Mrs. Catlett: Experienced Teacher, Engaged Learning, Fun Classroom

1. About Mrs. Catlett • I was born and raised in Kansas City. • I went to MU. Go Tigers! • This is my 17th year of teaching and have spent 14 of those years in Park Hill. • My husband and I have two boys- Lawson is 7 and Grayson is 5. Busy, busy!

2. Morning Arrival • Students may enter the classroom at 8:35 and the tardy bell rings at 8:40. Students may go to the cafeteria and eat breakfast prior to 8:40. If your child has to be absent, please notify the office by 9:00. • We will begin our morning promptly at 8:40 with lunch choice, pair and share, calendar, and shared reading.

3. The workshop Model Both reading and writing follow the workshop model. This means your child will engage in 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.

4. Spelling First graders are expected to have a bank of known words they can spell “in a snap.” 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, 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.’

5. Math EnVision is our math series. Each day students do review problems, hands-on learning with manipulatives, guided practice, independent practice, and problem solving. There are also many games for the students to enjoy. Math units include addition, subtraction, facts to 20, tens and ones, comparing and ordering numbers, length, time, using data, geometry, and fractions.

6. Science/Social Studies Our science program is inquiry based with many hands-on experiments. Science 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. The chapter names are My School, My Community, Work in the Community, Looking at Our World, Traditions We Share, and Our Past, Our Present.

7. 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- Art D Day- Library, please return all books on this day

8. 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 AND Robin Jones (jonesr@parkhill.k12.mo.us) by 2:30 if your child’s daily transportation method changes.

9. Classroom Management We will be using the Class Dojo application to keep you informed of how it is going in the classroom on a daily basis. Dojo points are awarded/taken away throughout the day for positive/negative behaviors. In addition, SOAR slips given by other staff members will be converted to Dojo points. Your family was invited to participate so that you can review your child’s daily report on your personal device or computer. Dojo points can be collected over time and redeemed for rewards such as wearing a hat, bringing a stuffed animal to school, having lunch with the principal, and much more! www.classdojo.com

10. Midterms And Report Cards You will receive a handout that details our first grade report card and the standards that will be taught throughout the school year. Please keep this document handy! Midterms and report cards will be sent out each quarter to every student. Our goal is to have all students meeting each standard by the END of the school year and have the marking of a 3.0. At the beginning of the school year, 1.0 and 2.0 markings are often appropriate as your child is working towards that standard in a complex way.

11. Supporting Your Child at HOme • Please ask your child about his or her day each night. Talking builds oral language and oral language is a prerequisite for successful readers and writers. • Nearly every night your child will bring home a math sheet. Typically, the final journal problem is left undone. This is a great way to review and extend the work from that day. Students that return this work the very next day get a treat on their paper. • Reading to or with your child for at least 20 minutes a day is crucial to his or her success. Please use your child’s reading log to record your reading each night. We will begin these in September.

12. Book Orders I will be sending home a book order about once a month. Scholastic is an inexpensive way to build your at-home library! Please be sure to fill out the order form in its entirety and make checks payable to Scholastic (no cashplease). You may also shop online; directions will be provided with your first book order. It takes about a week to receive the books once the order has been placed.

13. This and That • 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.

14. This and That Cont. • Paperwork and district- or school-wide documents will be sent home in a green folder each Friday. Please not that some papers on the ‘Return to School’ side are optional. • Birthdays are celebrated during our lunch period. Feel free to send a store-bought treat. We have 23 students and a peanut allergy in our class. We will choose a day in May to celebrate those with summer birthdays. We are only able to deliver invitations if the whole class is invited.

15. Thank You... for taking the time to hear 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: catlettl@parkhill.k12.mo.us or 816-359-6267