First Grade Classroom Information
Welcome
Hello! Please take the time to read through our classroom information. You will find just about
everything you’ll need to know about our class. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at
[email protected]. Thank you!
Reading
 Jolly Phonics-Students will review/learn a variety of skills including;
o Letter Identification
o Letter Sounds
o Decoding (Sounding words out)
o Blends, Digraphs (sh, th), Diphthongs (oi, oy), regular and irregular vowel pairs (ea, eu), bossy r
(ar, er), y as a vowel etc.
o Tricky Words (most frequent words in children’s books, hard to de code, learned by sight)
Students will be assessed on this quarterly for the report card.
 Fluency & Comprehension-Students will be assessed on reading accuracy (reading correct words),
fluency (how smoothly they read), and comprehension (do they understand what they are reading).
These DRA assessments will be completed monthly and will help determine their reading level.
Students will be assessed on this quarterly for the report card.
 Making Meaning is the name of our reading program. In Making Meaning we will read and discuss
stories every Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, students will study a variety
of comprehension skills tied in to the Making Meaning units.
 Silent Reading- Students will spend 20 uninterrupted minutes in class reading books on their reading
level each day. This time is necessary for their fluency and accuracy skills to develop.
 Daily 5-Each day students will spend time reading to themselves, reading to someone else, listening to
reading, working on writing and vocabulary/tricky word practice. This time will also be used for small
group and one-on-one time for teacher/student conferences.
Handwriting
 Students will have handwriting practice throughout each week.
Writing
 Being a Writer is the writing program we will be using on Monday and Tuesday. We will do class read
alouds and then tie our writing to our class discussions.
 Lucy Caulkins is the Writing Program we will use on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to review the
basics of proper writing, learn new skills and strategies and express our writing freely.
Mathematics
 We will be covering the following topics in math this year:
o Counting, Ordering, & Comparing to 120
o Skip Counting, Even V. Odd, & Place Value to 120
o Addition Facts & Word Problems within 100
o Subtraction Facts & Word Problems within 100
o Telling Time to the Hour and Half Hour
o Standard & Non Standard Units of Measurement
o Fractions of a Whole, Fractions of a Set
o Geometric Figures
 Expect to see these topics for homework problems; we will also review each periodically through the
year. Students will be quizzed each Friday on that week’s math topics.
Students will be assessed on Addition & Subtraction quarterly for the report card.
Science
 We will be studying a variety of topics in science: Plants & Animals, Earth, Weather & Universe,
Energy & Matter etc.
Social Studies
 We will be studying Neighborhoods, Families, Self Image, Community, American History etc.
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Grading
Papers marked with a stamp, sticker or star have been completed as a group/class and are not graded.
Papers with a score of 1,2,3,4 are placed in the grade book and are averaged for the report card.
Students are graded on a standards based grading system (see attached)
Recess & Centers
Weather permitting, students will have the opportunity to go outside for recess to experience social
interaction with their fellow classmates.
On days when it is raining, snowing or too cold to go outside, students will participate in indoor recess
centers: puzzles, games, art projects, legos, building blocks, animal/ people figurines etc. These give
students a time for close social interaction and experience with problem solving skills.
Rules & Expectations
Our Class Rules
1.I will be Safe
 I will keep my hands, feet and objects to myself.
 I will walk at all times.
 I will get permission to move.
2. I will be Respectful
 I will obey all authority figures.
 I will listen when other people are speaking.
 I will treat others as I want to be treated.
 I will use my words to settle disagreements.
3. I will be Responsible
 I will take care of supplies.
 I will keep my classroom neat and tidy.
 I will be honest.
 I will complete all assignments in a timely manner.
 I will accept responsibility for my actions.
Expectations:
1. Students are expected to be polite, courteous and obey the golden rule at all times.
2. Students are expected to complete all assignments in an appropriate amount of time.
Extra time and help will always be available for students who need it.
3. Students will be expected to complete their homework each week and bring back their behavior calendar
signed every morning.
4. Students are expected to be respectful of their teacher, classmates, parents, administrators and school.
5. Students are expected to be obedient of adults in charge.
5. Students are expected to be responsible for their actions, accepting responsibility in a mature way.
Behavior
Whole Class Behavior
o As a class, students can earn parties (popsicle, taco, game day etc.).
o Students can earn these points by walking correctly in the hallway, working together as a class,
keeping the classroom clean etc.
Team Behavior
o Students are seated in teams of 4-5. Each team has the opportunity to earn points based on work
ethic, behavior and cleanliness. Teams are switched periodically.
o The team with the most points at the end of the week gets a prize out of the treasure box.
Individual Behavior
For the social and academic safety of our students, these situations are unacceptable in our classroom:
Safety Transgressions
 Getting out of seat without permission
 Leaving the room without permission
 Lifting/tipping/throwing furniture
 Fighting with a classmate
Responsibility Transgressions
 Fibbing/ telling an "untruth"
 Looking at a classmate's paper
 Causing a disruption (tapping, beating, humming, drumming, singing)
 Disobeying the teacher's directions
Respect Transgressions
 Disrespecting a classmate/teacher (physical or verbal)
 Interrupting the teacher/ fellow students
 Speaking without permission
 Being in possession of something that belongs to someone else
We will use a colored behavior chart this year. Students will start on green each day and either; move up to
pink for good behavior or move down for negative behavior. Students on green or pink will receive a stamp
each day, students on yellow or red will receive a note explaining their behavior that needs to be signed and
returned the following day.
Behavior Plan
1. Warning
2. Moved to yellow
3. Behavior Continues
4. Moved to red.
5. Behavior Continues
6. Sent to Safe Seat
7. Behavior Continues
8. Sent to Buddy Room
9. Behavior Continues
10. Office Referral, Sent to Behavior Interventionist, Parent Called
Thank you!