1. The s
of 1st Grade
Back to School Night
September 12, 2013
2. is for ...
Attendance
• Unless your child is ill, please make every
attempt to have your child present at school.
• Independent Study
• Our day begins promptly at 8:25 and the
dismissal time is 3:20. Early Release: 1:00 pm
• If your child is going to be out, please call to
let the office know.
3. is for...
Behavior
• Students are expected to:
Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe
• There will be rewards and consequences for
CHOOSING to follow/break the rules.
• Class Dojo and/or clip chart will be used to track
behavior
5. • In 1st grade, we will focus on
developing phonemic awareness,
decoding skills, word recognition,
comprehension and oral reading fluency.
• The more sight words a student knows, the more
fluently he/she will read.
• Textbook: SRA California Imagine It! Level 1
• Decodables/Big Books
• First Reader
• Student Readers/ Guided Reading Books
6. 1st grade students will:
• Read and learn to identify different genres
throughout the year: realistic fiction, fantasy,
informational, photo journalism, poetry, etc.
• Set a purpose for reading by predicting and asking
or pre-reading comprehension questions
• Locate evidence to answer a question and/or
support an opinion about the text.
• Draw connections related to the text
text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world
8. 1. Read to Self
2. Read to Others
3. Listen to Reading
4. Work with Words
5. Work on Writing
9. • A variety of grouping strategies will be utilized to
deliver our reading and language arts curriculum.
Whole class and small group lessons will be delivered
to ensure mastery of skills.
We will focus on the following each week:
• Reading Strategies
• Comprehension Skills
• Reading Fluency
• Vocabulary and Word Analysis
• Spelling
• Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
• Writing
• Listening and Speaking
10. • We do lots of writing in first grade. Children are
encouraged to use phonetic spelling when
they first start. Our goal is to encourage risk
taking and independence in writing.
• As high frequency words and spelling
rules are introduced children are
expected to move toward more
conventional spelling.
• Writer’s Workshop Rules
• Do the best that you can and keep on going
• Edit your work
• When your done – you’ve just begun: Add to
the Words, Add to the Pictures, Start a New Story
11. • Writing is a Process:
Plan, Draft, Revise, Edit, Publish, Share
• Narrative: describe people, places,
events, recount 2 or more sequence events,
include details about what happened, use words:
first, next, then, finally and provide closure
• Expository: write informative and explanatory
reports, name topic, supply facts about topic,
provide closure
• Persuasive/Response to Literature: State opinion,
provide reasons and facts, closing statement
12. By the end of first grade, students …
• Understand and use the concept of “ones” and “tens”
• Add and subtract numbers to 20 with ease
• Tell time to the half hour
• Count, write and order number to 120
• Measure with simple units
• Identify shapes and their attributes
• Describe data and analyze and solve simple problem situations
• Each math lesson begins with our Math on the Marina
folder - Number of the Day, Calendar, and Number Sense,
including money and telling time
• Math instruction concludes with a lesson in our Harcourt
Math books and independent practice. Nightly math
homework is also required.
13. 1st grade students will learn that:
• Plants and animals meet their needs in
different ways
• Weather can be observed, measured and
described
• Matter exists in three forms
• They will also receive engaging
hand-on science instruction
from our own: “Mr. Science”.
14. 1st grade students will learn about:
• Families/People from other cultures
• Goods and Services
• People today and long ago
• Holiday origins and traditions
• Responsibility of citizenship
• Symbols, icons, and traditions of the United States
• Maps and globes
• Social and Emotional Learning: Second Step
15. PE
1st grade students will learn…
• The meaning of “physical fitness”
• Coordination and movement skills
• Sportsmanship
• Group cooperation
• Prerequisite skills for sports
*Please make sure your child comes to school each day with
proper shoes and clothes for running, jumping, climbing, and
participating in physical education activities.
16. First grade students will receive:
A comprehensive curriculum infused with the Arts.
Students will learn about and develop skills in
music, dance, drama, and fine art. Instruction will
be delivered by experts in these fields as part of
the Enrich! program and included in
their regular classroom experiences
throughout the year.Visual Art
instruction is given by Mrs. Ricciardi,
our “artist in residence”.
17. Differentiated Instruction
In order to provide the best possible
instruction to each child…
• Not all children will be on the same page,
in the same book, at the same time.
• Please let me know if your child is really
struggling or if he/she is not being
challenged.
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18. Enrichment
• Students will have one or more enrichments
each day.
• Each enrichment is 45 minutes in length and is
taught by an expert in the field.
• Enrichments include instruction in:
music, dance, drama, fine art, hands-on
science, motor development, and
Spanish.
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19. • We will have approximately 10 field trips this year.
• Our goal is to provide students with “real life”
connections to our curriculum.
Field Trips
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Scheduled and Tentative 2013-2014 Trips
Twin Hills Apple Ranch Sid the Science Kid
Tolay Fall Festival Sonoma County Museum
Story Pirates Rohnert Park Gymnastics
EDC: Habitats Fire Station/Post Office
Butterfly Garden/ California Carnivores Nursery
Hillcrest Middle School Play / Special December Visitor
20. Goals
• To foster a learning environment that is fun and which
focuses on cooperation and respect for others.
•To individualize educational approaches in order to
meet every child’s needs.
•To ensure all students receive the instruction
necessary to meet or exceed all of the grade level
standards.
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My Motto: Work hard, play hard, do your BEST!
Be responsible!…No Whining, and no EXCUSES!!!
21. Homework
• Every week, students are expected to complete
the homework packet and reading log.
1-2 math pages, spelling, and 15 minutes of reading
• Due: FRIDAY morning
• It is important that 1st graders read for a MINIMUM of 15
minutes EACH night. This may include practicing their
decodables, shared reading with an adult or older
sibling, and reading and decoding good fit books on
their own.
