Seek, Ask, Knock

First

Grade

Handbook

PhoenixChristianSchool

2017-2018

Seek, Ask, Knock

“Ask and it will be given to you;

Seek and you will find;

Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Matthew 7:7

I am excited that you will be a part of my classroom this year! We are going to be exploring God’s creation together through many fun and exciting activities. This is my tenth year teaching 1st grade at Phoenix Christian School Prek-8th. This is one of the best grades because we get to study penguins, go around the world, and learn to read!

It is very important that we work together as I will be spending many hours with your child. I am here to help your child grown and learn in the Lord. Everyone was made different and will need special attention in different areas. The best way to contact me is through email(). PLEASE if there is an issue your child brings up at home, or a concern you have I urge you to come and talk with me right away. I always remind parents to try and believe about 10% of your child’s school stories, and I will do the same with stories that come from home! Sometimes information gets lost in translation.

In addition to being a teacher, I am also a mom to a wonderful son, Tyler. He is keeping my husband and I very busy these days. When I do get a few moments of free time you can find me crafting, enjoying the pool, or spending time with friends.

I am looking forward to beginning this year with your child! We are going to have so much fun in First Grade! This packet includesinformation you will need for the year.

In His Service,

Mrs. VanZuiden

“..Jesus said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them. For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

Mark 10: 14

What your child will be expected to do as a young person in our community.

1. Tie shoes

1. Manipulate clothing independently (button, zip, tie)

1. Blow nose and wash hands

1. Pack and unpack backpack

1. Carry backpack to and from the classroom/bus/car

1. Manipulate containers in lunches

1. Keep eye contact when talking with someone

1. Use verbal responses to questions. (not a shoulder shrug, or head shake)

First Grade Behavior Expectations

We will arrive rested and ready to learn every day!

We will use kind words with others.

We will follow directions the first time they are given.

We will treat others with kindness and compassion.

We will keep our hands, feet, and bodies to ourselves.

We will use good manners such as “please” and “thank you”.

We will share.

We will take turns.

We will apologize.

We will HAVE FUN!!!

Classroom Procedures

“Star of the Week”

1. Every student gets very excited when he/she is the star of the week. Each student will have the opportunity to be a “STAR” for one week. The special week begins on Friday, when a student takes home our class ‘pet’, Georgie. He will go home for the weekend with a journal in his very own backpack. I ask that the parents write a journal entry, sharing with the class, what fun adventures Georgie and the child had during the weekend. Please write it from the perspective of Georgie. You may also include pictures! Georgie always begins the year with me, so you will have an example to follow.
2. Included in Georgie’s backpack will be a “Get to Know You” posterto complete over the weekend, and bring back to school on Monday.Please take time to fill the poster out with your child. This is part of their special sharing time on Monday.
3. One more exciting thing for the students to experience is having the opportunity to invite a special guest to visit. This special guest will be asked to share their job with the class. This can be a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or family friend. We will arrange a time for that person to visit and share. It is not a long visit (20 minutes) depending on what they want to share. A schedule is attached so you can be prepared for your child’s week.

Birthdays

The classroom is a great place for a birthday treat! If you would like to bring in treats for the class on your child’s birthday, please let me know a week in advance so we can make arrangements in our schedule.Juice boxes are best for drinks, and individual snacks(cupcakes, cookies, chips) are much easier to pass out and clean up!

If you want to pass out invitations for a party outside of school, make sure everyone in the class is invited. If not, please mail them. We will also celebrate summer birthdays on the ‘half’ birthday date! It is best for you to drop off the treats in the morning and we will pass them out when time allows.

Homework

Daily homework includes:

1. Spelling Words: Practice at home every night. Final test is on Friday. The words will follow the phonics rules or the High Frequency Words for that week.
2. Memory Verse:Practice at home every night. This will be recited on Friday. The grading is either pass/fail. If the memory verse is recited with only one or two helps from the teacher, they will receive a Memory Verse Award. If the memory verse is recited with more than two helps they will not receive an award or credit for that week. This is part of the Bible grade.
3. Reading: I ask that you try to read 20 minutes a night. A weekly calendar to keep track of reading time will go home on Monday. Please fill it out for the week and return on Friday. They will earn 2 Dojo points for turning in their reading log on time.

Monthly Homework:

1. At the beginning of each month a picture will be sent home for a parent and student to decorate together. These pictures will be our window decorations throughout the year. I leave it up to the student/parent to decide how they want to decorate that month’s picture. Use markers, crayons, paint, stickers, chalk, noodles, glitter...anything you can think of!!!

