The ABC’s of 2nd Grade

We are Lighting the Way to Leadership

Wards Creek Elementary School

2013-2014

The ABC’s of 2nd Grade

Accelerated Reader/Accelerated Math: Both programs will be used in our classroom. Students will earn points/master objectives to earn award certificates.

AR awards points are:

· Reading Warrior-15 points

· Bronze reading Warrior- 30 points

· Silver Reading Warrior- 45 points

· Gold reading Warrior – 60 points

· Platinum reading Warrior 120+ points

AM points are:

· Math Warrior- 25 objectives mastered

· Bronze Math Warrior- 50 objectives mastered

· Silver Math Warrior- 75 objectives mastered

· Gold Math Warrior 100 objectives mastered.

Attendance: Please have your child attend school every day unless he or she is sick. Regular attendance is essential in order for your child to have a successful school year. Children should be kept home if they have a fever, diarrhea, or are vomiting. Upon returning to school, please complete and return the Absence Form, which can be found on the WCES website.

B.E.E. notebook: The B.E.E. (Bring Everything Everyday) Notebook should come to school every day. Money and notes to me should be put in the orange pouch. The planner should be checked and signed daily so you are aware of your child’s behavior at school. Corrected work and flyers will come home periodically in the B.E.E. notebook also.

Books: Students are asked to read for at least 20 minutes a day at home in addition to the time spent reading books here at school. Please check the related Arts calendar in the B.E.E. notebook so that your child has his or her books at school on media center check-out days.

Conferences: Teacher-parent communication is vital when it comes to student success. If you would like to meet, just contact me to schedule a conference. (Please give advance notice for a conference to ensure my availability). All parents will be invited to conference with me at the end of the first quarter.

Discipline Plan – Rules: Students are expected to be responsible for their own behavior. Classroom rules have been established to ensure that the very best learning environment for all students is provided. (For county-wide rules, please refer to the St. Johns County Code of Conduct that was given out at orientation.)

Our classroom rules:

1. I will respect the quiet signals.

2. I will follow directions immediately.

3. I will do my work during work times

4. I will keep my hands, feet, and other objects to myself.

Following these rules will make our classroom a safe and pleasant place to learn. When students bring to school their backpack, B.E.E. notebook, and homework, and have had plenty of sleep and a good breakfast, it shows that they are being responsible and prepared!

Student behavior will be monitored daily on a chart that includes the following areas:

PURPLE - I have helped another to find his/her voice (student has guided a peer in becoming a leader).

BLUE - I have found my voice (student has demonstrated an exceptional leadership quality).

GREEN - I am a leader (student has maintained expected leadership characteristics).

YELLOW - I need to reflect on a leadership habit (student has not supported a certain leadership trait).

RED - I need to focus on my leadership skills (student needs to work on improving leadership habits).

Each child’s behavior status will be recorded in their planner that will be kept in the B.E.E. notebook. This goes back and forth from home and school every day. Please review your planner and initial it nightly.

Early Dismissal: Students will be dismissed an hour early (1:50) every Wednesday, the day before winter break and the last day f school.

Email: I can be reached at . If your email address changes, please notify me as soon as possible.

Grading Scale: M= Meeting Standards (85%-100%)

P= Progressing (70%-84%)

I= Improvement Needed (0%-69%)

Homework: Homework will be assigned weekly and will be included in the weekly Learning Guide. This will be emailed to you every Monday after school. All students should be reading at least 20 minutes a night in addition to assigned homework.

Illness/Injury: Please make sure that the office has your current address and phone number(s), as well as an additional contact person in case of injury or illness.

Interims: Progress reports will be sent home at the midpoint of each marking period. Please sin and return the envelope to school. You may keep the report.

Leadership: All of our students are leaders and will be learning about and applying The 7 Habits of Happy Children (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).

Learning Guide: I send a weekly Learning Guide to you via email each Monday afternoon. Please read it as it contains classroom news, homework assignments and details of the concepts and skills we are learning each week.

Lunch: School lunch will cost $2.35 this year. Students may bring lunch money on a daily basis, pay for the week or for the month, or you can even pay online. Breakfast is also available to all students. If you do not wish for your child to use lunch money to buy “extras,” please send a note stating this so that the lunchroom staff is aware.

Media Center: Students will have a chance to visit the media center frequently. Please be sure that books checked out from the media center are returned to school when they are due.

Other: Toys, trading cards, action figures/dolls do not belong in the classroom. Please be aware that any object being “played” with is subject to being taken and held until the last day of school (or until a parent contacts me). Please keep candy, gum and soda at home too.

P.E.: It is important that your child is dressed appropriately on the days that we are scheduled to have physical education. Please check the resource calendar in the B.E.E. notebook or on our class website so that you can plan ahead for these days. Resource days will also be listed weekly in your child’s planner.

PTO: Parents are encouraged to join the PTO. We have an incredible PTO at WCES! They do so much throughout the entire school year to support our teachers and students. Please join!

Questions: Encourage your child to ask lots of questions! An inquisitive mind is an active mind!

Related Arts: The Related Arts schedule is in the B.E.E. notebook and on our class website.

Report Cards: Report cards will be sent home at the end of each grading period. Please promptly sign and return the report card envelope. The actual report card is for you to keep.

Responsibility: Second graders learn to be responsible by setting and reaching their own goals,

Completing and returning assignments, and taking control of their words and actions.

Snacks: Most days we will not have a snack since we go to lunch at 11:30. You may send a special Birthday snack on the day our class celebrates your child’s birthday. Please let me now in advance when and what you will be sending in for the students to enjoy. Water bottles are permitted as long as they do not cause a distraction.

Spirit Wear and Spirit Days: Spirit Wear t-shirts ($10) and other items can be purchased from PTO at the beginning of the school year. All students are encouraged to buy a Spirit t-shirt as these shirts are worn on Wednesdays to show our school pride. Spirit shirts are also worn for all field trips as a safety measure. This year we will be wearing orange shirts. If you have a financial concern, please contact me.

Tardies: The school day officially begins at 8:30. However, students are allowed to enter the classroom at 8:00. Please have your child at school on time each and every day.

Textbooks and Library Books: Students will bring home media center books, textbooks and classroom library books from time to time. It is the student’s responsibility to take care of all books that are assigned to him/her. This includes protecting the books from younger siblings and the family pets.

Transportation Changes: All transportation changes must be in writing. You may send a note in the B.E.E. notebook or email me. You may also email changes to our school receptionist, Sarah Renfrow at . If you need to change the way your child goes home in the afternoon, we must receive a written note or email from your listed email address to your me and/or to Ms. Renfrow before 2:00 pm (1:00 pm on Wednesdays). We cannot accept phone calls for those changes. Changes in afternoon transportation should only be for emergency situations.

Volunteers: I welcome volunteers in our classroom! You must be an approved volunteer to help me in our classroom, chaperone field trips or eat lunch with your student…no exceptions! Paperwork that must be submitted to be an approved volunteer can be found on our school’s website.

Webpage: All class news and assignments are posted on our class webpage and/or our Second Grade webpage. They are updated on Mondays after school. Paper copies of many items are not sent home so please check the webpages regularly.

XYZ : The end! I know that we are going to have a great year. Thank you for your support!