Meet Mrs.Kempfer
Welcome to First Grade! I am Bethany Kempfer, and I am excited to be your child’s teacher this year. I graduated from CarrollCollege (now CarrollUniversity) in Waukesha, and I have a master’s degree from CardinalStritchUniversity as a Reading Specialist.
This will be my twelfth year of teaching. I taught second grade for one year, and all the rest have been in first grade. I love the challenges of teaching first graders and the enthusiasm they have for learning. I strive to make each year the best one yet, and I have so much planned for us this year!
I have two children of my own -– a first grade son here at Woodview, and a 4-year-old daughter –- who keep me busy when I’m not in school. My husband is also a teacher, mainly at the college level.
Ways to Contact Mrs. Kempfer
These are the ways you can reach me:
The direct number to my classroom is 376-5783. My phone is usually programmed to go directly to voice mail. I will return calls as soon as possible, usually after school. If you have an urgent message, such as a change in transportation at the end of the day, please call the office at 376-5750, and Mrs. Wessel will see that I get the message.
My email address is . I check my email at least once a day, at varying times. I usually reply to email after school.
A note sent with your child is a good way to reach me, especially in the morning.
At-Home Reading Program
Each night, your child will bring home a reading bag which contains a book that your child will either read to you, or would like you to read to him or her.
Please take the time to read to or to read with your child for at least 15 minutes per night. After you and your child read the book in the bag, please write the title and your initials in one of the three boxes:
Easy
Just-Right
Challenge
Most books your child brings home should be Easy or Just-Right. Occasional Challenge books are fine, especially when they contain information or stories that your child can understand, but cannot read independently.
Here is a sample of how to fill out the reading log for the envelope. Remember, even though your child may read several books a night (which is great!) please write down only 1 book a night.
READING LOG
Date / Title / EasyI can read every word smoothly at a good pace. I can understand and retell what I read. / Just-Right
I can read most words easily. Sometimes I have to slow down to figure out a word. I can understand and retell what I read. / Challenge
I needed lots of help on tricky words. Maybe I needed someone to read this to me. OR … I needed lots of help to tell someone about what I read.
9-1 / The Hat / BK
9-2 / Animals That Live in Trees / BK
9-3 / Ants / BK
Some helpful tips for successful book sharing include:
- Sit close to your child when you read the book.
- Talk about the pictures.
- Ask occasionally, “What do you think will happen next?”
- Read the story with enthusiasm.
- Talk about the story or information when you are done reading.
Frequently Asked Questions About At-Home Reading
How are the books chosen?
On some days, I ask students to choose a book out of the box that is appropriate for their own level. Other days, the whole class is asked to bring home the same book that we have been working on in class. Some days, students are free to choose any book they like. When students choose their own books, I teach the “I PICK” method:
- I choose a book.
- Purpose – Why do I want to read it?
- Interest – I am interested in it.
- Comprehend –I understand what I am reading.
- Know – I know most of the words.
What should I do if my child memorized the book?
If your child appears to have the book memorized, have your child point under each word with a finger while reading. This is fine, and is actually an important step for beginning readers. You may also have your child write one sentence from the story with appropriate capitalization and punctuation, cut the words in the sentence apart, mix them up, and have your child put them back in the right order.
What if my child picked a book that is too hard?
Please do not push your child to read a Challenge book. Keep reading time fun. If the book is too difficult, go ahead and read it to your child. Encourage your child to pick an Easy or Just Right book tomorrow.
Can my child bring the same book home more than once?
I encourage children to try new books. If it is an absolute favorite, twice is fine, but after that I would like them to make a new choice.
We didn’t have time to read last night. Can we keep the book?
Please return the book, even if you did not have a chance to read it. Your child can check it out again on another day.
Why are some of the spaces shaded on the reading log?
Your child is expected to have one book listed on each of the un-shaded days. The shaded days are weekends or days that books are not sent home from school. Any reading listed on the shaded days counts as “extra” reading. Students who complete their regular days plus at least two “extra” days per month earn extra tickets toward Family Fun Night as part of a school-wide program.
Birthdays
Your child may bring a healthy treat to share with the class on his or her birthday. Healthy treats may include fruit, fruit cups, yogurt, pudding, string cheese, popcorn, pretzels, fruit snacks, or animal crackers. Non-food items such as pencils or stickers are also welcome. (You do not have to send a treat if you would prefer not to do so.) If your child has a summer birthday, you may consider sending a treat for his or her “half-birthday”. We are beginning the school year with 23 students in our class.
Book Orders
Book orders will be sent home approximately once a month. Please note the due dates when returning them. All checks can be made out to Scholastic Books. You may pay for multiple orders with one check.
