Your ABC survival guide to First Grade!

Welcome to Camp

Attendance

•  Unless your child is ill, please make every attempt to have your child present at school and on time.

•  Our day begins at 9:00 and dismissal time is at 3:25. Students that arrive late are missing valuable instruction.

•  If your child is absent please call the attendance hotline by 9am at 484-524-0099 and press option 2 for Ringing Rocks. A written note on the first day that your child returns to school is still required. If your child is out of school for more than 3 days, please provide a doctors note.

Behavior Every student is expected to follow the Falcon 5:

•  Be Safe•  Be Respectful•  Be Caring•  Be Here, Be Ready•  Celebrate Success

•  Students who choose to follow the rules will earn positive Dojo points and earn rewards. Likewise, there will be consequences for students who choose to break the rules- earning negative Dojo points.

Curriculum •  ELA: Wonders

•  Math: Math In Focus•  Science•  Social Studies

• In 1st grade, we will focus on developing phonemic awareness, decoding skills, word recognition, comprehension and oral reading fluency.

• The more sight words a student knows, the more fluently he/she will read.

• Practice reading the sight words nightly.

1.  Read to Self2.  Read to Others3.  Listen to Reading4.  Word Work5.  Work on Writing

ELA (English Language Arts)…

A variety of grouping strategies will be utilized to deliver our reading and language arts curriculum. Whole class and small group lessons will be delivered to ensure mastery of skills.

We will focus on the following throughout the year: •  Reading Strategies•  Comprehension Skills •  Reading Fluency •  Vocabulary and Word Analysis •  Spelling, Grammar, and Mechanics when Writing•  Listening and Speaking

We do a lot of writing in first grade. Children are encouraged to use phonetic spelling when they first start. Our goal is to encourage risk taking and independence in writing. Part of this process is to stress to children that phonetic spelling is acceptable, and to build their confidence in their ability to communicate in writing even if they can’t spell the word with “dictionary spelling.”

However, as high frequency words and spelling rules are introduced children will gradually move toward more conventional spelling. Students are encouraged to refer to the word wall for the correct spelling of sight words.

By the end of first grade, students ... This is our first year with Math in Focus. Students will be assessed at the end of each chapter

Skills taught are:

•  Numbers to Ten•  Number Bonds•  Addition and Subtraction Facts to 10•  Shapes and Patterns•  Ordinal Numbers and Position•  Numbers to 20•  Addition and Subtraction to 40•  Mental Math Strategies•  Calendar and Time

Math…

• Numbers to 120• Addition and Subtraction to 100• Getting Ready for Multiplication and Division• Money• Addition and Subtraction Facts to 20• Length and Weight• Picture Graphs and Bar Graphs• Numbers to 40

Daily Schedule•  8:40-9:05 Arrival & Homeroom•  9:05-10:50- ELA•  10:30-10:45-Snack/ELA•  10:45-10:55-ELA•  10:55-11:40: Encore•  11:40-12:40-ELA/Writing•  12:40-1:10-Lunch•  1:10-1:40-Recess•  1:44-2:55-Math•  2:55-3:15-Science/Social Studies•  3:15-3:25-Pack Up•  3:25-3:50- Dismissal

Early Release Days

There will be 4 early release days this year. The dates of those days are:•  September 27th •  October 27th •  February 15th •  March 28th

FestivitiesWe will celebrate many fun events this year! You will receive information closer to each of the events.

Some fun events we anticipate having this year are:

•  Halloween Parade/Class Party•  Thanksgiving Feast•  Grade Level Sing Along•  Tower Garden Salad Party•  Valentine Party

Some of these events will require parent volunteers and/or donations. If you are interested you can contact me at the time of notice.

Goals… Each unit of study has learning goals. They will be stated in our classroom and on some classwork & assessments as…

I Can Statements.I can write a telling sentence using a period.

Homework Homework will be assigned on Monday for the week. You can find the homework calendar in your child’s binder in the inside front pocket. Please be sure to review your child’s homework each night and sign the homework sheet daily.

In addition to reading and math homework it is important that 1st graders read EACH night. This may include practicing their decodable readers, shared reading with an adult or older sibling, and reading and decoding good fit books on their own.

•  You child should spend no more than 20 minutes on homework each night!

•  I will collect and check homework for completion and accuracy each morning.

Oh, the places we will go and the things we will learn this year as we sail through 1st grade!

