Welcome to

Parent Meeting!

WAM Business• School phone number:

828-256-2196• Doors open at 7:30 am• 7:50 am school day starts• Latecomers must go to

the office to get a pass• Visitors must check in at

office for a photo sticker/pass

• Dress Code – no spaghetti straps; gym shoes every day

Conferences

Will be scheduled after assessments are completed in October.

If you would like a conference before then, let your teacher know!

Day-to-Day in Classroom

• Gym every day. Wear sneakers.

• Art twice a week. Music, library and computer lab each once a week

• Field trips – Apple Orchard October 22; Spring trip to be announced

More Day-to-Day in Classroom

• Find notes, behavior and more in your child’s agenda each night. Return it to school each morning.

• Home folder should also be returned each day.

• Rooms can be hot/cold. Leave a sweater at school if you wish

Lunch and Birthdays• Lunch from x:xx to x:xx • You are WELCOME at any time. Join

your child at the class table, or if a table is available, your child may invite ONE friend to sit with you.

• If you would like to bring ONE snack item to celebrate a birthday in the lunchroom, the students are very appreciative and excited. Sorry, no homemade treats.

Classroom Parties• Snack type food and

craft or game

• Christmas• Easter (egg hunt) • End-of-Year

First 6 Weeks of School

• The establishment of expectations and routines are the major focus of the first six weeks of each school year.

• As teachers, our first job is to build, with the children, the foundation for a productive and cooperative year of learning and an atmosphere of support and collaboration.

Daily Work

Daily work is not always immediately visible. We generate charts, fill in information in various ongoing formats (calendars, experiments, book journals, writing folders, etc.)

First Grade Homework

•20 minutes of reading•Sight word practice•Word sorts (starting next

month)

NIGHTLY READING – LET’S DO THE MATH!

Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!

Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.Student A reads 20 min. x 5 times a week = 100 mins./weekStudent B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes

Step 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.Student A reads 400 minutes a month.Student B reads 80 minutes a month.

Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school yearStudent A reads 3600 min. in a school year.Student B reads 720 min. in a school year.

Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year.

Student B gets the equivalent of only two school daysof reading practice in a full year!

Time for your pop quiz!

Which student would you expect to read better?

A or B

Which student would you expect to know more?

A or B

Which student would you expect to write better?

A or B

Which student would you expect to have a better vocabulary?

A or B

Which student would you expect to be more successful in school

...and in life?

A or B

“The Perfect Blend”

•Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop

•Daily Five Literacy Block

•Words Their Way Spelling and Vocabulary

Daily 5 Literacy Block

•Read to Self

•Read to Someone

•Work on Writing

•Work with Words

Daily C.A.F.E.•Menu of Choices to support

us as readers•Our job as readers is to make

meaning of what we read• Your child will be working on

goals that will improve their reading throughout the year.

Comprehension“I understand what I read!”

• 1. Check for understanding: What is this page mostly about? What is happening in the story so far?• 2. Back up and reread. Stop and think about what is happening in the story. • 3. Retell the story in order.• 4. Make connections when you read. This reminds me of… This part is just like that other book…• 5. Make a picture in your head while you read.• 6. Ask questions when you read. Who/where/why/how• 7. Predict what will happen next.• 8. Infer and support with evidence How do you think the character feels? Why?• 9. Use text features. (titles, headings, captions, pictures)• 10. Recognize literary elements. (genre, plot, character,

setting)

Accuracy“I can read the words”

• 1.Cross checking. -Does it look right? -Make sense? -Sound right? -Match the picture?• 2. Use beginning sounds and think of a word that makes sense.• 3. Read the middle and ending sounds.• 4. Blend, stretch and reread sounds.• 5. Flip the sound.• 6. Chunk the letters and sounds together.• 7. Skip the word and then reread.• 8. Trade a word. Guess a word.

Fluency“I can read with expression.

I understand what I read.”

1. Expressive voice2. Smooth reading3. Process meaning as you

read4. Practice sight words5. Read like you enjoy the

book6. Use a rate to match the

text, not too fast or not to slow

7. Phrasing

Expand Vocabulary“I know, find, and use

interesting words.”• Tune in to interesting words & use them in my

writing• Reread to clarify meaning of word• Use pictures, illustrations, and diagrams• Use prior knowledge & context to predict and

confirm meaning• Understand content vocabulary• Ask someone to define a word for you• Use dictionary, thesaurus, glossary

WritingThings we focus on to become awesome

writers:

*Spacing*Correct use of capitals and punctuation*Spelling patterns (beginning/middle/ending

sounds, high frequency words)*Drawing detailed sketches to help tell story*Focus on one topic*Thoroughly developing ideas*Bringing story to a close*Expression

-We write everyday, sometimes several times in a day.

First Grade Writing RubricContent – Does the story make sense? Is it interesting to read?

Level FourMaintains focus on main idea throughout the entire productWrites in a logical sequence throughout the entire productUses varied sentence patterns and length throughout the entire productIncludes descriptive detail and/or elaboration throughout the entire productExhibits advanced word choice for sentence sense throughout the entire productLevel ThreeMaintains focus on main idea throughout most of the productWrites in a logical sequence throughout most of the productUses varied sentence patterns and length throughout most of the productIncludes descriptive detail and/or elaboration throughout most of the productExhibits advanced word choice for sentence sense throughout most of the productLevel TwoMaintains focus on main idea throughout some of the productWrites in a logical sequence throughout some of the productUses varied sentence patterns and length throughout some of the productIncludes descriptive detail and/or elaboration throughout some of the productExhibits advanced word choice for sentence sense throughout some of the productLevel OneDoes not maintain focus on main idea throughout any of the productDoes not write in a logical sequence throughout any of the productDoes not use varied sentence patterns and length throughout any of the productDoes not include descriptive detail and/or elaboration throughout any of the productDoes not exhibit advanced word choice for sentence sense throughout any of the product

 

Conventions - Spelling, punctuation, spacing

Above grade level (2pts)Spells previously studied words(sight words) correctly/uses patterns most of the time Uses more conventional than temporary (invented) spelling most of the timeUses capital letters where appropriate most of the timeUses correct punctuation most of the timeUses correct spacing most of the time

At grade level (1 pt)Spells previously studied words(sight words) correctly/uses patterns some of the timeUses conventional and temporary (invented) spelling some of the time Uses capital letters where appropriate some of the time Uses correct punctuation some of the timeUses correct spacing some of the time

Below grade level (0 pts)Does not spell previously studied words(sight words) correctly/use patterns Does not use conventional or temporary (invented) spellingDoes not use capital letters where appropriate Does not use correct punctuation Does not use correct spacing

Words Their Way• School-wide spelling, vocabulary,

phonics instruction program.• Students will be placed in an

appropriate level of instruction after assessment.

• Word sorts will be sent home for practice.

• Sorts might include pictures, words, spelling patterns, beginning sounds, ending sounds.

• We do not have traditional spelling tests.

• Our activities help students learn how to spell words forever.

Math Concepts• Count and Write to 100• Graphing• Patterns in numbers• Odd and Even• Skip Counting• Addition and Subtraction • to 18• Measurement • Probability –

certain/uncertain/impossible

• Time to the half-hour• Fair shares• Geometric Shapes• Problem solving and

strategies

Science Concepts Plants and

animals

Rocks and Soil

Solids and Liquids

Balance and Motion

Integrated into daily reading and writing activities.

Questions?