Welcome!!Before we start please take a minute to fill out the forms on the RIGHT side of your child’s desk:

1. Inclement Weather/Emergency Release

2. Mt. Bethel Sibling Info(Please leave BOTH of these in the

basket on the reading table before you leave)

3. Love Note-write your child a special note and leave it on their desk for them!

Welcome Welcome toto

First GradeFirst Grade

Welcome Welcome toto

First GradeFirst Grade

The ABC’s of The ABC’s of Mrs. Mullins’ ClassMrs. Mullins’ Class

AAbsences: If a student should miss school because of illness or a

death in the immediate family, please send in a note excusing the absence upon the return of the student to school.

In the note please include your child’s first and last name and dates he/she was absent. Please send in a note, not an email so I can turn it in.

If your child goes to the doctor or dentist please get a note from them when you are there.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES:3 Absences—The teacher will contact parent through email or telephone.

5 Absences—A letter/email/call will be sent from a school administrator regarding absences.

7 Absences—A referral will be made to the School Social Worker.

AAccelerated Reader: This program is used as a

supplement to our reading curriculum. AR helps to make reading fun and exciting for every student. It is also used to personalize instruction so every student achieves maximum success.

Announcements: Announcements begin at 7:45. Please help your child start his/her day off right and help them to be at school on time

BBirthdays: We love to celebrate special days. Please let me know ahead

of time if you would like to bring a treat for your child's birthday. Cupcakes or cookies are an easy option. If you send a cookie cake, please have it cut ahead of time as we do not have access to cutting tools here!!! Juice boxes are allowed if you wish as long as they are clear. Napkins/plates are always appreciated!!!

We will have our celebrations as our daily schedule allows- I ask that treats be sent with the child in the morning or dropped off in the office by 11 am. This is a special time for your child to share with his/her classmates!

**Allergies**

BBook Buddies: Our book buddies will be Mrs. Cabral’s

second grade class. We will meet with our book buddies every other Friday and your child will be able to be read too and have the opportunity to read to his/her book buddy. We will also incorporate some writing activities.

BLOG: Our class will have a BLOG this year dedicated to providing information on what is happening in our classroom! I will be posting newsletters weekly along with anything important that you should be aware of and lots of pictures of our fun days in first grade!! Please be sure to check this often!Our class BLOG is:

http://cobblearning.net/hmullins/

B

Book Orders: Scholastic Book Orders will be sent home monthly. This is a great way to encourage and excite your child about reading! Reading as a reward is an incredible way to communicate the importance of and instill the joy of reading in young children.

The first order for the year is on your child’s desk

with a letter on top with all the instructions and directions!!

CCoGAT: (Cognitive Abilities Test) Students will

take this September 18-September 20. This test CAN NOT be studied for and consists of puzzles, analogies, patterns, etc.

Comprehension: Comprehension is a key element in a child’s reading development. Reading without true understanding is simply word calling. Reading comprehension is a MAJOR part of our Reader’s Workshop and will be addressed in many new and interesting ways each day!

CCommon Core: We continue to implement the nationwide Common Core Curriculum! We feel the curriculum standards provide healthy challenges with their depth of knowledge and rigor, while still being very developmentally appropriate for first graders! The county has provided us with great resources and training throughout the past year and will continue to do so in the coming years. Please continue to check my blog for information on what skills we’re learning on a weekly basis!

CCommunication: I believe

communication between the teacher, school, and parents is absolutely essential in order for each student to be successful. PLEASE let me know any concerns, questions or comments you have!

D

Dress Code:Please refer to the Mt. Bethel Dress Code policy in your Mt. Bethel PTA calendar. Tennis shoes are to be worn on all PE days. Please refer to the SPECIALS calendar each day so your child is wearing appropriate footwear.

DDiscipline

Level E – Excellent (BLUE)I am a Model Citizen.

I do the right thing no matter who is watching.I am a role model for my classmates.

I go out of my way to be helpful.

Level S – Satisfactory (GREEN)I am on the Right Track.

I am following rules and directions.I know how to behave in the hall, cafeteria and playground.

My teacher can rely on me to make good choices.

Level N – Needs Improvement (YELLOW)I need to make Better Choices.I need to think about my behavior.

