1. Mrs. Whitehead
First Grade

2. Welcome to First Grade! Thank you for coming tonight.
I want to tell you about myself and a little about first grade.

3. All About Me I grew up overseas – Germany and Israel.
I now live in Fort Worth with my husband, Jeff (he teaches 7th grade in Keller ISD).
I love to teach, read, and travel.

4. My Goals
To give my students the academic and social skills they will need to progress to second grade.
To provide a supportive and safe classroom environment.
To help each child make new friends and discover new interests.

5. Integrated Curriculum
Topics we cover will be discussed throughout our day.
Social Studies will not just happen in a small block of time – it will occur throughout the day.
This is a critical time for first graders to get an overview of how everything connects.

6. Phonetic Rule - not traditional memorization
Language Arts
Daily 5
Read to Self
Work on Writing
Read to Someone
Word Work
Listen to Reading
Writer’s Workshop
Spelling
Phonetic Rule - not traditional memorization

7. Math Investigations Critical Thinking Manipulatives Math games
Go over math manipulatives for home, math box, and math homework

8. Science
Investigations
Science Journaling
Critical Thinking

9. Social Studies
Citizenship
Geography
History
Economics

10. Communication Weekly Newsletter Binder Website
Call me / me anytime
Conferences
Go over binder at this point

11. Grading in First Grade Standards Based Report Card Data Folders
no report card for the first six weeks
Data Folders
DRA
Sight word progress
Math assessments
Science assessments
Spelling test graphs

12. BISD Policy on Birthdays
No invitations passed out at school
No flowers, balloons, or corsages passed out to student on birthday at school
No birthday party for individual students at school
Mention that they can pass out birthday invitations after school

13. Homework
The most important homework in first grade is reading! Please read with your child each night.
Practice spelling rule for a few minutes each night.
Math games will be sent home periodically to reinforce skills learned in class.
FunPacks
Show an example of a FunPack

14. Discipline Coins Class marble jar Loss of privileges
Logical consequence
Folder signs
Sent to another classroom / office

15. I always need volunteers! 
read with students
computer lab
art lessons
field trips

16. Field Trips
If you plan on joining us for field trips, you must fill out the appropriate form online.
I have that available on my computer tonight. Please take care of this so you don’t forget later.

17. Scholastic Book Orders
I will send home Scholastic book orders each month unless we have a book fair that month.
Please consider purchasing, even if it is just the $1 book, as I earn points with each order.
Please let me know if the books are as a gift / surprise so I give them to you and not your child when they come in.

18. First Grade Shirts We order shirts as a grade level.
They are $11 each – please send $11 to help fund them. If you are able to help purchase one for someone else, that would be greatly appreciated.
We will wear these shirts for field trips, science hat parade, field day, etc.
The shirts will stay at school until the last time we need them.
Please fill out the form tonight if possible.

19. From Mr. Drysdale Please do not drop your child off before 7:30 a.m.
Please join PTA ($6.50).
You may only take your own child to the courtyard for lunch.
New hours may affect bus riders – getting home later
Ask if there are any questions

20. Questions?