Welcome, Parents!

1. Welcome, Parents! *Please begin by completing ALL of the pages on the right side of the folder. I’d like to have this information before you leave today. * Place them in the paper tray marked “folders.” *Please be sure to add your child to my transportation sign up sheet on the round table! I need to know how your child will be getting home each day!

2. Welcome to Mrs. Walsh’s First Grade Class

3. A Little About MISS Gawlas • I grew up in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Go Steelers! • I attended King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. I majored in Elementary Education and obtained a Theatre minor. • I have always loved working with children and have wanted to be a teacher since I was little. I student taught in a first grade classroom. I have worked at day camps, drama camps, tutored, and taught a CCD class in the past. • One of my favorite quotes and motto for our classroom is “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”-Walt Disney • Your children come first!

4. Parent/teacher Communication • Blue Homework Folder: Please check this daily. It is divided into “Leave Home” (left side) and “Return to School” (right side) for your convenience. • Monday Folder: Coming home every Monday. Please review all contents on Monday, sign and date the outside of the folder and return the empty folder to school on Tuesday. Please do not send notes back to school in Monday folder. • *Volunteer will be needed to come in and file papers in the students’ Monday Folders. • Monday Memo: Will be posted on my web page every Monday by 3:00. This will contain our homework for the week, as well as other important information.

5. Parent/teacher Communication • If your child is absent—you must call the absence line in the office and send in a written note the day that they return to school. • All changes in dismissal need to be sent in writing . If there is a last minute change, please call the office. • Please feel free to email me any questions or concerns at stephanie.walsh@lcps.org

6. Calling All Volunteers • Any time that you have to volunteer in our class is greatly appreciated. • I am in need of immediate volunteers the first week of school to help with the children at lunch and dismissal. Please see sign-up sheets in the front of the room for these opportunities. • Please see volunteer survey in your folder for all other volunteer opportunities. Children love having their parents involved in the classroom and I am thankful for the support.

7. Mystery Readers I am always looking for interactive ways to get parents involved in our classroom.  Starting second quarter, you will have the opportunity to sign up to be a “Mystery Reader” in our classroom. The twist is, the reader is a “mystery” until they walk through the door. You will visit us for 10-15 minutes after recess. Students LOVE having their family, friends, and relatives visit our classroom to share in our learning by reading a favorite story aloud to our class. Readers are asked to bring a book to read or read a teacher-chosen book from our classroom library. It is a very exciting moment for a first grader when their parent comes in to read, especially when it is a surprise (so don’t tell them).

8. Our Specials • PE: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday-Sneakers are required to participate! • MUSIC: Wednesday, Friday • GUIDANCE: Tuesday • SEARCH: alternating Tuesdays • COMPUTER LAB: Monday • ART: Thursday • LIBRARY: Monday • *The schedule is available on my website as well.

9. Snack and Lunch • We will have a “working snack” each day. Please send your child with a “healthy snack.” Some suggestions: Fruit, Granola Bars, Dry Cereal, vegetables. • You may send water in for snack time. Your child may also bring a water bottle with a top to drink while working during the day. DO NOT send in juice. Please do not send chips, candy, cupcakes, or any snack containing nuts. • We have lunch from 10:40- 11:10 daily. • Please help your child to memorize their 6 digit student id as this number is used to purchase all items in the cafeteria. (This number is also used to log-on to our computers.) You will find a sheet in your folder that has your child’s lunch number and a picture of what looks like a calculator that your child will use if buying lunch in the cafeteria. • Please remind your child what he/she will be having for lunch before they get to school. Students will be expected to make a lunch choice each morning (see board).

10. Birthdays Due to policy changes throughout Loudoun County, parents are not allowed to send in birthday treats for the class. I understand that birthdays are a special day for children and you are welcome to send in nonfood items such as a favorite book for our classroom library, pencils, stickers, bookmarks etc.

11. Report Cards & Grading Scale • I will go over the report card format in detail with each of you during our first quarter conferences at the end of October. • Students will receive grades for effort, behavior, and work habits: • O = Outstanding • S = Satisfactory, • N = Needs Improvement • Students will receive grades for their progress in specific academic areas: • E = Exceeds Standard • M = Meets Standard • P = Progressing Towards Standard • B = Performing Below Standard • *It is perfectly ok to be getting S’s or P’s on things. I don’t expect students to be exceeding in everything. If a student gets an N, or a B, this means your child needs more practice in this area. • *I will only be using the above scale on report cards and on papers that I am assessing. Everything else will either be  (checked) , given a comment, or a sticker. Some papers may not have markings on them, your child may have done them at a center or perhaps on their own time. Papers we have checked as a class will go home in the blue folder and can stay at home. Papers that I have checked and assessments will come home in the Monday folder.

12. Math • In First Grade we use a Blended Approach for math. Students work in our math books and do Hands-on Activities (“Investigations”). • The topics we will be working on this quarter include: • Calendar • Patterns • Counting, Writing, Recognizing Numbers to 100 • Graphing • Understanding addition • Addition facts to 10 • Each Thursday, students will be given a 30 question math test on math facts. Please see handout in folder for more information on this.

13. Reading & Writing • We work in whole group, small group, independently, at literacy centers, and one-on-one with a teacher. Language arts is a large component of our class. First grade is a year for your child to blossom as a reader and writer. • Students will be put in reading groups based on their performance on the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). Please see handout in folder for more information about this assessment and tips for working with your child at home. • Information regarding “book baggies” will be sent home a few weeks into school.

