Welcome to Miss Revelle ’ s Back To School Night

1. Welcome to Miss Revelle’s Back To School Night Please check the board for a list of things to do! 

2. Getting to know me! • This is my 10th year teaching in the district. Besides First Grade, I have taught Kindergarten and Second Grade. • After graduating from Upper Darby High School, I received an Elementary Education degree from Loyola College in Maryland. I even had the opportunity to study abroad in Melbourne, Australia. • In 2009, I earned my Master’s of Education from St. Joseph’s University with a Reading Specialist Certification. • When I’m not at Lynnewood, my favorite thing to do is travel. My goal is to visit every continent! So far I’ve been to Africa, Europe, and Australia!

3. Contact Info Please feel free to contact me via email, notes, or phone calls. I will always respond promptly! • Email- revelle@havsd.net • Phone - 610- 853-5900 ext. 4149 • Notes can be placed in your child’s communication folder ** I must receive a note if your child’s mode of transportation changes! **

4. Classroom Information • Please visit the classroom website for current information on Homework, Announcements, Word Wall Words, and other valuable information. • Go to Lynnewood’s Website http://www.haverford.k12.pa.us/lynnewood/site/default.asp, click on “e-faculty” and then click on my name.

5. Curriculum Overview The Everyday Math Program • Number sense, geometry, measurement, and problem solving are some of the main skills we will work on. We will also focus on addition and subtraction facts. • Games, manipulatives, and hands-on activities are an important part of the program. We also play math games in the Computer Lab! • Math Tools like rulers, calculators, clocks, and pattern block templates are used regularly. • Unit Tests will be sent home for you to review. Sample problems will be posted on our class website so the children can practice problems that were difficult or incorrect.

6. Math Home- Links Your child will be assigned a Home Link page to complete nightly. It will reinforce what was taught for that day’s lesson. Please do not complete it before the designated night so that your child can develop the skill in class first. Please complete the Home Link nightly and return the book on Friday!

7. Language Arts- (Four Blocks) • Whole Group Reading Block • Small Group Guided Reading Block • Phonics/Working with Words Block • Writing Block • Homework: Nightly Baggy Books, Reading Log, Spelling (Beginning in October)

8. Writing and Spelling • Kid Writing in Journals • Students use the Word Wall and Phonics skills (sounding out) to write stories. Eventually we will learn how to include story elements (characters, setting, problem, and solution). On Mondays we usually write about our weekends! • The Writing Process • Brainstorming, Rough Draft, Revising, Editing, Good Draft/Publishing • Special writing pieces include: Personal Narrative, Friendly Letter, Descriptive Writing, A Story (with story elements), and a Research Report • Focus/Grammar Skills • Punctuation at the end of sentences, capital letters at the beginning of sentences, and recognition of the need to capitalize proper nouns • Spelling • Word Lists are typically based on the phonics skills we are working on. We will take a pre-test on Monday and a post-test on Friday. Each night your child will complete a spelling page for homework to help him/her learn the words.

9. Handwriting Without Tears • This is a developmentally appropriate program that begins with the letters that are easiest for children to form. • We review capital letter formation and then focus on lower case letters. • Manipulatives and songs are used to learn about handwriting. • The use of double lines helps students to use correct letter placement and transition to notebook paper later.

10. Social Studies • Students explore and learn about themselves, their neighborhood, and their community. They will discover their self-worth and how they belong to a community. • They will also learn about needs and wants, how to make choices, and the responsibilities of jobs. The importance of the environment is explored, as well as the geography of our country and our natural resources. • Students will learn about the cultural diversity in America and the contributions of the various cultures to America.

11. Science • First graders are encouraged to observe objects, materials and organisms in their environment, note their properties, and develop explanations. • As children become more familiar with their world they can be guided to observe changes and make predictions. • First grade science consists of three units: Balls and Ramps, Weather, and Organisms

12. Homework Routine Every Monday a Homework Sheet will come home with the entire week’s homework posted. It will also be posted on the class website. Please do the assignments nightly, but return them to school on Friday!

13. Daily Snack / Lunch Info We will have a snack at 10:45, please send in a healthy snack and a water bottle for your child everyday! If your child is buying a lunch, please make sure he/she knows what to order before arriving to school. Children should memorize their lunch account numbers. Your child can practice putting in the number at home on a calculator!

14. Arthur We have a special friend in our classroom…Arthur! Arthur is Marc Brown’s beloved character from the “Arthur” series. Check out Arthur’s website at http://pbskids.org/arthur/ . Each student will have the opportunity to take Arthur home for a week. Arthur loves to read bedtime stories, go on family outings, play games, watch movies, etc. Arthur will come home on a Friday and will need to return to Lynnewood the following Friday. A class journal will accompany Arthur so that your child can write about his/her experience. (If you would like to type it, your child may dictate the entry.) Pictures can even be glued in too! When your child returns Arthur to school, he/she will share the journal entry with the class and we will add some of the information to our class bulletin board. This is a fun way to promote responsibility, imagination, and literacy!

15. Star Student • Each week we will celebrate and learn about a student in the class. • The Star Student will make a poster showing his/her favorite things, information about him/herself, photographs, etc. • A week before your child’s turn, you will receive a letter outlining the project. It also includes ideas for your child’s poster. Please send in the poster on the Monday that your child’s week begins so it can be displayed in the room. • On the Friday of your child’s week, he/she will share the poster with the class. Other classmates will also have the opportunity to ask questions. • Thanks for your support at home! 

16. Birthdays • We will celebrate birthdays during Morning Meeting. On your child's special day, we will sing and your child will select a prize from the Prize Box. • Summer birthdays will celebrated at the end of the year. Please let me know if your child would like to celebrate on his/her half birthday! • If your child would like to do something special, he/she may bring in pencils or stickers for the class, donate a book to our classroom library, etc. • No food please! 

17. Book ORDERS I will be sending home Scholastic Book Orders at the beginning of each month. If you would like to buy books, please send your check (Payable to ‘Scholastic’) and order into school by the date specified. You can also order online! The September catalog and ordering information is in the Back to School Night folder.

18. Volunteers • Mystery Readers – Friday’s at 3:10pm • Sign up on the white board! • Art in The Classroom • Homeroom Parents • Spring Field Trip Chaperones

19. Absence Notes • In order for your child’s absence to be marked “Excused”, please send in a note within three days. • If your child is leaving school for a vacation, it must be approved by Mrs. Mingey. There is a form on the Lynnewood website. • Absence Notes are available in the Back to School night folder. I will also post one on our class website.

20. Questions / Comments ? Thank you for attending Back To School Night tonight! I look forward to working with you and your child this year!! Questions for the common good?? Specials teachers are available in the Library. Also, Mrs. Thompson, from Food Services, is in the Lobby if you have any lunch related questions. 