Ms. Christie’s

AbC’s

Of

1^st Grade

A

Absences

In the event that your child is absent from school, a dr’s excuse or note must be written explaining the absence. Please include the following information: child’s name, date of absence, reason for absence, and parent/guardian signature.

Accelerated Reader

Later this fall your child will participate in the Accelerated Reader program. This computer based program allows students to read books and take short quizzes on the computer to measure their level of comprehension. I do not take grades on the quizzes, but I do offer several incentives for students to do well. More information will be provided this fall.

B

Behavior

Your child’s behavior will be recorded daily in the Rocket planner through the stars along with an O=Outstanding, S=Satisfactory, N=Needs Improvement, or U=Unsatisfactory. I will always jot you a note if your child has lost more than one star. I have high expectations for each student and believe all students have the right to learn in a fun and positive environment with as few distractions as possible.

Birthdays

If you would like to provide a small, healthy snack for the class on your child’s birthday, please let me know in advance. It is a school policy to not bring cakes, cupcakes, or cookies, but rather healthy snacks such as fruit, fruit snacks, granola or cereal bars, etc. I also have a special birthday bag that I will send home with your child on their birthday. Please return the bag the following day. Instructions are inside the bag.

Book Clubs

I will often send home a monthly Scholastic book club form. I will give you directions to order online or checks may be made to Scholastic Book Clubs. This club offers a variety of books on your child’s reading level at very low prices, and in turn, our class gets free books.

C

Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences are held in September. At that time I will ask you to sign up for a conference slot. However, if you ever have any questions about your child’s progress or any areas of concern, I am happy to schedule a time to meet with you.

D

Daily Five

As part of our Balanced Literacy program your child will become proficient at working independently in the following five areas: how to read to their self, read to someone, listening to reading, writing, and word work. I will spend the first two months training them in each area, building their stamina to work independently so that I can teach reading/writing skills in small groups. Daily Five is usually one of the favorite parts of our day as each child can work on their level and they choose in what order they would like to work through the areas.

E

Email

I do check my email at least three times a day. Feel free to contact me at any time by email at Christie.gamlin@parisssd.org. This info. can also be found on the contacts card in the Rocket Planner.

Emergencies

You will be contacted if your child is injured or becomes ill at any time during the day. Our nurse’s information is on the Rhea School Webpage. We also have a school plan in the case of fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and intruders. It is crucial that you provide me with a complete list of phone numbers where you can be reached and names of others you would like for me to call if you cannot be reached. Please let me know if a number changes at any point during the year.

F

Family Involvement

The Rocket Planner is our most important line of communication. It should be signed and returned daily. More detailed information on how to use the planner can be found in the Rocket Planner.

G

Games

Games will play an important role in your child’s learning this year. I believe that learning should be fun and provide students with hands-on experiences. Be on the lookout for games your child may want to teach you!

Grades

We are on a six weeks grading period at which time your child’s report card will be sent home to be signed and returned. You will see number and letter grades on your child’s work; however, they are all translated to letter grades on the report card. Your child will not bring home a lot of graded worksheets. In addition to the very few worksheets, I take grades from notebook work, reading group notes/observations, projects, whole group writing assignments and word work including spelling quizzes. I also like to grade using rubrics so that the expectations are clear on what I am looking for in an assignment.

H

Homework

Homework packets will be sent home beginning the third week of school. I send packets home on Monday and I do not take them up or look at them until Friday. I do this so that you can complete the homework in any order or way that fits into your schedule. I see homework as a quick review to reinforce what’s being learned in class as well as a way for you to see what we are working on.

I

I Charts

I Charts will be made often and hung up in our class. The I stands for Independence. We make these charts together as a class as we learn the Daily Five concepts along with other literacy and math concepts. The charts are made as a class so that students have ownership in their learning and are learning to work independently. Ask your child about some of the I charts we will begin to make soon.

J

Jobs

Part of my classroom management revolves around class jobs. Each child in the class will be “hired” for a job. They will have their job for one month and will be “paid” at the end of each month if they have done well. They can be “fired” from their job if they simply don’t do it consistently or have lost more than two stars in a month. Some of the jobs are flag holder, office person, paper passer, door holder, bathroom monitors, etc. The class always has great fun with this, and in turn, it teaches responsibility and that we must all work together to run a successful classroom.

Journals

Students will have both a writing and math journal. We will use these daily. These will be used for students to show their thinking in Math and to express themselves creatively in writing. Writing pieces will be shared during Author’s Time each week and with you at conferences. You will be amazed as you watch your child’s writing skills develop this year!

