Welcome to Mr. Pusateri’s First Grade

Class!Open House 2016-2017

Monday August 22, 2016

Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year! My name is Mr. Jeffrey Pusateri and I am pleased to have your child as part of the First Grade team at Lakeland Elementary-Mayfield

Campus. Before I go into the information about our classroom, I would first like to share a little bit about myself to help you get to know me.

The 2016-2017 school year will be my seventh year teaching at Mayfield Campus. Over my seven years, I have taught both kindergarten and first grade; this will be my fourth year teaching first grade. Before beginning my teaching career, I attended the University of Scranton where I earned my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Elementary Education. Currently, I am working towards earning my Master’s Degree in Educational Administration, also at the University of Scranton.

The art of teaching is one I thoroughly enjoy but also take very seriously. I understand the importance of helping children to grow academically and socially and am continually looking to improve upon my ability to do that. While I do my best to ensure that students have the foundational skills needed to be successful in their future school endeavors, my main goal is to create a learning environment that students feel safe in and enjoy being a part of. Helping students develop a positive attitude towards school in the primary grades is a key to helping them be successful in the future. I will work tirelessly to ensure that your students enjoy school while also developing positive work habits and the belief that they can succeed at anything if they always try their best.

In addition to my love of teaching, I equally have a love of sports. I grew up playing both baseball and soccer and am fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to coach boys’ high school soccer for the past nine years. This upcoming season marks my sixth year coaching at my alma mater of nearby Dunmore High School. In addition to playing sports, I also love to watch them. My favorite team to watch is the Philadelphia Eagles- Fly Eagles Fly!

Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me. I look forward to learning about the students and their families as the year goes on. The following pages in this booklet will provide you with an overview of our classroom and how things will run this school year. Please take the time to read through and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you!Mr. Pusateri

Table of ContentsSection One: Class Rules

Section Two: Behavior Plan

Section Three: Classroom Procedures

Section Four: Daily Schedule and Descriptions

Section Five: Specials Schedule

Section Six: Daily Homework

Section Seven: Class Assessments and Grading Scale

Section Eight: Communication and Contact Information

Section Nine: Additional Information

Section Ten: Final Thoughts

Section OneClass Rules

Class RulesThroughout the first few days of school, our class will spend a large amount of time learning and understanding “Swoop’s Super 7 Classroom Rules” and why they are important in the classroom (safety, getting along with others, etc). I would greatly appreciate if you could take

some time to review the classroom rules with your child to help make sure that he/she understands them. I will continually review and reinforce the rules with the children throughout the year to be sure that everyone understands them clearly.

Swoop’s Super 7 Classroom Rules:1.Listening Ears: I will listen to others and follow directions.2.Raised Hands: I will raise my hand to share ideas. 3. Inside Voices: I will use a soft voice.4.Walking Feet: I will walk in school to be safe.5.Helping Hands: I will use my hands for helping, not hurting. 6.Caring Hearts: I will care for others by using kind words. I will care for my

classroom by keeping it clean.7. Thinking Minds: I might make mistakes but will always try my best.

Section TwoBehavior Plan

Behavior Plan(In conjunction with SWPBIS)

Our school utilizes the School Wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (SWPBIS) program. The purpose of this program is to reinforce the positive behavior of students. The students will be expected to follow the rules and procedures in every part of the school. In our classroom, the students will follow Swoop’s Super 7 Classroom Rules. Outside of our

classroom, the students will be expected to display appropriate behaviors at arrival and dismissal, in the cafeteria, in the bathroom, and in the hallway. Over these first few days, I (and other school faculty) will model the appropriate behaviors in each area and show the students what is expected of them. These positive behaviors will continually be reinforced throughout the year. To help in doing this, the students will be able to see how they are doing on a daily basis using a color-coded behavior chart displayed in the classroom. Along with each color is a description of the praise or consequences that come with a student’s choices. The chart is as follows:

Red: Mayfield Stars - Great job!White: CHAMPS - Great job!Orange: WarningBlue: 15 Minute ReflectionPink: Parent ContactPurple: RefocusBlack: Principal

Each student will have a clothespin with his or her own number on it (students will have the same number on many classroom items such as their desk, books, and various materials) that is placed on the color-coded behavior chart. At the beginning of each day, every student’s pin will begin on CHAMPS. A student’s pin will remain on CHAMPS as long as he/she continues to follow the classroom/school rules and display positive behaviors. When a student chooses not to follow the school rules, a verbal redirection will be given first. If the student repeatedly chooses to display an inappropriate behavior, his/her pin will move down one color. The same process will take place for moving down to each subsequent level.

