Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year!

Hi!

I can't wait to meet you and your child—we’re going to have a fintastic school year as Darby Dolphins!

This is my 7th year teaching at Darby. I have taught Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade. I’m a proud CSUN alumna and recently returned to complete a Certificate in Reading and Literacy. As a lifelong learner, I’m always looking for ways to grow as an educator. This experience allowed me to deepen my understanding of current, research-based strategies to support student success in reading. I’m excited to bring what I’ve learned into our classroom and use up-to-date methods to help every student thrive in literacy.

I’m passionate about teaching and love finding fun, creative ways to engage my students while maintaining high academic expectations. I especially enjoy integrating STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math—into our daily learning. My approach is multidimensional and includes a variety of modalities like video, music, movement, and hands-on activities to support whole-body and collaborative learning. Since every child learns differently, embracing these diverse methods helps meet the needs of all students.

My ultimate goal is to instill a love of learning and help each of my students reach their fullest academic potential in additon to social and emotional growth. First grade is close to my heart—it’s a magical time of growth. Your child will blossom as a reader, writer, mathematician, explorer, artist, and thinker this year.

It’s going to be an exciting journey filled with learning, discovery, and lots of adventures!

 

A Little About ME:

My loves include my sweet husband, two teen boys, my family, our fluffy apricot poodle, and our sweetheart pug. I love spending time with my family on hikes, puzzles, movie watching with zebra popcorn and relaxing at home. I also love all things Disney and Disneyland, Dreamwork Trolls, favorite colors are purple and blue, love snuggling up to read, Target and Starbucks runs are always a blast, yoga for relaxation and mindfulness, and creative art projects.

 

My Goals This Year

  • Create meaningful and engaging learning experiences

  • Inspire a love of learning in each student

  • Foster a safe and supportive classroom environment

  • Build a community of kindness and inclusion

  • Keep open and ongoing communication with families

 
Academic Expectations: 
 
  • Students will complete daily homework assignments and turn in homework packets weekly on Fridays.
  • Students will come prepared to class and have good digital citizenship.
  • Students will complete daily class assignments with their best effort.
  • Students will meet or exceed the Common Core State Standards for first grade in all areas by the end of the year.

 

Behavioral Expectations🐬: 

 

All students should arrive on time and ready to learn. Please follow the 3 🐝's: 

  • 🐝Be respectful and KIND. (To self, each other and adults)
  • 🐝Be safe. (having a safe body and making good choices are important )
  • 🐝Be responsible. (learning good organization, accountability and being a responsible citizen on the yard)
Also we believe in the golden rule : treat others as you would like to be treated. It emphasizes empathy and reciprocity, encouraging individuals to consider how their actions would affect others before acting. I tell all my kids, "Kindness starts with you. It starts in your heart, then your mind and finally in what you say." In our class we are family and we treat each other with respect and kindness.  We work together to build positive relationships, celebrate differences, and work together to make our classroom a welcoming place. ❤️
 
Supplies for First grade to be brought from home with their name clearly labeled on the first day of school: 
 
**********************I will provide all students with a pencil box, crayons, eraser, and pencil.
  1. fiskars scissors - OPTIONAL Please label with a sharpie on scissor metal area (School provides standard scissors, however fiskars scissors really aide with little fingers and are a fun way to personalize their tools.)
  2. Black sharpie with their name clearly labeled. Just regular standard tip. Used for drawing.
  3. Personal headphones in a large ziploc bag with their name and room number clearly labeled on the outside. Will be kept at school for computer lab and chromebook time in class for the school year. (Please do not send bluetooth or wireless ear buds. Standard headsets are preferred.)
  4. Pack of crayola colored pencils 12 pack only.
  5. Large glue stick with their name on it. If you would like to donate more thank you however, only label one for your child and send in the rest.
  6. Standard size back packs are encouraged with a refillable water bottle. No glass containers if packing lunch box. Lunch box items: Please no candy or toys. Please label with their name on some part of the back pack and/or lunchbox in case its lost or misplaced in the school yard. 
  7. Light jacket with name clearly labled (or initials) encouraged-August,September and October are especially hot months and the AC will run inside the classroom.
 
Other items below may be brought in as needed
***  Even though the school provides many of our necessary classroom supplies, we still need extra materials to enhance our learning. Thank you for your support, kindness, and generosity!
 
  • 1 box of sharpened yellow #2 pencils (creative pencils are fun and given as prizes or can be kept at home for homework)
  • extra black sharpies for art
  • 1 ream computer/copy paper
  • Tissue boxes
  • 2 or 4 paper towels pack (easier big spill clean up help for little helping hands to use than the brown paper towels )
  • glue sticks JUMBO size preferred
  • Disinfectant wipes 
  • markersdryerase markers black (this is an example. Brands from dollar store are fine too. ) To be used as needed. I will provide wipe erase markers at the start of the school year. )
  • small stickers or toys for our treasure box
 
******Let's get 100% parent portal access in room 14.
 
To register for a Parent Portal account, see Video
  1. Have an e-mail account. 
  2. Go to http://parentportal.lausd.net
  3. Click "Register for an account."
  4. Fill out the required information,
  5. click "Register" and wait for a confirmation email from the Parent Portal with a web link to activate your account.
  6. When prompted, follow the guidelines to create a password for your account.
 
NONSENSE WORD RESOURCE
Check out this great video about Nonsense word practice to help parents understand how to help prepare students during DIBELS testing and overall practice for strengthening auditory phonemic awareness skills. I will send home monthly Nonsense word practice to help strengthen these skills. Please begin working on this as soon as possible as we have 3 DIBELs tests in the year: Beginning of the year, Middle of the year and End of year.
Click on the link for the youtube video:

 

I can't wait for us all to Dive🐬 into First grade!💦 I am so glad you are here! We will develop 21st-century skills through technology integration. I love using ClassDojo for parent and class communication.I look forward to a wonderful partnership in your child's education. ❤️

 

 

 

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Mrs. Karla Curby
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Room 14
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