To find out exactly where we are headed each week you will want to read our weekly and daily Dojo reports! All weekly and daily schedules, upcoming events and important information will be listed on our daily Dojo reports. Please make sure to check these each night for up to date information!

Important Information

Just Right Books

•  Studies have shown that those children whose parents are actively involved in the reading process will become the best readers.

•  Reading to your child and listening to them read to you, taking them to the library and providing quality just right books at home is of the highest importance.

•  Try to read each night for 5-10 minutes.

Keeping Informed

• Be sure to check (and empty) your child’s C.A.M.P. binder every night for all school and class mail.

• Be sure to read our daily Dojo reports and check for Dojo alerts!

Lunch

•  Lunch is from 12:40-1:10 each day.

•  Lunch is $2.70 and comes with milk.

•  The students are encouraged to memorize their student ID number. This will help the lunch line run smoothly.

Your child also has the option to purchase breakfast before school.

•  The cost of breakfast is $1.70.

Mystery Readers

I would like to invite all parents, older siblings, grandparents, or other special people to surprise your child by being a “Mystery Reader” this year in our classroom.

Mystery Readers will visit us on Friday afternoons at 3:00 for approximately 20 minutes. Remember this is top secret!

Sign up when you receive a Dojo alert by responding with a date you would like to attend in the “comments” section.

Nuts About Books Students are ALL encouraged to participate

in the 100 book club. You will find a book log in your child’s CAMP binder. Each book that

your child reads should be logged on that paper. Once your child has read 10 books please turn in the log. In 1st grade 10 pages = 1 book if reading a chapter book. Books read on Raz-Kids also count toward

the 100 Book Club.Books can be read by your child or to your child depending on their

reading level or mood that night J

Other Items: • Birthdays

• Class Parties• Scholastic Book Orders• Money (lunch/snack)

Parent-Teacher Conferences• Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on November 20th and 21st . During this conference, we will be discussing your child's academic performance, homework, behavior and any additional concerns you may have.• A sign up schedule will come home closer to the date.

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 email or Dojo text! • Call me at school • Make an appointment for a conference.

Report Cards

Report cards will be distributed once a trimester.• November (at conferences)• March• June

Student of the Week Each child will have a special time during the school year to be the “Student of the Week”.

Students will be asked to bring in pictures and items from home to share. Every child will have a turn! A list of assigned dates will be sent home shortly.

Name

B-day: Age: Born in:

My parents name: How many brothers and

sisters?

Self

Portrait

Tower Garden Our Tower Garden is an exciting part of our science, ELA, and math curriculums! Students will have the opportunity to experience planting and harvesting vegetables and fruits throughout the year. With signed permission, students will be able to participate in TG taste testing!

Want to learn more about the Tower Garden and how it works? Visit this website!

http://sarabeaver.towergarden.com

Up Up and Away!!!

It is so exciting to see what AMAZING readers our children blossom into in 1st grade! Our class has already begun to build our Reading Stamina!!! STAMINA is being able to do something for a long time without getting tired or giving up. We are trying to build up our STAMINA when we are practicing reading to our self.

Visitors and Volunteers

•  If you have time or talents to share with us, please complete and return the volunteer “Helping Hands” form.

•  Our school policy requires all visitors/volunteers to check in at the school office. Visitor Badges are required if you will be in the school hallways or entering a classroom.

•  Anyone that wishes to help in the classroom is required to fill out our Pottsgrove Volunteer form. Information is available in the office.

Websites:• Xtramath.com• Starfall.com• Tumblebooks.com

•  Username: ringing•  Password: books

• PBSkids.org• Classdojo.comMy Teacher Webpage•  http://www.pgsd.org/

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EXtra Supplies In order to provide your children with the program I believe they deserve, I supplement the curriculum with extra projects. These projects are not funded by the regular education budget.Please take the time to look at my Stars & Wishes bucket. Any and all donations are truly appreciated!

If any additional supplies are needed throughout the school year they will be noted on Class Dojo!

You…

You are your child’s first and mostimportant teacher.

I hope that we can work together this year to make your child’s 1st grade school year a huge success!

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 and 6

year olds get 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night.This year will ZOOM by, so let’s make the most of it.

Once again, thank you for coming this evening and for showing an interest in your

child’s education.If you should have any questions or would like

to speak with me further about your child, please contact me by email at

sbeaver@pgsd.org or call the school to schedule a time for us to meet.