First Grade



1st Grade Information

Mrs. Eubank & Mrs. Copp

2014-2015

Room 403-404

Email: reubank@

acopp@

First Grade

Welcome! We are very happy and excited to work with you and your child this year in first grade. This is a year of much growth and we will do all that we can to help your child progress! We will need to work together to help your child become a responsible student this year.

This packet includes information that will help you and your child throughout the school year. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us anytime.

*If you need to meet with one of us, please email (or send a note) so that we can set up an appointment.

We try to keep the daily classroom interruptions to a minimum, so please be sure that your child leaves the house prepared for school (lunch, backpack, notes, homework). You can leave forgotten lunches or notes in the main office, instead of walking down to the room to avoid interrupting instruction time.

Also, PLEASE be sure that your child knows how he/she is getting home from school each day.

Contact Information:

Mrs. Rebecca Eubank

Email: reubank@ (Email is the best way to get ahold of me!)

Wilkerson phone number: (586) 825-2550 ext. 55403 (voicemail)

Mrs. Annie Copp

Email: acopp@ (Email is the best way to get a hold of me!)

Wilkerson phone number: (586) 825-2550 ext. 55404 (voicemail)

School Website:

Our Website:

REMIND text/email alert: join/72e64

School Bags/Backpacks

It is important that your child has a backpack to use for the year. Your child will bring home mail everyday. PLEASE check your child’s bag each day, as there will be many important notes and papers coming home. We will use the Blue Folder as a communication tool (for notes between us).

**If your child is a busser, please make sure your child has a bus tag attached to the outside of their bag with their name and bus color. (Tags will be available at Open House.)

Supplies

Supplies are kept at school. Please put your child’s name on each item. Your child will need a supply box to keep inside his/her desk. In first grade, we “use up” supplies such as crayons, glue sticks, & pencils, so these items may need to be replaced several times. Please send all extra supplies TO SCHOOL. We will store each child’s bag of extra supplies to refill their box. ***NO MECHANICAL PENCILS OR Personal PENCIL SHARPENERS. No markers allowed in class.

Snack

We will have a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack each day (around 10:00 and 2:30 or so). If you choose to send a snack with your child, please send something that he/she can handle independently, since we will “munch and work at the same time.” Also, please pack it separately from the lunch. Please send a healthy snack-no candy or junk food. Your child will only have approximately 15 minutes to eat this snack. Also, it is advised that you send a WATER bottle with your child each day. The water bottle must have a “sports lid” that can close. This way, your child can stay hydrated all day without waiting in drinking fountain lines. PLEASE pack your child’s snack and water bottle separately from his/her lunch.

**Please put only water in the water bottles. No juice, pop, or milk—we often have spills which cause stains. We have new carpet and want to avoid any stains!

**Due to many severe peanut allergies, first grade is PEANUT FREE! Please do not send in daily snacks that contain nuts or peanut butter. Also, please do not send in food items that were made in a plant that produces peanut products (check the information label). No nuts of any kind.

Birthdays

Due to an increase in food allergies and the fact that we have a combined classroom (more kids!), we are not allowing birthday treats/food. However, you are more than welcome to have your child bring in a single pencil, sticker, or eraser for each child to celebrate. This is NOT necessary though. Please no “goodie bags” or candy. Thank you so very much.

Even though we are not having the actual treat/snack, we will still celebrate your child’s special day.

Specials

Attached is a schedule of when we have our Special classes. Your child will attend Music, Art, Spanish, Media, Computers and Physical Education. Just a reminder: Please wear gym shoes on P.E. days and return library books on Media days.

Weekly Newsletter

Every Monday, we will send home a class newsletter. This one-page letter will let you know what is going on in the first grade for the week and it will remind you of important dates/events.

Book Orders

This is a very important year for your children to read a variety of books. Often times, the children get really excited when they are allowed to choose their own books to keep. No pressure to order though. Scholastic orders can be ordered online by credit card…In order to cut back on the massive amounts of papers, we will only be doing online ordering this year. We will post an announcement in our newsletter when a new book order is available online.

