Mrs. Mayo's Classroom News
Last updated on May 24, 2017
Welcome new 1st graders!!
1st Grade Supply List
(2) Plastic Pocket Folders NO Prongs
(1) 1 inch, 3-Ringed Clearview Binder
(3) 4 Pack of Elmer’s Glue Sticks
(1) Elmer’s Liquid Glue Bottle
(2) 24 Pack of Crayola Crayons
(1) Pair of Fiskars Scissors
(1 or 2) Highlighter/s (any color)
(3) Packs of Ticonderoga Pencils (sharpened)
(1) Box of Kleenex
(1) Snaptop Schoolbox
(2) Packs of Pencil Topper Erasers
(1) Backpack Without Wheels
(1) 4 Pack of BLACK EXPO Dry Erase Markers
(1) Wide Ruled Spiral Notebook
(1) NORCOM Composition Notebook
Mayo’s Wish List - Per Student
Crayola Washable Markers
Hand Held Pencil Sharpener (encloses shavings)
Liquid Hand Soap OR Hand Sanitizer
Baby Wipes
Dry Erase Eraser or Sock
Box of Bandaids
Additional Wish List Items – A Few Per Class
Ziplock Gallon Baggies
Black Sharpies
McDonald’s toys or any toys for our gift shop
Play-Doh
Treats (suckers, individually wrapped candy)
Copy paper – any color (I especially love the neon colors!)
White lunch sacks
Cotton balls
ACCELERATED READING PROGRAM (AR)
About the program: Students will come home with 2 library books. One MUST be on their reading level, the other is a free choice book. They will read one (or both) of those books and take a comprehension test on the computer assessing their comprehension, but ONLY for the book/s on their level. Students will NOT be allowed to look back in the story for answers.
How will I know their level (or color)? On the spine of the book there will be a colored piece of tape. Orange (K level), Brown (1st grade level), red (2nd grade), and blue (3rd grade level). They will have a sticker/bingo card in their agenda the same color as their level. Students who are between levels could have 2 colors (example: brown and/or orange...OR brown and/or red).
How often will they take tests? That is up to you and your child. Our goal is 1 test per week for a total of 9 per semester. Some kids will want to take more than that. THEY MAY NOT TAKE TESTS THAT ARE NOT ON THEIR LEVEL/COLOR.
Parent responsibilities: You will need to fill out the title of the book on the AR log sheet located in your child's agenda, page 12. I marked that page with their clip for easy access. If YOU haven't filled out the sheet, then they will have to wait until the following day to test or when the title has been written on the blank. That ensures us that your child actually read the book and has your approval to test.
Student and/or teacher responsibilities: After the student takes the test, they will write their own score in the blank by the title. They should be able to do this task independently. If they score 80% or 100%, they will get a sticker/stamp on their AR card. After they test, they will check out a new library book. Once their card is full (9 squares), they will get a prize from the library and then get a new card.
What if they fail a test (70% or below)? They may retest on that book at a later time. They will NOT get a sticker/stamp on their card.
Word Folders - If you are available to help check word folders, please let me know.
Each week you will send the word folder on Wednesdays and Thursdays for a parent helper to "check off" all of the words the students can read by sight. Each word list sheet will contain 100 words. The 1st three-four sheets are considered "1st grade" words, but many students will go further, up to 10 lists. If you'd like the list ahead of time check out the link below.
Vocabulary/Sight Words
Please learn these 5 or 6 words over the weekend as they will be in all of our stories for the upcoming week. Students do NOT have to know how to spell the words, just recognize them by sight quickly. These words will be listed under SKILLS FOR THE WEEK under $5 words.
Spelling Words
Spelling words for the upcoming week will be posted on Fridays under SKILLS FOR THE WEEK - "Spelling words".
STUDENTS MUST USE CAPITAL LETTERS IN THE CORRECT PLACES AS WELL AS REMEMBER THE PUNCTUATION MARK IN THE DICTATION SENTENCE TO BE COUNTED AS CORRECT ON THE SPELLING TEST ON FRIDAY.
Skills
$5 Words - Vocabulary Words: none
Spelling TEST -na
Sentence:
Bonus:
Reading skill -
Phonics - review
Language - pronouns
Math - money
Science -
Soc. Stud. -US symbols
Writing - 6 traits of writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, fluency, and corrections (revisions) ....research
Related Arts Schedule (10:15-10:50) AND LUNCH (11:20-11:45)
Mon-
Tues-
Wed-
Thur-
Fri-
We will be preparing for the Lion King every day.
