Welcome to First Grade! Mrs. Powell

Catoctin Elementary School 2012

Welcome to First Grade!

Mrs. Powell


School ClimatePositive Behavior Intervention

System (PBIS)◦Catoctin is a PBIS school. We are

working as a school to be respectful, ready, and responsible. When the children are seen exhibiting these behaviors they are recognized with golden tickets. The children will be able to save up their golden tickets and then “purchase” items from a prize store.


Classroom ClimateRespectful: Use polite and kind words Stay in your personal space Raise your hands Work quietly Listen to othersResponsible: Follow directions and class routines Complete work given Make good choices Clean up after yourself Ready: Have materials ready Give your best effort Stop, Look, and Listen (FREEZE!)


Classroom Climate (cont.)Rewards

◦Class prizes ◦Golden tickets

Consequences◦Color Model: blue=exceeds, green=meets,

yellow=progressing, and red=below expectations for behavior

◦Each day the children will start on yellow. As the day progresses each child will have the opportunity to move to green or blue if s/he exhibits appropriate behavior. If there is a problem s/he will be asked to move to red. If the child ends the day on red, a red note will come home.


Classroom Climate (cont.)◦Think papers will be used at times.◦Please, review any documentation

(red notes or think papers) with your child, sign, and return to school the following day.

◦If anyone harms another child on purpose s/he will be asked to speak with an administrator.


Toys/ “Look-Alikes”LCPS policy is no weapon of any

kind may be on school property.This does include “look-alikes”.

For example: toy guns, butter knives etc.

Please, help to enforce this policy with your child.


PlannersThanks to all the money that was earned

through Box Tops for Education, each child was provided a planner.

Each day your child will record the color s/he ended the day on and a picture, word, or picture about his/her day.

Planners will come home daily. Please, initial that you saw your child’s planner.

In the front of the planner you will find the Catoctin handbook. Please, take time to review this information with your child. There are changes to it from last year.


AttendanceThe tardy bell rings at 7:50 a.m. If a child arrives after this time

(not by bus) s/he will have to go to the office to get a tardy pass.

If the child was in breakfast s/he will not be marked tardy.


Tuesday FoldersTuesday Folders will go home on Tuesday. Catoctin will be sending home all paperwork

on Tuesdays in this folder.Please, take time to review the work and

sign the folder. Please, return the folder the next school day. If you have any comments or questions

about your child’s work simply write it in the folder.

I will send all work, papers from me, and anything that is NOT time sensitive in the Tuesday Folder.


Take Home FoldersTake home folders will remain in the

children’s book bags. If there is something that needs to go

home on a particular day (not a Tuesday) I will have the children place it in the take home folder.

If you have a note for me please attach it in your child’s planner.

I do not check book bags so please remind your child to check his/her folder.


HomeworkHomework will start in late September or early

October.It will be a weekly packet that will contain a

reading log, word study log, math, and sentence writing practice.

Homework packets will be handed out on Mondays and be due the following Monday.

The children should engage in 20 minutes of reading a night. The only way to become a better reader is to read. It is also important for parents to model reading for their children.

More information will follow.


Sunshine MathSunshine Math will be offered to

first grade students if there is enough parent interest.

This will be a combination of home and school work.

More information to follow.


PathwaysCatoctin is a Pathways school. Pathways is a balanced approach to

literacy. The daily components are word study,

shared reading, guided reading, centers, read aloud, independent reading, and writers’ workshop.

The sound charts are used as a reference tool. It would be great to practice these at home.

Poems, passages, and big books are used to promote fluency, sight words, and skills.


Responsive Instruction (RI)RI will take place daily from 8:00

a.m. – 8:30 a.m.Each student will participate in a

short assessment focusing on fluency in early September

RI will focus on fluency instruction


Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)The DRA is a reading assessment that is

administered at the beginning and end of first grade.

The DRA is an assessment that is used to find the child’s independent reading level.

The DRA provides essential information about the child’s decoding skills, comprehension skills, and fluency.

At conference time we will go over your child’s testing in detail.


Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS)The PALS is administered at the

beginning and end of first grade.The PALS provides information

about the child’s knowledge of letter sounds, spelling, and instructional reading level.

We will discuss your child’s PALS at conference time as well.


First Quarter Conferences◦Please, sign up on the front table

before you leave.

Clarity◦The Clarity parent portal is coming in

January to grades K-2. ◦More information to follow.


Accelerated Reading (AR)When a child is able to read and

comprehend on a DRA level 16 s/he will be invited to try the AR program.

This is an independent, enrichment program.

The child must be able to read the book on his/her own and take the test on his/her own.

When a child is ready to take a test s/he should notify the teacher first thing in the morning.


CommunicationThe first grade team will send out a monthly

newsletter to keep you informed.Newsletters will be emailed if you have

provided your email address.If necessary I will send home a note specific to

your child.Notes and email are the best ways to contact

me for general things. My email address is

[email protected]. If you have a question that is child specific please, email me so we can set up a time to conference via phone or in person.


VisitationAll visitors must sign in at the office.Volunteers are welcome (please sign up)If you would like to visit the classroom

(aside from volunteer work and special events) please, contact the administration and set up a time to come in and observe.

Parents may attend lunch without notification but please sign in at the office and meet your child in the cafeteria.


Daily ScheduleRefrigerator ReminderMonday: MusicTuesday: Library & P.E.Wednesday: P.E. and ArtThursday: Computer & P.E.Friday: Music


Lunch MoneyPlease make sure that your child

has lunch money on his/her account.

If your child has a check please, have him/her tell me first thing in the morning.

Ice cream and cookies can be purchased in the cafeteria.

Your child will have to select his/her lunch choice in the morning.


Snack/Water bottlesThe cafeteria is currently offering milk.

Please, have your child tell me first thing in the morning if they would like to purchase white milk for snack.

The children may bring in a water bottle to keep at their desk. I would prefer a bottle with a push top or straw rather than a cap.

The children may bring a small healthy snack.

Juice is only allowed in the cafeteria.


BirthdaysChildren/Families may not bring

in any type of treats (edible or nonedible) in celebration of a birthday. This is a LCPS policy. We can provide a list of other means of recognizing birthdays in school.

Birthday party invitations may not be distributed in school. Please, join the PTA and submit your family’s information to be included in the Catoctin Directory.


Report CardsPlease, review the brochure

about the first grade report card.Progress Indicators for Academic

Subject Areas will be:◦E=exceeds standards◦M=meets standards◦P=progressing towards standard◦B=performing below standard


Report Card Example


Report Card Example


CurriculumThe curriculum that is being covered

will be listed in our newsletters.Each grading period’s curriculum will

be posted as a link on the First Grade Webpage.

Please, see hand out for first quarter curriculum.

The Virginia SOLs can be found on the Virginia Department of Education website.


Grading Work that was done at centers will be marked with a “C”.

Centers work is a formative assessment used to guide instruction. It will not be graded.

If the child did well on an assignment it will have a star on it.

If the child completed the work with just a few errors it will have a check mark on it.

If the child had difficulty there will be a note on the paper. Please, review and talk with your child about the work.

If a child has difficulty completing an assignment due to behavior it will be sent home to be completed at home.

Graded assignments will be marked in a 1(below), 2(progressing), 3 (meets), or a 4 (exceeds).

Most tests and assessments I will hold onto until the end of the quarter.


Thank you for coming to

Back to School Night!

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Welcome to First Grade! Mrs. Powell

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