Welcome to The Mudd Room

1. Welcome to The Mudd Room

2. About Mrs. Mudd • I live nearby with my husband Tim, my daughter Madeline and our three cats! • Madeline went to Prairie Point when she was in first grade just like you and now she in College. • This is my 13th year teaching first grade at Prairie Point.

3. Morning Arrival • Students may enter the classroom at 8:30 and the tardy bell rings at 8:40. • If your child has to be absent, please notify the office by 9:00. • Students do a variety of work at their seats in the morning including seasonal activities, weekend news, math games, math problems, reading stories, handwriting, and more!

4. The workshop Model Both reading and writing follow the workshop model. This means your child will listen to a mini-lesson (a lesson about what good readers and writers do), work independently, participate in 1-on-1 conferences with me and/or attend a small group session that is solely based on his or her learning needs, and enjoy a share/reflection session with the class. Reading units include: building good reading habits, problem solving (decoding), reading non-fiction, and character work. Writing units include: personal narratives, informational writing, and opinion writing.

5. Spelling First graders are expected to have a bank of known words they can spell “in a snap.” These words will be checked often and updated in your child’s portfolio. Please help him or her learn these words in context by pointing them out in books and practicing writing them within stories. You can also do fun activities like building them with Play-Doh or magnetic letters or writing them in shaving cream or using favorite markers. We will do the same in class. Other words should be spelled by hearing the correct sounds and putting down a letter to match. For example, it would be okay and even smart to write ‘Oshinsuv Fun.’

6. Math . Each day students do review problems, hands-on learning with manipulatives, guided practice, independent practice, and problem solving. Units include: addition, subtraction, facts to 20, tens and ones, comparing and ordering numbers, length, time, using data, geometry, and fractions.

7. Science/Social Studies Our science program is inquiry based with many hands-on experiments. Units include: plants and animals, force and motion, ecosystems, weather, energy, properties of objects, investigations and results, technology, and human impact on the Earth Each student has a ‘my World’ social studies work-text. This directly connects with many interactive videos and activities. Chapter names are: My School, My Community, Work in the Community, Looking at Our World, Traditions We Share, and Our Past, Our Present

8. Midterms And Report Cards Midterms and report cards will be sent out each quarter to every student.

9. Lunch and Specials Lunch is from 11:37-12:15 daily. If you plan to join your child and purchase a lunch from school, please send a note prior to 9:00 indicating the number and type of lunches you would like to order. Our specials are on a four-day rotation: A and C Days- PE and Music B Day- Library, please return all books on this day D Day- Art

10. Afternoon Dismissal • Dismissal time is 3:30. If you need to pick your child up early, please go directly to the office to do so. • No child can be released to a person that has not been authorized by a parent. Please notify the office of any persons allowed/not allowed to pick up your child. • Please send written notification, call the office, or e-mail me or Robin Jones (JonesR@parkhill.k12.mo.us) by 2:30 if your child’s daily transportation method changes.

11. Supporting Your Child at HOme • Please ask your child to see his or her notebook each night for work completed, and information regarding daily behavior. • Please initial the calendar and return the notebook every day • Paperwork and district- or school-wide documents will be in the Friday folder. • Reading to or with your child for at least 10 minutes a day is crucial to his or her success.

12. Classroom Management We focus on the following life-skills in our SOAR program: Show respect, Own your actions, Accept responsibilities, and be Ready to learn. We will discuss each of these skills in class and students know what is expected of them. In order to keep you informed, we will have a color system: Sun- I made great choices all day. White Cloud- Just a warning- I needed a few reminders. Grey Cloud- I had some trouble following directions when asked specifically. Storm Cloud- I needed too many specific reminders and I disturbed others.

13. This and That • We are happy to celebrate birthdays at 1:15. Feel free to send a store-bought treat (cookies work best). We have severe peanut and egg allergies in our room so I will be in touch with additional details. • You are welcome to celebrate your half birthday if you have a summer one.

14. This and That Cont. • Prairie Point welcomes parents in classrooms. However, we appreciate at least 24 hours notice before your visit. If you simply need to deliver something to your child, please take it directly to the office. Parents will not be allowed to go to the classroom for safety/security reasons and to avoid classroom disruptions. • Allmedications (including over-the-counter), require an authorization form to be completed by the parent. These should be turned into our health room attendant, Andrea Best. Please do not leave any type of medication (including cough drops) in your child’s backpack. In addition, if your child is sent home with a fever, he or she must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.

15. Thank You... for taking the time to read about your child’s school day! I look forward to working with you and your child. It is going to be a wonderful year filled with exciting learning activities! Contact Info: muddm@parkhill.k12.mo.us or 816 359-5709