Helping You Navigate the ABC’s of 1st Grade in Room #128
Assessments: Assessments in first grade are often in the form of teacher observations, projects, written, and oral assessments. Word study assessments will come home weekly and all other assessments will come home at the end of each unit.
BEE Folder: This “Bring Everything Everyday” folder will serve as a daily communication folder between school and home, and it will be used to transport important papers. Your child should bring his/her “BEE Folder” to school each day. Please remove all papers and initial the folder each day so that I know you have seen it.
Behavior Management: The children will spend a lot of time this year learning to be responsible for their own behavior. They will practice showing respect for one another by making good choices about their behavior. During the first few days, we will establish our classroom rules, which will allow all students to learn in a cooperative and supportive environment. I like to think of our classroom as a family where we help and respect one another.It is important that all children feel safe to learn and understand their strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes children will need to“take areset”when there is unacceptable behavior.The student will have a quietplace to reflect on his/her choices. This is NOT A PUNISHMENT but instead achance for the child to cool down and try againto“restart” the day. Aresetwill always bea positive learning experience.Resetandrestartare ways for children to learn self-controland accountability for their behavior.As a result,teachers and parentsare releasedfrom entering into power struggles with children. We have had a lot of success with this approach in our classroom!
Belongings: Please make sure all items that your child brings to school are clearly labeled. Many coats, sweaters, gloves, and hats look alike and sometimes the children don’t even remember what belongs to them! Please also leave all toys at home because they can get lost or broken, and they may become distracting.
Birthdays: In order to make your child’s day special, we will celebrate in the classroom during our Morning Meeting and sing “Happy Birthday.” Your child will also get to visit the office to get a birthday sticker and pencil.The county’s food policy states that no food is allowed to be brought in and shared; therefore, no treats may be sent in for birthdays. If your child wants to share something with the class,he/she may bring in a book for the classroom library or a piece of indoor/outdoor recess equipment. We'll celebrate summer birthdays before the end of the school year, too.
*If you are inviting the entire class to your child’s birthday party, you are welcome to have your child put invitations in their classroom mailboxes. Otherwise, invitations may not be brought to school. This is a school policy.
Book Club Orders: If you are interested in purchasing books for your child, I will send home flyers about once a month offering books at reduced prices from the Scholastic Book Club. See the letter at the end of this packet for more information. If you choose to participate, you can do so by logging onto www.scholastic.com/readingclub. Our class code is MCVC3. You will need this code for your initial account setup and to start placing orders online. Please do not send in cash or checks. All orders should be placed online with a credit or debit card. Orders will be delivered to Discovery, and I will send home the books with your child.
Box Tops for Education: We collect Box Tops every month to earn money for our school! If you find any Box Tops, please cut them out and send them with your child in a small bag or envelope. Thank you for supporting our school! J
Bring Your Own Technology: All classrooms at Discovery are now considered to be “BYOT.” This initiative invites children to bring in their own personal devices from home – iPads, Chromebooks, laptops, etc. We will use the devices for academic purposes only (e.g., Raz Kids, Kidblog, Wixie, etc.) Please note that BYOT is absolutely not mandatory. When necessary, devices will be provided for children who do not bring in a personal device. I ask that you please be sure that the device that you send in with your child is charged, is one that your child knows how to use on his or her own, and is already equipped with the necessary free applications. I will let you know of any needed applications in advance!
Curriculum: The first grade team has worked to create an exciting integrated curriculum. We will spend most of our time each day on the core subjects of reading, writing, word study, and math. Social studies, health, and science will be taught during our “Discovery Time” each day. Our unit titles and First Grade Curriculum Map for the year are available on the first grade team website.
Electronic Communication: I will communicate electronically via emails and by providing information on our class website. (If you need paper copies, please let me know.) I will share our classroom’s weekly newsletters via email as well.
FROG (First-grade’s Really Organized Games) Folder: Once this folder comes home, it should not be returned to school. It will be a place to store math games and supplies (cards, dice, game pieces) throughout the year. I encourage you and your child to play the math games sent home as a way to review and reinforce concepts taught at school.
Handwriting: Loudoun County uses the D’Nealian handwriting system. All the tails may at first seem confusing, but the children usually learn to enjoy them. Please assist your child in holding a pencil and forming letters correctly. At school the children will learn how to form letters, but they will still require a lot of practice to gain confidence and skill. Early habits are difficult to change once they become ingrained. During the first few months, I would ask you to be especially vigilant in helping your child with handwriting.
Homework: A monthly homework calendar will be included in your child’s BEE folder, and it will be posted on the first grade webpage. There are suggested (not mandatory) activities that your child can complete at home. Activities will be a real life application of concepts taught at school. Although there are no formal homework assignments, my expectation is that students read for 10-15 minutes daily. I encourage you and your child to read together! J
Lunch: Lunch is from 10:45-11:15 and you are more than welcome to join your child for lunch anytime. Please label your child’s lunchbox/bag.
If your child brings money to school to buy lunch from the cafeteria, please put it in an envelope with your child’s name and lunch number on it (the five digit number code). Place the envelope in your child’s “BEE Folder” and I will collect the envelopes. (Please consider the lunch account option as it saves you from having to find change and an envelope in the morning. It also seems to reduce the children’s stress when they know they have plenty of money on their account. You can arrange for it by visiting http://tinyurl.com/q5jeltv or send in a check to County of Loudoun worth several lunches.