Like one of classroom rules says, mistakes might happen. To coincide with that classroom belief, students have an opportunity to move their pin back up the chart of if they choose to display positive behaviors consistently throughout the rest of the day. Even if a student makes a mistake and needs to move down the chart, this gives them the opportunity to learn from their mistake and be rewarded for it

If a student is on CHAMPS and receives a “Golden Ticket” from a school staff member for displaying exceptional behavior, he/she will get to move up to red-Mayfield Stars!

RewardsStudents who consistently demonstrate positive behaviors and remain within the top tiers of the color chart will be rewarded with special programs (“blowouts”) throughout the school year. These programs will happen on the last Friday of every month. In addition, individual students who consistently demonstrate positive behaviors will be rewarded within our classroom on a regular basis. In the classroom, each student will have an Eagles Touchdown Pass punch card. To earn a reward, students will need to get the 10

Eagles punched on their card. Students can earn up to two punches on their card each day, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. This breaks the day down for students and gives them an opportunity to be rewarded for their good behavior, even if they did have a difficult part of the day. Bonus card punches can also be earned when a student is “caught” doing a good deed. When a student completes their punch card, he/she will earn a class reward which they will pick from our prize box. Prizes from the box include special privileges such as special classroom seating, eating lunch with a buddy, wearing their favorite hat in class, etc. More information about these rewards will be sent home in the first few days of school.Home-School ConnectionYour child will have a “Game Summary” behavior folder (manila file folder). In this folder, you will see a calendar for the current month. Each day, the students will color the circle on the calendar that their clothespin ended on for the day, allowing you to see how their day went. Please review this report with your child each night and use it to help talk about their day at school. Please sign your initials on the line for each day and return the folder to school with your child every day. If a student ends the day on 15-minute reflection (blue) or below, parents will be notified of this behavior through the Parent Connection Forms sent home in the school folder. If you receive one of these forms, please review it with your child, sign it, and return it on the next school day. Remember, the key to SWPBIS is reinforcing positive behaviors. If your child has a difficult day, please discuss what happened with him/her and how he/she can make it right and do better the next time. Always try to remain positive! Our goal is to help students do the best they can to excel in school and grow into responsible citizens.

Example of Eagles Touchdown Pass Behavior Punch Card

(Student Name) ’s

Touchdown Pass

Section ThreeClassroom Procedures

Classroom ProceduresHome/School Materials Your child will bring home and bring to school the following items each day:

1. School folder: this will contain schoolwork, homework, handouts, informational sheets, etc. Any papers on the Keep Home side should be taken out of the folder,

reviewed, and left at home. The Return to School side will contain papers that need to be reviewed, completed/signed, and returned. (Please make sure these papers are returned on the next school day unless otherwise noted). This side will also contain any homework for that night which needs to be returned to school the following day. 2. “Game Summary” Behavior Folder: this folder will contain your child’s daily behavior report. As described in the previous section, please review and sign your initials for each day of this report.

3. Daily Planner: At the beginning of each week, your child will bring home a weekly newsletter in their school folder that contains all important information for the week including reminders, upcoming events, homework assignments, etc. Since your child will already have this information, I do not have them write it all in their planner - I simply have them write “See Newsletter” next to the date as a reminder to reference the weekly newsletter for information Yet, sometimes the information on the weekly newsletter will change as the week goes on. When this happens, the students will record the change or additional information in their planner. Therefore, it is important to check the planner every day.

**Please check these three items each and every day.**

Test FolderApproximately once a week, your child will bring home their Test Folder. This folder will contain all assessments that were completed over the course of the last week. Please review these assessments, sign the front page of each, and return all assessments in the Test Folder on the next school day. I will let you know in the weekly newsletter which day the folder will be coming home so that you know when to expect it.

Excuse Notes/Transportation NotesIf your child will be leaving school early, please send in a written excuse with him/her on that school day. If your child is late or absent from school, please send in a written excuse on the next school day. If your child will be going home in a different way (change to walker, car rider, or bus rider; bus change), please send in a written note letting us know how your child will be going home.

Cafeteria InformationIf your child will be bringing in money for the cafeteria account, it would be a good idea if it is placed in a special part of his/her backpack and left there until it is time to go to the cafeteria. This will help to prevent money being lost. The breakfast procedure in first grade is a little different than in kindergarten. Instead of going up together as a whole class, only students who choose to get a school breakfast will go to the cafeteria upon coming to school. Once students check in at their classroom, they are able to go to the cafeteria and get a school breakfast from 8:05-8:25. Please make sure your child knows if he/she is allowed to get a school breakfast.

Scholastic Book OrdersEach month, your child will bring home a Scholastic catalog that offers you the chance to purchase books for your home. If you would like to submit an order, please place the order form along with a check, made payable to Scholastic Book Clubs, in an envelope with your child’s name on the front. (No cash please-Thank you!) You can also order online using our classroom code which is H87R9. If possible, I recommend using the online ordering option.

Birthday CelebrationsA birthday is an important day for students and should be celebrated. Yet, with food allergy concerns, sending in edible treats can pose some difficulties. If you would like to send in a treat for you child to pass out on their birthday, I suggest sending in a non-food treat. If you do choose to send in an edible treat, the treat will likely be served during lunch time in the cafeteria. I will always check with the school nurse to review any allergy concerns with food items brought in for students. If there is any cause for potential food-related concerns for any student, a decision will be made on whether or not a student could receive a food treat. This is only being done to ensure the safety of all students. Other ideas for birthday celebrations that do not involve food could be: bring a favorite book to read with the class; bring in an item from home you would like to share with the class; listen to a favorite song, etc. If you have any other ideas, please contact me beforehand to ensure it could be done within our schedule’s time frame. I want to help make your child’s birthday a great one at school! If your child will be having a birthday party and you would like to pass out invitations for that party to the students in the class, please send the invitations in a marked envelope in your child’s folder.

Section FourDaily Schedule and

Descriptions

Daily Schedule and Descriptions 8:05 – 8:30: Breakfast/Morning Activities

8:30 – 9:30: Small group literacy instruction: instructional support for students below reading benchmarks; enrichment/targeted instruction for students meeting or exceeding reading benchmarks

9:30 – 10:35: Whole Class Reading Instruction: Core reading instructional program delivered to all students using the Reading Street Common Core Reading Curriculum (Phonics, Comprehension, Sight Words, Spelling, Language)

10:35 – 10:50: Whole Class Writing Instruction: Writing instruction delivered to all students using shared writing activities and independent writing activities to practice steps of the writing process using the four-square method

10:50 – 11:10: Science/Social Studies and/or Daily Reading Review

11:10 – 11:40: Lunch

11:40 – 12:10: Recess

12:10 – 1:25: Math: Core math instructional program delivered to all students using the Everyday Math curriculum

1:25 – 2:05: Special Classes

2:05 – 2:45: Fundations (Monday-Thursday): reading/phonics program delivered to all students Special Topics (Friday) – exploring science and social studies topics

2:45 – 2:50: Pack up and prepare for dismissal

2:50: Walkers Dismissal

2:55: Private Vehicles Dismissal

3:00: District Buses Dismissal

Morning Activities/Breakfast: 8:05 – 8:30 Upon arriving to school, all students hang up their belongings on their designated coat

hook. Students put their school folders and planners in the appropriate baskets on the

teacher’s table – I will check all folders every morning for homework, notes, important papers, etc.

Students flip over their attendance card next to our Math Daily Routines board.

Students attending breakfast walk quietly to the cafeteria: REMEMBER-only students who will be getting a school breakfast go up to the cafeteria. Please make sure your child knows if he/she is allowed to get a school breakfast. Any student who chooses to get school breakfast items will be charged to their account the price of those items (unless eligible for breakfast/lunch assistance).

Students not attending breakfast will:o Complete morning work activity o Work with other students on various reading, phonics, sight word, and math

gameso Choose a book to read independently or with a partner

As students come back from breakfast, they will complete the morning activity After the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, all students will clean up the

activities they were working on and prepare for the next block in our daily schedule.

Small Group Literacy Instruction: 8:30 – 9:30 During this part of the reading block, students will participate in one of the following

activities1. Instructional reading support2. Enrichment/targeted instruction

Instructional Reading Support o Students not showing adequate gains in the core reading program (Reading

Streets and Fundations) will receive intensive reading instruction to help address their current needs.

o Students receiving this support will be working in small groups with Mrs. Rosato (reading specialist)

Enrichment/Targeted Instruction o Students currently showing adequate progress in the core reading program

(Reading Streets and Fundations) will receive enrichment/targeted instructional activities to help further advance and improve upon their current skills.

o Students will work in small groups and/or independently to complete various literacy activities

o Examples of activities during this instructional block will include:1. Word Work: hands-on activities that allow students to read, write, and create words that focus on the weekly reading skills writing2. Listening Center: students will listen to and follow along with a story on CD and participate in a response activity to the story3. Writing Island: students will pick from a variety of writing formats (story, poem, letter, list, card, how-to, class journal) to create a piece of writing4. Independent/Buddy Reading: students will read self-selected books independently or with a partner5. Guided Reading: students will work with the teacher completing small group activities to reinforce current and previous language arts skills

It is important to note that new reading material will NOT be introduced during this instructional block. Regardless of which group the students participate in, all activities will only be included to further enhance and/or support the current skills being worked on during the core reading block.

