Back to School Night 2014

1. Back to School Night 2014 Welcome Families!!

2. Dr. Martin Luther King: Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education. • PAWS Laws (Prepared, Always Responsible, Work and Play Safely) • 7 Habits • Daily Team Meeting

3. All Stars Mission Statement • Class created together- Who are we? • We are the epic All-Stars of Room 15. This year we will be proactive, problem-solvers and the best team. We will learn, be good citizens, and work together to synergize and make this a great year!

4. ELA Common Core State Standards • Foundational Skills (phonics, fluency, vocabulary) • Reading Comprehension (rotates between Literature, Informational text) • Language (vocabulary, spelling, grammar) • Speaking and Listening • Writing (opinion, informational/explanatory, narrative)

5. ELA Homework • Your child is expected to read each night for 15-20 minutes. This can be you reading to them, them reading to you, them reading to themselves, or a combination of both. The books can come from home; or from the base, school, or classroom library. The same book is used all week! • Shorter books: reread the book each night, for the whole week • Longer (picture) books: read for 15 minutes each night • Chapter books: read 1-2 chapters each night • Rotate between reading Literature and Informational reading every 3 weeks (just like in class)

6. ELA Homework • Monday: Foundational Skills (phonics) and/or Language (spelling, grammar) • Find 5 words with…. (short vowels, prefixes, nouns) • Tuesday: Vocabulary • Find 1-2 words new to you: definition, own sentence • Wednesday: Comprehension • Writing or visual organizer related to classwork comprehension • Thursday: Foundational Skills (fluency) • Reread your favorite part, focus on: accuracy, rate (speed), and expression • Get paper on Monday, return on Friday!

7. How to Help with Reading at Home • Work on reading fluency at home, by ensuring that your child is choosing books that they can read easily by themselves. • Read to your child, and ask questions about the story. • When we take Reading tests in class, go through any missed questions with your child. • Visit the Library often! • Model reading for your child- let them catch you reading!

8. Math Common Core State Standards • Operations and Algebraic Functions (multiplication, division, word problems with all 4 operations) • Number Base Ten (place value, rounding) • Fractions • Geometry (attributes of shapes and solids) • Measurement and Data (time, liquid volume, mass, area, perimeter, graphing)

9. Math Homework • Get paper for the week on Monday • Do 1 section (Day 1, Day 2, etc.) each night • Return to class the next day, as we will go over it • Related to Math Common Core State Standards • Some problems will be new to them: let them problem solve for themselves!

10. Special Instruction • PE: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays (11:00-11:40) • Library: Mondays (10:30-10:50) • Computer Lab (1 day a week- TBD) • Art: Fridays (1:15-2:00) • Science Lab or Music: Thursdays (1:30-2:00) • Science/Social Studies: Mon (1:15-2), Tue (11:30-12:05 or 1:15-2), Thurs (1:15-2) • Science and Social Studies, taught a “unit” at a time (rotating between the two, tied in to ELA topics) • Many times will also include a technology project

11. Daily Game Plan • 8:15-10:10 ELA • 10:10-10:25 Recess • 10:30-11 (Mon: Library, Thurs: Comp. Lab or Science/Social Studies, all other days: Math) • 11-11:40 (M/W/F: PE, T/TH: Math) • 11:40-12:05 (T: Science/Social Studies, or Computer Lab, all other days: Math) • 12:05-12:45 Lunch • 12:45-1:15 or 1:30 Reader’s Workshop (focus on meaning/comprehension) • 1:15 or 1:30-2:00 (M/T: Science/Social Studies, possibly Computer Lab one day, Th: Science Lab or Music, F: Art, W: Early Dismissal) • 2:00-2:15 Team Meeting (Social Skills, Reflection of week)

12. Classwork Expectations • Students are given a reasonable amount of time each day to do their work. Students who do not finish their work during the time given are asked to complete it when their other class work is done. • If students are using their time wisely, they may turn in incomplete work. • If students are not using their time wisely, they will either bring the work home to finish, or complete it during recess time.

13. Communication from School • Red Homework Folders (M-Th): These will come home every night, Monday-Thursday, with their homework. Please have students return the folder every day, along with their homework that is due each day (Math- every day, ELA- Friday). • Red Homework Folders (F): Will also come home on Fridays, along with any corrected tests or work I want you to see, which can stay at home. There will also be a Reflection Sheet/Progress Report that week, which can also stay at home. Every Friday, your child will be bringing home some sort of report of how the week went. • Email: I send monthly newsletters via email or Infinite Campus. There will also be other announcements/updates from time to time via email. Please make sure to check it at least twice a week. Thanks!

