1. Welcome Parents!
Please complete the papers on the left side of your child’s desk.
Please sign up for a MYSTERY READER time on the kidney shaped table at the side of the classroom.
Please leave completed sheets on the red table. Thank you!

2. The ABC’s of Mrs. Searcy’s Class 2017-2018
Welcome to First Grade
The ABC’s of
Mrs. Searcy’s Class

3. A
Absences – If your child is absent from school, please send in a note the day he/she returns. The note should contain your child’s first and last name, date(s) and a brief explanation for the absence. A doctor’s note is not required however, if your child was absent due to illness and went to the doctor, please provide the doctor’s note for our records.
Automated absence phone calls from CCSD will be received daily until your child returns to school.

4. A (continued)
Accelerated Reader is a supplemental reading program available for readers of all ranges at Mount Bethel.
STAR Test
Quizzes/Home Connect
Rewards
More info to come.

5. A (continued)
Arrival: Students should be plan to arrive after 7:15 a.m. as they are not permitted to enter the building before that time. If you must use carpool, do not drop your child off before 7:15 a.m. when staff supervision begins. Students must be in the classroom promptly at 7:45 a.m. or they are tardy and must sign at the front office and receive a tardy slip.
ASP: The After School Program is a supervised child care program. It is available every school day beginning immediately after school and ends promptly at 6 p.m. There is an annual $10 registration fee per child with a daily attendance fee of $7. There is a late fee of $1 per minute after 6 p.m.

6. B Birthdays Blog-It will be updated weekly, so please check each week!
I love to celebrate special days-but I do keep this low key! Please let me know ahead of time if you would like to bring a treat for your child's birthday. Doughnuts/brownies/cookie cakes are great options. NO Cupcakes-VERY MESSY!!!! If you send a cookie cake, please have it cut ahead of time as we do not have access to cutting tools here!!! Napkins/plates are always appreciated!!! Please be mindful of PEANUT/TREE NUT/ALL NUTS and Dairy Allergies.
Birthday snacks will be done during our lunch period-12:52-1:22. You may bring the treat during this time, eat lunch with your child and pass out the birthday treats at 1:10 for all the children to enjoy.
Blog-It will be updated weekly, so please check each week!

7. B (continued)
Book Orders- Scholastic Book Orders will be sent home monthly. This is a great way to encourage and excite your child about reading! Reading as a reward is an incredible way to communicate the importance of and instill the joy of reading in young children. I will have the room parent(s) find a parent interested in taking this on each month. 
Online ordering will be set up and a class code will be sent home. 

8. B (continued)
Book Buddies: Our book buddies will be Mrs. Tenney’s 3rd grade class. We will meet with our book buddies a couple times a month. Your child will be able to listen to his/her book buddy and have the opportunity to read to his/her book buddy. We will also plan to incorporate some writing activities.

9. B (continued)
Book Bag: Students will have a Book Bag that will start to come home by early September. Please look for this bag 2 nights each week and have your child read the book in the bag and also complete the comprehension sheet in the bag. Look for a more detailed letter about this special bag when it first comes home in a few weeks.

10. B ( continued)
Backpacks: Please ensure your child always brings a suitable-sized backpack for transporting homework, books, snacks, etc. Since many look similar, please label your child’s backpack with his name. Rolling backpacks are only allowed for 4th and 5th graders.
Bus Passes: If your child will be going home with a friend who rides the bus, you must send a Cobb County School District Bus Pass to school. The pass is located on the Mt. Bethel Blog under “Parent Resources.” Your child will bring the pass to the front office to have it approved, logged, and stamped. Your child will give the pass to the bus driver that afternoon. Neither the school nor the bus drivers can accept any other note; we are required to use the CCSD bus pass. If your child is riding home on a different bus-the bottom section must be completed and will be given to the bus driver in the afternoon.

11. C CLUBS (FACT CLUBS) (Early September)
**Send in note stating start day/time AND pick up plan
**Please send note stating end date as well
CONFERENCES
**Parent-Teacher Conferences are held October 16th-20th. I will discuss your child’s accomplishments, strengths, and overall progress. Dismissal will occur 2 hours earlier. More information concerning conferences and scheduling the conferences in early October. If you have concerns throughout the year, contact me by to schedule an additional conference.

12. C (continued)
CogAT: (Cognitive Abilities Test) Students will take this . This test CAN NOT be studied for and consists of puzzles, analogies, patterns, etc. The test will be September 6-8.
Comprehension: Comprehension is a key element in a child’s reading development. Reading without true understanding is simply word calling. Reading comprehension is a MAJOR part of our Reader’s Workshop and will be addressed in many new and interesting ways each day!

