Students will remain outside (or in the classroom in inclement weather) until the first bell rings. Please have your child at school on time as much as possible. We understand that there are times when they have an appointment or things come up, but please remember that they will miss out on important learning experiences and fall behind if they are not here regularly.  A daily class schedule can be found in the communication folder so that you will know what your child is learning when, this can help with scheduling appointments and other things that would cause your child to miss class.                  

If students need to be picked up or checked out before dismissal time, please check them out in the office and the office staff will call your child to come down.

  If your child’s transportation is going to be different than usual please send a note in the communication folder or call the school.  This helps to ensure that your child is where they need to be when their transportation changes.  Please do not send an email message throughout the day as it may not get seen until after school.

Please do NOT send your child to school sick. I cannot stress this enough. In order for us to keep our classroom and school from having to go on more strict procedures, I am asking you to keep your child home if sick. If in doubt, keep them home. If your child is absent, I will work with you guys to make up the missed work. That way they don’t miss out on instruction and can help all of the rest of us stay healthy and at school. All missed work is typically due within one week of the absence; however, I will be flexible and accommodating for necessary cases.  Most of the time student's can log into my canvas class and work on the links that we use daily in class.

How to tell when your child should stay home from school.

Here are red flags to watch for:

Repeated diarrhea and/or vomiting within the past 24 hours.

A fever in the range of 102 to 104 degrees, especially accompanied by lethargy.

A severe cold with fever, sneezing and thickened nasal discharge means stay at

home.

A sore throat combined with a fever or swollen glands.

A cough that keeps a child awake at night, worsens with increased activity, or is

combined with other symptoms generally merits a day off.

A severe and persistent earache may be a sign of acute otitis media, a common

ear infection, and merits a trip to the doctor.

Redness in the whites of eyes, yellow eye discharge and matted eyelashes are

symptoms of conjunctivitis, commonly known as pinkeye. Again, call the doctor.

Rashes, if they are all over the body, blistery, oozing or sore, they could be a sign

of a contagious infection.

Head lice-please treat before sending to school.

Breathing trouble.

Not eating for more than a day.

Sharp or persistent pains in the abdomen or stomach.

Parents should ask themselves “If my child were perfectly healthy, would I want him

or her to sit next to a child with these symptoms”.

Please make sure you have logged into the PowerSchool (https://weber.powerschool.com/public/home.html)  this year and updated your contact information. Please make sure your email is one you check frequently and will allow you to get group messages quickly. This is our primary source for getting information to you and will be very important this year. That being said, if your information changes throughout the year, please remember to update it in the portal. Nothing is worse than having a sick child who can’t get in touch with a parent/guardian when they just want to go home and get better.

In the portal you will find a list of school related items you will need to read and check off that you and your child have read and agreed to. This is so helpful because we don't need to send home a million papers for you to sign at the beginning of the year. If you have questions about this please contact the office.

Your child's report card is all digital and can be found in the portal each quarter. I will let you know when it has been posted so you can remember to check and celebrate your child's amazing work. Please remember that we are working on concept mastery and not grades. That means we may be partway through a unit and therefore the concept isn't mastered yet and you might see a 2 (which means they are still working on the skill). By 3rd and 4th quarter, you should see a lot of 3s and 4s which means mastery. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about grades 

We are going to be focusing on the positive in our classroom in hopes that this will make it a great year for all involved.  For this reason in our classroom we use class points, table points, clip system and many other fun positive strategies to earn fun parties and rewards to reinforce good behavior.

We all have bad days and moments. My job is to teach your child how to handle these big emotions. The first week of school we will talk a lot about self-control and big emotions and what to do when we feel out of control. That being said, children make mistakes (for that matter so do we). Mistakes are an opportunity to learn.

One of the best consequences for poor choices is taking time to reflect on one’s behavior and sincerely apologizing. Most of the time behaviors are corrected quickly through a gentle touch on the shoulder or a quick conference with me. However, sometimes fixing a mistake requires more. I ALWAYS conference with a child when there is a behavior that needs addressing. This gives me a chance to find out exactly what happened and to assess the seriousness of the problem. If a child needs more direction, we will fill out “choices think sheet” where I can guide children to see how they might change their choice the next time the situation comes up. If needed, they will write an apology letter and then read their note to whomever they need to apologize to and I will sign and send the apology note home with your child. Please use this as an opportunity to support them as they work to make better choices.