Whole Class Reading Instruction: 9:30 – 10:35 During this part of the reading block, all students will participate in our classroom

instruction and complete reading/language arts activities that correlate with the Scott Foresman Reading Street Common Core reading/language arts curriculum.

Each main story and its correlating reading and language arts skills will be taught over the course of four days. A test to monitor student progress will be given on the fifth day in the areas of reading (written and oral), language, and spelling.

The curriculum includes the following components:o Phonemic Awareness : recognizing and identifying the sounds heard in words. o Phonics: applying letter sound knowledge to read and build words. o Fluency: reading with speed, accuracy and proper expressiono High-Frequency Words: words that are recognized upon seeing them (these

words are not to be sounded out); students also work on using these words correctly in written and spoken language

o Comprehension: understanding text that is read to students and text that students read on their own; identifying literary elements such as characters, setting, and plot.

o Writing and Conventions : understanding sentence parts and different types of sentences; grammar practice; how to construct and write sentences

o Spelling: identifying, spelling, and using weekly words The following are examples of activities we complete throughout the week during this

whole class reading block:o Phonemic Awareness: orally blend and segment words; act out letters and

vowels heard in words; distinguish between sounds heard in words; practice recognizing words that rhyme

o Phonics: word-building activities using magnetic letters and letter cards; completing Word Hunt and Word Sort activities where students look to find words that have a specific sound/word part; creating and reading word families; word blending practice

o Fluency: echo-reading; shared reading; partner reading; repeated reading of texts

o Sight Words: various sight word games to practice identification and word use; sentence completion activities

o Comprehension: book discussions; writing response activities; Fresh Read activities; story element graphic organizers; acting out story events

o Grammar: edit sentences; punctuation activities; identifying and writing different types of sentences and parts of sentences (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc)

o Spelling: spelling review games and activities such as Scrambled Words; Letter Detective; Act Out and Spell; Guess the Word; White Board Spelling; Partner Quiz

Whole Class Writing Instruction: 10:35 – 10:50 During this educational block, all students will participate in various writing activities to

support their development to think of ideas, formulate sentences, and compose a paragraph

Different types of writing will include narrative, informational, descriptive, and persuasive.

We will utilize the four-square writing method as a way to help students organize their ideas and translate those ideas into a cohesive paragraph.

Examples of activities we will complete during this block may include:o Daily Fix-Its : editing sentences for various writing errorso Brainstorming Activities : thinking of and writing down ideas to write abouto Shared Writing : teachers and students work together to create a writing pieceo Independent Writing : students apply concepts learned during shared writing to

compose their own writing piece o Conferencing : students work with the teacher and/or each other to revise a

piece of writingo Publishing/Sharing: students will complete their final piece of writing, illustrate a

picture to go with it, and share it with the class

Daily Reading Review and/or Science/Social Studies: 10:50– 11:10 If more time is needed to reinforce the weekly language arts skills, this time may be

used for that purpose. With first grade’s main focus being growth in the areas of reading and math, science and social studies may not be directly studied every school day; this is especially the case in the beginning of the school year when a considerable amount of time is spent helping students adjust to the increased demands of the first grade curriculum. As the year goes, science and social studies will begin to be included more frequently as time allows for it.

Our reading curriculum integrates various science and social studies topics into the weekly reading instruction. Those topics may also be integrated into the writing block instruction, integrating the art of writing with science and social studies themes. Additional topics that focus on major science and/or social studies themes will also be covered throughout the school year. Many science and social studies activities will include projects, hands-on activities, explorations, read-alouds, writing projects, multimedia sources, and more.

Science activities that we will look to explore this year will go along with the themes of the Evan Moor Daily Science curriculum which include physical, earth, and life science concepts including living things, plants and animals, the solar system, seasons, states of matter, and motion.

Social studies activities that we will look to explore this year will include current events, holidays and traditions, and various cultures. The first grade classes will also participate in a few service activities that allow the students to take an active role in improving the lives of others.

NOTE: these same science and social studies activities will be practiced every Friday afternoon. Even though we may not get to these activities in the morning instructional blocks, we will explore these topics each Friday.

