Mrs. McKinney's First Grade Class 

"Respectful Students-Responsible Citizens"

Thanks to all our hard-working students and teachers, I am proud to say that SKYLINE has once again been graded an "A" school from the state. Congratulations!  I am very excited to start the new year and we will all be...

REACHING BEYOND THE STARS!

Our First Grade Vision
To be the best we can be! 

Our Mission
We are Star Students!
Our mission is to listen carefully, focus, follow directions, and work hard every day.

ATTENDANCE: Good attendance is very important to success in your child's first grade year.  If your child has to miss school, please remember to write a note to the office telling why your child was absent.

ACCELERATED READER: Accelerated Reader is a computer program that tests reading comprehension. Children read AR books that are color-coded by levels and then take a 5 question multiple choice test. They should begin reading at the pink and yellow levels, which are geared toward kindergarten and first grade, unless they have permission to move up to a more difficult level. At the library children are to check out three books. Two of these should be AR books. AR tests are taken in homeroom.

Nobody should be returning a book to the library without taking the AR test. If a child cannot read the test by themselves, they are allowed to get help. If someone clicks into the wrong test on computer, I will delete that test. With only 5 questions per test, they can miss one question and still pass with an 80%.

An AR summary sheet will be included with the report card. Please note your child’s average percent correct. The goal is to have an average of 85% or higher. To start, every child should be taking two tests per week. AR tests do not count as a grade toward the report card.

Please read daily with your child. The more your child reads, the more growth we will see. AR books and lists are available at the public library, our library, and on the school website.

Success at school depends heavily on support from home. Thank you for the time and effort you put into your child’s education.

ARRIVAL TIME: Students should arrive between 7:30 - 8:00AM.  Breakfast is served from 7:30AM to 7:45AM.

BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT:  One important part of a successful 1st Grade program is an orderly classroom and school environment where all students are able to learn.  This requires each student to behave in an acceptable manner creating an environment that encourages self-learning and the learning of others. 

This year Skyline is adopting a new program called PBS, Positive Behavior System.  With this new program, we will strive to create a school environment that allows all students an equal ability to learn in an academic, respectful, acceptable, and creative manner. 

To view a video on Positive Behavior Support in Lee County Schools, click here.

The following rules are school-wide behavior expectations:

S-Safety First

T-Tell the truth

A-Act responsibly
R-Respect yourself and others

S-Support one another

GOALS IN THE CLASSROOM:

L-Listen to each other

E-Enter class prepared to work

A-Always follow directions

R-Remain on task

N-Negotiate and solve problems peacefully

 

GOALS IN THE HALLWAYS:

W-Walk Quietly

A-Allow for personal space

L-Look forward

K-Keep hands to self

S-Stay in line

 GOALS IN THE CAFETERIA:

Y-You should know your lunch number

U-Use your quiet voice

M-Move quietly

M-Mind your manners

Y-You should leave your area neat

BE THERE     
Parental involvement is something many schools across the nation struggle with on a daily basis. As our society has become more complex, the battle for time has never been more prevalent.

Studies show that children who have an adult that takes an interest in their lives – what they are doing in school, what they are doing with their friends – do better academically than students who do not have that adult presence. To help parents find the time during the day – ordinary moments that can become extraordinary – Lee County Public Schools is joining districts across Florida that are implementing the Be There awareness campaign.

Click Here to learn more about the Florida's Be There Awareness Campaign.

BIRTHDAYS: This is a very special time for you and your child. We recognize birthdays in our class with a crown, a song, and a birthday pencil from Mrs. McKinney.  Birthday treats can be brought to the lunchroom and will be distributed during that time. Birthday party invitations may NOT be passed out at school unless everyone in the class in included. 

E-MAIL:   If you need to contact me, please e-mail me at HollyWMc@leeschools.net.

EMERGENCY CARD:  Please complete and return your child's emergency card promptly.  If anything changes throughout the school year, please be sure to update your child's card through the office.

HOMEWORK:  Any papers with "Homework" stamped on them are to be completed and returned the next day for grading.  Homework will usually be assigned Monday through Thursday.  Homework should take your child approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

MISSION STATEMENT:

We are STAR students!
Our mission is to listen carefully, focus, follow directions, and work hard every day.

