 Welcome to 1 st Grade Mrs. Ogden Room 7 vistaverdefirstgrade.weebly.com

Back to School Night n 1 st Graders n Vista Verde Program n STAR n Curriculum overview

Sound familiar? 1 st graders go through many behavioral changes throughout the year…all of these are normal! n Want to be “best” and “first” n Have boundless energy n May be oppositional, critical, and silly n May have difficulty being flexible n Cry easily *From the American School Counselor Association

They learn to… n Develop positive, realistic self-concepts n Respect themselves n Gain awareness of their feelings n Express feelings n Participate in groups n Learn from their mistakes *From the American School Counselor Association

Vista Verde 1 st Grade Tonight we will discuss… n Philosophy n Parent-teacher partnership n Success and growth for all students n Daily schedule n Snack and lunch n Dress code & Birthdays n Homework n Volunteers

STAR Program n Safety first n There and Ready n Act Responsibly n Respect self and others

Curriculum- Common Core  First grade is implementing Common Core Standards  This is a national movement in education, designed to establish a clear and consistent curricular framework to prepare students for college and the workforce.  Real world relevance is the essence of Common Core instruction.  Newly revised report cards will reflect achievement in Common Core Standards

Reading Groups (GROW)  Targets the learning needs of each student in reading  Based on reading assessments done 5 times during the year  Flexible groups which allow for movement, as indicated by assessments *Please consider volunteering for this time if you are comfortable leading a small group. Commitments are weekly for one hour 15 minutes.

Curriculum - Writing n Daily writing, many purposes n Letter names and sounds n Penmanship, pencil grip n Writing fluency n Writer’s Workshop: n Students will learn the formal writing process for three genres (narrative, opinion, persuasive)

Curriculum - Spelling n High frequency word lists and “words to know” from our literature series n Proper spelling of these and accountable for their use in daily writing n Students taught to be resourceful, using dictionaries, room environment, and other resources n Phonetic spelling helps flow of ideas for writing. Please encourage your child to write the sounds they hear rather than spell words correctly for them. n Conventional spelling develops by the end of first grade. n Spelling tests will be given weekly beginning in the fall.

Curriculum - Math n Balanced, challenging, and fast paced based on Common Core curriculum n Hands-on learning n Problem solving strategies n Marcy Cook Math Tiles (volunteers needed) n Concepts include:  number sense,  algebra and functions  measurement and geometry  statistics, data analysis, and probability  mathematical reasoning

Curriculum – Health & PE n Health  The Great Body Shop n Physical Education  Coach: hand-eye coordination, ball skills, aerobic movement, and games that encourage cooperation  Club Viking: additional program taught by selected middle school students  Jogathon, Spring  Field Day, June

Curriculum-Other special activities n Computers & Library  Weekly n Music  Choral taught by a music specialist (provided by your generous donations to PTA)  Every other Friday morning. n Art  Meet the Masters: The life and style of art masters (provided by your generous donations to PTA)  Arts Advantage: Artistic composition, use of space and color (district program)

Curriculum – Reinforcement & Challenge n All students are offered a challenging program that will help them achieve their full potential n Variety of activities and strategies  Small group and individual assignments that either reinforce or engage the learner in higher level thinking

Homework  Homework will be available each Monday through our 1 st grade website (vistaverdefirstgrade.weebly.com). Pages should be printed and returned to your teacher on Friday in the provided folders.  Homework is intended to be a review of lessons taught in class, daily. Please complete pages of homework according to the weekly pacing guide.  Homework will consist of math review, spelling practice, and reading.

We can’t forget…  Absences  Attendance line  Excused/unexcused absences  Excused: illness, Dr. appointment, death in immediate family, religious holiday  Volunteers always welcome!  Sign-ups will be available at Back to School Night  Please register with Help Desk in the front office before you begin volunteering. You will be required to check in and out each time you come to school.  New volunteers will need to submit a copy of their drivers license.

Need to find us…  Ms. Farquhar: Room 1   Mrs. Reynolds: Room 2   Mrs. Scofield: Room 7   Ms. Gornbein: Room 8 

Thank you!  We look forward to a wonderful year!