Plano Elementary School
2012-2013
School Year Information
For Our 2nd Grade Leaders and their Families
Mrs. Vincent’s Class
WELCOME!
Dear Families,
Welcome to Plano Elementary! I am looking forward to an excellent year with your child. I hope the following information will help you and your child have a good start to the new school year.
The first month of school is a time spent in reviewing skills and assessing each student in order to provide them with instruction according to their skill level. We will be working to review, introduce, and polish skills in reading, writing, and math according to individual needs.
Homework assignments will come home in their Data Notebook in a special homework folder. We will have spelling words to learn each week along with twenty minutes of reading each night. Once this begins, words will come home on Mondays. A reading test over our weekly story will be given on Thursdays, and spelling tests will be given each Friday. I will send the graded tests home on Friday along with weekly work in their Data Notebook. Daily behavior charts are sent home in the Data Notebook for a parent to initial each day. Thank you for your support. As a team, we can work together to give your child the best possible education and school year. Please feel free to write, e-mail, or call when you have questions.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Vincent
COMMUNICATION
Classroom Website: The website will be updated with a weekly newsletter each week.
E-mail: While the telephone is a great communication tool, you can also reach me by e-mail. I may be able to respond to your message sooner this way. My email address is:
Phone: If you need to call me, you can call the school number at 467-0411. I will return your call as soon as possible.
Notes: Notes are always welcomed. Please remember that even though you may know that your child has a note for me, I may not get it in time to respond the same day. I will strive to respond as soon as possible.
Conferences: There will be Fall Conferences that usually occur in October. Should you feel that there is a need for additional conferences, please let me know and I will try to schedule one as soon as possible.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Plano’s Mission:
It is the mission of Plano Elementary School to reach each child, each day, in the way they learn best, in order to promote individual success.
Plano’s Vision:
The vision of Plano Elementary is to provide a climate of strong supportive relationships and academic excellence in order to promote a self-confident, capable life-long learner.
Guidelines for Success: PAWS
P – Positive attitude in all you do
A – Act responsibly in all situations
W – Work hard towards success
S – Show respect to self and others
Dismissal Notes: If your child has a change in dismissal procedures, please send a note to school in order for us to get your child where they should go to avoid confusion. If changes occur during the school day, please contact the office by 1:00 p.m. to allow ample time to get the message to the classroom teacher.
Absentee Notes: When your child is absent for any reason, we must have a note. Students will turn notes into my note basket in the morning.
Snacks: We will have a brief snack each day. Our class uses a snack schedule to ensure that all students have snack each day. All snacks should be healthy and individually wrapped. Please do not send cookies or candy. There may be additional information to share with you regarding allergies that will affect the type of snacks that students may bring. Please do not send drinks. The children may get water after their snack.
Birthdays: Birthdays are great celebrations for students, and I enjoy giving each student special attention on his or her special day. It is not necessary, but you may bring treats to share with other students to help celebrate your child’s birthday. The treats must be store bought, cannot contain peanuts, and must be easy to pass out and clean up. I suggest cupcakes or cookies instead of cake. Thirty treats should be enough for the class. Please contact me ahead of time if you wish to send something in to school.
The Leader In Me
Please visit the website below for additional information on The Leader In Me program that Plano incorporates into each day of school. The list of the seven habits of happy children are foundational for the environment at Plano Elementary.
Habit 1 — Be Proactive
You're in Charge
I am a responsible person. I take initiative. I choose my actions, attitudes, and moods. I do not blame others for my wrong actions. I do the right thing without being asked, even when no one is looking.
Habit 2 — Begin with the End in Mind
Have a Plan
I plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school’s mission and vision. I look for ways to be a good citizen.
Habit 3 — Put First Things First
Work First, Then Play
I spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say no to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized.
Habit 4 — Think Win-Win
Everyone Can Win
I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want. I make deposits in others’ Emotional Bank Accounts. When conflicts arise, I look for third alternatives.
Habit 5 — Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Listen Before You Talk
I listen to other people’s ideas and feelings. I try to see things from their viewpoints. I listen to others without interrupting. I am confident in voicing my ideas. I look people in the eyes when talking.
Habit 6 — Synergize
Together Is Better
I value other people’s strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different than me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people’s ideas to solve problems because I know that by teaming with others we can create better solutions than anyone of us can alone. I am humble.
Habit 7 — Sharpen The Saw
Balance Feels Best
I take care of my body by eating right, exercising and getting sleep. I spend time with family and friends. I learn in lots of ways and lots of places, not just at school. I find meaningful ways to help others.
Data Notebooks
Data Notebooks are implemented school wide and are part of our Leader In Me program. This notebook will include data recorded by the student. The student will record their attendance, behavior chart data, test scores, and other information throughout the year.
Behavior Sheet
At the beginning of each nine weeks grading period, a new behavior chart will be placed inside of your child's notebook. At the end of the day, students will record the number of cards remaining in their pocket. Parents will need to initial each day to ensure daily communication from school to home and home to school. At the end of each grading period I will send home a copy of your child’s behavior chart for those nine weeks.
Zipper Pouch
This is where students put lunch money and important notes to me. Lunch money is to be turned in to the cafeteria during breakfast before school begins. Once in the room, students will turn their notes in to my note basket.