Monthly lunch menus are available on the school website. Please review your child’s choice each day with them so they can confidently choose their lunch at school. Snacks (chips, ice cream, cookies) are also available for purchase, but these are limited for purchase on Thursdays (first grade’s “treat day”).
Nut-free: Due to peanut allergies, our classroom will be nut-free. Please keep this in mind when packing your child’s lunch. Thank you for your understanding.
Remind: Remind is a free text messaging app that helps teachers and parents communicate. You can join “Miss Ayers’ 1st Grade Class” group by following the link: rmd.at/julieayers or texting the message @julieayers to the number 81010.
Show and Tell: We do not have a formal “Show and Tell” in first grade. Instead, we will have a sharing time during our Morning Meeting. This is a time for children to share information that is important to them about their life (e.g., my grandma’s coming to visit, my pet did something funny, etc.).
Sight Words: Sight words are frequently read words that do not always follow conventional spelling patterns. It is important that you and your child practice reading and writing sight words on a regular basis. I recommend focusing on five sight words per week. Sight word flash cards as well as a link to sight word games and activities can be found on our first grade webpage. Mastering sight words will help your child become a more fluent reader.
Specials Schedule: Please be sure your child wears sneakers & appropriate clothing on P.E. days. We will have P.E. three times per week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. There is a separate schedule in the packet to post on your refrigerator.
Take-Home Reading Program: During the 2nd quarter, we will begin our Take-Home Reading Program: “Reading is a Blast!” Your child will bring home a book from the classroom library each night in a plastic envelope. Please have your child color in a star for each book read. When your child returns this log, he/she will receive a special reading certificate. My hope is that every child will receive at least 3 certificates during the year!
Tardiness: School begins at 7:50 am. If you are dropping off in the morning, your child must be inside the classroom by 7:50. If your child arrives after the bell, he/she will need to stop in the office first to get a pink tardy slip.
Transportation Changes: The office and I will keep a copy of your “Daily Dismissal Plan,” which I will follow each day unless you send me an email or a note stating the change. If there is ever a permanent change to your child’s dismissal plan, you must fill out a new “Daily Dismissal Plan” sheet.
Volunteers: We LOVE volunteers in our classroom! If you are able and willing to volunteer a couple hours each week, I would greatly appreciate your help with paperwork and assembling activities. If you can’t come in but could help from home, that would be wonderful, too! Please complete a volunteer form or email me if you are interested!
Water Bottles: If you would like, you can send in a labeled water bottle for your child to keep at his/her desk.
I hope this packet helps make my policies and procedures clear. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me (email or call 571-252-2370). I try to be approachable and open so please come to me first if you are concerned or confused about anything. I am always happy to problem solve with you about any difficulties or clear up any confusion. Together we can make this a fantastic school year for your child! J
How Do Children Learn?
Children learn through play.
That’s why we offer learning that allows them
to “act out” their thinking.
Children learn by doing.
That’s why we sing and move.
Children learn through their senses.
That’s why we provide multi-sensory activities.
Children learn through language.
That’s why they need to talk.
Children learn on their own level.
That’s why we create open-ended activities.
Children learn through encouragement.
That’s why we cheer and celebrate with them.
Children learn through imitation.
That’s why we model what we want them
to do.
Children learn through repetition.
That’s why we have games they’ll want to play again and again.
Children learn by experimenting.
That’s why it’s O.K. to make mistakes.
Children learn by interacting with their friends.
That’s why we encourage partner and small group activities.
Children learn problem solving by solving problems.
That’s why we teach and practice conflict resolution skills.
Children learn in a safe, nurturing environment.
That’s why we strive to create a happy classroom.
Children learn through wholeness.
Heart~mind~body are dynamically interrelated in that wonderful
child! Every experience in the classroom is connected in the brain to
construct knowledge.
Classroom Management
In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments;
there are only consequences.
~ Robert Green Ingersoll ~
We use “Responsive Classroom” and the "Nurtured Heart Approach" to maintain classroom management. These approaches are used to create a learning environment where children thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. We create a welcoming sense of belonging, significance, and fun for each child. The “Responsive Classroom” approach emphasizes teaching children to take care of themselves, each other, and the school environment so everyone can do their very best. As we learn together, we encourage appropriate behavior through language that is designed to remind, reinforce, and redirect children in positive ways. You will notice our class paying attention to how students treat one another. You will also see a strong emphasis on students setting goals for their own learning and taking responsibility for reaching those goals.
Guiding Principles:
• Learning social skills is as important as learning academic skills.
• How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go
hand and hand.
• Children gain knowledge most effectively through social interaction.
• To be successful academically and socially, children need to learn cooperation,
assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.
• Knowing the children we teach-individually, culturally, and developmentally, is
as important as knowing the content we teach.
• Knowing the families of the children we teach and inviting their participation is
essential to their education.
• How the adults at school work together is as important as how skillfully they
deliver instruction.
The Responsive Classroom approach includes the following:
Morning Meeting - Children gather for about 20 minutes every day to greet each other, share news, do a group activity, and look forward to the day ahead with our morning message. This daily routine builds community, creates a positive climate for learning, and gives children practice in a wide range of both social and academic skills.