Dear First Grade Families,
I hope everyone is well. Here is all the information that you and your child will need for this week, 8/28-9/1. Please make sure to read all important information to avoid questions that are clearly stated on all emails/ reminders. I would greatly appreciate it!
I. Homework folder
Every day, students will be bringing home their blue homework folder. All students are expected to return their blue homework folder to school every day. A bin will be placed outside the1st grade classroom every morning for these folders. It should be placed in number order. This should be done as soon as they hang up their backpacks.
Please help me encourage our first graders to be independent, they should be able to hang their own back packs & put the homework folders in the bin by themselves. This will be part of our first grade morning routine.
II. Homework List
Every Monday, your child will have a homework list in their blue homework folder. Leave this list in your child’s homework folder. This must be signed and returned every day. You may use the homework list to keep track of your child’s daily assignments. I recommend following the daily schedule provided on the homework weekly list that help the students manage their activities better.
III. Homework Procedures (from 1st grade syllabus)
Homework assignments are given to provide practice for what we are learning in class. It teaches your child responsibility and good study habits. You should help your child with homework and work together to check for accuracy. Remember you are not to do their work for them; you are there to support them as needed.
- Please read the directions on your child’s Homework Folder (located on both sides of the inside pockets).
- Do not wait until the day before it is due to complete all homework assignments. I provided a daily checklist for families to follow.
- Please provide a special safe place for your child’s homework folder and classroom materials. They will have various folders/envelopes sent home (directions will be attached to each).
Students should return their blue homework folder to school daily WITH their signed behavior chart turned into the plastic pocket.
Homework will be assigned on Mondays and sent home with a weekly homework sheet. Kindly follow the agenda listed on the sheet. Make sure to sign your child’s homework list daily, and this will also be checked by the teacher daily.
Homework is expected to be completed daily. This includes:
1. Go Math Standards Practice book (due every day, rip the assigned pages for the day & put them in the blue homework folder, staple!)
2. 4 daily Sight Word Notebook activities (due on Thursdays) Submit through Seesaw by 9 pm.
3. 2 Seesaw Decodables- HIGHLIGHT, READ & RECORD (due on Thursdays)
4 2 Raz-kids (2 books a week) Listen, read, record & quiz (must be completed by Thursday by 9 pm) NOT ASSIGNED THIS WEEK
Go Math Practice
MATH pages are due every day. We check it everyday and record it on Friday. We will use the Go Math Standard’s Practice book as our homework for Math. I will assign the pages every day, you will see the pages on the homework list. Students MUST rip the assigned pages; they must write their name and place it in blue homework folder each day. Please staple each page with the homework list to avoid misplacing it. Go Math Practice books will be distributed on Monday.
● Students will complete two math workbook pages from the Go Math! Standards Practice Book (that corresponds to the lesson taught in class that day). Please avoid doing the pages in advance.
● The Go Math! Standards Practice Book will be kept at home with your child.
● Students should rip out the pages they must complete and put their FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, AND DATE on each page.
● Students should staple each homework page together (with Monday’s assignment on top) and turn in their math homework DAILY.
● Math tests and quizzes will occur in the middle and end of each chapter.
Sight Word Practice
activities are due every Thursdays by 4-8pm. Students must practice it daily. 1 activity per day. The sight word list and sight word menu is in your child’s homework folder.
● Students will get a list of sight words to practice and learn each week.
● The weekly sight word list and sight word menu are included in your child’s blue homework folder. The sight word weekly list & menu are in their blue homework folder.
● Sight word week list will also be mentioned in my weekly emails.
● Picture & video submission of each activity is good!
● Must be submitted in 1 post, 4 pages, with dates on each activity. There will be a template that will be posted on Seesaw.
● Make sure your child does one different activity every day.
● Doing it daily is a good practice rather than doing it all at once.
● It must be part of their daily homework routine.
● Must be submitted every Thursday on Seesaw by 8pm
*I will be sending the sight word notebook on Monday.
Sight Word Seesaw Activities Sample:
Here are some examples from my previous students.
https://app.seesaw.me/#/item/item.1f1ab381-38c2-4c93-a4f7-10361bef6e92/share/wawRFhKdTkOc-jqOplo0mw
https://app.seesaw.me/#/item/item.b399d0f3-264f-484e-b16d-ff493d8371a0/share/SX9ucxauQK61c6f7CPPIGg
https://app.seesaw.me/#/item/item.8c333dc8-8867-4a5b-880c-8ff9064c4d4b/share/3-LTMYLJQveo1R4iSjg0bA
https://app.seesaw.me/#/item/item.598cfa87-b852-4d10-9bee-c82559fb9d15/share/wkznFRTfRbeEr8ZQQKMRZw
https://app.seesaw.me/#/item/item.30a875a2-da20-4092-b7b6-2d3ed58ef2d9/share/S_jvofoRT3KljvgameXhRg
Seesaw Decodables
Seesaw Decodables will be assigned to your child every Monday at 3pm. Students must read, record and highlight words their decodables posted on Seesaw. For this week, our focus is short a words. Students must highlight all the words with short a in the story. This must be completed by Thursday, 4-8pm. Having your child complete and submit their homework before 8pm will allow me to check and record their homework on time.
- 2 Decodables a week (subject to change)
- Highlight the focus of the week, & RECORD
- Missed decodables will be accepted till Saturday @ 12 pm, 1/2 point only.
- All Decodables will be removed by Saturday till 6 pm.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR HOMEWORK
Parents/guardians should sign the homework assignment sheet every night to indicate that your child did their homework for that evening. If the homework assignment sheet for the week is not signed, points will be taken off of their work habits grade.