REMIND (text alert)

Please see the attached instructions to sign up for text or email reminders. We will send these out as needed. Reminders will include due dates and “don’t forgets.” (Link: join/72e64)

Homework

This is a very important year in your child’s education and our first grade program, which is why we recommend reading TO your child as well as having them read to you. Our motto regarding homework is, “Do No Harm,” meaning: Do not fight them daily on this if they’ve had a long, tiring day. Do what you can and what your child can handle. Talk with your child, read to them, and engage in activities together. This is the best kind of homework.

• Book Bags: Beginning in the fall, we will send home weekly book bags. Every Thursday, your child will receive a plastic bag with 5 books at their reading level inside. Your child is responsible for bringing the bag home and back to school the following Thursday. Please help your child to read (and re-read) these books. We encourage students to RE-READ books many times to increase fluency. Book Bags have proved to be very beneficial to students and their reading progress. These books may not seem like much, but they are very expensive and sometimes irreplaceable. They are leveled and chosen to meet your child’s needs.

• Math Bags: (Will be included in the Book Bag). Beginning in the fall, we will send home a weekly math activity to build math skills. Every Thursday, your child will receive a new math activity to try at home. Your child is responsible for bringing the bag home and back to school the following Thursday. We encourage you to try the activity more than once to build your child’s fluency with numbers. Have fun and find a real-world connection!

Volunteers

Thank you for volunteering to help! We know that some of you can help in the room and some from home. We appreciate all of the help and will let you know when volunteers are needed in our newsletter. We will not need parents on a daily basis. Check the weekly newsletter for any volunteer opportunities throughout the year. **Reminder: Parent volunteers will have to have a background check before helping in the school. You must always sign into the office (and get a name badge) to enter the school for any reason.

Life Skills

We will concentrate (as a school) on one Life Skill every two weeks. Children will be selected and recognized at an assembly if they show examples of the Life Skills.

Grading Scale

Attached is our grading scale. In first grade, we do not give “grades” often to assignments. However, you will see these scores on the report card. Please do not be alarmed when you see your child’s first report card. We will walk you through it at our first parent-teacher conference. This is a year of great development and skill-building.

Star Student of the Week

Each week, we will have 2 Star Students: one from each class. He or she will bring in a completed questionnaire describing himself/herself. We will send home a note when it is your child’s turn, and it will explain the assignment. Your child will present their page to the class. The Star Student also helps out with jobs during the week.

***Please no treats/snacks during a Star Student’s week.

Lunches

Please try to help your child know whether or not he/she is eating hot lunch or cold lunch each day. Also be sure to send the lunch or money with him/her. ***PREpaid lunches are recommended. This way, the children would not have to carry money each day. You can prepay as much money as you would like and then your child gives his/her name. You can send the prepaid lunch money (or check) in an envelope with your child’s name on it. Please write “Prepaid Lunch $” on the envelope as well.

Discipline

MindUP is a research-based program for educators and children. This social and emotional literacy curriculum helps students learn to self-regulate behavior and mindfully engage in focused concentration required for academic success. MindUp aligns with Common Core and it supports improved academic performance while enhancing perspective-taking, empathy and kindness. It fosters complex problem solving skills and reduces stress. MindUP teaches social and emotional learning skills and mindful awareness.

**Our goal is to teach students self-awareness and how to internally monitor their behaviors.

Classroom Rules:

Responsible

Respectful

Prepared

Safe

Wish List

These items below are items that we always need in the classroom, and we welcome them anytime! This is not a mandatory list! If you would like to donate any of these items, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

• Glue sticks

• Fancy writing paper, notepads, and stationery

• Napkins or Paper Towels

• Stickers

• Straws

• Plastic silverware

• Play dough (homemade or store-bought)

• Pipe cleaners

• Stamp Pads

• Bingo stampers (markers)

• Foam craft stickers

• Popsicle craft sticks

• Water color paints

** Again, this is just a Wish List. You do not have to send these items to school.

Thanks,

Annie Copp & Becky Eubank

What is my child learning in 1st grade?

When we engage in morning bell work, we will…

Independently practice math and literacy skills that spiral throughout the year to gain understanding and mastery of first grade skills.

This year in reading we will…

Continue to improve reading level, fluency, and accuracy. We will learn a variety of strategies to comprehend different types of reading. We will read independently for at least 20 minutes per day. We will identify story elements, and similarities and differences among characters, settings, and texts. We will work at thematic centers practicing various literacy skills as well as new vocabulary words.

