ABC’s of Second Grade
**Almost everything you need to know to about 2nd grade**
A
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is very important in second grade. If your child happens to miss some days due to illness, please make sure they complete the work they missed.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TIMES:
School begins at 7:05 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m.
B
BIRTHDAYS:
Birthdays are special occasions! If your child wishes, he/she may bring a treat for the class (16 students).
BOOK ORDERS:
Each month, I will send home book order forms for you and your child to look over. These clubs offer wonderful books at reduced prices and they’re a great way to build your home library, as well as, our classroom library! You can order online or pay by check. Please make checks payable to “Scholastic Book Clubs.”
BREAKFAST:
A school breakfast is served every morning from 7:40-7:50 a.m. The breakfast menu is included on the lunch menu that is sent home each month, and is available in the district website. Students who want to eat breakfast should go directly to the cafeteria when they arrive to school. Please encourage your child to eat breakfast either at home or at school!
C
CHANGE IN TRANSPORTATION:
Please be sure to let me or Mrs. Cunningham, the school secretary, know if there is a change in how your child normally gets home from school.
CONFERENCES:
Parent/Teacher conferences are held in October and again in February. If you have any questions or concerns before conferences, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.
D
DIFFERENTIATION:
Every child is unique and learns in different ways. Each child needs to be challenged at their own level. I differentiate my lessons to fit the needs of all my students. Groupings change frequently, as students’ levels change. It is important to know that your child may have different work than another child, but rest assured, everyone is learning the same concept, just in a way that is best for each of them.
DRESS:
Our second grade classroom is a busy place! Please dress your child accordingly. Also, when cold weather comes, we will still be going outside to play. They will also need a coat and possibly a scarf, gloves and hat. Students need to wear tennis shoes for phy-ed.
E
E-MAIL:
You can contact me via my e-mail address: kdama@marinette.k12.wi.us. I check my e-mail several times throughout the day. I will try to return your e-mail the day I receive it. If you need to discuss something urgently, please contact me by phone 715-735-2429
F
FIELD TRIPS:
We plan field trips to be both fun and educational for the children. Buses are occasionally used for transportation. We welcome parent volunteers on field trips, but space is often limited. Please return permission slips as soon as possible after they are sent home.
G
GUIDED READING:
As part of Daily 5, students will work as part of a reading group. These groups are geared towards your child’s instructional level and learning strategies to boost reading levels, and our goal during guided reading will be to improve upon Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expanding Vocabulary.
H
HOMEWORK:
Homework may be assigned Monday through Friday. Please check your child’s take home folder every evening to see if they have homework due the next day. Please take the time to listen to them read every evening.
I
INDEPENDENT READING:
There will be time set aside throughout the day, during Daily 5, for independent reading. Independent reading should also be done nightly. Because children learn to read by reading, they need plenty of opportunities to read independently. Sufficient time and appropriate materials are necessary to develop and strengthen reading abilities. By giving the children time to read both at school and at home, we can work together to provide a literature-rich environment and a life-long love of reading.
J
JOURNALS:
For Writer's Workshop, each student will have a writing journals that they will write in daily. Our writing journals is where we will focus on the writing process.
K
KINDNESS:
Being kind to one another is very important in our classroom. We need to treat each other the way we want to be treated. Our school recognizes good Character traits with monthly rewards, and we strive to instill these qualities in our students.
L
LIBRARY:
We go to the library every week.Students will be able to check out two books, as long as they return their books from the previous week. Students will be able to exchange books any day of the week, they do not need to wait for library day.
LUNCH:
We will eat lunch from 11:30-11:45 each day. Children may bring a packed lunch from home or eat a school lunch. The school lunch menu is published monthly and sent home with your child at the beginning of the month.
M
MEDICINE:
In the event that your child might need to have medicine administered at school, you must bring the medicine to the office with a note.
MISTAKES:
Children must know that making mistakes is ok! Mistakes are necessary for learning to occur.
