First Grade Back to School Night

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First GradeBack to School Night
Welcome to the Jungle!

• We are wild about learning!

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First Grade Team
Mrs. Pennington Room 2

• Mrs. Casper Room 3

• Mrs. Thompson Room 5

• Mrs. McKinney Room 4

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Contact Information

• The key to a successful school year is
  communication from home to school. We encourage
  you to email us with any questions or concerns.
• If you need to talk to us during the school day
  please call the office at 881-1720. The
  secretary will put you through to our voice mail.

First Grade Teachers Room 2- Mrs. Pennington
X1802 penningtonbe_at_centergrove.k12.in.us
Room 3- Mrs. Casper X1803
casperm_at_centergrove.k12.in.us Room 4- Mrs.
McKinney X1804 mckinneym_at_centergrove.k12
.in.us Room 5- Mrs. Thompson X1805
thompsond_at_centergrove.k12.in.us
Please look for weekly newsletter from the school
and monthly newsletters from the first grade
teachers.
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Cafeteria

• Lunch is 2 per day. Students will also be able
  to purchase water and snacks at an additional
  cost.
• If you are going to have lunch with your child,
  please check in with the office and wait at the
  cafeteria.
• Lunch times Rooms 23 1205-1235 Rooms
  45 1210-1240
• When your account is below 10, you will be given
  a cafeteria statement showing the amount in your
  childs account. When you send in lunch money,
  please put your childs name, room number and the
  amount on the envelope. If you are paying by
  check, please put the check number on the outside
  of the envelope. This is important because the
  cafeteria keeps the envelope for their records.

If you have any questions or concerns about lunch
or the amount of money in your childs account,
please contact the cafeteria, Pam Shirley EXT.
1843.
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Notes to School

• Please send in a note if your child
• is absent
• has an appointment
• is leaving early
• has a transportation change.
• These notes can be sent to school in your childs
  green folder.
• When picking up your child from school early you
  
• must sign them out from the office.

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Money/Book Store

• If you send money to school for any reason,
  please make sure you place it in a sealed
  envelope. Label with childs name, room number,
  and purpose of money.
• Place envelope in green folder.
• Book store hours
• Book store purchases write what supplies your
  child needs on the outside of the envelope.
• Each child needs to purchase a flash drive from
  the bookstore.

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Field Trips

• We will be taking one field trip to the
• Childrens Museum in ..
• More information will be coming home later.

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Student Handbooks

• Students will be bringing home a Student Handbook
  on the first day of school.
• Take note of the school policies regarding
  electronics, trading cards, and backpacks.
• Please do not send any toys from home to school.
• There is also a list of recess rules in the
  handbook.

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Food/Treats

• We are so excited that we all have new
  carpet!!!!!
• Students may purchase breakfast in the cafeteria
  if needed.
• We will not be having daily snacks in our
  classroom.
• When we have a special snack for projects, we
  will ask for donations.
• Please pre-arrange birthday treats with your
  childs teacher. Please send in prepackaged
  treats. Also, we request that you do not send in
  any drinks.

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Folders /Daily Log

• Folders Red- stays at school
• Green- goes home each day
• The Green folder will come home every night.
  This folder needs to be checked by parents every
  night and papers should be removed each day,
  except for the Daily Log.
• Daily Log This will list daily activities and
  homework. Please check this log each day for
  updates. This paper must be kept in the green
  folder all week.
• A helpful suggestion for you keep your own
  folder at home with important information,
  previous spelling lists, newsletters, etc. for
  easy access and review throughout the year.

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Responsibility andIndependence

• It is our goal for your child to become an
  independent and responsible citizen.
• Here is how you can help
• ?Teach and encourage your child to tie his/her
  own shoes, zip coat, snap and button clothing.
• ?Learn and practice address (including zip
  code), phone number (with area code), parents
  cell number, and birth date.
• ?Help your child by holding them responsible
  for their own homework and behavior. Let them
  pack their own backpacks the night before school,
  etc.

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Homework

• Assignments can be found on the Daily Log.
• Check on Monday to see the homework for the
  entire week.
• Please expect 3-4 nights of homework each week.
• Our homework is necessary reinforcement of the
  skills taught in the classroom and review for
  tests.
• Homework is due the next day unless otherwise
  noted.

