Welcome to

FIRST GRADE

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Back to School Night

September 2025

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MEET THE FIRST GRADE TEAM!!!!

English Language Development Team

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(from left to right)

Sarah Slivosky–ELD Teacher

Jennifer O’Toole–ELD Paraeducator

Emily Kassir–ELD Teacher

Paige Willingham–ELD Teacher

HSES Reading Specialist Team

Kelly Broccolino

Grades K-5

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Suzie Van Horne

Grades K-5

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Katie Zieger

Grades 3-5

Mrs. Broccolino Mrs. Van Horne Mrs. Zieger

First Grade Schedule

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9:05 Students arrive- morning routines

9:15 Announcements and Community Circle

9:40-10:55 Math

10:55-11:45 Phonics & Content (Social Studies, Science, Health)

11:45- 12:45 Recess and Lunch

12:45-2:45 ELA (Reading and Writing)

2:50-3:50 Related Arts

3:55 Dismissal

A Day in First Grade Video Goes Here

RElated Arts

Color Schedule to avoid missed classes when schools are closed.

Related Arts Team

PE:

David Murphy

Judy Fulmer

Music:

Aimee Winner

Tasha Maglocci

Paloma Miranda-Murray (instrumental)

Art:

Margie Eisenstein

Sarah Bresky

Media/Technology:

Tonya Kyler

Dave Floyd

Ami Holden

Students have a 30 minute recess each day.

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We will go outside unless the temperature drops below 20 degrees with wind chill, it is raining, or the heat index is in the unhealthy range. Please make sure you dress your child appropriately and we encourage children to wear

sneakers.

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Each class will have P.E. three times a

week. Wear appropriate shoes to allow for full participation.

On Canvas via �HCPSS Connect

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Curriculum content overview for each

• Grade (PreK – 5)
• Subject area

What Your Child Will Learn Guides

www.hcpss.org/connect

Language Arts

What your child will learn:

• Phonics and Word Recognition
• Fluency
• Comprehension of fiction and nonfiction text
• Writing about reading in various ways
• Participating in group discussions of text
• Listening to others share about a text
• Conventions of print
• Genre writing
• Acquiring and using new vocabulary

Math

What your child will learn:

• Number Concepts
• Number and Operations
• Geometry
• Measurement and Data
• Basic Facts
• Computational Fluency
• Math Homework will begin in October. Weekly worksheets.

Grade 3

HOMEWORK

• Homework Binders started Monday, and will come home every night. Initial the calendar every night to show your child has done his/her homework.
• Monday(or first night of the week): Read and reread from the poetry binder for 10 minutes. Children can echo you, read with you, or read by themselves.
• Tuesday- Thursday: Read from the nightly books. These are in a plastic bag inside the HW binder. The book will be at your child’s independent reading level to build confidence, fluency, and comprehension. Books may be kept for more than 1 night to reread them. Please listen to your child read out loud to you and talk about the book together to check for understanding.
• Math homework will begin in October. A worksheet will come home on Monday and be due back by the following Monday.

Canvas / Grading

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• We will use the Canvas gradebook as a tool, but not exclusively.

Other tasks and anecdotal observations will also be used to determine students’ overall progress and grades, such as: classwork, journal entries, participation, and discussions.

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• We will utilize the Canvas Inbox or announcements to share links or reminders. Please make sure you have notifications from Canvas announcements sent to your inbox.�
• The Canvas app is a very helpful tool parents can use to track student progress and receive announcements.

Report Card

• Letter grades M, P, L for content areas
• Number grades 1, 2, 3 for learning behaviors
• Two pages
• Quarterly grades on first page, related arts grades and teacher comments on the second page
• Multiple measurement topics for each content area
• All students in a grade get the same report card

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What Do Content Grades Look Like?

Learning Behaviors

3

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Limited/no progress towards expectations

2

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Making progress towards expectations

1

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Meets Expectations

Building Positive Relationships

• Creating an environment where EVERY child feels good about coming to school
• Designing an environment that promotes child engagement
• Focusing on teaching children what TO DO!
• Teach expectations and routines
• Teach skills children can use in place of challenging behaviors

Important Reminders

• PBIS School - Focus on catching students following 3 Rs
• Tickets - Individual and Class Recognition
• NEW THIS YEAR- 4 Houses
• We believe in the power of a collaborative relationship between home and school!

