Welcome to First Grade

Kim GurganusShades Mountain Elementary SchoolHoover, Alabama

Daily Schedule7:35-8:00 Morning Routine and Meeting: unpack, daily

data, morning message8:00-9:40 Reading9:40-10:40 Writing10:45-11:10 Recess11:15-11:40 Lunch11:45-12:00 Read Aloud12:00-1:00 Math1:05-1:35 P.E.1:40-2:10 Specials (M-art, T-music, W-library, TH-

computer)2:15-2:45 Discovery2:45 Pack up and dismiss

Reading• Shared reading- Students will read a poem

aloud with the class.• Phonics- Students will identify examples of

phonics skills in the poem.• Focus lessons- Students will be introduced to

the strategies readers use to decode words and comprehend text.

• Reading Conferences and small groups- Individualized instruction with the teacher to practice reading strategies

DECODING/Tricky Word Strategies

• Break the word into pieces.• Skip the word, read to the period and go back to

the word.•  Read the sentence again.•  Think about what makes sense.

• Look at the picture.• Look for a little word in the big word.• Try the long and short sound for the vowels.

Writing

Students will be given opportunities to participate in numerous writing activities.

Concepts:• Letter formation/spacing• Spelling• Punctuation, capitalization• Writing Process: prewriting, draft, revise,

edit, publish

MathLearning Goals:• Students will become problem

solvers.• Students will learn to

communicate their mathematical thinking using words, pictures and numbers.

• Students will learn to reason mathematically.

• Students will become confident in their own ability.

• Students will use a variety of strategies to problem solve.

Problem

Solving

Math Games

Number Talk

Discovery hands-on-activities, research projects, and field trips for science and social studies units

Social Studies Units• Past and Present• Alabama• Citizenship

Science• Space• Earth/Weather• Matter• Energy• Diversity• Interdependence• Human Body

Homework

• Reading-Reading at home with your children is crucial. – Students should bring home 2 books each night to read.– Poem Practice- Practice each week’s poem every night

to build fluency. Also, identify each week’s phonics skill in the poem.

– Sight Words- Read sight words every night.

• Math- Fluency games from 1st Grade Math Packet

• Daily Review- Please review your child’s

papers daily and talk with them about what they learned at school.

Shades Mountain Rules

7 Habits of Happy First Graders

• We are respectful• We are responsible• We are safe.

Fieldtrips

• Theater- “Junie B. Jones First Grader At Last”- October

• American Village-November• Miss Annie (on going)• First Grade Planting Day- April• Community Tour- May

Conferences• Conferences –We will have a fall and a spring

conference. If at any time, you would like to schedule additional meetings, please email me at school or send a note with your child. Telephone conferences can also be arranged.

• Parent/Teacher Communication – Take-home folders will come home every day. Please check these for any important information concerning your child. The easiest way to get in touch with me is by email. I encourage you to communicate with me via e-mail at:

www.hoovercityschools.net

kgurganus@hoover.k12.al.us

kgurganus.wiki.hoover.k12.al.us

Parent Volunteers

• Classroom Photographer• Scholastic Book Orders• Room Mother• Classroom volunteer

Wellness Policy

• Snack Calendar• Snack choices – individual packs of

crackers, pretzels or goldfish or individual packs of apple slices or grapes (allergies ?)

• Please place fresh fruit in small snack size Ziplock bags

Birthdays

• You may send a special snack with your child to celebrate his/her birthday.

• Please bring something that is individually sliced. (No cakes that need cutting.)

• Summer birthdays will be celebrated in May.

• Please email me if you are sending a birthday snack.