1. Mrs. Jennings First Grade
Back To School Night

2. Meet Mrs. Jennings I love teaching First Grade.
This is my sixth year teaching.
I love to travel and visit new places.
My family loves to play and watch soccer. We have season tickets to Real Salt Lake.

3. Class Schedule 12:35 – 1:20: Prep Class 8:50 – 9:10: Morning Exercise
1:25 – 1:45: Calendar
1:45 – 2:00: Snack and Read Aloud
2:00 - 2:15: Recess
2:15 – 2:45: Math Lesson
2:45 – 3:00: Math Practice
3:00 – 3:10: Daily Review
3:10 – 3:20: ST Math
2:45 – 3:15: Guided Reading
3:15 – 3:20: Cleaning Up
3:20 – 3:25 Go Home
8:50 – 9:10: Morning Exercise
9:10 – 9:30: Morning Work
9:30 – 10:45: Fluency
10:45 – 11:00: Word Work and Grammar
10:00 – 10:15: Phonics
10:15 – 10:30: Recess
10:30 – 11:00: Reading Comprehension
11:00 – 11:15: Sight Words
11:15 – 11:55: Lunch
12:00 – 12:30: Writing and Editing

4. Fantastic Fieldtrips!
We will be going on some fantastic, fun fieldtrips this year!
Ogden Nature Center – Fall
Museum of Natural Curiosity – Spring
Watch for more information to come.

5. Lots Of Learning
We are learning so much in First Grade! Your student will be learning how to read fluently, writing paragraphs with complete sentences and many new math concepts! There is a lot to learn, and not much time to do it in. It takes a lot of practice, and one-on-one time to master all of these skills!
YOUR CHILD NEEDS YOUR HELP! Please help your child practice the things we are learning in class at home.

6. Reading Please for 20 minutes every night.
Reading should be a combination of homework, take home books and free choice reading books.
Record monthly reading minutes on Reading Calendar. Please keep in the back pocket of their homework folder.
ALL reading homework counts towards monthly reading minutes.

7. Weekly Homework
Weekly homework packets will be sent home on Monday, and need to be returned the following Monday.
Weekly homework will come home, and be returned to school in the green homework folders.
Homework will consist of reading, writing, math and optional online homework.
Please HELP your child with their homework, but please don’t GIVE THEM THE ANSWERS.

8. McGraw Hill Student Portal
This is a great online resource.
Link is on my website.
Login information can be found inside your student’s homework folder.

9. Birthdays
All About Me posters will come home a few days before your child’s birthday. They will share their poster on their birthday.
Birthdays are important days for our students and we would like to recognize them in a different manner this year. Because we want to promote healthy lifestyles and we have several students attending Odyssey who have severe food allergies, we are asking you to donate a book to the school library or student’s classroom in lieu of food, snacks or other small gifts. We appreciate your support with our vision of “Learning First” and are looking forward to students celebrating their birthday by sharing a favorite book with their class and/or school.

10. Attendance
First Grade is FULL of hands on experiences. These experiences can not be recreated, or sent home, in case of absences.
THIS IS WHY ATTENDANCE IS SO IMPORTANT!
We understand that sickness, and emergencies happen. Please do not send your student to school sick. However, please make every effort to have them at school ON TIME, EVERY DAY!
If your student is absent for any reason please or call to excuse their absence.

11. Weekly Assessments FRIDAY ATTENDANCE IS VITAL!
We assess students every Friday in multiple areas that we have been working on during the week.
Language Arts Assessment
Spelling Test
The words that are sent home on Monday will be tested on Friday (4 days later).
Math Test
We include practice for these assessments in the weekly homework packet.
Weekly Assessments are almost impossible to make up. Please make sure that your student is in class ALL DAY on Friday.

12. Volunteers WE NEED YOUR HELP IN THE CLASSROOM.
In order for your child to have the best experience in First Grade, we need all of the help we can get.
Please sign up for a time to help in our class if you are able.
When signing up for a time, please be committed to coming at that time every week.

13. Standardized Testing
Dibels Benchmark testing will take place at the beginning, middle and end of the year. Please watch for dates in our class newsletter.
Standardized Testing will take place in the spring.
We will announce the dates AS SOON as we know.
IT IS IMPERITIVE THAT YOUR STUDENT IS IN SCHOOL AND ON TIME FOR ALL TESTING DAYS.
As a parent you may choose to opt your student out of testing. Please let me know if you will be making this choice.

14. First Grade Behavior Expectations
Be Safe Be Respectful Be Responsible
Listen when others are talking
Follow directions the first time they are given.
Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
Work quietly and don’t disturb others.
Show respect to students, teachers, and school property.
Work and play safely.

15. Movement In our classroom we use participate in a lot of movement.
We do 15 minutes of exercise in the morning and 10 in the afternoon.
This helps get blood flowing and extends their attention span.
We exercise in a variety of ways including Go Noodle, dancing, games, and many more.

16. Behavior Management Positive Individual Brag Tags Behavior Clip Chart
Students have the opportunity to move up and down the chart. If they are in the following zones, the following punishments will be given.
Think About It! -- Warning
Teacher’s Choice -- five minutes of walking or picking up trash at recess.
Parent Contact – student will go into another classroom for Think Time. They will fill out a note that will be sent home.
Multiple verbal warnings are given before students will be asked to move down the chart.

17. Behavior Notes

18. School Wide Behavior Management
Odyssey Elementary has a school wide behavior plan called Think Time.
Students may be asked to go to a buddy classroom to fill out a sheet.
This gives them a chance to be removed from the situation and think about their behavior.
They will then come back to class to talk with me about the situation.

19. Communication
Weekly newsletters will be sent home with their homework packet.
(This is the best in most cases. Please try this first.)I am usually able to respond within 24 hours on weekdays. Please again if you have not heard back within 48 hours.
Phone ( )
I am at the school from 8:15 - 3:45 if you need to contact me.
You may be asked to leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

20. Thank You!
Thank you for all of the hard work that you have already put into your child’s education.
I look forward to joining your team and working with you and your student this year!
By working together, we will achieve our higher standards.
I am super excited for a fantastic school year in First Grade!