I need to show my teacher that I can make good choices.I need to treat others with respect.

Level U – Unsatisfactory (RED)My behavior is Unacceptable.

I need to follow rules and directions.I need to respect others.

I need to accept responsibility for my choices.

EEmail Procedures:

The best way to get in touch with me is via email. I check my email throughout the day and will be able to respond quickly to any questions or concerns. It is easier for me to make phone calls after school, so if you need me to call you, send me an email and I will call you as soon as I can after dismissal.

My email address is : Heather.Mullins@cobbk12.org

EEarly Checkout:

If you need to pick your child up early for any reason PLEASE make sure you do so by 1:45 at the latest. The front office is a very busy place at the end of the day and they will not check out students to parents after 1:45.

Eminder: PTA sends weekly Eminders with important

information, dates, and upcoming events. You can sign up for these when you complete the online parent contact form.

FField Trips: Please stay tuned for upcoming field

trip permission forms and chaperone opportunities! Field trip money will be collected using the white money collection envelopes. You will receive an overview of the money you’ve sent in from our book keeper throughout the year. Students need to wear their purple class t-shirts on field trip days. Class shirts are ordered through the PTA.

GGrading:

Measures progress toward the standard. Students will receive the following :

– 3+ In addition to the 3, makes applications and inferences beyond expectations

– 3- Consistently meeting the standard– 2- Progressing toward meeting the standard– 1 – Limited or minimum progress toward

meeting the standardPlease keep in mind first grade is a developmental year and students learn at different rates. Therefore, it is the expectation students will be progressing towards the standard.

HHandwriting:

Zaner-Bloser HandwritingEach child needs to purchase a handwriting book from PTA. Please do this asap if you have not already done so. We will practice this daily. If your child is struggling additional practice at home will greatly help! There is a sample handwriting page in your packet tonight for you to keep at home.

HHomework:

I will begin to send home homework for the students in October. The assignments will come home nightly; however, I do not expect the students to spend more than about 10 minutes each night on their homework. In addition to homework, students should also be reading every night.

Monday—ComprehensionTuesday—Word Work Wednesday—MathThursday—Poetry Journals for fluency

IItems Left at Home: If you child leaves

something at home, and you bring it to school for them, please leave it in the office. Do not bring it to the classroom. Items will be delivered twice at day by office volunteers at 10:00 am and 12:00.

Items Left at School: Please LABEL your child’s personal belongings such as coats, backpacks, lunch bags, water bottles, etc. I will label any class supplies that will be kept separately from our communal supplies. The LOST AND FOUND is located in the first hall across from the office!!!!

LLunch: Our lunch time is 11:44-12:14.

Lunch Visitors: We welcome parents and grandparents to join us for lunch. However, the school asks that you not bring lunch from an outside restaurant for your child. When visiting your child for lunch, make sure to sign in as a visitor, and then wait for us at the entrance to the Dining Room. I also ask that you tell your child Good-Bye in the Dining Room so that we can get right back to work when we return to our classroom.

LListening: One of the most important work habits in first grade is

listening. I stress the importance of this from day one! Students HAVE to be able to listen in order to be as successful as possible in first grade.

Lunch Extras: Students have a choice at lunch to buy EXTRA items-some of these include ice cream, canned drinks, and chips. Each of these cost the student additional money. PLEASE talk with your child and let them know if it is ok for them to purchase these things. In the past some students have drained their accounts very quickly and parents have come to find out they are buying ice cream everyday in addition to their regular lunch.

MMedia Center: We will visit the Media Center once a week as

a class, however, your child may exchange books as often as needed. We will visit the media center every WEDNESDAY.

Mystery Reader: We will have a Mystery Reader each Friday beginning at 8:00. Mystery Readers are a secret, so please don’t tell your child when you are coming to visit. You should plan on bringing books with you to read. These can be your child’s favorite books or seasonal books. You will be able to read from 8:00-8:30. Reminders will be posted weekly in the newsletter on the blog.

Medication: The clinic will administer any should your child

need to take medication while at school. Please note that no

medication can be transported on the bus. You will need to bring the medication to the clinic. Also please let of know of any medical concerns or allergies.

