Absence/Tardiness
-Please make every effort to have students in class on time daily! First grade is very fast paced, and in my experience, the students really enjoy being a part of the action every day. Of course, everyone gets sick or has other important reasons that they must be absent. In the event that a child is absent, he or she will have the opportunity to make up missed activities as much as possible (many times, our activities are hands on or experiment based and can be difficult to re-do). I will also send home practice pages and assignments on the day of the students return; it is not usually my policy to send work home in advance unless special arrangements are made.
-Students must bring a note of excuse for every day they are absent from school! These are placed in a special folder, and turned in to the office daily.
-Students must bring a note of excuse for every day they are absent from school! These are placed in a special folder, and turned in to the office daily.
Agendas
First graders in my class will use the school issues agenda for a variety of purposes. It helps build calendar skills and gives students a chance to practice reading and writing. We use the agenda to copy weekly spelling words and to write sentences. I find that many first grade students struggle to keep up with bringing the agenda to and from school daily, so I tend to use it as a classroom tool. As children mature, we may explore the added responsibility of carrying the agenda home at night and returning it daily.
Assessments
In addition to the district tests, my first grade students take weekly reading and spelling tests and end of unit math, science, social studies tests. It's my policy to keep the tests on file until the end of each semester, but as soon as they are graded, I do send them home to be signed and returned immediately. If a student has not demonstrated mastery of a topic, he or she will be given extra instruction. It is very helpful for parents to provide extra help at home in these cases!
Behavior Policy
In addition to the schoolwide behavior policy, my classroom has a system for helping to keep all students focused on the learning at hand! Each day, students begin with a "green" for good. It is the students responsibility to follow classroom rules and to keep that "green." Failure to follow rules results in a warning, and then a color change to "yellow," "blue," and finally "red." A daily record is kept and sent home in the homework folder for parents to initial. If a student has had trouble with rules, I will send an additional note or contact you by phone or e-mail. If any kind of violent behavior occurs in the classroom, it is immediately dealt with by the administrators. Students who maintain good behavior and complete homework as assigned are rewarded every Friday afternoon with a dive into the treasure chest!
Birthdays
Our class celebrates birthdays with a very special serenade at the close of school on the b-day boy or girls special day. Students are also able to choose an item from the treasure chest.
Because of the new laws governing nutrition in schools, students are no longer allowed to share sweet treats during the school day. If you would like to make special arrangements to provide a treat for your child's birthday, please contact me first!
Because of the new laws governing nutrition in schools, students are no longer allowed to share sweet treats during the school day. If you would like to make special arrangements to provide a treat for your child's birthday, please contact me first!
Book Clubs
Our class participates in Scholastic Book Clubs. Catalogues and order forms are sent home monthly, and can be submitted online or by sending a completed form with the student. This is a great way to build up your library at home, as there are many books offered at well below the cost at a bookstore. There are also many educational games and activity books. If you would like to participate online, please ask me for the class access code!
Class Projects
All first grade students are expected to complete one independent project for each of the four grading periods. The projects are decided upon as a grade level, and should be completed according to the specific set of instructions provided. Independent projects allow students the opportunity to apply creativity and problem solving skills in new and exciting ways! They are also intended to extend the learning process. If you have specific questions about an independent project, please let me know!
Grades
First Grade students receive numerical grades in each of the five core content areas. Grades are comprised of daily work, hands-on activities, test scores, and participation. Grades are weighted, which means that a test score has a greater effect on the overall average than does a participation grade. Parents are encouraged to access their child's grades by logging in to the Parent Portal. I will request your signature on graded tests! If you have questions or concerns about the grades your child has received please contact me asap!
Field Trips
First Grade will have three field trips during this school year. As the dates and destinations are finalized, students will be sent home with necessary forms for parents to sign and return. Attendance on field trips may be withheld from students who demonstrate a consistent disregard for classroom rules, or a chaperone may be required. I welcome all parents on our field trips, however since we are usually limited to 4 parents per class on the bus, carpooling is recommended.
Homework
Homework is a very worthwhile part of your child's day and it is very important to his or her success in school. We use it as a way to review and practice important skills learned in the classroom. Homework encourages responsibility and should not be viewed as a punishment but as a way to help your child succeed in school. One way to teach responsibility is by expecting your child to complete homework. Students show significantly better achievement in reading and math when given the opportunity to extend their practice time through homework. I normally assign homework Monday - Thursday, and almost never on Fridays. It should take students no more than 15 to 20 minutes to complete each night, and an additional 15 minutes to read and fill in the reading log. Students have a weekly homework sheet in their homework folders: this is updated every Monday and will be posted on the website weekly).
Parents, you are the key to making homework a positive experience for your child. Please make it a priority! If you have any problems or need assistance with supplies, please don't hesitate to ask!