HSES HOUSE SYSTEM�

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Purpose:

• Fosters school spirit and a sense of belonging.
• Encourages healthy competition through points, challenges, and events.
• Builds character, leadership, and teamwork across grade levels.�

Four houses, One family

Each student assigned a House.

Kindergarten is the House of their teacher .

Onraka - House of Unity

Nukumori - House of Kindness

Protos - House of Success

Isibindi - House of Courage

Students earn points for following the 3 Rs.

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K & 1 earn H tickets as their points.

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Students go to the “Level Up” store when they meet the points for each level (300, 400, etc.)

Attendance matters! We miss your child when they aren’t here! �v

#H-PLZ2WK

Impact of Attendance:

100% - Excellent

97% - 30 hours lost

95% - 50 hours lost

90% - 95 hours lost

Daily Lateness:

5 minutes = 3 days lost

10 minutes = 6 days lost

15 minutes late = 10 days lost

When to stay home and what to do.

Your child MUST stay home if….

• They have had a fever of 100* or higher within the last 24 hours.
• They have vomited within the last 24 hours.
• They have had diarrhea within the last 24 hours.

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If your child is absent….

• Please email your child’s teacher and HSESabsence@hcpss.org
• If your child is absent, they will have time to make up assignments.

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Changes in Dismissal

Things you can do to make your child’s teacher aware:

• Send a handwritten note the same day
• Call the school by 2:45 for last minute changes- we may not have time to check email

This is helpful because it eliminates any confusion of where your student is to report at the end of the school day.

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Bus Car Rider/Walker After Care

DONATIONS

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

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• dry erase markers
• play dough
• treasure box items (small trinkets/toys)
• tissues
• hand sanitizer
• band-aids
• Amazon Wish List for First Grade

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First Grade Field Trip Dates

Farm Field Trip: October 16, 2025

• Green Meadows Farm
• 1 official chaperone per class but if you are not chosen, you are welcome to drive behind and meet us there, responsible for entrance fee
• $24/per student, cash or checks made payable to HSES
• supports science standards- plant and animal external features
• Rose Hill Manor: late Early May, date TBA
• supports social studies standards- Maryland history
• 1 chaperone per class will be taken and no additional adults can attend due to space limitations

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PTA

Read-A-Thon Starts 10/27!

Our ONE big fundraiser for the year!

Let’s beat last year!

• 10/27-11/7: first week is spirit week
• Brag tag prizes
• Earn one tag for a donation and one tag for a reading session at each prize day
• 1 session of reading is 15 minutes - multiple sessions can be done on one day - new
• Prize days: 10/28 (Tu), 10/30 (Th), 11/3 (M), 11/5 (W), 11/7 (F)
• 2 pizza parties per grade
• Greatest percentage of class logging reading - new
• Highest total donation amount per class

BRAG TAGS:

Volunteers

We are looking for volunteers to help throughout the year with a variety of tasks. Please return the volunteer interest form to your child’s teacher. Volunteers must complete the volunteer training packet each school year.

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The school is also looking for parent volunteers to help beyond the classroom. Contact administration via the front office if you are interested in helping across the school.

School and System News and Information

Text

Email

School news, HCPSS News,

emergency notices

Priority/emergency notices

HCPSS website

www.hcpss.org

Systemwide news and information resource

Hollifield Station website

hses.hcpss.org

School news, calendar, sports and clubs, staff directory; more

School Closings/Delays

@hcpss

www.HCPSS.org

HCPSS News

HCPSS Status

status.hcpss.org

Hotline

410-313-6666

Family File is your child(ren)’s Emergency Card!

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Fill it out TODAY!

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Family File needs to be complete:

• To attend field trips.
• To ensure safe dismissal for emergency closings.
• To ensure we can contact you in an emergency with your child.

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Important information, dates, and news come out each week in the

Hollifield Herald!

Questions

for the benefit

of the group?

THANK YOU for Coming!

We look forward to a FABULOUS year together!