Welcome to First Grade!

1. Welcome to First Grade! Cherokee School Curriculum Night 2013

2. Meet the First Grade Teachers • Mrs. Caryn Tsagalis • Mrs. Jenny Kisselburg • Miss Linling Cai (Cai Laoshi) • Mrs. Denise Galatsianos

3. Specials • Art (Ms. Vlamis) • Wellness (Mr. Carney & Mrs. Sostre) • Music (Mrs. LeMahieu) • Science (Miss Muntean) • ILI (Mrs. Mobile, Mrs. Muscarello)

4. School Rules and Positive Behavior Intervention • 3 School Rules: • Be Safe • Be Responsible • Be Respectful • S.M.A.R.T. kids • Cherokee’s Character Traits: Teamwork, Caring, Responsibility, Respect, Honesty/Integrity • Cheetah Bucks

5. Snacks and Celebrations • Daily Snack-PEANUT/ TREE NUT FREE (Wellness Initiative) • Water Bottles (with a sport top) • Birthday Celebrations (optional) • Must be a non-food item • Stickers, pencils, donate a library book, etc.

6. Home-School Communication • Classroom Websites: • Access through the Cherokee School Website • Please check often. • If your child has two teachers please be sure to check both sites. • Mobile site available with limited viewing. • Take Home “Cheetah” Folders • Parent-Teacher conferences

7. Teacher Websites & Emails • Caryn Tsagalis • ctsagalis@lfschools.net • http://ch1t.weebly.com • Linling Cai • lcai@lfschools.net • http://nihaocherokee.weebly.com • Jenny Kisselburg • jkisselburg@lfschools.net • http://.ch1k.weebly.com • Denise Galatsianos • dgalatsianos@lfschools.net • http://ch1g.weebly.com

8. activities that make use of a classroom display featuring a Bridges Math Curriculum • A comprehensive K–5 curriculum that equips teachers to fully implement the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in a manner that is rigorous, coherent, engaging, and accessible to all learners. The curriculum focuses on developing students’ deep understandings of mathematical concepts, proficiency with key skills, and ability to solve complex and novel problems. Bridges blends direct instruction, structured investigation and open exploration. It taps into the intelligence and strengths of all students by presenting material that is as linguistically, visually and kinesthetically rich as it is mathematically powerful.

9. 4 Main Components • Number Corner • Problems and Investigations • Work Places • Home Connections

10. Number Corner • Number Corner is a collection of quick daily skills activities that make use of a classroom display featuring a calendar, growing collections, number lines, and more. The display engages students and contributes to a math-rich classroom environment that promotes both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding. The number corner spirals because it skill based - reviewing data collection, computational fluency, number line, etc.

11. Problems and Investigations • These are whole group activities that incorporate independent and partner work. They often begin with a problem posed by the teacher, followed by time for students to think independently, work for a period of time, and talk in pairs before reconvening to share and compare strategies and solutions as a whole class. The problems and investigations do not spiral. It builds a solid foundation of mathematical concepts and focuses both on conceptual understanding as well as procedural understanding.

12. Work Places • These are games and/or activities that provide practice opportunities. Students work with partners or alone. Most involve concrete or visual models and paper and pencil recording.

13. Home Connections • Homework is a chance for students to practice what they have learned and for families to see what students are doing in math class. When a Home Connection follows a lesson, your child will bring home the work in his/her folder.

14. Language Arts • Guided Reading • Shared Reading • Working with Words • Writing

15. Shared Reading • Whole group instruction related to comprehension and decoding strategies. • Thematic Units • Balance of literature and informational texts • Making Meaning • Daily CAFE

16. Guided Reading • TEAM READ • Reading Specialists, Enrichment Teacher, Classroom Teachers, Reading Assistants • Daily Five • Read to Self, Partner Read, Writing, Word Work, Listening to Reading, Conferencing with Teacher

17. Working With Words • Word Wall Words (20 per month) • Transfer and Apply Spelling Strategies • Pattern Words and Sorts • Making Words Activities

18. Writing • Formal Handwriting and Writing Instruction • Handwriting Without Tears • Guided Instruction- Being a Writer • Narrative • Informational/Expository • Argument Opinion • Journals • Student-chosen writing topics

19. Cool Talkers • Speech and Language Initiative • classroom program derived from the Lindamood Lips Program • focuses on the actions of the lip, tongue, and mouth that produce the sounds students hear in words • sounds are introduced in pairs (Brothers) and labeled quiet or noisy, based on vibrations of the vocal cords • home practice sheets help to associate the sound with a word (sent home weekly) • Karen Dolin is our SLP teacher kdolin@lfschools.net

20. Nightly Reinforcement • 20 minutes of Reading • Guided reading book bags • Library Books • Personal Collection • Math • Home Connections • Addition & Subtraction Fact Practice • Word Wall Words • 20 words each month • Review (previous months’ words)

21. Assessments Guided Reading Benchmarks Monthly Word Wall Tests Trimester Word Wall Tests School-Wide Curriculum Based Measurements Timed Addition and Subtraction Tests (Spring, 2014 - Mad Minutes) Math Unit Assessments

22. It’s going to be a FANTASTIC FIRST GRADE YEAR!!!Thank you for supporting your children!