Welcome to 2 nd Grade Student Showcase

Second grade is a wonderful year with lots of learning, responsibility and independence. Your child will be involved in reading and writing, learning harder concepts in math, spelling with weekly tests, and learning over 125 high frequency words, just to name a few things. We update our website with important information. Please take the time to bookmark your teacher’s website for later referencing during the year.

Transportation Please make sure we know how your child is getting home each day. If anything changes, we need a note each time transportation plans are different. Otherwise, the teacher will send your child home their normal way. We can not take a child’s word that they are to go home differently. We have to have a note. Calls made into the office need to be before 11:00 am.

Supplies Please ask your child periodically if they need more supplies, especially pencils, crayons, white board markers, notebook paper, and glue sticks.

Attendance School Hours: 7:50 am – 2:45 pm Daily attendance is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT if your child is to have a positive, productive, and successful year! Coming to school everyday on time will help your child get started “on the right foot”. Please try to schedule appointments (i.e. doctor’s visits, hair appts., ) after school whenever possible. If your child is absent from school, a note explaining the absence must be sent when he/she returns to school. Please be aware that students leaving early or coming in late to school must be signed in or out in the office.

Medical Concerns Please let us know of any medical conditions we need to know about your child. There is a school policy that states a school cannot give out any type of medication unless there is a doctor’s note. This includes cough drops, lotion, Tylenol, etc. In a written note, please make us aware of any allergies as soon as possible if we weren’t notified of this at the beginning of school.

Lunch Your child will be responsible for his/her own lunch money. Please make sure you send this in a way that will be easy for your child to keep up with. If you would like to prepay for lunch, you can send in a check to the cafeteria. If you want to eat lunch with your child, go by the office first and get a visitor’s badge and just wait for us outside the cafeteria. If your child forgets their lunch box, just bring it to the office and they will call your child to come get it. Please note that school policy prohibits teachers heating lunches for students.

Conference / Phone Calls Please remember that we need uninterrupted teaching time during the school day. We cannot meet you during student hours, but we will be happy to meet after 3:15. If you would like to schedule a conference with your child’s teacher’s please send a note or the teacher and they will get with you regarding scheduling a conference. Please do not come in the mornings with expectations of a quick conference. We have to focus on the children and getting their day started. It is also hard to conference at lunch when tiny ears are around and we need to focus on the students at that time too.

Curriculum Common Core Classroom website

Curriculum Personalized Education Plan During your child’s year in first grade he or she was evaluated in reading, writing, and math. If he or she was below grade level in any of the evaluated subjects, his or her teacher would have written a personalized education plan. In second grade, we look at the checklist to see what was helpful last year. If your child does have a plan, you will be contacted for a conference in October Grading In second grade we use the same grading scale that was used in Kindergarten and first grade. It is as follows: #1 = does not meet grade level expectations: Having considerable difficulty #2 = making progress toward meeting grade level expectations; shows inconsistent understanding #3 = meets grade level expectations; shows consistent understanding #4 = Exceeds grade level expectations; shows deep and consistent understanding K-2 testing and dibels The K-2 assessment and Dibels are both individual reading assessments that help to determine students’ placement and growth throughout the year. At the end of 2 nd grade, students should be reading on a level “M” in order to be on grade level.

Curriculum Reading Reading components of a balanced literacy are guided reading, shared reading, independent reading and read- aloud. Guided reading is small group instruction at the group’s instructional level. During shared reading, all students are looking at the same text. This is time to teach reading strategies and also for phonics instruction. Independent reading is done with a text that is on each student’s level. Students have learned the “5 Finger Rule” to pick the “right fit” book. This is time for them to read quietly to themselves. Read aloud is when a book is read aloud by a teacher. Your child is to read every night in order to build comprehension, fluency, stamina, and vocabulary.

Curriculum Math Your child will need to become fluent in both addition and subtraction facts. Cards can be made or bought, or you and your child can make games that will help with practice. Students will learn how to identify key words within a word problem that will help them decide to add or subtract. Students will learn how to tell time, count money, and problem solve using money. Please encourage your student to use what they have learned when they are working with you.

Grading Progress reports and report cards are based on teacher observations, oral and written assignments, and daily student performances.

Expectations Be on your best behavior in the classroom, hall, cafeteria, and specials. Complete your homework every night. Parents are to sign the agendas to let us know all work was done and reviewed. Complete your class work everyday. Avoid unnecessary bathroom trips unless medically necessary. Students should use their best manners at all times, be respectful to others, be a good listener and always do their best.

Communication, Agenda and Homework Folders Communication between parents and teachers is very important to the success of each student. Your child will have an agenda and homework notebook that will come back and forth to school and home everyday. Please check this on a nightly basis so that you can keep up with what is going on in our classroom. We will check every morning if the agenda is signed. This is our way of knowing that you are aware of everything your child is doing. Please make sure the agenda is signed every night. Please put any notes regarding absences, changes in your transportation, notes for conferences or anything we need to know about your child in the homework folder. We send notes to parents in the agenda as well. This will be our way to send communications to each other. We also use .

Birthdays We are unable to have birthday celebrations at school. No balloons, presents, cakes, candles, hats, treat bags, etc. However, you are welcome to send in a store bought treat for the students to eat during lunch. We can not serve any homemade snacks due to food allergies. If you invite our classmates to birthday parties, you need to send an invitation to everyone. It hurts the feelings of those that are not invited. No peanut products please.

Please feel free to contact us by note or as needed throughout the year. Thank you for attending our Student Showcase Night. Mrs. Walker Mrs. Rebman Mrs. Nazareth Mrs. Morgan Mr. Lowery