Mrs.

Marets
1st Grade
Handbook

Mrs. Maret
My name is Mrs. Maret and I am your childs
first grade teacher this year! I cant wait to meet
and work with you and your child! This is my fifth
year teaching, and my fourth year teaching at
Cedar Fork. Before teaching at Cedar Fork

Elementary, I taught 1st grade in Connecticut. I grew

up near Boston and moved to Connecticut for
college.

The best way to contact

me is via email:
kmaret@wcpss.net
Please also utilize our class
website for homework
calendars and other
resources:
http://maretfirstgrade.w
eebly.com/
Lastly, check out our first
grade website for
curriculum examples:
http://cfesfirstgrade.we
ebly.com/

I graduated with a
Bachelors Degree and
Master's Degree in
teaching from Quinnipiac
University in Hamden, CT.

Store: Target
Food: French fries
Color: Green
Fast Food: Chick-fil-A
Author: Kevin Henkes
Flower: Tulips
Season: Fall
Sport: Soccer
Subject: Math

Welcome To First Grade!

Congratulations! You are now the proud parents of a First Grader. This will be a full year of growing and
learning. Your child has already begun a journey into reading and writing and in first grade he/she will
continue on to become an accomplished reader and writer. You will see changes in your childs thinking as
he/she becomes familiar with the abstract concepts and symbols of mathematics. Reading, writing, and
math are the core of the first grade curriculum. Progress and development in the early elementary years
depends on lots of practice. Research continues to show that children who read and write the most will
read and write the best. In our classroom, your child will have many opportunities to practice reading,
writing, and math skills in fun and creative ways. We will also explore a variety of social studies and
science units. Your child is in for the adventure of a lifetime, and I am so happy I get to be a part of it.
Before we get started I want to give you a heads up on what to expect along the way.

School Day
Official school hours are from 9:15-3:45. Children may not arrive at the classroom before 8:45. If a child
arrives after 9:15, he/she must get a tardy slip at the office. If a student needs to leave early, they must be
signed out in the office. Dismissal begins at 3:45. If your child is a car rider, we suggest getting to school
early so you can be in the front of the car pool line in the front of the school. School staff will assist your
child in entering/exiting the car.
If your child's transportation arrangements will be different on any given day, you must write me a
note or email specifically stating the change.
Special Area Classes
Our class will go to Specials every day at 10:55. We are on a 7 day rotation. The schedule is as follows

Day 1- Music
Day 2- PE
Day 3- Technology
Day 4- Readers Theater
Day 5- Art
Day 6 PE
Day 7 Media

Please make sure your child wears appropriate shoes on the days we have physical education. When
schools are closed for a holiday or due to inclement weather, we will continue with the rotation. We will
not skip days.
Daily Schedule
Here is a look at our daily schedule:
8:45-9:15: Arrival and morning work
9:15-10:15: Math
10:15-10:35: Letterland

10:35-10:55: Snack
10:55-11:40: Specials
11:40-12:10: Literacy Mini-Lesson
12:10-12:40: Lunch
12:40-2:00: Literacy (Daily 5)
2:00-2:35-Writing
2:35-3:05: Recess
3:05-3:45: Science/Social Studies
3:45: Dismissal
Behavior Expectations
Our class has individual and group expectations for behavior.
Individual
o Each student has a clip on a chart that starts at green ready to learn every day. Each day
the students have a chance to move their clips up higher if they display exceptional behavior,
choices, or kindness in the classroom. Students do not get a prize for moving their clips up;
the simple act of moving them up instills pride within the students.
Small Group
o Each table in the classroom has a jar for marbles. When tables work together to follow the
directions, stay on task, work hard or display kindness and teamwork, their table can receive
marbles. Once a table fills up their jar they will get to display their pride by keeping a small
trophy on their desk for the following week. Tables can also lose marbles for displaying
negative behaviors. This encourages each student to work for the whole group as a team.
Whole Class
o Our whole class has a marble jar as well. I add a marble to our jar when we receive
compliments. It might be a compliment for having a super line in the hallway or for staying
on task as a whole class during math time. This encourages the whole class to work together
as a team.
We also have a take-a-break table where students can sit if they lose self-control. It is not a time-out or
a punishment, but simply a time for the student to regain self-control, follow directions and rejoin the
group when he/she feels ready.
We will develop class rules as a group, but here is a general idea of our class rules:
Classroom Rules
1. Raise your hand to speak
2. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself
3. Listen when someone is talking
4. Follow directions the first time they are given
5. Treat everyone with kindness and respect
Breakfast
Your child has the opportunity each day to go to breakfast. The cost of breakfast is $1.00. Please send a
note with your child if you would like them to eat breakfast so that I know to send them to the cafeteria.

