2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR

Welcome to First Grade

Curriculum Night with

Mrs. Wimbles!

Reading

Word WallFirst Grade Sound CardsSight Word Cards/ListsHoughton Mifflin StoriesTrade BooksIndependent

readingPoetry

Additional Room 203

Classroom Supplies

90 Sheet Protectors (Optional, but recommended)

1-2 reusable, pop up style water bottles

Poetry

A new poem is read each day.I read the poem, students echo read, then we

choral read it together.We discuss vocabulary and the meaning of

the poem.After reading and discussing the new poem,

we review previously taught poems. Students circle the quick and easy words, put

a square around letter combinations, and illustrate the main idea of the poem.

The poetry lessons…

build vocabulary.teach comprehension strategies.involve modeling of what fluent reading

sounds like and provides students the opportunity to practice fluency.

build the child’s sight word bank.

Poetry

The students will bring their binders home every weekend.

Review poems together Highlight sight words Illustrate unfinished poems together Students will memorize these poems. It is important

to make sure that when you are reviewing poems together your child is tracking each word with his/her finger using a smooth, sweeping motion.

Walk-to-Read

We will level students based on their September assessment results (sight word count, sounds knowledge, and Read Well Placement test).

Walk-to-read will begin around the last week of September (after reading assessment information has been gathered).

There will be five reading groups. The curriculums utilized in walk-to-read include

Read Well and Read Well Plus. (SIPPS is also used as supplemental material.)

Walk To Read

Grouping is flexible and based on student needs.

Students who complete the 38 units of Read Well will move into the Read Well Plus curriculum.

Students who successfully complete Read Well Plus, will be at a 2.8 reading level and will move on to 3rd grade level trade books.

Sight Words

Sight Words are formally assessed in September, January and May. Additional progress assessments are completed in November and

March. Students entering first grade should read 50, or more, of the

first 100 words from Fry Instant Words with automaticity. These are common words first graders read without hesitation or

sounding out.  The May sight word goal for first grade is 200+/300. To ensure that children meet the May goal, students are

expected to have 100+/300 sight words memorized by January.

Students who have already mastered all 300 sight words should set their own personal goal. Additional lists can be downloaded from my website under the

“Documents” tab.

Sight Words (continued)

It is important to practice sight words regularly as part of your child’s 20 minutes of reading homework. How you study with your child is up to your family. Here are a few suggestions: Check lists (Checklists and sight word phrases can be downloaded from the “Documents” tab

on my classroom SWIFT site.)

Flashcards Visit sight word links on our classroom SWIFT site Tape new sight words to the bathroom mirror or write them on

Post-its. Print out weekly words and tape them to the back of the seat in

your car for on the go practice. Write new words each week on a white board in a visible

location in your home, like the kitchen or living room.

Reading

Independent PracticeSmall GroupDifferentiated Instruction

Oral Reading Fluency Progress Monitoring

Oral Reading Fluency is tested monthly. Please look for your child’s progress sheet in the take home

folder each month.

The state standard for May in first grade is 50-65+ words correct per minute, with 97%-100% accuracy.

Students are timed for one-minute on an unfamiliar first grade passage. The timer starts as soon as the student says his/her first word.

The student stops reading at the end of the one-minute timing and is then asked to retell the story in his/ her own words.

Oral Reading Fluency Progress Monitoring

Spelling

Spelling lessons and homework will begin the last week of September.

Tests will be on Thursdays and the new words will come home on Thursdays. You will also find the word list each week on our classroom website under

the “Homework” tab.

Make sure your child can read the words before you practice spelling.

I will provide a list of study strategies with the first spelling list. You will also be able to view and download a list of spelling strategies on

our classroom website under the “Documents” tab.

Math

Common Core StandardsDaily Math Expressions lessons

Daily Homework Sheets Math Fact Practice

Class calendar and group activitiesComputer lab skills practice

Math Expressions

It combines a blend of traditional and standards-based instruction.

Math Expressions is a complete K-5 mathematics curriculum— offering a variety of methods and strategies to teach and learn mathematics.

It combines elements of standards-based instruction with the best of traditional approaches.

Math Expressions uses objects, drawings, conceptual language, and real-world situations to help students build mathematical ideas that make sense to them.

The program covers 100% of the common core standards in math.

Lessons include interventions, on-level, and challenge differentiation to support student needs.

Whole Group Support & Practice

Core Classroom Structures

Math Talk

Quick Practice

Student Leaders

Building Concepts

Helping Community

Writing

Daily Journal WritingMonthly writing prompts D.O.L. (Daily Oral Language) Exercise to teach

proper grammar, use of punctuation and capitalization.

Mon.-Thurs. handwriting homework sheets (beginning in October)

Young Authors

Young Authors is a school-wide culminating writing project that takes place May-June.

Science

Foss Science Kits“New Plants”“Solids & Liquids”

“Wind & Weather”

Science Units of StudyMoonWater Cycle

Art

I will present an art lesson at least once a week; usually on Fridays. I teach art using the direct instruction model for the majority of the art lessons we do, but there are plenty of opportunities for students to express themselves independently

Art Docents typically teach one lesson a month. They introduce various artists, teach specific art techniques, and provide

students opportunities to apply those techniques

Note: The PTA Art Reflections Programtakes place in October. It is a great opportunity for students to show off their artistic abilities. Look for more information from PTA.

Classroom Rules

Treat others the way that you want to be treated. This means to be kind to everyone through your words and actions.

Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourselfFollow directions the first time they are asked…”the fast

way”Look, lean and whisper during buddy sharingRaise your hand to share outBe a good listener (eyes on the speaker, voice off, body still)No talking during quiet work times (daily journal writing,

tests, independent reading)Always use walking feet, with the exception of grass and big

toy areas.

 

“Paw”sitive Behavior

We use a color system in our class. Students begin the day with their clips on green.

Pink: Outstanding (caught behaving great 3+ times) Purple: Great Choices (caught behaving great twice) Blue: Good day (caught behaving great once) Green: Ready to learn Yellow: Slow down and think! (one warning and conference with the

teacher) Orange: Consequence Red: Parent contact (Following two warnings and two conferences

with the teacher, the student’s behavior continued to disrupt the learning community. The student will owe recess and journal about his/her behavior.

Write-Up: Visit to the principal and parent notification. (After moving to red, the child continued to disrupt the learning environment and made no effort to change his/her behavior.)

Certain behaviors; such as, fighting, destruction of property, defiance, biting, etc., will result in an immediate red, write-up, and visit to the principal’s office. Please review the student handbook, the district’s Harassment, Bullying and Intimidation (HIB) policies and classroom rules with your child.

Appropriate behavior will be reinforced with special privileges, awards, tickets, positive notes or phone calls, stickers and special treats.

Behavior Management

*Students will keep a behavior log in their daily take-home folders and record their own stoplight color at the end of each school day.

*Students will be rewarded for purple and pink behavior with treasure box drawing tickets.Students on orange and red may need to spend time reflecting on their behavior through timeouts, loss of recess and/journal writing.

*The goal is for all students to engage in pro-social behavior throughout the school day (during various activities). The consequences provided help students to learn to reflect on their behavior.

“Paw”sitive Behavior

General Health Information

Children should practice frequent hand washing!

Children should sneeze and cough into their elbow.

Keep your child home for at least 24 hours after a fever or vomiting.

Children with a mild cold should attend school, unless they have a severe cough.

Morning Snack

Please pack one small, healthy snack for your child each day. It should be small enough for your child to eat in 10

minutes and fit into a sandwich bag. Example; string cheese, baby carrots, apple slices,

pretzels, banana, crackers. (Cookies, candy and chips are not healthy snacks.)

Note: It is best to keep snacks in an outside pocket of your child’s backpack, rather than in his/her cold lunch sack.

Water Bottles

Water bottles are encouraged as the classroom can become very warm at the beginning of fall and late in the spring.

Pop-up tops are necessary, because they alleviate large spills. Please no juice or pop. Please do not freeze water bottles…as they weep or “rain” onto the desks.

Volunteers

Volunteers are appreciated.Please provide the office with a current volunteer

form and a copy of your drivers license. Good for two years

Each month I will provide a volunteer sign-up or, if you prefer, you can email me your available dates/times.

I will post the monthly volunteer schedule on our classroom website under the “Volunteer Calendar” tab.

Lunch Money

I strongly encourage paying for lunches in advance to alleviate the problem of lost lunch money.  (Parents may utilize the “Lunch Money Now” website to manage their child’s account from home.)  If you prefer to write one check at the beginning of each month, this is also an efficient option. The office staff requires that you include your child’s student number on

the check. In addition, the office staff receives numerous checks each day and therefore it is also helpful to notate “lunch money” on your check. 

If you send cash, I ask that it come to school either in a sealed

envelope or plastic baggie with the following information included on the front:

Lunch MoneyStudent’s Name (first and last)

Also, if your child eats cold lunch on a regular basis, it is a good idea to have 1 or 2 lunches purchased in advance…just in case your child

forgets his/ her lunch at home.

This and That

Transportation Written permission from home (signed by a parent/guardian) is required for any

type of dismissal other than the normal routine. WE CANNOT TAKE YOUR CHILD’S WORD FOR ANY CHANGES IN TRANSPORTATION.

Belongings Please write your child’s first and last name (with a permanent marker) inside

all jackets/sweaters/sweatshirts, lunch pails, and backpacks.

Toys Toys are not allowed at school. Please do not allow your child to bring toys,

trading cards or costume jewelry to school. Birthdays

If you would like to send in a birthday treat to celebrate your child’s birthday, please phone or leave a note in your child’s homework folder, at least one day prior, so I can set aside some time in our day.

Birthday invitations may only be given out if the entire class or all of the children of the same gender are invited. If you plan on inviting only a few students from our class, I ask that you give out invitations outside of school. Thank you for your consideration.

Daily Take Home Folder

Your child received a folder on the first day of school. 

The folder will come home every day.  This is where your child will put his/her homework and any papers that need to go home.  It is also where you can put anything that needs to be sent to school (notes, school forms, popcorn money, lunch checks, etc.).

Please initial the Reading & Behavior log in the back pocket of the folder and empty out old papers daily.

Thank you for making sure your child returns it each day!

Specialist Schedule

Monday- MusicTuesday- P.E. (Remember to wear tennis shoes!)Wednesday- MusicThursday- P.E. (Remember to wear tennis

shoes!)Friday- Library (Books due on Thursday)

Specialist Times:

1:10-1:40 Monday-Friday

Room 203 Events

August: Meet the TeacherSeptember: All School BBQ/ApplesauceOctober: First Grade Open House/ Harvest PartyNovember: Special Guest Day/Cranberry BreadDecember: Holiday Sing-a-long/Stocking Stuffer PartyFebruary: Valentine’s Day Party/ 100th Day CelebrationMarch: Read Across America DayMay: Mother’s Day TeaJune: Doughnuts For Dads/Young Authors/Field Day

Field Trips & First Grade Play TBA