Intro to 1st Grade

2. Dear Parents,
Our teaching philosophy is centered on creating a risk free academic
environment. We want the students in first grade to feel valued and appreciated. We
expect them to work hard, be organized and be responsible.
We believe:
* The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.
* How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand
in hand.
* The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.
* There is a set of social skills children need in order to be successful academically and
socially: cooperation, organization, assertion, responsibility, respect, empathy and self-
control.
* Knowing the children we teach-individually, culturally and developmentally is as
important as knowing the content we teach.
* Knowing the families of the children we teach and inviting their
Participation is essential to children’s education.
Angie Ferrera and Tricia Huckins

3. Teacher Communication
* The best way is by email:
triciahuckins@visioncsd.org
angferrera@gmail.com
• You may also call the school during school hours and leave a
voicemail. Ms. Huckin’s extension is 303, Mrs. Ferrera’s extension is
302.
• You may also send written notes with your child in the
Communication Folder.
• You may call the Elementary office at 455-9220 and they will get
a message to us regarding transportation changes.

4. Parent Communication Folders
These are vital to your students success in First Grade!
• Your first grader is expected to bring a Communication Folder to
school DAILY. This will contain daily work and Monday newsletters.
This folder helps keep them accountable and teaches responsibility.
One Communication Folder is provided by the school. Additional
folders can be purchased for $2.00.

5. Attendance
It is important that your child is at school as much as possible.
Reading is taught first thing in the morning, so it is important that your
first grader is on time as well. School begins at 8:05. Attendance is taken
at 8:10 and any student arriving after that will be marked tardy and will
need to get a tardy slip from the elementary office.
We do not want your child to come to school sick. If your
Child is running a fever or contagious in any way, please keep
him/her home. Your student will receive an “absent work”
Folder when he/she returns to school. This contains work that
was missed and can be completed at home. This folder is
expected to be returned, completed in 3 school days. If
you know in advance your student will be absent, please
let us know and we will have work prepared ahead of
time.

6. Classroom Rules and Expectations
1. Raise your hand before speaking. (Do not Interrupt another person
OR the learning environment.)
2. Stay focused and pay attention.
3. Stay seated and keep your hands to yourself.
4. Be responsible for your work and actions.
5. Complete quality work.
6. Be kind. First, students will receive a verbal warning
reminding them of the rules. If a student continues
to break the rules he/she will pull a behavior card. A
third offense is a trip to the office. A note will come
home with your student if he/she visits the office.
Every student starts every day with a clean slate!
STUDENTS WHO THREATEN, BULLY, ARE DEFIANT,
OR CAUSE ANOTHER CHILD BODLY HARM WILL BE
SENT TO THE OFFICE WITHOUT WARNING.

7. Grading and Assessments
• Your student will be tested quarterly for report cards. 80% or higher in first
grade is considered “Mastery.” A grade of an “M” will indicate this on the
report card. 79% and below is considered “Progressing” and will be indicated
by a “P” on the report card.
• Students will be given a percentage grade in the areas of Spelling,
Phonograms, Reading Homework and High Frequency Words.
• Words read per minute will also be on every quarterly report
card. First graders are expected to read a minimum of 53
wpm on a first grade passage by the end of the year.
The behavior grades on the report card are reported
With a “yes” or a “no.” These grades are derived from
Daily behavior and study skills checklists.
*You will be notified immediately if we have any academic
Concerns about your child. We will also discuss student
Progress with you at Parent/Teacher Conferences.

8. Here is a copy of
the First Grade
Report Card

9. Required Reading Homework Practice
Reading Fluency Practice
Beginning in September, your child will be bringing home a
“Reading Fluency Practice” chart with a story attached. These will come
home in the Communication Folder on Mondays. You are expected to do
5, one minute timings on the provided story with your child each evening
(Monday-Thursday) and graph each timing on the attached chart. These
charts are due the following Monday. This is part of your child’s
homework grade.
Monthly Reading Calendars
Monthly reading calendars will come home in September.
These are due on the first school day of the next month. Your
student is required to read 20 minutes, five days a week. The daily 5
minutes spent on reading fluency practice may be included in the
20 minutes of nightly practice. This is also part of your child’s
Homework Grade.

