FIRST GRADE PARENTS NIGHT

September 2, 2011

Mrs. Klug and Mrs. Daniels

Contact information:
Beth_Klug@columbusacademy.org Taylor_Daniels@columbusacademy.org

Introduction:
We look forward to working with you to make your childs first grade experience a successful one! We believe it is our responsibility to keep communication open and honest. This evening will provide us the opportunity to begin this line of communication. We are a team! Each child will learn and grow at different rates, which is why learning is said to be developmental. We must take into consideration how a child learns best and when a child is ready to learn. In first grade, we work with the whole child (emotional, social, physical, cognitive). We try to reach each child based on individual interests (music, linguistics, movement, technology, mathematics) and learning styles (visual, auditory, tactile, or a combination). Although each child learns differently, at different rates, and has different abilities, each child CAN learn! We have high expectations for your childs first grade year at The Columbus Academy. This year, your child will gain a solid foundation and begin building on familiar skills and concepts. As your child is appropriately challenged and supported, he/she will continue to grow! It is our privilege to facilitate this growth and partner with you in your childs first grade experience!

Our Goals: 1. To help develop each child to his/her fullest potential 2. To motivate and foster each childs natural curiosity and love of learning in order to promote life long learning

Reading, writing, spelling, and phonics are closely related, supporting one another and are integrated daily. It is difficult to teach one in isolation or independent from the others. Reading Our main goal is that children develop enjoyment for reading and want to read, as well as realizing the importance of reading in their every day lives. We want children to be successful at their level (fluency and comprehension). Students are taught strategies and basic skills to help them read for meaning. Kinds of reading: 1. Guided Reading is generally taught in small groups. Students read books that interest them and are usually theme related. Books are typically on the students reading level or higher, giving the teacher an opportunity to teach reading strategies and make connections to the phonics program. Members of the group help each another construct meaning, use expression in their voice and decode words. 2. Independent Reading is individualized. The students read books independently for enjoyment. They select books using The Five Finger Rule. This is considered their D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) book. The students read these books at home and at school. These books are just right (on their level for comprehension and readability) or easier to read so that the student can practice fluency. Remember the purpose is the enjoyment one gets from reading a good book! 3. Shared Reading is generally taught to the whole class. The teacher reads aloud, asking students about mechanics as well as strategies for decoding and other skills needed to be successful when reading. Often, big books are used and interaction from the students is required. Writing Writing is the childrens opportunity to show what they have learned in phonics, spelling, and reading. As they demonstrate these skills, they also learn to express their feelings and thoughts, sometimes connecting and responding to stories theyve read. During creative writing time (writers workshop), student will focus on the six traits of writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. At times, children will take part in shared writing, where the class is working together to create a finished piece. In addition, students will incorporate technology into their writing.

First Grade Curriculum:

First grade spelling (developmental spelling) is encouraged, as the students have the opportunity to polish their writing when making the transition to conventional spelling. When students use first grade spelling, they are showing their understanding of the spelling patterns they have learned. The students have an opportunity to write daily. At times, they conference with peers or teachers to edit for mechanics and spelling and revise to add or delete, change story elements, or use interesting language to develop each piece of writing. In published work, most of the spelling will be corrected, although the ideas are authentic. We will be learning about various authors styles and genres so the students can write their own books for our annual Authors Celebration at the end of the year. Phonics It is necessary for children to develop a strong knowledge of how words work in all areas of literacy. We use The Phonics Dance to involve students with movements and rhymes to learn the individual sounds and sounds made by letter combinations (hunks and chunks). Our word wall plays an important part in this instruction, which gives the students another tool to use while learning to read, write, and spell. The words on the wall are generated by the students and then applied in their daily reading, writing, and spelling. Each day a new sound or hunk and chunk is learned/reviewed and interactive games are played. Spelling (MONSTER WORDS) Every Monday a new list of high frequency/sight words will be introduced and sent home. These monster words (common words that dont usually follow a pattern) will need to be memorized for the spelling reviews. The spelling reviews will be given on Fridays. Handwriting We use the DNealian handwriting style. We stress legibility, consistent shape, size, and spacing when forming the letters, as well as fluency and flow. Pencil grip and paper positioning are practiced and reinforced. Social Studies Our Social Studies curriculum is theme-based. The themes for the year include: Community at School (Friends, Teamwork, Respect), Global Marketplace, Traditions, Going West, and Japan. The ideas of diversity, C.A.R.E.S (our Lower School mission), Change, and Interdependence are embedded throughout the year as well. Map skills are taught throughout the year and are integrated into the various subjects and units.

