Welcome to Curriculum Night!

1. Welcome to Curriculum Night! Please sit in your child’s chair. We will begin promptly at 7:45 p.m. While you are waiting, use the stationery to write him/her a note. Please leave it on your child’s desk.

2. Purpose of this Evening • Introduction to curriculum, classroom management and what you can expect in First Grade. *If you would like to discuss your child, please contact me to determine a day and time. Thank you!

3. Paperwork • Conference Sign-Up • Party Volunteers • Classroom Volunteers

4. How to get in touch with me: • Email: aprilsams@solonboe.org • Check email once a day • Voicemail: 440-349-7757, ext. 5792 • Check messages once a day • If calling about a bus change or pick-up change, please call the office directlyinstead of leaving me a voicemail 440-349-2175 • Fall Conference: • I will send a reminder letter to you near conference time. • Additional Conferences: • As needed, please email or call to schedule a time to meet.

5. A Little Bit About Me: • Graduated in 2005 from NDC • Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood • Second year teaching • Subbed in Solon Schools for 3 years including long term assignments in grades 1,4,5, and 6.

7. Daily Schedule • 7:45-8:10 Bellwork • 8:10-9:10 Science/S.S. • 9:10-10:10 Math • 10:10-11:00 Special • 11:00-12:00 Recess/Lunch • 12:00-12:30 No New Instruction • 12:30-2:20 Daily 5

8. Family Information System • www.solonschools.org • Schools Parkside K-4 Staff Directory  April Sams • Calendar: • Upcoming assessments • Holidays • Field trips • Homework • Special events • Class News and Photos • I Can Statements • Useful website links that can support your child’s learning • Email access

9. Language Arts-Daily 5 • Read to Self • Work on Writing • Read to Someone • Word Work • Listen to Reading

10. Keys to the Daily 5 • Independence • Work quietly • Work the whole time • Stay in one spot • Get started right away • Build stamina • WHY???? • To become better readers and writers!!!!!

13. What Can We Write? • Story • Poem • Play • How-To • List • Song • Letter • ABC Book

16. Rainbow spell • Stamp-it • Game Boards • Boggle • Shake It Up! • Word Sort • Scrabble Spelling • Magnet Words • Type-it

17. Listening to good examples of reading helps build fluency, vocabulary, and stamina. It helps develop students into better readers. • They will use computers, books on CD, and I-Pads to listen to fluent reading.

18. Mini-Lesson Mini-Lesson - Daily, brief, powerful, whole group demonstrations about how reading works or how readers work. • Example: We are learning to answer a “right-there” question. We are looking for facts, details or ideas found right in the text that answer a question.

19. Guided Reading Guided Reading - groups are flexible and fluid. Students are grouped according to needs and appropriate focus. Teacher role: Teacher meets with small groups and provides descriptive feedback to students about their learning. Student role: Students share their thinking and reflect on their success with the reading topic. They participate in an active discussion which incorporates comprehension, questioning, and higher-order thinking skills.

20. Word Study How can parents help their children with spelling? • Encourage your child to reread his/her work. Have your child identify words that do not look correct. This is the first step to better spelling. Encourage your child to apply the spelling patterns he/she knows. • Help your child review or learn our list of sight words. These words do not necessarily fit into any spelling pattern, but are extremely important in daily writing. Children will be expected to spell these words correctly in their writing.

21. Math • Trailblazers Program • Emphasis on application of skills and deep understanding of concepts. • Problem solving and multiple solutions

22. How can I help? • Practice counting forward and backward • 1-10 • 11-30 • 30-120 • Number before, number after • Play treasure hunt • Point out math in the real world! • Addition and subtraction • Money • Time (to the half hour)

23. Science • Plants and Animals • Matter • Natural Resources

24. Social Studies • Citizenship • Government • People in Societies • Geography • Economics • History

25. Grading • # Correct • Follow-Up Given as Needed • Positive Feedback • Rubrics • No Letter Grades • Common Assessments

26. Report Cards • Reflective of state standards • Given every nine weeks • On a continuum based on your child’s development • First report card is given at conferences.

27. Common Assessments • Expectations are the same of all students. • Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies

28. Benchmarks • Reading (DRA) • January: Level 10 • May: Level 18 • Writing • 3 on the rubric by the end of year • Fry Words • First 100 by May

29. Ohio Diagnostics • Ohio Reading Diagnostic Test • Administered in the Spring • Ohio Math Diagnostic Test • Administered in the Spring *Results are received at the end of the year

30. Classroom Management • RESPECT • Praise • Pennies • Class store • Break Check Off • Stop and Think Sheet

31. Homework • Daily 5 • Math • Occasional Science or Social Studies

32. Daily Procedures • Notes, Money, Bus Passes • Take-Home Folders • Classroom Jobs • Homework • Supplies • Book Orders- online • Birthday Treats

33. PTA • Parties • Assemblies • Book Fairs • Special Events

34. Donations • Disc-man or MP3 player • Books • Computer Keyboards • Bean bags • Prize-box materials

35. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SUPPORTING US!