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Welcome to 1Welcome to 1stst Grade Grade Open House!Open House!

Welcome to 1Welcome to 1stst Grade Grade Open House!Open House!Miss Stella AlbaneseMiss Stella Albanese

Room #9Room #9

Thank you for coming to see our classroom!

We work hard… but we find time to be silly too!

Miss Albanese’s Background

• 7th year at Southgate teaching 1st grade• Teach Post-K during the summer• Grew up in Guilderland; currently live in

Ballston Spa• Bachelor’s Degree in Inclusive Elementary

and Special Education from Syracuse University

(May 2005)• Master’s Degree as a Reading Specialist from

Columbia University (December 2006)

Contact Information:*also in student planner*

• Southgate Elementary 785-6607 ext. 4260• Best way to reach me is via email:

salbanese@ncolonie.org• I will check this during the school

day as well as after school and weekends

• Class website: www.missalbanese.pbworks.com

• Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns

Home-School Communication

• Weekly Newsletter• Email/phone/notes• Daily “chats”• Please check your child’s planner dailyYour child will be responsible for

copying down their homework daily. • Please check and empty your child’s

Take Home Folder daily• Homework and time sensitive

materials will be on the RIGHT BACK TO SCHOOL side

• Completed class work and notes for parents will be on the LEFT AT HOME side

Goals • To develop independent,

responsible, learners • To incorporate a variety of

learning experiences in order to build student interest and engagement

• To provide appropriate scaffolding and guided practice so that students will be able to apply what they are learning

• To help shape conscientious and respectful students

Daily Routines• Morning Procedure *We start right at 8:05 with morning

work– Planners/Take Home Folder Emptied– AM work- Read and Relax– Morning Meeting

• Organization of classroom– Procedures for using materials– Daily picture schedule– Signals: Rain stick, “Give me five,”

Clap

Behavior Management

System:• Positive reinforcement

– Verbal praise– Stickers– Extra time for an activity of choice– “Caught Being Good!” or “Praise Notes”

• Marble System (goal = 100 marbles)• - Encourages students to work together as a

class to demonstrate exemplary behavior in order to earn compliments

• Clear expectations and routines• Regular communication with families

– “Working together for the child’s success!”

Behavior Management

System:• “Stoplight” Card System Based on School

Rules and Classroom Expectations (Our Class Promise)

– 1st time: Verbal reminder– 2nd time: Verbal warning (still on

green)– 3rd time: Pull a green card

• When the student is on yellow they are visually made aware that they need to “slow down” and be more attentive to their actions.

– 4th time: Pull a yellow card• When the student is on red they are visually made

aware that they need to “stop.” Red note is sent home and students may lose a class privilege.

Language Arts:• Reading: Developing life long readers!• We use a balanced literacy program that uses

a variety of instruction including whole group lessons which focus on reading strategies, small groups for guided reading to more specifically meet student needs, and immersion in quality literature.– Daily teaching strategies include: Shared reading

and writing, read alouds, Daily 5 literacy program (read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, work on writing, word work)

• Introduce purpose and procedure for Bookworm and Book in a Bag

Some Reading Lingo to Get You

Started: started…• Take a picture walk…• Use your picture clues…• Get your mouth ready…• Look for little words or chunks you know…• Talk about the story:• What happened first? Next? Last?• Who were the characters? • Where was the story taking place? • What was your favorite part? • What did this story remind you of? • (Connections)

Language Arts continued:

• Writing:– Journals, graphic organizers, Writer’s

Workshop, formal and informal– Mini-lessons for direct instruction in

structure, grammar, and mechanics– Incorporated across subject areas

• Goal: For students to develop a logical, sequential order (beginning, middle, and end), while also having the opportunity to experience different types of writing.

• Look for: Students ability to read back their work, complete sentences, application of “first grade words,” capitals in the beginning and punctuation at the end.

Language Arts continued:

• Listening: Developing a purpose, following directions, listening for information

• Speaking: Building appropriate communication skills and using appropriate voice

* Intro K-2 language program

Spelling and Handwriting:

• Handwriting: Zaner-Bloser program; focusing on correct letter formation and spacing (neatness counts!)

