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First
Grade -- Where You'll Watch Your Child Grow!
A Letter for Parents
Congratulations! You are the parent of a first-grader here at St. Edward School!
You will be amazed at just how much your child will grow this year. Most likely,
your child has had the seeds of reading and writing planted, and during first
grade, those seeds will grow and blossom, making your child an accomplished
reader and writer! You will see changes in your child's thinking, as he/she
becomes familiar with abstract concepts and symbols. The change will be dramatic
-- just compare a tiny seed with a full-grown sunflower! That's the kind of
growth you'll see this year!
Ways to Help Your Child Bloom
The loveliest
flowers usually have the best gardener -- and that's you!
Staying involved
in your child's education is the key to a successful year. Engage your child in
conversation about his/her day, but know that children won't always give out
much information. I will email a weekly newsletter called the "1st
Grade Homework Sheet" each Monday detailing our activities for the week. You can
use this as a springboard for discussion; instead of saying "What did you do at
school today?" (the answer is often "nothing!"), you can say, "Oh, I see you're
learning about....what did you find out?"
Another way to
stay involved is to check your child's BEE Book every evening. These
notebooks are due back at school THE NEXT DAY. Inside you will find the homework
sheet, the discipline sheet, sight word lists to practice, a book and a reading
log. Your child should read the book to you and you can record the book on the
reading log. Please make every effort to read each night and return the book the
next day.
It is so
important for your child’s reading progress to have the opportunity to read with
someone one-on-one and have immediate feedback. Since the students get to pick
their own books many times your child may bring home a book that is either too
easy or too hard. That’s OK. There are many reasons why that particular book was
chosen by your child. If the book is too easy, then just listen to your child
read. (Sometimes they pick easy books on purpose –it makes them feel more
confident to breeze through a book.) If the book is too hard, then just read the
book to your child. If they are consistently picking the wrong books then send
me a note and I’ll help them with the book check-out.
Occasionally we
will send home a “Read and Sign” book. This book should be read by the student
and signed by the parent. It is due back the next day. We will have sticker
charts as a reward for reading and returning the signed book.
I want to
encourage you to continue reading aloud to your child every night. It is so
important for them to have a good reading role model, plus the time spent
together can never be replaced.
Parent-Teacher Communication
In addition to our four report cards, 4 interim reports, and our parent-teacher
conferences in October, I am always available to meet or speak with you either
before 7:40 or after school. Please do not come into the classroom when the
children are in the room. My attention should be on the children and it’s
difficult to have any type of discussion with a roomful of 1st
graders. Please jot a note or send an email and I will respond as soon as
possible, usually at the end of the day.
lrippy@stedward.org
kprice@stedward.org
plcurran@stedward.org
Smooth Sailing!
Here are a few policies to make sure things go
“swimmingly”!
Children should be in the classroom by 7:50 each morning so they will have time
to do the morning routine (sharpen pencils, unpack their bag, etc.) Parents are
welcome to give their child a kiss at the door. It is your child’s
responsibility to perform the morning activities.
If your child
arrives after 8:00 they will be required to go to the office and get a tardy
slip. If your child is “in route” to the classroom when the bell rings they will
be checked in as tardy. When your child has been tardy 6 times you will be
reported to the state department of education and a conference will be scheduled
with the parent, teacher, and principal. It is very important for your child to
be at school on time. It is disruptive to your child and every other child in
the classroom when we have to stop the learning process to wait for a tardy
student. Please make every effort to have your child at school by 7:50am.
If it is
necessary to pick your child up for early dismissal, please go to the office and
the office staff will call the room for your child. If someone other than a
parent will be picking up your child, please send a note letting us know the
person’s name. I will send the note to the office so the office staff will know
that person has permission to get your child.
Your child will need a small, healthy snack each day. Lunches should be
in a lunch box or bag. If your child is buying lunch, milk, or ice cream, please
make sure your child has money in their account.
Allergies – Please let us know if your child has any type of food allergy.
We need to know what procedures to take in case of an emergency.
If your child has any
type of food allergy we are asking you to send in a baggie full of snacks that
are appropriate for your child. These will be used instead of receiving birthday
treats from other children. (It is very difficult for us to read and understand
food labels for so many different types of allergies and we can’t take a chance
of giving children a food that would spark an allergy attack.) Your child’s
health and safety are our top priority.
The temperature in our room varies greatly, so dress your child in layers. I
often keep a window or two open for "fresh air" and the AC can get a bit chilly!
Please remember that only the school-approved sweaters and sweatshirts are
allowed to be worn in the building.
Please label EVERYTHING with your child's full name - particularly school
sweatshirts and lunchboxes, as these are frequently misplaced!
1st grade follows
the school dress code. (See handbook for details.)
Anyone visiting the school
between 8:00am and 3:00pm will be required to stop by the office, sign in, and
receive a visitor’s pass. If you do not have a pass, you will be asked to return
to the office. Please do not come to the classroom during school hours. If
you need to talk to me you can come by before 7:40am, see me at dismissal, or
set up an appointment.
