having him/her recall the important events of the story To read the newsletters and discuss the events with your child To know your child’s weekly schedule Share with your child your expectations for his/her academic performance and behavior in school Support your child in becoming a responsible first grader Check your child’s folder daily

Thursday Daily Schedule 8:30 Morning Work 8:45 Calendar/ Bathroom break 9:00 Reading/Contracts 10:15 Writing/Grammar/Word Work 10:35 Recess 11:00 Lunch 11:20 Math 12:15 Bathroom break 12:20 Music 12:50 Snack / Story 1:05 Science/Art/Social Studies/Health 1:00 Recess 2:00 Writing Workshop 2:30 Clean up 2:53 Dismissal

Read Think Discuss Reading The Students will: Read independently daily Read to someone daily Listen to someone read daily Respond to reading daily Read Think Discuss The Teacher will: Guided reading groups (fiction and non-fiction) level & strategy Shared reading Read aloud Reading Strategies Assess reading to monitor progress and growth

Reading Year at a Glance Phonics: Early Literacy Concepts Phonological Awareness Phonemic Awareness Short vowels Long vowels Blending sounds High Frequency Words Spelling Patterns Word Meaning Word Structure Comprehension Skills: Retelling Sequencing Story Elements Vocabulary Making Connections Questioning Predicting Visualizing Finding Evidence Text Features Point of View Compare & Contrast

Reading Curriculum Making Meaning- Strategies that Build Comprehension and Community– NEW Fountas and Pinnell- Letters, Words, & How They Work- NEW Follow pacing of grammar, phonics, vocabulary, writing. Spelling: Linked with Phonics, High Frequency Words, Embedded in writing. Writer’s Workshop: Write, Revise, Edit, and Publish More directed writing: narrative, descriptive, short stories, poems, non-fiction, procedural.

Math Everyday Mathematics Realistic approach to problem solving Practice through games Spiral curriculum Emphasis is on these content strands: -Number and numeration -Operations and Computation -Data and Chance -Measurement and reference frames -Geometry -Patterns, Functions, and Algebra

Science Classifying Plants and Animals Sun, Moon, & Stars Magnets & Motion Habitats Inquiry, systems, and application skills are embedded in the science curriculum. National Geographic Science Companion

Social Studies Home and school rules - Rights and responsibilities (Citizenship) Families Near and Far Map and globe skills Families and Groups Meet Needs Exploring Where and Why

Health Being Safe: School, Home, Outside Poison Labels & Germs Nutrition Emotions: Knowing your feelings Heart & Teeth Environmental Health Harcourt Health & Fitness

Technology Materials & Equipment Basic operations and concepts Word processing & curriculum related software. Web page navigating Technology ethics

Specialist Schedule Monday PE Tuesday Music Wednesday PE Thursday Library Friday Music Please turn in library books on Wednesdays. Please wear appropriate P.E. clothes and shoes.

Extra’s Classroom Website: BrainPop Jr. www.brainpopjr.com www.connect/sylverst.com BrainPop Jr. www.brainpopjr.com Everyday Math www.everydaymathonline.com Scholastic Bookclubs www.scholastic.com/bookclubs Starfall www.starfall.com

Sunny Hills and ISF A NEW – K-5 Science Curriculum adoption to ensure our students meet state requirements and experience the wonder of science from their first day in school. Working together with the PTSA's, $438,000 was raised to ensure every grade level would have an engaging, comprehensive curriculum that was aligned with state standards. Leveled Bookroom to Support Literacy Curriculum – Classrooms are filled with children of all abilities and learning styles. The new Leveled Reading Rooms at our elementary schools provide teachers with ‘just right’ reading materials for every child –whether struggling, at grade level or advanced.  The new curriculum is the foundation of the District’s elementary literacy goal of ensuring all students not only ‘learn to read,’ but can ‘read to learn’ by the 3rd grade.  Updated Library Media Collection to Enhance Instruction – To upgrade the library of media collection of DVD's to provide supplemental instruction tools for the teachers and students it supports. (2011-2012 / $1,000) District Wide Visual Arts Lessons K-5 – Lesson plans for grades K-5, integrated with ISD Curriculum and aligned to WA State “Arts Framework” for Teachers and Art Docents. (2010-2011 / $7,500) GLAD – a ‘best practices’ professional development program that helps teachers reach students of every learning style and help them excel. Sunny Hills has 12 GLAD trained teachers. From 2009 to 2011 Foundation funded investments at Sunny Hills Elementary include:

Additional Information PTA and ISF (Issaquah Schools Foundation) Birthdays Changes in schedules Absences Discipline Policy Homework Contact Information: sylverst@issaquah.wednet.edu Volunteers