Lunches
Your child may bring a lunch from home or purchase one from the cafeteria. The cost of lunch is $2.00.
Your child may also purchase milk to go with a packed lunch and it costs $0.50. A sticker will be sent home
if your child is running low or is out of money. Lunch menus are available online. It is also very helpful if
your child can learn his/her lunch number. That number is the same as their ID number. Please also be
aware that our lunch time can sometimes change during EOG testing, early-dismissal or if there is a delay.
Bringing Lunch: Your child has the option to bring lunch to school. Please make sure that your childs
name is on his/her lunch box. Please do not send in anything that needs to be warmed or prepared in some
way. Lastly, please do not send in soda or candy.
Snack
Every morning we will have a time for snack. Please send in a healthy snack for your child each day. Also,
please make sure that your child is self-sufficient with his/her snack (they have the utensils and ability to
open it themselves).
Money
If you send money to school with your child, please send a note explaining what the money is for. This will
make our morning routine go much quicker. Please do not send money to school with your child unless it
is for something school related.
Birthdays
We will celebrate all birthdays for a given month on the last Friday of the month. On this day you will have
the opportunity to send in a special treat that will be coordinated by our room parent. On your childs
actual birthday he/she will be recognized on our school-wide morning announcements. Please do not
send in a special treat until our monthly birthday celebration. Please do not send in goody bags or party
invitations. A class list will be sent home in the coming weeks that you can use to send invitations to
classmates. Thank you in advance for your cooperation
Sneakers
It is important that your child wears the proper shoes for the playground each day. Students need to have
sneakers or sandals with straps in order to use the playground equipment. They can keep a pair at school if
that makes it easier for you. Flip flops are not allowed to be worn at school.
Report Cards
The county is on nine week grading periods. Your child will receive a report card four times a year. Please
be sure to sign each report card envelope and send the envelope back to school.
Grading
Students complete a great deal of work each week, but not all of it is graded the same way. The majority of
work that your child completes is practice and is only graded for work habits. All homework and most
class work is graded for work habits. I look to see if students have followed the directions, completed the
task, if it is neat and if effort is apparent. These assignments will not have a grade (4,3,2,1) on them.
Homework and morning work will receive a check mark if it was completed on time, correctly and
neatly. Homework and morning work will receive a check minus if one of those elements is missing.
Those marks will contribute to your child's overall grade for work habits.

 Work on Writing/Reader's Response is a rotation during Daily 5 literacy that students complete daily.
This is where they independently practice the literacy skill we worked on whole group. These responses
will receive either a check plus, check, of check minus. The checks count towards the final grade for work
habits. I will also leave brief comments and feedback on these responses to clarify the mark received if
necessary. I will occasionally use these responses for a grade if student assessments on the topic are
inconsistent and I need more evidence to support a grade on an interim or report card.
Assessments are given for each standard and in every subject area. These assessments are graded with a
level 4,3,2,1. The majority of our assessments will include a rubric and if they don't I will explain the
grading via email. Assessments are kept at school until interim and report card time. When we send
home interims and report cards, we will also send home the graded assessments that correspond. The
assessments and the folder need to be returned each time we sent them home.
Sometimes work will come home without a grade or check mark. There are times when our class will
complete a practice or an activity all together, in groups or with a partner. I will not grade that work and
students will put it straight into their mailboxes once done. This occurs mostly during math, writing and
science/social studies when I am not running reading groups and am able to walk around and monitor
student progress throughout the activity.
Weekly Letterland spelling tests are not graded, but are feedback for parents and students to see
progress. Every three weeks we have a Letterland tri-weekly spelling test in addition to the weekly
spelling test. The tri-weekly test is graded and assesses the students on the patterns and sight words
from the previous three weeks.
Class Work
Where is all of the work?
Please note that students have math, spelling, science and guided reading notebooks where they complete
all of their practice work. Students also having a writing folder where they hold onto most pieces of
writing. There will not be a great deal of work coming home as much of it is completed in notebooks.
Conferences
I will hold conferences two times a year with all parents. I will do my best to accommodate your schedule.
I will send out a sign-up genius. If you would like a conference during the year, please feel free to contact
me to set one up!
Volunteering
All volunteers, including field trip volunteers, must complete a volunteer application, which includes a
background check. Your application must be cleared in order to volunteer or to chaperone a trip. The
application needs to be completed yearly. A computer with the application is available to use for this
purpose in the Media Center.
Attendance
It is important for your child to be in school all day, every day. However, if your child is sick, it is very
important to keep him/her home to heal and to prevent the spread of illness throughout the classroom. If
your child is absent from school for any reason, you must send a note or email. This absent note is
required by the office for each absence.
Medicine
Your child is not allowed to have medications at school unless you have talked to the nurse (including
cough drops). Thank you for your help in this area.

