WELCOME To Back to School Night First Grade Mrs. Kelly Kane

About the Teacher My name is Kelly Kane. This school year will mark my 18th year of teaching, 13 of which have been spent in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District. I graduated from West Chester University in 1996, with a BSED in special education. I taught as a K-4 learning support teacher for five years in the Tredyffrin- Easttown School District before coming to SRS as a first grade teacher in In 2000, I received my Masters in Education as a reading specialist; and in 2001 became a certified elementary K-6 teacher. In 2003, I married Bill Kane (yes, the physical education teacher at SRS:-)) We live in Wallingford with our three beautiful children. Matthew is seven and in second grade at NPE, Madelyn is six and a kindergartener at NPE, and Michael is three.

Our Daily Routines Morning Meeting Writer’s Workshop Reading Street/Daily 5 Lunch/ Recess Math in Focus Guided Reading/ Literacy Centers Specials Snack Science/ Social Studies

Reading Program Balanced Reading In Wallingford- Swarthmore Read Aloud Shared Reading Guided Reading Independent Reading

Reading Strategies

The Daily 5

Math Program Math in Focus ◦ Number Bonds ◦ Numbers to 100 ◦ Addition Facts ◦ Subtraction Facts ◦ Ordinals and Position ◦ Length and Weight ◦ Shapes and Patterns

Math in Focus

Samples of Chapter 2 Differentiation!

Writing Workshop Launching the Writing Workshop ◦ We are all writers ◦ Writers tell the stories that matter most ◦ Writers have routines ◦ Writers revise and edit ◦ Writers reflect on their writing Descriptive Writing and Small Moment Personal Narratives ◦ Descriptive Sentences ◦ Descriptive Paragraphs ◦ Telling and planning stories ◦ Developing stories in our writing Research Writing ◦ Animal Research ◦ Note taking ◦ Persuasive Writing Story and Poetry ◦ Patterns Books ◦ Poetry including acrostic, alliteration, and rhyming patterns ◦ All About Me

Writer’s Brainstorming Paper This will be a place for your child to record ideas for story-writing…a trip to Linvilla Orchards, a Phillies game, a trip to the beach, etc. Special paper will come home from time to time on which your child will record ideas. These will be added to your child’s writing folder.

Science and Social Studies Science: ◦ Science and Technology for Children ◦ Weather and Solids and Liquids ◦ Pond Life Study (Tyler Arboretum) Social Studies: ◦ Pro-social skills  Manners  Kindness  Courage  Self Control ◦ Current events ◦ Study of Asian country ◦ Map skills/Community

Special Schedule  Monday: Music  Tuesday: Art  Wednesday: Physical Ed.  Thursday: Library  Friday: Physical Ed.

Word Rings Word Rings are an optional at-home reading activity. You will find the directions in your folder. This is a great activity to increase your child’s automaticity when reading sight words.

HELP WANTED! Homeroom Parents Guest Reader 10 Special Projects (TBA)

Conferences November 21, 22, 25, 26 Early Morning 7:50-8:40 Early Afternoon 1:00-3:30 Evening (11/21 only) 4:00-8:00

Homework Your child will bring home their homework assignments for the week on Monday. Please work on the assignments at your own pace. All written assignments should be returned to school by Friday. The purpose of homework in first grade is to review skills as well as build responsibility and study habits. Please work on homework for no more than 20 minutes. If your child is having difficulty, please let me know. You should also read with your child for at least 10 minutes each evening. This is in addition to the homework assignments. Thank you! Thank you for all your support with this important endeavor.

Important Reminders If your child is going home a different way on a given day, please send in a note that morning. ( is not always reliable) Upon return from an absence, please send in a note stating the dates of the absence. If your child arrives late, he or she may not be able to receive first lunch choice…you may want to pack. Thank you so much for your help!

Contact Information Phone: Website:

Before You Leave… Please write a note and leave it on your child’s desk. Complete the blue information card, conference form, and guest reader form and leave them on the counter If you would like to be a homeroom parent, please sign the form on the reading table. Don’t forget to sign in…the sheet is on the reading table

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! We are having a great September