Mrs.

Leuthold 1st Grade Overview

Hello and welcome to 1st grade! I feel incredibly blessed to be

Communication
Effective communication is essential for building school-family
partnerships. Therefore, I am more than happy to answer any questions
you may have or listen to any concerns. Please feel free to contact me in
any of the following ways:
1. Email: [email protected]
 I will check emails throughout the school day and reply to you as
soon as possible. On Fridays, I will send out a weekly newsletter
containing upcoming events, updates on what we are learning,
and reminders. If you do not have an email address, please let me
know so we can communicate with one another in a different
way.
2. Phone: (260)-251-1481
 You may either text or call me on this number. However, my
response during school hours may be delayed. The little ones are
my top priority, and I will not have my phone on me while I am
teaching!
3. School Office: (812)-336-5853
 If there is an emergency or you need to send me an urgent
message, please call the the school office and they will notify me
as soon as possible.
  Attendance
Attending school each day and arriving on time is very important for
your child’s success in first grade. Our day is filled with various activities,
which may be difficult to make up at home. When your child is absent, all
of his or her work from that day will be put into an Absent Folder. These
items will be worked on throughout the day. Whatever is not finished will
have to be completed at home. Please let me know ahead of time if you
know that your child will be absent, tardy, or will be picked up early. Doing
this will allow us to make proper arrangements so that your child stays on
track with the rest of the class!

Curriculum
1. Math
 The first graders will be using the GO Math curriculum. These
lessons are designed to fully facilitate conceptual development, as
students work from introduction to mastery of each content
standard. A primary focus for the year will be to build fluency for
addition and subtraction facts using numbers 1-10. In addition, I
hope to use manipulates, models, and quick pictures to
strengthen the students’ overall understanding of each concept
that is covered.
2. Language Arts
 Spelling:
o The students will be working with Scott Foresman’s Everday
Spelling. This book will be paired with a systematic,
research-based phonics curriculum. This simply means that
the students will follow the same routine throughout the
school year, but they will learn, practice, and review a new
skill each week.
 Reading:

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 o Reading is a huge part of first grade. In other words, these
students are developing the skills and strategies necessary
to not only become successful readers, but to comprehend
and understand what they are reading about. We will begin
our year by discussing what a “just right” book is and why
it’s important. This will be followed by weekly assessments,
conferences, and guided reading groups. There will be a
Book Buddy Bag, as well as a reading log that the students
will fill out weekly. More information to come!
 Social Studies:
o The first graders will learn social studies with the help of
Studies Weekly. Each week, your child will receive a
pamphlet that we will read together as a class. There are
activities included that can be done as a whole group, small
group, or independently.
 Handwriting:
o We will be reviewing and learning the proper formation of
numbers and letters through the use of Zaner-Bloser
Handwriting. The correct form will help students write with
ease and legibility.
 Religion:
o The first graders will use the Faith and Life Series to learn
about Jesus’s life, God’s gifts, and praying. For when a child
learns to love God with all their being and their neighbors as
themselves, they will be greatly blessed (Luke 10:27).

Homework
1. Tic-Tac-Toe Homework:
 Your child will get a new Tic-Tac-Toe sheet every Monday. She
or he will be asked to complete three boxes from the sheet
(diagonally, across, or up and down). This will need to be
returned on Friday morning. When students have completed

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 their three boxes, they will receive a sticker on a goal grid.
When the entire goal grid is complete, your child will earn a
reward. Please note that students may complete more than 3
boxes if they wish to earn extra stickers.
2. Reading Log:
 Along with the Tic-Tac-Toe Homework, your child will have to
fill out a reading log. This log will be included in each student’s
Book Buddy Bag, and they will be expected to practice reading
every night!

Friday Folder
Each student will have a Friday Folder. This folder will contain your
child’s completed papers and notes from the week. This will help you keep
track of their grades and see what your child has been doing in each
subject area. Please empty the folder, except for notes needing returned,
and have your child bring it to school on Monday.

Behavior Expectations
During our first day of school, the students and I will decide on six
essential rules for our classroom. I strongly believe that creating
expectations with students is an empowering activity to help build the
community and culture of our classroom.