• Spelling/Word Work: Formal spelling instruction begins in mid October

• Focus on manipulating words and developing effective strategies

• Program is more individualized based on Oct. assesment

• The goal is for students to carry over their knowledge of word families and sight words in to their writing. Moving away from memorization!

*Invented spelling or “sound spelling” is absolutely expected and accepted at this point.

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Parent Communication

• Core words and word patterns will be communicated to parents in student planners and our weekly newsletter. “Core Words” are words that are expected to be written correctly. They are different than our sight words which are expected to be read automatically.

• “Focus Words” come from student writing and word family instruction.

• Parents will receive a word study dictation highlighted with words your child has not yet mastered. These words will continue to be practiced. This is a great way to monitor student progress and application.

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Effective word study activities:-Tic-tac-toe with word family words-Fun materials: white boards, sidewalk chalk, crayons, paint, stamps, magnets-Word hunts; looking for words you know in different place-Fill in missing vowels-Word Sorts/Picture sorts (group by similar sounds or patterns)-Make A Word (magnets, letter tiles, letter cards….)-Word Family Go Fish-Memory Game with index cards-Writing stories using word family words-”Mind Reader” -Give clues for a word you are thinking of*I will be happy to give you materials to use at home if you would like!

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Ineffective approaches:• Memorization (“drill and kill”)• Write 3 times• Put in ABC order• Use word in a sentence

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Math:• Daily routines; i.e. calendar math,

weather, marble jar, and problem of the day

• Use of manipulatives, smartboard activities, and student textbook, along with “Math Talk”

• Focus on developing problem solving skills

• Assessment: Chapter tests, problem solving independently, participation, and daily work

Math: Newly aligned series with Common Core Standards

BIG IDEAS covered in first grade:• Addition concepts• Subtraction concepts• Comparing numbers• Problem solving and explaining how

you got your answer higher level thinking

• Measurement• Graphing• Time to the hour and half hour• Coin recognition

Science and Health:

• Science units are usually integrated into themes, i.e. Penguins in the Winter– Some major units of study: properties,

animal homes and adaptations, life cycles of plants/animals, weather

• Activities focus on questioning and exploration

• Mrs. Bonnano and Mrs. Winters-Bono come to teach us about mental and physical health

Social Studies:

• Social Studies in first grade focuses on a variety of activities to increase student awareness about the world around them (holidays, different families, Now and Long Ago, map skills,community )

• Students learn more about themselves, as well as others

• Social Studies is also heavily integrated with Language Arts

Character Education:

Reporting:• Report cards go out three times per

year (Trimester change)– December, March, June– Progress reports in October, January,

May

• Phone calls/notes at least once per trimester (Not always a bad thing!)

• Individual parent- teacher conferences are in NOVEMBER– Don’t forget to sign up tonight! Let me know if

you need another time or day.• I welcome additional conferences throughout the year

as you find necessary!

Homework:• Given nightly (appx. 15 minutes)• Improves organization and builds

study skills • Homework is expected back the

next day, but should be easy!• Don’t feel the need to correct

homework before it is turned in, it provides excellent feedback for me as is!

•Please try to read with your child for 15 min. each night.

ODDS and ENDS:• Snack: We do have snack daily, so please send in

a healthy snack for your child • School News Notifier • Recess/Lunch: Sending in money/prepaid accounts• Birthdays: If you would like, feel free to send in a

birthday snack with your child on, or near, their special day. We celebrate during snack time.

• Bus notes and absences• Field trip to Elm’s Farm Sept. 28th- 3 parent

volunteers• Volunteers ( a bit different from K)

WE NEED YOU!• READ, READ, READ every night! • Practice addition and subtraction facts• Help your child get plenty of rest and eat a healthy

breakfast• Increase your child’s independence and

responsibility at home (chores, homework, etc.)• Look through student folder and prepare backpack

the night before to build organization• Talk about daily routines at home to help ease

anxiety• Homework routine• Practice sight words and word family words• Model reading and writing at home

Wrapping Up:• Any Questions?!!!• *If you would like to speak to me

about your individual student please feel free to write me a note and I will be glad to schedule a conference

• Feel free to write your student a note on their desk!

• Don’t forget to sign the sign in sheet and sign up to be a volunteer if you would like.

•Take a walk around the classroom and check things out.

Thank you for sharing your children with

me! I look forward to a wonderful year.