2012 13 open house
- 1. Our First Grade Class of 2012-13 Kat Branon Amrutha Challa Gavin Conant Shannon Deverell Nathaniel Harris Ben Hollingshead Sofia Kantor Jessica Luo Jordan Luo Cole Marsella Joey Mullen Teagan Murphy Alise Polselli Reese Reckles Spencer Reckles Owen Stenson Harper Weeks
- 2. Our Goals In First Grade, our personal growth goals are for each student to: 1. Feel valued, respected, safe and successful; 2. Learn from his or her own mistakes; 3. Develop successful problem-solving strategies. Our academic goals are for each student to: 1. Learn the importance of independence, organization and time management in the completion of daily assignments; 2. Develop learning habits that will support student achievement; 3. Experience the true joy of learning. Our goals for all students and their teachers are to: 1. Work together in a kind, respectful and harmonious way; 2. Support each other to always do our best; 3. Take pride in our accomplishments both large and small.
- 3. Communication It is our sincere hope that your sons and daughters will have a wonderful experience in first grade. Together, we will help your children achieve success on many different levels, during this exciting year of academic and personal growth. We know it takes a school community, comprised of parents, students, classroom teachers and school administrators, working hand in hand, to create an optimum environment conducive to the growth and development of each individual child. Please contact us with questions or concerns you may have. In Person Mrs. Davis - before or after class time by appointment - drop-ins from 8:15 – 8:30 any day except Wednesday (morning yard duty – orange vest) *Please understand that I cannot answer questions or have a discussion with you during my yard duty according to school rules (our first priority is student safety on the yard) Mrs. Poyhonen - before school by appointment - drop-ins from 8:15 – 8:30 any day except Thursday (morning yard duty – orange vest) By Phone School Office – 858-481-5615 - messages received will be returned promptly, outside of class time By Note We check the homework sheet comment section and binder pocket daily. (If you really want me to remember an important date or time, make sure you give it to me in writing.) *There is a clipboard by the door to write down important dismissal messages for me. If you want me to remember the message that you whispered to me at the door while the children were trying to greet me, you will want to write it down. Via email – We will only be able to check email messages outside of class time, so be aware that you will not receive immediate responses. If you have emergency or time critical information to relate, the most effective way of reaching me is through the school office. Our school email addresses - bdavis@delmarpines.com - wpoyhonen@delmarpines.com
- 4. Our Class Rules 1. We practice to be positive and ready to learn. 2. We keep our hands, feet, bodies and objects to ourselves. 3. We pay attention to the speaker and do our best to follow directions. 4. We raise our hands and wait for our turn to speak. 5. We respect and care for other people, our learning tools, classroom and school (treat others as you would like them to treat you.)
- 5. Rules for using the iPads 1. Carry the iPad with two hands and always walk. 2. Turn on iPad when you are seated at your clean desk. 3. Treat the iPad with respect. 4. Use only the iPad with your number. 5. Use fingertips to touch lightly on the screen. 6. Wait in line for your turn to take out your iPad. 7. Use only the apps that your teacher has approved.
- 6. Homework, Binders and Backpacks… Oh My! Homework, for first grade students, serves the purpose of building strong independent work habits and basic responsibility for tasks away from the classroom environment. Homework assignments are designed to provide students with reinforcement and practice of skills presented in class. They are not designed to teach new material. Therefore, your child should feel confident to complete written tasks based on the familiarity of the material. By now, we hope you have seen our binders that will carry homework and other important papers to and from school each day. Look inside, starting next week, and you will find a sheet with the handwriting alphabet, a homework assignment sheet (new each week) and the zipper pouch that we requested in the supply list. These items ALWAYS stay in the binder. The first homework assignments will be comprised of worksheets, which will help the student (and parents) establish the basic components of successful homework habits. Your child will need some help to set up a homework station, backpack drop-off location, homework schedule and routine. Once our in-class groups begin, students will have regular assignments from reading, writing and math. Most worksheet-type homework assignments are designed for students to complete independently. However, there will be some “Family Projects” (with special instructions) for family members to share in the fun. Throughout the year, students are given flash cards to carry in the zipper pouch for additional sight word or math fact practice at home, supplementing their work at school. This is where we need parents to assist with flash card practice by showing the cards, gently correcting errors and gradually increasing the pace to help build fluency. Please be certain flash cards are returned to the zipper pouch after practice at home each day during the week. Students may be asked to review their flash cards during in-class independent work times. At the end of the week, the cards should be removed if the student has been successful with that level and the cards may be saved in the homework station at home. They can be used periodically for review. Written assignments should be returned in the binder the next day, unless otherwise stated on the assignment sheet. The homework assignment sheet has a specific place for parents to initial each day. In addition to your initials, we ask you to note the amount of time your child spends on homework. Assignments should typically require about 20 minutes to complete and your feedback will help us monitor the workload. You will also notice a “Parent Comment” section at the bottom of the sheet. If you have any questions or comments regarding any assignments, please feel free to
- 7. use this space to communicate with us. In addition, please know you are always welcome to contact us, outside of class time or to email us with questions. Graded papers, previously assigned as class work, are returned to students and carried home in the pocket of the binder on Fridays. The pages should be removed from the binder and reviewed by parents and student together. If there is a notation to complete or correct any work, please ensure it is returned to school after all corrections are made. Some important school notices will be sent home in your child’s binder. We ask that you read and keep all information papers at home. Most school notices sent home for parent signature, along with Scholastic Book Orders, should come directly to the classroom teacher. The binder pockets should be clear of graded paperwork when returned to school each morning. It is critical that your child has his/her binder in class each day. Please help your child be organized and properly equipped. Finally, please enhance your child’s ability to attend to learning activities in class by limiting the number of distractions that your child carries with him/her. Make sure that items your child brings in the backpack only include school necessities. School rules indicate no toys from home (except for designated days, when students and parents will be informed that they may bring a stuffed animal to class, or items like Lego projects that may come to school for a sharing time.) Even under these circumstances, students do not take toys from home out to the yard for recesses. Even fancy headbands, barrettes and jewelry that look great at the start of the day, usually come out and become distractions that have to be collected and saved for pack up time by the teachers. Please save us from assuming the role of the “bad guy” who has to say “no” to toys in class and has to put beloved things out of reach each day. We all have the same goal to make our precious learning time the most effective time of the day. Our Schedule Our daily schedule for the morning remains the same each day. There are four reading groups – two taught by Mrs. Davis and two taught by Mrs.