MONEY:   Whenever you send money to school with your child, please put it in a sealed envelope with your child's name on it and give the reason for the money (lunch, book club, etc.)

READING LOG: Students will be required to read an additional 30 minutes per week, besides the assignments given for homework.  Parents, please help your child record the time read daily and initial each day. 

The Reading Log is considered homework and part of your child's Effort grade. It is due every Monday.

READING RENAISSANCE:  Our Reading Renaissance Theme for this year is  
    
       "Reaching Beyond the Stars!"

First graders are eligble for Rennaisance when they receive their Report Card each quarter.  The criteria for First Grade Renaissance is as follows:

Gold Card: All A's, All S's, and no class or
                      bus referrals.

Silver Card:  All A's and B's (at least one A).  All S's and no class or bus referrals.

Bronze Card:  All B's and C's (at least one B), All S's and no class or bus referrals.

Quarter 4 Renaissance students will be recognized at our first Renaissance celebration
on August 29th.

REPORT CARDS     
Quarter 1 is from __________ .  Report cards will be sent home on__________.  The following subject areas have a numeric grade:

• Reading: weekly story tests, phonogram tests, Unit tests, Addition and Subtration tests, and District Assessments.
• Language Arts: Daily Oral Language tests (DOL), and Spelling.
• Math: All Checkpoints, Cumulative reviews, and Chapter tests.

All other subject areas are assessed with S, N or U.

• Effort Grades are also assessed in each subject.
• All Homework is included in the Effort section of the report card.
• The Reading Log is considered as homework and part of the Effort grade in reading.

SCHEDULE:
 7:30 - 8:00     First Bell
 8:00              Final Bell
 8:00 - 8:30     Announcements, Wake-up Work, Calendar, Morning Stretch
 8:30 -10:30    Reading Block
10:45-11:30    Specials
11:30-12:15    Grammar / Creative Writing
12:15-12:40     Lunch
 1:00 - 1:45     Math
 1:50 - 2:00     Prepare for Dismissal

SPECIALS: Below is our 8-Day Special Schedule.  The numbers below correlate with the numbers on the monthly calendar.

Specials are from 10:45-11:30AM.

Day 1:  P.E.     Day 2:  Music 
Day 3:  P.E.     Day 4:  Guidance  
Day 7:  P.E.     Day 8:  Art

Please have your child dress appropriately on P.E. days.

STANFORD 10 ACHIEVEMENT TEST:  The Stanford 10 Achievement Test is a test series used to measure the academic achievement of students in kindergarten through tenth grade.  This year the test will be administered to all students in grades K-2 during the week of April 1. 

Stanford 10 TIPS
Please try to have your child in class and on time to school during this important week of testing.  If possible, please try to avoid scheduling any appointments or vacation days during this time.  

In Florida, students in kindergarten through second grade do not participate in the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).  Instead, their achievement is measured using the Stanford 10 Achievement Test. 

Click here to learn more about more about the Stanford tests.

vISION STATEMENT:  To be the best we can be!

vISITING OUR CLASSROOM: We love visitors.  Please know that our doors are always open.  However, you must check in at the office first.  This is Florida State law.     

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL YEAR!

• Always praise your child with positive comments.
• Check your child's homework folder and planner daily for class notes, corrected work, school newsletters, etc.
• Develop a Homework Routine; sit near him/her in case help is needed.  Check for accuracy before signing  your child's planner.  It doesn't help your child to do their homework wrong so please take the time to help them.
• Read daily with your child.  Your child needs to develop fluency while reading so listening to them read orally for 20-30 minutes a day is imperative.  Reading to them is also beneficial so they hear good role modes...read with expression!  Ask your child questions about the story such as who is the main character in the story, where does the story take place (setting), what is the story mostly about (main idea). Practice vocabulary words, spelling words, phonograms, and math facts on a regular basis.
• Ask your child specific questions about their day (click on link below).
• Each step, although it may be small, is progress in the right direction.

