ABC ‘s of First Grade
Mrs. Myers’s Class
Montana City School
Absences: If you know your child will be missing school on a certain day or will be leaving early, please notify me as soon as possible so I can get homework ready and plan the day accordingly. Write a note in the blue homework folder to ensure I get the message. When first graders are solely responsible for relaying the message to me, dates are often wrong or they forget the time they are leaving. If your child is absent, call the school (406-442-6779) to inform the front office. This is for your child’s safety. If a student must leave early, please sign him/her out at the office and he/she will be called from class. Inform the office or the teacher if another person is picking up your child. Help your child work on and return any make-up work as soon as possible.
Attendance: Your child's progress, both academically and socially, is influenced greatly by daily participation. Regular attendance without tardiness is a key. Many of the valuable learning opportunities we do in class cannot come home as homework. “Miss School, Miss Out.”
Arrival and Dismissal: School starts at 8:15 and ends at 3:00. Students enter the building at the main office and go to the playground through the lobby. They are not allowed in the classroom or in the hallways before school unless going to breakfast or the Learning Lab to read and do homework beginning at 7:45. When the bell rings they will line up and a teacher will bring them into the building. If you would like to walk your child into the school, please observe these guidelines. At 3:00 students will be exiting through the doors by the gym, unless they are attending the after school program. Children will wait with the playground supervisor.
Allergies: If your child has any allergies please notify the teacher and school nurse.
All About Me: Each week a student in our classroom will be featured on our “All About Me” bulletin board. The featured student will share fun and interesting facts about himself/herself as well as photos and drawings. A letter will go home in the blue homework fold explaining details the week before.
Backpacks: Backpacks carry many things. Helping your child check the backpack each night for important papers will help facilitate an organized routine. Checking a backpack is also a really good way to talk to your child about the day’s events.
Blue Folder: Everyday your child will come home with a blue folder. Our tentative class schedule is in the folder to help remind when we have P.E., library, and music. Homework to return, books to read, letters home, Info-To-Go, forms to sign, etc. will come in the folder. Please look through the folder nightly, initial and date, and return the next day. Use this folder to send notes to the teacher. It is a valuable communication tool.
Birthdays: Birthdays are special occasions for young children. Your child is welcome to bring a treat to class. We will sing a birthday cheer and have treats at 2:00. We can celebrate summer birthdays too if you want to choose a day and let me know when you’d like to celebrate. You can send treats in the morning or make arrangements with the teacher for another time. The school handbook reminds us to not send party invitations to school unless all of the children are invited.
Brain Breaks: The first graders will be growing and stretching their minds throughout the school year. We will take “Brain Breaks” to shake it up and break out of routine occasionally. Movement combined with learning promotes healthy kids and healthy minds!
Breakfast: A school breakfast is served every morning starting at 7:45 in the cafeteria. The Breakfast Menu is included with the Hot Lunch menu. Checks can be made out to Montana City School and given to Mrs. Smith or Mrs. Myers. I will jot a note in the blue folder that I received the check.
Bus: If your child rides a bus please let me know the bus number they will be getting on at the end of the day. If they have a change in routine please let me know so I can help them remember what they need to do at the end of the day.
Bedside 5: Brain research shows that when students have limits to powerful media, such as T.V., video games, computer time, etc. in the hour before bedtime, they do better in retaining new information and skills learned during the school day. Also, when students practice five things (math facts, sight words, etc.) in the five minutes before sleep, the skill will be transferred from their short term memory into their long term memory! Try this with sight words and spelling words! Practice 5 in 5!
Calendar: A calendar of school events and the monthly school breakfast/lunch menus are available on the school website www.montanacity.schoolwires.com. On Thursdays, watch for the weekly electronic newsletter “Info-to-Go” for menus and school events.
Caught Being Good Cards: Your child will come home with many “Mrs. Myers Caught Me Being Good!” notes. I believe in frequent positive encouragement and praise for effort, taking risks, helping others, and being the “Above the Line by Design” kids that they are. The following day, I will draw from these notes out of the reward box and students can choose a reward such as treasure box, lunch with the teacher, read to the class, mystery box, show and tell, desk buddy, etc.
Celebrations: We celebrate in many ways throughout the first grade day. Your child will learn many fun cheers and chants to show support and encouragement to fellow classmates for effort, risks taken, and successes! First Graders Rock!