The orders that I send home will also be available online, where you can pay with a credit card. You can access them at:
Register for a User Name and Password, and then enter our one-time Class Activation Code:
GMH78
All books are delivered to our school, and will be sent home with your child. Please notify me if you would like the books to be a surprise, so we can arrange for an alternative pick-up.
End of the Day
I have lists of which children ride the bus and which children walk or ride home with an adult. If your child is doing something different at the end of the day (going home with a friend, staying for any reason, walking when they usually take the bus, etc.), please send a note. This helps me keep the children safe.
If you are picking your child up after school, please meet your child at the front of the building, rather than coming to find your child. Those who walk or get picked up leave at 2:40, after the busses, when the parking lot is safer.
Field Trips
We will attend Seussical, the musical,at the First Stage Children’s Theater in Milwaukee on Tuesday, October 11th. We will be going to Schlitz Audubon Nature Center to learn about habitats on Thursday, May 3rd.We also hope to visit the Milwaukee Art Museum on another date. Other field trips may be planned throughout the year.
I will send home more information about the field trips and chaperoning opportunities. Unfortunately, the number of chaperones must be limited due to the number of tickets we can purchase and space on the bus.
Handwriting Without Tears
Our district uses a handwriting program called Handwriting Without Tears. Letters and numbers are made with big and little curves and lines. Examples of how to form each letter, and paper for copying to use in handwriting practice are included in the back of this handbook.
Homework Policy
Your child’s first job is to be a kid! Keep homework sessions short and fun. Reading every night is the most important thing you can do. Beyond reading, 10 minutes a night on other homework is PLENTY.
The homework I assign is intended to review and practice what was taught in the classroom. Occasionally, I ask students to bring information that they will need for an upcoming lesson.
My policy is to give only one copy of a homework assignment to each student. Students gain responsibility by making sure that their homework gets home, completed, and returned to school. Assignments turned in without names cannot be given credit. Please remind your child to put his or her name on all homework.
I would like to make homework easy to fit into your busy schedule. Therefore, I like to send a weekly homework checklist ahead of time, so you can fit it in however it works for you. Math Home Links come home separately. Please try to turn these in the next day, unless otherwise noted. If, for some reason, your child cannot finish an assignment, just turn it in as soon as possible.
Children who plan to be absent will receive the missed homework when they return. I usually do not send homework to be completed during the absence. You can always have your child read, write, play math games, and practice word wall words.
- Reading Homework
Every child is expected to read each evening, and to record the reading on the reading log. Please see the section entitled “At-Home Reading Program” for more details.
- Spelling Homework
Your child is encouraged to practice the weekly spelling words and word wall words. Please see the section entitled “Spelling Tests / Word Wall” for more details.
Making Words is another activity you can do at home to help your child learn about spelling. It is a hands-on, puzzle-like activity, which is great for students at all skill levels. Making Words lessons for homework are found in the back of your handbook. These should be completed at home, but do NOT need to be returned.
- Science, Social Studies, and Health Homework
These activities are meant to be fun, while helping your child tune in to the world around us. I will recommend activities that go along with what we are learning in class, but you are always welcome to choose an activity that fits into your family’s schedule and interests.
- Math Homework
Everyday Math Home Links ARE homework and do need to be returned. They should take a very short time to complete. If your child spends more than 7 minutes of focused work time on a Home Link, feel free to have your child stop, and just send it back to school with a note.
If there is ever confusion about how to do the math homework, please return it with a note, and I will work with your child to understand it. Please note that the Everyday Math Family Letters, to which there is a link on my website and which are included in the First Grade Handbook, contain the answers to the homework for each unit.
The first Home Link is for lesson 1.8 and will come home on Tuesday, September 13th. After this, they will come home every one or two days, and often even less frequently. If they are copied on 2 sides, please feel free to take 2 nights to do them.
Math homework needs to be done in the child’s handwriting (unless otherwise noted) in order to be considered complete. This helps students practice number formation.
Your child’s homework for each math unit will be returned at the end of the unit.
At several points during the year, the first graders in the district are tested on four different math facts groupings. (In all levels, turn-around facts, such as 1+0 for 0+1, are not listed below, but should be learned.) Once the year is off to a good start, your child will benefit from extra practice on these facts at home.
