First Grade Guidelines

1. First Grade Guidelines Pine-Richland School District

2. First Grade Program The following information is an overview of the First Grade Program. I hope you will find the information helpful in understanding the daily happenings of your child. The First Grade Program is designed to be the foundation of a child’s education and the foundation of a child’s study skills.

3. Reading Trophies by Harcourt Brace Publishers Website: www.harcourtschool.com, password: Beck Trophies provides daily phonemic awareness lessons. It provides explicit, systematic phonics instruction to build recognition skills that enable students to become efficient decoders. It provides students with a wealth of opportunities to read and hear a rich variety of texts. -Big Books -Read-Aloud Anthology -Student Reading Books -Books for All Learners -Decodable Take-home Books It provides students with a variety of opportunities to practice new skills. -Small Group Guided Reading Instruction -Cross-Curricular Centers -Reading Practice book

4. Fundations by Wilson Language Basics • Fundations provides a explicit, systematic, multi-sensory, and repetitious approach to reading and spelling. Fundations will be presented for 30-40 minutes of each day.

5. Guided ReadingTeaching Kids to Read All books *Teacher supports each reader’s development using effective strategies for processing novel texts at increasingly challenging level of difficulty. *Teacher works with small groups of children who use similar reading processes and are able to read similar levels of text and support. *Teacher introduces a text to a small group and selects one or two teaching points to present to the group. *The text is one that offers the children a minimum of new things to learn; the children can read it with the strategies they currently have, but it provides opportunity for a small amount of new learning.

6. Math: Scott Foresman EnVision • The Scott Foresman-Envision math series give students the opportunities to explore math concepts through concrete math manipulatives as well as through paper and pencil assignments. • The students will learn math concepts and problem solving skills through whole class activities, small group games, and individual work. • We place a great importance on memorizing addition and subtraction facts to 12 by the end of first grade. Please help your child practice these important facts at home.

7. The First Grade math chapters focus on: • Numbers to 12 and Graphing • Facts and Strategies to 12 • Geometry and Fractions • Numbers to 60 and counting patterns • Place Value • Money • Telling Time • Measurement • Facts and Strategies to 18 • Two-digit addition and subtraction

8. Social Studies: Harcourt Brace Publishers • Components include: My Family My Community My Country, My Heroes My World Near and Far Map Skills *Weekly Reader student magazine

9. Science: Asset Kits (Allegheny Schools Science Education and Technology) • Weather Kit • Liquids and Solids Kit

10. Health • “Here’s Looking at You!”: drug prevention curriculum mandated by PA Act 211 • Safe Practices at Home, School and Community • Nutrition, Senses, and Dental Hygiene

11. Specials • Physical Education Gym is scheduled twice a week (Monday and Thursday). Please have your child wear comfortable clothes and tennis shoes on these days. (Mr. Beam) • Art .Please have your child bring in a Adult size T-shirt. The T-shirt should be left in your child’s locker throughout the year. Please place your child’s name somewhere on the shirt. (Mrs. Scheller). Art is on Fridays. • Music Music is on Wednesdays. (Mrs. Campbell) • Library Library is on Thursdays. In First Grade, the children are permitted to check out one book per week. (Mrs. Fournaridis) • Computer Lab Computer is on Tuesdays. (Mr. Sargent)

12. Support Classes • Reading Support (Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Ferraro) • Speech • School Counseling (Mrs. Kleissas) • Learning Support (Mrs. Miller) • Autistic Support (Mrs. Hillegas) • GATE (Mr. Sargent) • Occupational Therapy.

13. Grading • Report Cards • (P) Proficient: Student: Student independently demonstrates consistent mastery of the skill/ concept • (D) Developing: Student is making steady progress towards proficiency • (B) Beginning: Student is making inconsistent progress/ Student may need reinforcement • (N) Not Yet Evident: Student is making limited progress/ Needs continued reinforcement

14. Weekly Procedures • “Take Home” Book. These are small paper booklets that reinforce the phonics skill taught. Your child can share his/ her reading with family members. • Math Homework will be issued on an as needed basis. You can follow the lessons taught by using the envision math home component. • Practice Spelling words for test on Fridays. • Practice reading words with fluency. These words will be provided in the weekly newsletter (Key words, Trick words, Scholastic words.) • Weekly reading given on Friday. An envelope with leveled reading material will be provided for your child to read throughout the week. Please note the time allotment at the top of your child’s reading log. At the beginning of the year we will start with 40 minutes (10 minutes / 4 times a week). By the end of the year, reading should be 10 minutes each evening.

15. Classroom Procedures • Daily Folder • Please use this folder as your child’s daily folder. Please have your child bring this folder to and from school each day. Please review and remove completed work from the folder. If your child has already purchased their own folder, they are more than welcomed to use it. • Absent from School • Please send in a written note as to why your child is absent. The written excuse must be sent to school upon your child’s return. It must be filed and kept on record, as it is a state mandate. If your child will be out of school for an extended period of time, please send in a note ahead of time for the office to complete necessary documentation.

16. Classroom Procedures • Birthday Celebrations • It is optional to send in a treat for your child’s birthday. An item such as a special eraser, pencil, or small notepad would be an appropriate treat. If you choose to send in a treat, please send me a note as to which day (if the birthday falls on a weekend or Holiday). Please drop off treats in the office by noon. We will celebrate your child’s birthday some time in the afternoon. If your child has a summer birthday, we will celebrate it at the end of the school year. I will send home a schedule at that time. • Discipline • Plastic coins are administered for good deeds. Throughout the year, there is a first grade market which items can be purchased • Bucket Tickets School wide ticket given by any teacher in the building that enters a drawing for a prize from Mrs. Kleissas the counselor.

17. Classroom Procedures • Lunchroom • Each class is assigned to two tables in the cafeteria • Pin number on note card for first couple of weeks • Lunch is 30 minutes and recess follows lunch for 30 minutes. • Recess is in the classroom if there is inclement weather. • Centers There are five main centers in the classroom. At each center, there are several options your child may choose to do. Your child attends one main center a day, and your child will have attended all of the centers in the room by the end of the week.

18. Helpful Hints • Go over reading materials and papers daily. • Read stories from “Take Home” books with your child. • Make flash cards of addition and subtraction math facts. • Create a consistent and quiet study time. • Vary activities. • Emphasize child’s responsibilities and reward progress. • Create a Word Bank for your child to use at home.Take Plastic Index Card Holder and an Alphabet Divider to fit inside. This can be used for many activities: review of key words, create sentences from words, build word families, sort rhyming words, alphabetize words, etc.

19. Parent Volunteers • Parent Coordinator for Holiday Parties • PTO liaison • Parent with an expertise in a particular area that would coordinate with curriculum. • Royal Reader: parent visits the classroom and reads several books to students.