Welcome to First Grade!

“Inside all of us is hope. Inside all of us is fear. Inside all of us is adventure. Inside all of us is… A Wild Thing.” "Let the wild rumpus start!" ~ Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are

I earned my B.S. Degree in Child Development with a K-6 License from Meredith College in 2003. My first year teaching was in Chowan County at White Oak Elementary School, teaching 1st Grade. I began teaching in Suffolk Public Schools in 2004, and taught there until June 2016. I spent all of my 12 years in Suffolk teaching at Nansemond Parkway Elementary School. There, I taught 1st Grade for four years, looped to 2nd Grade and stayed in 2nd Grade for four years, and then taught 4th Grade for four years. I earned my Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction through the University of Phoenix in 2007. This will be my fourth year here at T.S. Cooper; my first two years here, I taught 5th Grade Reading and Writing, and last year, I taught 1st Grade. I am so excited to be in 1st grade, again, this year!

I love teaching! Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of being a teacher. I can remember playing school with friends, and even my stuffed animals! Helping others is one of my passions, and I truly enjoy teaching my students to love learning and to have fun while doing it!

I have a wonderful family, and am forever grateful for my many blessings! My husband, Brian, and I have been married for nine years, and have two wonderful boys. Carson is seven and starting 2nd Grade this fall, and Henry is four. We enjoy living the simple country life, and are the happiest outdoors!

Some of my favorite things:
Favorite Color: Yellow
Favorite Drinks: Coffee and Arizona Green Tea
Favorite Music: Contemporary Christian
Favorite NFL Team: Carolina Panthers (GO PANTHERS!!)
Favorite ACC Team: NC State WOLFPACK!!
Favorite Vegetable: Okra (fried is the best)
Favorite Fruit: Watermelon
Favorite Book: Charlotte's Web
Favorite Flowers: Daisies and Sunflowers
Favorite Season: Fall

Please use the "Read Alouds" and "Remote Learning" tabs to access all activities that your child can do while we are in this quarantine situation. I miss you all, and hope that you are safe and well!
Love always, Mrs. Saunders

**Please return packets as soon as possible. This way, I can look over completed work and provide feedback for the 4th grading quarter.**

One way that I like to keep parents informed of what is going on in the classroom as well as upcoming events is through the Remind app. This is an amazingly free app that allows me to stay in contact with parents/guardians on a daily basis! The messages come straight to your cell phone like text messages! Below, you will find ways to subscribe and join the group, Mrs. Saunders ~ 1st Grade, for my class. Choose which method is best for you!

Digital Books (Read Alongs with Animation!)

Make a Time Capsule!!
What an amazing idea to help us remember this time that we are going through!

Chlorophyll Painting!!! (video lesson)
Chlorophyll Painting Directions

EPIC, An Online Access to Many Books!
EPIC (online books!) (class code yrn2289)
***What is EPIC??? (This is a video to showcase EPIC, and all it has to offer!!)

Free Online Access to AR Books!!!
School Name: Read at Home
Username: readnow
Password: myon

Are the books you are reading at home AR books? Find out here!

Awesome 2 Weeks of Learning with Scholastic!
3 Weeks of Remote Learning from Scholastic!
(These are great lessons that incorporate fiction and nonfiction books on a topic,
have a short video, and activity to go along with the theme for the day!)

Great Resources!
Online Activities for 1st Graders!

Accelerated Reader (AR)
(All books that are being read aloud are AR books, and many of the featured books on the Scholastic Remote Learning days are AR as well!)

Letterland (K-3)
School ID: gates655
[Student’s Name] Password: 1234

Making Words with Oscar Orange and Mr. O (o. oa. ow; Unit 22)
You can either print this out or recreate with paper (it would also be neat for your 1st grader to create this game)!

Storyline Online (famous actors/actresses reading stories) (Many of these books are AR books!)

Starfall (K-3)

Free Rice (increase vocabulary while donating rice to countries for food)

Art:
Home Based Art Lessons
Virtual Museum Tours
Free Art Tutorial
Free Drawing Lessons
Color Our Collections
Google Arts and Culture

Reading:
Learning Vocabulary Fun

Starfall: lettter, number, word, direction and reading skills

Word Sort

Story Starters: Write your own stories!

Math:
20 Math Games for Children (5-8 years old)

Math Playground: Have fun with math!

Counting with Ten Frames

Math Skills Practice

Science:
San Diego Zoo for Kids! (You can watch videos, learn about animals at the San Diego zoo, and watch live cams of some of the animals!)

Save a Species Videos (brought to you by SeaWorld)

Georgia Aquarium's LiveCams!

Computer Skills:
Bees and Honey: Practice using the mouse!

Mini Mouse: Practice using the mouse!

FREE Typing Lessons and Practice!

8:05 8:30 Breakfast
(1st Graders who need breakfast will eat in the classroom, other students will read, take AR tests, work on spelling words, and work with sight words.)
8:30 - 9:00 Math Groups (students are pre-assessed on skills at the beginning of the week, and take a post test at the end of the week)
9:00-9:15 Morning Meeting, Calendar Time
9:15 - 10:00 Connect Class

Mon.-PE (wear sneakers/tennis shoes)
Tues.-Library
Wed.-Music
Thurs.-PE (wear sneakers/tennis shoes)
Fri.-Music

10:00 - 11:15 Letterland Letterland Information , Reading Stations
11:15 - 11:45 Lunch
11:45-12:15 Writing (Each week, students will complete a writing following the writing process.)
12:15 - 1:00 Reading (Whole Group Instruction)
1:00 - 1:30 Recess
1:30 - 2:00 Reading Groups
2:00-2:30
2:30 - 3:10 Snack
(During snack, the teacher will read a chapter book aloud to the students and discuss the events in the story.)

Due to the pandemic with the Coronavirus, school will be closed through Friday, May 15th, and will return on Monday, May 18th.
Thank you for your patience as we all try to navigate through these uncharted waters together!

May
18: School Reopens for Students!!!!

June
5: Last Day of School, End of 4th Nine Weeks, Early Release, 1:00 PM

**It would be wonderful to have boxes of band-aids donated! As you can imagine, we go through band-aids very quickly!**

Early Release Schedule
8:30 - 9:00 Connect

9:00 - 9:45 Letterland

9:45 - 10:45 Reading

10:45-11:15 Lunch

11:15 - 12:15 Math

12:15-12:45 Writing

12:45 - 1:00 Pack-Up, Snack

2 hour Delay
*Breakfast is not served when there is a 2-hour delay.*

10:30 - 11:15 Letterland

11:15 - 11:45 Lunch

11:45 - 12:45 Reading

12:45 - 1:00 Writing

1:00-1:30 Recess

1:30 - 2:30 Math

2:30-3:10 Pack-Up, Snack

Email: (This is the quickest and easiest form of communication for me.)
saundersmc@gatescountyschools.net

School Phone Number:
(252)465-4091

Welcome to First Grade!

About Mrs. Saunders

News

Read Alouds

Remote Learning

Our Schedule

Important Dates

Supply List

Delays and Early Dismissal Schedules

Contact Mrs. Saunders