13. C (continued)
Communication: I believe communication between the teacher, school and parents is absolutely essential in order for each student to be successful. PLEASE let me know any concerns, questions or comments you have! My address is I will post on my blog once a week-this is where you will receive most communication from me.
** Also-make sure you sign up for Remind.com to receive texts from me!!

14. C ( continued)
Counseling: Our counselor is Mrs. Oakes and she will be visiting our classroom every other Tuesday starting 8/8 from 1:30-2.
Carpool: If you will be using carpool pick up throughout the year, please stop by the front office to obtain a Carpool Number. Numbers are displayed in the front windshield of your car. If your child is riding home in carpool with another family, please complete a Transportation form and list the other student’s name and the other child’s carpool number. ** Carpool ends at 2:35p.m. If your child has not been picked up by that time, your child will be sent to ASP. You will be responsible for the cost of ASP registration as well as the daily fee.

15. Class Dojo Behavior System
Classroom Behavior System
Please check each night. Your support for both positive behavior as well as inappropriate behavior is appreciated and important to ensure a successful year.

16. D
Dress Code/Specials Dress Code: Please send your child to school in clothes appropriate for learning. He should not be “dressed up” that you might be concerned about him/her getting dirty.  Also, dressing in layers during the winter months is a good idea. Our classroom does get chilly-so keeping a light sweater or jacket at school is advised.
SNEAKERS are to be worn on all PE days. Please refer to the SPECIALS calendar each day so your child is wearing appropriate footwear.
PLEASE LABEL ALL OUTDOOR CLOTHING WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME!

17. D (Continued)
Dismissal Changes: If there is any change to your child’s normal transportation method, you must send in a WRITTEN CHANGE no later than 10:00 a.m. If you need to pick up your child early, do so prior to 1:45 p.m. No pickups will be allowed after 1:45 p.m. The Front Office will close between 1:45 and 2:15 p.m. to ensure safe dismissal of all students.

18. August 21, 2017
School extended by 45 minutes. Specifics on dismissal will be communicated.
Parents may check out students early up until 1:30.
Safety is top priority.
Not going outside to view live.
Watching NASA Broadcast.

19. E
Emergency closings and drills: If schools are closed for an emergency or delayed-information will be on major radio stations, TV stations, CCSD website, CCSD Mobile Alerts and s will be sent if time permits. Drills are held throughout the year.

20. F
Field Trips:
Please stay tuned for upcoming field trip permission forms and chaperone opportunities! Field trip money will be collected using the white money collection envelopes. You will receive an overview of the money you’ve sent in from our book keeper throughout the year. Students need to wear their class t-shirts on all field trips.More details to come.

21. Building YOUR Child’s Foundation!
Click Here
for Video

22. F (continued)
Forgotten Items: If your child forgets lunch or glasses at home, you may bring them to school by 10:00 a.m. and the office volunteer will deliver them to the classroom. Other items including water bottles, homework, projects, etc. Will not be delivered.

23. G
Grading
The first grade report card is similar to that of Kindergarten’s report card. Your child’s grades are not a mathematical calculation, but rather a reflection of learned and applied knowledge from a first grade summative assessment. Grades will measure progress toward the given standard. Students will receive the following :
3+ In addition to the 3, makes applications and inferences beyond expectations
3 = Consistently meeting the standard
2 = Progressing toward meeting the standard
1 = Limited or minimum progress toward meeting the standard
Please keep in mind first grade is a developmental year and students learn at different rates. Therefore, some students may “progress” toward a standard for a quarter or so before “meeting” it, which is OK!

24. Zaner-Bloser Handwriting
Our handwriting style is Zaner-Bloser. This style is also known as “ball and stick” because of the letter shapes as shown below:
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting
We will practice this daily. If your child is struggling additional practice at home will help them improve.

25. H (continued) Homework-
Reading is an expectation every evening after school!
Additional home practices will show up periodically in your child’s Take-Home Folder. These practices will involve a skill or concept already introduced and practiced whole group and/or independently.
Communicate problems to me immediately.
Unfinished work may be sent home if it becomes an issue.

26. I
Illness: If you child has a fever of 101 degrees or higher, has had vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours, or a rash-Cobb County policy requires your child to stay home free of symptoms, without the need for medication for 24 hours. Thank you for your help to keep all students healthy!!