N
NEWS:
I'm using ClassDojo to keep parents in the loop this year! I'll share photos from class, important updates, and wonderful moments – like when students work hard and help each other. please sign up for Classdojo asap. You can sign up during open house, or directions for signing up will be sent home at the beginning of the school year.
O
OFFICE:
Our office is run by Mrs. Cunningham. She is a wonderful secretary and is always willing to answer any questions you might have. You are welcome to leave messages with her and she will see that I get them. The office phone number is 715-735-2400.
P
PARENT INVOLVEMENT:
Parent involvement is extremely important to a child’s success in school. Parents can be involved in many ways, whether it’s at home or at school. There will be many ways throughout the year in which parents are encouraged to help out in our classroom. If you are interested in volunteering in the classroom, please contact with me with the days/times you might be available. Your help would be greatly appreciated!
PTO:
Being involved in your child’s school helps tremendously! Please consider joining the Garfield PTO this school year! The PTO at Garfield is an awesome organization! They work very hard to organize school wide Halloween, Christmas, and end of the year parties, as well as, several family movie nights and other fun activities that are held throughout the school year.
Q
QUESTIONS:
If at any time you have any questions about your child or his/her progress, feel free to contact me. You can stop in, call, write a note, or send me an e-mail, and I will get back to you asap.
R
REPORT CARDS:
Your child will receive four report cards throughout year. Their report cards will be sent home at the end of each quarter, every 9 weeks.
RECESS:
Second grade students play outdoors for recess twice a day. Please keep this in mind when helping your child to select clothing for the day.
S
SNACKS:
Students have the opportunity to bring a nutritious snack each day to eat during the morning. Nutritious choices include pretzels, fruit or veggies, cheese, crackers, etc. Water is also allowed throughout the day in a water bottle with a lid.
T
TOYS:
Bringing toys or games to school is not recommended for a number of reasons. Games or toys may be broken, lost or stolen. Unless it is for a a special occasion, please keep toys at home.
U
USE OF TECHNOLOGY:
Our school is lucky enough to have a mobile iPad lab, lap top lab, and Chromebook lab for student use. Each week, as a class, we will use the iPads, Chromebooks, or laptops. We also have a Promethean board in our classroom! A Promethean is like a giant interactive computer. Students will also have the opportunity to use it throughout the day. It is a very useful tool that helps make learning fun.Our school is lucky enough to have a mobile iPad lab, lap top lab, and Chromebook lab for student use. Each week, as a class, we will use the iPads or Chromebooks.
V
VISITORS:
Garfield School requires ALL GUESTS to check in and sign in at the office. You wear a visitor badge that identifies you as a visitor. We welcome and encourage family involvement, but it is important to remember that, as educators, it is our goal and responsibility to create a safe learning environment.
VOLUNTEERS:
Volunteers are always needed in second grade! We also need volunteers to make copies, cut papers, assemble materials, etc. If you are available, I can keep you busy! Please email me and we can set up a time.
W
WEBSITE:
For district news and information, including the school calendar, check out the school district website at www.crivitz.k12.wi.us I also have a classroom website that I will be updating throughout the school year. Please visit my teacher website at http://mrsdama.educatorpages.com/
WRITING:
Writing is huge part of second grade! We will be learning about the 6 Traits of writing. These includes: (1) A Clear Idea (2) Organizing Thoughts (3) Good Word Choice (4) Sentence Fluency
(5) Voice (6) Conventions (following writing rules i.e. good grammar, punctuation, etc.) through Writer's Workshop.
X
X-TRA Support:
If you have concerns and feel your child may need some extra support, please contact me and we can work together to provide your child with extra help.
Y
YOUR SUPPORT:
Your support helps your child realize that they are special. You can support your child by encouraging then to take their time on assignments, completing, and returning their homework, as well as, becoming respectful and responsible children.
Z
Zzzzzzzzzz:
Your child needs plenty of rest each night. 8-10 hours of sleep is recommended for eight and nine year olds. A good night’s sleep will help keep your child be ready to learn!