1. Welcome to Montgomery Knolls Elementary School 2013-2014

2. First Grade Teachers

3. MKES School Wide Expectations Respect Yourself and Others Take care of and show pride in your school Give your best effort every day We welcome you to the MKES Family and we anticipate a great new year. Our staff at MKES is dedicated to lifelong learning and we hold high expectations for all stakeholders.

4. Example of a 1 st Grade Schedule Breakfast8:30-8:50 Morning Meeting8:50-9:15 Math or Guided Reading9:15-10:15 Math or Guided Reading10:15-11:15 Specials11:15-12:00 Recess & Lunch12:00-1:00 Whole Group Reading* Writing* Phonics/Words Their Way* DEAR Time* 1:00-3:00 *times vary from class to class Schedules will be flexible and may vary from day to day.

5. Specialists and Support Staff Reading Support Teachers: Mrs. Pequet Math: Ms. Elrod ESOL Teachers: Ms. DaCosta

6. Curriculum 2.0 Core Standards Reading Apply grade-level appropriate print concepts, phonological awareness skills, phonics/word analysis skills, and word recognition to read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. Read and comprehend prose and poetry of appropriately complex for grade 1 strategically and independently. Read and comprehend informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1 strategically and independently. Write opinions, informative/explanatory text, and narratives with guidance and support using writing processes and traits. Listen and speak effectively to understand and communicate thoughts, ideas, and grade-level appropriate topics and texts. Acquire appropriate vocabulary and demonstrate command of grade-level conventions to use language effectively. Math Select and apply strategies for addition and subtraction, including basic facts, to solve problems. Integrate concepts of grouping, ordering, and comparing in tens and ones to develop understanding of whole number relationships. Demonstrate strategies and explain thinking about the linear measurement process and telling time. Identify and describe attributes of two- and three-dimensional shapes, and compose and decompose shapes to build understanding of part-whole relationships.

7. Curriculum 2.0 Core Standards Science Compare and describe observable features of plants and animals and identify the relationship between observable features and basic needs for growth and survival. Describe and compare properties of natural and human-made materials and identify how human activities affect the environment. Compare and describe how objects move and identify causes for the movement. Identify and describe the effect magnets have on objects. Identify sources and uses of electricity in daily life. Social Studies Integrate ideas and information about relationships among rules, rights, and responsibilities to make effective decisions. Identify and describe people, symbols, and practices important to democratic principles associated with the United States of America. Compare similarities and differences in ways that people of different cultural backgrounds fulfill needs and wants and contribute to society. Identify and describe how goods and services are made, distributed, and acquired. Integrate ideas and information about geographic characteristics to identify how people modify and adapt to the environment. Sort and classify events, people, and objects as belonging to the past or present.

8. Inquiry/Research Projects Three quarters of the school year, the first grade students will work on an inquiry/research project. For these projects, the media specialist will collaborate with the 1 st grade teachers to guide students through a deep and meaningful research experience. Steps to the Inquiry Process 1.“I Wonder”/Ask Questions 2.Find & Evaluate Information 3.Create & Share 4.Reflect

9. Grading Scale All graded assignments are graded on the ES, P, I and N scale. ES-Exceptional P- Proficient I-In Progress N-Not Yet Report grades reflect the above scale.

10. Behavior Policy Red: students will be moved to red if they continue to make poor choices. They will also go to the thinking spot to complete a reflection sheet. The sheet will be sent home for parent review and signature. Yellow: students will be moved to yellow if they have had more than three reminders about their behavior. This is a warning for students to “slow down” and make better choices. Green: students are on green if they are doing exactly what is expected of them. Rainbow: students can be moved to rainbow if they go above and beyond to show good values, effort, help a peer, etc.

11. Homework Policy Homework packets are given out on Mondays, and should be returned on Fridays. The homework reflects the daily instruction for your child. Students will have math, reading, and spelling homework. Homework should take your child approximately 15 minutes. Homework Heroes: If your child completes their homework every week of the month, they will be a “Homework Hero” and will earn extra recess at the end of the month. Students will have nightly reading from their reading group, library, or books from home. Your child should read to an older reader for approximately 10 minutes a night. Each month an Extension Homework calendar will be sent home. This is optional homework Note: Parents can also check out books from the MKES library! Stop by the library anytime to get an account. Happy Reading !

12. Please remember to sign your child’s homework every night. This allows us to communicate with you and ensure that every child is completing their work.

13. Data Notebooks Data Notebooks are to show data of your child’s progress. They are sent home to be reviewed with parents each quarter. Please review and send back the Data Notebooks as soon as possible so that we can add new data. Please do not remove any papers from the Data Notebook.

14. How to contact us. Phone Numbers: 301-431-7667 Email: Coliena_B_Ayele@mcpsmd.org Rossana_C_Chimenian@mcpsmd.org Sara_E_DaCosta@mcpsmd.org Brittany_Larocca@mcpsmd.org Jennifer_Money@mcpsmd.org David_Nguyen@mcpsmd.org Jennifer_Decastro@mcpsmd.org Palak_Y_Vyas@mcpsmd.org

15. Helpful Tips! Homework: *HW Basket-materials that may be needed to complete Homework. -crayons-glue -pencils-scissors -erasers-library books *Completed nightly Monday through Thursday. Reading: *Read every night. *Students will be bringing home books from their reading groups to practice reading on their level. Please sign and return after reading together. *Use “Stuck Strategies” to help solve unknown words in reading. *When writing unknown words encourage your child to say the word slowly and write the sounds they hear. *Review High Frequency Words *Talk about words: Lowercase and capital letters, vowels, rhyming w words, beginning and ending sounds, words that sound the same.

16. Helpful Tips Math: *Deck of Cards -Flip Two cards over and many questions can be asked. *Which number is more? Less? *Which number is greater? Less? *Is my number odd or even? *Add two cards together and who ever has the greater sum keeps the cards. *Ask your child to read you numbers, count coins, count objects in the real world (grocery shopping).

17. General Information Breakfast begins at 8:30. Please make sure your child is on time. First grade will have 3 Field Trips. Please look for information in your child’s folder. The first trip is on October 29 th, and we will be going to Sharp’s Farm. Please check your child’s red folder every Thursday and return it the next day. First grade will send Newsletters home twice a quarter. Return Guided Reading books the next day.

18. Parent Conferences Parent Teacher Conferences are on Monday, November 11, 2013 Tuesday, November 12, 2013 PLEASE SIGN UP BEFORE YOU LEAVE!

19. Thank you so much for all your support. Please remember that parents are the first teachers in your child’s life. We are looking forward to becoming partners with you in your child’s educational journey.