Course Syllabus for First Grade
2016-2017
First Grade Team:
Mari Hilderman houstonisd.org/domain/38058
Donna Lambert houstonisd.org/domain/9787
Elyse Prevot houstonisd.org/domain/38057
Conference Times:
W-Th 9:20 – 9:50
The First Grade Learning Experience:
This year you may notice:
• your child transitioning to be more responsible and self-sufficient.
• your child moving beyond learning to read and enjoying reading to learn.
• your child developing relationships through social/emotional awareness
Learning Outcomes:
Reading: In Kindergarten, students learn to read the words. In First Grade, students learn comprehension strategies which help them to make sense of what they are reading. Students will read with understanding and fluency in various genres. Language Arts concepts will give students an understanding of grammar and sentence structure along with spelling patterns.
Math: Students will demonstrate their ever-growing knowledge by applying math in everyday situations. Students will demonstrate fluency of math facts and utilize problem solving and reasoning strategies.
Science/Social Studies: Students will learn and apply the scientific method to conduct a variety of investigations and experiments to learn about our natural world. Students will become knowledgeable, global citizens through the study of geography, celebrations, people, and history.
Core Enrichment:
Students attend a core enrichment class daily. These include: Art, Music, Computer, Physical Education (PE), and Sign Language. Additionally, students will visit the library to check out books once a week. It is recommended that students wear sneakers and bring a labeled water bottle on PE days.
Homework:
Students are expected to read for 20 minutes and practice their math facts daily. In addition, students will have the following homework:
Monday: ELAR (English/Language Arts/Spelling/Reading)
Tuesday: ELAR
Wednesday: Math
Thursday: Science/Social Studies
Homework will be found in the student’s planner and on the teacher’s website.
Grading:
Grades will be recorded on a weekly basis on Gradespeed. Parents can access Gradespeed through the “Students and Parents” section on the portal at www.houstonisd.org . The categories are 40% tests and projects, 40% classwork, 10% quizzes, and 10% homework. Retakes will be offered for students scoring below a 75 on tests, with a maximum score of 75 on the retake. Graded work and conduct will be sent home every Friday in the red folder.
Conduct:
Students will begin the week with an “S” in conduct in all categories and be adjusted depending on the choices made.
E = Excellent: This is a student who is punctual, polite, prepared, positive, productive, and exceeds classroom instructions and expectations.
S = Satisfactory: This is a student who follows instructions and class expectations.
P = Poor: This is a student who consistently requires warnings from the teacher. Other interventions have been necessary such as calls/emails/notes home.
U = Unsatisfactory: This is a student who constantly requires warnings from the teacher, and is consistently interfering with the learning process. Administrative referrals are necessary.
Birthdays:
While we wish to recognize students’ birthdays, we have a limited time to do so. Please let the teachers know if you will be sending snacks for your child’s birthday. Parents are welcome to send (or bring to the office) store-bought cookies or doughnuts (no cupcakes, please) and water/juice for your students’ homeroom class on/near your child’s birthday. These will be distributed during snack time (2:40). Parents are asked not to send additional treats, balloons, decorations, or goody bags.
Dear Parents,
We would like to welcome you to first grade! We have a busy but fun-filled year planned for your children. We want to take this opportunity to give you an overview of skills and procedures your child will embrace this year. Please keep in mind that circumstances change and we must remain flexible. Therefore, all the information provided is subject to revision. Remember that although there are many expectations, they are still children.
· The school bell rings at 7:35 a.m. and the students are tardy if they are not in the room by 7:45 a.m. Instruction begins at this point, so it is imperative that the children arrive on time.
· Supervision in the cafeteria is available beginning at 7:15 a.m. and breakfast is provided to all students free of charge. Parents are asked not to walk the child to the room. Your child should be beginning to assume certain responsibilities, so please allow him/her to do so. Children are not allowed in the main hallways or classrooms prior to 7:35 a.m. and are expected to be in the cafeteria at the assigned tables.
· Parents entering the building for any reason must wear a name tag from the front office.
· For carpool pickups, please meet your child in the L-shaped drive on Bering. If you are parking and walking up, please meet your child at the benches in front of the school. Bus students will be walked to the back bus ramp. We try to dismiss at 3:00 and a teacher will walk the car students to the front. After-school care, chess, and enrichment classes are available after school. Sign-up forms will be sent home in the communication folders. Please email your teacher if plans change.