Some ways parents can help their
child with homework are:
· Have a specific time each day to complete homework.
· Make sure it is in a quiet, comfortable, well-lit place.
· Make sure there are no distractions (music playing, TV blaring, siblings playing too closely).
· Help your child, but do not do their homework for them.
Parents, you are the key to making homework a positive experience for your child. Please make it a priority! If you have any problems or need assistance with supplies, please don't hesitate to ask!
Some ways parents can help their
child with homework are:
· Have a specific time each day to complete homework.
· Make sure it is in a quiet, comfortable, well-lit place.
· Make sure there are no distractions (music playing, TV blaring, siblings playing too closely).
· Help your child, but do not do their homework for them.
Homework Folders
Every student is given a purple homework folder on the first day of school. The folder is labeled "finished" on one side, and "unfinished" on the other. In the center of the folder is a sheet protector containing the weekly homework plan and conduct page as well as the reading log. I expect every student to take the folder home every night, and return with it on the following day. If I send a note or something requiring a parent signature (such as a test), I will place it in the "unfinished" pocket. If you send me something, please place it in the "finished" pocket. Students who repeatedly have difficulty returning their homework folders may have classroom consequences. Of course, students who show responsibility will be rewarded!
Independent Workstations
First graders use workstations every day. Workstations at the first grade level address all learning abilities with a variety of activities that are an extension of the core concepts. Workstations encourage independent work and students move from one station to another. The workstation activities at the first grade level are designed to focus more on academic growth than skills management (as in Pre-K and early Kinder). Whole-Class activities introduce concepts and initiate practice, and independent workstations allow students to build upon the concepts presented during group work. Students follow through with activities in a variety of ways, to best suit the different learning styles.
Parties
We will have two classroom parties throughout the year; Winter Celebration and End-of Year Celebration. Parents are more than welcome to join the class for these events. All information will be sent home well in advance of the actual event date.
Printable Resources
Reading Logs
Herrera students participate in the 100 Book Challenge, a program designed to motivate all students to become great readers. The challenge requires 60 minutes of reading daily, of which at least 15 minutes must occur as homework. Click here for an example of (or to print) the reading log.
reading_log.pdf | |
File Size: | 36 kb |
File Type: |
Supplies
The necessary supplies are an important part of a successful school year! In addition to the supplies on this list, throughout the year there may be times when I ask for donations of additional sanitizer, paper towels, and facial tissue. I may also ask for snacks, or miscellaneous household items such as empty paper towel tubes, empty cereal boxes, and more.
callentine_supply_list_2010-_2011.doc | |
File Size: | 220 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Tutorials
I offer after school tutorials for students who are at risk of failing or who demonstrate "below grade level" understanding of curriculum. Tutorial sessions focus mostly on reading skills, but can include additional content as needed. If you feel your child would benefit from weekly tutorial sessions and I have not already contacted you, please set up a meeting with me so that we can discuss the situation. Please note that children who exhibit disruptive behavior during tutorial sessions may not be able to participate.
Uniforms
Herrera students are expected to dress in uniform daily unless participating in a fund raising "no uniform" day. Please refer to the handbook for specifics on the uniform dress code. In my experience, many first graders start the year with some difficulty tying shoes, tucking in shirts, buckling/unbuckling belts, and walking in shoes that have a heel. Please be aware that I am not allowed to help children with zippers, buttons, or any kind of tucking in, so make sure to get plenty of practice at home!
Volunteers
I welcome parent visitors any time, as long as I know in advance when you plan to stop by so that I'm not giving a test or having an observation! There are many occasions during which parent volunteers are very helpful, and students are always quite proud when it is their parent helping us! If there's a particular talent you'd like to share with us (reading a story, playing an instrument, arts & crafts) we'd love to have you! Additionally, there are assessments that must be administered to students on an individual basis; at those times, parent volunteers are needed to monitor the rest of the class as they work independently. Please let me know if you are interested in being a volunteer in our room!
Wednesday Folders
Herrera has a school wide communication system in place, through the use of Wednesday Folders. Each Wednesday, students will come home with important flyers, announcements, and papers that may need to be signed and returned such as picture order forms. The folder will also contain any completed student work that no longer needs to be kept in the classroom. Please look through the folder each Wednesday, and be sure to return it on Thursday morning!
Weekly Conduct/Homework Page
I use one form to keep track of student conduct and to keep parents informed about class news, learning goals for the week, and homework for the week. This page is kept in the homework folder and is exchanged each Monday for an updated version. I keep the completed pages on file through the grading cycle. I will place a check next to the homework assignment if the work is completed. The daily conduct mark will also be indicated every day. Please take the time to review class news and the daily conduct mark, and feel free to use this page if you have any questions or concerns for me. Feel free to look at an example from last year!
homework_plan_march_first.doc | |
File Size: | 70 kb |
File Type: | doc |