WELCOME TO FIRST GRADE!

We would like to give you a brief summary of what you can expect your child to experience in First Grade.

Religion
We use the Loyola Press religion series.  During first grade, the children will learn about God's special gifts, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  They will also learn what it means to be a Christian and belong to the Catholic Church. Throughout the year, Old and New Testament Bible stories will be presented.  Prayer services and liturgies will also be experienced.  Religion is integrated throughout the curriculum each day.

Reading
All first-graders will be using the Harcourt Storytown series, which focuses greatly on decoding and phonemic reading skills. There will be daily work that will be done together in class and sent home with your child to be reviewed as homework.  Each class has a daily storytime and during the year, all of the children will be exposed to chapter books.  All first-graders have an opportunity to participate in a monthly reading incentive program.

Because of the wide divergence in reading abilities, first-graders are grouped for reading.  Children who have acquired most of the basic decoding skills and vocabulary words and are ready to read independently will have reading with Mrs. Jacobs.  Children who have acquired many decoding skills and vocabulary words but still need a more structured approach will read with Mrs. McCallister or Mrs. Mary Alice Godley. Mrs. Peggy Godley will be available to work with reading groups.  These groups are quite flexible. It is possible that your child may move from one group to another throughout the year.  Your insights and input are welcome regarding your child's progress.

Math
The First Grade math curriculum covers pattern recognition, addition and subtraction of numbers to 18, geometry, time, money, fractions and measurement.  Typically, one or two math workbook pages are worked on together in class and the students are required to take the work home to finish and/or correct.  We ask that an adult check these pages and initial the page so that we know it has actually gone home.  We will stamp the signature to indicate that we have seen it.  Stamped papers may stay home.

Although we use the Macmillan-McGraw Hill book, we also teach math using the Mathematics Their Way program.  This program presents Math concepts through recognition of patterns and the use of many manipulatives.

English
Students use the Harcourt English series.  The curriculum covers sentence structure, punctuation and basic parts of speech.  Writing skills are emphasized.  Part of the morning seatwork often consists of a sentence reviewing these skills.

Social Studies
Students will use the Harcourt Social Studies series.  The children will study the family and the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.  They will learn about communities, not only in our country, but in other cultures as well.  During October and November, they will focus on Native American cultures.  Significant events and people in our country's history will be discussed.  The continents and oceans are taught including map and globe skills

Science
First Grade Science is a basic introduction to the scientific process. The topics covered include matter, plants, animals, the earth and sky, weather, force and motion and health and safety.

Spelling
Spelling will be taught in each student's reading group.  A spelling list will be sent home each week.  The list will consist of ten words: six new words, two review words and two sight words.  There will be a spelling test given each Friday.

Practical-Fine Arts Classes
Practical-Fine Arts classes are taught on a rotating basis.  This rotation avoids a particular grade missing specific class that might be on Monday or Friday, the days that are most often holidays.  The rotation goes from A to E and will be listed on the monthly school calendar and also on the back of the monthly First Grade parent letter.  The code for First Grade is:
      A: Learning Resource Center: (Library and Computer)
   B: Music
   C: Spanish
   D: Physical Education (Gym)
   E: Art

Physical Education

On the day they have Gym, students should wear the standard school Gym uniform.  Mrs. Ufheil is the Physical Education teacher.

Music
In First grade, the students will be introduced to music through singing of songs and playing of classroom instruments.  They will learn to sing songs that are fundamental to the American classroom song repertoire, as well as songs from around the world. Musical notation will be introduced in the first grade.  The students will do dictations and create basic compositions to demonstrate their understanding of rhythmic and melodic notation.  The students will also focus on learning how to keep a steady beat, a concept that develops quite strongly around the first grade. Ms. Marcotte is the Music teacher.

Learning Resource Center
Today’s library is no longer a place to just check out books.  Matter-of-fact, the library is no longer an entity onto itself.  It is, in combination with the computer lab, the LRC or Learning Resource Center.  During First Grade, students will use the LRC to borrow books, listen to stories, learn basic computer skills, use multimedia software to communicate ideas, and learn to use the Internet.  Mrs. Moran is the teacher in the LRC.

Art
The art program at St. Paul of the Cross School is designed for students to perceive, create, and appreciate the visual arts. Students will gain an understanding of the variety of ways that artists function in society. In First Grade, art projects are designed to increase fine motor skills.  Students will work with a variety of two and three dimensional media; art history which includes but is not limited to Romore Bearden, Winslow Homer, Wassily Kandinsky, Gustav  Klimit, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, and cultural art. Ms. Wagrowski is the Art teacher.

Spanish
The Spanish program at St. Paul of the Cross School is designed to develop basic communication skills with a final goal of confidently communicating in Spanish. Thematic units integrate both culture and vocabulary.  First Grade themes include feelings, colors, numbers, weather, days and month, pets, animals, the classroom, foods, body parts, Holy Days and traditions of Latin America. Stories, games, music and songs are related to these themes.