Questions To Ask Your First Grade Child 

10 Ways to Raise a READER!

• Read to your child every day.  It's never too early to start--even newborns respond to hearing you read.
• Continue reading together even after your child learns to read.  Older children still enjoy listening to others read.
• Make stories come alive for your child when you read.  Be animated and use different voices.
• Be patient--let your child read aloud at his or her own pace.  Offer help only when needed.
• Discuss what you read together.  Ask questions, and listen attentively to your child's answers.
• Make reading time special.  Cuddle up in a quiet, comfortable spot.  Your child will associate reading with feeling secure, relaxed, and loved.
• Encourage your child to read at leas 15 minutes a day, either to you or independently.
• Take along your child's favorite books wherever you go.  Read on the bus, in line at the store, or in waiting rooms.
• Take your child to the library often and check out a variety of age-appropriate reading material.
• Be a role model--read on your own.  By seeing how much you enjoy reading, your child will learn that it's a great source of information and fun.

REMEMBER-
         By encouraging your child to read, you are helping to ensure school success.

Homework Philosophy

The purpose of homework at the first grade level is threefold:

• To help your child become an active participant in his/her own learning.
• To begin to understand the responsibility to practice and get ready for the next day and return to school prepared THE NEXT DAY.
• To develop the habit of reading nightly.

Homework assignments will be discussed in class the following day.  Your child is responsible for listening carefully to be able to follow directions.  There will be times when your child may need your assistance to dictate spelling works or reinforce the directions.  Please review your child's homework nightly for accuracy and completion.

We encourage you to provide a quiet space free of distractions and limit the working time to approximately 20 minutes.  Work should be done in pencil with attention to best quality of writing and with the addition of color where appropriate.  Please have a box of crayons, scissors, pencils and a glue stick available to your child.

There will be occasions when you have a special family event or your child is ill and missed a night.  Please write a note in the planner explaining why your child has not been able to complete his/her homework.  A missed night can easily be made up the following day. 

The number of words your first grader can read and spell increases dramatically during this year. Children can achieve this through lots of practice, at school and at home. Through talking with adults, listening to books read aloud, and discussing everyday experiences, they continue to develop the language skills that help them learn to read and write. Most importantly, your first grader starts to "crack the code" of written language, as he sounds out words, learns to identify them, and understands their meaning.

First graders develop the tools for reading the printed word. They learn to recognize many common words by sight, and they develop strategies for "decoding," or figuring out, words as they read. By the end of the year, most first graders are able to read easy books all by themselves. Writing daily helps your first grader learn to read by reinforcing the relationships between sounds and letters. At the same time, through talking and listening, she continues to develop new vocabulary and knowledge about the world that will help her understand what she reads.

First graders spend a large part of their day at school reading and writing. However, parents still have a huge effect on a child's literacy development. When you talk to your first grader about new words, listen to her read books aloud, and communicate with her teacher on a regular basis, you take simple but important steps in supporting her reading and writing. Learn more ways you can encourage and inspire your first grader as she learns to read and write.  Here are five ideas to help first graders read and write.

SPELLING WORDS:

To view the weekly spelling words, click on the FLASH CARDS link located at the top of the page. 

PHONOGRAMS:

We begin this program in Kindergarten where children learn approximately the first 54 phonograms.  In first grade we review and then teach the remaining phonograms until all 70 phonograms are learned.  Through these sounds we teach reading, language, writing, and spelling.

Practice the phonograms we have been working on in class.

The following sites will be helpful in learning and reviewing phonograms.

Kindergarten Spalding Phonics Mini Cards

1st Grade Spalding Phonics Mini Cards

What is Phonics, Anyway?

  

  Spalding DVD (Windows Media Player)
  Spalding DVD (QuickTime)

DOLCH WORDS

The Dolch Basic Sight Word List has 220 words that cannot be learned through the use of pictures.  These words have been divided into 11 lists that we will study this year.  

Click Here to download DOLCH sight word lists 1-11.  

To improve reading fluency, your child also has a list of Dolch phrases.  The phrase cards can be downloaded from the following link: Dolch Phrases

Your child should spend some time (10 minutes) each day studying these words with an adult.  The amount of time will vary according to the ability of each child.  I will be monitoring the progress of each student about once a week. 
  
VOCABULARY WORDS:

Vocabulary words from our reading series can be downloaded from the link located at the bottom of the page.  Currently, we are on Book 4.  Just click on the link for Book 4 to download our story vocabulary words.  Have fun practicing! 