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Behavior/Citizenship

• We have a discipline/citizenship plan that is
  based on our school creed.
• In first grade, we will say this creed each day
  and discuss what it means to us.
• Each day you need to check the back of the Daily
  Log to see if your child has received any marks.
  This is our form of daily behavior communication
  between teacher and parents.
• Please sign the daily log on Friday and return to
  school on each Monday.

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Rewards/Consequences

• Recognition, privileges, incentives, and fish
  slips will be given to children who demonstrate
  good choices and positive citizenship in the
  classroom.
• Consequences The first mark on the clock will be
  a WARNING. Each mark after that will be 5
  minutes off recess. This will start over each
  week.

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Math

• Math Facts are a major focus for first grade.
• We begin the school year with a concrete approach
  to math facts with many hands-on activities.
• (Mastery of addition and subtraction facts to 5
  by December)
• (Mastery of addition and subtraction facts to 10
  by May)
• Students need to be able to solve addition and
  subtraction facts to 20 using manipulatives.
• Students will have 5 seconds per problem.
• We will do written and computer assessments.
• Practicing math facts at home is IMPORTANT!!!!
• We will be sending home a more detailed letter
  and flash cards in October.
• www.aplusmath.com is a great website.

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Spelling

• We will begin Spelling the last week in August.
• Spelling will go along with our reading series.
• A list will come home on Mondays.
• Tests will be on Fridays and will consist of 15
  words. 10 of the words are based on a phonics
  skill, and 5 are high frequency words that will
  be placed on our classroom word walls. 2nd 9
  weeks, we will add a spelling sentence on the
  back of the test that reviews the previous weeks
  list.
• Spelling will not be graded on the report card
  until 2nd semester.

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Penmanship

• We will be working on correct letter and numeral
  formation during the entire school year.
• We use DNealian manuscript.
• Students are writing on lined paper in 1st grade.
• We have included a copy of how to make the
  letters and numerals correctly in this packet,
  along with a copy of the lined paper we use.
• We also work on spacing letters and words
  appropriately.
• Proper pencil grip is important.
• Please practice at home!!!

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Reading

• Reading comprehension is a huge focus in 1st
  grade. Students should be able to retell stories
  in their own words and pick out story elements
  (setting, plot, characters, etc.)
• We will be sending home strategies on how you can
  help your child build reading fluency and
  identify unknown words.
• We will be sending home assigned readings 1-2
  nights per week however, nightly practice may be
  necessary to build fluency and recognition of
  vocabulary words.

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Assessments

• First grade students will receive percentage
  grades for the following Math, Reading,
  Spelling.
• All other subjects will be recorded with S, S,
  S-, U.
• Grades can be found on Skyward. Please let the
  office know if you need a login and password.
  Also let them know if your information is not
  correct. They will an email address for both
  parents.
• Grading T on top of paper means we did the
  paper together in class.
• A or letter grade means this paper was recorded
  in the grade book.
• The grading scale can be found in the student
  handbook and on Skyward.

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First Grade T-Shirts

• We will be purchasing T-shirts for each child in
  first grade.
• Each classroom will have a different color shirt.
• We will wear these for field trips, field day,
  and other special days throughout the year.
• We will be sending home order forms soon.

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National Geographic Magazines

• We will be purchasing a subscription for each
  child.
• We will be doing activities in the classroom that
  go along with these magazines.
• The students will get to keep these magazines.
• A note with payment information will come home
  soon.

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Differentiated Learning

• Waterford
• Brown Folder books during Self-Selected Reading
• Leveled Readers
• Compass
• Math Facts in a Flash
• Differentiated Groups
• Literacy Centers

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Waterford/Literacy Lab

• Students will go to the Literacy Lab each day.
• We use an individualized computer program called
  Waterford. This will allow students to progress
  at their own reading levels.

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Classroom Volunteers

• Each classroom teacher will have their own sign
  up form for parents to help out in the classroom.
  
• All parents coming into the school or attending a
  field trip must complete a background check. A
  new background check must be completed each year.
• All visitors to the school must sign in at the
  office before coming into the classroom.

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In closing.

• We are looking forward to a fantastic year!
  Thank you for coming tonight.

• Please come by and visit our classrooms tonight.
  
• Drop off your childs supplies at his or her
  desk.
• We have giving trees with supplies needed for
  the classroom. If you are able to donate please
  take an apple.