Mrs. Hickman’s 1 st Grade

1. Mrs. Hickman’s 1st Grade Room 6 Ph. # 549-6421 2013 - 2014 Central Park

2. About the Teacher My name is Heather Hickman. I have been married to my husband for over 10 years and together we share two boys: Austin, 6 yrs. & Jayden 3 yrs. I currently hold a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Louisiana State University of Shreveport.

3. Morning Arrival Students will arrive and decide if they are going to go to breakfast. If yes, they place their stuff on their desks and go straight to the cafeteria which closes its breakfast doors promptly at 8:00. If no, they unpack their backpacks and begin morning work.

4. Math Calendar We review the current date. We discuss several calendar questions (i.e. how many days in the month, what day of the week a date lands on, etc.) We discuss place value to the hundreds position. We also analyze money: their values, size, and individual characteristics.

5. Math We will follow the pacing guide established by the Bossier City Curriculum Department. Our weekly newsletter will list the skill covered each day. We complete math in whole group with a small group intervention immediately following.

6. Enrichment Students will rotate daily between different enrichment areas throughout the week. This time will be considered their enrichment time. This will also be the time that I will make most phone calls and complete daily tedious tasks.

7. Handwriting Students will practice correct penmanship daily. We will use the parish assigned workbook with a few strategies from the program Handwriting Without Tears.

8. Lunch • Students will wear their lunch tags to the cafeteria. • The students will wash their hands, get their trays, sit at the table, and eat. • ****Parents are welcome to come any day during this time ONLY to eat with their students. Parents will need to check in with the office and receive a visitor’s badge.**** • Students CANNOT stay later than allotted time or go earlier.

9. Reading and Word Study Students will learn different skills through numerous strategies in 5 specific areas. These areas include: phonemics awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. These skills are very important and should be practiced at home as well as school.

10. Recess On sunny days, the students will go outside to play on the Kindergarten/1st Grade playground. On rainy days, students will complete rainy day recess activities which involves them to get up from their seats and do simple exercises from united streaming, an educational source.

11. Grammar Students will follow teacher’s manual and touch on grammar topics such as subject, predicate, verb tenses, etc. These grammar lessons are brief in first grade and are incorporated during writing and reading as well.

12. Writer's Workshop Students will complete daily writing activities and monthly writing prompts. The students be guided through the five steps of writing: prewrite, draft, revision, proofread, and publish. They will also touch on the voices of writing.

13. RTI This hour is commonly referred to by students as center time. This is the time where all students do 3 rotations of 30 minutes each. They rotate between three areas: seatwork/computers, centers, and teacher table. At seatwork, students complete activities at their individual desks. At centers, students will be assigned an area where they will do hands-on activities that correlates with a skill they are covering that week in any one of the skill areas. At teacher table, students will be assisted based on individual learning needs.

14. Social Living Each social living unit will be closely related to the reading story for that week. Some units will be off topic whenever holidays are near, author’s birthdays or special days are that week, or the parish requires us to use special kits.

15. Afternoon Dismissal Students will gather materials in an orderly fashion, pack their backpacks, and be dismissed according to this order: Daycare riders Car riders/walkers Buses While the students are packing their backpacks and waiting for bell to ring, I conduct a read aloud from the Junie B. Jones chapter book series, Magic School Bus reading series, or another chapter book series.

16. Homework Students will follow a homework guide located on the back side of their weekly skills sheet sent home the first day of each week and posted on class webpage. Mrs. Hickman’s 1st Grade Class

17. Homework Each student will have the chance to earn an instant reward for completing nightly homework. Absence of homework is not going to be punsihed; however, students are not going to receive rewards. Homework is a tool used to help the students apply the skills and knowledge learned in class.

18. Classroom Management We will be using a behavior chart that follows along with PBIS. Each student will have a clip that will begin on Ready to Learn. If the student makes poor choices he/she will move down; however, if the student should make a good choice, he/she can move up. The student can move up and down continuously throughout the day.

19. ...and Many More! Special Projects The first grade teachers plan to do several special projects throughout the year. Grandparents’ lunch, 1st Grade Tea Party, family tree project, All About Me, Christmas party, Polar Express, Valentine/Easter Party, etc.

20. Communication Parents are encouraged to call, email, or send notes to the teacher as acceptable forms of communication. Classroom phone will stay on cover at all times (required by parish). I will make phone calls during enrichment (planning period) or during the day if behavior issues arise. If a parent calls, they will get voicemail, but the phone call will be returned at the earliest convenience.

21. Field Trips The first grade team are currently looking at 4 field trips this year. Details coming soon. We are hoping to go BPCC play; SCI-Port twice; and Cypress Nature Center.

22. Thank You... for taking the time to attend Open House! I look forward to working with you and your child this year. It is going to be a wonderful year filled with exciting learning activities!