Field Trips
First grade has an exciting and enriching field trip program. We usually take 2-3 trips throughout the year.
I will notify you of these trips well in advance. The cost of each trip will vary.
Daily Folder and Tuesday Folders
Your child will be given a Tuesday folder that will go home every Tuesday. On the left side, your child will
have work that can stay home, and on the right side of the folder, there may be papers that need to be
signed and returned to school. The Tuesday Folder should be returned with any signed papers on
Wednesday. Students will also have a homework folder. This folder is meant to go back and forth each day
to help us communicate, so if you have notes for me, please stick them in the daily folder. Please remind
your child to take out any notes and hand them to me in the morning. This folder will also be used for
homework to go home on Mondays and for it to be returned on Fridays. Please look at your childs folder
nightly!
Monthly Newsletter
Staying involved in your childs education is the key to a successful year. I encourage you to engage your
child in conversation about his/her day, but I know that children wont always tell everything about their
day. On our class website I will have a section for newsletters. Monthly, I will upload a newsletter that lets
you know what your child will be learning that month in all subject areas along with important dates for
that month.
Homework
Your childs education does not stop at school. Inside the daily folder you will find activities that will help
your child succeed in Literacy, Writing, and Math.
Homework will begin after Labor Day.
A homework calendar is sent home each month and will also be posted on our class website. The
calendar can remain at home, but homework will be turned in on Fridays. The homework calendar
will list the weekly spelling words (5 sight words and 10 pattern words).
Students will have a spelling notebook to complete spelling activities for the week using these
words. The spelling activity choices can be found on our class website and will also be inside of your
child's spelling notebook. Please note, your child should NOT be memorizing the pattern words. We
teach spelling through patterns so your child can apply the pattern to numerous words and will be
able to spell a wide variety of words instead of just ten words. Encourage your child to focus on the
patterns we are learning and the sounds each pattern makes in the word. Additionally, on our
weekly Friday spelling tests, I may test students on words they did not practice, but that have the
same pattern. However, students SHOULD memorize sight words as they are either oddball words
without patterns or frequently occurring words.
Each week for homework, students will choose two spelling activities to use with their sight words
and two spelling activities to use with their pattern words. Please encourage your child to complete
this work neatly and to not waste any paper in their notebook. The spelling activities shouldn't take
up more than the front and back of a piece of notebook paper. Please keep the spelling notebooks at
home until Friday when they are turned in (they take up a lot of space when we put all students'
homework folders together).
Students will also have 1-2 math worksheets to complete each week. The worksheets will be extra
practice of what we have worked on in class.
It does not matter which day each piece of homework is completed on, as long as it is all turned in
on Friday.
Additionally, students should be reading for at least 20 minutes every night.

Many of our students and families enjoy extra homework, so I have included some weekly challenge
questions with the homework. These are OPTIONAL. These questions may not be connected to what
we are currently learning, so if your child is confused with a challenge questions, you may simply
skip it.
Reading at Home
I expect my students to read each and every night. In the beginning of the year we will get you set up with
BigUniverse where I will assign books that are just right for your child. I will also provide you with
question stems you can use along with these books to work on comprehension skills.
Important Terms
When discussing their school day, students may use some terms you are not aware of. Here are some important
terms from our classroom.
Letterland: This is our spelling program. Students will learn and practice weekly spelling patterns and sight
words that have fun and engaging stories.
Daily 5: This is our literacy format. It consists of a mini-lesson where we work for about twenty minutes on our
current literacy standard and four rotations of independent fifteen minute practice. See the next four terms to
learn more about each rotation.
Read to Self: This is one rotation of Daily 5 where students read independently. They practice books from their
book bin and work on improving their fluency and comprehension.
Word Work: This is one rotation of Daily 5 where students complete spelling activities with their weekly
Letterland words in their notebooks.
Work on Writing: This is one rotation of Daily 5 where students will independently practice the literacy
standard we worked on together during the day's mini-lesson. These will come home in Tuesday folders.
Guided Reading: This is my favorite rotation of Daily 5 where I meet with small groups of students to improve
their reading. Students are grouped by reading level and they receive a new book each Monday. Each time we
meet, we practice different skills with the book from Monday. What each group practices depends on what they
need. Some groups may work on decoding (sounding out words), fluency, and comprehension. The books and
activities will get more and more challenging as the year progresses and the groups will also change depending
on the students' growth and what each student needs.
Fluency: This is an important component of reading and simply means reading like you are talking. When
students have fluency, they are not stopping frequently to sound out words which also enhances comprehension.
Written Response: During guided reading, students will practice their comprehension by answering written
response questions. This is where students will read a question about the book and answer the question in writing.
They will jump back to their book to find supporting evidence to strengthen their response.
Growth Mindset: Sometimes we like to say "grow your brain!" I spend time discussing with my class how our
brains are always growing and changing and that sometimes things may be hard or difficult, but our brains can do
anything if we work hard and never give up!
Communication
The best way to contact me is via email. I will be able to check it periodically throughout the day. Please
also take a look at our classroom website (http://maretfirstgrade.weebly.com/). Please also visit our first
grade website for more information and resources (http://cfesfirstgrade.weebly.com/). I will also post the
monthly newsletters on the website along with homework calendars and other helpful information and
updates. If you do not have access, please let me know! Please feel free to email me at any time
(kmaret@wcpss.net). I look forward to working together to help your child be successful!