Welcome to First Grade!

A Teacher’s Prayer Lord, help our words and actions bring positive changes to each child in this room. Lord, you know how each student today needs a special touch from You. Please make each child’s needs clear to us, so that we may become your hands to touch that child for you. Thank you for bringing us all together so that we may work as partners in each child’s spiritual and educational journey. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Our Mission  We are a R.E.A.L. Catholic community that nurtures the whole child through academic excellence, 21st Century innovation and active Catholic stewardship.  Faculty Vision Statement and School Philosophy We know parents are the first and most important teachers and we are the facilitators of their child’s learning. We model and teach with parents that our Catholic faith is a way of life. We support the Pope John Catholic School Community in its efforts to provide a safe environment. We recognize that every student has gifts and talents to be shared through a Christian Life of faith and service. We use teaching strategies that foster creativity, divergent thinking and problem solving skills. We ensure every student the opportunity to practice a spirit of understanding, peace, justice and compassion. We prepare students to be life-long learners and encourage them to develop to their fullest potential. We commit ourselves to grow professionally as a staff and as individuals to serve the needs of our students.

SCHOOL-WIDE LEARNING EXPECTATIONS A Saint John XXIII Catholic School Community student will be...R.E.A.L.  Responsible Christian Leader  Effective Communicator  An Independent Thinker  Life-Long Learner We are a R. E. A. L. community.

Our Curriculum  Diocesan Curriculum for First Grade ools/school_admin/curriculum.htm  Arizona State Standards

Handwriting We will use Handwriting Without Tears this year. Here is our rubric:

Why do we use this paper?  Line Success  Double Lines and Other Lines  With so many lines and so many styles, children need paper that will prepare them for it all. HWT double lines quickly teach children how to place letters. Small letters fit in the middle space, tall letters go in the top space, descending letters go in the bottom space.  Students can apply the HWT philosophy to other styles of paper they use in school. Our workbooks also give them practice with different styles of lines.  As shown below, many children have trouble understanding multiple lines. Giving children a blue line, a dotted line, a red line, and another blue line and then asking them to start at “2 o’clock between the dotted line and the red line” is too confusing.

Developing a good GRIP for Life!

Treasures Is Our Reading and Grammar Series asures/

Math  Math in Focus  Concrete: using manipulatives  Pictorial: using drawings  Abstract Approach: symbolic  visit: forwww.hmhelearning.com overview of the chapters  Touch Math Strategies  Wonderful tool that we teach as a strategy for math computation.

Touch Math  Touch Math is a multisensory program that uses its signature TouchPoints to engage students of all abilities and learning styles.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd  The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children. It is rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. Children gather in an "atrium," a room prepared for them, which contains simple yet beautiful materials that they use.

Homework = Home Work!  Homework Folders- Starts Monday, September 28th  Go home every Monday, Due back every Friday  Extension of skills learned in class  You will be able to check our websites for HOMEWORK DETAILS and WEEKLY NEWS! Also be sure to check our website for HOMEROOM information.  Book Reports may also be assigned.  Those are due Fridays as well.  Read a book from home, or their library book. Students are to write the report in pencil. Parents may help. Illustrations may also be a part of the report.  PLEASE BRING IN A HOMEWORK FOLDER OF THEIR CHOICE! We will use these same folders all year long.  DIOCESAN GUIDELINES= 1 st grade homework is minutes a day.  Please read with your child daily.  On Fridays, the stapled packet is due back to me in the homework folder. Any loose papers that come home throughout the week that are graded or have a star do not have to be brought back to school. That is extra practice.

Yellow Take Home Folders  Green: Great day! Right on task, great choices!  Yellow: Slow down and think about your choices, verbal reminders were given in an effort to change their behavior.  Red light: Stop the choices you are making, they are not in alignment with the classroom and school expectations.  Yellow or Red light- a note will be written in the behavior folder to you telling what happened  1 or more light changes a week /incident report = no sticker book.  Behavior folders go home every day to indicate daily behavior. Please initial by the date and send back to school. If you have a note for me, staple it in this folder.  Daily points will be deducted if folder is not signed or if the folder is not brought at all. 1 point is possible each day.

First Grade Report Card Grading System  M Mastering: 85% & above  D Developing: 70-84%  E Emerging: 69% and below All graded assignments will come home with the number your child got correct over the total number that is possible. Example: 8 (right) 10 (total points possible) The students will be graded on subject content and behavior.

Yellow Take Home Folders  Weather Watch is part of our science grade!  We do daily weather watch which is found on the back part of your child’s yellow folder.

Birthdays  You may bring in a healthy snack for your child to share with the class or a goodie bag to send home! Please bring enough for each student (we have 23!)  Healthy Snack Ideas:  (Our school nurse must approve of any snacks that are brought in. Please drop off your snack in the school nurse office.)  Vegetables and dips  Go-gurts  Fruit  Mini Bagels  Cheese and Crackers

STAR STUDENT  Each week a student will be chosen to be Star Student  You may come and eat with your child. PLEASE make sure that the office has your Safe Environment Certificate on file  A poster will go home with your child on Friday. Please send back on Monday!

Classroom Websites Please visit our classroom website weekly for news and homework notes!

Building teamwork

We’re excited for First Grade!