While your waiting please text the following number and message to set-up your teacher contact text:

Also, please think about a recent family photo that can be sent to school to be

displayed in your child’s cubby:

Welcome toMrs. Henson’s

First Grade Room 305

SCHOOL HOURS

• School is from 8:00-3:20– Students cannot be dropped off before 7:30

• Morning– First bell rings at 7:55– Tardy bell rings at 8:00

• Afternoon– Car rider bell rings at 3:10– Bus rider bell rings at 3:20

TARDIES and EARLY EXITS

• A student arriving before 9:00 will be counted as tardy.

• A student arriving after 9:00 but before 11:30 will be counted as a ½ day absence.

• A student leaving after 2:10 will be counted as an early exit.

• A student leaving after 11:30 but before 2:10 will counted as a ½ day absence.

CAMPUS VISITS

• Visitors are always welcome.• You must check into the office anytime you

are on campus during school hours. There are no exceptions.

BUSES

• Your child will not transition to another bus before getting home.

• Bus discipline is covered in the student handbook.

• Routes 5A, 3A, and 13A will be dropped off around 7:10.

• Routes 3B, 5B, and 13B will be picked-up from school around 3:45.

CAR RIDERS

• Students must be dropped off and picked-up at the main door.

• Traffic Flow must be followed.• We will not release students at the door.• Parents must be in car rider line.• Parents without a car rider tag will be required

to come in the building and show ID to pick up their child

CHANGES IN TRANSPORTATION

• Please send a note with your child if they will not be going home their regular way.

• If a change needs to be made during the day, the office needs to be notified by 2:30.

Communications:Weekly NewslettersDaily Communication LogEmail: dhenson@prs.k12.ar.usLeave Message with the Primary School Office at (479)451-8183 Or scan:

Go directly to Mrs. Henson’s School Web Page to seek information at http://henson1stgrade.weebly.com Or scan:

Daily Communication Folders

Front pocket is forimportant papersgoing home.

This folder is our “communication link” with each other - please sign it nightly and return it.

Back pocket is fordaily paperscompleted in class

AttachedCalendar withEvents for theweek and Daily behavior is charted.

Common Core State Standards

• Have been implemented in this school for 2 years.

• Is now fully integrated throughout the district

Visit www.commoncore.orgOr www.corestandards.org

Title 1• Our school receives federal and state funds to help assist our

students.• The amount of money a district receives is determined by Free

and Reduced Lunch percentages.• How we allocate the money is determined through our Arkansas

Consolidated School Improvement Plan. (ACSIP, see next slide)• We use this money to help our students improve in literacy and

math.– Paraprofessionals– Class Size Reductions– Technology– Other Programs and Materials

Arkansas Consolidated School Improvement Plan (ACSIP)

• All schools in Arkansas must submit their Plan to the ADE each fall.

• Our plan addresses Math, Literacy, Wellness, and English Language Learners.

• Parent Involvement & Special Ed are embedded.• Includes objectives for improvement, professional

development, coordination of funds, and program evaluation.

Math in First Grade

CGI Math Problem Solving: Students are given word problemsand are encouraged to show a variety of ways to solve theproblems—through pictures, numbers, and words. Share time is when I encourage them to be creative in their responses, and the greatest learning comes from students demonstrating and explaining how they arrived at the answer.

First grade math is taught and assessed with CGI Problem Solving including a Hands-on Approach with some workbook activities.

Math in First Grade

For my sister’s birthday party, Alexis made10 cupcakes. At the party, our family

ate 7 of the cupcakes. How manycupcakes were left after the party?

CGI Math Problem of the Day:

Phonics in First Grade

Spelling Concepts Taught……/l/-family blends /r/-family blends /s/-family blends final Consonant clusters 3-letter blends

CVCe long /a/ CVCe long /o/ CVCe long /i/ Open vowels finalDiagraph -ck Diagraphs ch, sh Diagraphs th, wh

Long /a/ diagraphs Long /o/ diagraphs Long /e/ diagraphs Long /i/ diagraphs /y/ as a vowel Variant vowel /ar/

Variant vowel /ur/ Variant vowel /o/ /r/-controlled diagraphs Variant vowel /ar/ Variant vowel /oo/ Variant/o/

Soft /c/, /g/ Silent letters

Phonemic Connection will be used as a tool to assignweekly spelling concepts. It is more important for thechild to learn the concept than it is to memorize thewords!

Writing in First Grade

Writing in First Grade is taught through First HandWriting and Common Core Frameworks, through adevelopmental approach which allows students to free-write about moments in their lives which bringsmore meaning than just writing to a prompt.

Reading in First Grade

The table to the right Represents the districtbenchmarks your child mustmeet per quarter to besuccessful in first grade and be prepared for second grade. These benchmarks are inalignment with the State ofArkansas standards, whichdrives our instruction.

