Welcome to Second Grade 2-409 at PS 11!!

Agenda School Procedures: Arrival and Dismissal Office Paperwork: Blue Cards and Lunch Forms New Safety Protocols Grit Curriculum: Reading, Writing, Math, S.S., and Science A Typical Day in the life of a 2nd Grader 5. Homework and Reading Logs Field Trips Specials Enrichment Programs Scholastic Birthdays Parent-Teacher Communications

School Procedures Arrival: 8:20 AM: Cafeteria open for breakfast 8:45 AM: Students line up outside of classroom 8:50 Class starts! Late arrivals* Dismissal: 3:08 PM: Students will be dismissed in the front of the school. We will use the doors closest to the yard. Please do not take your child from us until you see him/her give us a “high five!” 3:15 PM: Students will be brought to room 101 for late pick up. Please help us to make dismissal safe and smooth for all of the kids in the class: Absolutely no changes can be made to dismissal procedure unless a hand written note is sent to school with your child in their homework folder OR the office receives a call BEFORE 9:00 am. If your child takes the bus home and you intend to pick them up instead, please make certain that you send in a written note AND you meet them at the bus gate. If you are not at the gate by 3:00, your child will be sent on the bus regardless of a note being sent.

Office Paperwork Blue Cards Emergency blue cards: please return them as soon as possible Please note— WE WILL NOT dismiss your child to anyone that is not listed on the blue card unless we have a written note from a parent/guardian in advance. P.S. 11 teachers are no longer allowed to accept phone call or e-mail communications regarding dismissal of children. Lunch Forms EVERY CHILD MUST HAVE A COMPLETED LUNCH FORM ON FILE AT P.S. 11. Please return the form ASAP

New Safety Protocols Allergies/epipens- All EPI pens must be registered with the Ryan Center! We are a no nut school! Buddy system

We believe in respecting ourselves and others as we: Grit We believe in respecting ourselves and others as we: Take risks! Reflect on our learning process. Celebrate our triumphs and struggles and Persevere to reach our goals! *Language that promotes grit (homefolder)

Curriculum Information Units of Study: Reading Unit 1: Reading Growth Spurt! Unit 2: Becoming Experts (Nonfiction) Unit 3: Studying Characters and their Stories Unit 4: Bigger Books Mean Amping up Reading Power Unit 5: Series Book Clubs Unit 6: Reading Nonfiction Cover to Cover – Nonfiction Book Clubs

Curriculum Information Units of Study: Writing Unit 1: Lessons from the Masters Unit 2: Informational Writing Unit 3: Writing Gripping Fictional Stories Unit 4: Poetry Unit 5: Writing about Reading Unit 6: Lab Reports and Science Books

Mathematics Math Strands to be covered throughout the year: Extending Knowledge of Place Value through 1,000 Becoming Fluent with Addition and Subtraction Applying Base 10 Understanding Measurement Geometry & Fractions Developing Multiplication and Interpreting Data Assessment: Students are given a pre-test to assess their benchmark understanding. This information is used to develop and adjust the curriculum as well as create grouping. The assessment is given again at the end of the unit to check for mastery of the skills taught throughout the unit.

Science and Social Studies Science Units of Study: Rocks, Sand and Silt Plants Balance and Motion ***We have a ten week program with a science facilitator from Wonderhut. Social Studies - New York City: Citizenship and Civic Life: Rules and Laws Urban, Suburban and Rural Communities NYC Geography Change over Time: Past and Present Our Community: Needs and Wants ** We go on many Field Trips that connect to our curriculum and encourage you to join us!

A Typical 2nd Grader’s Day (Scheduling will differ between classes) Time Period Activity 8:50 AM-9:27 AM Morning Work, Morning Meeting, Word Study 9:27 AM-10:30 AM Reading Workshop 10:30 AM-11:22 AM Writing Workshop 11:22 AM-12:22 PM Recess and then lunch 12:22 PM-1:24 PM Math Workshop (Grade-wide) 1:24 PM-2:16 PM Social Studies or Science 2:16 PM-3:08 PM Special Class (Music, Gym, Theater, etc.) 3:08 PM Dismissal

“Specials” Swimming Students will begin swim class in October. Mr. Nichols will send a letter home explaining expectations and routines for swimming later this month. If you need to reach him with questions, he can be contacted via email: dnichol@schools.nyc.gov Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Dance Swim Art Music Theater

Homework Homework Folder: Homework folders will go home every night. Please check to see if there is any communication from your child’s teacher or from the school. On the inside of the folder you will find the following: P.S. 11 Community Standards Current School Calendar, 2015 - 2016 School Policies and Procedures PS 11 Philosophy on Grit and Mission Statement Homework Packets: Homework packets will be handed out every Monday and are due Friday morning. Your child may keep his/her homework in his/her homework folder until it needs to be returned to us on Friday. Your child’s homework will be checked for completion. Reading Logs: Students will be held responsible for planning and recording their reading for the week both at home and at school. This will support student goal setting as well as foster a love and habit of reading. Please make sure your child is following and filling out their reading plans at home! We encourage that all students are reading for at least 30 minutes a night.

Field Trips Field Trips Parents/guardians must fill out and return the original field trip permission form in order to give their child permission to leave the school building. Following Chancellor’s Regulation for field trips, no written notes or verbal permission over the phone will be accepted. Please dress your child in his/her P.S. 11 T-shirt on field trip days. If your child will want a school lunch for the field trip, we must know two weeks before the trip so that we may order it from the cafeteria. Chaperones will be selected on a rotating basis, with typically 4-5 per excursion.

Enrichment Programs Julliard: Composition and music appreciation Chess: Chess instruction (rules and strategies) Pascal: Introduction to modern dance Highline: History of the west side, study of ecology, and park design Cookshop: Nutrition education program Wonderhut: Hands-on science program, integrating art and science as well as social and physical activities

Birthday Celebrations We love celebrating in our classrooms but please remember the following: All celebrations will be limited to 15 minutes. Families may provide 1 treat per student No goody bags, decorations, balloons, candles, or toys are not permitted & we may NOT distribute home birthday party invitations. We are a nut-free classroom. Even if your child does not have an allergy, please do not send in food that may be problematic for another child. Siblings attending P.S.11 may not miss class to attend

Parent/Guardian-Teacher Communication Please feel free to email me at mspawlakps11@gmail.com Please allow up to 48 hours for a response. Call (212) 929-1743 and leave a message Please also feel free to send in a note with your child in his/her homework folder Please email me if you are interested in being a class parent