August 24, 2011
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Ellsworth Hill Room B-15! Even though this is the start of my 28th year of teaching, I am very excited about this school year. I am eagerly anticipating getting to know and working with you and your child. Contained in this handbook is information you will need to help me help your child have a successful Second Grade Year! If you have questions that are not answered in these pages or need to contact me during the year, please do not hesitate to write me a note or call me here at the school (330-653-1236). You can also e-mail me at dipaolam@hudson.edu. Please realize I only check my email in the morning and at the end of the day.
Sincerely,
Mary Beth DiPaola
Specials
Monday – 10:35 - 11:12 Art
11:15 - 11:52 Library
Tuesday – 10:35 - 11:12 Music
11:15 - 11:52 P.E.
Wednesday – 11:15 - 11:52 Music
Thursday – 10:35 - 11:12 Art
Friday – 11:15 - 11:52 P.E.
Make sure students have tennis shoes on Tuesday and Friday!
Daily Schedule
When the children arrive in the morning they are to sign-up for lunch and milk and unpack their take home folders. They will turn in homework or notes and begin doing any folder work projects that have not been finished.
Each day there will be time when the focus will be on Language Arts. The children will be involved in various reading, writing, spelling, English, phonics and handwriting activities. Language arts will be taught, in part, through a program called Literacy by Design. It is a complete literacy program that combines research-based instruction with classroom practices that work. This program connects whole class, small group, and independent instruction through common comprehension strategies. Literacy by Design links literacy skills to standards-based science and social studies content through the use of fiction and nonfiction texts and themes. The program was written to include a systematic, focused approach to instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, decoding, vocabulary, and the writing process. We will learn cursive writing in the second semester!
In the afternoon there is a block of time for math instruction and one for science, social studies and health lessons, too. The science, social studies and health themes will be taught by unit, on a rotating basis by topic. The children will also have some time to finish work and pack their take home folders at the end of the day.
Learning Journal
The children will have a spiral notebook with a sticker on it labeled “LEARNING JOURNAL". They will use this notebook for reading, spelling, writing, science, social studies and math activities. They will also use it to write a "DEAR PARENT" letter each Friday. They will then bring the notebook home on Friday so they can read the letter to you and you can look through the journal and see what the children have been studying that week. Feel free to write comments or a note back to your child or to me. Your signature on the stamp on the parent letter is my way of knowing that you have seen the notebook each week.
It is very important that this notebook RETURN TO SCHOOL EACH AND EVERY MONDAY WITH YOUR CHILD!!
We will continue with the same notebook until it is full! The children will then have 1 or 2 notebooks at the end of the year that will show what they learned and document their growth and progress.
Homework
Each evening the children will be expected to read silently or with someone for at least 15 - 20 minutes. Starting in September, to help the children keep track of their reading, they will have a weekly and/or monthly chart to fill out and turn in. Then in October we will add a book report/book project along with the chart. Watch for more information about this program in September.
In addition to reading, the children will get other homework periodically. It will be review or extra practice of things we worked on in class. It may be a math game, spelling activity, social studies or science assignment, language skill sheet, etc.
It is important that your child shows you his/her take-home folder everyday. (Or in most cases you may need to ask to see it everyday!)
There may be returned work, homework or other communications in the folder. The direction and due dates will be on the assignments. If your child does not understand a particular homework assignment after an attempt or two, please send me a note to that effect. I’d rather re-teach a lesson at school than have a child frustrated at home.
Spelling
Our approach to spelling is similar to what your child experienced in first grade. There will be a core list of words that they will need to master in context and other words of significance will be introduced. We will not be utilizing the typical “Monday build the list, practice throughout the week, and Friday have a posttest”. There will be ways you can help at home and this will be detailed in a letter you will receive in a few weeks. Please watch for this letter and as always if you have questions, please ask!
Science
The units of study for second grade are soil, changes, life science (habitats) and an introduction to the sun, moon and stars. Watch the monthly newsletters for details about which unit we are working on.
Social Studies
The children will be learning about groups of people. They will discover groups they belong to and then travel to other continents to see how other groups of children live. As they visit the Masai of Africa and the Inuit of Alaska/Canada geography will be an emphasis, too. They will also discover things about the past and about American Heritage in a study of Colonial Williamsburg and in an Americana unit featuring biographies of famous Americans and voting.
