The

ABC’s

of

1st Grade

2012-2013

Candice Little

Aa

Absence: If your child is sick, please call the office (313-625-4700) and inform us of your child’s absence and the reason for it. This is for your child’s safety. If your child must leave early for a doctor’s appointment, etc... go to the security desk to sign your child out and the secretary will called to send your child to the front. PLEASE DO NOT come to your child’s classroom. Never send another person to pick up your child without informing us or the secretary.

Arrival and Dismissal: Students will line up outside the school in their designated classroom line. A staff member will bring them in once it is time for breakfast. Breakfast is at 7:40 in your child’s classroom. The tardy bell rings at 8:00. ATA has a strict policy on tardiness so please make every attempt to have your child here on time. This will allow your child to adapt to smooth, predictable routines while not interrupting the other students each day.

Students should not arrive prior to 7:30 a.m. When you pick up and drop your children off, please remain outside of the building. Parents in the hallway can cause a disruption to other classrooms. Children are not allowed to play on the playground before and after school.

Dismissal is at 3:20 p.m. outside the school. Please pick up your child promptly! If you are running late, then report to the security desk.

Attendance: A successful school experience is the responsibility of the child, the parent, and the school. Your child’s progress, both academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation. Regular attendance without tardiness is a key.

Bb

Backpack: To help your child carry their binder and lunch to and from school, you are asked to provide a backpack for your child. Please no wheels and make sure their name is written on it.

Binders: We will supply each child with a 3-ring parent communication/homework binder on the first day of school. Students will use this EVERYDAY to develop organizational skills and learn responsibility. It is important to teach children how to keep up with homework, and important notes. This book is also a way of maintaining effective communication between home and school. It aims to eliminate lost notes, organize calendars and homework, as well as keep parents and students informed of important events and academic progress. EVERYTHING a student and parent needs is in this binder. If your child’s binder gets ruined or lost, please send in $10 for a replacement. This is a mandatory tool that will be part of your child’s success in first grade.

Birthdays: We like to celebrate birthdays! Your child may bring in a treat for the class if he/she desires to do so on his/her special day. Please have an individual serving of the birthday treat for each child. Due to time constraints, it is difficult for us to have to cut and serve items to children, and much easier to have individual servings. Also, please write us a note, call, or have your child tell us prior to the day the treat is brought in so we can allot time for a birthday.

*** If your child is allergic to certain items or you do not want your child eating sweets in our classroom this year, please send us a note and let us know. If we don’t hear from you, your child will be offered treats.

We do realize what an exciting time birthdays are and planning for a birthday party is twice the fun. However, please do NOT have your child bring invitations to pass out at school. If you have any questions, then please do not hesitate to ask.

Book Order: Each month we will be sending out book order forms from Scholastic. It offers wonderful books at reduced prices---what a great way to build your home library! If you wish to order books from Scholastic, please make your payment by check to Scholastic Book Club. Cash is also acceptable, with EXACT change. All money should be sent to school in the zip pouch in your child’s binder. Thanks for your help!

Breakfast: This year, we are offering free breakfast for all students. It will be served in your child’s classroom. Breakfast is at 7:40 a.m. Students must be on time in order to receive breakfast. If your child is tardy, we will not be able to serve them. We have limited time and must begin our teaching day promptly at 8:00 a.m.

Cc

Calendar/Circle Time: We will be doing many activities involving the calendar which include: days of the week, months of the year, weather, counting money, telling time, and counting the days of school which includes skip counting. In addition, we will also be singing songs, doing finger plays, and listening to stories. Circle time is where we will teach mini-lessons and model reading and writing skills too!

Computers: We are fortunate enough to have computers in our classroom. A variety of age-appropriate programs will be what the child will work on throughout the school year.

Communication We welcome any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please contact us by phone or email. Mrs. French (313) 625-4622 , Ms. Little (313) 625-4618 , or Mrs. Muzyk (313)625- .

Conferences: The first Parent/Teacher conferences will be held October 20th and 21st. A note will be sent home to schedule a conference with your teacher. We will discuss your child’s accomplishments, strengths, and overall progress. Please feel free to schedule additional conferences if needed. Please check your student’s Welcome Pack for further conference dates.

Dd

Discipline: In the classroom, as well as within the entire school we will be using the Positive Behavior Support (PBS) system. The discipline system is designed around the idea that the children are in control of their behavior and can make good choices. In first grade we teach the children to accept responsibility for their actions and the discipline system evokes this principle. To help your child learn how to make good choices and how to be responsible for their behavior a “color” system will be used. Every child will start off each day on green; this means that they are exhibiting appropriate behavior. If a child makes an inappropriate choice, they must go to yellow. This is a visual and verbal warning. Likewise, students can also move up a color for making positive choices. The color order and meaning are listed below.

Pink = Outstanding behavior

Blue = Great Job

Green = Ready to learn (every student starts here!)

Yellow = Warning

Orange = Consequence (refocus or teacher’s choice)

Red = Parent contact/ office referral to REACH coordinator.