Classroom Newsletter: On Thursdays, look for our weekly classroom newsletter posted on the class website and on Seesaw. It includes next week’s spelling and sight words.
Computers: We are lucky to have several computers in our room. We will also be visiting the computer lab and using a class set of ipads to do some learning.
Conferences: Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held at the end of 1st and 3rd quarter. However, if you have concerns regarding your child, please, feel free to set up a time to visit. The school number is 442-6779 or you may reach me by email at rmyers@mtcityschool.net. I am happy to meet with you as needed throughout the year.
Discipline: My classroom discipline plan is built on our school vision statement “Educational Excellence, Above the Line, By Design.” Our classroom rules and our approach to solving conflict revolve around this statement. Our classroom rules are:
1. Respect Others, Myself, and the School
2. Be Ready to Learn
3. Follow Directions Quickly
We will celebrate “Above the Line” behavior in many different ways, such as “Caught Being Good.” However, if a student needs guidance in being “Above the Line,” I will help redirect behavior and offer an opportunity for the student to reengage. If disrespectful behavior continues, a student may be relocated to an area more conducive to learning. If another redirection is needed, loss of some recess time will occur. Further disrespectful actions will be referred to an administrator and parents will be notified. Students will always be given the choice to be “Above the Line” at each step of the process. I call this the “Recovery Process” and its goal is to get students back on track in being “Above the Line.” (Any serious behavior issues will be referred to an administrator immediately.)
E-mail: E-mail is checked on a daily basis, but if something is urgent feel free to call the school 406-442-6779. Email: rmyers@mtcityschool.net or text me through the Remind app.
Emergency Card: Every year an Emergency Card is collected from parents when they fill out school paper work . If any of the emergency information ever changes please notify the school so you can be reached in case of an emergency.
Field Trips: We will be going on a variety of field trips this year. Parent volunteers are always welcome. All students will need to fill out a bus form before riding the bus.
Fire/Earthquake/Lockdown Drills: Fire drills etc. are held throughout the year. We will practice and become familiar with procedures before our first scheduled drill.
Flexible Reading Groups: The first grade teachers (Mrs. Myers, Mrs. Reyant, and Ms. Anthony) partner together and teach a phonics/reading group in which all students from the three first grades have the opportunity to work alongside students from the other classes in a group with a smaller student to teacher ratio in order to really focus on important phonics, decoding, sight word, and comprehension skills. The smaller groups create the opportunity for individualized instruction catered to your child’s learning needs. Journeys, the adopted reading program is used during this valuable instructional time. A note will be going home in the first month of school explaining more. Be sure to return the bottom portion of the note.
Flexible Math: The first grade teachers will also partner to teach math in similar small groups three days a week to help individualize the learning experience for students.
Guidance: We have guidance once a month with Mrs. Miedtke. She teaches us about spreading kindness and respect.
Gym: Our class will have gym class twice a week for 60 minutes each week on Tuesdays and Fridays with Mrs. Burnett. The children are asked to have clean sneakers at school on those days. I also ask that each student bring an extra pair of socks for P.E. (especially in warm weather when kids are wearing sandals without socks). Students need to wear pants, shorts (to slip on under skirts) and socks in order to participate. Please make sure your child is dressed comfortably for P.E. If your child doesn’t know how to tie shoelaces, please work on this at home.
Hands-on Learning : First Grade is full of hands– on–learning. We all learn best by doing. Consequently, not all we do will be seen in “papers” coming home everyday. Sometimes seatwork is needed and will be reviewed by the teacher and sent home in folders.
Health: Please let us know of special circumstances which may affect your child. These could include medication that may make him/her sleepy, a death in the family, etc. Also, please let me know of any allergies your child may have, especially food allergies. I sometimes cook or do food activities to complement lessons.
Home Reading: What a joy it is to sit and read a good book! Please read with your child daily. Statistics show this is the most important activity you can do to help students learn to read and love reading. A monthly reading chart will be sent home to encourage this home activity. Remember parents, you need a good book too!! Photocopied Decodable Readers will come home the week after we’ve used them in class. These are great books for independent reading and fluency practice. Keep them in a safe spot and refer to them throughout the year. Don’t throw them out with the trash. :)
Homework: A child’s first teacher is his/her parents. Spelling words, Sight Words (“Words to Know”) and Decodable Reader books will be sent home weekly. Each day your child should spend about 15 minutes reading aloud to a family member. If students would like additional homework, please talk with me and I can make some homework packets. I believe that some down time after school to play, rest and “be a kid” is really important. Keeping the TV off and getting out the toys is a good idea for “homework” for a first grade student. If your child is absent or if your child does not finish his/her work at school in the appropriate time given, homework will be sent home to be completed and returned. I may also send home unfinished station work and one-minute math timing practice. If these are returned, students can earn a treat such as M&Ms.
