Welcome to Back to School Night Ms. Johnson’s 2nd Grade Class

About Me Born and raised in the Fredericksburg area Graduate of the University of Mary Washington B.A. in Sociology/M.Ed in Education Fifteenth year as a 2nd grade teacher

Philosophy of Teaching Lessons should be meaningful, engaging and researched based Appeal to various styles of learning Communicating with parents is essential Students should feel safe and have fun learning

Our School Day 9:00 Morning Meeting 9:30 Specials 10:25 Engaged Reading 10:35 Reading/Phonics/Writing Mini Lessons 11:24 Lunch 11:55 Guided Reading 1:05 Writing 1:30 Read Aloud 1:40 Social Studies or Science 2:00 Recess 2:20 Math 3:35 Prepare for Dismissal

Morning Meeting Sets the tone for respectful learning Motivates students to feel a sense of significance, belonging and the need to have fun Merges social, emotional and intellectual learning Taken from The Morning Meeting Book by Roxann Kriete

7 Habits Building leadership skills through the “7 Habits” Be Proactive: I’m in charge of me! Begin with the End in Mind: Have a plan! Put First Things First: Work – then play! Think Win-Win: I win! You win! We win! Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood: Listen before you talk! Synergize – Together is better! Sharpen The Saw – Balance feels best!

Goal Setting Class goals Individual goals Academic goals (increase reading level, recall addition/subtraction facts, increase number of Accelerated Reader quizzes) Personal goals (tying shoes, completing assignments on time, turning homework in on time, raising hand in class)

Reading Blocks Phonics/Word Wall, Writing, and Guided Reading Phonics – students learn word patterns and apply them to unfamiliar words Words to Know – high frequency words Writing – Writer’s Workshop

Guided Reading Increase student reading level (F&P), fluency and expression, vocabulary, and comprehension skills Benchmark Reader’s Workshop - Read Aloud, Mini-Lesson, Guided Reading, Independent Reading Students independently work at literacy stations

Engaged Reading/Read Aloud Engaged Reading - students quietly read self-selected books from their book basket Read Aloud – teacher reads to students while modeling fluency, expression and think alouds

Math Block Math Lessons - meets VA state standards Math Groups – differentiated groups based on student abilities Math Stations/Games – reinforces math lessons

Social Studies and Science Social Studies Units- citizenship/communities/diversity, Native Americans, famous Americans, economics Science Units – investigation skills, magnets, weather, water cycle, plant and animal life cycles, habitats

Assessments Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) – determines student reading and spelling levels Fountas and Pinnell (F&P) – provides reading levels STAR Reading – assesses various reading skills to determine if a child is at or above the benchmark level or in need of interventions Assessing Math Concepts (AMC) – assesses child’s understanding of core math concepts Math and Science/Social Studies unit tests

Report Cards Standards based report cards Number grades are given 1 (Performs Below Standard) - struggles with grade-level material…not sure where to begin…confused after repeated instruction 2 (Working Towards Standard) – developing skill…needs assistance and cannot perform skill without help 2+ - student is “almost there” and only needs occasional assistance

Report Cards Cont. 3 (Meets Standard) - consistently demonstrates understanding of material…goal for all students 3+ - consistently performs skill with exceptional ease…level of difficulty does not matter 4 (Exceeds Standard) – consistently uses higher-level thinking skills…ability to analyze, justify thinking and apply skills to unfamiliar situations

Homework Reading logs are sent home on Mondays (in red daily folder) Students should record the book(s) they read each night Reading logs are due on Fridays

Classroom Rules Listen and follow directions Raise your hand Be kind to others Take care of your school and classroom Practice the 7 Habits

Responsive Classroom Responsive Classroom is a school-wide initiative that I am very excited about. Students participate in morning meeting activities and use a reset chair to take mental breaks or gain control of their emotions.

Folder and Agendas Red Daily folders – taken home and returned to school each day Parent/Teacher notes, homework assignments, classroom newsletters, school correspondence, PTA information Agendas Students record homework assignments Teacher/Parent notes

How You Can Help Read with your child each night Reinforce skills at home (home/school connections sheet, addition/subtraction facts, assist with homework) Encourage First in Math Communicate with the teacher

Communication E-Mail – johnsonkl@staffordschools.net Notes in Daily Folder or Agenda Class Webpage Go to Conway website Select “Grade Levels” Click on 2nd grade Find Ms. Johnson’s class (our class webpage) Parent/Teacher Conferences – Nov. 7, 2017

Volunteers Volunteers Assist with center activities, read with students, read-aloud books to the class, create/cut-out materials at school or from home, volunteer for field trips In class volunteers – mid October