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 white board at the front of the classroom.
Please leave completed sheets on the kidney table. Thank you!

2. The ABC’s of Mrs. Robinson’s Class 2016-2017
Welcome to First Grade
The ABC’s of
Mrs. Robinson’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)
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 a staff member is supervising. 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.

5. B
Birthdays
We 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. 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 our PEANUT/TREE NUT/ALL NUTS ALLERGY!
We will have our celebrations as our daily schedule allows- I ask that treats be sent with the child in the morning or dropped off in the office by 9 a.m. This is a special time for your child to share with his/her classmates!
Blog-It will be updated weekly, so please check each week!

6. 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 be letting the room moms find a parent interested in taking this on each month. 
Online ordering will be set up and a class code will be sent home. 

7. B (continued)
Bag Of Books: Students will have a nightly Bag of Books that will start to come home by early September. Please look for this bag each night and have your child read the book(s) that are in the bag and complete the comprehension in the bag also. Look for a more detailed letter about this special bag when it first comes home!

8. 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.

9. C CLUBS **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 in October. I will discuss your child’s accomplishments, strengths, and overall progress. Dismissal will occur 2 hours early.

10. 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
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!

11. 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

12. C ( continued)
Counseling: Our counselor is Mrs. Oakes and she will be visiting our classroom every other Tuesday starting 8/15 from 11:45-12:15.
Carpool: If you will be using carpool pick up throughout the year, please stop by the front office to obtain a Carpool Number. If your child will be riding home with someone in carpool, he must bring a note to school saying with whom she will be riding. Please include 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.

13. D
Dress Code
Please refer to the Mt. Bethel Dress Code policy in your Mt. Bethel PTA calendar.
Tennis shoes are to be worn on all PE days. Please refer to the SPECIALS calendar each day so your child is wearing appropriate footwear.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. F (continued)
The Mount Bethel Foundation Patron Kick-Off begins in early October. Look for more details later in September. We are so thankful to our wonderful Foundation for all they do for our school and it is because of your donations they are able to provide so much!

18. YOUR FOUNDATION- SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE
ENRICH.EMPOWER.EXCEL
The steward of parent and community donations that enhance educational experiences for Mt. Bethel students beyond what Cobb County funding provides:
Essential Instructors: • Gloria Frey (Computer Lab Instructor) • Carolyn Cooper (Technology Coordinator) • Annie Howland (STEAM Assistant) Updated Technology: • Software Subscriptions for all Classrooms (Type to Learn, AR, Reading A-Z, Raz-Kids) • Supplies: Otter Boxes, Printers, Laptops, iPads, Laminators
Professional Development:
• Lucy Calkins Reader’s Workshop
• Orton Gillingham (Happening Now)
• Gifted Endorsement (Happening Now)
STEM Science Lab:
• Innovative Hands-on Learning in Science,
Technology, Engineering & Math
• Lab Curriculum & Lab Supplies
YOUR FOUNDATION- SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE

19. This is wonderful as a preventative item: Just FYI!
F (continued)
Fairytales:
This is wonderful as a preventative item: Just FYI!

20. 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.

21. 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!

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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!!

25. 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.
Just water! Hydration is important to your child’s learning! Please only send water for snack. Thanks for your understanding!
Kids leave things at school- Please label your child’s jackets, lunch boxes, water bottles, etc.

26. L
Lunch: Our lunch time is 10:36-11:06. Please only send juice boxes that your child is able to open independently!! Thank you!
Lunch Visitors: We welcome parents and grandparents to join us for lunch. However, the school asks that you not bring lunch from an outside restaurant for your child. When visiting your child for lunch, make sure to sign in as a visitor, and then wait for us at the entrance to the Dining Room. I also ask that you tell your child Good-Bye in the Dining Room so that we can get right back to work when we return to our classroom. Again this year, there will be tables that are special for parents to sit at with their students if they choose to come to lunch.

27. 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 HAVE to be able to listen 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.

28. M
Media Center: We will visit the Media Center once a week as a class, however, your child may exchange books as often as needed. We will visit the media center every week -Thursdays 8:00-8:30. 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.

29. 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

30. P
Parent Volunteers: Once a month First Grade Teachers will meet as a grade level in order to plan collaboratively for two hours. During our absence, we will ask parents to volunteer in our classrooms. You must be trained through Mt. Bethel in order to be a parent sub. There are two training sessions planned: Friday, August 12th, 9: :00 AM Monday, August 22nd, 1:00 - 1:30 PM

31. P (continued)
PTA-Get involved in the PTA and make sure to join the PTA. Our PTA provides our school with many fabulous opportunities and we are so fortunate to have such a large, supportive PTA.

32. 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 ( ).

33. R Reader’s Workshop 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

34. R (continued)
Reading at home: 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.

35. 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
12:20-1:05 -Wear tennis shoes daily. They are better for recess and P.E.

36. S (continued)
Sight Words: Some words students cannot really sound out and must learn to read them by recognition. We call these sight words. In First Grade, we will focus on 50 new sight words each nine weeks with a goal of knowing 200 by the end of first grade. Please look in your Open House packet for the completed list of 200 words expected to be mastered by May! 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 1:05-1:20 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!

37. 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.

38. 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 yellow 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.
If a change needs to occur later in the day or you forgot to send a note, PLEASE call the front office before 1:45 p.m.!

39. T (continued)
Buccaneer T.E.A.M. Procedures are our rules that we follow in common areas. These procedures are followed school-wide.

40. 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.

41. 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!

42. 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!

43. 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. I appreciate your contributions to our classroom! You all are wonderful!

44. 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!

45. PLEASE TURN IN YOUR COMPLETED FORMS on the
QUESTIONS?!
PLEASE TURN IN YOUR COMPLETED FORMS on the
KIDNEY TABLE.