27. I, J, K
Items Left at Home – Depending on the situation, you may or may not want to bring it in for them! If you child leaves something at home and you bring it to school for them, please leave it in the office. Do not bring it to the classroom.
Items Left at School- Please LABEL your child’s personal belongings! The Lost and Found will now be outside the front door. The goal is to have no lost items this year!
Just water! Hydration is important to your child’s learning! Please only send water for snack. Thanks for your understanding!

28. L
Lunch: Our lunch time is 12:52-1:22. You may send in a check or cash to add money to your child’s lunch account. You may also to their account on-line. Please visit and follow the directions.
Lunch Visitors: You are welcome to eat lunch with your child after LABOR DAY. Please sign in at the front office and wear a visitor tag. Wait for your child at the door of the cafeteria. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY “FAST FOOD” OR SOFT DRINKS INTO THE CAFETERIA. You may purchase a lunch in the cafeteria or you may bring a lunch from home. Parents dining with your child sit at the guest table.

29. L (continued)
Listening: One of the most important work habits in first grade is listening. I stress the importance of this from day one! Students MUST be able to be an active listener in order to be as successful as possible in first grade. Lunch Extras: Students have a choice at lunch to buy EXTRA items-some of these include ice cream, canned drinks, and chips. Each of these cost the student additional money. PLEASE talk with your child and let them know if it is ok for them to purchase these things. In the past, some students have drained their accounts very quickly and parents have come to find out they are buying ice cream everyday in addition to their regular lunch.

30. M
Media Center:We will visit the Media Center once a week as a class-Mondays at 1:30. Please make sure your child brings his/her library books back each Monday. Your child will not be allowed to check out new books until books from the previous week have been brought back to school. Mystery Reader:We will have a Mystery Reader each Friday beginning at 8:00. Mystery Readers are a secret, so please don’t tell your child when you are coming to visit. You should plan on bringing 4-5 books with you to read. These can be your child’s favorite books or seasonal books. You will be able to read from 8:00-8:30.

31. M (continued)
Medication: All medications must be checked in by a parent through the Clinic. Children may not bring medications on the bus. All medications must be in their original conatiners and labeled with your child’s name.

32. M (continued)
Math ~ McGraw Hill is the curriculum used for math. The first grade teachers also pull from many other resources to provide the best tools for students to understand the math concepts. Practice math facts – addition and subtraction to 20! Flash cards are a great way to learn them!

33. N, O
Nurse: The school nurse is located just past the front office on the main hall. She is available from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. All medications must be checked in by a parent through the clinic.
Online Resources
Our class BLOG will be full of online resources. Please refer to our BLOG for help in reading, math, and language arts.
The Mt. Bethel BLOG homepage is also full of resources for you.

34. Orton-Gillingham: A Methodology for Teaching Reading & Spelling to ALL Students!
Whole class & small group lessons
Differentiation in reading and spelling based on student ability
No “spelling tests.” As we teach a phonics rule or pattern, students will read & spell words with that rule or pattern.
Assessment through dictation and application of phonics rule/pattern. (ex. –ck rule) These words do not need to be memorized.
Trick words: words that do not follow a rule or pattern. MUST BE MEMORIZED for reading and spelling. 3 Trick words will be introduced at a time and will be memorized for spelling and reading. (ex: said)
Your donations at work.

35. P
Parent Volunteers: Mt. Bethel welcomes parent volunteers. There are opportunities to help in the classroom, outside the classroom, and through the PTA and the Mt. Bethel Foundation. In order to volunteer in the classroom, you are required to attend one of the following training sessions. There are two training sessions planned: Friday, August 11th, 9: :00 AM Monday, August 21st, 1:00 - 1:30 PM

36. What does the PTA do? What can I do for the PTA?
$25,000 in stipends to teachers/year
3,000 volunteer hours/year
4 Family Engagement Nights
Community Outreach
Character Education
Visiting Author
Reflections
and MUCH MORE!!!!!
What can I do for the PTA?
Volunteer
Participate in Read-a-Thon (August 21st – August 25th)
Visit us at

37. Q
Questions:
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime. Remember the quickest response is through . No question is silly, please don’t hesitate to ask! Also, see the Mt. Bethel website, the Cobb County website, or call the front office ( ).

38. R Reader’s Workshop – Lucy Caulkins Reading Groups and Conferences
Essential rituals and routines
Leveled library
Book boxes
Reading log
Independence is key!
Reading Groups and Conferences
Groups are formed with children of similar needs/strengths and or weaknesses
Instructional level books given
HOMEWORK: reading bag

39. R (continued)
Reading is So, So Important!: You are a great model for your child. Children love to snuggle up with a parent and listen to a story. Please look for your child’s BAG OF BOOKS to come by early September. This reading bag will contain books from our reading group. Practice makes perfect! Report Cards: Report cards are issued four times a year, every nine weeks. As teachers, we are required to report how your child is progressing towards the Georgia Performance Standards.