Health
The children will learn about themselves, making friends, nutrition and safety as they complete these units of study.
Math
The math curriculum consists of hands on discovery and learning. There will be daily paper/pencil practices in school as well as an opportunity to practice at home. The children will be guided through the Investigations Math Series. Before we begin each unit you will receive parent letters that highlight the skills of the unit and give suggestions for activities you could do at home. Also, time will be spent on helping the students master the basic addition and subtraction facts. Beginning multiplication facts will be introduced, too. Flash card practice at home is always a good idea!
Monthly Newsletters
At the beginning of each month, you will get a newsletter highlighting the units of study for that month. You can then focus your questions to the specific areas of study, as well as help your child do extra reading or investigating on the topics. I will make time for the children to share extra work they did at home relating to our curriculum topics.
Please post these newsletters on your fridge or bulletin board and refer to them often!
Water Bottles
When the weather is warm the children are permitted to bring a small water bottle to school to keep at their desk. This will allow them to stay hydrated and discourage them from getting up when instructions are being given.
Birthday Treats
The children are invited to celebrate their birthdays with a treat.
Please bring (or have your child bring) the treat to school in the morning.
This way we can celebrate when we have (or need) a break. Children with summer birthdays may choose a day to celebrate - examples are to use their 1/2 birthday, another special day, random day, etc.
Snacks
We will NOT be having a snack time everyday (only on special occasions) so please make sure your child eats a good breakfast every morning!! If you would like to donate a big box of graham crackers, goldfish, crackers, etc. for the beginning of the year, for us to share, that would be great! We are a "nut free" classroom so please no snacks with nuts!
Book Orders
Each month the children will be given book order forms. To place an order, please return the book order form and a check made out to the company in an envelope by the due date. One check made out to “Scholastic Book Club” suffices even if your child wants books from more than one booklet. Not only is the book order a great way for the children to choose their own books and get excited about reading, ordering from the book clubs helps us earn free books and materials for the classroom. If I choose the "online ordering" offered by the club, I will send you specific information with the first book order on how to make that happen!
The students will just have their fingerprint scanned for lunch. You must prepay for their lunches and milk. You can go online and use your credit card or send a check to school with your child to do this.
Share Bag
Two children a week will bring in an item or two from home to school to share. You will know that it is your child's turn when the class bookbag comes home. Enclosed in the bookbag is a direction/idea sheet.
Discipline Plan
In order to guarantee your child, and all the students in my classroom the excellent learning climate they deserve, I am utilizing the following discipline plan based on the principles of Love and Logic. Children are different and their actions and reactions differ. Situations will be dealt with as they arise, with the focus on helping your child learn and grow from his/her actions.
Classroom Expectations:
Feel free to do anything that doesn’t cause a problem for anyone else.
I teach when there are no distractions or other problems.
If you cause a problem, I will ask you to fix it.
If you can’t solve the problem, or choose not to. I will do something to fix it.
What I do will depend on the unique situation.
It is in your child’s best interest that we work together. I will keep you informed about your child’s progress in my room. Your child will get input on what makes a good classroom environment to learn in and then the plan will go into effect. We will do some role-playing and a lot of discussion the first few weeks of school so that your child has tools to help them make good decisions. We will do many team building activities and social skills lessons throughout the year. If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Dear Parents,
Ways to help:
-Be positive and quickly reassure children to ease anxieties.
-Review the rules and consequences if a problem arises. Remind the children they have choices.
-Check for mail in the take home folder. Return any forms and the Friday learning journal on time.
-Help with any corrections on papers that are brought home.
-If you have any questions please call the school and leave a message. I will return your call as soon as
-If your child is not following the regular routine to go home please write me a note describing the change.
-Help your child dress for the weather. We will have recess even when it snows.
-Foster the joy of reading. Model reading at least three times a week. Have your child read everyday.
-Play the math games that will be sent home over and over again. Repetition helps!
I hope these suggestions help. Please remember to look for the monthly newsletters. They will contain the topics we are studying.
Thank you for your support.
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