Whitewater Valley Elementary

Mrs. Cassidy,

Mrs. Houpe,

Mrs. Thomas, &

Mrs. Vanderpohl

This web page was created to guide you through the first grade. There is a lot of useful information for you and your parents. If you have any questions please feel free to contact your first grade teacher and we would be happy to help you in any way!

Field Trip:

We will go to the Farm. Parents are welcome to join us.

Grade Level Expectations

Classroom Expectations – Consequences – Grading Scale

Homework Policy: It is vital for you to practice skills with your children at home that they have learned in school. Therefore, we expect the first graders to complete homework and turn it on time. There will usually not be homework on the weekends. Homework packets will be sent home on Mondays and due on Fridays. If homework packets are turned in complete and on time your child will receive an O (Outstanding). If your child did not turn in their homework, then a reminder note will be sent home. If the homework has not been turned in by the following Monday, your child will lose 15 minutes of their first recess.

1 Day late- S+
2 Days late- S.
3 Days late- S-.
4 Days late- N
5 Days late- no credit

Students will be receiving math and language arts homework. There will be spelling and sight words to practice. Each child is expected to read or be read to daily for 10 minutes. One AR book each week will be required toward the end of the first quarter.

*If a student is absent, sufficient time will be given to make up the work.

Grading: First graders will receive four midterm reports that are a general summary of how the student is doing so far in the current quarter. If a parent conference has occurred close to the middle of the quarter, a written report will not be sent home. First graders also receive a report card at the end of each quarter. The grading scale is O for Outstanding, S for Satisfactory, N for needs improvement.

Snacks: Your child may bring a nutritious daily snack to eat in the afternoon since we have such an early lunch. No sweets!

Birthdays: Please send us a note ahead of time to let us know you would like to send in a birthday treat so we can plan for it during our day. Summer birthdays may pick a day or contribute to a Summer Birthday Day during the last week of school. Remember to send napkins, spoons, cups, etc. that may be needed.

Academic Information

Language Arts:

We will be using two basic approaches to reading this year. The phonics method works on letter names and sounds and blending them into words. We will work on many phonics rules that make decoding words easier such as silent e and two vowels walking. However, some words do not follow the rules. Therefore, we also need the whole word method that requires students to memorize words until they can be recalled automatically by sight.

This year we will be using the Scott Foresman Reading Series that includes reading, phonics, oral language, spelling, grammar and writing skills. It closely follows the Ohio Standards that we are required to teach. There are many parent suggestions given on a weekly newsletter from the practice book and on the bottom of workbook pages. Be sure to reinforce the skills at home.

(Link to reading series)

Math:

We use the Scott Foresman series which also provides our Language Arts curriculum.

Each day your child will participate in calendar time along with a math lesson that includes hands-on experiences, discussion, and exploration.

Topics covered in math include:

Numbers
Patterns and Sorting
Addition and Subtraction
Fractions
Time
Place Value
Geometry
Money
Data, Charts, and Graphs
Measurement
Probability

Science & Social Studies

Each class will switch with one other teacher for either science or social studies. Each subject is taught for 30 minutes twice a week. The teachers move to the different classrooms. Students will receive study guides and have tests throughout the year. Occasionally homework and projects will also be assigned .

Mrs. Houpe teaches science and her class will switch with Mrs. Thomas who teaches social studies.

Mrs. Vanderpohl teaches science and her class will switch with Mrs. Cassidy who teaches social studies.

Science/Health- Mrs. Houpe and Mrs. Vanderpohl:

We will study the following topics:

Life Science