Welcome students and parents to our 1^st Grade ELA Class! My name is Ms. Peralta and I am excited to get to know each one of you! I am a recent graduate of Pace University and I have my Master's in Childhood and Special Education. Outside the classroom, I enjoy drawing, writing, and playing with my dogs. I believe all students are capable of learning given the proper resources, encouragement, and time. My vision is to help students reach their highest potential and to motivate students to follow their dreams. I expect our class to work hard and learn many new things. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have about this syllabus. I can be contacted by phone or email Monday-Friday. 

Email: tiffanyperalta@aol.com

Phone: 222-222-2222

Classroom Policies:

Students are expected to come to class prepared and on time. This includes completing homework from the night before, bringing a snack for snack time, and being well rested. Students are expected to follow the classroom rules:

1. Follow directions.

2. Listen when someone else is speaking.

3. Raise your hand to speak.

4. Respect your teacher and your classmates.

5. Always do your best work.

6. Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself.

If the classroom rules are broken, consequences may include a verbal warning, a note home, and/or contacting parents for an in person meeting. 

Homework Policies:

Daily homework is important to reinforce lessons taught in class. It also helps me see that students are grasping each topic well. Daily homework should take approximately 15-30 minutes. 

• There is homework every day except Friday.  A parent or guardian must sign every homework assignment when finished. All assignments are collected the next day unless told otherwise.
• Incomplete classwork and/or homework will be sent home to be finished.
• If homework is one day late it will receive half credit. Homework that is more than one day late will not receive any credit.
• Students are required throughout the year to read one age appropriate book of their choice each month and fill out a reading worksheet for each book. 

Required Materials:

• One package of #2 pencils
• One eraser
• One package of wide ruled loose leaf paper
• One 70 pg wide ruled notebook
• One blue folder, one green folder, and one red folder

Students Will Be Learning:

Writing

• Handwriting
• Sentence patterns                                                     
• Organization
• Parts of speech
• Parts of sentences
• Word usage
• Capitalization and punctuation

Big Idea: How can we express ourselves with writing?

Essential Questions:

• What strategies can you use to make your writing better?
• How do you decide what to write?
• How do you use writing to communicate clearly?

Reading

• Reading aloud smoothly
• Identifying the title, author, and table of contents
• Using context to understand word and sentence meanings
• Story elements and character traits

Big Idea: What makes us a good reader?

          Essential Questions:

• How do you use story elements to understand what you are reading?
• How do you figure out words you don't know?
• How do you explain the information you are reading to others?

Grading Policy:

Students will be graded on a 1-4 scale:

• 4- Great work!! Meets standards and above 
• 3- Good work and meets standards
• 2- Working towards meeting standards
• 1- Does not meet standards and needs improvement

Students should aim for a 4 for all assignments and tests, however if you feel your child is having difficulties please contact me so we can address your concerns. Communication will make the learning process easier! Again, I look forward to a fun filled year of learning!