Go-Home Folder/Newsletters

A folder will be going home each day. This is how papers, notes, and other information will be sent home. The student will be responsible for checking and emptying it every morning. There is a pocket in the folder where you can find a communication form.If you know that your child will be dropped off/picked up early PLEASE fill that form out and return to school the day before. It is very disruptive getting a call from the office asking for a student to leave immediately. It would be very helpful if I knew ahead of time so the student can get packed up and take home any work they may miss. If you are sending in money, please put it in an envelope or Ziploc bag with the form attached.

The newsletter will be posted on the class website. It will be available no later than Monday mornings. A paper copy will also be placed in your child’s folder. They are to keep it in there so they will always know where to find it!

Lunch/Snacks

Microwaves are available in the room, however with this many students we will be going outside everyday. Please only send food that will need less than 1 mintue in the microwave. Please NO “Easy Mac” or pasta. They take a long time to heat up and then the students spend most of their lunch time waiting for it to cool down.

The students are responsible for getting their lunch out and sitting at the tables properly. The expectation is that each student eats the ‘main’ course of their lunch, before eating the snacks.

We eat two snacks a day. One after morning recess, and again after the last recess. Please do not pack candy bars, candy, suckers, pop or canned drinks for snack.

*****Forks, spoons, plates are not provided by the school. Please make sure your child has everything they need packed in their lunches! ******

Tattling Turtle

Tattling is very popular in elementary school. The students are eager to tell on one another, even when they are not part of the story. To help with this, we have a new friend joining our class this year, Tattling Turtle. He will be there for the students to ‘talk’ to and share their tattles. We will go over what it means to tattle, and the importance of knowing when to tell a teacher.

Extra Clothes

Please pack an extra set of clothes, in a Ziploc bag, in your child’s backpack. This is not just because of bathroom accidents. When we get irrigation it is common for students to ‘accidently’ get wet. Put your child’s name on the outside of the bag.

Book Orders

Books orders will be sent home periodically throughout the year. We do everything online now. The books will be shipped to school. I will be sending log-in information home later.

Special Schedule

P.E. – Monday/Wednesday/Friday 11:10-11:45

Music – Tuesday 2:45-3:20/Thursday 11:10-11:45

Library – Tuesday 9:00-9:30

Curriculum Overview

Our class newsletter will be posted to the class website by Monday morning. This will give you an update on what’s going on in the classroom, along with the spelling words and the memory verse for the week.

Bible

During the year the students will be exploring the Old Testament. Some of the stories we will cover are creation, the patriarchs, the road to the Promised Land, the judges, Ruth, Solomon, the Israelites in captivity and their return. Our memory verse for the week will be posted in the newsletter. Every Friday, your child will recite that week’s memory verse to me. They will receive a memory verse award if they say it independently.

Reading

First grade reading focuses on phonics and the decoding of words. We will be learning about the different consonant sounds, long and short vowel, blending, and patterns within words. A reading log will be sent home every Monday. As part of the homework, each child is expected to read, be read to, or read with a parent for 20 minutes a night. The more exposure your child will have with books, the more confident a reader they will become. Our school participates in the Book-It program later in the year. More information will go out in October.

Spelling

Our spelling words will correspond with our phonics lessons and High Frequency Words. We will not be starting weekly spelling tests right away. The words will go home in the newsletter, and the final test will be on Friday.

English/Grammar

We will be learning about nouns, verbs, telling sentences, questions, and capitalization. The students will also be writing letters, personal stories, and journals.

Journals

Throughout the year, the students will be spending time writing in journals. I give them a topic and they spend 5-10 minutes just writing about it. These will not be graded. The goal is that each student will be able to express their thoughts in writing without having the pressure of doing it perfectly. Journals will go home with the report cards and returned each quarter. At the end of the year, the completed journal will be sent home.

Math

We will be working with identifying numbers through 20. We will be working our way through one-digit addition, subtraction, place value, geometry, shapes, and patterns. Game packets will go home at the beginning of each topic. These games are for review with your child at home.

Science

Some of the units covered are animals, water and air, weather, matter, and how we grow.

Social Studies

The theme for the year comes from the social studies curriculum. We will be traveling around to the different continents exploring one country from each. Each country has different costumes, geography, food, art, and holidays. This is our opportunity to learn more about the people God created.

Art

We will be working through seven elements of art. Each month we will be introduced to a new element, and work with it for the remainder of the month.

Handwriting

We will be working through the proper way to write the alphabet and numbers. We will also be learning how to hold the pencil properly. This is very important for when they begin cursive in 3rd grade. The students have books that they will be working in during the week.