Math: 12:10 – 1:25 During the math block, all students will participate in our classroom instruction and

complete activities that correlate with the Everyday Mathematics math curriculum. The Everyday Math curriculum sets out to:

o Set clear and high expectations for all students o Connect math and problem solving to everyday situationso Encourage creativityo Engage children and make math learning fun through the use of hands-on

manipulatives and math gameso Provide focused instruction in a variety of wayso Help students achieve mastery by continually revisiting concepts and skills

throughout the school year Students will participate in four types of lessons:

o Regular lessons: most common lessons that include: Mental math/math fluency activities, Focus activities that engage students in 2 to 4 instructional activities

allowing them to explore and engage in new content Practice activities that give students an opportunity to practice learned

skillso Exploration lessons: occur once per unit and give students unique opportunities

to explore new concepts, tools, and skills in a small group settingo Open Response lessons: occur once per unit over the course of two consecutive

days that allow students to solve a challenging problem that has more than one possible solution. Students will explain their reasoning and explore other students’ solutions.

o Progress Check lessons: two day lessons at the end of unit that allow student’s progress to be assessed. These assessments will be graded and include:

Unit assessments that measure student progress on content on the most recently completed unit

Open Response assessments that have students think creatively to solve a problem

Cumulative assessments that measure student progress on content from all completed units

Students will participate in daily math routines that practice different math skills and concepts. Daily routine activities and practiced skills include:

o Number of the day : counting and place valueo Calendar : identifying months, days of week, date, and year; writing the dateo Attendance : counting; identifying two parts that make up a whole numbero Weather : identifying weather conditions; keeping a tally of weather conditions;

countingo Temperature: identifying, writing, and discussing the daily temperature

Everyday Math includes nine units of study1. Counting2. Introducing addition3. Number stories4. Length and addition facts5. Place value and comparisons6. Addition fact strategies7. Subtraction fact strategies and attributes of shapes8. Geometry9. Two-digit addition and subtraction and review

Every Friday, we will take a break from the regular math instruction. At the beginning of the year, we will utilize Fridays as Math Game Days where students will practice the math skills learned over the course of the week through the many games students learn as a part of the daily instruction. As the year goes on, we will also incorporate addition and subtraction fact practice. On these “Fact Fridays,” students will then participate in small group fact games followed by written practice of math facts.

Specials: 1:25 – 2:05 The students will go to gym, music, art, computers, and library once every week from

1:25-2:05. The following is our class’ specials schedule for the school year:Monday: Music with Mrs. SwartsTuesday: Gym (wear sneakers) with Mrs. NaniewiczWednesday: Library with Mrs. MagagnaThursday: Academic Enhancement (Computers) with Mr. PhillipsFriday: Art with Mr. Swarts

Fundations: 2:05 – 2:45 (Monday – Thursday); Special Topics (Friday) During this part of the reading block, all students will participate in our classroom

instruction and complete reading/phonics activities that correlate with the Fundations program, a new program being launched in grades K-1 in the Lakeland Elementary Schools this year.

The Fundations program sets out to make reading/phonics instruction:o Explicit: direct teaching through teacher modeling and demonstration o Interactive: students are active participants

o Engaging: stimulates multiple senses including visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic

o Hands-on: students learn through the use of various manipulatives o Repetitive: skills are presented in various ways, and students are given multiple

opportunities to acquire the skills being taughto Supportive: positive student feedback is provided immediately to reinforce

student learning The Fundations curriculum will focus on the following skills:

o Phonological awareness: understanding that spoken language consists of partso Phonemic awareness and the alphabetic principle: understanding that words can

be divided into smaller segments called sounds, sounds can be manipulated, and sounds correspond to particular letters

o Sound mastery: identifying each individual sound made by each lettero Forming a connection between the letter names, letter formations, and letter

soundso Phonics: connecting letters to sounds, sounds to letters, and letters/sounds to

keywords; blending words; decoding phrases, sentences, and storieso Vocabulary and high-frequency sight word (trick word) recognition and

understanding o Fluency: Quickly recognizing words in isolation to increase rate of reading;

learning how to phrase one’s reading o Comprehension: practice thinking and understanding while reading o Handwriting: written formation of each letter o Spelling: segmenting and spelling words using decoding patterns/skillso Punctuation and capitalization: sentence structure; sentence construction

Fundations includes 14 units of study, with each unit lasting anywhere from 5 – 20 days Special Topics on Friday: After a long week of working hard, the last part of the day

on Friday will be used to explore different science and social studies topics by allowing students to participate in fun, engaging activities (as explained in the science/social studies section). New for this year, the first grade classes are going to try to complete one service activity each month to teach students that they can make a positive difference in the lives of others. Helping others is an important social studies concept that students can carry with them the rest of their lives, and we are excited to help them begin that journey here.

Section FiveSpecials Schedule

Mr. Pusateri’s Specials Schedule*I know I already included this but I figured some parents might like a bigger copy for the fridge.