14. Word Study • Word Study is studied in small groups based on students’ performance on the Developmental Spelling Assessment (DSA) which is given 3 times throughout the year. • Each week your child will study a list of words. They will have homework based on their word study list. They will have a word study test every Friday. *A parent volunteer will help administer. • Your child may change groups based on their phonological development. • Don’t panic if you see easier words coming home, especially in the beginning when we are working on HOW to sort our words and carry out specific tasks. Your child’s words will get harder as the year goes on based on their phonological development. • Please see handout in folder for FAQs about word study and a sample word study test.

15. LOWES ISLAND ELEMENTARY FIRST GRADE - FIRST QUARTER OVERVIEW • Language Arts: • Listening skills and recalling specific details • Listening to and following directions • Matching spoken words with print • Decoding and spelling with short vowels • Developing oral expression • Developing word study skills (blending sounds) • Developing correct letter formation • Developing a sight word vocabulary • Writing in journals • Reading for comprehension

16. LOWES ISLAND ELEMENTARY FIRST GRADE - FIRST QUARTER OVERVIEW • Social Studies: • Citizenship • Rules • Pledge of Allegiance • Community • Past and Present • Family • Safety • Transportation • Columbus Day

17. LOWES ISLAND ELEMENTARY FIRST GRADE - FIRST QUARTER OVERVIEW • Science: • What Changes in Autumn? • Sun and Earth (Day and Night) • Plants (Growth , Falling Leaves) • Animals (Coverings, preparing for winter) • People in the Fall (dress, recreation)

18. Homework • Each student will have nightly homework that should take no more than 30 minutes. Please complete all homework in pencil. • Word Study: Please follow the homework chart glued on the inside of the word study notebook. Please write the date at the top of each assignment. This will be checked DAILY. • Reading: Please read with your child for 10 minutes a night and log the reading in their reading log found in their blue folder. This log will be checked every FRIDAY. • Math: There will be 4 weekly math pages found in the green SOL math book. Pages will be posted in my Monday Memo. Please staple the pages together and turn in by FRIDAY. • Poetry: Students will bring home their poetry notebook every Friday to share their weekly poem. • FIRST HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: Help your child memorize their lunch number. This is also used to log onto the computer. You will find this number on a handout in your folder.

19. Star of the Week Your child will be “Star of the Week” one week this year. It will go alphabetically and I will send home a schedule. You will receive the “Star of the Week” poster the Wednesday of the week before your child is the “Star.” You will complete a poster and send in their favorite book to be read to the class.

20. Classroom Rules: • Raise your hand. • Respect your teacher, your • classmates, and yourself. • 3. Keep your hands and feet to yourself. • 4. Follow directions. • 5. Always try your best.

21. Discipline plan Individual:Clip Chart Outstanding Behavior Great Work Ready to Learn Slow Down Think about It Parent Contact *All students will have a calendar stapled on the inside of their red folder. Students who end the day on Ready to Learn or above will receive a sticker or a stamp for good behavior.

22. Incentives Whole Group: We will me keeping a Gem Jar in our classroom. A handful of gems will be placed in the jar each time the class follows a certain rule, expectation, or procedure in an exceptional way. When the jar is filled, the entire class will receive a reward!

23. T-Shirts The 1st grade classes wear Tie-Dyed T-Shirts for field trips and other school activities. Our class color isRED! Please send in a plain white t-shirt with your child’s name written on the tag in permanent marker. Please rubber band the shirt in advance. All t-shirts are due in by Friday, Sept. 13th. It is best to send in a shirt that is a bit larger than your child would normally wear to allow for shrinkage. **Please fill out Volunteer Survey on left of folder if interested in volunteering to tie dye

24. Scholastic News We use Scholastic News to supplement our curriculum. These are magazines which go along with our curriculum. We have already placed an order for these materials so we can have them available immediately . Please send a check made payable to “Scholastic Magazine” for $6.50 to school by Friday, September 13th. Please be sure to include your child’s name in the memo. NO CASH will be accepted.

25. Dismissal Tag Your child will be given a “Dismissal Tag” on the first day of school. This will include your child’s name, lunch number, and dismissal information. It is for us here at school, just as much as it is for your child. PLEASE BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR CHILD WEAR THEIR TAG BACK TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY!

26. In First Grade, we try to teach children to be more independent. I know this can be difficult for both parents and children. Please help me to help your child become more independent. All parents will be asked to say goodbye to their child at the classroom door. Please do not come into the room in the morning and help your child unpack and get started on their work. Once they learn our classroom routine, these will become regular “independent” tasks for them. Thank you for your partnership and support in your child’s learning.

27. Check your child’s bag EVERY day! A Manilla Folder of IMPORTANT papers are coming home the first day. TRY TO GET IT ALL BACK ON WEDNESDAY/THURS. • First homework assignment: Your child needs to know their lunch # by FRIDAY. Have them practice • If you are paying for lunch tomorrow, stop by the cafeteria and write your check for your child. During the year, send checks with your child in the red home folder and I will take them down to the cafeteria to put on your child’s lunch account. First Week of School

28. Open House Tomorrow is open house. You and your child will have the opportunity to really get to know our classroom as you go on a “Scavenger Hunt” to put their school supplies into the correct spots. You may need to stop by the school store to pick up certain notebooks. I look forward to meeting all my new first graders tomorrow

29. What I need from you… • Your e-mail! Please fill out Class directory form. • If you have not added your child to my transportation form, please do so before you leave today! Please be sure your child knows exactly how he/she will be getting home. It’s a good idea to have your child go home their normal way on the first day. • Parent Questionnaire. This will help me get to know your child! • Want to volunteer? Sign up to volunteer for the first week in the front of the room and/or fill out the volunteer survey to help out during the year It is greatly appreciated! • Remember to bring your child’s school supplies to Open House tomorrow. • THANKS FOR COMING AND FOR SHARING YOUR CHILD WITH ME THIS YEAR! I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND YOUR CHILD!