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First GradeCurriculum Night
2014-2015
1st Grade TeachersMegan Schaum
214-496-8542
Emily Huber
214-496-8536
Mary Rodriguez
214-496-8537
Ashlee Yarrington214-496-8538
Whitney Gibbs214-496-8540
VRE Mission Statement
As a Project Based Learning (PBL) school, the
staff at Valley Ranch believes in engaging learners in
authentic and relevant learning experiences. This
is done by teaching through the lens of PBL.
Through this process Valley Ranch learners become
critical thinkers, consumers of information,
informed researchers and effective
communicators. Many learning projects are
accomplished as a group which fosters
collaborators and informed decision makers.
1st Grade PBL (Project Based Learning)
Project-based learning promotes authentic andrelevant learning experiences through standardsbased instruction. learners learn how to becomecritical thinkers, informed researchers, effectivecommunicators, group collaborators, and informeddecision makers while creating an authenticproduct.
Expectations
We expect the learners to…• Follow the school rules
• Follow the class rules
• Bring their “take-home” folder to school daily and have parents initial behavior calendar/chart
We expect the parents to…
• Notify us FIRST of any concerns you have• Check VRE folder nightly and initial behavior calendar• Notify us of any changes in your child’s transportation• Have their learners to school ON TIME (7:50) each day• Support their child’s independence by NOT walking them to the
classroom in the morning• Support their child’s independence by coming to eat only 1 time
per week.• Review any homework given• Support VRE and the First Grade Discipline Plan• BE INVOLVED IN THEIR CHILD’S LEARNING
First Grade Discipline Plan
School Rules
Respect Yourself
Respect Others
Respect School Property
VRE and 1st gradeProcedures
Gym Opens 7:30 amFirst Bell 7:40 amTardy Bell 7:50 amDismissal Bell 3:05 pm
The first bell rings at 7:40 am. Learners should be in the gym at that time. Your child will then walk to his/her classroom with the rest of their class. If your child’s class is not in the gym, then he/she MUST walk to their classroom ON THEIR OWN.
If your child is tardy, a parent should accompany their child to the office to sign them in.
School Times
AbsencesIf your child is absent, please…
1. Try to email your child’s teacher directly BEFORE 8:00am.2. Have your child bring a handwritten note the NEXT school
day informing the teacher of the absence.
If you know in advance that your child will be absent for a period of time please…1. Inform your child’s teacher and the administration in writing
before the scheduled absence.2. Please state the specific dates and reasons for absence.
If your child misses more than 10 consecutive days, your child will be withdrawn from VRE.
Drop-Off and Pick-UpAM Drop-Off• Stay in the line of cars at all times.• Please wait your turn.• We ask that you DO NOT park and walk your child up to the school.• Everyone who walks MUST USE THE CROSSWALKS at all times.• Please avoid shortcuts between cars.
PM Pick-Up• Please wait in the car line that is in FRONT of the school. • AGAIN, we ask that you DO NOT park to pick your child up.• The teachers on duty will load the first few cars. Please be patient.• Please make sure your child is buckled in safely before pulling away.• It is a state law to not talk on your cell phone in a school zone.• If you need to speak with your child’s teacher, we ask that you schedule a
conference.
PM Pick-Up (walkers)• Parents should wait by the flag pole for first grade to come out.• DO NOT come inside the building.• DO NOT pick your child up at the front door. Pick your child up in their class
line.
Lunchroom Procedures
• The first 15 minutes of lunch learners are allowed to talk quietly while eating their food. They then must be silent for the last 15 minutes to finish eating their lunch.
• Learners that bring lunches from home will purchase their drink or snack at the same time the class goes through the line.
• Clean up time is silent to avoid spills and accidents.
• Parents may eat with their child at the designated guest table. We ask that you limit your lunch visits to ONE TIME PER WEEK and follow the above guidelines. We are trying to establish good eating habits and independence.
Birthdays
• Learner birthdays will be recognized once a month. The
classroom teacher will plan and provide an activity or a
special snack to celebrate the birthdays for the month.
• This celebration will be for learners only.
• No goodie bags, or outside food/drink will be allowed for
this celebration.
