Welcome to Meet the Teacher Curriculum Night Mrs

Welcome to Meet the Teacher & Curriculum Night! Mrs. Suzanne Rotert

Welcome 1 st Grade Families! • Please fill out the yellow information card at the round table!! This is IMPORTANT! Place in the green bin BEFORE you leave tonight! • Have your child find his/her name plate on the board and choose a desk. Please leave it on the desk that they chose. • If you would like to donate items to our class, please take a ‘sticky note’ from white board. THANK YOU! • • • Have your child visit Mrs. Rotert for a photo! The curriculum portion will begin at 5: 20. Please read and complete the forms (from the packet on your child’s desk) are return on Monday. THANKS!

Now it’s time for Curriculum Night! Parents, please take your child to the library for a movie and then return to our classroom ASAP so we can begin Curriculum Night.

Arizona College & Career Readiness and Journeys provides students with a wealth of opportunities to read a rich variety of texts. It provides explicit, systematic phonics instruction to build word recognition skills that enable students to become efficient decoders. Comprehension instruction in Journeys is rigorous, developmental, and spiraled. Students are instructed in whole groups, small groups, or independently. There are leveled books for additional practice, reinforcement, and enrichment.

FUNdations is a research based systematic and comprehensive program in which phonemic awareness and word study contribute greatly to fluency, vocabulary development and the applications of strategies for understanding text. Additionally, Fundations sets the foundation for writing with the direct teaching of handwriting.

I Can Write! Writing is the process of children expressing their thoughts in written form. They begin expressing their ideas through words and pictures and putting these ideas into writing. This is a developmental approach to writing and helps students build confidence in their ability to put thoughts on paper without getting caught up in the mechanics. As time goes on, we will build upon their skills. We also incorporate writing in all other academic areas throughout the day. We will be using the Write Source, Writers Workshop, Journeys Writing activities and personal journals to promote writing skills. We will be using FUNdations letter formation to teach students to write legibly.

Spelling First Grade provides instruction and practice in spelling, grammar usage, and mechanics in daily lessons. Spelling instruction is linked to phonics instruction. All skills of conventions are applied in purposeful writing activities. Students will be evaluated through their daily writing, as well as teacher prepared assessments. A weekly spelling list that coincides with the weekly reading selection will go home with the homework packet. Please practice these words with your child.

Arizona College & Career Readiness Our Math program involves the students conducting investigations and solving problems in a variety of ways. We will be focusing on computation, problem solving and reasoning. Most activities involve the use of hands-on manipulatives. These manipulatives help the children to learn and understand math concepts. *Please practice math facts at home regularly!

First Graders will be introduced to the following: • Inquiry process • Life science, physical science, earth and space science • Health promotion, human body, environmental health

First Graders will be introduced to: • Families • People from other cultures • People today and long ago • Holiday origins and traditions • Responsibility of citizenship in a free society • Symbols, icons, and traditions of the United States • Maps and globes • Life skills

Please make sure to check the specials calendar in your child’s homework folder or on my website to ensure your child comes to school each day with proper shoes and clothes for running, jumping, climbing, and participating in physical education activities, especially on P. E. days.

First graders will participate in music class regularly. They will also participate in Art Masterpiece multiple times throughout the year. Volunteers?

Your child will bring home a “Daily Work Folder” each day. This folder will help your child learn to be responsible and organized. It also provides a place to put notes or graded papers your child needs to take home. Please check the folder everyday. Homework will be due every Friday.

Sight Word Lists A list of sight words will be sent home weekly for you to practice with your child. This is in ADDITION to weekly spelling words. Once your student passes the current list, they will be given a new list to practice. *You can monitor their progress in their HW folder. *I need 1 or 2 volunteers weekly to help me with this!

The instruments for assessing your child’s progress are: • Teacher notes when needed to communicate individual student achievements, misbehaviors, or academic concerns. • Progress Reports • Quarterly Report Cards • Parent/Teacher Conferences (August & February)

• Students will be receiving letter grades in 1 st grade. Their work will be scored using a percentage scale in order to determine level of mastery ( MS, P, AC). • Every week the children will be assessed in reading, spelling, and mathematics. These tests will usually be administered on Fridays. • Please take the time to look them over each week and review any skills or areas of improvement with your child.

We use the Clip Chart Behavior System • Students that choose to follow the rules can earn “STAR Card” punches and earn rewards. • Likewise, there will be consequences for students that CHOOSE to break the rules (changing their behavior clip, writing a “Think About It” sheet, time outs, parent contact, or in extreme cases a visit to the principal’s office, etc. ) *Check your child’s Daily Work folder daily to see their behavior

Please visit our classroom website regularly for up -to-date information. Please sign up for e-alerts!

• Closed Campus! • Forms – Please return ASAP • Hamster “weekend out”/sign ups • Morning line up • Star Student • Birthdays- store bought food only SMALL PORTIONS! Experts • Water Bottles • SNACKS / SCHEDULE • Volunteers – Stay Tuned! • Daily Homework FOLDER! *Important! • Newsletters-weekly • Rainy Day Procedures • Tax Credit $$ • Lunch Money (Send name on envelope PLEASE!) – online easiest

Please feel free to contact me anytime by: • Email • Note • Phone call

I am looking forward to working with you to make your child’s 1 st grade school year a success! “Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together. ” - Scott Hayden "Every child has a different learning style and pace. Each child is unique, not only capable of learning but also capable of succeeding. " ~Robert John Meehan