1. WELCOME TO CURRICULUM NIGHT FIRST GRADE 2017-2018

2. Our philosophy in First Grade is that learning should be a meaningful, child-centered experience. It is our goal to present learning strategies to your child that will lead him/her to become a responsible, independent life-long learner.

3. Daily Schedule 7:45-8:00 Announcements
8:00-8:30 Calendar/ Morning Meeting
8:35-9:05 Castle
9:05-9:25 Recess
9:30-11:10 ELA
11:15-11:45 Lunch
11:45-1:20 Math
1:20-2:05 Specials
2:05-2:25 Recess
2:25-2:55 Science/Social Studies
3:00 Dismissal
**Snack is daily around 9:30.

4. Ways to help your child at home:
Reading
Ways to help your child at home:
Read every day
Read aloud as a family and have your child read to you
Ask questions before, during, and after reading
Help your child pick good fit books

5. Writing
Writing is an integral part of reading and all other content areas.
Writer’s Workshop- Students are provided with strategies and tools to help them become better writers.
Inventive spelling is age appropriate for first graders.

6. Ways to help your child at home:
Math
Ways to help your child at home:
Practice reading the 120’s chart
Have your child practice counting on from any given number and skip counting
Sort and identify the four coins
Identify 2D and 3D shapes
Practice addition and subtraction facts up to 20

7. CASTLE Collaboration Among Students and Teachers for Learning Effectively
First Grade has a scheduled 30 minute block 4 days per week.
Teachers will collaborate on which enrichment or intervention each student will receive based upon informal and formal assessments.
Students will meet with a group to address specific learning needs. These are very flexible groups that change frequently.
Students may or may not be with their classroom teacher during this time.
Students who receive special services such as ESL and Speech are scheduled during this time. This allows for the least number of interruptions to our instructional time.
Castle will start after beginning of the year testing.

8. Report Cards
A report card will be sent home each nine weeks. No progress reports will be sent home for first grade students.
The district’s report card guidelines can be found on the Allen ISD website.
Parent conferences will occur in October. Please be on the lookout for an from Sign-up Genius.

9. Folders
Norton Folder – Sent home each day and returned each morning; remove contents and return any correspondence in this folder.
Purple Homework Folder – Your child will bring home a purple homework folder daily. Inside the folder is a weekly homework chart describing the assignment for the day and any important announcements for the week. Your child will have math homework one night a week and reading homework everyday. Be sure to initial the chart each night, as we will check for completed homework daily. Occasionally an additional special homework project or unfinished work may be sent home.
Wednesday Folder – Sent home on Wednesday and must be returned on THURSDAY. Please remove contents and return any correspondence to teacher in the Norton Daily Folder.

10. Attendance/Tardies
It is imperative that students are physically in the classroom by 7:50. Campus doors open daily at 7:30.
It is important for your child to understand the value of being in school each day and on time. Please help your child to learn this important life skill.
If an absence must occur, please be sure to send a note explaining the absence within 3 days.
Kindly remember that Allen ISD’s policy is that your child must be fever free for 24 hours before returning.
Please review the attendance and tardy policies in the Handbook.

11. Additional Nuts and Bolts
If your child’s regular dismissal procedure changes, please let us know IN WRITING as soon as possible or call the front office. Do not rely on as notification as we often don’t have the opportunity to check our most days until school is out.
Please make sure you bring your name card to carpool and walker dismissal everyday.
Lunch code- In order to maximize your child’s time to eat lunch, he/she MUST know his/her lunch code before buying. Ice cream is only available for purchase on Fridays.
For the safety of our students, please do not linger in your car and observe kids on the playground. We are unable to determine if you are a parent or a stranger.
Please complete your volunteer background check online if you wish to help in the classroom or go on field trips. This can take to 2 to 3 weeks to complete.
We have a daily snack at 9:30. Please be sure to send a water bottle with your child.

12. Thank you for coming to support your child’s education
Thank you for coming to support your child’s education! We look forward to working together as a TEAM to make this year a SUCCESS!!!