K

Keep Up

First grade flies by and the best way to keep up is by reading the weekly newsletter and checking your child’s Rocket Planner daily.

L

Lunch Accounts

Please read all information from the cafeteria regarding lunch accounts. Lunch money should be placed in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, my name, the date, and the amount on the outside. Please place this envelope in the money/notes section of the Rocket Planner. Your child will also be encouraged to learn their lunch number this year as this number is used for a variety of things at school. Our lunch time is 12:05-12:35.

M

Morning Responsibilities

When the students arrive to our classroom each morning, they will have a few duties before beginning the school day. Your child will be responsible for making a lunch choice, bringing me their Rocket Planner to check for notes and money, and then putting it away to begin their morning assignment.

N

Newsletters

I will send home a weekly newsletter each Friday beginning the first week of school. The newsletter will contain upcoming events, skills being taught, and the weekly homework schedule.

O

Opinions

Please feel free to express any ideas, comments, or opinions. I welcome any feedback that you have for me.

P

Pencils

I have an ample supply of pencils as well as the ones you have bought. Pencils will be sharpened in the morning, and we will have a community pencil cup at the front of the room should anyone need a pencil during class. All other extra supplies will be kept back in their lockers until needed.

Q

Quizzes

Short quizzes will be given in math, spelling, reading, and grammar. I do take grades on quizzes and use them to guide my teaching. Therefore, any extra practice you may want to do with your child at home is encouraged and I always have ideas to make learning at home a fun experience.

R

Reading

Your child will learn a variety of strategies to help them become good readers this year. I will teach these strategies whole group, small group, and individually as needed. I like to teach reading in small guided reading groups. I will also encourage your child to read “good fit” books on their level both in our classroom and in the library. You will begin to see small reading books come home one night a week this fall. Please let your child read this book to you and return the book and bag the following day. You will be amazed at the transformation your child will make in reading this year!

Rules

I like to keep our rules and expectations simple and consistent. In order for learning to be maximized, expectations must be met and rules must be followed. We will create our classroom rules together in class on the first day of school. As mentioned under Behavior, your child’s daily behavior will be recorded in the Rocket Planner. Thank you in advance for your support with rules and discipline.

S

Special Area

Your child will go to special areas from 1:40-2:30. The schedule is as follows: Monday-Guidance, Tuesday-Music, Wednesday-P.E., Thursday-Library, and Friday-PE.

Spelling Words

Your child will be given a list of spelling words each week. Spelling words are not given so that you can memorize a list of words for a Friday quiz, but rather provide practice and application of a given spelling pattern that they can use in reading and writing for the rest of their lives.. You will see many word sorts come home as a way to reinforce the spelling skill for the week. Many of these spelling patterns will be word families.

T

Transportation

Please always make sure your child knows how they are getting home; especially on the first day of school. If transportation changes at any time during the year, even for just a day, please write me a note in the planner, email me, or leave me a voicemail. I will not take a child’s word as a transportation change.

U

Units of Study

We will explore many units of study this year such as weather, cultures, plants, and insects. I will incorporate our language arts and math skills into these units of study. Some of the units will include fun projects; including an arctic animal project in January.

V

Voicemail

You may leave me a voicemail at any point during the day. I will try to check my voicemail in the mornings before school and I definitely check my messages at 2p.m. Please do not leave any change of transportation messages after 2p.m. as I may not get them in time for dismissal that afternoon. My voicemail extension is 625.

Volunteering

I love to have parents in our classroom. Please watch for a letter coming soon about volunteer opportunities in the classroom as well as PTO information on how to be involved in that great organization. Volunteering is a great way to support our school, the staff, and the students.

W

Website

The Rhea School website, http://www.rheaschool.com/, is full of school information as well as great links to activities your child can do at home. Our class website also lists things such as a class list, more information about me, and links to fun websites. I am currently working to update our webpage so check back often.

X

eXperiences

We have lots of fun, exciting, and challenging experiences in First Grade. Art projects, research, making class books, and using manipulatives to learn are just a few of these!

Y

You

Congratulations! You are the proud parent of a First Grader. First grade is a transforming year as your child will learn and grow in every way. Just compare a tiny seed to a full grown sunflower. That’s the kind of growth you will see this year!

Z

Zzzzzzz’s

Please be sure your child gets a good night’s rest. We do not take naps in first grade, but we will have a short period of quiet time while I read from a chapter book.

Let’s work together to have a terrific year of learning! I look forward to working with you and your child.

Ms. Christie’s

AbC’s

Of

1^st Grade