- 8. Poyhonen. There is a recess break at 10:25, followed by Math instruction. We have four math groups – also taught by Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Poyhonen. Lunch and an additional recess are from 12:00 to 12:30. Our afternoon schedule varies somewhat to accommodate instruction in special subjects, including Physical Education, Library, Spanish, Art, Music and Computers. P.E. takes place Monday and Wednesday. Spanish classes are held Tuesday through Thursday. We also have Art and Music on Thursday. Technology class will take place in the classroom on Wednesday. Library is on Friday. Students will be able to check out books, to be returned the following week. In addition, we have handwriting instruction, spelling, social studies, language, learning centers and science activities as part of our daily afternoon time. Friday afternoons include a “Fantastic Friday” period with an extra free-play time for students in order to celebrate their accomplishments for the week. Every day is busy and full of a variety of learning opportunities for your child. There are learning centers and special on-going activities that provide extra learning moments, enrichment and fun for each child. Please plan for medical/dental appointments, etc. to take place outside of school hours. Your child will miss important learning moments when he/she is not present. First Grade Sharing Sharing is a time for our students to work on their speaking and listening skills. We want our students to be comfortable speaking in front of an audience and to develop proper
- 9. listening skills. These skills are: quiet attention, focus and the ability to ask appropriate questions of the speaker. First grade sharing is a learning time and your child gets a chance to be the “teacher.” Although children often would like to bring in their favorite toys or pets, some items prove too exciting for the classroom environment or too valuable to risk carrying from home to school and back. Please help your child choose “appropriate” items for sharing, ideally with educational value. He/she might want to bring in a collection from nature, an item representing a hobby, or it might be pictures or a memento from a trip. The choice is up to your child, as long as he/she is able to tell you what the class might learn from the item. Each child will be given about three minutes for the presentation, so you may wish to help with the preparation to provide maximum effect. Sharing time is always interesting and I often learn so much from your children during this special activity. Students are placed on sharing teams for our sharing periods. Additionally, each student will create a personal poster showing his/her interests with an app on the iPad and will share it with the class. Sharing Teams Our sharing teams will have opportunities to present their interests to the class once per month. The week will be designated on student homework sheets in the “Notes to Parents” area and will be announced to the students in class. Your child may plan to share on the day designated below: Tuesday Friday Harper Alise Sofia Shannon Amrutha Jessica Teagan Jordan Joey Nathaniel Reese Ben Spencer Kat Owen Gavin Cole Celebrations
- 10. Several times during the school year we will share special celebration days in our class. Please see the sign-up sheets available during Open House Week and separately during the year, if you wish to volunteer in the classroom and/or provide refreshments for these festive events. Birthdays We would love to help your children celebrate their birthdays. Your gracious room parent volunteer will work with Mrs. Davis to choose one day per month for celebrating all of the birthdays in that month. She will bring in a special treat for that day. The children whose birthdays fall in August will be honored on the September day. The children whose birthdays fall in July will be recognized in June. We will honor your child with an enthusiastic rendition of the birthday song. The birthday child will be given a distinctive badge to wear for the day and he or she will visit the treasure chest for an extra birthday surprise. Family Traditions, Celebrations and Special Interests If you and your family would like to share any traditions or holiday celebrations with our class during the school year, please speak to Mrs. Davis regarding specific details and times. We would love to learn about the cultural and traditional celebrations observed by members of our classroom and school community. If you are interested in presenting information about a profession, hobby, craft or special interest to our class, we would be most happy to arrange for a time after 12:30 P.M., as part of our science or social studies periods. Please email a message or see Mrs. Davis to make arrangements and we will confirm a date on the class calendar. Classroom Volunteers Adult family members may sign up to assist with special classroom events. Our room parent will be the contact and information person for that event. To assist with a specific event or to join us on a field trip, please sign up on the volunteer sheets available in the classroom during Open House Week. There may be times during the school year when separate sign-up sheets are posted for an event. We invite you to watch for notices about opportunities to join us in our exciting activities and outings. Information regarding field trips and events will be available to all through the DMP website, email and/or notes sent home in student binders.