Mrs Bridges nd Grade Class 2 Open House

Mrs. Bridges’ nd Grade Class 2 Open House 2012 -2013

Welcome to Open House I am so excited to be a part of your child’s second grade experience. Second grade is a wonderful year with lots of learning, responsibility and independence. Your child will be involved in reading and writing, learning harder concepts in math, spelling with weekly tests, and learning over 125 high frequency words, just to name a few things. I look forward to taking this journey with your child. I have put together a handbook that can be found on my website of things I think are important for you to know. Please take the time to read it and bookmark it for later referencing during the year.

Classroom Website School website http: //wsfcs. k 12. nc. us/Domain/5313 Classroom website http: //wsfcs. k 12. nc. us//Domain/5373

Transportation Please make sure I know how your child is getting home each day. If anything changes, I need a note each time it is different. Otherwise, I will send your child home whatever way you tell me at the beginning of the year. I will not take a child’s word that they are to go home differently. I have to have a note. Calls into the office have to be before 11: 00.

Supplies You were sent a supply list and there is one on my website. Please try to send the supplies on the first day of school. This will make the start of school so much easier for your child. Please let me know of any supplies you can not find.

Attendance • School Hours: 8: 05 am – 2: 50 pm • Daily attendance is vital if your child is to have a positive, productive, and successful year! Coming to school everyday on time will help your child get started “on the right foot”. • Please try to schedule appointments (i. e. doctor’s visits) after school whenever possible. If your child is absent from school, a note explaining the absence must be sent when he/she returns to school. Please be aware that students leaving early or coming in late to school must be signed in or out in the office.

Medical Concerns • Please tell me of any medical conditions I need to know about your child. There is a new policy that states a school can not give out any type medication unless there is a doctor’s note. This includes cough drops, lotion, Tylenol, etc. • Please tell me of any allergies in a note the first day of school.

Lunch Your child will be responsible for his/her own lunch money. Please make sure you send it in a way that will be easy for your child to keep up with. If you would like to prepay for lunch, you can send in a check to the cafeteria. If you want to eat lunch with your child, go by the office first and get a visitor’s badge and just wait for us outside the cafeteria. If your child forgets a lunch box, just bring it to the office and they will call your child to come get it. Our lunch time is 12: 45 -1: 13.

Conference / Phone Calls • Please remember that we need uninterrupted teaching during the school day. I can not meet you during student hours, but I will be happy to meet after 3: 00. If you would like to meet with me about something, please call the office (771– 4545) and they will let you leave me a voice mail. The best way to reach me is by writing a note in the planner. I will look at both things every morning as part of our arrival routine. I will write you, call you or e-mail you back. I check my e-mail at planning everyday. That is around 1: 20 in the afternoon or after school. My e-mail address is shbridges@wsfcs. k 12. nc. us. • Please do not come in the mornings for a quick conference. I have to focus on the children and getting their day started. • It is also hard to conference at lunch when tiny ears are around and I need to focus on the students at that time too.

Tuesday Packets We will have Tuesday packets again this year. All your child’s work will come home weekly. I will staple the papers together that need to be signed and returned along with a comment from you. Also, the school sends important notes in these packets so be sure to look through them.

Schedule * • • 8: 05 - 8: 30 – Arrival and morning announcements 8: 30 – 9: 35 – TDR / Social Studies / Writing 9: 40 – 10: 55 – Math 11: 05 – 12: 05 – Guided reading 12: 10 – 12: 40 – Recess 12: 45 – 1: 13 – Lunch 1: 20 1: 50 – Science 2: 00 – 2: 40 – Specials 2: 50 – Dismissal

Specials • • • Day 1 – SCIENCE / GUIDANCE Day 2 –ART Day 3 – MEDIA Day 4 –MUSIC Day 5 – PE Day 6 – COMPUTER

Curriculum Common Core Classroom website http: //wsfcs. k 12. nc. us//Domain/5373

Curriculum Personalized Education Plan During your child’s year in first grade he or she was evaluated in reading, writing, and math. If he or she was below grade level in any of the evaluated subjects, his or her teacher would have written a personalized education plan. In second grade, we look at the checklist to see what was helpful last year. If your child does have a plan, you will be contacted by me for a conference sometime in October K-2 testing and dibels The k-2 assessment and Dibels are both individual reading assessment that helps us to determine students’ placement and growth throughout the year. Grading In second grade we use the same grading scale that was used in Kindergarten and first grade. It is as follows: #1 = does not meet grade level expectations: Having considerable difficulty #2 = making progress toward meeting grade level expectations; shows inconsistent understanding #3 = meets grade level expectations; shows consistent understanding #4 = Exceeds grade level expectations; show deep and consistent understanding

Curriculum Reading • Reading components of a balanced literacy are guided reading, shared reading, independent reading and readaloud. • Guided reading is small group instruction at the group’s instructional level. • During shared reading, all students are looking at the same text. This is time to teach reading strategies and also for phonics instruction. Independent reading is done with a text that is on each student’s level. This is time for them to read quietly to themselves. Read aloud is when a book is read aloud by a teacher. Your child is to read every night.

Curriculum Math This year your child will have math facts for homework. They will need to become fluent in both addition and subtraction facts. Cards can be made or bought or you and your child can make games that will help with practice. Also all the facts they need to know are in their homework notebook.

Grading Report cards are based on teacher observations, oral and written assignments, and daily student performances.

Expectations • Be on your best behavior in the classroom, hall, cafeteria, and specials. • Complete your homework every night. • Complete your class work everyday. • Stay in your seat while the teacher is talking. • Try to avoid unnecessary bathroom breaks. Since we have a restroom in our room we will not have a scheduled restroom break. • Students should use their best manners at all times, be respectful to others, be a good listener and always do their best.

Communication, Agenda and Homework Folders Communication between parents and teachers is very important to the success of each student. Your child will have an agenda and homework notebook that will come back and forth to school and home everyday. Please check this on a nightly basis so that you can keep up with what is going on in our classroom. I will check every morning if the agenda is signed. This is my way of knowing that you are aware of everything your child is doing. Please make sure the agenda is signed every night.

Agendas continued • Please put any notes regarding absences, changes in your transportation, notes for conferences or anything I need to know about your child in the homework folder. I send notes to parents in the agenda as well. This will be our way to send communications to each other. I also use e-mail. • The agendas are new to second graders. We are trying to get the students to be more independent and responsible. We will spend time every week learning how to write their homework in the agenda. This will also prepare them for 3 rd grade. The student will write their assignments on the left side and parents need to sign on the right. Please notice what their behavior was for the day.

Progress Reports • Progress reports will be sent home in a large brown envelope. They will be sent home three times per grading period. Please take out the progress report and keep it. You will need to sign the envelope next to the correct date and send only the envelope back. Please keep the progress report for your records.

Report Cards Report cards will be sent home after each quarter. The report card will be sent home in a small brown envelope just like previous years. Please take out all papers in the envelope and keep them for your records. Please sign the back of the envelope next to the correct quarter and send only the envelope back to school. Remember to put two stamps on the envelope when you send it back after third quarter so they can mail the last report card to you in the summer.

Birthdays • We are unable to have birthday celebrations at school. No balloons, presents, cakes, candles, hats, treat bags, etc. However, you are welcome to send in a store bought treat for the students to eat during lunch. We can not serve any homemade snacks due to food allergies. • If you invite our classmates to birthday parties, you need to send an invitation to everyone. It hurts the feelings of those that are not invited.

We are looking forward to a wonderful year. Please feel free to contact us by note, phone or e-mail anytime. Mrs. Bridges Mrs. Blankenship, PRT