Academics and Curriculum
Also, during the first few weeks of school, I will be identifying and assessing students social and academic levels of knowledge and development to establish a baseline for the class. Instruction and curriculum will be designed to meet the Colorado Academic Standards and expectations for 1st Grade 21st Century Learning.
Reading, Writing, and Communicating
Language Arts curriculum will include a range of reading and writing activities that engage students independently and collectively. Instruction and assignments will focus on Colorado standards for language and communication, understanding word sounds, letter combinations, word structures and word families including phonemic awareness and informal writing conventions such as capitalization and ending punctuations.
Mathematics
developing Initial mathematics curriculum will concern addition, subtraction, strategies for addition and subtraction within 20, developing an understanding of whole number relationships and place value, and grouping in ten’s and ones. Once proficiency in addition and subtraction operations is achieved components of measurement, time and geometry will be included in the curriculum
Social Studies, Science and History
Curriculum for Science, Social Studies and History will be integrated into the mathematics and language arts curriculums.
Homework
Beginning the 3rd week of school, I will be sending home Homework packets Mondays of every week due by Friday of that same week. The first packet will include a parent letter explaining the packet and homework expectations. The volume will be light consisting of a reading log and single page exercises for each area of our curriculum.
Grading
For first the semester I will be grading student assignments, quizzes, and tests from a perspective of progress and mastery towards first-grade essential knowledge and skills. Assignments identified as an assessment for performance will be evaluated based on the number questions answered correctly out the total questions asked. General class work and assignments will be evaluated for noticeable progress and/or additional intervention needed and credit given for on-time completion. I will accept late assignments within the first week after the due date for 25% less credit. Progress reports at the end of the semester will identify student academic progress using the letters E,S,N,U:
E progress and mastery Exceeds expectations
S progress and mastery Satisfactory meets expectations
N progress and mastery Needs Improvement
U progress and mastery is Unsatisfactory
I will hold parent-teacher conferences at the end of the semester and look forward to meeting with you at that time.