Homework
Your child will have assignments throughout the school day and will be given the opportunity to complete them in class. The assignment will only become homework if it is not completed in class. Weekly homework will include reading twenty minutes and spelling homework each day, Monday through Thursday. Reading and spelling homework is due on Friday each week. Daily math word problems may also be assigned. Other assignments/projects will be given throughout the year depending on the unit of study.
Students place graded papers from the week, important notes or letters from Mrs. Stephanski, office, PTO, etc. in their mailboxes throughout the week. Everything in the mailbox will go home on Fridays. Your child will be responsible for checking their mailbox at the end of the each week. Any papers marked “to be signed” should be signed by a parent/guardian and returned the next school day.
Special Area Classes and Schedules
These are handy references to remember when your child has lunch, recess, and special area classes. Your child will have one special class each day for a week. The rotation will have specific dates, and they do not always go in the same order. A detailed schedule of our day will be given once school has started to keep in the Data Notebook.
Data Sheets
This section is for students to record test scores which will help students track their progress throughout the year.
PROCEDURES
Classroom Rules and Management System: The students will have basic classroom and school rules to follow. These rules and other procedures in our classroom will derive from Whole Brain Teaching. The rules are posted in the classroom and we will go over them each morning, before recess, and at the end of the day. Procedures are taught at the beginning of the year, after extended breaks, and during other times as needed. Well-known and followed procedures create a learning environment where all students can focus on learning.
Classroom Rules:
Rule One: Follow directions quickly!
Rule Two: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule Three: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule Four: Make smart choices!
Rule Five: Keep your dear teacher happy!
Consequences for Misbehavior:
One card removed from pocket- warning
Two cards removed from pocket- walk for 5 minutes during recess
Three cards removed from pocket- walk 10 minutes during recess
Four cards removed from pocket- parent phone call and walk 15 minutes during recess
Five cards removed from pocket- office referral and walk for 20 minutes of recess (all of recess)
*Some situations may require an immediate phone call home and/or office referral.
*All students start with five cards in their pocket every morning
Positive Rewards:
I will be using “Proactive Tickets” and “Putting First Things First Tickets” as another reward system for students. Throughout the day, I will look for students who are meeting classroom expectations and will give them a “ticket.” Students will sign and turn in tickets throughout the day to a ticket basket. At the end of the day, I will draw three tickets. Those students will receive a reward for their hard work that day.
Whole Class Rewards
The class can earn a fish in our “Best Behavior Bowl” for exhibiting such behaviors as: receiving a compliment from another teacher, excellent report from Gym, Music, or Library, displaying quiet and mannerly behavior when our classroom phone rings or another teacher/adult comes to our room to speak with me, outstanding job during fire or tornado drills, etc. Once we reach the goal of fish in the bowl, the class will earn a reward.
Our class will also try to earn Panther Paws for following our Guidelines for Success. The class is rewarded for every ten Panther Paws. Bigger rewards are planned for our 50th, 100th, etc. Some rewards may include: eat lunch with the teacher, extra computer time, free time, popcorn treat, ice cream, game day, pizza, pajama day, extra recess, etc.
Voice Levels: Throughout the school, we will be using various voice levels for different activities. The voice levels are as follows:
Level 0 – No Talking
Level 1 – Whisper
Level 2 – Small Group
Level 3 – Presentation
Level 4 – Outside
TEACHER INFORMATION
Dear Family,
I would like to tell you a little bit about myself and some of the things I would like to accomplish this year while teaching your child. This is my fifth year teaching. I started my teaching career as a Plano Panther in 2008. Each year presents a new challenge and provides the opportunity to work with children at all levels of development.
I was raised in Meade County, but moved to Bowling Green to attend Western Kentucky University in August 2004. It was during my first semester of college that I met my husband at the church that we still attend. I later graduated from Western in May 2008 with a degree in Elementary Education. I was hired at Plano Elementary during the summer of 2008. I taught second grade for two years and first grade for two years. I completed my Master of Arts in Education from University of the Cumberlands in May 2012 as a Reading and Writing Specialist.
I have already mentioned my husband, Adam Vincent. He is the choir director at Warren East High School. We both share the love for teaching. We have been married for four years and are expecting our first baby at the end of September. My parents still live in Meade County. I have two older sisters, Heather Richardson and April Mobley. Heather, her husband, and five children live in Taylorsville, Kentucky while April and her husband along with their two daughters live in Bowling Green. Most weekends throughout the year are spent traveling back home to visit family.
My philosophy is simple. I believe that children learn better when they know they are loved and cared about by their teacher. I truly care about your children and their feelings. I want all students see their potential and become leaders themselves. I also believe that all children can learn given the right circumstances. I truly believe that we will have a wonderful school year!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Andrea Vincent
IMPORTANT SCHOOL INFORMATION
PLANO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
2650 Plano Road
Bowling Green, KY 42104
Telephone Number: 467-0411Fax Number: 467-0526
District Website:
School Website:
School Hours: 8:15 to 3:15
Principal: Melissa StephanskiSecretaries: Diane Carter and Linda Anderson
Curriculum Coordinator: Dee Anna CrumpLibrary Media: Ashley Vincent
Music: Tiffany CothranP.E.: Dan Smith
Guidance: Stacy FaulknerArt: Catherine Lehman
Cafeteria Manager: Kelly Creek