Parent Volunteer Schedule
If you are available to help with word folders, please let me know! We are shorthanded right now!
- Kimberly for word folders on Wednesdays or when available
- Gift Shop - Katie Lamb, Johna Green (when available)
Mad Math Fluency Tests each Friday
We are under way with our Mad Math Fluency tests. This will continue through to the +10's. THEN we move on to the subtraction tests. It is important to use the below strategies to study and practice for these tests. Students who solely rely on using their fingers will not finish the test in 2 minutes.
The BOLD print strategies are the "fast" strategies!
-Counting on...find the larger addend and "count up/on" the lesser addend.
-Count up to subtract. Start with the smaller number and count up to the larger number. How many numbers did you count up?
-Use ten frames, number lines, and part/part/whole charts to add and subtract.
-Doubles! 2+2, 5+5, etc.
-Adding to 10 by memory! 10 and 4 is 14, 10 and 7 is 17.
-10 facts - (9 and 1, 8 and 2, 7 and 3, 5 and 5, etc)
-Near doubles/doubles plus 1 - after they know the doubles facts, they can solve a problem such as 6+7, 5+6, etc by doubling the lesser number, then adding one.
-Double the middle - this is for problems such as 6+8...to get the answer quickly double the number that comes in between those 2 numbers...aka 7+7 is 14, so 6+8 is 14.
-Relate to a plus 10 - this strategy is used when adding +8's or +9's. You can solve 9+6 quickly by "bumping" the 9 to a 10 and "dropping" the 6 down to a 5, then adding a 1 in the tens place. Same with the +8's. Up 2, down 2, then add a one in the tens place.
A FUN GAME TO PLAY: Write various math problems on flash cards and have them name the strategy they would use to add the 2 numbers.
*Make sure your child studies their level on Thursday nights.
Bee Books/Agendas/Homework
The students are to write in their agendas Mon.-Thurs. as well as color their square green, yellow, or red according to our behavior system. If they do NOT complete this BRIEF task, they could risk losing a lot of their classroom cash and receive a demerit, which could result in the loss of the "End of 9 week Behavior Party," if it occurs a few times.
NOTE: Assignments are written as a group task. ALL students are required to complete that assignment that evening. HOWEVER, if your child has been absent, late to school, left early, or has multiple mistakes on classwork, they could have additional homework tasks that will NOT be written in the agenda. So check through their papers to see if there is a "HW" (homework notice/fix mistakes notice)" on any incomplete/incorrect assignments. Please complete these and return them in a timely manner.
ABSENCES!!!
Our Classroom Gift Shop
Your 1st grader will be involved in a real-life experienced based program known as "Gift Shop." This program will not only teach the students higher level math and economics skills, but will hold them accountable for the hard work they do in other subject areas.
How does it work? Your child will "get paid" for various assignments all week. They will earn all bills, except for $1's. On Fridays, some parents will set up the "Gift Shop" so the students can spend or save their weekly earnings on "WANTS." WANTS include small toys, minimum candy, activity books, etc.
Throughout the week, your child may also need to purchase "NEEDS" for the classroom. NEEDS include school supplies that they will NEED to complete their assignments...glue sticks, erasers, pencils, crayons, dry erase markers, etc. This will teach your child to be responsible and care for his/her supplies. Just like in real life... if you lose, destroy, or use up your NEEDS, you have to buy new ones.
How can you help? We need items for the Gift Shop including new or slightly used toys as well as extra school supplies aside from the ones on the supply list. So you can clean out those toy boxes and send them my way at any time throughout the year as our supply gets low. I will keep you informed if we are running low on: glue sticks, pencils, crayons, markers, and dry erase markers throughout the year, too.
This is an AMAZING learning experience for your kids, packed FULL of not only 1st grade skills and beyond, but skills that are necessary for their future. Even better, they will remember it forever because they will have SO MUCH FUN doing it.
VIDEOS THAT WE LOVE AND USEFUL LINKS!!
CHECK OUT THESE BrainPOP videos!!! These short videos are aligned with Most all of our skills and they are AWESOME!
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