First Grade Guidelines

1
First Grade Guidelines
Pine-Richland School District
2
First Grade Program
The following information is an overview of the
First Grade Program. I hope you will find the
information helpful in understanding the daily
happenings of your child. The First Grade
Program is designed to be the foundation of a
childs education and the foundation of a childs
study skills.
3
Reading

• Trophies by Harcourt Brace Publishers
• Website www.harcourtschool.com, password Beck
• Trophies provides daily phonemic awareness
  lessons.
• It provides explicit, systematic phonics
  instruction to build recognition skills that
  enable students to become efficient decoders.
• It provides students with a wealth of
  opportunities to read and hear a rich variety of
  texts.
• -Big Books -Read-Aloud Anthology
• -Student Reading Books -Books for All Learners
• -Decodable Take-home Books
• It provides students with a variety of
  opportunities to practice new skills.
• -Small Group Guided Reading Instruction
• -Cross-Curricular Centers
• -Reading Practice book

4
Fundations by Wilson Language Basics

• Fundations provides a explicit, systematic,
  multi-sensory, and repetitious approach to
  reading and spelling. Fundations will be
  presented for 30-40 minutes of each day.

5
Guided ReadingTeaching Kids to Read All books

• Teacher supports each readers development using
  effective strategies for processing novel texts
  at increasingly challenging level of difficulty.
• Teacher works with small groups of children who
  use similar reading processes and are able to
  read similar levels of text and support.
• Teacher introduces a text to a small group and
  selects one or two teaching points to present to
  the group.
• The text is one that offers the children a
  minimum of new things to learn the children can
  read it with the strategies they currently have,
  but it provides opportunity for a small amount of
  new learning.

6
Math Scott Foresman EnVision

• The Scott Foresman-Envision math series give
  students the opportunities to explore math
  concepts through concrete math manipulatives as
  well as through paper and pencil assignments.
• The students will learn math concepts and problem
  solving skills through whole class activities,
  small group games, and individual work.
• We place a great importance on memorizing
  addition and subtraction facts to 12 by the end
  of first grade. Please help your child practice
  these important facts at home.

7
The First Grade math chapters focus on

• Numbers to 12 and Graphing
• Facts and Strategies to 12
• Geometry and Fractions
• Numbers to 60 and counting patterns
• Place Value
• Money
• Telling Time
• Measurement
• Facts and Strategies to 18
• Two-digit addition and subtraction

8
Social Studies Harcourt Brace Publishers

• Components include
• My Family
• My Community
• My Country, My Heroes
• My World Near and Far
• Map Skills
• Weekly Reader student magazine

9
Science Asset Kits (Allegheny Schools Science
Education and Technology)

• Weather Kit
• Liquids and Solids Kit

10
Health

• Heres Looking at You! drug prevention
  curriculum mandated by PA Act 211
• Safe Practices at Home, School and Community
• Nutrition, Senses, and Dental Hygiene

11
Specials

• Physical Education
• Gym is scheduled twice a week (Monday and
  Thursday). Please have your child wear
  comfortable clothes and tennis shoes on these
  days. (Mr. Beam)
• Art
• .Please have your child bring in a Adult size
  T-shirt. The T-shirt should be left in your
  childs locker throughout the year. Please place
  your childs name somewhere on the shirt. (Mrs.
  Scheller). Art is on Fridays.
• Music
• Music is on Wednesdays. (Mrs. Campbell)
• Library
• Library is on Thursdays. In First Grade, the
  children are permitted to check out one book per
  week. (Mrs. Fournaridis)
• Computer Lab
• Computer is on Tuesdays. (Mr. Sargent)

12
Support Classes

• Reading Support (Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Ferraro)
• Speech
• School Counseling (Mrs. Kleissas)
• Learning Support (Mrs. Miller)
• Autistic Support (Mrs. Hillegas)
• GATE (Mr. Sargent)
• Occupational Therapy.

13
Grading

• Report Cards
• (P) Proficient Student Student independently
  demonstrates consistent mastery of the skill/
  concept
• (D) Developing Student is making steady progress
  towards proficiency
• (B) Beginning Student is making inconsistent
  progress/ Student may need reinforcement
• (N) Not Yet Evident Student is making limited
  progress/ Needs continued reinforcement

14
Weekly Procedures

• Take Home Book. These are small paper booklets
  that reinforce the phonics skill taught. Your
  child can share his/ her reading with family
  members.
• Math Homework will be issued on an as needed
  basis. You can follow the lessons taught by
  using the envision math home component.
• Practice Spelling words for test on Fridays.
• Practice reading words with fluency. These words
  will be provided in the weekly newsletter (Key
  words, Trick words, Scholastic words.)
• Weekly reading given on Friday. An envelope with
  leveled reading material will be provided for
  your child to read throughout the week. Please
  note the time allotment at the top of your
  childs reading log. At the beginning of the
  year we will start with 40 minutes (10 minutes /
  4 times a week). By the end of the year, reading
  should be 10 minutes each evening.

15
Classroom Procedures

• Daily Folder
• Please use this folder as your childs daily
  folder. Please have your child bring this folder
  to and from school each day. Please review and
  remove completed work from the folder. If your
  child has already purchased their own folder,
  they are more than welcomed to use it.
• Absent from School
• Please send in a written note as to why your
  child is absent. The written excuse must be sent
  to school upon your childs return. It must be
  filed and kept on record, as it is a state
  mandate. If your child will be out of school for
  an extended period of time, please send in a note
  ahead of time for the office to complete
  necessary documentation.

16
Classroom Procedures

• Birthday Celebrations
• It is optional to send in a treat for your
  childs birthday. An item such as a special
  eraser, pencil, or small notepad would be an
  appropriate treat. If you choose to send in a
  treat, please send me a note as to which day (if
  the birthday falls on a weekend or Holiday).
  Please drop off treats in the office by noon. We
  will celebrate your childs birthday some time in
  the afternoon. If your child has a summer
  birthday, we will celebrate it at the end of the
  school year. I will send home a schedule at that
  time.
• Discipline
• Plastic coins are administered for good deeds.
  Throughout the year, there is a first grade
  market which items can be purchased
• Bucket Tickets
• School wide ticket given by any teacher in the
  building that enters a drawing for a prize from
  Mrs. Kleissas the counselor.

17
Classroom Procedures

• Lunchroom
• Each class is assigned to two tables in the
  cafeteria
• Pin number on note card for first couple of weeks
• Lunch is 30 minutes and recess follows lunch for
  30 minutes.
• Recess is in the classroom if there is inclement
  weather.
• Centers
• There are five main centers in the classroom. At
  each center, there are several options your child
  may choose to do. Your child attends one main
  center a day, and your child will have attended
  all of the centers in the room by the end of the
  week.

18
Helpful Hints

• Go over reading materials and papers daily.
• Read stories from Take Home books with your
  child.
• Make flash cards of addition and subtraction math
  facts.
• Create a consistent and quiet study time.
• Vary activities.
• Emphasize childs responsibilities and reward
  progress.
• Create a Word Bank for your child to use at home.
  Take Plastic Index Card Holder and an Alphabet
  Divider to fit inside. This can be used for many
  activities review of key words, create sentences
  from words, build word families, sort rhyming
  words, alphabetize words, etc.

19
Parent Volunteers

• Parent Coordinator for Holiday Parties
• PTO liaison
• Parent with an expertise in a particular area
  that would coordinate with curriculum.
• Royal Reader parent visits the classroom and
  reads several books to students.