Below you will find information about our class program that I hope you will find useful. For those of you that are new to the year-round program, each time your child “tracks out” for 3 weeks, another class will “track in.” The second grade classrooms are located on the GREEN hall – our classroom has the UNC-Tarheel flag above the door.
Accelerated Reader Program We use the Accelerated Reader (AR) computer program to encourage students to become independent, high level readers. The books in our classroom and in the Media Center are coded with special AR stickers that provide the reading level of the book (ex. 2.7 means 2nd grade 7th month) and the point value (.5= ½ point). Your child can choose to independently take the test in the classroom (no help reading tests with an adult) whenever he or she finishes an AR book. The test results will show how well your child was able to comprehend what was read (accuracy rate should be at 80% or above in order for your child to receive credit for the book). When your child completes an AR book at home, encourage him or her to take the AR test the next day at school. I will conference with each student to help create his/her individual AR goal. Students are encouraged to participate as part of our reading program. As an added incentive, students who reach their individual AR goal by the end of the school year with an overall average of 80% will earn an AR T-shirt and can attend the AR T-shirt signing party. Student names will be announced during the morning announcements as they reach 2nd grade point goals. My goal is for your child to continue their love and passion for reading. Birthdays You may send in a special treat for your child’s birthday that will be shared during snack time. Due to county policy and student allergies, all treats must be purchased from a store and not homemade. Please let me know a few days ahead of time if you plan to send in a special treat. Please do not send birthday invitations to be passed out at school unless the whole class is invited. Thank you for being sensitive to the feelings of our second graders. Breakfast/Lunch Money Breakfast: $1.00, Lunch: $2.00, Extra Milk: $.50 If your child pays for breakfast and/or lunch, please send the money in a zip-lock bag with your child’s name on it. Money is easily lost or misplaced when students keep it in their pockets or in snack bags. We have found it to be more effective if parents can send in breakfast/lunch funds for the week or month. You will be notified when your child’s cafeteria funds are low. Please let the office know if you need a free or reduced lunch form. Conferences Parent-teacher conferences will be held at least twice a year (at the end of the first and third quarters). The conference will last about 20 minutes. It is important that you attend the conference so that we can discuss your child’s successes and any areas that may need extra help. If you are unable to attend a scheduled conference, please call the school or send me a note so that I can reschedule a date and time for you. Data Sheet & Emergency Information Please be sure to fill out all data information that your child brings home and return it to school. We need your home, work, and cell phone numbers so that we can get in touch with you when your child is sick or in case of an emergency. If your address, place of work, or phone number(s) should change during the school year, please notify me so I can make necessary changes with the office and in our classroom. Tuesday Folders Samples of your child’s work will try to be sent home each Tuesday. I like to hold on to writing pieces and math assessments, but they will eventually come home. There will be a sheet attached to the inside of the folder for you to initial. Keep the papers from the folder at home, but remind your child to return the folder by Monday of each week . If you have any questions about your child’s work, please let me know. Homework Homework is required by Wake County Schools and should be used to help students learn skills as well as practice and review skills taught daily. A homework folder with activities will go home each afternoon with your child starting in August. Please assist your child in finding a quiet workplace at home and help him/her read homework directions getting started. Your child should complete the assignment and have a parent check over the work to see that it is done neatly and correctly. If there are incorrect answers, please use that time to help your child find the problem and rework it (this is a great teachable moment). You are asked to initial the homework sheet inside the folder and have your child return the folder the next day or when the activity due date states it is due. Media Center/Book Selection Second graders are permitted to visit the library each day. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays students are to visit the library before school (8:45-9:15 am). On Tuesdays and Thursdays students will be allowed to visit the library during our reading block. The goal for students is to independently select books that are a "good fit" for them. In class we will learn strategies to determine whether or not a book is a "good fit". I try to monitor student book choices as closely as I can (especially at the beginning of the year); however, if at home you notice that your child is bringing home books that are far above or below his/her level, please let me know. I know that in second grade students are eager to read chapter books. It is important that students maintain balance in the genres of books that they are reading. A student eager to jump into chapter books (if he/she is ready) should have one of those at his/her desk along with a nice mix of nonfiction books and picture books. Medication Prescribed medication cannot be given during school hours without a “Physician Order for Medication” form filled out by your child’s doctor. A form must also be filled out by parents for over the counter medication as well. If needed, these forms are available in the office. Students are not allowed to bring medicine (prescription or over-the-counter including cough drops) without a note from a doctor. ALL medications with