ABC's of First Grade

A...ATTENDANCE

Regular attendance is key to your child’s success in first grade! I encourage you to make sure you child is at Selwyn on time…7:40 every morning and prepared for each school day.

When a student is absent from school, he/she must bring a note from his/her parent, guardian, or health care professional within forth-eight (48) hours to the office. The note should include the students’ legal name (not nickname), the reason for the absence, and the date(s) absent from school. The office will determine whether the absence can be excused per CMS board policy. Absences are excused (with verification) for student illness, medical appointments, or death in the immediate family, court proceedings, or quarantine. Absences may also be excused (at the principal’s discretion) for an educational opportunity, which must be submitted in advance for approval on Form 5123.2 (available in the office). Students returning to school without a note will be considered unexcused. All absences are coded as unexcused until a note as described above has been received in the office.

B...BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS

Every student is expected to do their very best and treat others as they would like to be treated. The students have worked together to create five guidelines for behavior that will make our classroom a happy and successful learning environment…

Try your BEST everyday
Be KIND
FOLLOW the teacher’s directions.
LISTEN while others are speaking
Keep your HANDS, FEET, and other OBJECTS to yourself

Character Education is a part of the curriculum and each student is expected to exhibit behavior that reflects good character!

*Remember to review and sign Behavior Calendars each night!

B...BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays are a special occasion for us in first grade. If your child wishes, he/she may bring a store-bought treat for the class to share during our lunch time. We will celebrate summer birthdays during the last few weeks of school. Please keep in mind the school's wellness policy and food allergies. Please mail birthday invitations.

C...COMMUNICATION

We are a team…working together to ensure your child’s success in school… communication is essential to make sure that we are successful.

The BEST way to reach me is through e-mail at donna.valois@cms.k12.nc.us. I check emails between 6:00am to 6:00pm…sometimes I may check them after 6:00pm but not always.

Daily- I will send home important information and reminders through your child’s TAKE HOME FOLDER. Please check it nightly to sign the BEHAVIOR LOG and record reading on the READING LOG. Return any communication in this folder, particularly transportation changes. I check folders each morning.

Weekly- I will update our class website weekly with information about learning activities and upcoming events. Check it out at…

Bi-Weekly- “Tuesday Folders” will go home every other Tuesday filled with your child’s work from our room! Please review the work, sign, and return the folder!

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held the last two weeks of October. I am also available for additional parent conferences by appointment if you feel one is necessary.

D...DISMISSAL

Selwyn Elementary dismisses at 2:45 every day. Your child’s usual way of transportation has been recorded in the office and in the classroom. If there is a change of transportation, please send a note with your child to school. If there is not a note or phone call, your child’s transportation may not be changed.

If you child is having a play date, please make sure the child coming home with you also has a note. Students may not switch buses to come home with a friend.

If you would like to pick your child up from school early, please go to the front office and let them know. The office will call the classroom and I will send your child down to the office.

E...EDUCATION

The North Carolina Standard Course of Study has the exact details of what your child will be learning this year. You may visit our classroom webpage to find this information or you may visit: http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/

We will be implementing a new literacy curriculum in the 2019-20 school year...EL Education.

F...FIELD TRIPS

The First Grade Team is planning several field trips to support our curriculum throughout the year. Permission slips will come home at least a week in advance for you to sign and will provide all the trip details.

For field trip days, please have your child wear comfortable shoes to walk in and a Selwyn t-shirt. Some field trips will require your child to bring a brown bag lunch…If you child needs a bag lunch from the school cafeteria, please let me know in advance and I will have it ready for your child that day. If volunteers are needed, I will contact the Room Parents to coordinate information.

G...GRADING SCALE

The Grading Scale for first grade is as follows:

D - Developing
P - Progressing
M - Mastering
E - Exemplary Mastery

H...HOMEWORK POLICY

Homework is an important part of your child’s school experience. Supporting good work habits requires a joint effort. I will support your child and encourage good work habits at school. Your child will benefit greatly from your support and encouragement at home.

Students are expected to complete 20 minutes of reading nightly. Math homework may come home if your child does not complete their math work during class time. I will check your child’s folder daily to see that their reading log is signed.

*Homework begins October 1st with reading 20 minutes a night.

I...INDEPENDENT LEARNERS

First grade is a great time to start working on being a responsible, independent learner. Your child will be engaged in many educational activities that are differentiated for their specific educational needs. In order for this to go smoothly in our classroom, I ask that you help your child become more independent and responsible at home. We can work together to encourage these characteristics that will be important to your child in years to come.

J...JOBS

Every week your child will have a classroom job. Each job is intended to teach responsibility and cooperation within our classroom community. The jobs will change every other Monday and your child will be able to experience each classroom job by the end of the school year.