It is quite natural for children to push certain boundaries especially in unfamiliar territory; therefore it is not uncommon for a child to move down a color during the first several weeks of school. Please discuss with your child appropriate behavior. However, please do not make a statement to your child regarding that they should NEVER move down a color. That statement will only add anxiety and pressure that your child does not need. Also, your child will remember that you made that statement; this may lead to further discipline/behavior issues. You can appreciate the problems that can and do arise when this statement is told to five and six year old. If your child goes to red, then you will be notified by your preferred method of contact. Please check and initial your child’s behavior log each day of the week. This is your best tool for knowing how they are behaving each day. Of course, if you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

Dress Code: Elementary students must wear light blue, short sleeved polo shirts, with the Advanced Technology Academy logo. The Academy will supply each new student with two shirts. Returning students can purchase shirts for $12. ATA only accepts cash payments. Shirts must be tucked in at all times. Pants must be “Docker” style either black or navy blue with belt loops and a black belt. No large buckles or buckles with letter logos. Sweatpants, khakis, jeans, stretch pants, and skirts are not allowed. Students should wear black Velcro casual shoes. PLEASE NO TIE SHOES. Girls may wear Mary Jane style shoes. Sweatshirts with the ATA logo may also be worn over your child’s ATA polo. They are available to purchase for $10. Be sure your child’s name is written in permanent ink on the tag. No other sweatshirts, sweaters, or hoodies are permitted in the classroom.

Please be sure to read the dress code policy in the 2011-2012 welcome packet.

Gym shoes are permitted during your child’s scheduled gym quarter.

Ee

Emergency Cards: Please complete and return the yellow emergency information found in your child’s Welcome Packet. Return to your child’s teacher promptly. If your home or work phone number changes, then inform the office so you can be located quickly if an emergency occurs.

Emergency Closings If schools are closed for a snow day or any emergency, local radio stations or the local TV stations will make an announcement, generally by 7:00 A.M.

Emergency Drills: Emergency drills are practiced several times throughout the year. We will practice and become familiar with procedures throughout the year.

Ff

Field Trips: There will be a couple of field trips that are both fun and educational for your child. Parent drivers are not permitted; therefore, buses will be used for transportation. Do not send your child with money to buy souvenirs/food on field trips. We have limited time and are unable to stop to allow students to make purchases. Please return permission slips as soon as possible after it is sent home.

Gg

Grades:

Grading on report cards will be based on the following letter format for grades K-1:

M = Meeting expectations

P = Progressing toward expectations

D = Difficulty meeting expectations

N = Not meeting expectations

NG = Not graded at this time

Worksheets and dittos done in class will typically be graded with smiley faces:

J = good job

K = okay but try a little harder next time

L = oops! We need to practice together

Hh

Hands–On Learning: Research has shown and we feel that the best way to help children learn is to make learning fun. Important concepts can be learned by doing meaningful hands-on activities. There are times when seatwork is required and necessary, but for the most part, the classroom will be an active learning environment.

Health: Please let us know of special circumstances which may affect your child. These could include medication that may make him/her sleepy, a death in the family, etc. Also, please let us know of any allergies your child may have, especially food allergies. We sometimes cook or do food activities to complement lessons in first grade and it would be helpful to know when we plan our recipes.

Help at Home: Your extra help at home can really make a difference. If you notice your child is struggling with a concept or skill, then just a little help from home truly does make a difference. Here are some suggestions that you can work on with your child to start off the year:

•Address•Telephone number
•Parents’ names •Basic colors/shapes •Counting to 120
•Printing first and last name beginning with a capital letter and the rest in lower case
•Blending sounds •Identifying coins and their amount
•Birthday (month & date) •Identifying numbers to 100
•Knowing letter names and sounds•Tying shoes •Telling time to the hour and half hour

•High frequency words
Your extra help at home really makes a difference!

Home Reading: Throughout the year children will be reading many books in school. They will practice the books in school. Additional books will be provided take home to read to family and friends. This is wonderful practice to build fluency and to reinforce the word’s we’ve learned! In addition, studies show that just 20 minutes a day reading aloud to young children promotes family bonding, encourages listening and language skills, and gives children a strong reading foundation. It is a schoolwide expectation that all ATA students will spend time reading each evening, in addition to other homework. First graders should be read to until they can read by themselves for 20 minutes. A weekly reading log will be sent home to record books read at home. You must complete and initial the reading log each evening after reading with your child. Do not sign ahead of time.

Homework: Our goal is to keep homework purposeful and reasonable. We believe homework should never be a burden to the child or the family. Our main purposes in assigning homework are as follows: to provide children with the opportunity to practice and improve their skills; and to teach children responsibility, self-discipline, independence, perseverance, and time management.

·  You can help your child be successful with homework by encouraging positive homework habits right from the start. Here are some suggestions:

o  Set aside specific time each day for homework. The sooner after school, the better.

o  Designate a place for doing homework, a place that’s quiet and has few distractions.

o  Support your child in doing the work but don’t do it for him/her. For example, you might remind your child where or how to find an answer, but try not to jump in the give the answer. (All homework will be on something we have already gone over in class.)

·  At the first grade level, it is the parent or guardian’s responsibility to see that homework is completed.