San Onofre Elementary 1st grade 2013-2014

San Onofre
Elementary
1st grade
2013-2014
• Born and raised in San Clemente
• BA from UCSB
• Teaching Credential from CSUSM
• 6th year teaching (all at San O)
• I LOVE 1st grade!!!
Habit #1 – Be Proactive (You are in charge of yourself)
Habit #2 – Begin with the End in Mind (Have a Plan)
Habit #3 – Put First Things First (Work First, Then Play)
Habit #4 – Think Win-Win (Everyone Can Win)
Habit #5 – Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood (Listen
then Talk)
Habit #6 – Synergize (Together is Better)
Habit #7 – Sharpen the Saw (Balance is Best)
“65 percent of children entering
grade school this year will end up
working in careers that haven’t
even been invented yet.”
-Bureau of Labor Statistics
What?
Students need to learn beyond the core subjects of
language arts, math, and history. They also need to
master skills, like creativity, critical thinking, problem
solving, and digital literacy—skills they need in order to
be successful in the 21st century.
How?
Project-based learning experiences that involve
creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and
digital literacy. (Computers, ipads, ipods, etc)
Within the classroom every student has a clip that always starts
on GREEN (You’re Ready to Go). Below are the rewards and
consequences that go with each color.
Black You’ve found the Leader in you (prize from the prize bucket)
Blue – Your leadership skills are growing
Green – Ready to go!
Yellow – Get back on track (Warning #1)
Orange – Put first things first (Warning #2 & Loose Choice)
Red- Take a breath and get control (Call/Email home and loose
recess)
Please plan for your child to arrive no sooner than 8:00,
unless they are eating breakfast in the cafeteria. This
is when we begin supervising the first graders.
Before school, students are to walk around the building,
not through it, to get to the cafeteria.
Due to congestion and for safety reasons, we are asking
that parents say goodbye to their children at the gate.
• Attendance
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Patriotic Songs (National Anthem,
Anchors Aweigh, Marine Corp Hymn)
• PAWS Pledge/7 Habits Song
During this time we review many
important 1st grade math concepts such
as:
Counting, addition/subtraction, place
value, graphing and time.
Our Reading program is CA Treasures. In order
to best meet the varied needs of our first
graders, our grade level will begin teaming for
reading in a few weeks. All students will be
doing the same stories and skills, but activities
will be differentiated to reteach, reinforce and
to enrich.
First and second grade may eat snacks at
the picnic tables. They play on the upper
playground.
All teachers expect them to be following
PAWS Laws.
I will be using the Writing component of
Treasures in conjunction with Nancy
Fetzer. Nancy Fetzer writing uses a lot of
visuals, body movements, and modeling
to build a solid foundation for writing.
During writing we also work on spelling.
This is independent work and small group
time. The class will work through
centers with a “To-Do List” and I will
pull small groups for reading.
Students may bring lunch from home or
purchase lunch from the cafeteria. The
application for free/reduced lunches is
available on our school website or in the
office. Students play for 20 minutes on
the upper playground after they eat.
We have switched to the Common Core Math
Standards this year. First graders will walk
away having a solid foundation of addition and
subtraction.
I also do an addition and subtraction program
called Got Facts. These are timed addition and
subtraction tests that they have to pass to earn
dog tags.
Our science topics this year are:
Living/non-living, 5 senses,
animals, plants, habitats,
weather, matter and seasons.
Our Social Studies topics for the year
are:
Citizenship, people and places, our
country, changes over time,
celebrating and goods and services.
We will visit the computer lab 1 or 2 times a week. We
work on reading, writing and math programs.
Compass Odyssey is an online reading and math program. We
will use this at school but you can also access it at home to
complete assignments that I will assign.
DreamBox is an online math program we will use at school and
you will be able to access it from home as well.
**I will be sending home your child’s username
and password with homework**
Monday: PE
These activities range from learning a sport to
Yoga and Tae Bo.
Friday: Jog/Walk
We go up to the track and jog or walk laps. For
every 20 miles a student earns an award.
*Students may bring in a water bottle*
This is something each child must earn.
If they are on Orange or Red they will
loose free choice.
At this time students may read, do
puzzles, create masterpieces with
construction paper, use the ipod touches,
or use the computers.
The students pack up their belongings and
we discuss anything special that will be
going on the next day.
We then walk out to the front to get
picked up and students riding the bus
walk to the cafeteria.
•
Homework will begin next week 
•
A homework folder will be sent home on MONDAY with the
Explorer News, Spelling and Treasure Words and is due
completed on FRIDAY.
•
I will be giving you access to computer programs for your child
to use at home for more practice…
• ConnectEd (Treasure’s Online Component)
• DreamBox
• First in Math
•
My homework should take about 25 minutes nightly.
180 1st grade words to know by June
These words are broken up into 14 lists and you
can practice them at home for homework.
When your child knows all of the words in a
list (without hesitation or sounding out) initial
next to the list number and I will test them.
If you need to contact me you can write a note,
email or phone me. The best communication is
email because I check it throughout the day and
can respond quickly.
My contact info:
ahalpern@fuesd.org
Phone: 760-731-4410
www.fuesd.k12.ca.us/sos
Teachers > Halpern, Alison
I try to keep our website up to date with the
weekly newsletters and what we are doing in
the classroom (especially pictures ) so please
check out our website periodically.
These folders are sent home on Friday
with your child’s work and important
school papers.
Please send them back EMPTY on
MONDAY.
Your child’s birthday is an important
event so if you would like to send in a
healthy treat for the class you are
welcome to.
These celebrations will take place at
recess.
If you signed up to help in the classroom
I will be contacting you to start
sometime in October.
Our schedule is still in some flux so
when it is all set I would love your
help.
Volunteer in
our Classroom!
“When you ask me what I’ve done at
school today, and I say that “I just
played”, please don’t misunderstand me.
For, you see, I’m learning as I play. I’m
learning to enjoy and be successful in my
work. I’m preparing for tomorrow. Today,
I am a child and my work is my play.”
-Anonymous
for taking the time to attend
Back to School Night!
I look forward to working with you and
your child this year. It is going to be a
wonderful year filled with exciting
learning activities!