I will always try to avoid taking recess away from a child; however, in order to give me time to conference with your child in a timely manner, I may have to use 5 minutes of their recess in order to talk to them away from the earshot of other children. No one likes their peers listening as they are being corrected! I will not contact parents for every small behavior that happens in class, if it is a problem I can address in class and fix it I will.  If it is a severe behavior problem or continues to occur then I will reach out to you.  I will also reach out if its something I feel you should be aware of.  

  Listed below are five main expectations that we will expect from your children in our first grade classrooms.  Please go over these with your child so they are aware of what is expected (they will also be reviewed often in class).

1.    Follow directions quickly the first time.

2.    Raise your hand for permission to speak

3.    Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.

4.    Make smart choices

5. Keep your dear teacher happy (good attitude and a smile 😊). 

Our class reward system is earning  money.  Students can earn class money for good behavior, passing off timings, passing off take home books, passing off numbers and letters, being good friends, having good manners, and so much more! Students love earning their own money! It empowers them to be able to choose what/how they reward themselves for doing their best, within our class store. 

In first grade, part of our math core is learning how to identify and count money so this is a fun way to have the kids practice earning, counting and best of all spending money.

Students will also be required to buy back the things that they lose (pencils, markers, assignments, etc.). I have found that kids tend to take better care of their supplies if they know they have to spend their own money to get them back. 

Learning requires lots of attention. To help keep students focused all toys must be left at home.  If toys are brought to school for “show n’ tell” or “sports balls” for recess they will remain in your child’s backpack until the appropriate time.  Toys used during inappropriate times will be taken and put away until the end of the day.  If it becomes a consistent problem, I will contact you. Any balls brought for recess will need be kept in a bag or backpack. We have had problems in the past with student heading home and another students tries to hit the ball out of their hand playing around and the ball rolls under a bus or in the parking lot.

Birthdays are an important part of each student’s life and our class would like to recognize every child’s birthday.  If your child would like to bring a treat to school in celebration of his/her birthday, they may do so.  Treats are strictly optional.  ALL edible treats must be bought and wrapped in the packaging from the place of purchase in compliance with the board of health rules.  Due to allergies in first grade no foods/treats with nuts are allowed.  Please keep in mind that there needs to be an ease of serving for your child as they pass out their treats at the end of the day.  We don’t have the means to refrigerate or freeze treats. I will send a note home with your child about when we will be celebrating their birthday, this included summer birthdays as well. 

Please make sure if your child needs medication to be administered at school or has an allergy to any food items that the proper forms are filled out and given to the office.  This needs to be done yearly. NO MEDICATION can be administered at school by us or even by the student themselves without the proper forms being filled out at the office. If you are in need of these forms, please call the office and they can direct you to where to get them.

Please do not send your child to school with cough drops.  Most have medication in them and I will have to take them until the end of the day.  A great alternative are mints but please let me know you are sending them so that they don't pass them out to classmates as treats.

Each student will have a binder that will be used for their home-to-school communication.  Homework, notes, book orders, corrected school work, etc. will be sent home in these binders. Please check your child’s binder daily and take out any completed work!  All homework, signed notes, etc. will need to be sent back to school in the folder as well. This is a great tool to help your child stay organized and the parents informed of the many things happening at school. In first grade, we are heavily working on responsibility, which means each morning I will call for any work or notes to be turned into our class turn in basket. I will remind the students to check in their binders for anything that needs to be turned in. It is your child’s responsibility to check and turn in the work and notes. I do not check the students’ backpacks or binders. 

THE HOMEWORK THAT WILL BE REQUIRED THIS YEAR IS 20 MINUTES OF NIGHTLY READING AND TAKE HOME BOOKS. 

     The 20 minutes can be utilized reading books that I may send home throughout the year, library books, or books from home. Please make sure to mark your 20 minutes on your reading calendars found in your communication binder. Extra calendars can be found on my class website. During the months of August and September you may count the minutes that you read to your child, if they are not able to read by themselves.  Starting in October, they will be expected to be reading to you.  Nightly reading improves your child’s reading skills and teaches them responsibility; but parental support is crucial.

       In summary your child’s homework will consist of 20 minutes nightly reading (don’t forget to fill out the reading calendar), and the take home reading books. 

*READING CALENDARS:

      All monthly reading calendars for the year will be in your child’s communication folder.  Each night your child reads 20 minutes or more he/she will color a picture on the front page of that month’s calendar.  Your child will need to pick one book a month to complete the comprehension assignment on the back of that month’s calendar. Monthly calendars will need to be taken out and placed in the “return to school” section the first school day of the next month.

