Welcome to Back to School Night!

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• Welcome to Back to School Night!
• September 22, 2015

• Please sign up for a conference at the back
  table.
• GUESS WHO! While you are waiting, see if you can
  guess who your child is from their drawing on the
  back wall. Need a clueread what your childs
  talent is. The answer key is the last page of
  your packet.
• Please use the pink paper on your childs desk to
  write them a brief note.
• Write anything you feel I need to know on the
  index card.

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All About Miss King

• I graduated from Bloomsburg University with a
  Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and
  Special Education.
• I have my Masters degree from West Chester
  University in Reading.
• This is my fourth year teaching at Aston
  Elementary School. Before Aston, I taught Special
  Education at
• Pennell Elementary for six years.

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Our Class Schedule

• 850-910 Morning Meeting
• 910-930 Spelling
• 930-950 Shared Reading (whole group)
• 950-1020 RTI (Begins in October)
• 1020-1110 Guided Reading (small group, centers)
• 1110-1135 Writing
• 1135-1230 Recess/Lunch
• 1230-1245 Read Aloud
• 1245-145 Math
• 145-225 Special
• 225-310 Content Area
  (Science or Social Studies)

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Specials Schedule

• Monday Library
• Tuesday Music
• Wednesday Physical Education (wear sneakers)
• Thursday Art
• Friday Guidance- 1st Trimester
• Technology- 2nd/3rd Trimesters

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SpellingJourneys

• Monday Students take a pre-test and learn the
  weekly skill.
• Monday-Thursday We will work on skills and
  practice the spelling words in preparation for
  the test.
• There will be spelling homework assigned
  Monday-Thursday.
• Assessment Students will take a test on Friday.
• Check on my teacher webpage for flashcards and
  helpful hints.

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Whole Group ReadingJourneys

• We use textbooks in first grade, targeting
  specific skills and reading strategies found in
  the short stories. Students will meet in a large
  group at the front of the classroom and/or at
  their desks. The class will read the story
  together and work on strategies and skills as a
  large group. The strategies taught during shared
  reading instruction will be applied by the
  children during guided reading.

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RTIResponse To Intervention

• This year, Aston Elementary will be implementing
  RTI. The purpose of RTI is to provide
  interventions or enrichment to every student at
  their current reading level.
• Each child will be placed in a group that will
  receive instruction on their level.

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Small Group Reading

• Teacher works with a small group of students at a
  similar developmental stage of reading. The goal
  is for students to learn and use reading
  strategies independently and to read for meaning.
  
• Students will continue to progress, moving
  towards more challenging books as the year goes
  on.
• When students are not meeting with the teacher,
  they will be working in literacy centers with
  their small groups. These centers will reinforce
  skills taught at their guided reading groups and
  during shared reading lessons.
• Assessment The students will be assessed using
  unit assessments and teacher observations in
  their guided reading groups. Throughout the
  school year, the teacher will monitor the
  students progress and make adjustments to their
  reading level.

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WritingBeing a Writer

• Writing is focused on building a classroom
  writing community. The students will work with
  partners in order to communicate strengths and
  needs in writing.
• Trade books and mentor text will be used on a
  weekly basis to enhance students writing.
• The daily lesson begins each day with a
  mini-lesson. The students are then encouraged to
  explore this skill while writing in their
  journal.

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MathenVision Math

• Important concepts we will learn in first grade
  include
• Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Number and Operations in Base Ten Blocks
• Measurement and Data
• Geometry
• Assessment Students will take a test at the end
  of each topic to assess their understanding of
  the concepts learned. They will also be assessed
  based on their daily class work.

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Social Studies

• Units
• Time for School
• In my Community
• Work! Work! Work!
• Our Earth, Our Resources
• This is our Country, Our World
• Assessment Students will take a test at the end
  of each unit to assess their understanding. They
  will also be assessed on daily class work in
  their workbook.

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Science

• Weather
• Organisms
• Butterflies
• Assessment Students will have a Science
  workbook. They will be assessed on daily class
  work in their workbook, participation in the
  experiments and activities, as well as an end of
  the unit test.

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Take Home Books

• Monday-Thursday your child will read at home.
  The children will chose a book on their level
  each night. Students will bring the book and a
  journal home each night in a zip-lock bag.
• Each night, after reading, parents will fill in
  the journal to record students work in progress.
  Please list the date, title of the book, any
  comments you may have.
• The child will bring the book back to school the
  following morning and exchange it for a new book.
  