We're asking that no toys be brought into school from home. Our classroom is
filled with items to keep us busy, and lost or broken toys result in very sad
feelings! Children often keep some "treasures" in their backpacks - these, too,
can get lost, so try to keep them at home!
Weekly folder – All
correspondence from the office and your child’s completed school work will be
sent home on Wednesday in a large manilla envelope. This is called the
“Wednesday folder”. Please look over everything and return the folder on
Thursday.
Birthdays are a happy occasion in the lives of 1st
graders. This is an occasion to share and celebrate with your friends.
Due to federal guidelines about child health and
wellness, your child may bring a healthy snack to share with classmates.
These should be individually packaged and easy to pass out.
Healthy snacks include:
Fruit (bananas, apples, grapes, etc.)
Veggies (carrots, celery, etc.)
Yogurt (please send spoons) or Gogurts are nice
Cheese sticks
Packaged cheese and crackers
Pretzels
Raisins
Crackers (Cheese-its, Goldfish, Animal crackers)
Granola bars (non-chocolate)
Your child may come out of uniform for his/her
birthday, and they will receive free ice cream from the Home & School Assoc.
You may bring party invitations to pass out if
you bring one for every boy, every girl, or every child in the class. You may
not bring in 4 or 5 invitations to pass out in front of the other children.
If you choose to limit the number of children that you are inviting please use
the directory and mail them.
Summer birthdays can be
celebrated at any time during the year. Check with your teacher about a day.
Children with food allergies
will not be allowed to receive birthday treats. If your child has a food allergy
please send in a baggie full of special treats for your child to eat.
Aftercare – If your child is
enrolled in aftercare I will drop them off at the Carell Room on the way to
dismissal. If your child does not go to aftercare on a regular basis please
make arrangements with your child before coming to school that day. It can
become very disruptive to our school day if parents call in the middle of the
day to make aftercare arrangements.
If your child is not picked
up from dismissal by 3:20 he/she will be taken to aftercare. Children are not
permitted to remain outside waiting for pick-up.
Books are So Mice!
(oops! I
mean...) So Nice!
Books are the big cheese in our classroom! Almost everything we do centers
around reading wonderful literature! And there's no better way to build up both
our classroom and your home libraries than with school book clubs! During the
year we will use the Scholastic Book Club, which offer wonderful, current
literature as well as a large selection of EASY and BEGINNING READER books which
are sometimes difficult to find, but so appropriate for the first grade reader!
Each month I will send home book club ordering forms. At
any one time, there may be 3 or 4 different order forms for you to browse
through and choose from! The more choices I can offer, the better! PLEASE KNOW
that participation in this is PURELY OPTIONAL! Because the books are so
reasonable I feel it is worth offering them to those families who wish to
participate!
Rules and Consequences
To keep our class happy and safe, we
need to follow our school rules.
Carefully
follow directions
Hands,
feet, objects, unkind words to yourself
Respect
people and property
I’ll stay on task
Safety
first, last, and always
Talk
at appropriate times
A child will be given a verbal
warning if they are misbehaving. This should trigger the child to stop the
behavior. If the behavior continues the child will have to write their
disruptive behavior on a behavior sheet. This will be kept in the pencil pouch
in the BEE book, taken home that night, signed by the parent and returned the
next day. Every time a child misbehaves they will fill out another behavior
sheet. The number of behavior sheets will be indicated on the monthly calendar.
These sheets will be tallied and a weekly conduct grade will be given.
Your child’s weekly behavior chart
will be kept in the BEE book and the conduct grade will be posted on Friday.
The scale is:
No infractions – E
1 or 2 infractions – G
3 or 4 infractions – S
5 infractions – N
6 or more infractions - U
The goal of a
discipline plan is not to punish the children, but to teach the children that
there are consequences to your actions. Our goal is to teach the children to
monitor their own behavior and exhibit self-control.
We will also participate in whole
class rewards – extra recess, movie time, popcorn parties – when the entire
class is working quietly, going down the hall quietly, following directions the
first time, etc.
Extreme Behavior Policy:
Extreme behaviors include, but may not be limited to hitting, fighting,
profanity, weapons, non-compliance.
1st
offense: teacher contacts parents by note, phone call, or email.
2nd
offense: student will be sent to office, principal will contact parent.
3rd
offense: student will be sent to the office; parent/teacher conference is
scheduled and a behavior plan will be established
1st Grade
Supply List
The supply list can be found on the school
website.
Do not buy a backpack.
We will provide your child with a special tote
bag to use.
Optional supplies you would like to donate to
the class:
Plain white paper plates (the cheap kind)
Gallon, quart, and snack size Ziploc bags
Brown paper bags
Dixie cups
AA batteries (for the listening center)
1st Grade Curriculum
Religion
The students will realize
that each person is a unique creation of God. We will explore our faith through
prayers, songs, Bible stories, communion services, and Mass. Our textbook
emphasizes family and God’s presence in our lives.
Math
1st graders will
focus on numbers, number words, addition, subtraction, time, money, and
measurement. We’ll use a hands-on approach along with our textbook. The 2nd
semester we will have timed tests on basic math facts. We will also utilize the
Accelerated Math program.
