Parent Information Night. First Grade

Transcription

1 Parent Information Night First Grade One general goal for the first grade boys and girls is self reliance learning to do things ourselves. This is no small accomplishment as the demands of the grades are quite different from early childhood education. They are going through a lot of changes and adjustments a new schedule, a new setting and yes, even new clothes! Most importantly, the children are learning to think and make choices on their own. At times, this can be frustrating for a six year old. Critical thinking is so important in the learning process. You can be proud of your child for his/her growth thus far. Homework will be given as reinforcement for the day s lesson to help develop understanding of presented concepts and to develop self discipline. During the first trimester, homework will be kept at a minimum to allow for growth and adjustments. It will increase little by little thereafter. Adult family members, you can help with homework by checking to see that your child completes his/her assignments. Your guidance in establishing proper routines regarding the completion of homework is important and needed. However, you are encouraged not to correct errors, as errors help me to understand what concepts are being understood and where extra instruction and reinforcement may be needed. I hope this evening will provide helpful information for you. The following pages will help you know more about your child s daily school experience. It is my pleasure to share this information with you. Sincerely, Marie Walsh

2 Leif Ericson Day School First Grade Outline for Parent information Night Introduction 2. Daily Schedule 3. Classroom rules: Listen carefully. Follow directions. Raise hand before speaking. Work quietly. Do not disturb others who are working. Respect others. Be kind in your words and actions. Respect school and personal property. Keep hands to yourself. Rewards and consequences will be given for your actions. Rewards may be stickers or praise slips. o Ten praise slips result in a N.U.T. (No Uniform Today) card. Consequences o If a rule is not followed, a verbal warning may be given. o Three verbal warnings will result in five minutes in the Thinking chair/time out and 5 minutes taken from choice time. o Any warnings thereafter will result in Time Out on the bench. o A written notice will be sent home if any child has to spend time on the bench; the notice must be signed and returned by the parent. o Citizenship grades may be affected for students receiving several warnings on a daily basis or had to spend time on the bench. Parents will be notified through a letter or phone call of these occurrences. Lunchroom Rules: o Any child that does not follow lunch room rules will receive a Lunch Room Warning Slip and may have to spend time on the bench. See page 16 or the Family Student Handbook for Lunch Room Procedures/Rules. o Written notices will be sent home to the parent, and they must be signed and returned. 4. First Grade Curriculum (NY State Curriculum & Learning Standards) A. Reading and English Language Arts: Hartcourt Collections. Our integrated Reading and Language Arts Program combines the following: Listening Speaking Reading

3 Writing Grammar Spelling(5 10 sight words weekly) Phonics Critical thinking skills B. Mathematics: Harcourt School Publishers: New York HSP Math Number Sense and Operations Addition: 1 and 2 digit numbers Subtraction: 1 and 2 digit numbers Money and Time Geometry and Measurement Fractions and Graphs C. Social Studies: Harcourt Mifflin School and Family People Everywhere Where We Live World at Work Everything Changes Good Citizens We will work on our Social Studies series during the Fall/Winter semester, from September 2011 through January D. Science: Harcourt Science Plants and Animals All Around Living Together About Our Earth Weather and Seasons Matter and Energy Energy and Forces We will work on our Science series during the Winter/Spring semesters, from February 2012 through June E. Christian Studies: One focal point we will be on understands Prayer. What is Prayer? How can we apply prayer to our everyday lives? We will discuss these and many other questions as well as the thematic Bible stories, as we explore our Christian Studies. Please refer to page 8 in your Family Student Handbook regarding Christian Discipleship Awards and Worship Attendance. 5. Homework: Homework will be given Monday through Thursday. Please initial/sign your child s completed homework assignments. Homework and important notices will be sent home every night in the

4 Homework Folder. Each student is required to read 15 minutes every night (you may choose to read to your child or have your child read to you depending on his her reading skills and the level of the book).please record the book they have read on the Reading Log sheet, which must remain in his/her Homework Folder. A parent must sign or initial next to each entry on the sheet. The sheet will be checked every day. If you have any important notes for me, please put it in the folder and I will respond by calling or writing, if needed. 6. Tests, Report Cards and Grading: Students will be tested in all subject areas with the exception of Christian Studies. Report Cards will be given out three times during the school year. The following system is used: E Excellent G Good S Satisfactory N Needs Improvement U Unsatisfactory Report card grades are determined by test grades, class participation, class work, and projects. Homework will not be used as a formal assessment tool, but as informal assessment to assist me in subject planning and revision. Numerical grades are not used in 1 st and 2 nd grades. Please refer to your Family Student Handbook for further information (pages7 9). Midway through each trimester, progress reports are issued to those students who exhibit difficulties in a particular subject area. 7. Parties: Birthday celebrations will take place during snack time in the class. A small treat such as homemade cupcakes or cookies are highly recommended.please keep in mind that we are a nut free school and carefully read the ingredients on all boxes before sending them. Cupcakes purchased from Tastry Pastry are a suggestion as they contain nut free ingredients.please let me know in advance what your plans are for your child s birthday.. Pizza birthday lunches are NO longer on option at lunchtime. (See page 16 of the Family Student Handbook). I will organize any holiday parties and ask for certain contributions for the party. 8. Miscellaneous Topics of Interest: Please refer to your Family Student Handbook regarding: 1. Dress Code and Uniforms pages 11 and Snack and Lunch Procedures pages 16 and 17

5 3. Parking Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures page Behavior Code of Conduct pages 14 and Absences page 6 6. Attendance pages 3 & 5 Ensure that the child attends school regularly and arrives on time. Our day begins at 8:30 a.m. with prayers & devotions, and class work immediately follows. Not only is it hard for students to transition into the morning when they are not on time, but it is extremely distracting to the class when students arrive late. 9. Show and Share Show and Share will take place every Wednesday, starting with the first Wednesday in October. A show and share toy, book, picture etc. can be chosen by the child in relation to that month s theme. A list of each month s theme will be sent home before the date of your child s Show and Share. Each child will have one Show and Share turn per month. This will be a great exercise in speaking and listening skills. Check the schedule below to see which Wednesday your child needs to bring in his/her Show and Share. October 5 Iman, Arianna, Isabella, Ava October 12 Ella,Lucia, Jordan, Marty October 19 Nicholas P., Caitie, Stefan, Nicholas T October 26 James, George, Katherine, Mikey The schedule for the remaining months will be sent home at a later date. 10. Class Trips: There will be a few class trips during the year. The number of parents allowed with us on the bus may be limited. I will hopefully have each parent attend at least one of the class trips. No siblings may attend the trips with us as I need your full care and attention on the students. See page 6 of the Family Student Handbook for more important details and information. Please read the attached Chaperone sheet for important information. 11. Questions and Comments: During this evening, if there are any general questions about classroom procedures, I will be glad to answer them. If there are any specific questions or concerns about your child, please make an appointment to speak with me at a more convenient and appropriate time. Thank you Let s get this year off to a great start! I am looking forward to your support as we work together for the academic, physical, social and spiritual development of our children.