10. Spelling and Phonogram Tests
Spelling tests are given weekly, on Thursdays, in first
grade. Spelling lists for the next week will go home on Thursdays
as well. These words will be studied daily during the reading
block at school, however, nightly practice at home is
recommended. Your student will be given a percentage grade
for spelling.
Phonogram tests will be given only on the Fridays we
are at school. The phonograms tested are the ones within the
weekly spelling lists. We work on these daily in class. You can
help your students study these by visiting the schools website
(www.visioncharter.net) and clicking on the phonogram zip file
at the bottom of the page.

11. Math in First Grade
You will not see many math practice worksheets coming home in
first grade. We ARE teaching your students many important Common Core
math skills, but so many of them in first grade are process based, not
product. We use many math manipulatives and strategies to teach math in
first grade. Each student will work through a Common Core math workbook
daily. These are teacher guided lessons that focus on counting, number
sense, place value, basic addition and subtraction, measurement, geometry,
time, graphing, story problems and real life problem solving skills.
Workbooks will be sent home when completed.
Most of the math assessments in first grade are formative
in nature. Observation and process testing are also used to
determine whether a child has mastered the first grade skills.
All math skills build on each other and the goal is to have them all
mastered by the end of the year. We also aim to make math
Fun and enjoyable to learn!

12. Math in First Grade…….
Here is a sample of our first grade Common Core math workbook:

13. A Word About Handwriting….
Correct pencil grip and correct size and formation of letters is
VERY IMPORTANT in first grade!
* Writing backwards letters and numbers in first grade will
happen! These will not be marked as errors. It is developmental and
normal for this to happen.
* All letters and numbers should start with a down stroke and
follow a left to right flow.
* Names should only have one capital letter at the beginning.
Please discourage writing in ALL CAPS.
* Children are required to use legible, correct handwriting on all
assignments. This is especially important on spelling tests. Answers may
be marked incorrect if illegible.
* Please make sure children have a full size regular pencil to
complete homework. Do not do homework in colored pencils,
crayons, pens or markers. This makes errors hard to fix!

14. Volunteering
Room moms are important to help organize celebrations and
functions throughout the school year. If you are interested, please contact
via email, your child’s teacher.
Parent volunteers are always welcome in our rooms! However,
there are certain times of the day you are needed most. Center time is the
best time to volunteer. After Labor day, a sign up sheet will be sent home
with the days and times for centers. Please let your child’s teacher know
in advance if you would like to volunteer. We do not have work prepared
for parents who show up without notification.
REMEMBER!
Anytime parents come on campus to
volunteer, or for any other reason,
they must stop at the office and get a
“Visitor’s Pass.”

15. Other Important Things….
* Birthdays- If you would like to send healthy treats with your child to celebrate his/her
birthday, you may. However, this will be done on the last Friday of the month and pre-
arranged with the teacher.
* Lunch and snack- Because we eat lunch so early in first grade, please send an afternoon
snack with your child. We do not keep extra snacks on hand at school. Also, please do not
send anything that needs to be “cooked” in the microwave for lunch. Anything that requires
more than 30 seconds to heat up, is not a good option. Ramen noodles, cup-o-noodles,
individual Macaroni cups, and hot pockets are not good options.
* PE- Please make sure your child wears tennis shoes on PE days. Your child’s teacher will
send a specials schedule home for you.
*Dress code- Please see the VCS handbook for proper dress code. There will be some jeans
days throughout the year.
*Your child is expected to bring a backpack every day. Please make sure it is a full size
backpack and large enough to accommodate a Communication Folder and lunch
box.

16. Transportation Changes
The Elementary office must be notified about all
transportation changes!
Your child’s safety is important to us. Notes get lost, emails may not
be read at by the end of the day, and a verbal message from your
child may be misunderstood. Your child may also have a substitute
teacher who needs to be informed of the changes.
If the office is not notified, your child will travel
home via his/her regular route.

17. One Final Note……..
If you ever have any questions or concerns about your
child at school, I would like to be your first contact. I am in your
child’s corner and only want what’s best for everyone involved.
Email is the absolute best way to tackle these issues. We can
meet after the initial email if needed.
If there is ever a situation I can’t resolve on my own, I
will forward your email to the person best suited to resolve the
issue. Together we can work through any and all issues
and concerns.

18. Here is a link to the Vision Charter School website www.visioncharter.net
Here you will find:
• The current school calendar
• Student Handbook
• The Phonogram power point
• VCS policies
• The Weekly Newsletter
• The school’s address, phone and fax numbers
• Teacher bios
• A link to order hot lunches
• Bus schedules and routes
If you are not currently signed up to receive the VCS Newsletter
Please contact the Elementary Office.

19. Mrs. Ferrera Ms. Huckins