Brushy Creek Elementary School 

                                First Grade Syllabus

Instructional Materials, Resources, and Required Texts

SC State Standards: https://ed.sc.gov/scde.grantopportunities/NewSCStandards.cfm

First grade instructional materials include: pencils, markers, crayons, glue, scissors, construction paper, magazines, folders, craft supplies, computers, Promethean Board, pocket charts, books/big books, index cards, sentence strips, lined paper, chart paper, posters, math manipulatives, maps/globes, and journals.

First grade curriculum includes: Big Ideas Math Series, Houghton Mifflin Reading Series, Harcourt Brace Science, Harcourt Health and Fitness, Greenville County Science kits, Fountas and Pinnell Reading , and Learning Focused and Quality Tools.

Major Assessments: Reading – Cold Reads will be given weekly to test fluency and comprehension. Spelling - Weekly tests will be given on 5 word wall words and 5 skill words. Dictation sentences are graded separately based on correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and spacing. Writing- Writing samples will be given throughout the year. Math – District unit tests will be given. Fast facts tests on addition/subtraction facts will be given periodically until mastery is reached. Science/Health/Social Studies - Unit tests or projects will be given for each unit studied.

Grading Policy: A report card will be sent home at the end of each nine weeks. The checklist of skills will give parents a general picture of their child's progress to date in six areas: personal and social growth, reading, language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Numerical grades will not be given. The report card will be based on a combination of authentic assessment tools and teacher observation. The first grade report card will be marked with the following descriptors:       Academic Markings: M – consistently meets or exceeds the end of the year standard P – shows expected growth/progress in meeting the end of the year standard B – beginning to progress toward the end of the year standard N – needs intensive support at school and home to develop this standard Blank- Not taught or assessed yet.

Successful Learner Characteristics:

4 – consistently demonstrates characteristics

3 – demonstrates characteristics most of the time

2 – demonstrates the characteristic some of the time

1 – characteristic is not yet evident

Related Arts (Art, Music and Physical Education) will be evaluated by using the following descriptors: M - Meets standards or P - Progressing towards standards

Teachers will have conferences with parents during the first quarter to communicate the progress of first grade. Conferences take the place of the progress report. Report cards are sent home every nine weeks. Interim progress reports will be sent home in the middle of the 2nd , 3rd , and 4th nine weeks.

Evaluation of Student Progress: The evaluation tools are selected on the basis of appropriateness for the concept that is taught. Teacher observation, oral assessments, projects, journals, student portfolios, rubrics, anecdotal records, conferences with students, open-ended question responses, class participation, and performance are examples of evaluation tools that may be used. Mathematics assessments will be given at the end of each unit of study. Re-teaching and re-testing strategies are used to remediate and strengthen weaknesses.

Homework: Typically, students will be expected to complete IXL math homework each night. as well as keep up with a reading log. In addition, students will be expected to learn their spelling words by Friday of every week.

Missed Work/Make-up Work: Students who are absent will have their assignments waiting on their desk when they return to school. All directions will be given and the student will complete the work at home. The student will need to complete makeup work within five school days. Any tests missed will be given by the teacher at a convenient time.

Attendance and Tardy Policies: Days missed in excess of 10 days will require a medical excuse. This is state law. Students are allowed to enter the class at 7:30 a.m. All students should be in their seats, ready to begin the school day at 7:45 a.m. When your child has been absent, send a note on the day your child returns (either doctor’s or written by the parent) explaining why the child was absent. Absences due to family trips will be unexcused .

School begins promptly at 7:45. When tardy, a child must go to the office to be admitted to class. Any student who has an excess of five tardies for the year will forfeit eligibility for a perfect attendance award at the end of the year. There will not be a perfect attendance award this year. For students to be counted present, they must attend school for three hours during the instructional day. The following school guidelines will be followed by the teacher:

ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES • GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS

On November 27, 2003, State Department of Education Regulation 43-274 (Student Attendance) was amended to outline truancy definitions. They are: 1. Truant: A child aged 6 to 17 years meets the definition of a truant when the child has three (3) consecutive unlawful absences or a total of five (5) unlawful absences. 2. Habitual Truant: A child, aged 12 to 17

years, who fails to comply with the intervention plan developed by the school, the child, and the parent/guardian and who accumulates two or more additional unlawful absences. This child may need court intervention and an initial truancy petition may be filed. 3. Chronic Truant: A child, aged 12 to 17 years who has been through the school intervention process, has reached the level of habitual truant, has been referred to Family Court and placed on an order to attend school, and continues to accumulate unlawful absences. Should other community alternatives and referrals fail to remedy the attendance problem, the chronic truant may be referred to the Family Court for violation of a previous court order. Once a student ages 6 to 17 has accumulated three (3) consecutive unlawful absences or a total of five unlawful absences, a disciplinary entry is made in SASI classifying the student as a truant. The parent will be contacted by a school administrator, an intervention conference will be held, and an improvement plan will be written. Elementary students will remain at the “truant” level even if additional unlawful absences occur.

Rules for Student Behavior and Consequences for Violations:

School Rules:

1. Be respectful.

2. Keep hands, feet, objects, and unnecessary comments to yourself.

3. Only speak when it’s your turn.

4. Come prepared to school and class everyday.

5. Take care of your materials and school property.

Classroom Discipline: Our class will have rules and guidelines that help our classroom to be a safe, positive, and successful learning environment. I want all of the students to be excited to enter our class and learn each day. All of the students are expected to make good choices for their behavior and make an effort to follow each of the guidelines on a daily basis. Please look for a note/email from your child’s teacher concerning her classroom behavior system.

PLEASE NOTE: There may be some cases of severe or disruptive behavior that will necessitate an immediate referral to the Assistant Principal. See the handbook and the Greenville Discipline Code for further explanations.

Procedures for Non-Instructional Routines

Communication with Parents: Communication will be in the form of newsletters, teacher websites, daily behavior sheets, phone calls, e-mails, notes, progress reports/report cards and conferences. All communication will be documented. A newsletter that includes homework, skills being taught, and announcements will be sent home each Monday. At the end of the first nine weeks, conferences will be held. Conferences may be scheduled on an as-needed basis.