Newsletter for the week of Sept. 5, 2017

2nd Grade

Mrs. Damron –

Mrs. Cappellino –

Mrs. Ferguson –

Mrs. Noxon –

Mrs. Scuderi –

Dear Families,
Welcome back to school! After “Sharpening the Saw” this summer, we are excited about the 2017/18 school year at Pinchbeck. We look forward to working with all of our second graders and their families.
This is our weekly newsletter and a primary source of information that may answer many of your questions each week. However, please feel free to email your child’s teacher when you have questions or concerns. If you need a quick response, please call the office. We usually check our emails toward the end of the day.
The first few weeks of school, we spend a lot of time getting to know each other, reviewing daily routines, procedures, rules, and responsibilities. We also spend time assessing each student’s abilities in math and reading the first few months of school. We are excited to be emphasizing the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Kids this year and look forward to a successful year in which our children grow in body, mind, and spirit.
Warm Regards,
The Second Grade Teachers

Important Times:

School and Office Hours

7:30 – Office Hours Begin

7:20 – Teacher arrival; students may begin arriving

7:40 – Tardy Bell – Parents will need to escort students to the office if arriving after 7:40.

2:10 – Afternoon dismissal

4:00 – Office hours end

Henrico County provides breakfast for all students who want or need it. Breakfast is served at Pinchbeck from 7:20-7:40. Students should go directly to breakfast when arriving at school. If your child is having breakfast at school, please consider your child’s arrival time. Students need to be finished breakfast by 7:40.

Your child’s daily schedule was sent to you in an email.If you did not receive an email or you do not have email, please let the teacher know.

Homework: Students should be:

  • Reading for 15-20 minutes each night;
  • Practicing Math Addition Facts (5-10 minutes);
  • Returning all forms (if you haven’t completed them online);
  • Reviewing Social Studies notebook(5-10 minutes) and returning it to schoolevery day. Terms, definitions, and study guides will be in this notebook and your child should use this to study for all tests and quizzes.

Other important things to know:

  • Be sure to check your child’s lunch account to see if they need any money.
  • Students should plan to bring in a healthy snack daily. Students may bring leak-proof water bottles, no juice boxes, flavored water, or sodas. These can make a sticky, sugary mess on furniture, rugs, and floors.
  • It’s important to check your child’s Take Home Folderdaily and take out all papers on the “leave at home” side.
  • If there is a change in transportation after the first day of school, a written note is required. Without a written note, the school will dismiss your child using his/her “usual” plan. For safety purposes, changes of dismissal cannot be accepted over email or via the telephone.
  • Please support our PTA by becoming a member. Pinchbeck is fortunate to have a highly dedicated PTA, who seeks to ensure the success of all of our students. We strongly encourage every family to join and participate in the PTA. The Pinchbeck PTA contributes to our school in many ways including: purchase of books for the bookroom, purchase of communication folders, organizing school-wide events and room parents, after school programs including enrichment and after-school tutoring, and classroom programs including Young Scientists to just name a few. For more information, please visit the PTA website: Ways to Communicate:

    Teachers will use the Take Home Folder to send school and PTA notices home every Wednesday. Please be sure to check for important information. In addition, we will send home a weeklynewsletter and an email to keep you informed about instruction and class events. You can also find important information like our master schedules and instructional websites on our blogs. Conferences will be held periodically to discuss your child's progress and plans for his/her education.

    Please contact your child’s teacher by telephone, email or written note. In order for maximized instructional time, parents are not permitted to drop by during the day to ask teachers questions. Please use one of the means above to contact your child’s teacher. Teachers will return calls or messages within 24 (working business) hours.

    Finally, in addition to our school-wide monthly calendar emailed at the beginning of each month and posted on our website, our PTA sends a weekly newsletter each Monday online. Be on the lookout for registration information to be sure to receive this most up-to-date communication. The newsletter is electronic. Please let us know if you need a paper copy.

    It is extremely important that open communication be maintained between home and school.