14. Academic Progress Communicated • Throughout the month: Friday updates • Mid way through trimester: Progress Reports sent home, and able to access through Infinite Campus • Report Cards at end of the Trimester

15. Behavior Expectations • Big 3 of Room 15: • Respect Yourself • Respect Others • Respect School • We’ve spent a lot of time talking about: Expected/Unexpected Behavior, and will continue to do so in out Daily Team Meetings • Start day with 3 tallies (able to get 3 Strikes) • Any tallies kept, go on record sheet (20 tallies= prize) • No tallies left (Strike Out)= recess chat with Ms. Ralston, time out of recess • Big Problems= email home, referral to office, etc.

16. Things to Know • School starts everyday at 8:15 am. Once I pick up the class on the blacktop, we will return to class. If they are not with us at that point, they are late and will need a “tardy slip” from the office. • Wednesdays are always Early Release Days at 1:15 pm. • Snack time/Recess 10:10-10:25; children are told to use the bathroom and wash their hands before they are to go play or eat. • Lunch 12:05-12:45; children are walked to the bathroom and told to wash their hands before getting in the lunch line or eating their lunch. • Dress Code: shoes must have straps across the back; girls shirts and dresses must have backs and straps at least 2 fingers wide

17. Morning Procedures • Students should not be here before 7:45 am (7:30, if eating breakfast) • Before 8 am, they all sit at the lunch tables, even if they are not eating. At 8:05 am, a playground supervisor will take them up to the blacktop to play. • Students are to put their backpacks in our line on the blacktop (#18) • Students are not to be in the building without an adult or a pass • Volunteers: sign in at the office, get volunteer sticker/badge and wait with students until school starts (must have TB test on file before volunteering)

18. End of Day Procedures • Students must hi-5 me • I will walk them out the front of the building • Mon/Tue/Thurs/Fri- 2:20 pm; Wed- 1:15 pm; Minimum Days- 12:30 pm • Car pick up: Please pick them up using the car lane- Only Car #1 and 2 should load students • *** Name not on emergency card- your child can not go with them!! If it’s a one-time pick up, call the front office and let them know the name of the person picking up, and they can pick up your child in the front office.

19. Celebrations • We will be having 2 celebrations/parties in class: December (day before Winter Break) and May (last day of school) • Birthdays: If you have to send something in, please make it a non-food item (book to donate to class, puzzle or game to donate to play, stickers or pencils to pass out). We have a board policy that discourages ‘unhealthy’ treats given to students, as well as we have some food allergies in our class. By sending a non-food item, it makes it so we can “celebrate” their birthday on more than just one day! If you need more ideas or clarification, just let me know- thanks for abiding by “Think Win-Win!”

20. Community Service • October: Trick or Treat for Unicef • 3 times a year: Help count box tops for our school, after school with Ms. Ralston (permission slip needed) • February: Wounded Warrior Project- collect items for “Welcome Baskets” • Throughout the year: School fundraisers for PTA and outside charitable organizations

21. How to Reach Me 1st choice: Note sent in with your child or email me at dralston@fuesd.org ** Also, my “Office Hours” for students and parents are 7:30-8:00 each morning, if you need to drop in for help or to chat. 2nd choice: Phone call to the classroom, (760) 731- 4382

22. Looking for Helpers… I appreciate any adult family member willing and able to become a more integral part of our classroom. Some immediate openings are: • Fall Festival on October 3: A notice will be sent home closer to the date asking for “donations” for our class basket for the Silent Auction. • Parent Volunteers for the classroom- please see the sign up sheet for available choices of how to volunteer. ** Sign up sheets on the front board! 3. Join the PTA- this is the way we raise money in order to go on a field trip. 4. Send in box tops and soup labels to the classroom.

23. Upcoming Dates • Sept. 1: Labor Day (No School) • September 15-19: Book Fair (We will preview and send home a “Wish List”) Kids can go before or after school. • September 19: Mid-Trimester Reports Sent home (academic update) • September 30- October 3: Conferences (Your child will need to be there too!) • Sign ups on the door outside! • October 3- Fall Festival at school (usually 4-7 pm)