Good Afternoon First Grade Families,
Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a good weekend. Please pay special attention to all the information below for our first week of distance learning! I ask that you please read all of the information I post or email along with all of the attachments. I am being asked questions that are covered in detail by the e-mail and posts that I have put out. Once again, please check and read all of the attachments below.
Wednesday, Aug. 19th
Materials Needed for Class are the following:
Jitter Juice Activity
- Cup (Any kind)
- Sprite
- Hawaiian Punch (or any juice)
- Candy Sprinkles
We will also be using our “Writing Journal” (Composition Notebook- Primary Ruled with Space to draw) Your child will need a pencil and crayons/colored pencils.
Art Activity for this coming Thursday or Friday
- (1) 8.5 x 11 blank printer paper
- Colored Markers
- Pencil
Will send you more updates for the materials, once I finalized my plan for this week.
PARENT’S ROLE (HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT YOUR CHILD AT HOME?)
- Ensure your child is ready for the day and can access Zoom.
- Support your child in having a learning space free of distractions.
- Provide support and document struggles
- Communicate with the teacher about successes and struggles.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT YOUR CHILD AT HOME BEFORE/ DURING ASSESSMENTS?
- Remind your child to complete the assessment independently and to do his/her best.
- Remind your child that the purpose of assessment is to show the teacher what they have learned.
- Give your child time and space to complete the assessment.
- Allow him/her to wrestle with problems
- Don’t intervene unless he/she has a question
- If your child has a question, provide clarity on the task without giving him/her the answer.
- Review the directions
- Ask him/her to reread the question
- Ask him/her to rephrase the task/question in his/her own words
- Be sure that your tone and facial expressions are neutral
- Remind your child it’s okay to make a mistake. Mistakes are valuable information for teachers.
SUMMER PACKET
Our first grade summer packet consisted of a summer reading log and sight word list. You will just take pictures of those pages and post in on SeeSaw. This assignment is due Friday, August 21st. It should be submitted through the SeeSaw App. Please assign it under the summer packet folder on SeeSaw. Hard copies will not be collected.
DAILY ATTENDANCE
I will take attendance based on who is present on our zoom sessions. Our class starts at 8:30am every day. If your child is not on at 8:35am, your child will be marked tardy or absent. Currently, our live zoom class is our new classroom setting. Although we are not physically in a classroom, we will follow the same routines and schedule.
ZOOM PROCEDURES
I highly encourage all families to have their child attend my daily Zoom class. Attending the live Zoom lessons allows students a chance to interact with their classmates and teachers and can increase engagement. It also allows for students to receive immediate feedback. Their participation and work habits will be part of their grades, and for me to grade that, I need to see them in my daily zoom class.
ZOOM RULES
- Show up 5 mins before the class time and wait to be admitted into class.
- Find a quiet place, free of distractions (siblings, television, pets, etc.) (Parent or adult supervision is recommended during the sessions) No inappropriate pictures on the screen saver.
- Change out of your Pj’s to your school uniform and be ready for class.
- Use the restroom before sessions.
- Sit down quietly with your eyes on the camera.
- Listen Attentively and follow directions
- Be respectful in your speaking, writing and actions.
- Do not talk while teacher or others are talking.
- Stay on MUTE. Use hand signals or click the “raise hand” button if you would like to participate or have any questions.
- Video needs to remain ON to promote focus.
- Refrain from eating, chewing gum or drinking
- Stay ON TASK.
ZOOM ACCOUNT NAME
If you can also help me change the zoom account’s name to your child’s number and name, it will be easier for us to take attendance. (STUDENTS # & NAME)
e.g. # 36 Nicole Martinez
Please check the attached roster below to check your child’s number.
CLASS INTERRUPTIONS
Please remind your child to use the restroom and have all the learning materials ready before we start our zoom sessions to avoid interruptions.
WORKSTATION
I recommend setting up a space in your home dedicated to learning, keeping all materials stored in one safe space and keeping distractions to a minimum. A quiet, supervised, place to study. Students that are not in a work friendly environment are more distracted. It affects them greatly and they tend to lose focus.
UNIFORM
As I mentioned during our Zoom meetings, we will be requiring students to wear uniform tops during their live Zoom sessions. Failure to do so will result to uniform infraction.
Our first week, Aug. 19-21 is free dress, no Pj’s. We will start wearing our uniforms starting on Aug 24th.
HOMEWORK
Homework is due every Thursday night till 7pm through SeeSaw. Their weekly homework will be Math, Sight Words and Reading. I will start giving homework after our labor day weekend.
Math
- We will use the Standard’s Practice book as our homework for Math. I will assign the pages every week. We will try to work on the pages during our Math time as an independent work, parents please check your child’s work before submitting. If we don’t get to work on our homework during our class, I will notify all parents on band app.
Sight Words
- Students will get a list of sight words to practice and learn each week.