K...KEYS TO GOOD CHARACTER

As part of our partnership, CMS provides information to parents about character education issues. Parents are encouraged to be positive role models and to take an active role in their child's character development. Students will be recognized for showing good character at the monthly Citizens & Scholars Assemblies.

L...LUNCH

Our lunchtime this year is 12:23…please feel free to join your child whenever you wish for lunch. All students must have an approved meal application, cash, or money on account to make meal purchases. Procedures are in place for students in elementary schools who do not have money to purchase a meal until a parent can be contacted.

Please visit: http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/cmsdepartments/cns/Pages to find menus for the school cafeteria.

If you come for lunch, your child is welcome to have a friend from class join you AS LONG AS you are sitting inside the cafeteria. If you decide to take your child onto the Learning Plaza for lunch friends must stay inside.

M...MATH FACTS

This year your child will be spending time practicing addition and subtraction math facts. Your child will be working on these facts until he/she mastered the facts and can answer fluently without any pause. Once your child had mastered addition facts, they may move on to subtraction facts.

Learning math facts in a given operation is a lot of work, but future success in math depends upon knowing facts so well that the answers come automatically! Thank you so much for your support of this important learning goal!

We will use the Xtra Math website to help build your child's math fact fluency...please feel free to also use it at home for additional practice.

N...NEAT HANDWRITING & WORK COMPLETION

Your child is expected to use their neatest handwriting when completing all of their school and home assignments. Your child must have neat manuscript to help them organize their work on their page. Please work with your child at home to improve their handwriting... a handwriting guide is included in your child's Take Home Folder.

O...OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO GET INVOLVED!

Selwyn Elementary is always looking for parents to get involved! A great way to stay “in the loop” is by visiting the Selwyn PTA website.

You must be registered as a volunteer to be able to participate in volunteer opportunities within the school.

Please go online to become a registered volunteer!

P...PROJECTS

In first grade, your child will be completing several different projects. All projects are related to the curriculum and will be spread out through the year.

Q...QUESTIONS FOR MRS. VALOIS

Please feel free to contact me whenever you have a question, a concern, or a suggestion. The best way to reach me is by email...donna.valois@cms.k12.nc.us

I will schedule conferences as needed throughout the year and I am available after school Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

R...READING

Please read for 20 minutes EVERY night to help your child become a fluent and confident reader! It is also important that you help to check your child's comprehension of their reading...start by asking questions about the sequence of events, details of the characters, setting and theme…Also ask who, what, where, why, why, and how questions about each text.

S...SCHEDULE

Please check out the SCHEDULE tab on our website to see all the things your "Firstie" will be doing each day.

T...TARDIES

Students will be considered tardy if they arrive in the classroom after 7:45. Morning work and routines will begin at 7:15 when students are allowed to enter the school building.

U...UNIQUE

I believe that each child has unique learning needs… therefore I will be providing instruction to your child that may be different than his or her peers. Each child learns at their own pace and as they are ready to tackle new challenges...try not to compare them to their peers.

V...VISITORS

We love to have visitors!... if you are visiting Selwyn Elementary or visiting our classroom, you must sign into the office with your driver's licence. You must have a visitor’s pass to leave the office area.

There will be plenty of opportunities for you and your families to visit our classroom and the school for various activities. Please remember to remind family members or friends that they also must sign into the office before coming to the classroom or lunchroom.

In order to keep our school safe and orderly, visitor passes are required for everyone coming into the school building. Thank you for your support and understanding!

W...Web Page

Check out our class website often as content is updated weekly.

X...eXcited

I am incredibly excited to have your child and family in my class this year! We have 176 days to prepare your child for the future and we will work as hard as we can everyday to make sure your child is a success! This year will be filled with many challenges and successes that will hopefully make this year one to remember.

As a teacher, I believe that every child learns at a different pace and in a different way! This is why I work hard to plan activities, which cater to various learning styles. I differentiate anywhere I can so that your child is receiving both the resources and challenges they need to feel successful! I often use small group teaching and am committed to promoting a positive learning environment by sparking enthusiasm for learning and instilling a sense of community and character. I strive to help my students develop independence in the classroom, along with a passion and enthusiasm for lifelong learning that will take them great places in the future…long after first grade!

Y...YOU

You can help to make your child feel successful this year by doing some of the following:

Reading to your child is the single most important thing you can do. It encourages them to become good readers and helps them develop a love of learning.
Another important way to help your child is to discuss the school day with them. Ask questions like, “What did you learn today?”, “What did you work the hardest on?”, or “What are you getting better at?”. These questions cause children to reflect on their learning which in turn helps them remember new information. Don’t let them tell you “nothing.” Ask your child about modules, special area classes, skills groups, Labs, or math work.

Z...ZIP INTO A NEW YEAR!

I know this will be a great year! Thank you in advance for your support, encouragement, and generosity to our classroom!