Welcome to Mrs. Lambeth’s 1^st Grade! We will have a fantastic year and will learn and grow so much. First grade is a year of many changes and I am so excited to be on this journey with your student. I will be sharing information with you every Friday via email or on our class blog, mrslambeths1stgradeclassroom.blogspot.com. So check both.

Discipline:

            Our classroom rules are simple; do our very best, listen to each other, show kindness, do what is asked the first time, and respect each other, our supplies and materials. Our classroom motto is stop and think, good choice, bad choice, what are our choices, pick one and do it, then say good job. For my classroom management I like to use the Clip Chart-all student’s start on ready to learn at the beginning of the day. When students are making good choices they will be asked to move up. When students are making bad choices they will be asked to move their clip down. When a student reaches Great job they will receive a sticker. If a student reaches the top to Super Student they will get two stickers. They will put the stickers on a chart to keep track. For every 10 stickers the student will get a reward. We can decide together what that reward will be. If a student has to move their clip down and they reach Teachers Choice then I will decide a consequence for them. If the student reaches the very bottom on Parent Contact then I will notify you. I will also be adding things through out the year if the class needs it.

Classroom Procedures:

            Homework: Sent home Monday, due Friday.

20 minutes of reading is assigned each night. All reading will be recorded on the Road to Success Website and Reading Calendar. On the Road to Success Website students will have the opportunity to earn fun prizes while completing their assignments. The Reading Calendar is located on the back of the homework folder please initial each day and write how many minutes your child has read. This will come back on Friday with the rest of the homework. There will also be a weekly math packet sent home, as well as a spelling list and literacy review page. All homework will be sent home Monday to come back Friday. For spelling, your child is able to pick how they would like to practice their spelling words. All of our large I.B projects will be done in class.

            Absences: First grade is full of hands on learning experiences, and interactive lessons, which often cannot be replicated through a sent home worksheet, thus attendance is critical. Please make every effort to be at school, and on time each day. Please let the office know if your child will not be at school. If your child is ill, I will send home makeup work for them to do, though as mentioned, some of our hands on experiences cannot be replicated at home. If you are going on vacation, please let me know at least one week in advance, so your child can get a trip journal and packet to complete.

            Birthdays: As part of our school’s wellness policy, no treats are to be given out for a child’s birthday. Our class will celebrate and recognize your child on their special day. If you would still like to do something special, you are welcome to donate a book or game to our classroom library, or to send in a small favor, like a pencil or eraser, ect.

            Volunteering: There will be many opportunities to volunteer this coming year! Volunteers will be organized by the room parents and myself to be used for centers, classroom celebrations, and sharing special talents. You are also welcome to email me if you have a certain day or time (even once) that you are available and I will put you to work!

Grading: This year we will be using the SIS/Aspire program in first grade. Please be patient as we are learning the program! If you have children in 2^nd-9^th grade, you will have probably used it before!) I am planning to update them every 1-2 weeks on Mondays. Our grading scale will be as follows:

Previous Progress Report Grade	New Grades using SIS/aspire	Percentages Earned
A=Accomplished (independent and accurate)	A	90-100
P=Progressing (practicing towards independence and accuracy) THIS IS WHERE MOST STUDENTS ARE	B	60-90
S=SUPPORTED (needs prompts and guidance)	C	30-60
C=Challenged (difficulty grasping the concept and requires extra time and support to progress	D	10-30
	F	0-10

To Earn a Soaring Eagle Award (elementary equivalent of high honor roll, for academic excellence), your child will need to have an A in all areas of their report card and be reading at grade level or above. These awards are given each quarter.

To earn an IB Leadership Award, your child will need to complete 10 of the 12 projects listed on their leadership form. They have all year to work on this, as awards are given in May.

Curriculum:

            Math: In first grade, we use MY MATH, which is an excellent, inquiry based math program. Students will be taught that there are many “right” ways to solve a problem and they are welcome to use what works best for them. If you have questions about various ways to solve a problem, please refer to my website, or come meet with me to discuss it.

            Literacy: Our school uses the Spalding Method for literacy instruction. Through a detailed study of phonograms, word patterns, conventions of writing, and being introduced to aspects of quality literature your child will learn the necessary skills to become a successful and confident reader, writer and speaker.

Unit: As part of the I.B. program, our science and social studies curriculum will be integrated into six, 5-8 weeks units. Each unit will have a culminating activity or project for the students to share and display what they have learned. If you would like to see what your child will be learning this coming year, you are welcome to log onto UEN.org which is the Utah Education Network website. From here, there will be a link to the 1^st grade core curriculum.

Special Programs:

Scholastic book orders: I will provide an opportunity for you to purchase books from the Scholastic book club each month. This is a great way to buy well written, low cost books. However, it is not required! I do all of my scholastic ordering online. Our class code to order is “KGKTL.” I will write in my weekly message if book order catalogs are being sent home.

Box tops for education: By turning in 10 box tops each month, your child will earn a dress down day for the month. You may also purchase dress down days form HOPE at the beginning of the school year.

Contact Information:

You can contact me any time through email. My address is slambeth@hawthornacademy.org. I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year working with you and your child.