Premier Grade with Madame Roadman and Madame Alexia

Teaching Philosophy

We both have a calm demeanor with the kids and we like to run a calm, orderly classroom. We are very nurturing with the kids. We know they are making the transition from Kindergarten and it takes time. We take time out to give a hug or lend a listening ear.

Behavior Management: We both believe that having high behavior expectations (listening to others at appropriate times, using an inside voice, etc.) will allow for us to have a healthy learning environment.

Relationship: We believe the teacher-student relationship is very important, as are student relationships. We have spent the first week and a half doing ice breakers, group activities and get to know you activities so we can all learn a little about each other, bond as a group, and make a community in our classroom. If we have a community in our room then we are all happier, feel safe, and learn better.

Cooperative Groups: We have the students seated in groups. We believe group work is very important. Students work in pairs and in groups daily. They learn to listen, take turns, compromise and socialize.

Immersion: We believe in the immersion method of speaking French as much as possible. We use visuals and model instructions to ensure comprehension. All subjects are taught in French except English reading time and PE.

Curriculum
Students will learn to read in French and English this year. The goal is to read about 35 words per minute with comprehension by June.

Lecture (French reading groups): M-F 10:30-11:30. The students are in leveled groups for French reading time. Each week we are learning a new French vowel sound.  During lecture, students meet with Madame Jeanne, our Educational Assistant, to work on French writing or French reading. When not meeting with Madame Jeanne or a teacher to work on French sounds, the students do French apps on the ipads.

Taoki is a phonics curriculum for the French language. The students each have a Taoki workbook and we do a lesson in this workbook weekly. The workbook goes through the French vowel sounds. We try to choose our picture books for lecture to include the French vowel we are working on that week.

French conversation: We will teach the students common questions and answers in French so they can learn conversation skills. Here are some phrases the kids will learn: Bonjour, Ca va? Ca va bien/Ca va/ Ca va mal, Quel age as-tu? J’ai 6 ans. J’aime, Comment t’appelle tu? Je m’appelle…

Reading time in English: M-Th 8:45-9:45. We use the Journeys curriculum for Reading. We will also have book clubs this year as well for those students reading chapter books.

Math: The school uses the Learn Zillion curriculum for math. Math will be taught in French in our classroom. The teachers have translated all the Learn Zillion materials into French.

Math according to Oregon State’s Common Core State Standards in
French. (See website: http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/real/newspaper/Newspaper _Section.aspx?subjectcd=MA)

• Geometry (match, bend, build, draw, name 2-D & 3D shapes)
• Data collection & analysis
• Forward and backward counting and skip counting to 120
• Read, interpret and solve story problems involving addition and subtraction
• Use the commutative property of addition and the fact that subtraction & addition

are inverse operations to solve problems
• State the value of a numeral in it’s place in a number (ones, tens, hundreds) • Match a number to its corresponding an amount
• Use a variety of strategies for addition and subtraction, such as fact families,

substitution, counting up or down on a number line, grouping objects in

categories
• Add and subtract two-digit numbers with borrowing (a ten) and carrying (or

building a ten)
• Measure using standard and non-standard units of measurement, rulers, scales

*Both of us will teach Math, Reading, lecture (reading in French) and Handwriting.

Stations: We use stations for English reading and French reading. Stations are activities done in groups. We do this because we strongly believe in differentiating, teaching to each child’s academic level. Stations also help accommodate 6 / 7 year old attention spans.

Science: Madame Roadman will start the year with an air and weather unit. Later in the winter the students will learn about sound and light. During the spring we will cover life cycles and plants.

Social Studies: Madame Garver will start the year with a heritage unit. The students will learn geography and about different countries and cultures.

Art: Mme Garver is teaching art this year.
PE: PE is M-W. Please dress your child in appropriate shoes and clothing for PE onthose days.
Music: The music teacher is Monsieur Chappell.

We sing all the time in our classroom. The students will sing a French counting song, a line song to sing when walking in line, parts of the body song, and a Je m’appelle song. This group loves singing. The whole room gets silent when they hear one of us start to sing.

Handwriting: We use the Winged Writers, a Ball and Stick handwriting method. This is what the students used in Kinder.
The students will also learn cursive so they can read Taoki , our French curriculum, which is in French cursive.

Library: Library will be once per week on Fridays 12:15-12:45. Please remember to pack the library books every Thursday night.

Communication

• We will do a weekly newsletter. This will be emailed on Fridays. As you have seen we will email you as well for reminders etc.
• Please email us with any questions:

Madame Roadman- roadman_s@4j.lane.edu
Madame Garver- thorburn_n@4j.lane.edu
( When emailing , please email both of us so we are both in the loop.)

Volunteering

We welcome you to our room anytime. Please email us if you are coming so we can schedule something that requires extra hands (writing, etc)

If you have a special talent in art of music, we would love to have you share that with us. We have a piano in the classroom for any pianists out there.

Drop Off and Pick Up

8:00 am Cafeteria is open. An educational assistant is in cafeteria 8:00-8:20 daily to supervise. Breakfast is free for all.

Drop Off- Doors open at 8:20.

Morning routine: Enter quietly, hang coats, etc. Kids then get ready for the day by going to the bathroom and getting a drink of water. Kids then sit down to do the morning activity. Students are expected to keep voices off during the morning announcements.

If your child arrives after 8:20, he/she needs to go to office to get a tardy slip.

Pick Up- Please pick up your child at 3pm. Your child is to say “au revoir” to one of the first grader teachers before leaving so we know your child has left. For their safety they should use the teacher’s name & make eye contact with us before they leave. We bring all kids to the office at 3pm if the parent has not arrived.

Birthdays and Lost teeth

We sing on your child’s birthday. He or she can wear a special birthday crown. We have a “Qui a perdu une dente?” poster for when kids lose a tooth

Snacks

Please pack snacks daily for morning snack in the smaller pouches of your child’s backpack. You can teach your kids to be responsible for packing a snack by making a drawer or a basket accessible to them. Water bottles with no spill tops are encouraged to bring to school. Drinking water is so important. Water bottles are allowed on the student’s desks all day.

Fieldtrips

Salmon release in December, Public Works Day, Mt Pisgah and FFLC Garden in spring

Special events/ activities:

100th Day of School, Valentine’s Day Class Party, Mardi Gras parade, Class Play in May in French

Please label absolutely everything with your child’s full name: lunch boxes, backpacks, jackets, mittens, hats, reusable snack boxes, balls for recess, etc.

Cheat sheet for Parents of Room 14

Friday: library books due
M and W: Dress your child for PE.

Thursday: Home folders due

Friday 1:45 dismissal

We look forward to a wonderful year with this amazing group!