Rosa Lee Carter

1. Rosa Lee Carter Welcome to 1st Grade!

2. Homework • Only reading homework in September. • (It is important for us to spend this time practicing classroom rules and procedures, completing initial testing, and establishing relationships.) • Reading log-10 minutes a night • Take-home projects will be assigned a few times throughout the year to allow students to complete an assignment in depth and present their project to their classmates. Projects should be completed by the student with parental support. • Word Study will begin October 4th.

3. Lunch Procedures • Lunch money must be placed in an envelope with the child’s name and ID number. • Lunches can be paid for online using www.pay4lunch.comA small fee is added when using this service. • Students must memorize their lunch numbers. They will be expected to enter their own numbers each day for lunch and to log in to school computers. • Monthly lunch menus are available on the Rosa Lee Carter website.

4. Lunch Prices Breakfast • Student Full Price: $1.45 • Student Reduced Price: .30 • Adult: $1.95 Lunch • Student Full Price: $2.70 • Student Reduced Price: .40 • Adult: $3.70

5. Snack • Students are permitted to bring a small, healthy snack each day. • Drinks should not be included with snacks since a water fountain is available in each room. • Please be aware of any allergies in your child’s classroom when packing lunches and snacks. DO NOT pack peanut products since many children have this particular allergy. • Snacks may not be shared. • Bringing snacks is voluntary. Students may choose not to bring one. • Snacks will be in the afternoon due to our early lunch time this year.

6. The Clinic • Students who are sent to the clinic will come home with a purple pass showing the reason for the visit. • It is county policy that any student who has a fever of 100.0 must be sent home. Students cannot return to school until they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication. • Please advise your child to cover their mouth when they cough and sneeze. Please consider keeping your child home if they are ill to avoid infecting other students and staff.

7. Allergies… • Due to student allergies, first grade will be a peanut-free zone this year. • Please do not send peanuts/tree nuts or peanut butter with your child for snack or lunch. We will be strictly enforcing the “no peanut rule” in each of our classrooms. • Safety of all of our students is our number one concern. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. 

8. Birthdays • Invitations for birthday parties cannot be given out at school unless every child in the class is invited. • Birthday treats are NOT allowed this year both in the classroom and in the cafeteria. If you would like to send a small non-food item to celebrate your child’s birthday (stickers, pencils, erasers, etc.) you may. But no edible items can be included. This is now a county-wide policy.

9. Take Home Folder • Students will have a take home folder that should be checked daily. • One side of the folder will contain student work or other items that can remain at home. The other side will have information that needs to be returned to the school (forms, permission slips, etc.) • Folders should be taken home each night and returned to school each day.

10. Grading • Students in first grade have the • following grading scale on their report cards: E= Exceeds Standards M= Meets Standards P= Progressing Toward Standard B= Performing Below Standard • These grades should not be translated into A’s, B’s, or C’s. It is okay if students do not receive all 1’s on their report card. The goals grow more rigorous throughout the year and students continue to fine tune their skills as the year progresses. • We do not do class rankings in first grade. All students will be supported and challenged to make progress .

11. Grading continued… • Students will complete a lot of hands on work in first grade. Not all work done in the classroom will come home in the form of a paper-pencil assignment or worksheet. • Class work or homework that is checked by the teacher will often show a number right or wrong, but often does not have an E, M, P, or B ranking. • Work completed in centers is done independent of the teacher and may be done with the cooperation of other students. Not all center work will be graded. • Not all items on the report card will be filled out each quarter. Different concepts are covered at different times during the year, and not all items are assessed each quarter.

12. PBS • RLC is a PBS school. PBS stands for positive behavior support. • Students are expected to respect self, others, and property throughout the school day in all parts of the building. • Students/classes can earn coyote cash for displaying positive behavior. Classroom incentives are offered for earning coyote cash. These incentives may vary by teacher. (ex: movie, pajama day, hat day, extra recess, etc.)

13. Literacy Components • Shared Reading • Word Work • Read Aloud/Activity • Guided Reading • Centers • Writing Workshop

14. Math Concepts The following concepts are important for students to practice in the first grade: • Addition and subtraction facts • Graphing • Word Problems Money • Time • Fractions

15. DRA/PALS • DRA= Developmental Reading Assessment • The benchmark goals for first grade are as follows: Beginning of year: 4 Middle of year: 10 End of year: 16 • PALS= Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening Given in the Fall and the Spring

16. Thank you! • We look forward to a good year with your child as he/she grows academically, personally, and socially. • Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher with any questions, comments, or concerns. (Email is often the quickest form of contact especially during the school day when it can be difficult to make it to a phone.) • Thank you for your support! We really do appreciate it! 

17. Forms, volunteers, etc… • Please make sure you write your email address and preferred contact information on the sheet in your child’s classroom. • Please return emergency form information, allergy notifications, and dismissal forms as soon as possible to ensure the safety of your child. • Conference sign up sheets are available for the first parent-teacher conferences in November. Sign-up is first come first serve. While multiple days may be offered, please just sign up for one conference time to allow for all parents to have a time slot. • Volunteer sign up sheets are also available. • Wish list items are on the board in classrooms for items that could be used in your child’s classroom to support instruction. If you are able to donate any of the requested items, please take the corresponding sticky note home with you. We appreciate any and all donations and volunteering!