Illness: At times it is difficult to decide if a child is ill enough to stay home. Please keep in mind that the school day is long and many demands are placed upon a child throughout the day. Children are up and around, inside and outside, and interacting with many different people in a variety of situations. A healthy child is a learning child. Also, staying home when warranted, helps to keep others healthy.
Independent Reading: It’s worth repeating… daily interactions with literature is essential in strengthening reading abilities. A child needs some quiet time everyday with a book. If they can only sit for one minute by themselves, start there, and try for 1 minute and 10 seconds the next day. Soon they’ll have their flashlight and a book with them in bed in order to “sneak” a little extra time with a favorite book.
Join: PTA is looking for parents to participate in various school events. This is a great way to meet other parents and provide support for our wonderful school.
Mr. Kloker: Most of you know the Superintendent, Mr. Kloker. He is always available for a chat with both students and parents. He’s great.
Library: Our class will have Library with Mrs. Heggen and Mr. Kuhl once a week on Mondays. Please help your child to remember to bring his/her books back so new books may be checked out. As first graders they are allowed to check-out two books each week.
Lunch: Lunch will be from 11:00-11:40. They eat lunch first and then go outside. Lunch prices are $3.00 for students and $3.50 for adults. You are welcome to come have lunch with your child. Just let the office know for the lunch count. Check in with Mrs. Smith before heading to eat.
Mr. Mikesell: Mr. Mikesell is our K-2 principal. He is also available for chats with both students and parents. He too, is great.
Monster Mash: This is a great PTA organized event for our school. I am in need of a couple of volunteers who would plan/decorate/organize/run a game booth for our class. All help is greatly appreciated in making this event successful.
Music: Everyday in First Grade is a day full of music. Music helps students enjoy school and at the same time learn a variety of skills from letter sounds to being kind to others. Also, Mrs. Nelson will be teaching our class music once a week on Thursdays from 11:50-12:30 p.m. She’s the greatest.
Nurse: Kristin Lamping and is the school nurse. Among other responsibilities she tends to scratches and scrapes and may even give a call home when a student needs to go home due to illness. Please inform her of any allergies or medical issues your student may have.
Mrs. Smith, the school clerk, also known as the second nurse helps out kids in the Nurse’s Office too. The office is located next to Mrs. Smith and Mr. Kloker’s office.
Office Staff: Mrs. Price and Mrs. Dorrington are the people that greet you when you come into the school. Be sure to stop by there first and sign-in. They are also great if you have questions about anything about the school.
Parties: Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and 100s Day are our 4 class parties. I’ll have a sign-up for treats and supplies at Open House for these days. As always, parents are welcome to attend these special events. Other celebrations include, a Thanksgiving Feast, 100th Day of School, Spring Fling and a few more surprise parties. For some of these celebrations and learning experiences, we will be teaming with all K/1 classes to make connections beyond our walls and collaborate in the learning experience.
Parent Involvement: Parent helpers are very welcome in our room. It would be helpful if you can sign up to come in at a specific time each week. However, I would be happy to see any parent anytime. If you want to help out but can’t make it to the school, just let me know. There are a zillion things you can do at home too. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the classroom volunteer form.
Peer Mentoring: Under the direction of Ms. Meidtke and Mrs. Fox, our school counselors, select Middle School students are trained to be peer mentors for younger students one day after school. They can work on academic skills and social skills. If you are interested, please let Mrs. Myers know.
Questions????: You may be new to Montana City School or just new to my classroom. If you have any questions about First Grade or the school, feel free to email or stop by for a chat. I am usually available from 8:00-8:15 and 3:00-3:30 everyday. I am often available beyond 3:30. Sometimes I have meetings but they usually do not occur during those times. Check the front office to see if they can locate me. rmyers@mtcityschool.net
Recess: There will be a total of 45 minutes that the students will be outside each day. Children should dress for the weather. We will only be staying inside when the temperature is below zero. This outside time helps build healthy bodies and give students practice time in building positive relationship skills. Outside helpers wear florescent vests and are available to assist children as needed.