This year in math we will…

Identify, compare, read, write, add, and subtract numbers 0-120. We will identify halves, thirds, and fourths of fractions. We will tell time to the hour and half hour, as well as identify coins and their values. We will measure length with non-standard units. We will use Venn-Diagrams, bar graphs, and pictographs. We will write number sentences to explain a problem. We will learn two and three-dimensional shapes and figures, as well as create and extend patterns.

This year in writing, we will…

Write 3 or more logical sequenced sentences. We will use common punctuation and capitalization. We will use descriptive details. We will use legible handwriting. We will write narrative, opinion, and how-to pieces as we use invented spelling. We will research as a class and write reports on what we learn. We will work on revising our personal small moment stories.

This year in science, we will…

Explore and observe weather, learn about animal life cycles (caterpillars and butterflies), and explore and sort objects based on common characteristics and properties.

This year in social studies, we will…

Identify and show good citizenship through the life skills. We will analyze families and communities. We will begin to learn about the history of our country, as well as basic map skills.

Life Skills

(Susan Kovalik & Associates)

• Integrity- To act according to what’s right and wrong

• Initiative- To do something because it needs to be done

• Flexibility- The ability to alter plans when necessary

• Perseverance- To keep at it

• Organization- To work in an orderly way

• Sense of Humor- To laugh and be playful without hurting others

• Effort- To do your best

• Common Sense- To think it through

• Problem Solving- To seek solutions

• Responsibility- To be accountable for one’s actions

• Patience- To wait calmly

• Friendship- To make and keep a friend through mutual trust and caring

• Curiosity- To investigate and seek understanding

• Cooperation- To work together toward a common goal or purpose

• Caring- To show/feel concern for others

• Courage- To act according to one’s beliefs

• Pride- Satisfaction from doing your personal best

Grading Scale

1st Grade

100-85% Mastery

70. % Developing Mastery

69-60% Basic Understanding

59-50% Incomplete

Understanding

49-0% -Area of Concern

September 2014

Hello Parents!

Just a few reminders to get us started this year…

• Please be sure to send your child with this blue folder each day (even if empty). It will serve as a communication tool between you and me. Any notes/slips to turn into me should go in the front of this folder. I will do the same if I have individual notes to send to you.

• Please return all forms/papers to school (blue/white emergency cards, technology sheet, lunchroom sheet, bike safety sheet, Information Sheet) ASAP.

• Your child is responsible for bringing his/her OWN snacks each day. Please send in a nutritious snack that your child can open & manage on his/her own. Please NO Junk food! Your child can bring 2 snacks (one for morning and one for afternoon). Remember, NO peanuts/nut products allowed in the first grade area or classrooms.

• Your child may bring in a water bottle to keep at their desk. Do NOT send juice, pop, or milk. There are often spills and we need to keep the new carpet stain-free. The water bottle must have a “sports cap” that can pop open/close.

• Be sure that your child knows exactly HOW he/she will be going home each day (picking up, bus, etc.) Let us know with a note if changes from the routine occur.

• Meet the Teacher Night is on Tuesday, September 9th at 6:45pm. Please go directly to the cafeteria. On this night, you will be able to sign up for the November parent/teacher conferences. We look forward to seeing you there!!

Thanks so much for your help and support! This will be a great year!

Sincerely,

Annie Copp & Becky Eubank

September 2, 2014

Dear Parents

Welcome to a new school year! Hopefully your first grader is ready to start a new adventure in first grade. We wanted to take this opportunity to explain a few things about our classroom. At our “Meet the Teacher” night on Tuesday September 9, 2014, we will be able to give you more detailed information. Please meet in the cafeteria that night at 6:45pm.

Your child will be part of a unique classroom setting this year. We have a combined classroom consisting of 2 first grade classrooms, 2 first grade teachers, and 2 first grade groups of children. Double the fun and learning! In this classroom community, we will team-teach daily. This was our model for the last two years and it worked out beautifully.

The reason we created this combined classroom community is because it allows us more time and space to work with students at their ability levels in small groups. With our years of first grade experience, we are thrilled to combine what we know and do for the benefit of your child! See you soon!

Sincerely,

Becky Eubank and Annie Copp

****Look for a folder coming home tomorrow, filled with our classroom info.

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