Welcome to Parent Meeting!

1. Welcome to Parent Meeting!

2. WAM Business • School phone number: 828-256-2196 • Doors open at 7:30 am • 7:50 am school day starts • Latecomers must go to the office to get a pass • Visitors must check in at office for a photo sticker/pass • Dress Code – no spaghetti straps; gym shoes every day

3. Conferences Will be scheduled after assessments are completed in October. If you would like a conference before then, let your teacher know!

4. Day-to-Day in Classroom • Gym every day. Wear sneakers. • Art twice a week. Music, library and computer lab each once a week • Field trips – Apple Orchard October 22; Spring trip to be announced

5. More Day-to-Day in Classroom • Find notes, behavior and more in your child’s agenda each night. Return it to school each morning. • Home folder should also be returned each day. • Rooms can be hot/cold. Leave a sweater at school if you wish

6. Lunch and Birthdays • Lunch from x:xx to x:xx • You are WELCOME at any time. Join your child at the class table, or if a table is available, your child may invite ONE friend to sit with you. • If you would like to bring ONE snack item to celebrate a birthday in the lunchroom, the students are very appreciative and excited. Sorry, no homemade treats.

7. Classroom Parties • Snack type food and craft or game • Christmas • Easter (egg hunt) • End-of-Year

8. First 6 Weeks of School • The establishment of expectations and routines are the major focus of the first six weeks of each school year. • As teachers, our first job is to build, with the children, the foundation for a productive and cooperative year of learning and an atmosphere of support and collaboration.

9. Daily Work Daily work is not always immediately visible. We generate charts, fill in information in various ongoing formats (calendars, experiments, book journals, writing folders, etc.)

10. First Grade Homework • 20 minutes of reading • Sight word practice • Word sorts (starting next month)

11. NIGHTLY READING – LET’S DO THE MATH!Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.Student A reads 20 min. x 5 times a week = 100 mins./weekStudent B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutesStep 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.Student A reads 400 minutes a month.Student B reads 80 minutes a month.Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school yearStudent A reads 3600 min. in a school year.Student B reads 720 min. in a school year.Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year.Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days of reading practice in a full year!

12. Time for your pop quiz! Which student would you expect to read better? A or B Which student would you expect to know more? A or B Which student would you expect to write better? A or B Which student would you expect to have a better vocabulary? A or B Which student would you expect to be more successful in school ...and inlife? A or B

13. “The Perfect Blend” • Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop • Daily Five Literacy Block • Words Their Way Spelling and Vocabulary

14. Daily 5 Literacy Block • Read to Self • Read to Someone • Work on Writing • Work with Words

16. Daily C.A.F.E. • Menu of Choices to support us as readers • Our job as readers is to make meaning of what we read • Your child will be working on goals that will improve their reading throughout the year.

17. Comprehension“I understand what I read!” • 1. Check for understanding: What is this page mostly about? What is happening in the story so far? • 2. Back up and reread. Stop and think about what is happening in the story. • 3. Retell the story in order. • 4. Make connections when you read. This reminds me of… This part is just like that other book… • 5. Make a picture in your head while you read. • 6. Ask questions when you read. Who/where/why/how • 7. Predict what will happen next. • 8. Infer and support with evidence How do you think the character feels? Why? • 9. Use text features. (titles, headings, captions, pictures) • 10. Recognize literary elements. (genre, plot, character, setting)

18. Accuracy“I can read the words” • 1.Cross checking. -Does it look right? -Make sense? -Sound right? -Match the picture? • 2. Use beginning sounds and think of a word that makes sense. • 3. Read the middle and ending sounds. • 4. Blend, stretch and reread sounds. • 5. Flip the sound. • 6. Chunk the letters and sounds together. • 7. Skip the word and then reread. • 8. Trade a word. Guess a word.

19. Fluency“I can read with expression. I understand what I read.” • Expressive voice • Smooth reading • Process meaning as you read • Practice sight words • Read like you enjoy the book • Use a rate to match the text, not too fast or not to slow • Phrasing

20. Expand Vocabulary“I know, find, and use interesting words.” • Tune in to interesting words & use them in my writing • Reread to clarify meaning of word • Use pictures, illustrations, and diagrams • Use prior knowledge & context to predict and confirm meaning • Understand content vocabulary • Ask someone to define a word for you • Use dictionary, thesaurus, glossary

21. Writing Things we focus on to become awesome writers: *Spacing *Correct use of capitals and punctuation *Spelling patterns (beginning/middle/ending sounds, high frequency words) *Drawing detailed sketches to help tell story *Focus on one topic *Thoroughly developing ideas *Bringing story to a close *Expression -We write everyday, sometimes several times in a day.

22. First Grade Writing Rubric Content – Does the story make sense? Is it interesting to read? Level Four Maintains focus on main idea throughout the entireproduct Writes in a logical sequence throughout the entire product Uses varied sentence patterns and length throughout the entire product Includes descriptive detail and/or elaboration throughout the entire product Exhibits advanced word choice for sentence sense throughout the entire product Level Three Maintains focus on main idea throughout most of the product Writes in a logical sequence throughoutmostof the product Uses varied sentence patterns and length throughoutmostof the product Includes descriptive detail and/or elaboration throughoutmostof the product Exhibits advanced word choice for sentence sense throughoutmostof the product Level Two Maintains focus on main idea throughout some of the product Writes in a logical sequence throughoutsomeof the product Uses varied sentence patterns and length throughoutsomeof the product Includes descriptive detail and/or elaboration throughoutsomeof the product Exhibits advanced word choice for sentence sense throughoutsomeof the product Level One Does not maintain focus on main idea throughout any of the product Does not write in a logical sequence throughoutanyof the product Does not use varied sentence patterns and length throughoutanyof the product Does not include descriptive detail and/or elaboration throughoutanyof the product Does not exhibit advanced word choice for sentence sense throughoutanyof the product

23. Conventions - Spelling, punctuation, spacing Above grade level (2pts) Spells previously studied words(sight words) correctly/uses patterns most of the time Uses more conventional than temporary (invented) spelling most of the time Uses capital letters where appropriate most of the time Uses correct punctuation most of the time Uses correct spacing most of the time At grade level (1 pt) Spells previously studied words(sight words) correctly/uses patterns some of the time Uses conventional and temporary (invented) spelling some of the time Uses capital letters where appropriate some of the time Uses correct punctuation some of the time Uses correct spacing some of the time Below grade level (0 pts) Does not spell previously studied words(sight words) correctly/use patterns Does not use conventional or temporary (invented) spelling Does not use capital letters where appropriate Does not use correct punctuation Does not use correct spacing

24. Words Their Way • School-wide spelling, vocabulary, phonics instruction program. • Students will be placed in an appropriate level of instruction after assessment. • Word sorts will be sent home for practice. • Sorts might include pictures, words, spelling patterns, beginning sounds, ending sounds. • We do not have traditional spelling tests. • Our activities help students learn how to spell words forever.

25. Math Concepts • Count and Write to 100 • Graphing • Patterns in numbers • Odd and Even • Skip Counting • Addition and Subtraction • to 18 • Measurement • Probability – certain/uncertain/impossible • Time to the half-hour • Fair shares • Geometric Shapes • Problem solving and strategies

26. Science Concepts • Plants and animals • Rocks and Soil • Solids and Liquids • Balance and Motion Integrated into daily reading and writing activities.

27. Questions?