Monday: Music with Mrs. Swarts

Tuesday: Gym (wear sneakers) with Mrs. Naniewicz

Wednesday: Library with Mrs. Magagna

Thursday: Academic Enhancement (Computers) with Mr. Phillips

Friday: Art with Mr. Swarts

Section SixDaily Homework

Daily Homework Homework is assigned to reinforce the material that we are working on in class.

Homework assignments will be given in the areas of math, reading, and spelling (occasionally science or social studies).

All homework will be found in your child’s School Folder on the Return to School side and is expected to be completed and returned in the school folder on the next school day (unless otherwise noted).

Homework will be assigned on most school days, Monday – Friday. The weekly homework schedule will be included in the weekly newsletter. Any changes to that schedule will be written in the student planner.

I encourage all parents to assist their child in the completion of their homework. Spelling Homework

For each 5-day cycle that correlates with our main story of the week, students will be asked to complete a spelling packet that consists of three spelling activities on the ten spelling words for that story. This packet will be handed out on the first day of the cycle when the words are first introduced in school. Students can then complete the packet at home at their convenience and should return it in their folder when it is all complete. All spelling packets need to be handed by the due date listed on the packet (by the 5 th day of the weekly cycle when the spelling test will be taken). Feel free to hand the packets in earlier if they are complete.

Math Homework Students will bring home a math homework sheet (Home Links) on a regular basis

Monday – Thursday. These homework sheets are often short but provide a useful review for the activities we completed that day in school. It is a good idea to complete this activity with your child to ensure full understanding of the concept. If your child is able to complete it independently, I would recommend reviewing the completed work with him/her. After it is completed and reviewed, please return it in your child’s folder for the next school day.

When we begin “Fact Fridays,” students will then be given fact practice sheets to complete over the weekend.

Reading Homework: For each 5-day cycle that correlates with our main story of the week, students will have three different homework assignments.

“I Can Read!” story: students will bring home a copy of a reading activity we complete in class titled “I Can Read!” This story is focused on our phonics skills and sight words of the week. Students are expected to read this story with an adult multiple times until they are able to read it fluently. Once the parents/guardians feel that their child has shown the ability to read the story fluently, they can sign on the line and return it in their child’s folder for the next school day.

Decodable reader: students will bring home a copy of a decodable reader we complete in class. During school, we will read this together, with a partner/small group, and independently. You will also see highlighted words that correlate with the weekly phonics skills. Students are expected to read this story with an adult multiple times until they are able to read it fluently. Once the parents/guardians feel that their child has shown the ability to read the story fluently, they can sign on the front page and return it in their child’s folder for the next school day.

Comprehension worksheet: students will bring home a story with corresponding comprehension questions. It is a good idea to complete this activity with your child to monitor their reading of the story and understand the questions being asked. If your child is able to complete it independently, I would recommend reviewing the completed work

with him/her. After it is completed and reviewed, please return it in your child’s folder for the next school day.

Family Projects: To encourage family involvement, I also plan on assigning Family Projects on a monthly basis. Directions for this project will be sent home in your child’s folder at least one week in advance of its due date. These family projects will correlate with our in-school activities and will give parents and students the opportunity to work together towards a common goal. Parents play a vital role in their child’s success, and I feel it is important to include them in the student’s learning.

Section SevenClass Assessments and Grading Scale

Class Assessments and Grading ScaleReading

Lakeland School District is using Scott Foresman Reading Street Common Core for our curriculum. The curriculum includes instruction on text-based comprehension, oral vocabulary, phonics, writing and conventions, high-frequency words, listening and speaking skills, and

phonemic awareness. The series and supplemental material we use directly correlates to the PA State Standards and Common Core.

Our first grade curriculum also consists of the Fundations reading/phonics program that includes further instruction with phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, and high-frequency words.

Oral Reading will be assessed one time per week to monitor and record progress. Oral reading will count towards 25% of your child’s average per quarter.

Fall – Students will read a list of words. Students will be graded on the number of words read correctly out of the total number of words provided.

Example: Student will have to read 20 words. If he/she reads 20/20 correct – the child receives 100%. If the child reads 15/20 words correctly – the student receives 75%.

Winter: Students will read a passage for one minute. Students will be scored according to our Dibels Winter Benchmark. Students should be progressing throughout the year in terms of their rate of speed while reading. If a child hits or exceeds the benchmark, then they are progressing at an average or above average rate. If a child does not hit the benchmark, then he/she is not progressing at the rate necessary.

Word Count Per Minute Benchmark for Winter: Your child will receive a weekly oral reading score according to their words read correctly per minute on a passage given once a week. The following is a breakdown of the score your child will receive according to their oral reading ability.

