ABCs of First Grade
Everything you ever wanted to know about MPTS and our class!
Everything you ever wanted to know about MPTS and our class!
Absences: If you know your child is going to be absent, please let me know as soon as possible, whether it is due to a trip or sickness. There are forms in the office you can fill out for educational trips. Please be sure to fill it out before your child misses school. If you are sick or have an appointment, you can send an e-mail ([email protected]) and copy the secretary ([email protected].nc.us) as well. If you are unable to e-mail, a note the following day upon your child's return with reason for absence is expected. If you are going on an educational trip, please be sure to fill out the educational opportunity form and turn it into the office 5 days prior to your departure. Absentee letters are generated and sent home by CMS when your child accrues 3, 6, and then 10 unexcused absences.
Birthday Celebrations: We love to celebrate birthdays with our classmates. However, MPTS rules state that you cannot bring in any outside food into the cafeteria. If you would like to celebrate with the class, please contact [email protected] (our cafeteria manager) to order a cookie cake, ice cream, or cupcakes to be served and eaten in the lunch room during our scheduled lunch time. This is our ONLY time to celebrate birthdays. Please no presents, balloons, party hats, etc.
Breakfast: Your child can eat breakfast at school each morning before 9:15. Your child should report directly to the cafeteria upon arriving at school if they wish to eat breakfast. Do not come to the classroom first.
Bus: Download the bus app at www.herecomesthebus.com
The district code is 73877. Your student ID number is found as their username in your child’s folder. If you have any questions, you can contact CMS transportation at 980-343-6715. (the remind app is no longer being utilized by our school)
Chess: First graders receive chess instruction during the first semester.
Communication: A successful year will be the result of great communication between teachers, parents, and students. The best way for you to know what academics we are covering, class and school events, and weekly information is the weekly update. This will be sent home every Monday in your child's homework folder. To find information about the classroom in general please be sure to check the website. I update this every week, so be sure to save it as a favorite and check it every Tuesday night for the latest information on the Marvelous Monkeys. The best way for you to reach me is through my e-mail, [email protected]. If this does not work for you, simply let me know and I can send home hard copies of the website, print any class e-mails, and make phone calls when necessary. There is also a QR code that you can scan (using the FREE inigma app) from your phone that enables you to call the school, send me an email, and access my website in one quick touch of the finger. Please be sure to scan our class QR code when you come to school.
Conferences: Every parent is required to come for a conference to discuss their child's adjustment and progress in school. These will be held in October. I will send home a schedule of availability as the time gets closer. Please be sure to fill out the form and return it promptly to be sure we can accommodate everyone's schedule. There will be time slots available before, during, and after school hours. Please be sure to be on time and have a list of questions you may want to ask because our 30 minutes will fly by and we want to be sure to get everything covered. If a need arises there is always an opportunity to schedule an additional conference.
Dessert: Desserts are only available for First Graders on Fridays.
Field Trips: Field trips MUST be paid for in CASH or ONLINE only **CHECKS** are no longer accepted per CMS! Our school participates in a program that allows you to pay for your child 's field trips online. However, you will still need to send in the permission slip form. Please be sure to check it out when the time arises: http://osp.osmsinc.com/cms. If you are interested in being a chaperone, you MUST contact me first. In most cases we are only allowed 1 chaperone per trip and it is first come first serve. We will take 3 off campus field trips this year. PLEASE be sure to sign up as an MPTS volunteer through the CMS website. You will not be able to chaperone field trips or come to class events unless you have the CMS clearance.
FLIP FLOPS: There will be no flip flops allowed at school. Please be sure to send your child to school in appropriate footwear to avoid you being called and asked to bring your child proper shoes. Sneakers are always best as we are going to be on the playground every day!
Folders: Your child will bring home a communication folder every day, even weekends! This is where you will find your child's reading log and any assignments they need to complete and return to school. This will also have all correspondence from me including notes, corrected work, assignments, project directions, field trip notices, and office/school information. If you have a note to send to me it will also go in this folder. I will teach your child what to do with the contents of their folder at school and you need to do the same by making it their responsibility to show the folder to you every day and have them pack it in their book bag each night.
Grading: MPTS joined the rest of CMS with 4 quarters this year. Hurray!