• If you would like to host a party for your child, it must be
done outside the school day. Invitations to birthday parties
must include ALL LEARNERS in the class, or parents will be
responsible for delivery.
Curriculum and Instruction
All first grade TEKS can be found at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/
Reading/Language Arts• First grade will be using The Daily 5/CAFE method to foster their
reading and writing potential. The five choices are word work, writing, read to self, read to someone, and listening to reading. The CAFÉ strategies are comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and vocabulary. While learners are working on their Daily 5 choices, the teacher is meeting with small groups of learners.
• In first grade, the reading focus is on the ability to read independently with accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.
• Your child will be engaged in phonemic awareness (letter/sound correspondences), vocabulary, decoding and phonics.
• An independent reader will be able to read instructional level materials in which no more than 10 words cause difficulty at 60 words per minute.
Grammar/Writing• Your child will write complete sentences using correct
punctuation, grammar, and mechanics.
• By the end of the year, your child should be able to write for a variety of purposes, and write 3-5 complete sentences on topic.
• Your child will be engaged in daily writing activities which support the writing TEKS.
• A variety of formal and informal assessment will determine your child’s mastery of the standards.
Handwriting
• We will be using Handwriting Without Tears curriculum. Please go to http://www.hwtears.com for more information.
• Your child will be engaged in daily handwriting practice
• Children learn to print using hands-on materials and developmentally appropriate activities. Fine motor work gained from the writing readiness program prepares learners for pencil and paper success.
• Handwriting will be informally assessed during all writing activities.
Math• First grade uses Texas Go Math as our curriculum
• Texas Go Math focus is on hands-on activities and real world problems that will support the math TEKS.
• 5 Mathematical TEKS Strands– Operations and algebraic thinking
– Number and operations in base ten
– Measurement and Data
– Geometry
– Personal finance
Science• First grade uses Discovery Education Science as our curriculum.
• Discovery us the 5E Instructional Model – engage, explore, explain, elaborate/extend, and evaluate.
• The first grade science focus is the ability to construct scientific understanding (questioning, gathering data, making sense of the data, and communication concepts).
• Your child will be engaged in conversations and activities that support the science TEKS
• We will be using inquiry-based FOSS Kits curriculum and our natural environment to study the standards.
• First grade uses interactive science journals to record scientific thinking.
Social Studies• The first grade social studies focus is on the understanding of
ideas such as history, geography, government, economics, map skills, holidays, citizenship, and leaders.
• We will be integrating Mind Missions into our social studies curriculum. This will engage learners in lessons about communities, fables, national symbols, holidays, and famous Americans. Please go to http://www.mindmissions.com/ for more information.
• Your child will be engaged in activities which support the social studies TEKS.
Technology
Technology TEKS will be covered through
visits to the Computer Lab and classroom devices. Our focus is for our learners to
become 21st century learners.
Homework
Read with your child daily using their “Good Fit” library books from their book bag.
*** Look for activities that may come home with their good fit books.
Review any papers that aresent home
Family projects
Book Bags• Your child will come home with a “book bag” on
Mondays. Please read the books with them daily and practice the strategies that have been provided. Please return books and bags every MONDAY.
• After reading the story out loud to you, your child should be able to close the book and retell the main events in the story from beginning to end.
Thinking MapsThinking maps will be used across the
curriculum, at every grade level, on each campus throughout CISD K-12. Thinking
maps are eight visual-verbal learning tools, each based on a fundamental
thinking process and used together as a
set of tools for showing relationships.
circle map
Double Bubble Map
Tree map
Bubble Map
Standards-Based Report Cards
• More information can be found on the CISD website• To find this information, please visit www.coppellisd.com
and click on the Curriculum and Instruction tab.• Look for the Standards-Based Report Cards found on the
left side of the page.
Thank you forcoming!!!
This is going to be a fantastic year!
Art: MacKenzie Brothers [email protected]: Kati Castellanos [email protected]: Kim Schrader [email protected]: Kelly Hainlin [email protected]: Lauren Holt [email protected].: Maribel Urey [email protected]: Vicki Jones [email protected]: D’Ann Green [email protected]: Connie Youree [email protected]: Valerie Ehnebuske [email protected]
Specialists