0-19 words read correctly in one minute: 60%20-32 words read correctly in one minute: 80%33+ words read correctly in one minute: 100%

Spring: Students will read a passage for one minute. Students will be scored according to our Dibels Spring Benchmark. Students should be progressing throughout the year in terms of their rate of speed while reading. If a child hits or exceeds the benchmark, then they are progressing at an average or above average rate. If a child does not hit the benchmark, then he/she is not progressing at the rate necessary.

Word Count Per Minute Benchmark for Spring which begins around April: Your child will receive a weekly oral reading score according to their words read correctly per minute on a passage given once a week. The following is a breakdown of the score your child will receive according to their oral reading ability.

Reads less than 40 words: 60%40-55 words per minute: 80%56+ words per minute: 100%

Oral Reading Example: If your child hits the benchmark score each week, they will receive a 100% for their oral reading test score each week. If your child reads less than the benchmark, their score of 80% or 60% will be recorded each week. We use benchmarks as a tool for measuring growth.

Weekly Assessments: Your child will be given a weekly assessment to monitor and record progress of their ability to recognize and use high frequency words, phonics skills, reading strategies, comprehension, writing, and literary components. Each test will count for 25% of your child’s final grade per quarter.

These tests will be comprised of 23-25 test questions plus one written response that requires students to use text evidence to answer a comprehension question. The written response question will be graded out of 3 points, making the entire test worth a total of 26-28 points. Student responses on the text-evidence writing part of the test will be graded using the following rubric: Score Focus & Organization Evidence & Details Conventions1 -Main idea is clear: writing is

clearly focused on the provided prompt -Writing is organized in a way that is clear: creates a sense of cohesion and flows from sentence to sentence

-Evidence is relevant, thorough and includes most of the important facts and details

-Strong command of conventions-Demonstrates complete understanding of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling

1/2 -Main idea is somewhat clear and addresses the prompt-Writing is somewhat organized but lacks cohesion and flow from sentence to sentence

-Evidence is adequate and includes some of the important facts and details

-Somewhat demonstrates understanding of punctuation, capitalization, and, spelling

0 -Main idea is unclear or writing does not address the provided prompt-Writing is poorly organized and can be difficult to follow

-Evidence is incomplete and lacks important facts and details

-Demonstrates little to no understanding of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling OR response is unreadable

Unit Tests: Your child will be given a unit test to measure their progress and retention of previously taught information every 6 weeks (approximately). This assessment will count as 25% of your child’s final grade per quarter.

Fundations: Your child will complete a unit test after each of the 14 Fundations units has been completed to measure their progress and retention of the skills and concepts taught over the course of each unit. This assessment will count as 25% of your child’s final grade per quarter.

TOTAL READING BREAKDOWN: Each of the four assessment types (oral reading, weekly assessments, unit assessments, and Fundations) will count as 25% of your child’s quarterly reading grade for a total of 100%.

MathLakeland School District is using the Everyday Math curriculum. The math series consists of 9 units that include instruction on counting, addition, number stories, length, addition facts, place value and comparisons, addition fact strategies, subtraction fact strategies, attributes of shapes, geometry, and two-digit addition and subtraction.

At the end of each unit, your child will complete Progress Check assessments that will span two days. On day one, your child will complete the Unit Assessment to monitor their progress on the skills and concepts learned during the current unit. On day two, your child will complete either an Open Response Assessment (in the ODD numbered units) or a Cumulative Assessment (in the EVEN numbered units). The Open Response Assessment gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge by solving a problem using an appropriate strategy of their choice. Cumulative Assessments will be completed to assess student growth from all skills and concepts learned throughout the school year up to that point. Each of the previously described math assessments will be weighted the same and will fall under one category titled Math Assessments. Your child’s progress on these math assessments will make up 100% of the quarterly math grade.

When we begin “Fact Fridays”, students will also be given Fact Assessments approximately every 4 weeks. The grades on these assessments will be weighted the same as the Everyday Math Assessments.

Conventions (Writing and Language Arts)Conventions is built into the Reading program. Students will be assessed once a week on their ability to recognize and use writing and conventions appropriately. Students will be given 10-15 question assessment once a week to monitor and record progress. Each weekly assessment will be evenly averaged into the final grade for the quarter.

Science and Social Studies : Science and Social Studies concepts will address various themes and skills that go along with the reading program or time of the year. Additional topics that focus on major science/social studies ideas and themes will also be covered. The students will be given projects and activities based on the weekly theme.

SpellingStudents will be assessed once a week on their ten spelling words. Each test will be averaged into the final grade for the quarter. For the first two quarters, letter reversals (such as b and d) that result in a misspelled word will only be deducted ½ credit. In the third and fourth quarters, students will be expected to spell and write all letters of words correctly for full credit.