Math There are many hands-on experiences built into in the Everyday Math curriculum. Math manipulatives are used to give a concrete model of the skills acquired and to aid in problem solving. There is much more to math than computation (although it is an integral part of math). Teaching strategies, as well as how math applies to every day living, is a large part of this program. Our math program offers a variety of ways to challenge how we think about math and gives the children a deeper understanding of the concepts taught. The math concepts and skills in this program spiral, so if a concept or skill is not mastered the first time it is presented, the children will see that same concept or skill over and over again throughout the year, leaving them plenty of opportunities to master it. We also integrate math during our calendar activities and a program called Math Mania. Finding patterns, counting, money, time, temperature, along with other skills and strategies are reinforced during this time. On occasion, the first grade students will be divided into small groups for math enrichment. This allows children to work with their peers from different first grade classrooms. The planned activities involve exploration and discovery. We use the SMART Board, math centers, and games to challenge learners and supplement our program. We frequently use Marcy Cooks Math Tiles for differentiation and the reinforcement of skills learned. Social/Emotional We consistently reinforce the importance of character education through: C.A.R.E.S: Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-control Conflict resolution, modeling, and role-playing (implemented to give students the power and tools to manage their own conflicts). Third grade buddies Self-reflections Star of the Week Read Alouds, Morning Meetings, end-of-the-day Wrap Ups (much discussion is had during these times) Positive reinforcement and reward systems Classroom jobs

Homework: Homework is given Monday through Thursday. Your child has a homework folder and D.E.A.R bag that he/she should bring home daily. This should be returned to school EVERY DAY (even if your child has not completed his/her homework)! If your child should forget their D.E.A.R. folder at school, they may read a book of their choice at home. You should provide a quiet place and a regular time for homework to be done. A routine needs to be set. Homework should take no longer than 25 minutes (15 minutes for reading and 10 minutes for the written portion). Homework should be an extension of what is being learned at school. It should not be new material, overly difficult or frustrating. Please contact us if it is and wed be more than happy to make modifications. To maintain regular communication between school and home, we use a system called Thursday Folders. 1C students keep their schoolwork from the week at school, which they then take home every Thursday to share with parents. This gives parents the opportunity to review the week's work with their child, and it is a great way of staying connected to their child's school experience. Inside the folder families will find the Ask Me About mini-newsletter. Some Thursday Folders will include a comment page with information regarding the childs school experience for the week. After reviewing the folder and reading the comment page, we ask parents to sign and date the slip and (if they wish) write a comment on the slip. Children are expected to bring the folder back to school on Friday in place of Thursday evening homework. It is our hope that parents will find this form of communication informative and that they will enjoy seeing their child's work! Reporting and Grading: Letter grades are not given in first grade. It is helpful to go over comments on your childs papers with your child. We base how well a certain child is progressing according to his/her own ability. This is done through: 1. Parent-Teacher Conferences 2. Portfolios 3. Running records, anecdotal records, journals, observations 4. Written and oral assessments Reports will be sent home in the Fall, Winter and Spring. These will include detailed remarks about the progress your child has made.

Miscellaneous Items: Make sure your childs name is on items brought from home. BIRTHDAYS: Students may share a treat (peanut-free) on their birthdays. They may share a favorite story (read by them, the teacher, or their parents). The birthday celebrations should be no longer than 15-20 minutes. Parents are welcome, but should schedule this with the teacher. Summer birthdays may be celebrated when its most convenient. School policy states that if you need to bring your child late or pick him/her up early, you must sign in/out in the lower school office. Newsletters will go out monthly. This is typically done through email and will also be attached to the blog. Please let me know if you would prefer a hard copy sent home via backpack. Classroom table assignments will be changed frequently so students can get to know a variety of friends. Lunch table assignment will also change throughout the year. Please check with Michelle Saling if you are interested in volunteering for Lunch Bunch. Each child will be selected to be the Star of the Week once during the year. The students will be asked to bring in photos and some other specific items during the week. The rest of the class will write about the Star and the Star will take home a book that his/her classmates have compiled. More information will be sent home when your child is scheduled to be the Star. Scholastic book orders will be sent home on occasion. Please do not feel obligated to order, however the books are usually inexpensive and there is a good selection of levels and topics. Bridget Sirak, our wonderful room mom, will continue to be a great resource for questions regarding school events and volunteer opportunities throughout the year. To create a sense of community, we have voted on a class name. 1C is now also known as The Fireballs! We are powerful and exciting, too!

BEFORE YOU LEAVE, PLEASE WRITE A NOTE TO YOUR CHILD! DONT FORGET PARENT CONFERENCES ON FRIDAY!