*Take Home Books:

I will also be sending a “take-home bag” reading book for your child to use at home. I am asking that they read from this book for at least 10-15 of the 20 minutes each night, don't forget to coloring in your reading calendars.  You only need to read the stories in the book. The questions and activities at the end of each story are optional. 

In order to pass off a book, your child should be able to read each story with no more than one error per page. The best way to achieve this is to read each story 3 times before moving on to the next one. When you complete a book please send it back to school in your child's take home book bag and I will send a new one home. I will check for fluency before a new book is sent, so if your child comes home with the same book they will need to re-read it. The books I send are on your child’s individual reading level and should present a challenge, but not cause frustration. If you think that we need to move up or down a book level, please let me know. *Books should not be kept for more than 2 weeks!!! If a book is checked out for more than 2 weeks, the student’s money box will be “held ransom” until the book is returned.  :)

 *Your child will need to pass off 5 books per quarter. By the end of the year they should have passed off  20 books. Take home books are recorded on the student’s report cards and will count as 50 percent of their homework grade so please be sure to read, read, read!  

Please know that these are my own personal books that I have taken out of my class library. These books cost anywhere from $10-40.00. It is your responsibility to take care of these books and return them to me in the same condition that you received them. If a book is lost or damaged, you will be charged the current replacement price up to $25.00 so please be careful. The same will go with the take home bags that the books go in.  The bags cost $2 to replace if lost or damaged.  

 * If your child reads books other than their take home book please count those as well on their reading calendar, remember they need to read 20 minutes daily. 

SPELLING/MOST COMMON WORDS:

      For spelling this year, our class will be using Reading Horizons Discovery® for our phonics and spelling instruction. Research has found that combining reading and spelling instruction is more beneficial for literacy development than the traditional memorized weekly lists of words. First, we will cover a skill during reading instruction. Then, roughly two weeks later, we will cover that skill in spelling instruction with a focus on accurate spelling patterns and rules. Practice activities will take place in class. 

● Skill Words are words that follow the pattern of the spelling skill or skills described at the top of each page. Practicing these words in class will help your child master the spelling patterns that are taught in the lesson.

● Most Common Words include words from Fry’s Frequently Used Word List containing 300 of the most frequent words in the English language. The majority of words on this list will eventually follow the skills taught in Reading Horizons Discovery® programs. However, the five Most Common Words tested weekly are high frequency words that have irregular spellings according to what has been taught up to that point of instruction. 

** As students master the spelling patterns for each skill, they will be able to read and spell an endless number of words that follow the same patterns instead of simply memorizing words in a list.

A list of the Most Common Words can be found in your child’s communication folder in the resources section.

*MATH TIMINGS:

    Math timings are an important part of first grade.  By the end of first grade your child will need to be fluent in addition and subtraction by digits per minute. End of year goal for addition is 20 digits per minute, and subtraction is 12 digits per minutes, using a mixed practice timing. To help achieve this I start each student with +0, meaning that they need to be able to add zero to the numbers 0-9 (0+1, 0+2, etc.).  After passing off their +0 they will be moved on to +1, +2, etc., this will also be how subtraction is completed.  I will only be scoring them on the addition and subtraction up to making 10.  The rest are good practice and a way to achieve higher knowledge but won’t be graded.

In order to pass these addition and subtraction facts off they will be required to complete the practice timings within a two-minute time frame.  

By the end of 1st quarter your they need to have passed off up to +5, end of 2nd quarter they need to have passed off up to +10, end of 3rd quarter they need to passed off up to -5, and by the end of first grade they need to have passed off up to -10.

*XtraMath Website/App:

     In your child’s communication folder you will find a note with directions on how to sign up for the app (cost is $5) or online website (for free).

       The note has your child’s necessary information to be able to access his/her account and link it with their school account.

*Zearn Website:

       I’m excited to share that our class is using Zearn Math this school year.  Zearn Math is a top-rated math curriculum that personalizes learning for each student.  With Zearn math, your child will learn and practice math concepts in two ways-Whole Group Instructions with me, Small Group help with me, and Independent Digital Lessons during center time. By learning in these two rotations on a daily basis, every student in our classroom will deepen their learning of the big ideas in math for our grade.

       While working through Independent Digital Lessons, your child will learn and practice new concepts at his/her own pace.  Independent Digital Lessons include fun warm-ups to build math foundations, interactive videos to learn new concepts, paper and pencil work to transfer learning and lots of supportive, precise, and personalized feedback.

