Hello, and welcome to First Grade. My name is Karen DeCarolis, but your child has probably already referred to me as "Mrs. D." DeCarolis is a mouthful, and I don't mind at all if the children call me "Mrs. D." I am hoping you will feel comfortable enough to call me Karen. This is my 34rd year of teaching (I took 5 years off when my only child (Emily) was born). It really looks like I have a great group of students this year. Right now, our numbers are low (14), so I am hoping we will be able to make a lot of academic growth during this year while having some fun, too.
I would like to welcome Meadow Wilber to our classroom. Meadow went to Kindergarten in Lewiston last year, but has moved to Bethel with her mom, so she is at Crescent Park this year. Currently, we have seven boys and seven girls in our class.
I will usually be sending these newsletters out every Monday (I use my "extra" time on the weekend to create them) in an attempt to keep you informed about what is happening in our classroom. This newsletter is always the opening page of my blog "Mrs. D's First Grade" which can be found at:
www.mrsdgr1.blogspot.com
For the first few weeks of school, I will continue to send this newsletter home, but my hope is that you will eventually not need a paper copy, as you are checking out my blog at the above address every Monday afternoon via computer. Maybe we can save a few trees that way. If you do not have computer access at home, please let me know so I can continue to make sure that you get a paper copy. I want you to know what is happening in your child’s classroom, after all.
There are several different tabs on my webpage. The "home" tab is this newsletter. The next tab is called "Sites and Links", and contains a color-coded listing of 80 websites, divided by subject, that your child can use to practice skills he or she is learning in the classroom. Where possible, I have given you a quick blurb describing the website. These are all child-safe sites, and are all currently functioning, as far as I know. Should you come across a website that is gone or not working well, please let me know and I will update the list. As we go through the school year, I will try to add new websites. The third tab is "Homework". In first grade, your child is expected to do "ten minutes" of homework Monday through Thursday. Homework in this classroom usually revolves around a book to be read or practiced with an adult, and sight vocabulary cards to practice each night. I test the children on their sight word acquisition each Friday, and new cards tailored to YOUR child's needs come home every Monday (or first day of the school week). Please take a few minutes to practice these words every day, since every word your child knows by sight is one he or she does not have to "sound out". Reading becomes a LOT more fun when the majority of words can be recognized on sight. Research is also telling us that fluency with reading is a key factor in success in reading, and fluency can be promoted by rereading texts that are at a comfortable level. To that end, a reading sheet will be coming home periodically that will have a list of sentences that your child must be able to read to me fluently. Nightly practice with these sentences will aid in improving fluency in reading. Once a sheet is "mastered", a new (slightly harder one) will be given. Two years ago, fluency became a key factor in our reading assessments for the first time, and reading supports (like pictures) were not present on the new assessment materials, which made them much harder to pass. So, I have adapted what I do with the children in order for them to have success on these new exams. **Homework may also include any materials started in class that your child was unable to finish during class time. It is due the next morning!** If work completion becomes a regular problem, we may have to meet to discuss alternative strategies for getting work done. The fourth tab is "Important Dates/Events" and is probably the link that will help you the most, as it will hopefully list things that will be happening at Crescent Park School long before they do happen. I will try to update the listing every week or two, but will also list anything that is happening in the upcoming week near the bottom of this blog message, too. The "Parent Info" tab contains strategies and information you might find helpful when trying to help a first grader learn. The last tab is our "Classroom Rules" written where all can see them and know what they are. That's my blog. Should you wish to see any information that is not readily here, please let me know, and I will see about adding it to my blog somewhere. There is also a link on the middle right to Mrs. Raymond's library blog, and an archive to back issues of this blog on the lower right. So, if you remember that you read something, but don't have the exact information, you can go back to an archived issue of this blog to find it.
Over these last few days, a lot of our time has been spent "getting to know" how first grade is going to work in our classroom. I’m very pleased at how well things are going :) Next week, I will be trying to determine your child's knowledge of sight words, and may even begin determining DRA reading levels, so reading groups can begin soon. This year, reading groups will be as much skill-based as reading level-based. Once the assessments are all over and the dust settles, this is what our daily schedule will probably be:
Literacy (8:00 - 9:30) I will begin our day starting at 8:00 a.m. (please be sure to have your child to school before 8--he or she is marked tardy after this time each morning). We will do some whole group learning of basic skills, share a few books, and then rotate through centers/ written work/ skill groups with Mrs. D. We will also read to ourselves, to a partner, and I will share a chapter from a chapter book with the class each day. We will try to fit writing and word work in during this block, too, but some of it may need to be completed in the afternoon.
Snack/ Story time (9:40 - 9:55) The children have snack each day at 9:40. Please make sure they do bring something to eat, as they are usually quite hungry by this time of the day. However, please don't send a LOT for snack, since they only have 10 minutes in which to eat it.
Math (9:55-10:50) As soon as "bathrooms" are done, we begin our Math time. We use the "workshop method" for Math, too, so this means we practice an "old" skill together, then I introduce a new skill. Kids practice this new skill together, and then they try the skill on their own (while I circulate and help). Finally, we get back together to "share" our ideas/ observations while doing this skill.
Recess/ Lunch (10:55 -11:55) We are outside on the new playground until 11:25. Right now, I am "on duty" outside during this recess. Then the children are escorted in to lunch. Mrs. Meader is with them until 11:55 (while I eat my lunch), and then walks them back to our room.
Storytime/"Calendar" (12:00 - 12:30) I read a chapter book to the children at this time. It is meant to be a time when your child will learn to sustain listening, "hold on" to characters from one day to the next, and "carry a story" for a period of several weeks. During the first few weeks of school, ”calendar time” happens at the beginning of Math class. There, we will “build” the monthly calendar, talk about numbers and money, and learn content-related songs.
Literacy completion-- (12:30- 12:50) Twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) this time of day will be for penmanship. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we will use this time to "finish up" literacy-related concepts/activities from the morning. On Fridays, this will be our “share” time. Each week, your child will be expected to “show” or “tell” about something. He or she should be prepared to tell 5 things about the item/ event to the class.
Writing—(12:50 - 1:10) We write together at this time of day. Usually, we have a “mini lesson” to work on some particular skill, and then the children use the rest of the time to work on their own personal writing. I use the time to meet with individuals to hone their writing skills.
Science/Social Studies/ Health-- (1:10 - 1:30) Our topic right now is "Citizenship"--what it means to be a school citizen (and what our school/ classroom "rules" are)
SPECIALS (1:30 -2:10) Mondays--Library (please return borrowed library books each Monday morning); Tuesdays--Music; Wednesdays and Fridays--Phys. Ed. (please wear or pack sneakers and socks); Thursdays--Art.
There are a few upcoming dates of which I want to be sure you are aware:
--9/ 5 (Tuesday) PreK begins at Crescent Park School.
—9/6 "Open House" from 6 -7pm. This is a time for your child to show you his/her new classroom, "specials" area, and new playground. While I will be there to say "Hi" and to take pictures, I will not be doing any sort of presentation. I would like to meet and greet all families. Should you wish to discuss your child's progress, please schedule another time to meet with me. Thank you for respecting my need to meet all families.
--9/13 Our first NWEA test (Reading) 9:20 - 10:20 am
--9/18 NWEA test (Math) 9:30 - 10:30am
--10/9 Columbus Day NO SCHOOL
That's all for this newsletter! I know it is long, but there was a lot to share with you. I will try to make it shorter in the future. Have a good week!
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