- Students should pick one activity to do each night with all of their words. There should be one activity per page with the date on top.
- PLEASE NOTE: Students may use the back page of the previous activity to complete each activity! Using front and back will help students utilize all the space in their notebooks!
Reading
- Reading homework will be assigned on Raz-kids weekly. I will assign 2 reading homework every week.
TEST/ ASSESSMENTS
Students will be tested weekly on Word Study/Phonics & Fluency/Sight Words every Friday. Parents can help their child by reviewing the topics we learned for that week.
Math
I will let all the parents know if we will have any Math test. Usually after we finish discussing a chapter.
Sight Word Test
Students will be graded on if they can spell each of their sight words correctly. Remember, these are the words that first graders should be able to automatically recognize when reading independently!
Word Study
I will be testing their knowledge based on our lesson of the week. Students will be given words to spell and underline the sound of the week.
WORKHABITS
Work habit grades will be their effort in completing and submitting all their classwork, homework, projects on time through SeeSaw.
PARTICIPATION
Joining and participating on zoom daily will also be part of your child’s grades. It will be 20% of their grades in Math, Language, Reading, Science, Social Studies, Religion and Art.
BEHAVIOR
We will be reviewing everyday our Tribes Agreements as we start our school year. Please encourage your children to follow these agreements even at home!
The Tribes Agreements are:
- Mutual Respect
- Attentive Listening
- Appreciations/No Putdowns
- Right to Pass
- Personal Best
Points will be deducted from your child’s daily behavior grade if they are called upon multiple times for not following our tribes and zoom rules.
BAND APP
Band App and e-mail is the best way to get in touch with me. Once again, PLEASE download the app and join our band group. I will update you daily through band along with emails & blog. You will just need to download the app and click on the link below. I will start posting this week.
https://band.us/n/aea130ufs464S
If you have some concerns or questions, you can send me or Mrs. Ray a private message on the app. so we can respond right away.
CLASS APPS
- Seesaw
- Zoom
- Raz-Kids
- Freckle by Renaissance
- Epic!
ST MATH (App will not work anymore; Student must use the new web play.stmath.com)
Please see the attachment below for the pictures of the apps to be downloaded.
DISTANCE LEARNING SUPPLIES
Your child will be needing the ff supplies at home:
- Ipad/tablet
■ box of Crayola crayons (24 count) / box of colored pencils (24 count)
■ box of Crayola markers (10 count)
■ pair of scissors
■ fine point dry-erase marker
■ small glue stick
■ eraser
■ #2 pencils (yellow only)
■ red pen (For checking/ correcting papers)
■ yellow highlighter (for annotating)
● 1 Composition notebook (WIDE RULED)
○ This should be additionally labeled with, “Sight Word Journal” on the front cover
● 2 Composition notebooks (PRIMARY RULED- with space to draw)
○ 1 of these composition notebooks should be additionally labeled with, “Writing Journal”
○ 1 of these composition notebooks should be additionally labeled with, “Word Study Notebook”
- 9” x 12” Whiteboard and whiteboard marker & eraser (for at home learning use)
I would also recommend getting your child the following to help them with distance learning, I included some links so you know how it looks like, you don’t have to buy the specific item.
1. Headset/headphones
https://www.amazon.com/slp/school-headphones/w863g9r86oev9d2
2. Stylus pen (best for practicing their handwriting)
https://www.amazon.com/customerpicks/Explore-stylus-pens-for-kids/5256620e107b481101b6
3. Blue light glasses
SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB
Now more than ever it is so important for your child to have books in the home. Plus our class gets FREE books with every order!
Connect to Our Class Page: https://orders.scholastic.com/VV4T7
Shop the flyers with your child: https://editions.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=667275
Thank you for encouraging the love of reading!
PS: Feel free to forward the class page link to extended family who may want to support your child’s reading.
Class Code: VV4T7
Books will be delivered to our school. I will let you know when to pick it up!
BLOCK SCHEDULE
Please see our “Distance Learning” schedule attached below. Once again, attending the live Zoom lessons will allow students to interact with their classmates and teachers and can increase engagement. It will also allow for students to receive immediate feedback. Students will also have instruction with our PE and Music teachers on Tuesdays & Wednesdays. Please see the attached block schedule below.
OFFICE HOURS
Parents, please don’t hesitate to contact me or email me if you have any questions but I will only be able to respond to you during my office hours: M-F 7:30-8:00am/ 3-5pm. I will try to respond within 24hrs and also try my best to respond to your questions as soon as possible. I’ve been noticing parents emailing me at 8-11pm, please don’t expect me to respond at this time. Again, the best time to contact me is 7:30-8:00am & 3-5pm
I greatly appreciate those parents who are reading and acknowledging my email. Thank you so much!
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Our partnership is what will help the first graders continue to be so successful!
God Bless!
Warmly,
Ms. Martinez
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