1. Welcome to Back-to-School Night and to Mrs. Galan’s 1st Grade September 8, 2015

2. Tonight’s Agenda: 1. Introductions 2. Explore Cowan Website 3. Announcements 4. Questions It is our mission at Cowan Elementary to nurture and inspire children to achieve their personal best everyday.

3. Back To School Night!!! Mrs. Galan’s 1st Grade The one thing I hope you learn about me this year is that I LOVE teaching children! As part of building a community of life long learners, I set high behavior and academic expectations. I know and want all of these children to become amazing readers, writers, scientists and mathematicians! Along with the school rules of respecting self, others, property and learning, here are my class rules: 1.Be kind to others. 2.Be safe. 3.Always do your BEST! 4.Follow directions ASAP. 5.Have fun learning!!

4. Ways To Help Your Child At Home : Read to your child daily. Enjoy a chapter book from time to time. After reading, talk about the story and the illustrations. Tell each other the parts you liked and didn’t like, or what the story reminded you of in your own lives. Set aside 15 - 30 minutes daily for your child to read for pleasure. Make reading time as pleasurable and comfortable as possible so that your child develops warm feelings for books and reading. Schedule family quiet times for reading. Talk and more talk: have conversations with your children. Read and write in front of your child. Model the enjoyment of reading and writing. Give books and magazines as gifts. Visit the library regularly to check out books and attend story times. Encourage your child to write. For example help with the grocery list, make their birthday wish list, write in a diary, or write letters to family. Email is a great tool for writing.

5. Spelling First grade follows the Scientific Spelling program. Scientific Spelling is a curriculum that teaches students to spell words they do not know by using the reliable patterns and rules of the English language. Each week we will focus on a new spelling pattern (sound). Together we will discover how that sound is being spelled and when that is the best spelling choice. We will focus on a list of 8 words that follow that week’s spelling pattern and have a spelling test on those words on Friday. (The list will include any word wall words that follow that week’s spelling pattern.)

6. The report card highlights… ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: Reading English/Language Arts Mathematics Science Social Studies Health *4-Advanced-Student needs enrichment and consistently works above grade level. *3-Skilled-Student frequently demonstrates understanding of grade level skills. *2-Basic Understanding-Student is able to work on grade level with additional teacher support such as reteaching, repeated practice, etc. *1-Needs Improvement-Student needs modification to be successful with grade level materials.

7. What to look for, do, and remember each day in Mrs. Galan’s 1st grade! EVERY DAY - Your child’s planner and folder should travel back and forth. PLEASE remove papers from the KEEP AT HOME side. PLEASE complete/return papers and homework from the BRING BACK side. PLEASE sign/initial the planner in the parent box each night. Homework: students will have two assignments each week. The assignments will be sent home every Monday in a packet and will be due every Friday. One will be a spelling practice and the other will alternate between writing and math. Every evening – READ for at least 10 minutes and record on the reading log. We will be working up to 20 minutes of at home reading

8. Finally… 1. Please join PTA. 2. I hope you can join us for the Carnival on Saturday, October 17 th. 3. Turn in Field Trip Money as soon as possible. 4.Stay in communication with us!