A Little First Grade Info: 

Welcome to first grade!  This is a very special year in your child’s life.  First grade is a time to experience important transitions and acquire new skills. During the year, your child will learn how to read, write stories, add, subtract and so much more.  I hope to instill a love of learning that will last a lifetime.   Here is some specific information to help you learn about our classroom. 

·        Morning: announcements, prayer and pledge will begin each day in the gym at 7:45 A.M.  Your child will be tardy after 8:00 A.M.  Please refer to the St. Joseph School Handbook for our policy on being tardy to school. 

·        Homework - Homework will be assigned Monday through Thursday. Homework is usually an extension of what we are learning in class.  On most days, homework will be Side B of Phonics, Side B of Math, and a Phonics Decodable Reader. Help your child establish a homework time each day.  Also, try to provide a well lit place where there will be little interruption.  The homework should be placed in the Yellow folder – Return to School.  I will send home completed assignments as soon as they are graded.     

·        My webpage-As soon as I have a chance, you will be able to find classroom information on my school web page.  I update the website every Monday or as needed.  I will send my weekly newsletter home “Ms. Nelson’s News” in your child’s Friday Folder.  The newsletter includes important dates, field trip information, and what we are learning in first grade.   

·        Spelling words – Students will be introduced to new spelling words every Monday beginning in September.  They will bring the list of words home on Monday to study for our Friday spelling assessment.  The spelling words will be listed on the class webpage.   

·        Absence- If your child is absent, every effort will be made to send home any make up work.  You may pick up any work in the office after lunch or I will send it home with a sibling. 

·        Classroom Management - to keep our classroom an organized and productive place to learn, we have established classroom rules.  Our classroom is a positive place to learn and keeping positive rules makes it run smoothly.  In first grade, we role model and discuss how to be a good friend to one another.  Please discuss these rules with your child.  1.        Raise your hand to talk.2.        Be kind to others.3.        When the teacher is talking, listen.4.        Walk when you are inside.5.        Use your talking voice when inside. 

·        Voice Levels: We will also use voice levels in our classroom.

LEVEL 0- No talking  Places for level zero:·        Hallways·        By the front office

LEVEL 1- Whisper Voice  Places for level one:·        Working at our desks or in small groups·        During workshop for reading groups

LEVEL 2- Talking Voice  Places for level two:·        Inside recess·        When answering a question

LEVEL 3- Playground Voice        ONLY used on the playground

Each child will receive classroom rewards for following the classroom rules. 

Some of the rewards are:

1.         Positive comments from teacher on a daily basis.

2.         Positive notes sent home with child.

3.         Extra time for special activities on Friday afternoon.

4.         Trips to the prize box.

·        Behavior- Each child has a worm on our class behavior wall.  There are 4 different positions which represent their classroom behavior.  Each child will start the day crawling on the wall.  Their worm will crawl to the next position for misbehavior. 

The positions and consequences are as follows:              

Branch:  Good Behavior

Green Apple: Warning

Yellow Apple: 5 minutes of recess lost

Red Apple: 10 minutes of recess lost and a note sent home to parents. 

·        Snacks: I allow the students to have a snack at school. We have snack at recess in the afternoon.   

·        Lunch- We eat lunch each day at 11:15 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.  Please feel free to stop in and eat with your child.  Be aware that if you plan to eat school lunch with your child you send me a note so I can order it.   

·        Water- During the hot weather, a reusable water bottle may be sent to school.  Please be sure that it has a lid.   

·        Birthdays – You may send in a simple treat to celebrate your child’s birthday.  We will do birthday celebrations before our recess time in the afternoons. We have 13 students in our class. 

·        Classroom Helpers:  Each day, the children have the opportunity to work in small groups.  During this “workshop time” I usually take the children in small reading groups to work on skills, guided reading and writing.      

·        Car Seat Rule:  Kentucky law requires that all children under 7 years and under 70 Pounds to be secured in a car seat or booster seat. Booster seats are required at St. Joseph School on all field trips.

First Grade Curriculum Guide

 Religion- In first grade we use the text Blest Are We by Silver Burdett as our primary educational resource.  Daily prayer, scripture sharing, and participation at Mass are also included in our religion curriculum.  * Mass will be on Tuesday mornings at 8:05 A.M. 