HandwritingStudents will be informally assessed through observation on their ability to properly form the letters of the alphabet, their understanding of spacing between words, and their use of punctuation.

***Reviewing and Returning Tests and Assessments***After students complete and receive a grade for a reading, math, spelling, or language assessment, they will bring those assessments home in a clasp envelope titled “Test Folder” that will be on the “Return to School” side of your child’s folder. When this folder comes home, please review the assessments with your child, sign them on the front page near the grade, and return them to school in the envelope on the next school day. You can also view your child’s grades on the Sapphire Community Portal accessed on the Lakeland SD website (you need to sign up for a free account to access the Portal).

First Grade Grading Scale

Reading, Spelling, and Math : students will earn letter grades according to the following scale:

A+ = 97 – 100 A = 93 – 96 B+ = 89 – 92

B = 85 - 88 C+ = 81 – 84 C = 76 – 80

D+ = 73 – 75 D = 70 – 72 F = below 70

Language : students will earn grades according to the following scale:

O = 93 – 100 S+ = 85 – 92 S = 75– 84

S- = 70 – 74 U – below 70

Science, Social Studies, and Handwriting : Students will earn grades according to the

following scale:

O – Outstanding S – Satisfactory U – Unsatisfactory

Section EightCommunication and Contact Information

Communication and Contact InformationCommunication between home and school is vital to your child’s success in first grade. I will be in contact with you frequently to discuss your child’s accomplishments and progress through notes, “Game Summary” behavior reports, phone calls, e-mails, and conferences. In addition, I will also be sending home a weekly newsletter that will include important dates and

reminders, an overview of the topics we will be working on, a tentative homework and test schedule, and the list of important words for that week.

If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me using the following methods:

E-Mai l: JPusateri@lakelandsd.org  

To call by phone , please follow these directions:

1. Call the district's main number at 570-254-9485. 

2. Press "9" to leave a message for a teacher

3. Press "2" to leave a message for a teacher in the elementary schools.

4. Enter my extension "4102." This will bring you to my voicemail box.

*Please note: when calling my extension during school hours, your call will be sent directly

to my voicemail. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message when prompted. I

will typically check my voicemail box at the end of the school day and will return your call as

soon as possible.   

*If your call is urgent and need to speak directly to someone at Mayfield Campus, please

call the district's main number at 570-254-9485 and select option "4" to be connected to the

Mayfield Campus office. 

You can also send a written note in your child’s folder.

***I will also be utilizing a technology tool to provide quick, efficient information about classroom events, reminders, and homework schedules. In the past, I have used an app called Remind, which allows me to send text messages and emails to all families that sign up for this safe, free service. With our school’s new website, I believe there is also a way to include daily posts. As soon as it is determined which technology tool will work best, I will let you know. Communication is key, and utilizing today’s technology helps communication become even easier.

Section NineAdditional

Information

Additional Information The Lakeland School District has just updated their website, and with that change,

teachers’ web pages on the previous site now need to be updated as well. I am looking forward to some of the new changes on the website, and once I get our class page

updated, I will send out a handout that will provide information about how to access the website and features that the website will have.

With our Reading Street Common Core Reading Series and Everyday Math Program, students have access to digital accounts which they can access at home to review our daily skills. Once I have student login information on how to access these sites, I will pass that on to you. Both of these are great resources. When you get these logins, I highly recommend utilizing them.

In addition to our curriculum series’ online components, I also have a list of resources that can be used at home. Once our new website gets up and running, I will have a webpage on our class site dedicated to those resources.

Our class is on Twitter - @Mayfield_MrP. I am looking forward to posting more on the Twitter page this year as I now have a pretty good feel for how it works.

Section TenFinal Thoughts

Final Thoughts Included in this envelope are some important items to return to school with your child in

the first few days of school.o Emergency Card : please fill our card (front and back), sign, and return to school

so the nurse’s office has this important information on file.

o Student Information form : this form is helpful for me to learn more about your child and also have contact information on file in the classroom in case I need to get in touch with you.

Sorry for so much reading material; I just wanted to be as detailed as possible to help you understand how our classroom will work and the expectations that I have. First grade can be a difficult transition from kindergarten for many students. The students are expected to acquire many new skills and concepts, the school day moves at a quicker pace, and the assessment procedures are new and challenging. It is important that all students come to school ready to work and try their best every day. Homework activities and daily reading practice at home also play a major role in helping students reach their full potential in the classroom. Success in first grade is a team effort among students, teachers, and families. I will do everything possible to make sure our classroom is one that is safe, positive, and encouraging. I am very excited and am looking forward to working with all of you and supporting you and your child each step of the way to help make this school year an enjoyable educational experience that we will always remember!