2. Mrs. Seguin I have been married to my wonderful husband Joe for 3 years. We have twin one year old daughters, Emma and Whitney, and a cat named Donut. I love to read, ride my bike, and drink Starbucks! Mrs. Reszczenski I have been married to my fabulous husband for 15 years. I love to go shopping, read, and eat chocolate! We love working together and teaching our first grade friends at Ohio School. This is our fourth year working together, and we make a great team. Please come to us for any questions or concerns that may arise throughout the school year!

3. First Grade is an exciting adventure for your child! Together we will create independent learners who will develop skills that will last them a lifetime. We will strive to take pride in our work and instill a love for learning.

4. Mrs. Wendy Seguin 807-3800 Ext. 7106 wseguin@ntschools.org Mrs. Julie Reszczenski 807-3800 Ext. 7110 jreszczenski@ntschools.org You can also visit our Teacher Webpages at www.ntschools.org www.ntschools.org

5. This is a typical day in our classroom. Day 1 – Gym Day 2 – Gym Day 3 – Music Day 4 – Computers Day 5 – Library Day 6 – Gym Our daily lunch is from 1: 35– 2:00 Please remember to send in a healthy snack every day for your child.

6. Your child’s Red Take Home Folder comes home daily. Inside you will find the following:  Corrected papers  Forms for the office/teacher  Notices  Homework Please make sure to review and empty your child’s folder each night and return it to school the following morning.

7. First Grade does not receive numerical grades. They are graded on Effort and Achievement. Outstanding Good Satisfactory Needs Improvement Unsatisfactory *Improving

8. Outstanding Achieving beyond grade level Able to work independently Intrinsically motivated—a self starter Consistently accurateGood Achieving within a range of average to slightly above average Able to work independently most of the time Developing good study habits Working accurately most of the time

9. Satisfactory Achieving grade level work Able to do some work independently but needs more direction and guidance Developing good study habits Accurate but works slowly A rapid worker but makes careless mistakes Needs Improvement Achieving below grade level, but is making a sincere effort to improve Frequently unable to work independently Needing a great amount of guidance and direction Lacking in good study habits

10. Unsatisfactory Achieving significantly below grade level Unable to work independently Very careless in doing work Skill level not adequate for grade level success Not developing good study habits *******************************************Improving Indicating a performance level that is improving but not satisfactory

11. Your child will have nightly math homework. Please work with your child to complete the math homework each night and return it to school the following day. Strive for 25 Reading Program-the goal for first grade students is to read at least 25 books at home throughout the school year. The Strive for 25 Committee will be sending home reading material in the near future. If your child is absent, please complete the missed work sent home with your child over the next few days. You do not need to complete and return the work the very next day.

12. Guided Reading Shared Reading Independent Reading Word Work

13. Guided Reading Guided reading is a strategy that a teacher uses to help students become great readers. The teacher's role is to provide support to a small group of students by using a variety of reading strategies to guide them to become successful in reading. Books used in guided reading are taken from the Ohio Book room. These books are specifically chosen to address the reading abilities of each child, and are used to increase their reading strategies. These books include both fiction and non-fiction selections that cover a wide variety of topics. * During this small group work the other children in the room are actively engaged doing independent literacy activities.

14. Fountas and Pinnell Levels Kindergarten A, B, C, D 1 st Grade D, E, F, G, H, I, J

15. Shared Reading During shared reading, a story is read by the teacher to a whole group of children. The children are engaged in the literature through discussions, predictions, illustrations, and questioning techniques. Independent Reading During independent reading, children are able to select a text and read silently to themselves for an extended period of time. The child can select books that are “just right” for them. They are able to make connections within the book.

16. Word Work Early Literacy Concepts Phonological Awareness Letter Knowledge Letter/Sound Relationships Spelling Practice High Frequency Words Word Meaning Word Structure

17. Writer’s Workshop During writer’s workshop, students build fluency in writing through continuous, repeated exposure to the process of writing.  Mini Lesson  Modeling/Check for understanding  Independent writing  Conferencing  Sharing

18. enVision Math Common Core  Number Sense  Addition  Subtraction  Place Value  Money  Geometry

19. These areas are integrated through literature, writing, math and all content areas. In addition, the students will be participating in many hands-on science experiments to enhance learning. Some topics include: Community Helpers Matter Weather and Seasons Holidays Plants and Animals Map Skills Many field trips are planned around our science and social studies themes to provide the children with hands on experiences.

20. Make-up work will be sent home when your child returns back to school Not all work can be made up Please send in an excuse note when your child is absent/tardy After multiple absences a letter is sent home from the school Remember, excessive absences and tardiness has a negative impact on student achievement

21. Birthday Treats Snacks Procedure Handbook/Discipline Join O.H.I.O. and sign up to volunteer for one of the many family events that are sponsored by this organization.

22. We look forward to working with you and your child this year. It is going to be a wonderful year filled with exciting learning activities!