Language Arts/Phonics – the area of literacy includes reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  We use the Saxon Phonics program which plays a large part in our instruction.  Spelling words, phonics rules, grammar, sight words, writing and reading are all areas addressed by this program.  In addition to phonics we also use the Treasures reading series by Macmillan McGraw- Hill for further literacy development.  This series helps develop the students’ reading fluency, comprehension, and grammatical progress and writing skills.  They will also write frequently in their personal journals and participate in creative writing activities.  Other ways that reading is embedded in our program is through D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read), shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading activities such as taking Accelerated Reader tests. Our reading program also includes educational television programs offered through KET.   

Math- We use the Saxon Math program as our primary source of Math instruction.  This program encompasses computation, geometry, word problems, and daily math activities.  In many math lessons, the students use manipulatives to help develop their understanding of the math concepts presented.  The students also have Calendar time at least three times a week.  This gives them the opportunity to work on calendar skills, money, time, counting patterns, place value, and graphing. 

Science- The basis for first grade science is observation and classification of the natural world.  Using this approach the students will study elements that are common to our area and are developmentally appropriate, such as insects, weather, rocks, plants, animals, and oceans.  We will be using the textbook, Science by Harcourt.   

Social Studies – We will be using the Social Studies textbook by Harcourt.    Through the development of thematic units the students will be studying community helpers, famous Americans, government, economics, geography, and aspects of history. 

Workshop- Workshop time is designed for the students to practice and apply what they have learned.  It is also a time where they are encouraged to work cooperatively with others.  The students complete a math worksheet concentrating on addition and subtraction facts.  Practice weekly spelling words through various activities:  write words three times each, alphabetical order, and practice with a partner.    

Special Area Classes – The students will also be participating in special area classes each week. 

 Monday:  Art, Spanish

Tuesday:  Mass, Music, P.E.     

Wednesday:  Library, Computer

Thursday:  P.E., Computer

Friday: Music    

Accelerated Reading (AR)-  Your child can read a book at home or at school.  Be sure that the book is listed on our AR list. The list can be found on the school website.  If a book is read at home, send in the title of the book with your child.  The first grade students can take an accelerated reading test during computer lab classes on Wednesday and Thursday.  This test is a comprehension test that can be 5-10 questions (depending on book length) that your child will read and answer independently.  The students will receive a certificate on Friday morning when goals/point values are reached.  I do not require the students to take an AR test at this time.   

Building Three Weather Rules:  We do not put on coats to go the other buildings during the winter months.  It is important that your child wear appropriate clothing (pants and long sleeves) and bring a sweater or sweatshirt to wear.       

I hope this provides a good overview of what we will be doing in the first grade.  Procedures may change throughout the year, as I become more familiar with the students and their needs.  I am confident I can offer your child an exciting, challenging, and successful year!  I appreciate your cooperation and support. If you would like to have a conference, please feel free to contact me.  I would be happy to set up a time to meet with you.  You can contact me at school 842-1235 or through my school email snelson@stjosephschoolbg.org   Once again, welcome to our first grade family!  I look forward to meeting and working with each family.  I would like to take this time to thank you for entrusting your child to me.  Together, we will make this school year a positive and wonderful learning experience for your child.   

Sincerely,Ms. Stephany Nelson
 

Class Information:

Spelling for September 7

Regular List Words: a, an, at, tap, lot, nap, tan, zip, lap, pit

Challenge List Words: risk, craft, clasp, blond, brand, bask, kilt, crisp, scab, scrap

Sentences:  1.  Nap on it.   2.  Zip a top.

Spelling Test every Friday

Ms. Nelson’s News

September 3, 2010 

In the white envelop today you will find First Quarter Mid-term Report and your child’s AR Report.  Some of the students have not begun taking AR tests, they are not required to participate at this time.  

Please note I have changed the Science Test to Tuesday, September 14^th. J 

Please make a note of the small changes made to the grading scale:

93-100             A

85-92               B

77-84               C

76-71               I - Improvement needed

70 – below        T- Needs more time to develop 

If you have any concerns please feel free to contact me. 

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