• In addition, a monthly family project will be assigned.
22. Check the website weekly
• Enrichment Schedule
• Weekly Route
• Year-Long Voyage
• Field Trips
• Celebrations
• Project Due Dates
Itinerary
is for...
23. Just Right Books
Interest: Make sure your child is
interested in the topic and characters.
Goldilocks Method: NOT too easy or too hard
5 Finger Test:
• If your child needs to sound out 5 or more words on
a page, select another book – it is too hard.
• If your child can read every word without sounding
out new words, the book is too easy, select
another book.
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24. Keeping Informed
• Visit our classroom website frequently.
The itinerary will let you know what we
are learning about each week, and
our calendar will keep you up-to-date,
reminding you about upcoming
projects, due dates, and events.
• Make sure to read the Monday
Messages.
• Watch for emails
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https://candauscrew.shutterfly.com/
25. Learning Environment
In order to make learning engaging I will utilize:
Games, Songs/Dance, Videos, Group Work, Partner Work,
Hands-On Activities, Computers, White Boards, Doodle Pads,
Thematic Units, Group Work, Microphones, Tape Recorders,
Scavenger Hunts, Whisper Phones, Pop Up Pirate and
Microsoft Mouse Mischief, etc.
Likewise, there will be times when students are expected to
work independently and quietly at their desks and not
distract or disrupt their neighbors that are trying to work.
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26. Mystery Readers
• I would like to invite all parents, older siblings,
grandparents, or other special people to surprise your
child by being a “Mystery Reader” this year in our
classroom.
•Fridays from 11:45 -12:00 or Tuesdays, or Thursdays from
3:05-3:20 PM. If you can’t make it in person...you could
also send a film or voice recording of you reading a
story… electronic files work great! Remember this is top
secret!
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27. Please send a note with your child if:
• You know your child will be missing school for an extended
period of time.
• A change in pick-up or after school care will be occurring.
• You would like to schedule a conference or have concerns.
• Your child has been absent and you have not yet notified
the office about the absence.
Watch for notes and emails from the office and me, and
don’t forget to check the Ship to Shore folder NIGHTLY.
Notes
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28. Other Items
• Birthdays
*Keep treats as healthy as
possible (check out Pinterest)
• Class Celebrations
• Late Arrivals
• Dismissal
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29. Participation
is for...
• To encourage student engagement,
I employ as many strategies as possible to make
sure all students are actively involved in learning.
• I expect everyone to be thinking, questioning
and responding to all questions and comments.
(Think, Pair, Share, “Show Me”, Microsoft Mouse
Mischief, Random Student Picker)
30. Questions
Please feel free to contact me anytime you have
questions. You can do this in a variety of ways:
• Send an email
• Write a note
• Make an appointment for a conference
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31. • Report cards will be distributed once each
trimester. Students in 1st grade do not
receive letter grades. But marks such as: +, x, *, N
Reading
• Learning to read and strengthening reading skills
are the most important things your child will learn
to do this year.
• Make NIGHTLY reading a priority / Books on Tape
Report Cards
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32. Sailor of the Week
• Each child will have a special time during the
school year to be the Sailor of the Week.
• Students will be asked to bring in pictures and
items from home for a special bulletin board
and to lead us in special class activities during
that week. Every child will have a turn!
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33. Tests
Mondays
• Spelling Pretest
Fridays
• Spelling/Word Wall Test
• Imagine It! Test
• Math Chapter Test
Other Assessments
• Reading Fluency
• Core Phonics
• Sight Word Reading
• Rubric-Scored Writing
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34. 1st Grade Unit Themes
Back to School North, South, East, West
Where Animals Live I Think I Can
I am Responsible Away We Grow
Our Neighborhood at Work Home, Sweet Home
What's The Weather? I am Brave
Units of Study
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These units are aligned with our Science and Social Science curriculum
35. • If you have time or talents to share with us, please
complete and return the volunteer “Helping Hands”
form.
• Our school policy requires all visitors/volunteers to check
in at the school office. Visitor Badges are required if you
will be in the school hallways or entering a classroom.
• Also, anyone that wishes to help in the classroom more
than twice a month, will need to complete a volunteer
form and agree to a background check . Information is
available in the office.
Volunteers and Visitors
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36. • If you haven’t already become a member
of our classroom website, make sure you do so.
• http://candauscrew.shutterfly.com
will be my primary means of
communicating with you
throughout the year.
Website
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37. EXtra Supplies
• Thank you for all of the generous school supply
donations.
• A Wish List is also posted on our classroom website and
will be updated throughout the year. Items need not
be NEW.
• Teacher Gifts: Think “CLASSROOM”… Mrs. Candau
prefers classroom donations to anything for herself.
REALLY!!!
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38. • You are your child’s first and most
important teacher.
• I hope that we can work together
this year to make your child’s 1st
grade school year a huge success!
You
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39. Zzzzz…
• Please make sure your child gets plenty of
sleep each night, so that he/she is well
rested and ready for the challenges of first
grade. It is recommended that 5 and 6 year
olds get 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night.
• This year will ZOOM by, so let’s make the
most of it.
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40. Thank You for Coming
• Once again, thank you for coming this
evening and for showing an interest in
your child’s education.
• If you should have any questions or would
like to speak with me further about your
child, please contact me by email at
dcandau@grav.k12.us or call the school to
schedule a time for us to meet.
WELCOME ABOARD!
41. Graphics by
Thistle Girl Designs
https://www.thistlegirldesigns.com/shop/
and
Lettering Delights
http://www.letteringdelights.com/
Template created by Debbie Candau ® 2011