Addition Level 1 (+0, +1, +2)
Goal: 18-20 problems correct in 1 minute by the end of the school year
1
0+0=0
0+1=1
0+2=2
0+3=3
0+4=4
0+5=5
0+6=6
0+7=7
0+8=8
0+9=9
0+10=10
1+1=2
1+2=3
1+3=4
1+4=5
1+5=6
1+6=7
1+7=8
1+8=9
1+9=10
1+10=11
2+2=4
2+3=5
2+4=6
2+5=7
2+6=8
2+7=9
2+8=10
2+9=11
2+10=12
1
Addition Level 2 (Doubles and Sums of 10)
Goal: 16-17 problems correct in 1 minute by the end of the school year
1
3+3=6
4+4=8
5+5=10
6+6=12
7+7=14
8+8=16
9+9=18
10+10=20
3+7=10
4+6=10
1
(as well as Addition Level 1 problems)
Addition Level 3 (Sums to 12)
Goal: 16-17 problems correct in 1 minute by the end of the school year
1
3+4=7
3+5=8
3+6=9
3+8=11
3+9=12
4+5=9
4+7=11
4+8=12
5+6=11
5+7=12
1
(as well as Addition Levels 1 & 2 problems)
1
1
Subtraction Level 1 (-0, -1, -all)
Goal: 18-20 problems correct in 1 minute by the end of the school year
1
10-0=10
9-0=9
8-0=8
7-0=7
6-0=6
5-0=5
4-0=0
3-0=3
2-0=2
1-0=1
0-0=0
10-1=9
9-1=8
8-1=7
7-1=6
6-1=5
5-1=4
4-1=3
3-1=2
2-1=1
1-1=0
2-2=0
3-3=0
4-4=0
5-5=0
6-6=0
7-7=0
8-8=0
9-9=0
10-10=0
1
Losing a Tooth!
Losing a tooth is an exciting time for most first graders. If your child loses a tooth during the school year, please encourage him or her to let me know right away (even if it fell out at home, the grocery store, Grandma’s house, etc.). I will add a tooth with the child’s name to our classroom tooth graph. I will also send home our classroom book, so your child can write and draw about how the tooth was lost. Please send the book back quickly, because we average one lost tooth for every three days of school!
Rules
These are the rules in our classroom:
- Be safe.
- Show respect.
- Listen attentively.
- Show appreciation / no put-downs.
At the beginning of the year, we discuss each rule in depth. We learn what each rule looks like and sounds like when it is being followed.
Consequences for not following the rules include reminders, temporary removal from the activity or the group, loss of privileges, creating a plan for future behavior, and a phone call or note sent home.
First graders are still learning about appropriate behavior and how to handle problems that arise with peers. My goal is to teach them what appropriate behavior looks, sounds, and feels like, and to help them make responsible choices.
If a student is being bothered or bullied by another student, he or she should follow these steps:
- Tell the person to stop.
- If the person does not stop, tell the adult in charge. Sometimes this may be the bus driver, the lunchroom supervisor, or the teacher on playground duty.
Show and Tell
We do not have a typical “show and tell” time in first grade. There will be some opportunities for students to bring in items to share with the class, particularly if the item is related to something we are studying. Please leave items at home if they will distract students from learning. This includes trading cards, stuffed animals, and some jewelry.
Snack Time
Each student may bring his or her own healthy snack from home every day. Both first grade classes will eat snack together from 9:45-10:00, while listening to a story.
Snow Gear
In the winter, please check these things:
My child’s name is on his or her clothing (especially snow pants!).
My child knows how to put on his or her own boots and snow pants.
My child can zip, button, or buckle all of his or her own winter gear. (We have no aides to help with this in first grade.)
My child has a pair of dry socks kept in a Ziploc bag in his or her backpack… just in case!
Just a reminder:
Woodview’s rule is that children must have boots and snow pants in order to play in the snow. Those without boots and snow pants must stay on the blacktop.
If children are well enough to be in school, they must go out to recess.
Specials
Monday / Music and ArtTuesday / Phy. Ed.
Wednesday / Phy. Ed. andMusic
Thursday / Library
Friday / Phy. Ed.
Please make sure your child either wears or brings tennis shoes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for Phy. Ed.
Our specials teachers are:
Mrs. Dillahunt– Music
Mr. Darmody –Phy. Ed.
Ms. Stuckens – Library
Mrs. McMurtagh –Art
Visiting the School
Visitors to the classroom are welcome. All visitors (including parents) must first check in at the office. If you are only dropping something off for your child, please let the office staff deliver it to the classroom.
If you are joining your child for lunch and you will be purchasing a hot lunch, please call the office at 376-5750 before 8:30 that morning, so the kitchen staff will prepare enough meals.
Volunteers
I am very grateful to parents who are able to help out in the classroom. Please contact me if you are interested in doing so.
Water Bottles
In the warm weather, children get very thirsty. Young bodies do need to stay hydrated in order to maximize learning. If you would like to send a water bottle, your child may keep it on his or her desk. Please follow these guidelines: