Hello. My name is Mrs. Dutko’s 1st Grade Class

Indian Knoll Elementary

Curriculum NightAugust 17, 2015

This is my 12th year teaching in Cherokee County Schools. I have a wonderful husband Phil (who also teaches in the county) and three beautiful daughters. My husband and I were born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and LOVE to visit often!

Education:• Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education• Masters Degree, Instructional Technology• Specialist Degree, Curriculum & Instruction• Doctorate of Education Degree, Curriculum &

Instruction- just completed in April 2015!!!• Teach 21 Technology Endorsement• Gifted Endorsement

New addition- Kamryn

Morning Arrival• The first bell rings at 7:20.• If your child arrives between

7:00 and 7:20, they may go to the gym to wait for the first bell.

• Our day begins promptly at 7:45!!

Attendance• Attendance and punctuality are

important!• Students must be signed in at

the front office if they are late.• Students must be signed out in

the front office if checking out early.

• Our new buzz-in system: All doors will be locked after the school day starts! If you come to IKES anytime after 7:45, you will need to get buzzed in to the front office!

• Please be patient as the office staff works with this new system- it’s for the safety of all of our students!

Lunch & Birthdays• Our lunch is from 12:09-12:39.• We sit at Table G.• If you wish to celebrate your child’s

birthday, you may bring treats in to the lunchroom, or send them in the morning and I will pass them out at lunch time!

1. We will use good manners.2. We will use our inside voices.3. We will raise our hands.4. We will use kind words.5. We will help others.6. We will share.7. We will do our best.8. We will be a good friend to our

classmates.9. We will follow directions quickly.10.We will make safe choices.

• We have gotten rid of our clip charts! We are implementing a behavior plan that correlates with our math curriculum with money.

• The students can earn money by making good choices, but if they make poor choices, they will have to pay their teacher.

• Twice a quarter, the students will have an opportunity to use their money to buy rewards.

• If a student does not adhere to Indian Knoll’s Code of Conduct- RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE, & READY- a note will be in the agenda indicating what happened.

Some of the rewards the children will be able to buy include (but not limited to):• Candy• Using my rolling chair for the whole

day• Eat lunch in the classroom with me• Skip morning work one morning and

play on the computer• Wear a hat in class• Eat lunch with a friend• Small prizes/toys

What we will learn this year:The state of Georgia follows the Common Core Standards.

THE STANDARDS ARE NOT THE CURRICULUM!!!I will follow Common Core, and I will teach your child each and every Common Core Standard, but I will teach the standards to best suit your child’s learning abilities. There are no boundaries on how I teach the standard….just that it gets taught!!!

https://www.georgiastandards.org/Common-Core/Pages/default.aspx

• Guided Reading/Reading Groups – individualized groups according to reading level

• Phonemic awareness (sounds that make up a word)• Phonics (letter patterns that make a sound)• Vocabulary• Fluency – reading smoothly with accuracy, attending to

punctuation, and expression.• Comprehension strategies• Weekly Story – shared reading, the whole class will read the

same story.• Accelerated Reading (AR)- Tests are only able to be taken at

school. This is an enrichment program- this is NOT required and NOT our first priority. The students are rewarded for achieving goals within the school and grade level.

• Please use reading log at home to write down books that have been read along with the AR quiz number. This will make test taking much easier for your child.

We are also doing a read aloud chapter book every 9 weeks! Our story for the first 9 weeks of school is“The Wizard of OZ” by L. Frank Baum.

Our other stories for the year are:• “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” by Beverly Cleary• “The Absent Author” by Ron Roy• “The Lemonade War” by Jacqueline Davies

• Compare, order, represent, add & subtract #s to 100 (without regrouping)

• Place Value• Fractions – identify, label, & compare• Skip count by 2s, 5s, & 10s to 120;

Even vs. Odd• Measurement – length, weight, &

height using standard and nonstandard units

• Time – to the nearest hour or ½ hour• Geometry – 2-D & 3-D shapes

Math

Standards for Mathematical Practice1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.4. Model with mathematics.5. Use appropriate tools strategically.6. Attend to precision- this includes math language.7. Look for and make use of structure.8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

• Attributes of sentences (capitals/punctuation)

• Emphasis on writing process• Various writing applications• Letter writing• Narrative (story)• Opinion (argument)• Informational (how to)• Poetry• Lucy Calkins- a new writing program that

focuses on student confidence and stamina in writing.

• We use the Orton-Gillingham spelling activities, in addition to the phonics program which is within our Reading program.

• We will not have a weekly spelling list. Spelling is not an individually graded subject and will be assessed through writing and phonics activities in the classroom. This allows for a true assessment of their application of the skills in writing.

• Spelling patterns can be practiced at home- see weekly newsletter for information about what the pattern is for that week, along with sample words.

• Connecting Themes – cultures, time, change

• National Heritage• A Changing Country• US Inventors• Community Helpers• Similarities & Differences

• Weather & Seasons• Water• Magnets• Sound• Light & Shadows• Plants & Animals

7:20-7:50 Arrival & Morning Work7:55-9:30 Literacy Block (Reading & Language Arts)9:30-10:15 Science/Social Studies10:15-11:00 Math11:00-11:20 Recess11:20-12:00 Writer’s Workshop12:09-12:39 Lunch (Table G)12:45-1:10 Bathroom Break/Pack Up/Read aloud1:15-1:55 Specials2:00 Begin Dismissal

We are on a 6 day rotation schedule for specials:

Day 1: PEDay 2: MUSICDay 3: PEDay 4: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)Day 5: PE Day 6: ART

Please make sure to have your child wear tennis shoes on P.E. days! I will make sure to keep updated specials schedules on the website and in my newsletter.

The 80th Day of School Celebration!!We are counting up to the 80th Day of School in 1st grade! The 80th day of school (as of right now) is December 8th, 2015.

We will be playing appropriate 1980s music and completing 80s themed activities.

We WILL be dressing up and having fun!! I am going to go shopping after Halloween to get things to wear.

• Students will have homework sent home on Monday of each week.

• Homework will include math and literacy activities for each night.

• All homework should be returned on Friday mornings.

• In addition to written homework, it is expected that each student read for 10-15 minutes each night. This can be done independently or with an adult.

• Sight Word Folder: The sight word folder contains the first 220 sight words that are an essential component of first grade reading fluency. As students continue to grow in their mastery of sight words, there is a high positive correlation with their growth in fluency and comprehension.

• Please spend a little time each week practicing these words. When your child has mastered a page (meaning they can say the word instantly) please sign the bottom of the page and return the folder to school. Sight word folders will be checked each Friday. If your child is not ready to test a page of words, there is no need to return the folder.

• PTA is always looking for volunteers, this is a good way to be involved in your child’s education.

• The Media Center is also always looking for help.• Let me know if you can help with sending in items

for parties, rewards, or special activities.• We may ask for a copy parent at a later time in the

year.• Please be on the lookout for emails about

volunteering!

Newsletters will be sent home weekly. Please check your child’s folder.They will also be emailed and uploaded on to our website.

Class Website: http://mysite.cherokee.k12.ga.us/personal/julie_dutko/site/default.aspx

My Email: Julie.dutko@Cherokee.k12.ga.us

School Phone Number: 770-721-6600

Thank you for coming to Curriculum Night. I will be setting up conferences for early fall once I have been able to spend some time with your child and assess them academically.If you have any questions or concerns specifically about your child tonight, please write them on the paper provided, and I will respond to you as soon as possible.

Mrs. Dutko’s 1st Grade Class!