February Newsletter
Glenn Stephens 1st Grade
120 South Rosa Road, Madison, WI, 53705
https://stephens.madison.k12.wi.us/
T: 608-204-1900
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Glenn Stephen’s First Grade Team’s monthly
newsletter. Inside this newsletter you will find a variety of
information including the expectations of MMSD for
teachers and students. The district provides many
programs for different areas of the first grade
curriculum. The newsletter will give you an idea of what
your child is working on in areas such as math, reading,
writing, social skills, etc. If you should have any questions
about the information provided to you by our first grade
team, please feel free to contact any of us.
Upcoming Events
February 5
NO SCHOOL for teacher
professional development
February 19
Talent Show
February 24
Stevens, Salerno, Dahler to
Geology Museum
February 25
Tyson, Christenson, Wolcott to
Geology Museum
Science at the Geology Museum
The first grade is going on a field trip to the UW Geology
Museum on Wednesday, February 24st and Thursday, February
25th. This trip covers our MMSD standards that are taught in our
Foss Pebbles, Sand and Silt science unit. In a one hour tour our
students will see hundreds of rocks and minerals. They also will
see a black light mineral display, fossils and skeletons from
dinosaurs and Ice Age animals. “Rock” on First Graders!
February 25 and 26
Book Share
Important
Announcement
The fun fair is coming up in
April. If you’d like to help out
please contact your child’s
classroom teacher. We can
put you in touch with the right
people. The PTO appreciates
any extra help during this
event.
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More Important News
Math
Your child recently brought home their semester report card. The
report card is very detailed, and the print is small. As teachers, we
are asked to grade using a rubric. A description of the 4 levels is
given for each item we grade. We match what each student does
to the corresponding numbers, 1-4. These numbers are not really
like the A’s, B’s and C’s on report cards that may be more familiar
to you. Instead they are describing whether a child is above, at,
partially at, or below grade level for that item on the report
card. Here is an example from math. The item on the report card
says “Counts, reads and writes numbers to 120.” Here is the rubric
we see at semester that leads us to give the grade we give.
.
4 Advanced - Exceeds first grade level expectations
Counts, reads, writes and orders numbers within 200. AND- With support,
understands that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of
hundreds, tens and ones.
3 Proficient- Meets first grade level expectations
Counts, reads, writes and orders numbers within 100. AND- With support
understands that the two digits of a two-digit number represent amounts of tens
and ones.
2 Progressing Meets some first grade level expectations
Counts by ones from any number 1-30. Counts backwards by ones from any
number, 1-10. Counts sets of up to 10 objects accurately. Reads and writes
numbers 1-10. (all)
1 Emerging Not yet meeting first grade level expectations
Counts forward 1-10. Counts sets of up to 5 objects accurately. Identifies numbers
1-3. (all)
This rubric will change by the end of the year, as students are
expected to know more by then. So to get a 4 in June, students
must know the skills listed to 1000 and understand 3 digit place
value without support. To get a 3, they need to know numbers to
120 with 2 digit place value without support. The grades for a 2
and a 3 move up in difficulty as well in a similar manner.
Please let your child’s teacher know if you have questions,
comments or concerns about the report cards.
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More Important News
Reading Practice at Home
All of our first grade teachers send home books for our students to
read at home. These books are at an independent reading
level. The books used in the classroom are at an instructional level,
where guidance is needed. It is important for students to practice
reading and rereading books at their independent level (meaning
there are fewer challenges with decoding, so less chance of
stumbling over unfamiliar words), so they have greater reading
fluency (smooth phrasing versus word-by-word); so they can
practice reading aloud with an expressive voice (attending to
punctuation and the writer’s intended meaning); and so they can
begin to build reading stamina (reading for longer periods of time).
Modeled reading matters too. A child is never too old to be read to
Questions
If you have any questions about
what you’ve read in this
newsletter don’t hesitate to
contact your child’s teacher.
by someone else! Children benefit from someone reading to them
because it displays a love of reading, models fluency, expands their
imaginations and builds their background knowledge. It also helps
to build their vocabulary, and inspire them with new ideas and new
topics for learning. It is especially beneficial for those students
learning English, to hear stories read to them in their native
language, for greater understanding. Comprehension is key to
enjoying any text. To work on comprehension skills at home, you
can help your child by asking them to retell the story to you using
their own words; ask questions about specific details, characters, or
Cheryl Dahler
dahler@madison.k12.wi.us
Val Salerno
vsalerno@madison.k12.wi.us
Sue Stevens
actions in the story; and how well they liked it and why.
sstevens@madison.k12.wi.us
We are fortunate to have a rich library of leveled books at Stephens
Angele Wolcott
to share with students for reading practice at home. Please help us
in teaching children how to be respectful and responsible with these
written treasures, by taking good care of them while they are in your
child’s possession, and returning them to school to be exchanged
for more! We also want to encourage families to consider our
Madison Public Library as another great resource to enrich your
child’s world of reading. We want to make every attempt to help
children “fall in love” with books! Together, we are building the
awolcott@madison.k12.wi.us
Elva Tyson
etyson@madison.k12.wi.us
Drew Christenson
dcchristenso@madison.k12.wi.us
foundation for a lifetime of reading pleasure for your child, which will
allow them to gather information, to escape, and to dream!
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