· Please make sure you send an email or a note to your child’s teachers when your child is absent. The teacher must be able to document absences on each child. Also, please let the teachers know before hand if you know your child will be absent.
· If your child will need to leave early please send a note with the child in the morning or email so we can prepare the student to leave early.
· Please send notes or return papers the office sends home to be completed to your child’s homeroom teacher. We will forward them to the appropriate person in the office. Your assistance in this matter is appreciated as it eliminates a lot of confusion.
· If you send money for lunch, field trips, etc., please send it in a Ziploc or envelope with your child’s name on it. We cannot give change, so please send the correct amount. Overages will be donated to the school.
· We eat lunch in the cafeteria from 10:35-11:05. Your child may bring a lunch or purchase lunch in the cafeteria. You may join your child for lunch if you wish. Please be aware of your child’s lunch account balance.
· Please pack a light snack for your child to eat in the afternoon. This is not mandatory, but your child will appreciate it since we eat lunch so early. Please pack items that can be eaten in about five minutes.
· Students are expected to follow dress code guidelines as outlined in the student planner. Feel free to send a light jacket for your child to keep in his/her locker in case they get cold. Also, please send a change of clothes in a labeled Ziploc bag for your child to keep in their locker for the year. Accidents happen occasionally, along with mud, spills in the cafeteria, etc., and the nurses do not always have extra clothes. Also, girls should wear shorts under dresses to facilitate recess/PE activities.
· Home learning (homework) will routinely be practice work on concepts we have covered in class. Please continue to have your child read to you 20 minutes and practice their math facts every night. Please understand that home learning is expected and required to be turned in to the teacher upon arrival on the assigned date. As parents, please organize your child’s time to accommodate home learning first, before engaging in after-school activities.
· Red work folders will be sent home on Fridays. These will contain work the students have completed for the previous week, graded papers (usually stapled together), and conduct sheets. Please look these over, have your child make corrections in a different color ink, sign, and return on Mondays.
· Please be sure to sign up to access your child’s grades online at www.houstonisd.org . Click the Students and Parents tab, then Parent-Student Connect to set up access.
· Our Schoolwires website pages are a wealth of information on calendar events, homework, projects, and schedules. Our website addresses are:
o Ms. Hilderman: houstonisd.org/domain/38058
o Mrs. Lambert: houstonisd.org/domain/9787
o Ms. Prevot: houstonisd.org/domain/38057
· Each student received a planner. The student will write his/her homework and upcoming events in the planner and it will be sent home daily (thus it needs to be sent back daily). Please feel free to write notes to us in the planner instead of a separate piece of paper (which can get lost). Also, please refer to the front of the planner for school policies and procedures.
· Communication folders with school information will come home on Thursdays and need to be returned on Friday.
· Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher regarding any questions you might have at 713-917-3565 (leave a message) or by email at:
o Ms. Hilderman:
o Mrs. Lambert:
o Ms. Prevot:
· Please let us know if you would like to set up a conference. Our conference time is weekdays 9:20 – 9:50. All conferences will include all three teachers. As time is limited, most concerns will be handled by email. Please address all notes and concerns to all three teachers’ emails.
· Book order forms will be sent home approximately monthly. You can order books online (best way) or send one check (payable to Scholastic) to cover all orders. This is a great way to encourage your child to read at reasonable prices. Buying books is optional; however the class receives free books (which are used in the classroom) based on orders. Codes are found on your homeroom teacher’s website.
· Volunteer opportunities will include room parent, field trip chaperones, readers, and special guests. Please contact us with any ideas regarding special projects dealing with occupations, celebrations in cultures, life in other countries, or science experiments. As in the past, all volunteers must be cleared through HISD, so be sure to return your form as soon as possible. Students and chaperones are encouraged to wear the tie-dyed Rogers shirt, so please purchase one soon if you do not have one. Please understand that chaperones are there to actively supervise students, so siblings or other family members are not allowed to accompany or meet students at the field trip location. Also, students are not allowed to leave from the field trip.
· We would encourage you to become active in the PTO. The PTO provides many parent involvement activities to support the students, teachers, and school.
We realize this is a lot of information at once, but we wanted to give you some guidelines for your child’s class. Thank you for allowing us to be involved in the life of your precious child!
Sincerely,
Mari Hilderman
Donna Lambert
Elyse Prevot