       During Whole Group Instruction with me, each student discusses their reasoning aloud with others, works with concrete objects to demonstrate their thinking, and receives feedback on their understanding.

I encourage you to explore Zearn Math with your child to learn more. Visit www.zearn.org and enter your child’s username and password that is on the sheet that is in your child’s communication folder. 

Centers are activity rotations that the students do within our class.  Your child will be required to complete four centers per day (except on days that your child has P.E. and library).  Each center is 15 min. and the activities in those centers should not take longer than that to complete.  During the time that the students are at centers I will be conducting guided reading groups with four to five students.  I do not get a chance to monitor the students work during this time so they are asked to work independently. 

Please make sure that your child understands the importance of getting their work done during the time allowed. If your child is involved with the reading group program, exceptions will be made because of lack of time.  Some center work is compiled into books and will not come home until the end of the year, whereas other center work may not come home at all due to being school materials, a few will come home on a weekly basis.

Outdoor breaks are for your child’s welfare. All students are expected to be outdoors during recess time. Exceptions will be made only with a signed note from a parent stating the reason for withdrawal from outdoor recess time. It is important that they be given a break from wearing their mask and getting fresh air.  I also use this time to clean our classroom and prepare for the next block of the day. Students will not be allowed to be in the halls, restrooms (except during bathroom break times), or classrooms during recess unless an exception is made. Please be sure to dress your child appropriately for the weather conditions. Make sure to label all your student’s belongings (jackets, backpack, lunchboxes, etc.) with both their first and last name. 

First graders have many papers and projects coming to and from school. Please choose a bag that will make it easier for your child to get those items home every day. Bags that are smaller than their papers or books can be very frustrating for a child. Please also make sure that your child’s name is written on their backpack. Your child should come to school with their backpacks daily. 

Staying hydrated is important for concentration. I am highly recommending students bring their own water bottles. I recommend sending a water bottle that covers the opening to avoid excess germs and avoids spills/breakage. Also, please avoid putting ice in the bottle unless it is a sweat proof design. We don’t want water all over their desks. Please clear liquids only to avoid staining our carpet. Be sure to put your child’s name on their water bottle. In order for it to stay on, I recommend a piece of clear packing tape over their name so that it doesn’t wear off with use.

Unlike kindergarten, our first grade rooms do not have bathrooms in the classrooms.  We will be taking multiple bathroom breaks throughout the day.  If your child has a medical condition that requires for him/her to use the bathroom more frequently, please let me know ASAP so we can make proper accommodations.  We are scheduling our breaks to avoid congestion in the halls and bathrooms.  We would like to keep them in our classrooms as much as possible. We have 4 specific times built into our schedule for first graders to use the restroom. These times are: first thing in the morning, just after morning recess, just before lunch, and just after afternoon recess.  Please talk to your child about taking the chance to use the restroom during these times. We always allow students to use the bathroom as needed for emergencies during class time. 

Our library and P.E. is scheduled on Tuesdays, unless you receive a Remind message indicating a switch for that week. Children will be allowed to check out one book. Please have your child return their book every Monday. The same book may be checked out for another week, however, it still has to be here so it can be scanned again. Please make sure that your child comes dressed in appropriate clothes and shoes for P.E. that day.  

Suggested Supply List (regular individual use):

● 2 binders (1⁄2” with clear front pocket, 1 white and 1 black)

● 5-10 Expo dry erase markers (black, fine tip)

● headphones labeled with student name (NO earbuds please)

● water bottle labeled with student name (flip top only, no twist-top, Not Pippin’s Class)

● pencil box (Pippin’s Class Only)

Appreciated Donations:

● Crayola markers

● 1-2 large hand sanitizer

● 2 rolls paper towels

● 25 pack of clear sheet protectors

● sanitizing wipes

● small prizes or small wrapped treats

● 1-2 reams of white copy paper

First grade is a big adjustment for kids with being at school all day, eating lunch, as well as the faster pace learning.  It usually takes 6 weeks for your child to acclimate to the new schedule.  They may come home the first little bit tired, saying they don't like school, it's hard, etc., but once they adjust to things it gets better.  Please reach out to me if you have concerns about this and we can work together to help your first grader. 

Lunch time can be an exciting time for first graders. We have 15 minutes for them to eat due to the size of our school and number of students.  To  help avoid hunger and frustration please take time before school to have your child practice opening packages and other things.  We have a few aides who help with lunch but the more your child is able to do on their own will help keep lunch an enjoyable time.