NOTE-WORTHY INFORMATION
Please KEEP this folder so you can reference this information throughout the year. You will also be able to access this document on my teacher website.
We are off to a terrific start in second grade. The purpose of this packet is to communicate to you as parents the many facets of our second grade classroom and answer questions you may have.
Take-Home/Homework Folders
The purpose of this folder is to send information and homework back and forth from school to home and back to school. It is your child's responsibility to share this folder with you each night. It is your responsibility to go over the contents with your child and to sign off. In edition, please use this folder to send notes and money to school. Notes for me, can be written right on the Take Home Communication sheet that is the cover sheet for child's take home folder. You may also slip in a note in this front pocket. This way, I will see notes right away. I will try to post these communication sheets weekly on our class website so you can reference them anytime.
Homework
To start the year off, your child's homework consists of reading and math. Reading homework consists of reading at least 60 minutes at home weekly. This may be done by reading 10 minutes a day, 15 minutes four times a week, by reading 20 minutes three days a week, etc.. Rewards will be given to students who read an average of 60 minutes a week. Your child can read alone, with someone or listen to someone read. Tumblebooks is an excellent site on the internet for students to listen to popular stories. The user name for this site is newrichmond and the password is books. There’s a spot for recording minutes read on the weekly communication sheet. Students may read books from home or school. If you would like to have your child check out books regularly from our classroom, please send a note. Explanation of Math homework is further down on this sheet under the Math heading.
Reading
During our Literacy Block, I will be teaching the children a variety of skills and strategies to help them successfully read and comprehend a text. Reading workshop is the structure used during the reading block. Students receive explicit whole group instruction and then are given independent practice time to read and write independently while I provide focused, intense instruction to individuals and small groups of students.
Math
We are in our sixth year of a program called Math Expressions. Homework will be coming home on yellow paper and will be sent regularly, every time a lesson has been completed. Homework is to be completed that night and returned the next day. Completion of the homework will play a critical role in your child's success with the math program. Basic math facts, place value and problem solving are the strongest components of the program with time, money, geometry and measurement also being covered. Math Talk and questioning is a very important part of the updated Math Expression program we received this year. We will be having children explaining how they got their answer as well having students asking classmates questions about their thinking. A glossary of Math Expression terms is in one of the pockets of this folder. Please keep this glossary and please refer to this as you have questions about your child's math homework. Any math parent letters that your child brings home can be kept in this folder. Math fact practice may be added to homework later in the year.
Spelling/Word Study
We started our spelling program this week. We call it "word study", and it is based on the research and materials in Words Their Way by Donald Bear and Shane Templeton. More than likely your child had experience with this program because this is the third year our district has used this program. At first, word study may be most confusing to parents. For those of you who, like me, had a traditional spelling program in school, this will be something a little different! Word Study teaches students to look critically at words so they can build a deeper understanding of how spelling works to represent sounds and meaning. This is accomplished by sorting words into like categories based on the features they share.
In a nutshell, you will see…
• Students who are grouped into appropriate level spelling "sorts" depending on
their initial spelling assessment.
• Students introduced to a new group of words with a specific feature as its focus each week. Students may spend two weeks on a sort if they are not applying the word chunks in their writing.
• Students working on hands-on activities to sort words with common characteristics into defined groups.
• Students thinking hard about whether these features mean they have to HEAR what the words have in common or SEE what they have in common (or both).
By repeated sorting of words with similar features, students learn to examine and make judgments about new words they encounter based on what they have learned. This is our goal. Students will be assessed on how well they learned that week’s features by taking a simple test that combines writing and sorting words from the word list. Tests will be graded on two criteria: correct sorting into categories, and correct spelling. Students will also be assessed on how well they are using these words correctly in their writing.
What does this mean for you at home?
Your child will bring home a page of words each week that have been introduced in class. Each night your child is expected to do a different activity or sort to ensure that these words and spelling patterns are mastered. These activities will have been modeled and practiced in school, so your child can teach you how to do them. A list of these activities is in this folder and on our class website.
