1. Back to School Night September 9, 2015 of First Grade The s

2. All about Miss Cook Born and raised in Cypress,TX Graduated from Sam Houston State University with a degree in Academic Studies/Early Childhood Certified to teach PreK-8th grade Taught for 9 years: This is my 10 th in first grade. I have 1 nephews (Zachary) Being an aunt is one of my favorite things! I enjoy reading, shopping, teaching, gardening and eating!

3. All about Mrs. Shiyou Born and raised in Tupelo, MS (home of Elvis Presley) Graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in Elementary Education Certified to teach K-6 th grade First year to teach in Texas! I taught one year in Louisiana. I have been married for a little over a year. My husband is my best friend ! I have one PRECIOUS little boy named Parks! He is 11 weeks old. I LOVE shopping, teaching, baking, and decorating!

4. Behavior I believe that it is all about setting high expectations for everyone, showing respect to one another, caring for everyone, and helping each other whenever possible. It is a community working together to establish mutual respect, build self-esteem, and celebrating success. We will focus on the positive behaviors rather than negative. The Take Home Folder is our daily communication and report of behavior. Your child will receive a conduct grade every 3 weeks and the final conduct grade is on the report card.

5. Conduct Grading Scale E = Exceeds Expectations (0-5 marks) S = Satisfactory (6-10 marks) N = Needs Improvement (11-15 marks) U = Unsatisfactory (16+ marks)

6. Curriculum Reading Word Work Writing Math Science Social Studies

7. Reading is taught through Read Alouds (comprehension skills), Shared Reading (whole class reads a familiar text to build fluency) and Guided Reading (individualized instructions) Focus on story elements, sequencing, types of sentences, nouns & verbs, fiction and non fiction, vocabulary development, main idea… and so much more! Students need to read independently at a level J by the end of First Grade. Teachers take records of students reading and determine when to move students to a new level. This is an ongoing process.

8. Word Work This is when we teach students about how words work. Some examples of things we learn are long and short vowels, contractions, blends, and patterns in words. At home, you can practice spelling words, talk about the pattern in words, and make lists of other words that do and do not fit the pattern.

9. Writing Writing is taught during Writing Workshop High frequency words are expected to be spelled correctly. Students are encouraged to stretch the words and write the sounds they hear. At home: –Encourage students to write stories about things they are excited about (birthday parties, loosing a tooth, vacation, etc.). –Work on penmanship, and stretching words then moving on. Every word does not need to be spelled correctly. Writing should be fun!

10. Addition and Subtraction Facts Geometry Counting Money Telling Time Graphing Problem solving Fractional Parts (half and fourth) Place Value

11. Science Safety Observing and recording properties Five Senses Four Seasons Living vs Nonliving Animal Characteristics Force and Motion Life Cycles Plants

12. Rules and laws Citizenship Needs vs Wants Customs Map skills Communities Timelines Calendars Holidays

13. Emergencies Please make sure that we have the correct emergency phone numbers on file and keep them updated.

14. Grades You can access your child’s grades online through the school website. Information will be sent home from the office explaining how to go about viewing student grades. Please take the time to look over any graded papers sent home each week and review any skills or areas of weakness with your child.

15. Homework The most important thing you can do for your child at home is READ! We recommend 20 minutes every single night. Use the reading log! Math: Math homework will vary. Homework is not graded. It is for your information and practice.

16. If you have important papers or notes that need to come to school, please send them in your child’s Take Home Folder. I will be checking these each morning. Important Information

17. Keeping Informed Visit our classroom website frequently. The Posts will let you know what we are learning about each week, and our calendar will keep you up-to-date, reminding you about upcoming due dates and events. Watch for emails

18. Lunch Our lunchtime is from 11:20-11:50 AM. If you would like to come and have lunch with your child, please check-in with the front office (you will be required to show picture ID). There is a designated table in the cafeteria where you and your child may sit and eat. It is a school policy that parents allow only their child to sit with them, and not friends of their child from their class/other classes. Parents may not accompany students to the recess field for safety reasons.

19. Other Items Red Wednesday Folders- these folders will contain any notes from the office as well as the students’ weekly progress reports Birthdays- only store bought cupcakes at lunchtime are allowed Class Parties- Christmas and Valentines Day. Snack – Snacks are eaten in class and must be nutritional finger foods. Snacks are not provided by the teacher or school.

20. Parent-Teacher Conferences Parent/Teacher conferences will be held as soon as testing is completed. During this conference, we will be discussing your child's strengths and weaknesses, assessment results, behavior and any additional concerns you may have. I will be contacting you soon to set up a conference.

21. Questions Please feel free to contact me anytime you have questions. You can do this in a variety of ways: Write a note Send an email- melissawalker@tomballisd.net Call me at school: 281-357-3134 x3049 Make an appointment for a conference: 1:40-2:40

22. Reading

23. Transportation Your child will return from school in the same manner he/she arrived unless we have a signed note changing the method of transportation. The note stating the transportation change must be given to the front office the day of the transportation change. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

24. United We will work together to help your child succeed!!

25. Volunteers This year the district is requiring every volunteer to apply before entering the classroom. The application can be found at this link: https://tomball.cloud.talentedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=717 I will be contacting parents who signed up to volunteer in the next few weeks. Thank you for your help!

26. Website If you haven’t already become a visited our classroom website, please make sure you do so soon. This will be my primary means of communicating with you throughout the year.

27. You are your child’s first and most important teacher. I hope that we can work together this year to make your child’s 1st grade school year a huge success! You

28. Zzzzz… Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep each night, so that he/she is well rested and ready for the challenges of first grade. This year will ZOOM by, so let’s make the most of it.

29. Thank you for Coming!