Welcome to Back to School Night!!!

1. Welcome to Back to School Night!!! THE FIRST GRADE TEAM Christy Byrd Abbey LeDoux Jessica Mazzoni Anna Singleton Nicole Valentine

2. Daily Schedule • 8:05-8:10 – Homeroom/Uniform Check • 8:13-9:13 – Math (Flex Grouping) • 9:16-10:10 – Science • 10:15-10:35 – Snack/Recess • 10:45-11:29 – Specials (P.E., Music, Technology, Art, Graphic Design) • 11:32-12:17 – History • 12:20-1:05  Lunch/Recess • 1:08-3:00 – Language Arts (Flex Grouping) • 3:00-3:35 – Recess/Homeroom

3. Behavior Chart/Calendar • Purple = Going above and beyond, WOW! • Green = Great day, keep up the good work! • Yellow = Slow down and make better choices. • Orange = Continues to make poor choices. • Red= Office referral and e-mail/call home. *Check red homework folder for the calendar!

4. Friday Folders (Yellow) • Comes home every Friday • Completed and graded assignments • Important info from the office, PTO, after school programs, etc. • Please return empty on Monday

5. Homework Folder (Red) • Comes home daily with homework assignments, including Friday! • Red folders still come home even if there is no homework. • Please return the homework folder to school the next day. • Homework: Math, Language Arts, Science, or Social Studies • Math homework must have one parent’s initials so that the teacher knows homework has been checked. • Forms that need to be returned to school go here.

6. Flexible Grouping ● Math/Language Arts • Formal and informal assessments are given throughout the year. • Students are placed in groups according to their academic ability and skill set.

7. Language Arts • Open Court-Reading • Spalding-Phonics and Handwriting • Shurley Grammar • Core Knowledge Stories, Poems, Sayings and Phrases • Step Up to Writing All are integrated during Language Arts and throughout the day.

8. How Can I Help? • Practice, practice, practice!!! • Monthly Reading Logs • Sight Words • Spalding Phonograms-First Grade Website • Star Fall • Comprehension – Discuss and ask about main characters, setting, problem, resolution, connections, inferences, purpose of the story • Play games in the car - look for sight words, what words can you read, books on tape • Model good reading by reading to your child • Never tell your child to sound it out… (Three) • Use the 5 Finger Rule when choosing books Reading support at home is critical to your child’s success in reading!

10. Reading Strategies to Use at Home • Open Court Reading and Phonics (Spalding) • Shurley Grammar • Supplemental exercises to reinforce skills • Core Knowledge Stories, Poems, Sayings and Phrases

11. Saxon Math The year will begin with review material. Homework might be easy for some for a few weeks. • Focus: - Developing computation skills - Proper number formation - Problem solving skills, concepts, ability to explain math • Homework: - Parents read instructions as necessary - Check homework and assist child as necessary in correcting any errors. Feel free to write what they are struggling with. - Please initial or sign homework – communication that you know what they are learning. - Homework will not be returned home. -Every five lessons there will be a written assessment. Homework will not come home on assessment days.

12. Saxon Math • Points earned for homework turned in on time: - 10 points per day - on time - 10% deducted – one day late - 20% deducted – two days late - 50% deducted after two days and before next assessment - After the assessment, all previous missing HW is a 0 • Assessments: Every 5-10 lessons (100 pts.) - No longer sent home: It is important to note that we cannot send completed math tests home due to our agreement with Saxon Math; they consider their tests proprietary and they do not allow any schools to share the tests with parents. Final Grade Weighted: 80% Assessments/20% Homework

13. History/Science • History – What Your First Grader Needs to Know (WYFGNTK) • Science – FOSS • FOSS is a research-based curriculum that’s been around for more than 20 years allowing students to appreciate the scientific enterprise, learn important scientific concepts, and develop the ability to think critically. They’re able to do so by actively constructing ideas through their own inquiries, investigations, and analyses. The FOSS program was created to engage students in these processes as they explore the natural world. • One unit per trimester • Solids, Liquids, and Gases • Pebbles, Sand, and Silt • Plants and Animals • BrainPOP - (U: aacp P: 123)

14. STEM • Chemical Engineering: -Mr. Todd -February 9-23 • Marine Biology: -Mrs. Weiss -April 20–27

15. Infinite Campus • Update all information through the front office. • Check regularly. • Subjects are weighted. • Download the i-Phone app – very helpful!!

16. Communication • American Academy Website-First Grade Page • A weekly newsletter will be emailed every Friday. • Also check individual teacher pages for Language Arts updates (weekly phonograms and spelling words).

17. Volunteers • Room moms assist with coordinating volunteers for events and class parties. • Classroom Volunteer Opportunities • School-Library, Cafeteria, Recess, Carpool • Volunteer Badges

18. Birthdays • Summer birthdays will be celebrated • Welcome to bring in treats (individual) • Treats are passed out during lunch recess. • All 1st grade classrooms are NUT FREE

19. Questions???