Welcome to Mrs. Krzysko's Class!

Our Curriculum

Reading

Guided Reading Groups, big books, small readers (take home books), leveled readers, reading centers, vocabulary words (word wall words), main idea, details of a story, sequencing, predictions, cause and effect, realism and fantasy, exploration of poetry and folk tales, following directions, and listening skills.  Phonics: decoding beginning and ending consonant sounds, short and long vowels, word families, blends, digraphs, contractions, compound words, synonyms and antonyms.   

Spelling

The first graders will be introduced to spelling patterns each week.  Although the students will not be tested on a specific spelling list, he/she is expected to learn the spelling pattern and practice the pattern in his/her daily writing assignments. High-frequency words (word wall words) will be introduced  each week. These words are the most commonly used words in reading and writing.  Students will use these words throughout the week at school, and should practice spelling, writing, and finding these words at home. The words will be introduced on Monday and will be a part of the WTW assessment given on Friday (challenge words and/or part of the sentence practice).

 Words Their Way

Words Their Way (WTW) is a developmentally driven instructional approach to teach phonics, vocabulary, and spelling.  It meets the needs of students at their independent level in spelling.  WTW provides the students with the opportunity to work with developmentally appropriate words every day during class with various word study activities.  On Friday students will be assessed on 10 randomly chosen words from his/her sort.  

Zaner-Bloser Handwriting

Printing: Letter formation, using spacing appropriately, letter/line relationship, left to right progression, number formations.

Expressive writing

Capitalization, punctuation, handwriting, spelling, and creative story writing: journal entries.

Math

Student will use manipulatives to develop concepts in solving addition and subtraction equations, basic facts, telling time, coin value, measurement, basic geometry, fractions, story problems and problem solving, graphing and patterning.

Science

Plants and Animals are Living Things, The Sky and Weather, Caring for the Earth, Force and Motion, Magnets and Sounds, and Dental Health are topics that will be covered.

Social Studies

Home and School, Communities and Neighborhoods, Map Skills, Needs and Wants, Our Earth and its Resources, Our Country and World, Social Skills, Current Events, and personal Safety are topics that will be covered.

Music:  Wednesday 9:40-10:05

             Friday 10:05-10:30

P.E.:       Monday 1:25-1:50

             Tuesday 12:35-1:00

             Thursday 1:25-1:50

Library: Wednesday 1:50-2:15

Art:        Monday 2:35-3:20

Computer Lab: Wednesday 3:00-3:30

Recess/Lunch: 11:25-12:15

Helpful Websites:

www.starfall.com

letter recognition, vowel games, videos

www.raz-kids.com

leveled stories and comprehension quizzes

www.funbrain.com/words.html

spelling and vocabulary activities

www.aaamath.com

practice math facts

www.brainpop.com

math/science activities

This is my fourth year teaching in the Wauconda School District.  I taught Kindergarten for one year at Wauconda Grade School (am) and Robert Crown School (pm) and this is my third year a first grade teacher at Robert Crown School.  I have my Masters in Education from National Louis University.  My husband and I have two children a 21 year old son, a junior at Seattle University and an 18 year old daughter, a senior at Barrington High School, a dog and two cats.  I feel very fortunate to be at Robert Crown School and look forward to teaching, learning, and growing with your child.

Classroom Policy and Procedures

Other Information

Our class has established a list of classroom and Robert Crown school rules that we feel are necessary to help maintain a safe and nurturing school environment.  We review these rules frequently and can add to them as we feel the need.

  As a class we work together to follow the rules and strive towards good behavior.  Our class strives to earn "Pennies for Kindness" that will earn a special reward: stickers, free time, special treat, etc. when the goal is reached.

  On an individual level, I use a program similar to 1,2,3 Magic.  Every child begins every day on a positive note.    If a child is displaying inappropriate behavior, I will talk to that child on an individual basis about the behavior and discuss what can be done to correct it, that is number 1.  If the child repeats the behavior a second time, I will again address the behavior with the child, ask the child to think about how to make a positive change, and I tell him/her it is number 2.  If the child repeats the behavior a third time, I will contact his/her parents by sending a note home explaining the behavior and/or call the parents.  Please sign the note and return it the next day.

  I understand that everyone has a “bad” day once in a while and I will make every attempt to help each child turn a bad day into a “good” day!

  I also use a “noise level indicator” throughout the day.  When the red light is up, it should be quiet in the classroom and the focus should be on completing the task at hand.  When the yellow light is up, the kids can talk quietly while working.  When the green light is up, the kids can talk freely using indoor voices. 

Homework

Field trips

Each field trip we take during the year pertains to our curriculum focus at that specific time of the year.

Volunteers

Parent volunteers are welcome in the classroom!  Opportunities include reading centers, math centers, computer lab, mystery reader, and miscellaneous classroom help. 

Newsletters

I will send home a weekly newsletter summarizing what your child accomplished in first grade for the week.  I will also include information on upcoming events and any special reminders.  At times, I will also provide suggestions or activities for you and your child to do at home to enhance skills learned during the week.

Take Home Folder

Please remember to check the take home folder and empty the folder every day.  Your child checks his/her folder every morning for homework, notes for me, lunch/milk money, and notes for the office.  I ask that you have your child do the same at home for you every day.

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Questions? Email me at mkrzysko@d118.org

Last Updated on September 21, 2011