1. Back to School Night September 2017
The s
of First Grade
Back to School Night September 2017

2. Attendance
Unless your child is ill, please make every attempt to have your child present at school.
• If your child is going to be out, please call to let the
office and nurse know.
If you’d like to me you can.
Make-up work can be picked up at the end of the day outside the office, unless specified.

3. Behavior Class contract/expectations
Clip Chart-Outstanding & Parent Contact
Class Dojo points & treasure box.

4. Curriculum & Common Core
Wilson FUNdations Phonics
Journeys Reading Series
Writer’s Workshop
Go Math
NGSS Science/Social Studies
NJ Common core standards (explained on hand out)

5. We will focus on the following throughout the year:
Reading Strategies Comprehension Skills
Reading Fluency
Vocabulary, Word Analysis and Spelling
Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
Writing Workshop
The building blocks to writing
Seeing the different styles in stories
Understanding that writing is never finished

6. By the end of first grade, students
Math Meeting
“I” do : Whole group lesson: teach skill
“ We” do: Shared learning
“You” do: Independent work/assessment
Hands on manipulatives
By the end of first grade, students
Understand place value and use the concept of “ones” and “tens”
• Add and subtract numbers to 20 with ease and solve word problems
• Measurement, time to the half hour, be able to represent and interpret data
• 2D & 3D shapes
Read, write ,count and represent numbers to 120

7. NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards
Waves: Light & Sound
Solar System
Living & Non-living Things
Plants & Animals
Engaging hands on science instruction through experiments

8. •Families •People from other cultures •People today and long ago
•Holiday origins and traditions
•Responsibility of citizenship in a free society
•Symbols, icons, and traditions
of the United States
•Maps and globes
•Life skills

9. Differentiated Instruction
In order to provide the best possible instruction to each child…
•Not all children will be on the same page, in the same book, at the same time.
Cooperative learning: "turn and talk"
Accountable talk

10. Extra special, Specials
Gym will be on Tuesday and Fridays
Music on Mondays
Art & Computers on Wednesdays
Library on Thursdays, please bring the books in on Thursday!

11. FUN & Field trip
We will go on one field trip in the Spring to Sterling Mines
Hands on experiences in and out of the classroom
Planting in the community garden
Spring: Carnival, BBQ, Field day

12. Goals and Grades Grade book
Children will be assessed weekly in spelling & reading and math tests will be given after each chapter.
Thinkcentral for math practice
Fact fluency tests
Tests will be sent home to keep and should be overlooked at home.

13. Homework Assigned Monday through Thursday
It will be checked and typically returned. Please be careful with how much help is received.
It is important that 1st graders read for a minimum of 15 minutes EACH night.
Reading log will be given monthly to be kept in folder or at home. I like to see how much is being read, and what kinds of books your son/daughter is interested in. Bonus=eager reader!

14. Interventions Basic Skills, Speech
Tutoring hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 8:05-8:25 am.

15. Just Right Books Book bags Differentiation: reading on their level
DRA levels 3 times a year, assessed every few weeks in mini conferences with me

16. Keeping Informed Email communication: kmcgovern@maywoodschools.org
Assignment pads- small notes back and forth
Absences
Class page and school website, monthly calendar

17. Lunch and Snack
Healthy morning snack each day, even on half days (TOTALLY nut free in classroom)
$$ needs to be marked and in an envelope
$$ can be put on lunch account

18. Morning routine
Come in, hand in homework, hang up bags, move their name for attendance
Assignment Pad & Timer
Morning Meeting

19. Numbers & Notes
Each child has a number  This aids in class organization and will be on all papers, tests and books.
Please send a note with your child if:
•You know your child will be missing school for an extended period of time. Work cannot be given.
•A change in pick-up or after care will be occurring.
•You would like to schedule a conference or have concerns.
•Watch for notes and s from the office and me, and don’t forget to check your child’s folder nightly. This will be my primary way to communicate with you.

20. Other Items • Homework folders: bring daily (Keep home/bring back)
Birthdays: unfortunately nothing EDIBLE 
• Scholastic Book Orders: order online only: no due dates and orders are placed ASAP
code is in the handbook
• Red and White assembly: once a month

21. Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences will be held November 30th and December 1. During this conference, we will be discussing your child's strengths and weaknesses, homework, behavior and any additional concerns you may have.
A sign up schedule is located near the door.
That doesn’t mean we have to wait until then

22. Questions
Please feel free to contact me anytime you have questions. You can do this in a variety of ways:
•Write a note
•Send an
•Make an appointment for a conference

23. Report Cards 4 times this year
Some grades are not included if we have not reached that topic yet. Grades are based on formal and informal assessments.
We will conference after first report card, schedule your conference tonight.
Keep report card, but return signed envelope to me

24. Star of the Week
Each child will have a special time during the school year to be the Star of the Week. Official start date TBA
•Students will be asked to complete a poster at home and to lead us in special class activities during that week. Every child will have a turn!
You or a family member will also have a chance to come in on a certain afternoon that week to read or share with the class a special talent, hobby, or read a story!

25. Spelling HW will be done in a spelling notebook
Spelling HW will be done in a spelling notebook. Menu will be in front cover of book.
Mondays ~ Spelling Pretest
Fridays ~ Spelling Test & Reading skills test
Other Assessments:
• Reading Fluency /DRA 3x a year
Math Chapter tests
• Phonics & sight word reading
• Rubric-Scored Writing
Terranova standardized test in the Spring
Tests

26. PUT A COPY OF STUDENT’S WRITING RUBRIC

27. Utensils
Thank you for all of the supplies brought in, we are already going through them quickly.
Replenish crayons every 2-3 months with a small box.
A note may go home in January for gluesticks and dry erase markers. We use both A LOT!

28. Vitalizers Brain Breaks as often as seen necessary by me
Movement and re-energizing bodies and minds is important for success.

29. Writing •As high frequency words and spelling rules are introduced
Children are encouraged to use phonetic spelling when they first start. Our goal is to encourage risk taking and independence in writing.
•As high frequency words and spelling rules are introduced
children are expected to move toward more conventional spelling.
Any “sloppy copies” that are sent home should be left
as is. However, discuss their writing and encourage it!
•Do the best that you can and keep on going.

30. Xtramath Xtramath.org Timed Fact fluency, about 7 minutes a night
Addition & Subtraction
Multiplication after all completions
Also we will have 3 Minute math drills in class
POPcorn math!

31. You You are your child’s first and most important teacher.
• I hope that we can work together this year to make your child’s 1st grade school year a huge success!

32. Zzzzz…
Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep each night, so that he/she is well rested and ready for the challenges of first grade. It is recommended that 5 to 7 year olds get 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night.
• This year will ZOOM by, so let’s make the most of it.

33. Thank you for coming and welcome to Ms. M's First Grade Class