First Grade Information
Take care of you.
Take care of others.
Take care of things around you.
Take care of others.
Take care of things around you.
I use personal clip charts to help students manage their behavior. There are positive and negative related consequences for each rule in the classroom. Consequences are designed to be fair and related to the behavior. My aim is to make all experiences learning experiences and maintain a positive learning environment in the classroom. There are 5 steps for student behavior that are flexible depending on the behavior throughout the day. The steps are as follows:
Purple: I am a super star! This means a student has shown exemplary behavior and work. Students on purple are in learning position and adding to our classroom environment.
Green: I am following the rules and doing good work. I am ready to learn. Every student starts their day here. Students on green show learning position- eyes, ears, mouth, and hands ready to or completing learning tasks.
Yellow: I need to stop and think so I can make better choices. This step serves as a warning. A student on yellow will be asked to reevaluate their choices and redirect their behavior.
Red: My parents and I will talk about my choices. If negative behavior continues to this step, I will make contact with parents so that everyone is informed of a student’s behavior choices.
Purple: I am a super star! This means a student has shown exemplary behavior and work. Students on purple are in learning position and adding to our classroom environment.
Green: I am following the rules and doing good work. I am ready to learn. Every student starts their day here. Students on green show learning position- eyes, ears, mouth, and hands ready to or completing learning tasks.
Yellow: I need to stop and think so I can make better choices. This step serves as a warning. A student on yellow will be asked to reevaluate their choices and redirect their behavior.
Red: My parents and I will talk about my choices. If negative behavior continues to this step, I will make contact with parents so that everyone is informed of a student’s behavior choices.
First grade is an important year in a child's education. In order to foster good work habits and enthusiasm for school, I only ask that your child reads every night, as well as maintain a family journal. Reading minutes are recorded on the Road to Success website, (see the Reading tab for a link). Each first grader will be given a username and password on a sticker in their planner. Family journals will be explained in the first few weeks of the school year.
There are a few ways to communicate items between home and school. Each child will have a planner that we will use to record events from the day, reminders for home, etc. and a "Go" folder. Please help your child remember to bring these back daily. I check the planners each afternoon for a parent signature and any information from home. I also update this website each week. I will include reminders, important dates, topics we will be covering and classroom needs. You may find answers to questions you may have throughout the year on this website. One last option is email- [email protected]. I check my inbox daily for information from parents.
A full day of school is a long time for first graders, especially after lunch. We have snack time after afternoon recess. The first graders can take out their lunch and finish any food they were not able to eat during lunch. I rely heavily on parent donations for afternoon snacks. Students are welcome to finish their lunch during snack time, but food from school lunch cannot be brought back into the classroom. I GREATLY appreciate any and all donations.
Field Trips
First grade will go on a few field trips this year. Upland Terrace is lucky to have a PTA and office that provide us with some financial support for off campus learning, however, busses and admission costs can add up quickly. We spend an average of $13 per child each year. If you would like to help send us to fun places such as The Leonardo or Red Butte Garden any donation is welcome. Parent volunteers are also GREATLY appreciated, but spots can fill up quickly. When signing up as a volunteer, please keep in mind that your only focus should be the small group of first graders you are assigned. We want to provide the best and safest experience for all our students so younger siblings need to stay at home.