1. Huddle Up for a Great Year in Second Grade! Second Grade Curriculum Night 2011-2012

2. What does it mean to be a Title I School? Being a Title I school means receiving federal funding (Title I dollars) to supplement the school’s existing programs. These dollars are used for… –Identifying students experiencing academic difficulties and providing timely assistance to help these student’s meet the State’s challenging content standards –Purchasing supplemental staff/programs/materials/supplies –Conducting parental Involvement meetings/trainings/activities –Recruiting/Hiring/Retaining Highly Qualified Teachers Being a Title I school also means parental involvement and parents’ rights.

3. How do we determine what we teach? We have a scope and sequence of learning standards that is mandated by the state that we are required to teach called TEKS. *Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Essential Learning for Second Grade

4. What type of assessments will we use? We check daily for understanding through structured and guided practice. Our assessments are the independent work your child does that is graded and comes home in the Tuesday folder.

5. Support for Students when they are Struggling Tutorials Guided Reading Groups Literacy Groups Small group instruction Parent Volunteers

6. Support for students when they finish early Extra Reading Extension Activities Being a Helper Enrichment Activities Task Cards Problem Solving Practice Independent Projects

7. Grades The district grading policy can be found on the Northwest ISD website. Progress reports are given at the three week point in each grading period. Report cards and progress reports will be available electronically. If you need a printed copy please contact the front office.

8. Behavior School-wide expectations for behavior in common areas Classroom expectations created as a class Punch cards Behavior calendar Fun Friday

9. TimeLearning Area 7:45– 9:2095 Reader’s Workshop/Social Studies Workshop 9:20 – 10:5090Math Workshop 10:50 – 11:2030Bathrooms/Recess 11:20 – 11:5030Lunch 11:50 – 12:5060Word Work/ Writer’s Workshop 12:50 – 1:4550Specials 1:45 – 2:4560Science 2:45 Pack-up, Clean-up, Dismissal

10. Reader’s Workshop In our second grade classroom, reading is taught through a reader's workshop model. This means that for about an hour each day, children read self-selected books independently and in partners while we conference with individuals, meet with guided reading groups, and instruct small strategy groups. This makes it possible to meet all children where they are and to teach a range of reading abilities at once. Besides allowing every child to be instructed at his/her own level, reader's workshop empowers children so that by the end of second grade they will be able to use a variety of reading skills and strategies.

11. Writer’s Workshop In our classroom students participate in Writer's Workshop daily. During the workshop the teacher models writing through a mini-lesson which targets a specific skill or concept. The mini-lesson is followed by independent writing time for students. Students can choose what to write about and how to publish their writing. Through Writer's Workshop students experience and practice all the stages involved in the writing process. To help students with the stages, they follow specific guidelines and keep a Writer's Notebook to keep them organized through the process. This year, students will be writing more non-fiction or informational writings based on learning in other subjects areas (math, science, social studies).

12. Science and Social Studies Science is taught through inquiry- based lessons that allow students to explore planned concepts. Students will keep a science notebook to record data and conclusions. Social Studies is integrated into the Reading curriculum.

13. Math Addition and Subtraction with regrouping Problem Solving (word problems) Place Value (one, tens and hundreds) Number Order and Number Patterns Estimation Counting and using Money (nickels, dimes and quarters) Measurement Solid and Plane Figures Time on the clock (telling time to 5 minutes) Graphs (picture, bar and line graphs) Fractions Introduce Multiplication and Division

14. Homework Weekly math homework is given at the beginning of the week and collected on Friday. Students are expected to read for at least 20 minutes each evening. Please make sure you are recording your child’s minutes on their reading calendar. Fun Fridays

15. Million Word Challenge!! It’s coming……………………..

16. Newsletter and Tuesday Folders Newsletters will be emailed to you or available online to print. If you need a printed copy, please send a note or email to your child’s teacher. Newsletters will be coming out once a month Please check Tuesday folders carefully for any forms to be signed or returned. Return Tuesday folders the next day. If you have more than one sibling at Justin, only the oldest will get a paper copy of school-wide information.

17. Birthdays & Celebrations Please plan to celebrate birthdays at the end of the day (2:30). Treats may be homemade or store-bought. Check with your child’s teacher for allergies. Our classes have 24 children. Please send enough individual treats for each child (cookies, brownies, cupcakes, etc) Classroom parties will be scheduled for Winter, Valentine’s, and End of Year.

18. PHYSICAL EDUCATION 817-215-0802 FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR CHILD IT IS IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES: 1. Students will wear tennis shoes during P.E. ( no flip-flop, backless, high platform or slip-on style shoes, boots or crocs will be allowed). 2. Shoes must be tied; tucking in loose laces may cause injury to your child or others. 3. Shorts must be worn under dresses and skirts. Students who do not comply with the dress code will be doing an alternate P.E. activity for that day. **Gym shoes may be stored in back packs or lockers for a quick change. If your child is injured or ill, he/she must have a note (from home) to excused from P.E. activities. After five days, a doctor's note will be required specifying the length of time he/she will be excused. CITIZENSHIP GRADE EACH SIX WEEKS 0 -1 TIMES SIGNING DISCIPLINE BOOKGRADE E 2 – 3 TIMES SIGNING DISCIPLINE BOOKGRADE S - PARENT NOTIFIED 4 TIMES SIGNING DISCIPLINE BOOKGRADEN – PARENT NOTIFIED 5 TIMES SIGNING DISCIPLINE BOOKGRADEU - PARENT NOTIFIED TEACHER – MS. DANAAIDE – COACH K

19. Odds and Ends Your child may bring a water bottle with a cap or top to keep on their desk. Students can keep a light sweater or jacket in the classroom. Please label your child’s jackets, hats, gloves, etc. It helps them to be returned if they forget. Please send a written note or call the office if there are any changes in transportation.

20. Contact Information Mrs. Morris: bmorris01@nisdtx.org Mrs. Briseno: sbriseno@nisdtx.org Mrs. Casey: jwenger@nisdtx.org Mrs. Wilson: kwilson@nisdtx.org

21. Questions? Clarifications?