Welcome to Mrs. Marshall’s First Grade Class!
I am so excited to have your child in my class this year! We are going to learn a great deal together and have a wonderful time. In this letter, you will find the “nuts & bolts” of first grade. Please keep this as a reference guide for the year. Welcome to a great year of learning!
Open Communication is the key to a great school year. I will make every effort to keep you informed about your child’s first grade educational experiences throughout the year. Feel free to contact me with any concerns or questions. You may write a note in your child’s agenda, leave a message with our school secretary, or email me at [email protected]. Our school phone number is 980-343-6480. Please remember, when you call or email, I will be with the children and will not be able to call you back or email you back right away. Email is the easiest way to reach me. I typically check email in the mornings and after school and will respond within 24 hours. PLEASE DO NOT email any important information to me that needs me immediate attention, such as an afternoon transportation change. I may not see the email until after the children have dismissed for the day. Please call the school for this.
AGENDA: I check agendas each morning. This is a great place to write notes to me if needed. The agenda is where you will find daily homework, notes from me or the school, and your child’s daily behavior. The agendas are available to purchase from our PTO. The agenda goes home daily and needs to come back to school EVERY DAY.
CLASSROOM LOCATION- Our classroom is located outside the main building in the Learning Cottages. We will be traveling in and out of the building several times a day to go to lunch, the bathroom, recess, and special area classes, even on rainy or cold days. Please be mindful of the daily weather. Your child should keep a hooded raincoat in his/her backpack at all times in case of rain. Umbrellas are not allowed as they can be a safety issue. Your child should wear closed-toe shoes each day.
SUPERVISION/ RESTROOM: Students are NOT ALLOWED to be sent to the office, nurse, or restroom without adult supervision. If a student needs to go to the nurse, the office staff will be called, and your child will be escorted to the nurse. We will take group bathroom breaks a few times a day since our classroom does not have one. I totally understand that your child may have an emergency and must go right way. If this happens, I will stop instruction, and the whole class must go. The class will try to get to the bathroom as quickly as possible. Please be sure to keep a change of clothes in your child’s backpack at all times in case of an accident or spill. We are first graders and these things can still happen! J Please discuss this with your child, remind them to always try to go when our class goes, and to not wait until the last minute if there is an “emergency.” The children will get used to our schedule quickly and extra breaks will be built into our day the first week or two of school.
SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS:
The school rules are as follows:
1. Follow all teacher directions promptly.
2. Talk only when given permission.
3. Speak in a quiet and respectful voice.
4. Stay in your assigned area.
5. Stay on task to complete assignments.
BEHAVIOR COLOR SYSTEM: Your child will receive a color each day based on his/her behavior. The colors are green, blue, yellow, and red. If your child comes home with a GREEN in their agenda, then it’s been a great day! If a rule is broken, your child will change a card on our behavior chart. The first offense is to turn the card to BLUE. This is a warning and is still a good day, as long as they are not getting BLUE every day. If your child breaks another rule, he/she will change a card to YELLOW. This is your child’s second warning. The third time a rule is broken, your child will go to RED. This means that your child will be “bounced” to another class for reflection time. Your child will fill out a reflection paper that will be sent home and you will discuss it with your child and sign it. Your child will mark his/her behavior color in the agenda each day. If your child comes home with a color other than green, I will indicate the rule they did not follow. I typically give 2 to 3 reminders before having your child change his/her color.
Your child will have an opportunity to earn purple tickets. Purple tickets are given at the end of each day. Students can receive 1 ticket for staying on green at the end of each day. Tickets are also given out during the school day for excellent behavior during a particular activity or for showing improvement. When your child has earned 15 tickets, they may be used to “buy” a prize from the treasure basket!
BIRTHDAYS—On your child’s birthday, you are welcome to order a treat from our school’s cafeteria to be shared with the class during lunch. Please call 1 to 2 weeks in advance. You may call the school to request an order form for cookies, ice cream, or cake. Outside food, such as cupcakes, may not be sent to school to eat during lunch time. We have a non-compete rule with the cafeteria that no longer allows outside food until after 1:00pm. If you would prefer to send in a store-bought treat, please let me know the week before. We will have 15 minutes at the very end of the day after our special area class to quickly eat a treat.
Dress Code- Please dress your child for a “busy” and sometimes messy day. Closed-toe shoes should be worn EVERY DAY. Please refer to the school’s dress code for more detailed information about what your child should wear to school.
LUNCH--- We eat from 11:10- 11:35. Please wait until mid- September before coming to eat lunch with your child so they can learn our rules and procedures in the cafeteria. Sign in at the office and meet us in front of the cafeteria. BREAKFAST is FREE but LUNCH and extras like dessert, are not. Please make sure your child has lunch money on his/her account. ALL MONEY SENT TO SCHOOL SHOULD BE SENT IN AN ENVELOPE OR ZIPLOCK BAG AND SHOULD BE LABELED WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME, MY NAME, AND WHAT THE MONEY IS FOR. Thank you! (Because we eat lunch in the middle of the day, we will not need to have snack.)
