Welcome, 1 st Grade Parents!

Welcome, 1st Grade Parents! Weatherstone E.S. Cary, N.C.

Weatherstone Mission Statement The Weatherstone Elementary School Family will utilize all available resources as enhanced by professional learning communities to help each child become a contributing member to society.

Common Core • Wake County schools will undergo curriculum changes in the 2012-13 school year due to North Carolina’s adoption of the new Common Core State Standards and the N.C. Essential Standards. • New common core standards = high expectations for all students. • Common Core includes: English Language Arts, Math and Literacy • Parents will notice that reading assignments will become more challenging. Students will be expected to read and learn from more complex text. • To make sure every child is on track to meet the new requirements, teachers will begin to use more formative assessments and benchmark tests. Feedback will be immediate and allows teachers to tailor their instruction to better meet the growth and needs of their students.

STEM • The acronym STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. • STEM Education attempts to transform the typical teacher-centered classroom by encouraging a curriculum that is driven by problem-solving, discovery, exploratory learning, and require students to actively engage a situation in order to find its solution. • STEM Education prepares our students for the future with 21st Century Skills.

Reading • Interactive Method-A little bit of this and a little bit of that…what works for your child! • Phonemic Awareness • Literature Responses • Whole Text • Daily 5 • Guided Reading Classrooms are like a melting pot. Each child comes to the classroom with different needs and experiences. Therefore, in order to implement a balanced literacy program, each child’s needs must be examined FIRST.

Reading and Assessments • “Balanced Literacy” – leveled reading groups and flexible grouping • Aimsweb Assessments • Running Record - shows the level on which your child is reading • Instructional Level/Retelling Score

Reading Benchmarks • There are quarterly essential objectives that are assessed. • There is a strong emphasis on reading strategies rather than text levels. • A typical first grader should be reading at a 15-16 level by the end of first grade. • We will make you aware of your child’s progress at conference time and in the report card. • For more information on literacy objectives, please refer to the first grade Connections on the Wake County Public School website.

Writing • Daily Journal Writing • Writer’s Workshop • Integration of writing throughout the day • Extensions to literature • Don’t panic when words are spelled incorrectly, they are developmental!

Math • Math Expressions • Daily (Calendar/Morning) Routines • Student leaders • “Math Talk” • Wake County alignment lessons • Coincide with the common core • Hands-on exploration

Math “Critical Areas” and Common Core Domains Critical Areas • Understanding of/strategies for addition and subtraction • Understanding of whole number relationships and place value • Understanding of linear measurement • Reasoning about attributes of, and composing and decomposing geometric shapes Common Core Domains • Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Numbers and Operations in Base Ten • Measurement and Data • Geometry

Science and Social Studies

Fieldtrips • Fieldtrips are aligned with our common core curriculum. • We will announce any chaperoning opportunities! • Permission slip reminder…

Volunteering • Wake County Volunteer Policy: • Please register on a school computer in the computer lab located near the lobby. Even if you have registered last year, you do this again to update any information and to be clears through the WCPSS system. • All registered Volunteers are given a background check* *To have lunch with your child or work in the room with the teacher, no clearance is needed.

S.A.I.Ling Safe Accountable Independent Leaders • School-wide positive behavior support system • Aligned with mission statement • Sail tickets • Sailing in-class

Parent Participation • Responding to behavior reports • Checking all folders (including Tuesday folder) • Reading ALL correspondence • Homework weekly and reading nightly • Supplies • Volunteering • Conferences (October, Spring) and communication

Homework • Provides practice and enrichment • Encourages accountability and independence (S.A.I.L.) • Parents may make modifications • Language Arts • Math All homework due by Friday each week

Report Cards and Other Assessments • Homework is corrected, not “graded” • Ongoing informal and formal assessments of class work (observations, rubrics, etc.) • Interims – November, February, May • Report cards – January, March, June (Conference in October takes place of RC) • 1 – Not proficient • 2 – Inconsistent • 3 – Meets curriculum objectives consistently – on grade level • 3* - Only on report cards – on grade level and performs some level 4 tasks, but not consistently • 4 – Consistently performs above and beyond grade level

Friendly Reminders • Dress Code • Lunch accounts • Snacks • Change in transportation • Absences

Questions: Please leave on a post-it by the door. We will respond ASAP.Thank you for coming!!

Welcome, 1 st Grade Parents!