N, O

Newsletter: A weekly newsletter will posted to our BLOG each

Thursday. An email notice will be sent to your email when the newsletter is ready to be viewed. Please make sure you take time to read over this as it is always filled with lots of important information.

On Line Resources: Our class BLOG will be full of on line resources. Please refer to

our BLOG for help in reading, math, and language arts. http://cobblearning.net/hmullins

The Mt. Bethel BLOG homepage is also full of resources for you.

http://www.cobbk12.org/MtBethel

PParent/Teacher Conferences: Parent/Teacher Conferences are an opportunity for us to

discuss your child’s progress both socially and academically. Conferences will be held October 21st-October 25th. However, if you need to schedule additional conferences, I am always available to you throughout the year.

Parent Volunteers: Once a month First Grade Teachers will meet as a grade

level in order to plan collaboratively for two hours. During our absence, we will ask parents to volunteer in our classrooms. You must be trained through Mt. Bethel in order to be a parent sub. There are two training sessions planned:

August 20th: 9:00 amAugust 26th: 1:00 pm

Q

Questions:

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me anytime. Remember the quickest response is through EMAIL. No question is silly, please don’t hesitate to ask!

R

Reading is So So Important!:You are a great model for your child. Children love to snuggle up with a parent and listen to a story. Please look for your child’s BAG OF BOOKS to come home shortly- this reading bag will contain books from our reading group. Look for a more detailed letter about this special bag when it first comes home!

Reading Logs: Reading logs will come home each month. They are very easy to fill out. Please help your child develop the responsibility for these and keep them somewhere safe. At the end of each month please total students minutes and return these.

RReflections: At the end of each day, as a class,

we will discuss our day and then the students will write a short reflection of what they did or they will write about something they enjoyed. This promotes oral language and conversation at home. Please review this with your child at night and initial.

SSpecials: We have specials each day from 12:20-1:05. Please

refer to the schedule I send home in your child’s folder monthly to know which special your child will be going to. Tennis shoes are required for PE.

Star Polisher Poem: I included this poem in your packet of information on your child’s desk. It is my favorite poem and reminds me everyday why I do what I do! (and it adds to my love of stars that I'm sure you can tell by the amount of them around the room )

SSight Words: Some words students cannot really sound out

and must learn to read them by recognition. We call these sight words. In First Grade we will work all year with the words towards a goal of knowing 200+ by the end of first grade. Please look in your Open House packet for the complete list of 200 words expected to be mastered by May!

Snack: We will have snack daily. Students are responsible for bringing in their own snack. Please provide your child with a healthy snack. Students may also bring water if they like. Students may not bring red juice, sports drinks, tea, or sodas. Students have lunch earlier then when in kindergarten; therefore a small, healthy snack is all that is necessary. We will have snack between 9:00 and 9:30 daily. Having chips or chocolate at 9:00am does not make for a very productive afternoon for first graders! Please remember this as you plan your child’s snacks! Thank you so much for your support of this as it makes your child’s time with me at school as effective as possible!

TTake Home Folders: Your child will bring home a RED folder

each night. Important papers and your child’s classwork will be in there. Sometimes there will be items in the folder and some days it may be empty. I sign these daily, so if you need to send in a note, this is a safe place to store it.

Transportation Changes: Your child's safety is important to me so please let me know if he or she will go home a different way than usual by sending a note. If your child is going home with a friend on a different slot please make sure you fill out the full page change of dismissal bus pass and send it in with your child. This can be found on Mt. Bethel’s main blog page. I also have included one copy for you on your child’s desk tonight.

If a change needs to occur later in the day or you forgot to send a note, PLEASE CALL or FAX a note

to the front office!

WWork Habits: A huge part of first grade is

developing positive work habits. We work really hard on this from putting our name on all of our papers, to keeping our room neat, to keeping up with our materials. It is an on going process, but we set the stage in first grade.

Water: Research shows students are able to attend to a task longer if well-hydrated! Please pack a REUSABLE water bottle each day! Please make sure they are labeled with your child’s name.

XYZ

Your Support: Thank you so much for your support. I

could not do what I do without you.

I look forward to a wonderful year with all

of you!

(Please turn your in your forms on the reading table and don’t forget to

leave your child’s love note on their desk )