1.  Welcome to 1 st Grade Mrs. Ogden Room 7 vistaverdefirstgrade.weebly.com

2. Back to School Night n 1 st Graders n Vista Verde Program n STAR n Curriculum overview

3. Sound familiar? 1 st graders go through many behavioral changes throughout the year…all of these are normal! n Want to be “best” and “first” n Have boundless energy n May be oppositional, critical, and silly n May have difficulty being flexible n Cry easily *From the American School Counselor Association

4. They learn to… n Develop positive, realistic self-concepts n Respect themselves n Gain awareness of their feelings n Express feelings n Participate in groups n Learn from their mistakes *From the American School Counselor Association

5. Vista Verde 1 st Grade Information on following topics will be discussed at Back to School night n Philosophy n Parent-teacher partnership n Success and growth for all students n Daily schedule n Snack and lunch n Dress code & Birthdays n Homework n Volunteers

6. STAR Program n Safety first n There and Ready n Act Responsibly n Respect self and others

7. Curriculum- Common Core  First grade is implementing Common Core Standards  This is a national movement in education, designed to establish a clear and consistent curricular framework to prepare students for college and the workforce.  Real world relevance is the essence of Common Core instruction.  Newly revised report cards will reflect achievement in Common Core Standards

8. Reading Groups (GROW)  Targets the learning needs of each student in reading  Based on reading assessments done 5 times during the year  Flexible groups which allow for movement, as indicated by assessments *Please consider volunteering for this time if you are comfortable leading a small group. Commitments are weekly for one hour 15 minutes.

9. Curriculum - Writing n Daily writing, many purposes n Letter names and sounds n Penmanship, pencil grip n Writing fluency n Writer’s Workshop: n Students will learn the formal writing process for three genres (narrative, opinion, persuasive)

10. Curriculum - Spelling n High frequency word lists and “words to know” from our literature series n Proper spelling of these and accountable for their use in daily writing n Students taught to be resourceful, using dictionaries, room environment, and other resources n Phonetic spelling helps flow of ideas for writing. Please encourage your child to write the sounds they hear rather than spell words correctly for them. n Conventional spelling develops by the end of first grade. n Spelling tests will be given weekly beginning in the fall.

11. Curriculum - Math n Balanced, challenging, and fast paced based on Common Core curriculum n Hands-on learning n Problem solving strategies n Marcy Cook Math Tiles (volunteers needed) n Concepts include:  number sense,  algebra and functions  measurement and geometry  statistics, data analysis, and probability  mathematical reasoning

12. Curriculum – Health & PE n Health  The Great Body Shop n Physical Education  Coach: hand-eye coordination, ball skills, aerobic movement, and games that encourage cooperation  Club Viking: additional program taught by selected middle school students  Jogathon, Spring  Field Day, June

13. Curriculum-Other special activities n Computers & Library  Weekly n Music  Choral taught by a music specialist (provided by your generous donations to PTA)  Every other Wednesday morning. n Art  Meet the Masters: The life and style of art masters (provided by your generous donations to PTA)  Arts Advantage: Artistic composition, use of space and color (district program)

14. Curriculum – Reinforcement & Challenge n All students are offered a challenging program that will help them achieve their full potential n Variety of activities and strategies  Small group and individual assignments that either reinforce or engage the learner in higher level thinking

15. Homework  Homework will be available each Monday through our 1 st grade website (vistaverdefirstgrade.weebly.com). Pages should be printed and returned to your teacher on Friday in the provided folders.  Homework is intended to be a review of lessons taught in class, daily. Please complete pages of homework according to the weekly pacing guide.  Homework will consist of math review, spelling practice, and reading.

16. We can’t forget…  Absences  Attendance line  Excused/unexcused absences  Excused: illness, Dr. appointment, death in immediate family, religious holiday  Volunteers always welcome!  Sign-ups will be available at Back to School Night  Please register with Help Desk in the front office before you begin volunteering. You will be required to check in and out each time you come to school.  New volunteers will need to submit a copy of their drivers license.

17. Thank you!  We look forward to meeting you at Back to School Night. We will be available to answer any questions you may have about our program. Sign-ups for volunteering and donation opportunities will be available in each of our classrooms. You will also be provided with additional print resources to take home.  Please remember that Back to School Night is to discuss our curriculum and school program. We will have the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress at parent conferences in September.

18. See you soon!  Back to School Night: Wednesday, August 6 th @ 6:00pm with a welcome from Mr. Vlasic in the MPR. Classroom sessions begin at 6:20pm  Ms. Farquhar: Room 1  patriciafarquhar@iusd.org  Mrs. Quillin/Mrs. Reynolds: Room 2  cindyquillin@iusd.org anniereynolds@iusd.org cindyquillin@iusd.org  Mrs. Scofield: Room 7  amyscofield@iusd.org  Ms. Gornbein: Room 8  elisagornbein@iusd.org