First Grade- What is it like? We learn through hands on activities and are a child- centered classroom. We are guided by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. We teach reading, writing, math, computer skills, science, social studies, and health. We teach reading, writing, and math using a workshop model. Students will receive whole group instruction and then will continue their learning in differentiated small groups, one-on-one conferencing with the teacher, as well as through independent practice. During the month of September we will review and build upon Kindergarten skills. This will help your child transition into first grade while adjusting to new classroom routines and expectations.
Reading and Language Arts- We immediately begin assessing and teaching reading skills. Our literacy curriculum is based on Balanced Literacy. It includes phonics, grammar skills, reading strategies, and comprehension strategies. Your child will also work in small reading and writing groups and have individual workshop activities to meet his or her specific reading and writing needs.
RAZ Kids- This is an online reading and comprehension program that your child will access at school and home. Your child may have used this program in Kindergarten. We will use RAZ Kids throughout first grade. When your child reads with this program, they are reading at or slightly above his/her instructional reading level and will practice the reading and comprehension strategies learned in class.
Reading Level- You will hear a lot about your child’s reading level throughout this year. Since reading is developmental and each student progresses at his/her own rate, we will discuss your child’s personal end-of-year reading goals at our Parent/ Teacher conference in October. I will also go over more information about the reading levels and academic curriculum at our Curriculum Night in September. I will send more information about the date and time ASAP.
Writer’s Workshop- Students will learn to write and tell stories with a beginning, middle, and end. They will work on many different types of writing- narrative, nonfiction, and letters. We start with writing about “small moments” and progress to more detailed writing throughout the year.
Math- Our math program is called enVisionMath 2.0. It incorporates the common core math goals for first grade where students learn to see relationships, ask questions, and try different approaches. Our math time is very hands on and also includes independent practice.
Dreambox- This is an online math program that your child will access at school and at home. Your child may have used Dreambox as part of his/her Kindergarten day. We will continue to use this program throughout first grade.
TD Classes- Your child will participate in Talent Development (TD) classes this year. Our TD teacher, Mr. Felker, will be coming into our class once to twice a week to co-teach lessons that build critical thinking skills, technology and research skills, and promote thinking “outside of the box.”
HOMEWORK:
1. READ EACH NIGHT with your child. Your child will begin bringing a book home from me very soon. There will be an information sheet regarding reading each night.
2. Homework Sheet- This is a front/ back sheet. It will come home on Monday and should be completed and returned on Friday.
Special Area Classes: Your child will attend a special area class each day. They are P.E., Media, Computer, Art, Music, or Dance. Closed-toe shoes should be worn EVERY DAY, not just on P.E. days, since we will have recess each day as well.
GRADING--The grades for 1st grade are:
4= consistently exceeds grade level standards
3=meeting grade level standards
2=approaching grade level standards
1=Does not meet 1st grade standards
Mrs. Marshall’s Highlights email- By mid- September you will start receiving an email from me. I typically send this out every other week but may also send other emails if we have a lot going on. This email will include upcoming events and what we have been working on in class for that week.
Field Trips- More information will come home at a later date regarding field trips. First grade typically takes 1 or 2 field trips during the school year.
Student of the Week- Each child will have the opportunity to be our Student of the Week. An “All About Me” sheet will be sent home for your child to complete with his or her family to share with the class. We will also have a poster about your child in class that he/she will bring home at the end of the special week. Your child will also be a class leader for that week!
School Hours are 8:00- 3:00. Car riders may be dropped off between 7:30- 8:00. Remember, our classroom is quite far from the entrance of the school building. If your child arrives to the classroom after 8:00, they will be marked TARDY that day and will miss important morning work time and/or one-on-one review time with me. If your child is a car rider in the afternoon, please be in the car rider line before or by 3:00pm. Please be patient at the beginning of the year. The car line is very crowded.
**** If your child is a CAR RIDER, you may NOT drive around by the trailer classrooms to drop off or pick up your child. Your child must enter through the doors at the main entrance and walk to the classroom. This is for the safety of our children at Reedy Creek. Thank you so much!
**** If your child is a bus rider and you have a bus related question, please call the school.
Absences- If your child is absent, please fill out an Online Absence Form (found on the Reedy Creek Elementary homepage,) write a note in your child’s agenda explaining the absence, or send in the doctor/dentist excuse slip in your child’s agenda.
PTO - Please consider becoming a member of PTO! It is $5.00 to join and the money helps to support our school. Our PTO is amazing! Please let me know if you are interested in becoming a PTO volunteer.
Additions to the supply list--- If you are able to purchase an item from my WISH FISH, please let me know. I have several items, like playground equipment, on my fish and I would be so appreciative if you are able to donate. Ask me about this if you are interested.
I hope you find this information to be helpful and that you feel you and your child are off to a great start! I look forward to a fabulous year together!
Love,
:) Mrs. Marshall :)