The ABC S of Ms. Smith S Classroom

The ABC’s of Ms. Smith’s Classroom

Attendance: Students are allowed to enter the building at 7:45am each morning. After 8am, students will be considered tardy. Please try to have your student come on time each day to school this way they can start their day on time, be able to participate in our class morning meetings, and they will not miss out on any important work.

Brag Tags: This year my class will be earning brag tags. Brag tags are small cards that the students can collect for showing positive behaviors in and outside the classroom while at school. They can earn them for (turning in homework, leveling up in reading, practicing their sight words, being a kind friend, being responsible, etc.). Brag tags will be collected throughout the school year on special necklaces. These are not meant to come home, as they are visuals for the students each day of all their successes throughout the year. Your child may share theirs with you during conferences, parties, etc.

Communication: In my classroom, I want you and I to be partners in your child’s education. I will communicate with you weekly via newsletters and emails to provide you with updates and information about happenings at school. I will also send home information about conferences twice this year (once in mid October/November and a student led conference in March). You are also welcome to email me at with any questions or concerns that you may have throughout the year. I also welcome you to contact me via phone at (336) 769-2921.

Differentiation: My first graders will get to work together a lot this year and we will become a family. As a family, we all learn differently and in different ways. I will be working hard to ensure that everyone has a chance to learn at their level and in the way that interests them/motivates them the most. I want to make sure that everyone has his or her best chance at reaching success in first grade!

Excellent learning: We will be learning a lot of awesome information this year in reading, math, science, writing, social studies, and letterland. I will include information about our learning in my weekly newsletters in each week to keep you updated on what your child learns at school.

Flexible seating: In my classroom, my students will not be sitting in just traditional school chairs. I have adopted the flexible seating idea in my classroom and I will be helping my students learn about finding the best spot/seat in the room for them. They will get to try out different seats each day/week based on their choice and as long as they are working, they will be allowed to sit in their chosen spot/seat.

Growth Mindset: We will also be learning about how AWESOME we all are as individuals. We will be working on developing a mindset that we CAN do anything with practice and learning from our mistakes. We will be training our brains to take on challenges and help us discover our learning superpowers.

Homework: Each week, your child will take home their Homework folders on Mondays. They will receive a homework packet that will be due on Friday, so they have all week to work on their homework. I do not expect them to do it all in one night. Homework will include review of skills that we have talked about in class to give them a little extra practice.

Important Information: If you should have notes or important information that I need to know about your child throughout the year, please feel free to email me or send a note in your child’s Homework folder.

Jackets: My classroom can vary in temperature throughout the year (it typically is very warm, however, there have been times it has been chilly). Please have your child bring a light sweater or jacket to school each day in case they get cold easily.

Keep up the learning at home: We will do a lot of learning at school and a lot of fun activities. Please help keep your child excited about school and ask them often about their day and what they are learning. I will provide some helpful conversation starters that you can use to start the conversation at Meet the Teacher night.

Letterland: Our phonics and spelling instruction will be done through the guidance of the Letterland curriculum in first grade. We will spend time reviewing letters and sounds at the beginning and then working our way towards different vowel sounds, ending sounds, and chunks in words.

Math: In our first grade curriculum, we will be working on learning to add and subtract one digit numbers, place value, solving word problems, learning about shapes and fractions, measuring items, and money.

Newsletter: Each week, I will send home a paper copy and a digital copy via email of my classroom newsletter. It will contain information about important dates, what we are learning at school, reminders, and information about homework.

Ohana: In my classroom, my first graders will be working closely together throughout the year. We will build many friendships and become a close family. After all, “Ohana does mean family and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten” –Lilo & Stich

Pawsitive Behavior: At Wallburg we promote PAWS (Positive, Accountable, & Working towards Success). In the hallways, lunchroom & classrooms, my students will have opportunities to earn PAWS towards rewards as a whole class. In the classroom, we will be using a house point system that will allow the students to be apart of one of four houses where they will earn points based on positive behaviors exhibited inside and outside the classroom to help in earning special rewards as a group. Students will also have an individual based behavior system in the classroom.In their homework folders each week there will be a sheet for the whole week that will have traffic lights on it. A green light at the end of the day will mean (they had a great day!), yellow (they struggled a little), red (they struggled a lot). We will be playing Pluto’s Baseball. Students will have a baseball that they will work hard to keep at 0 strikes. If they struggle during the day with following our classroom rules, they will earn a strike on their baseball. One strike will be a warning. If they earn 2 strikes (this will equal a yellow traffic light) and if they earn 3 strikes (will equal a red traffic light). I will also include notes each day for yellow and red (through email or handwritten note) to let you know what they may have struggled with during the day. They will start each day with a green light. Please make sure that your child brings their folders each day, so that they can start with a green light and receive any special reminders or notes that may need to go home each day.

Questions: If you should have any questions or concerns, please email me at .

Read! Read! Read with your child and encourage them to read at home too!

Snack: We will have snack twice a day. Please have your child bring some snacks to school with them. I will also have snack options available to them and I will have a sign up sheet, if you would like to volunteer to bring snacks for our class.

Sight words & Spelling: This year, your child will be expected to recognize 50 sight words each quarter. We will be practicing these words in class and they will have sight word booklets to help them practice at home as well. These booklets will have extra words that will be beneficial for them to know as well. I will also send you a list of the words that they will need to know this year on Meet the Teacher night.

Utensils: Please make sure to send your child with all the writing utensils and tools that they will need to be successful at school. There will be another supply list available at Meet the Teacher night and you can also access the supply list on our Wallburg Elementary website.

Volunteer: I welcome you, if you would like to and have time, to volunteer in my classroom. There will be a sign-up sheet at Meet the Teacher night and you can also email me if you are interested later on. I will have volunteer opportunities inside and outside the classroom. Please check with me to know more.

Welcome to First Grade! I am so excited to work with everyone this year!

Xtra Special: I believe each child is xtra special and I am so excited to get to know each and every one of my students. Please feel free to write me a letter during the first week of school, there will be information at Meet the Teacher night, to explain more about your student (their likes, interests, what they like to read, how they learn, and anything you feel I need to know to help them be successful this year).

YOU: You as their parent or guardian will be my partner this year in your child’s education. I am so excited to have this partnership with you. I welcome you to communicate with me with any questions or concerns. I also encourage you to continue to motivate your child at home and keep them excited about learning.

ZZZZZ: Please make sure that your child gets lots of sleep each night. This will help them do their best each day at school.

Thank you and I look forward to working with everyone to make this a Fantastic year!!

Ms. Smith