All About Ms. Spooner My background:  I grew up in New Jersey, but I have lived in Houston for the past 12 years.  BA in Elementary Education from University of Houston Clear Lake  ESL and GT certifications My experience:  8 years teaching 2 nd grade at Timbers Elementary in Atascocita

My Goals  Students’ Social and Academic Success  Student and Parent Communication  Let’s HAVE FUN!

Arrival & Dismissal  School hours are 8:00 a.m. – 3:20 p.m. TARDY at 8:05 a.m.  Any walker or biker in K-2 must be accompanied by an older sibling or adult  Parents must send written documentation to change a child’s dismissal in advance if there needs to be a change.  Students MAY NOT be removed from the car rider line to walk with a parent/guardian (in case of emergency dismissal change a student must be signed out through the office).  Parents should not park on neighboring streets or in front of Fall Creek residents homes.  Students MAY NOT be dropped off in the front parking lot. This is a major safety concern. Please drive through the line to drop students off safely in front of the school.  Please be courteous and follow traffic patterns with drop off and dismissal and be patient as the first couple of weeks of school.

Absences  Please remember that student attendance is a key factor in student success!  Compulsory attendance requires that students between the ages of attend school (exemptions include religious holy days, required court appearances, etc…)  A court complaint may be filed against parent if the student is absent without excuse for 10 or more days within a six-month period.  State law requires that to receive final grade in a class (promotion) a student must attend at least 90% of the days the class is offered (equating to less than 18 excused or unexcused absences for the school year).  Please remember that documentation for an absence must be recorded within 48 hours upon the student’s return to school

Dress Code  Dress and Grooming Code is found on page 33 of the Humble ISD Parent/Student Handbook.  Highlights for elementary students include:  Hair should be neat, clean, & non-disruptive.  NO hats, sunglasses, makeup, tattoos, excessively loose or tight clothing.  For boys: NO earrings, sleeveless shirts.  For girls: No “spaghetti” straps  NO “short shorts” (must be at least to mid-thigh)  Jeans should be free from holes  Foot wear should be appropriate for physical activity (recess etc…). Tennis shoes are required on P.E. days.

FCE Things to Remember  FRIDAY IS SPIRIT DAY!!! Show your school spirit by wearing red or an FCE spirit shirt.  Wear your favorite college shirt on the fourth Thursday of each month. FCE students are college bound!  LABEL ALL JACKETS, LUNCH KITS, ETC. with student name.  Helpful Hint: Keep a jacket or sweater in your backpack. Sometimes it is chilly in the classrooms.  Lost and Found is located in the back of the main hallway (although small items such as glasses are kept in the office). Please check in at the office if you’d like to check the lost and found. Items will be sent to charity if not claimed.  Second grade activity fee of $15 will be collected later in the year for the field trip, classroom projects, and misc. items.

Communication  My address (resend/call after 36 hrs.)  My phone number (281)

Red Tuesday Folders  Distributed EVERY Tuesday  Things to look for –Conduct form and “graded papers”  Tuesday Folder - Important information from District, School, PTO, or Faculty

Orange Daily Homework Folders  Students complete homework packet  Read EVERY NIGHT! (Complete Reading Log in homework packet)  Place all homework materials and reading log in folder to be returned DAILY!

Classroom Community  Our school is a community. In our community, we have rules to help us get along with each other.  Our Cardinal Creed (school AND classroom rules) are:  Be Safe  Be Respectful  Be Responsible

Discipline Plan Class Incentives Behavior Chart (weekly conduct form) Classroom Consequences

C.A.T.C.H. Break  Coordinated Approach to Child Health  We will have a snack break each morning in the classroom.  Please send nutritious snacks such as fruit, crackers, cheese, etc…  Water bottles with a sport top are also encouraged.

Birthday Treats  We are encouraging parents to take advantage of our frozen treats through the cafeteria. Treats may be ordered at a discounted rate in advance.  Fall Creek Policy – No Treat Bags.  If you have party invitations you would like given out, we can only pass them out if there is one for each classmate.

Lunch in the Cafeteria  You are welcome to have lunch with your child in the cafeteria. Our lunch time is 11:20.  We have special tables for parents and their child on the stage in the cafeteria. (Student/Parents only)  Please remember to sign in at the front office.  Monthly menus can be downloaded on Fall Creek’s Website  Cafeteria Prices: Breakfast - $1.30, Milk 40 cents, Lunch - $2.00, Meal Ticket for a week $10.00  Snack accounts for ice cream may be “frozen” at parents’ discretion.

Class Subjects  The subjects we cover during second grade are:  Reading  Written Composition  Grammar/Capitalization/Punctuation/Handwriting  Spelling/Word Study  Math  Science/Health/Social Studies  Music, Art, PE, Computer Lab, Library

Daily Schedule  Community/Care Time  Literacy Instruction (Reading Lesson, Just Right Reading, Reading workshop/Workstations)  Interactive Read aloud (C.A.T.C.H. Break)  Math workshop  Handwriting/Everyday editing  Lunch/Recess  Writer’s Workshop  Specials  Word study  Science/Social Studies  Dismissal

Specials Schedule  We are on a six day rotation this year. The 2 nd and 4 th nine weeks we will have art instead of a second section of computer.  Our Specials Schedule will be available in your child’s Orange Homework folder on their monthly calendar.

Reading/Writing Balanced literacy approach:  Read-Alouds  Genre Studies  Just Right Reading  Guided Reading Groups  Reading Workshop (research) Writer’s Workshop held daily that incorporates:  The writing process  Everyday editing  Handwriting

Spelling/Word Study Phonetic principles for spelling words are worked on and high frequency words will be emphasized  Spelling lists usually come home every other Monday  List will show phonetic PATTERN (CVC),(CVVC)  Test will be given at the end of two weeks  The test will look for application of the phonetic principles being studied

Math  Goal in 2 nd Grade is to create problem solvers/critical thinkers.  Memorization of basic addition/subtraction facts

Math cont…  Types of Word Problems…  Combining situations (with/without additional information)  Separating Situations  Unknown Change situations  Comparison Situations  Related Situations  Multi-step Situations

Examples…  Unknown Change… Stonewall had 30 dog bones. He gave SOME to his brother. Now Stonewall has 16 dog bones. How many did he give away?  Multi-step Situation… The Boy Scouts were selling coupon books. Their goal was to sell 85 coupon books. In April, they sold 30 books and in May they sold 45 books. What is the difference between the number of books sold and their goal?

Science/Health/Social Studies  The Scientific Process  Seasons, matter, weather, living things, and our environment  Social Studies- How things work together (communities, citizenship, government, natural resources, and economics)

Grades  Students will not receive numeric grades.  Second Grade Report Card is standards based.  Each student will be scored based on their mastery of a given standard/TEK.  All reading/writing/conventions standards are scored each nine weeks.  Most math standards are only scored during the nine weeks they are taught or are gradually increased in difficulty throughout the year.