Welcome to Second Grade!

About Us Mrs. Zdolshek  Live in Chagrin Falls with husband and two sons  20+ years teaching experience  Preschool thru grade 3  Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction  3 school districts Miss Hunter  Graduate of Kenston High School in 2009  Studied early childhood education and early childhood intervention at Ashland University  3 field experiences in other classrooms  Kindergarten and 1st grade

My Beliefs My teaching philosophy is influenced greatly by the Responsive Classroom approach where social and academic learning go hand-in-hand. My goal is to create a community within our classroom that values each person, their ideas, strengths and differences. My intention is to create an inclusive, warm and safe environment where children feel free to take risks and be themselves.

What is the Responsive Classroom approach?  A way of teaching that creates a safe, challenging, and happy classroom and school-wide climate for all children.  Maintains that all of children’s needs—academic, social, emotional, and physical—are important.  Focuses on teaching all the skills needed for academic excellence— from reading, writing, and math skills to turn-taking, listening respectfully, and working effectively with a partner or group.

 Daily Morning Meetings set a positive tone for the day and build a sense of belonging while giving students practice in key academic and social skills  Teaching children the specific skills they need to participate successfully, from how to respond to a signal for quiet to how to respectfully disagree with a classmate.  Treating mistakes as part of the learning process  Providing clear expectations for behavior and stopping misbehavior quickly so that students can focus on learning How Does Responsive Classroom Look and Sound?

How Does Responsive Classroom Look and Sound? cont.  Using positive language–- encouraging children to work hard and enjoy learning  Using the 3 R’s: Reinforcing, Reminding, and Redirecting  Teaching in ways that build excitement about learning—giving students choices, working in partnerships and small groups, and discussions where students share ideas, information, and questions  Giving children opportunities to reflect on their learning.  Communicating often with parents and welcoming them as partners in their child’s education.

Reader’s Workshop Reading is at the core of everything we do in school. Our reading program is literature-based and incorporates fiction and non-fiction texts. It focuses on decoding and comprehension strategies, vocabulary instruction and application, and thinking skills on a variety of levels. Here are the components of Reader’s Workshop:  Whole group mini-lessons  Guided Reading  Daily Five  Independent Reading

Daily Five The Daily Five is a literacy structure that teaches independence and gives children the skills needed to create a lifetime love of reading and writing. It consists of five tasks that are introduced individually. When introduced to each task, the children discuss what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like to engage in the task independently. Then, the children work on building their stamina until they are successful at being independent. Here are the components of the Daily Five: Read to someone Listen to reading Work on writing Word work Fluency/comprehension

Writer’s Workshop We will use a workshop format to learn about writing. After a mini-lesson students will explore a skill using their own topic. This year the students will write narrative, persuasive, and expository writing. We will focus on: Writing complete sentences using correct punctuation and capitalization Using the writing process (brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to arrive at a finished writing piece Adding detail to our writing

Word Study  A developmental, student-centered approach to phonics, spelling and vocabulary instruction where children learn how words work instead of memorizing the spelling of individual words.  Students work through two-week cycles ending with an assessment. New features will be introduced on a Monday and the assessment will be given on the following second Friday.  Assessments include practiced and new words that follow the features studied.

How Can Parents Help with Word Study at Home?  Look for your child’s words at the beginning of each cycle  Help your child practice by doing the activities listed online  Remember – the focus of the Word Study approach is NOT memorizing a list of spelling words. The focus is to learn how to apply the spelling feature to any word that includes that feature, both while writing and reading!

Math This year we will be using Envision Math as our math program. Our areas of focus will be adding and subtracting small and large numbers, place value, measurement, time, money, fractions, geometry, multiplication and division. Watch for a student sheet to come home with your child each day. This sheet will indicate which Common Core State Standards were addressed in the lesson. Please refer to “A Parent’s Guide to the Standards for Mathematical Practice” as you go over the student sheet with your child at home. These standards describe practices and abilities of good mathematical thinkers.

Social Studies and Science We will continue to reinforce and practice reading and writing skills as we study a variety of social studies and science topics. The following are included in our units of study this year: Social Studies  Citizenship rights and responsibilities  Mapping skills  Landforms  Economics  Culture and Heritage  Famous Americans Science  Forces and Motion  Weather  Plants and Animals

Snacks and Birthdays  Please help your child pack a healthy snack to eat during the morning. The students may bring a water bottle (with a sports top, please!) to keep at school.  Birthday treats are welcome and fun! We usually celebrate birthdays during morning snack. If your schedule permits it, you are welcome to join our class as we celebrate your child’s birthday. Please send individual treats, not a birthday cake. We have 22 students in our class this year.

Homework Each child in second grade will receive a homework packet on Mondays, and it will be due on the following Monday. Homework will include:  Reading at least 100 minutes each week  Math fact fluency practice and worksheets  Word study  Math homework

What You Can Do at Home  READ, READ, READ!!! Spend time reading to and with your child and have your child read to you. Showing your child that you value reading by enjoying your own books, magazines, and newspapers in front of him/her will also model the importance of reading and the enjoyment that comes from it!  Practice math facts and concepts by playing card, dice, and computer games with your child.  Encourage writing by having students write thank-you notes, letters to grandparents, poems, shopping lists, etc. Children are more likely to want to write when it is meaningful for them.

We’re ready for a great year! Thank you for coming!