Welcome to Open House!Mrs. Huggins’ First Grade ClassAugust 8, 2013

First Grade: What to expect in the beginning weeks They will likely be very tired these first

weeks while adapting to working all day long with no “rest break”

Label your child’s name on anything personal (toys, lunch boxes, etc.) We’re still learning the concept of taking responsibility for these types of items

Stickers, stamps, and earning responsibilities are a big deal…I love to teach kids to be excited and proud of their accomplishments—both academic and behavioral

Math: The Common Core Curriculum Guide: Math Expressions Calendar skills, counting skills, data and

graphing, 100’s chart, patterns and shapes (2D and 3D), comparing numbers, money and time skills, balanced equations/number sentences

CGI (Cognitively Guided Instruction) Allows choice of tools and/or manipulatives, must

solve problems in variety of ways, must illustrate and use “math talk” to explain or record their thinking process in a math journal

Apply math concepts in an authentic manner across all the content areas

Literacy: Phonemic Awareness:

Ability to identify letter sounds Auditory manipulation of sounds: blending, segmenting, deleting,

substituting Phonics:

Manipulate sounds and spelling patterns based on knowledge of how letter sounds relate to the letter symbols

Spelling patterns, word families, consonant blends, word chunks, decoding Spelling words:

Tricky Words…previously called High Frequency Words Weekly Phonics Review Words (spelling patterns, use of “magic e”, etc.)

Fluency: Aids comprehension “Scoop your words” and “Voice cards”

Daily 5: Explicit teaching and modeling of reading strategies: APK,

connecting, inferring, predicting, and synthesizing Bloom’s Taxonomy Open Ended, Higher Order Thinking

questions

Writing: Instruct and model organization

Thinking Maps Idea Banks Expand: use more details, enrich vocabulary

Handwriting Correct letter formation, configuration of each letter, spacing,

proper use of upper and lower case letters and learning to write on different sized lines

Writer’s Workshop: Journal entriesExpository/NonfictionWriting with MathCreative WritingOther ways real writer’s write: letters, email, lists, recipes, etc.

Grammar Awareness

Social Studies/Science…Discovery Projects! Science:

Pebbles, Sand and Silt Measurement Living Organisms Solids and Liquids

History and Geography Citizenship, Families, Holidays, Change over

Time, Economics, and Maps Global awareness, appreciation (cultures/

languages)

Assessments: Reading

mCLASS: phonics skills and TRC (previously known as running records)

High Frequency Word Recognition Common Assessments created by first

grade teachers (Setting, Character, Author’s Message) Mathematics

Quarterly Wake County Assessments Common Assessments created by first grade teachers

Writing Unassisted writing assessments Informal writing samples/literacy center work

Science and Social Studies Variety of formative assessments (projects, journal writing, etc.)

Educational Enrichment: Field Trips:

oThere will be 3 field trips/yearoParents are welcome to chaperone, but siblings are not able to attend these events.

oParents or other adults must be a registered volunteer in order to attend field trips or volunteer in the classrooms.

oParents are not allowed to ride the school bus with the class on field trips.

Other Parent Involvement Opportunities: Cultural Arts Events Parents and experts come in to discuss their job/expertise using a

fun, hands-on activity Mystery Readers

Behavior System: Above the Line/Below the Line: Key-based

system for students and parents to identify strengths and weaknesses during the school day (C-classwork, R-respect, V-voice level, etc.)

Why this system? Teach sense of responsibility Hold students accountable for their

actions/choices Initiate conversations and goal setting Positively reinforce CONSTANTLY! Privately discuss and correct choices that do

not align with class and school rules

21st Century Learning: Curriculum is aligned to meet the needs

of our 21st century learnershands-on, inquiry based science investigations

technology is used to enhance learning and make it more interactive and student centered (Smart Board, Elmo, Thinking Maps)

Use of “The Daily Five” and “The Daily Café”

Authentic writing tasks

Additional Information: Student work is sent home every Friday inside your child’s green,

Daily Folder (“Keep at Home” side) Conferences will be scheduled after the first and 3rd nine weeks. Volunteers must register in the computer lab before volunteering

in the classroom, working with small groups, or going on field trips Birthdays: You many send in a birthday treat or experience for the

class to enjoy. Because our lunch is immediately following recess this year, we are encouraging parents to bring in a game, book, or recess equipment for the class to enjoy in lieu of snacks and sweets. We will still sing to the birthday kid outside!

Children may bring water bottles into the classroom and out to recess.

Children may NOT share snack, drinks, edible items It is your child’s responsibility to take/bring their Learning

Notebook to school every day. Reading is to be done every night Monday – Friday

Keep in Touch with our Classroom News!

I will regularly update our classroom website about:Scheduling InformationWhat we are currently learningPDF version of classroom newsletters

I will share educational video/sound clips so that you may all feel like a part of the classroom experience…you can stay close at heart…even while busy at work!

**I will always refer to the parental consent forms regarding permission about posting photos/video of the class on our website…students who opt out of being in a video will stand next to me during recording so as to not feel left out

Buses

Questions about bus stops, bus drivers, and schedules?

•Call Cary Transportation at 919-460-3517.

•Students are only permitted to ride their designated school bus (not allowed to go home with friends on the bus).

•Every afternoon, all bus departure times are posted on our MES website.

Concerns about student behavior?

•Call the Assistant Principal, 919-460-3400.

Parking

All parents are asked to park in the lot on the left side of the building (facing the building). Please do not park in the bus parking lot.

CarpoolIn the morning, students are not allowed to enter the building until after the first bell rings at 8:45 am. However, to help the flow of the carpool

line, Safety Patrol will begin unloading at 8:40 am. Please do not release your child prior to this time. Supervision will not be provided until 8:40

am. In the afternoon, all parents must use the carpool line. No walk-ups are allowed. Parents in the carpool line should display their carpool tag in

the passenger’s side front window. All carpool students should be picked up no later than 4:00. The YMCA offers after-school care for students

who cannot be picked up by 4:00.

Questions??

Thank You! eboyle@wcpss.net

If you wish to share anything with me, please email in order to ensure a speedy response