doctor’s notes will be kept in the office and can only be administered by authorized personnel. Absences If your child is absent from school, please send a note with the reason of the absence on the day he/she returns to school. If a note is not sent, the absence will be recorded as unexcused. If you know ahead of time about an absence, please send a note or leave a message with the school receptionist. Newsletters A parent newsletter will be included with the Tuesday Folder at the beginning of each month. It will include important dates to remember, reminders and upcoming events. Please read these carefully as they are sent to inform you of events going on in class and at school. I will also send important notes/reminders in the Tuesday Folder as they come up throughout the month. Reading Students should read at least 20 minutes with good fit books each night as part of homework. Please sit and listen as your child reads aloud to you so that you can help with any words he or she is unable to read. Encourage the use of word attack skills such as “chunking,” looking for parts of the word that the child may know, and sounding out the word when assisting your child with reading. Reading aloud to your child is also very important. You read a page and your child reads a page is a fun way to not only read together, but also a great way to practice and model fluency. I will assess your child each 9 weeks to determine his or her reading level, growth in oral reading, and retelling accuracy. It is important for your child to read library books that are a "good fit" to continue growth in reading skills and vocabulary. Schedule Students will attend Specials five days a week. Students will participate in P.E., Art, Music, Media, and Spanish. In order to provide Special Area teachers ample amount of time to meet with classes and complete assigned projects, our students will attend the same class for a week instead of attending a different class each day. We are very grateful that the administrative staff has created such an amazing schedule of classes for our students to participate in this school year! A copy of our daily schedule will be posted on our class webpage and will be sent home on one of our first Class Newsletters. Snack Time Some students need a mid-morning snack so we have scheduled one for mid-morning each day. If you would like to send a snack for your child, please send something quick and easy to eat as your child may be snacking during work time. Finger snacks like crackers, goldfish, cereal or cereal bars are easy to eat and are best. Please don't send candy bars or candy as a snack. Students may go out for water if needed. Students are allowed to bring water bottles to keep in their cubbies. Please make sure your child’s name is written on the bottle. Spelling and Phonics In second grade, we will continue to participate in the spelling/phonics program called “Letterland”. But we will also be incorporating “Word Work” to be those higher level word working skills needed to build stronger fluency. Students will not have spelling/phonics homework the first few weeks of school. More information about Spelling and Spelling lists and homework will following starting in August. Student Check-Out Please do not check your child out of school before the school day ends unless it is absolutely necessary. If you need to check your child out, you MUST go to the office and sign your child out. The office will call the classroom and your child will be sent up to leave. Supplies Most of the supplies in the classroom are community supplies. It is much easier, especially being year-round to use community supplies. Please do not write your child’s name on all of his/her supplies. The only supplies that your child will keep as his/her own are the crayons, pencil box or pouch, earbuds, scissors, folders and notebooks. All other supplies, I will place in community supply tubs., Transportation Please let me know how your child will travel home in the afternoons (car or bus) if you have not already done so. If that transportation changes during the year (even for a day), please notify me by note or call the school office. It is imperative that you notify us of any changes to your child’s afternoon transportation. Volunteers If you are planning on volunteering in our classroom you must apply (or reapply) for Green Star Status in our volunteer registry system. I encourage you to do this before September 15. You may come in and complete the registry process any school day between now and October 31. After October 31, the system will only be open on Mondays. We will have at least one field trip this year that will require group chaperones. In order to chaperone a group of students you must have your Green Star. Each year, I like to take a few weeks to assess the students and really get to know and earn their trust before having volunteers in the classroom. This will allow us to settle into our routine and for me to survey what needs I anticipate having this year. Volunteers are a vital part of our class program and an asset in helping with class routines and student achievement. The badge should be worn each time you volunteer and returned to the Volunteer box in the office when you leave. Webpage Our class webpage will be updated regularly with pictures, videos, helpful websites, etc. Don’t forget to bookmark this address: www.taborfamily.weebly.com I hope this information will help answer questions during the school year. If you need to get in touch with me during the day, please feel free to email me at [email protected], send a note, or call the school (557-2770). If not am available to take the phone call, please leave me a message because your concerns and questions are important to me and I will call you back as soon as possible. Every year for the past 20 years, I have made this promise/pact each year with my parents: “If you promise not to believe everything you hear your child say about school, I will promise you, not to believe everything I hear your child say about home!” LOL I am anticipating and expecting this to be the your child’s Best year of school so far and my Best of teaching yet!😍👍🏻 For the Love of Teaching, Mrs. Amy Tabor |