Parents/guardians should sign your child’s behavior chart each night to ensure you know how your child did that day. If the behavior chart is not signed or lost, points will be taken off their behavior grade.
Seesaw/Raz kids and Sight word activities are due every Thursday by 8pm. They all have to be submitted/completed on Seesaw. Please ensure your child’s Go Math homework pages are stapled together with the homework list.
IV. Homework tutorial video
- Seesaw Decodables – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MYqqx9KRixxglsBJREU7xSB4dMsbRIgO/view?usp=sharing
V. TESTS
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.
- Word Study- Words with short / a / words
- Sight Words- Week 1
- Vocabulary- Lesson 1
- Comprehension- What is a Pal?
Sight Word Test
Dictation and Spelling 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 test
Dictation and multiple-choice test- 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 (short a). These words are words that we practice daily in the classroom.
Vocabulary test
Multiple choice test- Vocabulary words are listed on your child’s homework list. Students will use the correct words to complete the sentence.
Comprehension test
Multiple choice test- Students will answer questions regarding the story “What is Pal?”. A copy of this story will also be sent home for extra practice. We will also read this story every day in our classroom.
VI. SIGHT WORDS of the week
Week 1
- the
- of
- and
- to
- in
- is
VII. STAR testing
On Tuesday, 8/29, our first grade will be taking their 1st STAR test. This test will measure their knowledge from Kinder. Please make sure that your child had enough sleep and healthy breakfast before coming to school. Students will be using our school iPad to do the test. It is recommended for students to wear headphones to avoid distraction. If your child has headphones that is compatible to an iPad, please make sure to bring it to school.
VIII. Baptism Project
Baptism Folder project- due on September 25, 2023
For the upcoming weeks, we will be learning and talking about baptism. Baptism is one of the Seven Sacraments. It is a special celebration when one is welcomed officially into the Catholic Church with holy water.
This Friday, August 25, our baptism folder project instructions were sent out. Take some time this week to discuss baptism with your child. If they have been baptized, tell stories, look at the pictures, and remember their baptism together. Remind them who their godparents are, what they wore, and look at their baptism candle. If they have not been baptized, share the story when they were born instead. Look at pictures and share any special gifts, clothing, memories, etc. We will be discussing these special memories in class.
Together with your child, fill out the information sheets describing how their name was chosen and other information. Return this project to class by September 25, 2023. Students can also provide pictures of their baptism or real objects from their baptism and design their baptism folder. I will be grading their creativity, information sheets, & work habits.
Please click this link to access the sample and templates. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TXlfoHXlwjZci8sG_O7wmyNgQG7j5qGD?usp=sharing
IX. Room Parents & Band app
We are fortunate to have a team of enthusiastic and caring Room Parents who have generously volunteered to assist in fostering a strong and supportive classroom environment. They will be working closely with me to ensure that our students have the best possible learning experience. Our Room Parents are Mrs. Jeah Avila, Mrs. Wendy Andrade, Mrs. Sandra Ruiz and Mrs. Joy Cruz and they are excited to collaborate with each of you throughout the school year.
We all know that questions and situations can arise when I am not immediately available. Our Room Parents are here to bridge that gap and provide you with a helping hand. Whether you have a question about homework, need clarification on an upcoming event, or simply want to stay informed, our Room Parents will be more than happy to assist.
Feel free to reach out to our Room Parents through our Band app. They will make every effort to respond promptly and ensure that your concerns or inquiries are addressed. While they may not have access to all the information I possess, they are well-equipped to provide support, connect you with the right resources, and keep you informed about classroom activities.
Open this invite link below on your smartphone or desktop to join the group.
https://band.us/n/a7a390X851zfG
We also have a printed BAND QR code up on the wall outside our classroom.
I encourage everyone to join our band app so you can keep updated on everything. Our Room Parents are excited to work with each of you to make this school year exceptional. Please remember that you can also support our classroom by sharing your expertise, volunteering your time, and participating in our activities.
X. Amazon Wishlist
As we gear up for an exciting school year filled with learning and growth, I wanted to share a wonderful opportunity to further enhance our classroom experience. I created an Amazon Wishlist with carefully selected items that will greatly benefit our students’ education journey. You may check out the link below.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/6SNU84E?ref=cm_sw_em_r_un_un_GSD8JBZxn9TQm
XI. ST MATH, Freckle & Epic!
ST Math is not part of your child’s daily homework. ST MATH is only for classroom use and is part of our math classroom grade. I have instructed all students about this already. I can track students ST MATH log in activities. If you want your child to do some extra practice at home, they may access Freckle for Math and ELA and practice reading on EPIC! app.
XII. Mass
First Grade class will not be attending our school mass till September 15. We will continue to practice our mass procedures and etiquette for the following weeks. I still encourage students to wear their complete FORMAL MASS UNIFORM every Friday.
XIII. Book fees
If you haven’t paid your child’s book fees through facts or at the office, your child will not get their books. We will start using some of our books this week.
XIV. Early Leave
If you’re picking up your child ready, please let me and the office know in advance. It helps with smooth transition, when I’m aware of the early pickup, I can help prepare your child for the transition and ensure that any necessary belongings are gathered. It can also minimize classroom disruptions during instructional hours. This allows me to maintain a productive learning environment for all students.
XV. UPCOMING EVENTS
School calendar can be found (clicking here)
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. I will try my best to respond to you as soon as I can.
Thank you & God Bless!
Warmly,
Ms. Martinez
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