1. Welcome Parents! Please complete the papers at your child’s desk. Please sign up for a MYSTERY READER spot at the back table.

2. Welcome to First Grade The ABC’s of Mrs. Searcy’s Class 2013-2014

3. A Absences – If a student should miss school because of illness or a death in the immediate family, please send in a note excusing the absence upon the return of the student to school. An official note from the doctor or dentist is required if a student arrives late due to an appt. In the note please include your child’s first and last name and dates he/she were absent. Please send in a note, no emails please! 3 Unexcused Absences—The teacher will contact parent by telephone. 5 Unexcused Absences—A letter will be sent from a school administrator regarding absences. 7 Unexcused Absences—A referral shall be made to the School Social Worker.

4. A (continued) Accelerated Reader is a supplemental reading program available for readers of all ranges at Mount Bethel. STAR Test Quizzes/Home Connect Rewards More info to come.

5. B Birthdays We love to celebrate special days. Please let me know ahead of time if you would like to bring a treat for your child's birthday. Cupcakes or cookies are an easy option. If you send a cookie cake, please have it cut ahead of time as we do not have access to cutting tools here!!! Juice boxes are allowed if you wish as long as they are clear. Napkins/plates are always appreciated!!! 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 often, so please check it daily.

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. – Online ordering will be set up and a class code will be sent home.

7. B (continued) Book Buddies: Our book buddies will be Mrs. Griffin’s 5 th grade class and Mrs. Kranzlein’s 5 th grade class. We will meet with our book buddies alternating every other Friday. Your child will be able to listen to his/her book buddy and have the opportunity to read to his/her book buddy. We will also incorporate some writing activities.

8. 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. Look for a more detailed letter about this special bag when it first comes home!

9. C CLUBS –Foundation sponsored! – Send in note stating start day/time AND pick up plan – Please send note stating end date as well.

10. C (continued) CoGAT: (Cognitive Abilities Test) Students will take this September 18-20. This test CAN NOT be studied for and consists of puzzles, analogies, patterns, etc. 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) Common Core: Again, this year we are implementing the nationwide Common Core Curriculum! We continue to be excited about this change and feel the curriculum standards provide healthy challenges with their depth of knowledge and rigor, while still being very developmentally appropriate for first graders! The county will continue to provide us with great resources and training throughout the year and will continue to do so in the coming years. Please continue to check my blog for information on what skills we’re learning on a weekly basis!

12. 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!

13. D Distribution List –Critical info! Stay tuned! 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 Discipline Level E – Excellent (BLUE) I am a Model Citizen. I do the right thing no matter who is watching. I am a role model for my classmates. I go out of my way to be helpful. Level S – Satisfactory (GREEN) I am on the Right Track. I am following rules and directions. I know how to behave in the hall, cafeteria and playground. My teacher can rely on me to make good choices. Level N – Needs Improvement (YELLOW) I need to make Better Choices. I need to think about my behavior. I need to show my teacher that I can make good choices. I need to treat others with respect. Level U – Unsatisfactory (RED) My behavior is Unacceptable. I need to follow rules and directions. I need to respect others. I need to accept responsibility for my choices.

15. E Email Procedures: The best way to get in touch with me is via email. I check my email throughout the day and will be able to respond quickly to any questions or concerns. It is easier for me to make phone calls after school. If you need me to call you, send me an email and I will call you as soon as I can after dismissal. My email address is : Kara.Searcy@cobbk12.org

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 field trip days.

17. F (continued) Fairytales: This is wonderful as a preventative item: Just FYI! http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com/

18. 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!

19. H 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.

20. 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.

21. 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. Items Left at School- Please LABEL your child’s personal belongings! IXL! More information to come on my blog in early September. Just water! Hydration is important to your child’s learning! Please only send water for snack. Thanks for your understanding!

22. K (continued) Kohl’s Cares for Kids: Each month Kohl’s sponsors a different author and offers their hard back books and the characters in the books for $5.00 each. This is an amazing deal and a great way to build your child’s at home library. We love to add to our classroom library and for our reading buddies as well. So, I will post on the blog when there are new ones!! Or, if you happen to be in Kohl’s and see one or two books to start off our collection, that would be wonderful and so appreciated as well!! Students LOVE to have the same books as ones they have at school so this is just one more way to get your child excited about reading!!!!

23. L Lunch: Our lunch time is 11:41-12:11. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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 Wednesday at 8:00 a.m.. 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 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. Reminders will be posted on the blog. Money: In my classroom, your child be able to earn money for good behavior. They will earn money depending on the level they end in for the day. This will foster their ability to count and trade money.

26. N, O NIGHT IN THE PARKING LOT!  Friday, August 23rd 6-8 pm Rain or Shine!! Online Resources  Our class BLOG will be full of online resources. Please refer to our BLOG for help in reading, math, and language arts. http://www.cobbk12.org/mtbethel/searcy  The Mt. Bethel BLOG homepage is also full of resources for you. http://www.cobbk12.org/mtbethel /

27. P Parent/Teacher Conferences: Parent/Teacher Conferences are an opportunity for us to discuss your child’s progress both socially and academically. Conferences will be held October 21st-October 25th. However, if you need to schedule additional conferences, I am always available to you throughout the year. 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: August 20 th : 9:00-9:30 a.m. August 26 th : 1:00-1:30 p.m.

28. Q Questions: If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime. Remember the quickest response is through EMAIL. No question is silly, please don’t hesitate to ask!

29. R Reader’s Workshop – Essential rituals and routines – Leveled library – Book boxes – Reading logs/comprehension notebooks – Independence is key! Reading Groups – Groups are formed with children of similar needs/strengths and or weaknesses – Instructional level books given – HOMEWORK: reading bag!!!!!

30. R (continued) Reading is So, So Important!: 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.

31. R (continued) Reflections: At the end of each day, beginning in September, our class will discuss the day and the students will then write a short reflection of what they did or they will write about something they enjoyed. This promotes oral language and conversation at home. Please review this with your child at night and initial. This will be written in a journal.

32. S Scarecrow Day-TBA Specials  12:20-1:05.  Problems? Email specials teacher and me  Please refer to the schedule I send home in your child’s folder monthly to know which special your child will be going to each day. Tennis shoes are required for PE.

33. 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. Students may not bring red juice, sports drinks, tea, or sodas. Students have lunch earlier than when in kindergarten; therefore, a small, healthy snack is all that is necessary. We will have snack between 9:30-9:45 a.m. 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!

34. 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 Folders: Each Thursday, your child will bring home their daily Take Home Folder and your child will also bring home a red folder. Included on Thursdays, in the yellow folder, will be reminders and flyers from the school, PTA, and the Foundation. Please make sure to check these for important information and dates. In the red folder, you will find a behavior sheet to be signed and returned on Friday.

35. 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.!

36. 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.

37. 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!

38. W (continued) Welcome Coffee for New Parents: Where: Media Center Date: Friday, August 16th Time: 9:30 a.m.

39. 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 on the board above the computers! I appreciate your contributions to our classroom! You all are wonderful!

40. XYZ Thank you for your support!! It is key to SUCCESS!!! Contact me ANY TIME about ANY concern or question!!! I look forward to a “SUNSATIONAL” Year with your children!

41. QUESTIONS?! PLEASE TURN IN YOUR FORMS at the BACK TABLE.