Report Cards: Report cards are issued 4 times a year. Various First Grade skills will be assessed and progress monitored at these times.
Snack: We will have time for an afternoon snack each day. During this time children may eat something from home. A healthy snack is always the best choice for these growing minds and bodies. Grains, fruits, proteins, and dairy items such as yogurt are perfect snacks. Snack time should not be “second lunch.” :) It should be one or two things that can be eaten quickly. Please do not send juice or colored drinks. Students will have access to water bottles and the fountain. Unlike Kindergarten, if a student does not bring a snack there won’t be any “spares” available to them. We do have students with severe peanut allergies at school. Please consider packing a non-peanut item for your child’s snack.
Box Tops: One of PTA’s projects is collecting “Box Tops for Education”. Each class is in competition to collect the most “Box Top for Education” coupons. There will be a special reward for the winning class. Start saving and get anyone who doesn’t have kids to save for you, too.
Techie: First Grade has gone Techie. We will be using ipads this year and visiting the computer lab. Students will read aloud and publish their work through the Seesaw app. This great learning tool is a favorite of students. Be sure to access your student’s account at the beginning of the year.
Tests and Assessments: Students will be assessed in a variety of ways. Student progress is monitored in the classroom on a daily basis. On Fridays, your child will take a spelling test on the weekly words and your child’s understanding of the Journey’s Main Selection will be evaluated on a written test. On Thursdays, he/she will be evaluated on being able to read the weekly sight words or “Words to Know”. DIBELS diagnostic reading assessments are given at the beginning, middle, and end of the year to assess letter naming fluency, phoneme segmentation fluency, nonsense word fluency, and oral reading fluency. STAR testing will take place at the beginning, middle, and end of the year as well to measure growth in Language Arts and Math skills. Math tests will be administered at the end of each chapter. Report Card assessments will be used each quarter to measure growth and application of skills taught in class.
Treasure Box and Rewards: With the “Caught Being Good” notes mentioned earlier, I am always looking for ways to refill our treasure box. Surprisingly, the most popular items chosen in the past are not toys, but old jewelry, pencil pouches, holiday decorations, candy, friendship bracelets, sticky note pads and notebooks, pens, highlighters, small dolls, small trinkets, etc. I am always looking for and welcoming class donations to our treasure box. These items do not need to be new; they just need to be small enough to fit in our treasure box.
Unique: A “Happy Helper” will be appointed each day to help the teacher. This unique position will have special responsibilities such as line leader, pledge leader, and all around teacher helper. They are a very important part of keeping the classroom running smoothly.
Visitors: Montana City School has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces) check in at the school office. We welcome and encourage family involvement. It is important to remember that while this may seem inconvenient to frequent visitors, it is the goal and responsibility of the school to create a safe learning environment. Besides, the badges are stylish.
Wish List: As the year rolls on I will be sending out periodic wish lists of things we will need for the classroom. These items may be as simple as toilet paper rolls or as delightful as ingredients for homemade apples sauce or 100s day trail mix.
Writing: We will be doing a lot of writing in First Grade. Daily writing journal, math journals and writing projects are just some of the ways the First Graders will be practicing this very important skill.
Extreme Thirst: I do allow water bottles in the classroom. Please make sure that they are no-spill bottles. The bottles are for water and not juices or sports drinks. A well hydrated brain is a learning brain. I will send the water bottles home at the end of the week to be washed out and sanitized. Please label the water bottle with your child’s name.
You: You are the most important teacher in your child’s life. A fraction of a child’s learning happens in the classroom. If you ever need to chat about any struggles or questions you might have, I can help. Many parent resources are available for parents with good information, including books and personnel. We are here for you.
ZZZZZZZs: Plenty of rest each night is very important for you and your child. A rested brain is a happy brain. Research tells us that the little ones need 10 hours of sleep a day. This helps with long term memory building as well as helps keep a health immune system.
In summary:
First grade will be exciting, fun and very important because the skills your child learns will provide a foundation for all of his/her future instruction. I’m looking forward to this year very much and will do my best to ensure that all students master first grade concepts, feel good about themselves and begin a journey to become life-long learners.
Mrs. Myers
School Phone: 442-6779
Mrs. Myers’s Email: rmyers@mtcityschool.net checked daily.
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