• Every Thursday night your child will need to
  complete a writing assignment after reading
  his/her take home book.

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Homework Policy

• A homework assignment sheet will be given out
  every Monday. It will usually be on yellow paper.
• The homework folder will go home every night.
  This is one way of communicating with you.
  Inside the folder, you will often find forms or
  papers you need to fill out. Please be as prompt
  as possible.
• I will also send home corrected homework
  assignments and class work. If any work is sent
  home in the folder, that is for you to keep.
  Please be sure to periodically clean out your
  childs folder. I may also send personal notes
  home to you if necessary.
• It is essential that you
  check the folder every night and talk to
  you child about the contents.

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Notes on Behavior

• Our class will earn weekly rewards for overall
  classroom behavior. The class will earn scoops of
  popcorn for following the classroom rules and
  making good choices. When the jar is filled, we
  celebrate!
• On an individual level, each day the students
  will arrive with a clothes pin on our class chart
  set on Ready to Learn. The assumption is that
  each day is a fresh new beginning.
• The goal for each student is to stay on Ready to
  Learn or to move up to Wise Choices or even
  better, Superstar.
• The object is not to move DOWN! However, we all
  have times when we need to Think About our
  behavior. The lower two consequences are
  Recess and Parent Contact.

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Notes on Behavior

• I try to RARELY take away the students entire
  recess. My protocol is to discuss with the
  student how they can make a change, sometimes
  they will need to write a letter home, and then
  we move on. This usually lasts about half of the
  recess.
• Lastly, at the end of each day, the students will
  record where they ended the day. (See chart in
  packet). If you have any questions about a
  particular day or week, please dont hesitate to
  write on the chart, send me a note/email, or give
  me a call.
• You will receive your childs chart on Fridays.
  Some weeks, you may not get it until Monday, but
  for the most part, please expect the chart on
  Friday. Sign the chart and return to school.

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Other items

• From time to time, I may provide the students
  with a working snack. Usually, this will take
  place on a Friday as a reward. Please take a look
  at the list below and note on the index card if
  you do not wish your child to have any of the
  following snacks.
• Pretzels - Sugar free popsicles
• Goldfish
• Popcorn
• Animal crackers
• At the end of the month, we will discuss apples
  and have an apple tasting. If you do not wish for
  your child to participate, please record on the
  index card.
• Students are permitted to bring in a snack for
  their birthdays. The students typically hand the
  snack out in the cafeteria during lunch. Please
  see the Penn-Delco School District Wellness
  Policy Paper in your packet to see what snacks
  are permitted.
• Sometimes it is hot in Room 103 and other times
  it is cold! Please dress your child in layers.
  You can even have them leave a sweatshirt
  here in their cubby if you prefer.

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Field Trips

• First grade will take two field trips this year.
• In October, we will go to the Philadelphia Zoo.
• In May, we will go to Milky Way Farms.
• We will have a limited amount of chaperones
  permitted to go on each trip. Prior to our field
  trips, I will send a letter home about
  chaperoning. If you are interested, I will ask
  you to let me know by a certain date. If I have
  too many interested parents, I will pick out of a
  hat.

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Volunteer Requirements
This year the state has issued a mandate that
states that anyone who will have routine
interactions with students or be potentially
responsible for their care, the must have their
clearances. The page to the right is in your
packet. Please refer to this to be sure you will
be able to attend yearly events.
Go to www.pdsd.org and look at the bottom of the
webpage under Have you Heard for more helpful
information.
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Scholastic Book Orders

• Orders will be sent home about once a month.
• The quickest way to order books is to place your
  order online at www.scholastic.com. You can also
  write a check and send it into school. If you
  write a check, please write one check made
  payable to Scholastic Book Clubs even if ordering
  from multiple catalogues.
• When you order online you will receive a 5.00
  coupon, every time, and you can use it towards
  your next order. In addition when you order
  books, our class earns points and we can order
  books to have in our room.

Our classroom code is LKX68
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School Supplies

• Please ask your child periodically if any of
  their school supplies need to be replaced. This
  will ensure that they will always be prepared
  with the necessary materials to do their best
  work.
• LETS HAVE A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR!

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Teacher Contact Information

• Email jking_at_pdsd.org
• Phone [phone] ext. 4103
• Teacher Website on the Penn Delco Website-
  www.pdsd.org
• Go to school- Aston Elementary
• Staff
• Jessica King