40. R (continued)
Room Reps: Our room reps are Kristy Mendelson and Laura Wurm. A huge thank you goes to both of them for agreeing to do this for our class this year. They will be contacting you soon.

41. S Scarecrow Day-Friday, October 31
Sign your child in and out of the office when picking your child up for an appointment or if your child is tardy to school.
Specials
11:55-12:40 -Wear SNEAKERS daily. They are better for recess and P.E.

42. S (continued)
Snack: We will have snack daily. Students are responsible for bringing in their own snack. Please provide your child with a healthy snack. Students may also bring water-ONLY WATER. We will have snack between 9:30-9:50 a.m. daily. Please remember to keep them healthy, small, and easy to eat-NOTHING MESSY PLEASE-as you plan your child’s snacks! Thank you so much for your support, as it makes your child’s time with me at school as effective as possible!

43. T
Take Home Folders: Your child will bring home a yellow folder each night. Important papers and your child’s classwork will be in the folder. It may be empty some days. I check these daily, so if you need to send in a note, this is a safe place to store it.
Thursday Behavior Folders: Each Thursday, your child will bring home their daily Take Home Folder and your child will also bring home a red folder. In the red folder, you will find a behavior sheet to be signed and returned on Friday.

44. T (continued)
Transportation Changes: Your child's safety is important to me, so please let me know if he or she will go home a different way than usual by sending a note in the green folder. If your child is going home with a friend on a different slot, please make sure you fill out the full page change of dismissal bus pass and send it in with your child. This can be found on Mt. Bethel’s main blog page. I also have included one copy for you on your child’s desk tonight.
All changes in transportation must be via a written note-no phone calls!

45. T (continued)
Buccaneer T.E.A.M. Procedures are our rules that we follow in common areas. These procedures are followed school-wide.
Trick Words:
Your child will be expected to read, write (application), and spell the Kindergarten and First Grade words given to you tonight. Be sure to practice reading and spelling these words this year. Using them in writing a sentence or keeping a journal at home will help to apply these words improving writing skills as well as increasing vocabulary.

46. U, V
Understand: Understand that First Graders are very busy during the day and need to get a good night’s sleep each night.
Vowels: The vowels in our alphabet are : a, e, i, o, u. Remember they have both long and short sounds and first graders need a lot of help recognizing the correct sound when reading.

47. V (continued)
Visitors: In compliance with Georgia state law, Mt. Bethel has a policy requiring all visitors to sign in at the front office and wear a visitor’s sticker. This is required beginning at 7:15 a.m. Even if you are wearing a PTA or Foundation nametag-you must wear a visitor sticker. Thank you!

48. W
Work Habits: A huge part of first grade is developing positive work habits. We work really hard on this from putting our name on all of our papers, to keeping our room neat, to keeping up with our materials. It is an on going process, but we set the stage in first grade. INDEPENDENCE IS THE KEY TOOL!
Water: Research shows students are able to attend to a task longer if well-hydrated! Please pack a REUSABLE water bottle each day!

49. W ( Continued) Writer’s Workshop-Lucy Caulkins
Students will write daily. To start the year off, students will be writing about small moments and narratives. Thank you all for purchasing the Quick Word Book. This is a perfect dictionary for first graders. Encourage writing in a journal at home – make sure students remember to start a sentence with a capital letter and end a sentence with a punctuation mark.

50. W (Continued)
Wish List: Thank you to those of you who have already sent in an item or two from our class wish list. If you wish, please stop by and take an item or two from the wish list on the easel in the back of the room! I appreciate your contributions to our classroom! You all are wonderful!

51. W (continued)
Work Habits: First graders become independent very quickly. We start from day one learning to write names on our papers, keep the room clean, organizing our materials, unpacking and packing ourselves up daily. Thank you for your help in fostering independence at home as well. 

52. XYZ Thank you for your support!! It is key to SUCCESS!!! 
Contact me ANY TIME about ANY concern or question!!!
I look forward a FABULOUS year with your children!

53. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR “LOVE NOTE” FOR YOUR CHILD
QUESTIONS?!
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR “LOVE NOTE” FOR YOUR CHILD
ON HIS/HER TABLE!  Thank you!!