Social Studies
1st graders will
learn about the world around them.
A.
American symbols and customs
B.
Communities
C.
Maps
D.
Historical figures
Science
1st graders will
become “scientists” as they discover plants, space, rocks, soil, the human body,
and more!
Language Arts
Reading
We will utilize many reading
modes in 1st grade.
1.
Reading to children (also known as storytime) – this is a time for the
pure pleasure of listening to the language, the rhythms, and the patterns of
literature. Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry are included.
2.
Skills instruction - Stories are read to the whole group, then
instruction is given on various reading elements.
3.
Guided reading – Small groups of students meet with the teacher to read
and discuss a book.
4.
Partner reading – Students are paired with a classmate to read a book
aloud together.
5.
Individualized reading – Students will choose books to read during the
day. Students will be encouraged to read books on their own independent reading
level. Students will also bring a book home each night to read.
Handwriting
1st graders will
focus on correct letter formation and correct spacing.
Spelling
The ability to read or spell
an unknown word is a critical skill in becoming an independent reader. We will
look at spelling patterns and how to use the patterns in words we already know
to help figure out words we don’t know.
Phonics
Phonics is the relationship
between letters and sounds. It makes sense in English but only if you know to
look for patterns of letters rather than individual letters. We will do a daily
“Working with Words” activity that allows the students to manipulate letter
cards to make words, find patterns in words, and to see how changing just one
letter changes the whole word. We also use a phonics workbook to reinforce the
skills we’ve learned.
Writing
For some children their own
writing provides their first successful reading experience. Even if no one else
can read it, they are using their own language and experience to become readers.
Regular writing experiences tend to increase readiness skills, communication
skills, and higher level thinking skills.
We will write every day.
Students will choose their own topics, so they will write about things that are
important to them.
Invented spelling is
developmentally appropriate at this age. Students are encouraged to put down the
letters they hear as they are writing. (This is phonics in action.) This will
also help them to become better at sounding out words when they are reading. As
they grow as readers and writers they will switch to more conventional spelling.
We will also provide instruction for grammar, punctuation, etc., as it becomes
appropriate for the students.
First Grade Routine
7:40- 8:00
Students come into the classroom and prepare for the school day. We recommend
that your child arrive around 7:45 so they will have plenty of time to come in,
unpack their bag, sharpen their pencil, chat with me and friends, and be ready
at 8:00 to begin the day. This is a great opportunity for your child to become
independent – say your good-byes in the hallway and let your child come into the
room and complete the assignments on their own. Children who arrive right at
8:00 (or later) don’t have ample time to complete the morning activities. This
is not a good way to start the day.
If your
child arrives at school before 7:40 they should report to the gym. They are
supervised and have the opportunity to purchase breakfast.
8:00
School
begins. If your child walks into the classroom after the 8:00 bell they will be
counted tardy.
We
leave for church at 7:55 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
10:00
We will
take time to have a snack each day. The students may choose something from their
lunchbox, or if your child is buying lunch then just send a snack in their book
bag. I will encourage the students to choose healthy snacks (yogurt, cheese
sticks, fresh fruit or fruit cups, peanut butter crackers). We will not have
drinks at snack time.
Morning
We will
do most of our academic activities during the morning. This is when 6 and 7 year
olds are the most alert and active. Math, reading, phonics, spelling, and
literacy centers will take place in the a.m.
11:50 Lunch
Your
child may choose to bring his lunch or purchase a lunch from the school
cafeteria. Each child will have a bar-coded ID card for lunchroom purchases. You
should send a $25 check to the school office and the money will be put in
your child’s account. Your child will use this ID card to make milk, lunch, and
ice cream purchases. NO MONEY will be accepted in the lunch line.
If you
are allowing your child to purchase ice cream you will need to send a note that
day; otherwise we will not let your child run through their account money.
You
will be notified when your account reaches $6. Please send money to replenish
your account.
12:20 Recess
We will
go outside every day after lunch (unless it’s raining). During the fall and
winter please make sure your child has a jacket or coat.
Afternoon
Most of
our “specials” are in the afternoon. This includes PE, art, music, and library.
PE is on Thursday and Friday, so make sure you always wear tennis shoes on those
days.
3:00 Dismissal (2:15 on Fridays)
We will
dismiss behind the building by the cafeteria steps. If your child is in
After-Care I will leave them with the After-Care workers in the Carell Room.
BEE Book 
•
Zippered pouch –
behavior sheets, notes to/from teacher, checks for lunch
•
Your child’s discipline
calendar will be 3-hole punched and put into the rings.
•
Reading log - Every
night you will record the name of the book that your child reads to you.
•
Sight words –
practice every night
•
Book to read each night
(Read and bring back the next day.) Occasionally we will send home our poetry
folder instead of a book. Reading poetry helps build fluency (reading like
you’re talking), and the kids LOVE singing the poems.
•
Back or front pocket –
any work to be sent home
Lost BEE books
may be replaced for $5.00.
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