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Reading Activities

Fry's 500 Most Frequently Read Words
This program systematically increases a student’s ability to recognize the words which most frequently occur in written English.  Students must gain the ability to recognize these words very rapidly in order to become fluent readers.

Word Families 
This activity introduces 20 word families, with six examples provided for each word family.  Learning word families is a fast way to increase a students reading vocabulary. It also helps the student learn that the ability to decode one word can assist in decoding other words with similar alphabet letter patterns.

Letter Recognition
The letter recognition activity provides students an opportunity to practice learning both the capital and lowercase letters of the alphabet.  Voice assistance is provided for those students who are unable to name the letters independently.  Five to six letters are covered in each lesson.  After the student is taught the letters with voice assistance, they move to the practice list to independently name the letters.   

Consonant Digraphs
Consonant digraphs are consonant letters that appear together and represent a single sound that is different from the sound of either letter. 

Vowel Digraphs
Vowel digraphs are two vowels together, the first is pronounced and the second is silent.

Consonant Blends – Reading Words
Three letter blends are three consonant letters that appear together in words and represent sounds that are smoothly joined. Each of the sounds can be heard.

Beginning Consonant Blends and Digraphs Chart

Click here to download chart

Vowel Diphthong - Reading Words
Vowel diphthongs are two vowels, both are spoken with the stress placed on the first vowel.

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WRITING 

First-graders write daily across all subject areas. Your child may write independently, in small groups, or with the whole class.  Students are  likely to write creative stories, letters, poems, and riddles. Your child will learn that there are different reasons for writing. 

First-graders typically write in a journal several times a week. This helps your child to build writing skills and develop ideas for stories. Children may write in their journals about any subject.  Journal writing allows children to take risks where they do not need to worry about spelling, punctuation and other aspects. It is used to allow children to express themselves in a non-threatening venue where they can also watch their growth through the process.

Your child is encouraged to connect writing to their daily life and write about things that are important to them. Children may write about what they do after school — writing events in the order that they occur — or write about their pet.

Your child learns the mechanics of writing, such as spelling and handwriting, as he writes. The teacher will model appropriate writing techniques and strategies such as how to use descriptive words in writing or how to use correct punctuation.

Your child learns to through the process of writing using the following steps:

 

Prewriting

Drafting

Revising

Editing

Publishing

Sharing

This process helps your child with the organization and thought required to write a story. Sharing pieces of literature is also a powerful technique to help children expand their writing. Discussing their ideas with partners during the pre-writing stage can help children focus, improve the content and details in their stories, and understand the writing process.

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In first grade, students gain increasing control of their penmanship.  The teacher will check to see that they know how to correctly hold their pencils and show them proper strokes and posture.  Usually taught in short daily lessons, the teacher explains and demonstrates how to write each upper- and lower-case letter of the alphabet.  Students practice each letter daily at the beginning of the school year. 

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    MATHEMATICS

We have begun Chapter 1, Patterns and Readiness for Addition and Subtraction.  Students will learn about patters,  They will also work with the numbers 6 through 12 and compare pairs of numbers. 

Here are some of the math words your student will be learning:

pattern - a pattern has a part (a string of elements) that repeats over and over.

more than - 6 is 2 more than 4

fewer than - 4 is 2 few than 6

less - 4 is less than 6

greater - 8 is greater than 6

Math Activity to Do at Home

Help your child recognize and create simple patterns.  Give your child small objects with which to create patterns.

MATH FACTS IN A FLASH

Beginning soon, students will work on addition and subtraction facts on a computer program called Math Facts in a Flash. Addition problems appear on screen, along with 4 answers in multiple choice format. This is a timed test.

All students begin at Level 1 - adding 0's and 1's. When they complete 40 math facts with 100% accuracy within two minutes, they move on to the next level. Students track their progress on a graph. 

Progress reports are sent home with Interims and Report Cards. Flash cards will be sent home with those having difficulties. This program can be checked out from the Skyline library for your child to practice at home.

The following sites offer great ways to help your child learn their math facts:

• Math Fact Practice
• Make Your Own Flashcards
• Odd and Even
• Counting Money
• Click here for more fun math websites.

Mrs. McKinney's Pet Dachshund (Wiener Dog)

     

Don't forget to click on the links below!   Have fun!