Welcome to 1 st Grade! MS. STRAIN

A Little About Ms. Strain…

Attendance/Tardies  School starts promptly at 8:10 a.m.  First bell rings at 8:00 a.m. and the last bell will ring at 8:10 a.m. After 8:10 a.m., your child will be considered tardy.  Three tardies will be recorded as one absence and will negatively impact your child’s attendance record.

Our Class Schedule…  8:00 – 8:15 - Come in & begin morning routine (backpacks, lunch count, and morning work)  8:15 – 9:30 – Math  9:30 – 10:15 - Science  10:15 – 10:35 – Recess / Restroom Break  10:35 – 11:00 – Writing  11:03 – 11:33 – Lunch  11:33 – 11:48 – Writing Continued  11:48 – 12:40 – Literacy Development  12:40 – 1:30 - Specials – Music, PE, Activity Room, Library / My Conference  1:30 – 2:20 - WIN (What I Need)  2:20 – 3:00 – Literacy Development Continued  3:00 – 3:20 – Social Studies  3:20 – 3:25 – Pack Up / Dismissal

Dress Code/Uniforms  All children at our school wear uniforms.  Girls need to wear shorts under their dresses.  Tennis shoes are the best choice for footwear. If your child does not know how to tie shoelaces, please make this a priority to teach your child.  Every Friday, your child can wear “out of uniform” clothes, but they must conform to the BISD dress code.

Dismissal  If your child’s method of transportation changes for the day, his/her teacher needs a note or call or text from you  We will not let your child tell us when a change is made. WE MUST HEAR FROM YOU!  Dismissal after school will be the same as last year. No card=no child.  First grade dismisses from the front of the school.

Volunteering  Volunteers are welcomed at ACFT.  Often, we need help in our classrooms, including tasks that can be done at home.  Remember, all volunteers must complete a volunteer form every year on the Birdville web site, especially if you plan to attend any field trips. Birdvilleschools.net->Community->Become a Volunteer

Homework  Your child will have reading, spelling, and sight word homework four times a week.  Homework will not begin right away.  When homework does begin to be sent home, you will be notified with more specific details outlining the expectations we have for your child.  Our goal is to help your child become a successful student and successful reader. We cannot accomplish this without your help.

Finished Work and Notes  Papers completed in class will be sent home in student’s Communication Folder or backpack.  Please check your child’s backpack daily and remove all completed work plus notes.  Please initial your child's behavior chart (especially when there is a note)

Discipline  Let’s look at the school-wide discipline plan…  Discuss Champs

Curriculum  Reading  Your child will learn to read through a balanced program of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Your child will partake in literacy stations, which allows them to take their new knowledge and apply it in an independent setting. In addition to literacy stations, your child will also receive small group instruction to better meet their academic needs.  Math  Math skills will include addition, subtraction, time, measurement, place value, fractions, and money. Your child will be taught through a combination of working with manipulatives, playing games, and solving problems. Like reading, your child will also work in math stations and small groups with the teacher.  For more information on the first grade curriculum, including social studies and science, please visit the Birdville ISD homepage for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Grading  Your child will receive a standards-based report card. Instead of letter/number grades, first grade students will receive marks that show how well they have mastered a set of age-appropriate skills and where they need to improve.  M = meets the standard  P = progressing  LP = limited progress

Parties and Birthdays  We have class parties in December, February, and the end of the year. All of the First Grade classes participate together at these parties.  Every student will receive the same treats and prizes.  Please send $7.00 to cover the cost of these parties by Friday, September 11 TH.  District policy states, “Birthday parties shall not be held at school, nor shall individual student party invitations be distributed at school.” This means no child or parent may pass invitations out on school property.

Please get out your phones….

Contacting Me  Please feel free to contact me when comments, questions, or concerns arise.  The office phone number is  My conference time is 12:40 – 1:30  Check my website often for updates and information.  Remind 101 