Report Cards
Report cards will be sent home at the end of each quarter. More
information to come!

Mass

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 Our first grade class will attend Mass on Fridays at 8:30 a.m. with the
rest of the elementary school students. Once a month, we will go to Mass
on Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. for an all-school Mass. We will sit in a row
together as a class. Parents and family are always welcome to join and sit
with our class, but the first graders must sit with our class!

Specials
Specials Schedule:
 Monday: Music, Science
 Tuesday: Music, Art
 Wednesday: P.E., Science
 Thursday: P.E., Media Center
 Mass, Music
Specials Teachers:
 Music: Mrs. Gorr
 Science: Mrs. Maxwell
 Art: Mrs. Hallard
 Media Center: Ms. Sherman
 P.E. Mrs. Mitchell
Please help your student remember to wear appropriate shoes on
gym days. Students will also have to remember to return library books on
or before Thursday. Lunch will be at 11:30 a.m. and recess will by at 12:00
p.m. every day.

Snack
To help keep brains fueled for learning, we will have a daily snack
around 10:00 a.m. I will store the snacks in the classroom and distribute a
small amount on a daily basis. When we are running low on snack, I will
send home a note titled “Snack Time!” If you are able to help that month,
please return the note. I will also send out reminders in my weekly

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newsletter. I will collect snacks on Monday morning. You can have your
student bring the snack into the classroom at the beginning of the day.
Thank you so much!

Water Bottles
Water bottles are highly encouraged for first grade. I suggest having
your child bring a water bottle to school so that they can easily stay
hydrated throughout the day. Please remember to label the water bottles
with your child’s first and last name. Hydration is important for the mind
and body!

Morning Drop-Off
On mornings that are not Mass mornings, please drop your child off
between 8:00 and 8:15 a.m. in the gym. Students are able to play together
before school starts. When the bell rings at 8:15 a.m. students should
make their way to the classroom. Our official starting time for school will
be 8:30 a.m.! If you need to drop your child off before 8:00 a.m., they will
have to go into the gym for extended care. Extended care will begin at 6:45
a.m. each morning.
On Mass mornings, students need to be dropped off no later than
8:15 a.m. We need the parking lot to be cleared for the middle school and
elementary school students as they walk from the school to the church. If
your child is tardy on a mass morning, please:
1. Sign-in at the school office.
2. Drop your child’s backpack by our classroom door.
3. Walk your child to me in Mass. Please make sure that I see you and
your child when she or he is being dropped off.

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Dismissal/Pick-up
School ends at 3:05 p.m. At this time, we will proceed to the east
side of the island of trees in the parking lot. You may park your car on the
east side (by the basketball courts) and walk to your child. Or, you may
drive past on the west side and I will send your child to your car. Your
child’s safety is very important to me. I ask that your child verbally says
goodbye to me and gives me a high-five before he or she leaves our
designated area. Please help your child remember to say goodbye to me!
 If you need to pick your child up early from school, please let me
know beforehand so that we can have all of his or her belongings
ready.
 If it is rainy or too cold outside, we will dismiss in the gym. Please
park your car and walk inside to pick up your child. They still need to
say goodbye to me in the gym as well!
 If someone else is picking up your child, please let me know
beforehand. I will need to know the name of the adult and their
relationship to the child. Please do this for your child’s safety.

Field Trips
The first graders will take a few field trips this school year. If you are
able to chaperone and/or drive, please let me know. More details on the
field trips will come!

Birthdays
We will have a brief celebration of your child’s birthday on his or her
actual day, or another school day. Summer birthdays will be celebrated at
the end of the school year. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Spring Break
birthdays will be celebrated before the break starts. If you would like to
bring something in for the whole class to celebrate your child’s birthday,
please let me know ahead of time. I will happily schedule a time that
works for the class and for you!

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  As a school policy, birthday party invitations are not to be passed out
at school unless the whole class is invited. Please also give gifts
outside of school as well.

Parent Volunteers
I welcome parents volunteering in the classroom! If you are able to
come in to help, please let me know so we can discuss a time and day
during the week. I look forward to a great year! With your help, we can
help the first graders succeed in anything they put their minds to! 