District Reading Level Benchmark

First Qtr./October………....Level 4 Second Qtr./December..…Level 8

Third Qtr./March………….Level 12

Fourth Qtr./May….….Level 16-18

Reading Book Bags Book Bags: Your child will bring home Book Bags

nightly Monday through Thursday. Inside this Book Bag you will find a folder full of information including

a reading log. Weekly your child will receive new books on Monday or Tuesdays. The first book with be a Fiction book on your child’s current reading level

based on DRA scores and teacher’s observations. The second book will also be a fiction book that will be on the Districts Reading Level Benchmark, this could be

a fun read for high readers or a challenge read for lower readers. The third book will be a non-fiction book , these books run a level higher so I will be

adjusting the levels due to their difficulty. Please make sure all books and folder

is put back into Book Bag nightly and returned to school

EVERY DAY!

Poetry in First Grade

Your child will bringhome their poetry bookevery Friday to sharetheir new poem(s) fromthe week. Read themwith your child, as theymay need help with someof the words, and thenreturn it on Monday to getmore poems added.

Keep a poem in your pocket

And a song in your heart.And you will start to seeHow fun poetry can be!

S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics):

S.T.E.M. is:

The bridging of science, technology, engineering, and math to promote problem solving through knowledge, innovation, and the ability to analyze, reason, and communicate ideas.

The integration of science, technology, engineering, and math into real life problem solving situations.

Inquiry-based problem solving which integrates science, technology, engineering, and math using processes such as designing experiments, asking questions, and developing ideas to solve every day problems.

S.T.E.M. Projects for this year may include:

1. “Build a Team Logo” this will kick off our projects and build our class groupings.2. “Eating all the Parts of a Plant” Parent night: September 23rd 3. “How we can use water to Safe Lives” Students will build water irrigation and purification systems4. “Animals Survival and their Offspring” Animal Museum will be on display at P/T Conferences.5. “To Market, To Market” Parent night: December 16th 6. “Colorful Vibrations” Musical and Light Show: February 24th 7. “Wizard of Oz/Severe Weather”8. “Cinderella, Around the World in a Glass Slipper” 9. “Earth’s Place in the Universe”

S.T.E.M. Projects will be scored using our new Agency Rubric:

Agency: Emerging E/D Developing D/P Proficient P/A Advanced1. Effort: Shows Initiative

by Completing Task on Time with Consistent

Effort.

Task(s) are completed and turned in over one day late after the assigned due date.

Task(s) are completed and turned in one day late after

the assigned due date.

Task(s) are completed and turned in on assigned due

date.

Task(s) are completed and turned in at least one day before the assigned due

dates.

2. Growth: Shows Expected Growth and

Accepts Responsibility of Task.

Overall product demonstrates no effort towards standards.

Overall product demonstrates little/some effort towards

standards.

Overall product meets standards.

Overall product exceeds standards.

3. Respect: Shows Self-Control when Working

Independently or Cooperatively with Others

on Task.

Student makes no attempt to participate with teacher to

ensure his/her learning.

Student participates little/some with teacher to

ensure his/her learning.

Students participates often with teacher to ensure his/her

learning.

In addition to proficient…The Students participates often

with peers to ensure his/her learning.

HomeworkHomework is NOT assigned to cause you hardship, it is to keep you as

parents informed on what and how your child is doing in class.

MathMath examples are provided in the weekly newsletter and Daily Math Practice sheets are sent home Monday-Thursday SpellingSpelling words are in the weekly newsletter. Have your child write the spelling words, make flashcards, Give your child a quiz on Thursday night. HandwritingWriting in any form is helpful either, shopping list, recipes, Christmas list, etc. ReadingWeekly reading passage is sent home every Tuesday. Reading nightly!Book bags with weekly books are sent home on Monday-Thursday.Poetry books come home on Fridays for weekend readingSight word list are located in book bag folders

Grades in First Grade

Reading Grade will be based a checklist that includes DRA scores, leveled readers, and your child’s overall reading abilities.

Math Grade will include based on the new Report Card Checklist.

Language Arts Grade will include literacy, spelling, and writing based on the new Report Card Checklist.

Review of Smart Core Curriculum Policy

• Smart Core informed Consent & Smart Core Waiver Forms signed by 6th grade.

• Smart Core is default program.• Choosing Core could result in not qualifying for

certain scholarships or unconditional college admissions.

Behavior

Yellow Penalty Flags require loss of recess time, 5 minutes…. Brief Reason

will be put on Behavior Chart

Red Penalty Flags require loss of recess time, 15 minutes … with a more detailed note home and/or phone call made explaining what happened during the day.

Warnings are given prior to any flag being pulled, I am not a fan of taking recess away from students, but I am required to get so many things taught every single day that it is important to minimize classroom disruptions.

Bully

A pattern of fear and intimidation, includes Facebook, etc., and become school issues even if begun outside of school, will be reviewed on case-by-case basis and disciplined according to handbook.

Thank You for Attending

Open House & Parent Night