No letter grades are used in 1st grade. After a child has been assesses and exhibits a skill or behavior we use the following codes based on the END of YEAR expectations:
GLO Ratings:
1 - On My Way, 2 - Working Toward, 3 - On My Own, 4 - I Can Teach Others
Core Standards:
D - developing, P - progressing, M - mastering, E - exemplary mastery, N/I - not graded this term.
I will use weekly tests, topic tests, unit tests, class assignments, and classroom observations to determine your child's is performance.
You can help your child by reviewing all corrected work that comes home, reviewing questions they missed, and practicing problems by inserting different numbers.
Handbook: MPTS parent handbook can be found online using this link: MPTS Handbook
Homework: Your child will be expected to read every night which will be reflected on the yellow reading log located in the back of the yellow communication folder. There will ONLY be nightly paper and pencil homework in first grade if your child did not complete an assignment in class or if I need your child to have extra practice to learn a skill. The expectation is that your child will return the assignment the very next day. Therefore you will need to be sure to check your child's homework folder every night to see if they have an additional assignment to the required reading. There will be additional sight word review activities, fluency reading assignments, monthly class projects, and possibly an occasional assignment during the week. You need to check your child's homework folder daily to be sure you know what is expected for the next day.
Independence: This is the year of independence for your child. It is important your child walks to our classroom without parental assistance and takes responsibility for his/her belongings both at school and at home.
Lanyards: Lanyards will not be allowed in our class.
Leader of the Week: In first grade, Leaders of the Week are determined by peer classroom nominations and student votes. Students have the opportunity to nominate fellow classmates that they have observed following the 7 Habits of Leadership.
Lunch: You are more than welcome to come eat with your child in the cafeteria. We eat at 11:00 to 11:25. Your child may choose 1 friend to eat with them. Please be mindful of when our class leaves the cafeteria so your child does not linger behind, I do not want them to miss any instruction. :0)
PTA: Please join the PTA and get involved with what is going on in our school. You are encouraged to pay your PTA dues online as directed in the open house packet from the PTA. There are many opportunities to volunteer and show your child that you too value what is going on here.
Rent the Rock: What a great way to surprise your child! The MPTS rock, located in the carpool lot, is only $10 a day and a great way to celebrate birthdays or any other event you want to recognize.
Report Cards: Report cards come home every 9 weeks. Please be sure to discuss the grades and comments with your child. This is an opportunity to look for growth experiences for your child in academics as well as behavior. You keep the report card.
Scholastic Books: I will be sending Scholastic Book order forms home every month. If you wish to purchase any book you can do so by following the link on my website to pay for them online (code GXKLV) or send in a check or money order made out to Scholastic Books with your order form. The books will come to the class and I will send them home with your child. This is a great way to earn books for our classroom library.
Snack: Students are allowed to have snack in the afternoon during our intervention/enrichment block. Please be sure to send in a small healthy snack, fruit, crackers, granola bar, etc. Please no plastic containers or reusable water bottles.
Supplies: Please bring your child's supplies with you to Open House so your child can get a jump on putting them where they need to go. This will help them as well as me get organized and put in their proper place before the first day of school AND your child won't have to worry with carrying them in to school.
T-Shirts: Our class orders t-shirts (just like Kindergarten). The order form will be ready for you within the first week of school. Please be sure to send $15 cash only, as this money goes directly to the company we purchase from and not through the office.
Transportation: It is a school policy to send a note anytime your child's transportation changes. It is important to me as well as your child that we have documentation of how they are getting home each day. I cannot rely on your first grader to tell me how they are getting home. If you forget to send a note in their homework folder you can e-mail [email protected].nc.us or call the office (980 343 5522) before 3:00 and they will notify me. DO NOT send me an e-mail because I will not get the message until after dismissal.
Visitors: The Myers Park Staff welcomes you to visit and is delighted to have you involved in your child's education. Please be sure to contact me to set up a time to visit. You need to sign in at the office through Lobby Guard and obtain a name tag. We ask in advance that you be considerate of our lessons and realize this is not an opportune time for a conference.
Volunteers: PLEASE be sure to sign up as an MPTS volunteer through the CMS website. Even if you do not think you will be attending field trips, parties, or other events, it is a great idea to sign up anyway so if an opportunity arises you will not be turned away due to the clearance.