GradingThe report card grading systemuses a numerical scale (3, 2,1). The description of what these numbers mean is below. Achievement will be based upon understanding of the subject as judged by work, tests and teacher observation.
3: Grade Level Expectation Met (85% and above)
2: Grade Level Expectation Developing (65%-84.99%)
1: Grade Level Expectation Not Yet Met (below 65%)
Absence from School
Remember to call the office when your child is absent. If you know in advance of an absence, please send a note. When your child is absent, I will put a "We Missed You" folder on his/her desk. Anything your child missed will be placed in this folder. Your child will have two nights per day of school missed to finish any missed work.
Sending Money to School
Please send money in a secured envelop. On the outside write your child's name, teacher's name, what the money is for and the amount.
Birthdays
Feel free to send a healthy and tree nut free birthday treat on or near your child's birthday. We have 25 students.
Book Orders
Book orders will be sent home this year. I plan on setting up an account online so parents have the opportunity to place orders online as well as place orders the traditional way. If sending money in with a book order, you are required to write a check out to Scholastic for the amount of the order. No cash will be accepted. More information will be coming with the first book order form.
Discipline Plan
In our classroom, we are taking a proactive approach to discipline by using methods from Responsive Classroom. Through the Responsive Classroom approach, we have been working on and will continue to work on learning positiveschool-wide behavior as we build community. The Responsive Classroom approach strives to create an environment that increases student responsibility and learning, and decreases problem behaviors. If a problem behavior occurs, the student will be asked to correct the behavior, asked to come up with and implement a fix-it plan, or will be given a logical consequence. For specific details, see classroom behavior plan that was previously sent home to be signed. Classroom behavior plan can also be found on the class website under classroom information packet.
Lunch
You may join your child anytime you would like for lunch. Your child has recess right before lunch so you can meet him/her in the cafeteria at 11:30.
Sharing
The children will have the opportunity to share during closing circle. The purpose of sharing is to get to know classmates, to practice verbal communication with correct grammar and appropriate volume and to fine tune listening skills. For now, students have the opportunity to bring in nonfiction sharing. This includes such items as photos, brochures, artifacts, newspaper articles, nonfiction text, magazine, recipe, directions, etc. When a student brings in an item they will need to explain the item and/or tell what they have learned.
Volunteers
Thank you to all of you who filled out a volunteer sheet at Open House. In the next week or two I finalize the schedule.
Class Website
On our class website, you’ll find the current parent-teacher communication sheet, a list of Words Their Way Ideas,this explanation of our classroom, our calendar and some websites for Math practice.
Parent-Teacher Communication
I welcome communication through notes, email or phone calls. If you receive my voicemail please leave me a message and I'll return your call during a prep or after school. If there is a change in transportation after school, please do not leave a message. Please call the office and give them the message. If there is a sub in my room who is unable to access my voicemail, he/she will be sure to get the message.
My Contact Information
715-243-1448
Room B101
Hillside Elementary
Time / Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 68:30-8:40 / Attendance/Book Shop/Plan Read to Self
8:40-8:55 / Morning Meeting
8:55-9:45 / Reading Workshop
9:50-10:15 / Words Their Way
10:15-11:00 / Writing Workshop
11:00-11:50 / Recess- 11:00-11:30/Lunch 11:30-11:50
11:50-12:25 / Shared Reading and Math Routines
12:25-1:00 / Math/SS/Sci/Health / PHY. ED / Math/SS/Sci/Health / PHY. ED / Math/SS/Sci/Health / PHY. ED
1:00-1:30 / WIN
1:35-2:10 / MUSIC / ART / LIBRARY / MUSIC / ART / GUIDANCE/
COMPUTER
2:10-2:50 / Math
2:50-3:10 / Recess
3:10-3:20 / Snack
3:20-3:35 / Read Aloud