First grade at Kuentz Elementary is described as a "magical" year. The document provides an overview of the teacher's style, required reading and math levels for promotion to second grade, units covered in science and social studies, the grading system, homework policy of 10 minutes of reading per night, and various policies around attendance, safety, birthdays, communication and conferences.

1. First GradeFirst Grade
is a “magical” yearis a “magical” year
Welcome to First GradeWelcome to First Grade
as a Kuentz Coyoteas a Kuentz Coyote

2. A little Humor

3. A little Humor

4. Please follow us on Twitter:
@CummingsCubs

5. A Little about Myself

6. A Little about Myself

7. A Little more about Myself

8. My Teaching Style
• I am motherly and loving - but firm.
• I have high expectations for your child
with a growth mindset. I look for progress
to measure success.
• I strive for learning to be fun and exciting
taking into consideration your child’s
opinions, interests, and learning styles.
• I am very flexible.

9. My Teaching Style
• My ultimate goal is for students to make
as much progress as possible throughout
the year not only academically, but also
socially and emotionally.

10. Requirements for
promotion to 2nd
grade:
• Read and comprehend unseen text
at an ending first grade level
(Level I).
Students must…

11. Required Reading Levels for
the End of Each 9 Week
Grading Period
• 1st
nine weeks – Level C
• 2nd
nine weeks – Level E
• 3rd
nine weeks – Level G
• 4th
nine weeks – Level I

12. Students must also…
• Work on grade level in mathematics
and
• Demonstrate most of the first grade
TEKS in reading and math or be
expected to do so early in the next
year. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148
Requirements for
promotion to 2nd
grade:

13. Math Units Covered
• Place Value to 120
• Money
• Addition and Subtraction to 20
• Geometry and Measurement
• Financial Literacy

14. Science and Social
Studies Units Covered
Integrated Science and Social Studies
• What is an Investigator?
• Geography and Natural Resources in our Community
• Family Fun and the Science of Recreation
• Jobs, Technology, and Energy
• Patterns and Symbols of Texas
• The Gulf Coast of Texas
• Mountains and Basins
• Geography of our Nation
• Transportation: Technology and Economics
• Being an American

15. Grading System
• Letter and Number grades are given. The letter grade scale is
averaged as follows:
E – 95% S – 82% N – 72% U – 69%-below
• A grade below 50% will not be given.
• Progress reports will be issued every 6 weeks as needed.
• Guided Reading Levels will be recorded on the report card.
• Report cards will be issued every 9 weeks.

16. Grading System
• Grades will be entered in the system weekly.
• Graded work will be returned in your child’s Daily
Folder on Mondays and as graded.
• If your child receives less than a 65 on an
assignment, I will re-teach the concept to your
child. We will correct the assignment together
and they can raise their grade.

17. Homework
• A lot of research has been done about the effectiveness
of homework. Both the National Education Association
(NEA) and the National PTA (NPTA) support a standard
of “10 minutes of homework per grade level” and setting
a general limit on after-school studying.
• As a first grade team, we decided the most important
thing a first grader can do in those 10 minutes is to
practice reading.
• Homework will be to read for at least 10 minutes every
night.
• Books read for homework can be logged for the school-
wide reading program. Logs will be in your child’s Daily
Coyote Folder.

18. Conduct Grading Scale
Do not hurt anyone physically (with hands, feet, body or objects)
or emotionally (with your words.)
Grades for each 9 Week Period
•E 0-3 marks in folder
•S 4-6 marks in folder
•N 7-9 marks in folder
•U 10 + marks in folder
Love and Logic

19. Birthday Celebrations
Students may bring treats (cupcakes,
donuts or cookies) to share with the
class on birthdays. Treats will be
served the last 15 minutes of class
time.
Please let me know ahead of time to
arrange the date. Please send napkins
or paper towels along with the treats.

20. Parent Communication
• Parent Connection – available at
www.nisd.net
• Team webpage and Teacher’s webpage
• Group email blasts
• Remind texts – to join my Remind group,
see attached page.
• Follow us on Twitter @CummingsCubs.
• ClassDojo (coming soon.)

21. Attendance
• Students are considered absent if they are not at
school by 9:00 am or leave school before 9:00 am.
• Please send a written excuse within 5 days of your
child’s absence. There will be some standard
excuse forms in your child’s daily coyote folder.
Please attach any doctors notes to the form.
• An absence is considered excused with a note if it
is due to illness, medical appointments, death in
the family or family emergencies.

22. First Grade Field Trip
• We will be going on at least one field
trip this year.
More information to come later.

23. Conferences
• Our conference time is daily from 12:55-1:40.
• Please let me know if you ever want to schedule a
conference for whatever reason.
• Fall conferences will begin in late October. I will send an
electronic sign up sheet using SignUp Genius in the next
couple of weeks.
• Student-led conferences will be held towards the end of
the year.

24. Safety
• Please remind students not to bring toys or other personal items to
school. Sports balls are permitted to use at recess.
• Students may not be dropped of before 7:00 am. Students who come
to school before 7:15 should report to the cafeteria since a teacher will
not be on duty yet. At 7:15, students can sit in the 1st
grade hallway
and quietly read a book.
• Please send a note in your child’s folder if he/she is going home a
different way than usual. Please be aware that I might not be able to
read my emails during the day. You can call the office and they will
deliver a message.
• Dismissal is at 2:45 pm. Students picked up after 3:05 pm will have to
be signed out at the office.

25. Don’t forget, if you haven’t already
• Join the PTA
• Go online and fill out a criminal
background check.