Hello families! I hope everyone has had a great week so far. We have been SUPER busy with place value to the thousands- yes, thousands...in the first two weeks! All of grade 2 started it last week because we knew this concept was going to carry through the entire school year. Along with place value, the students have continued to get to know each other- reminding ourselves of bucket fillers and bucket dippers has been really helpful with the students' behavior choices throughout the day. I'm already amazed by some of their positive behavior choices- and it makes me happy to think that they have already come together as a family by treating each other with the upmost respect. The students have also been working on writing about themselves for a writing craft project- I'll be posting pictures once the project is up on the walls.
We had a practice fire drill on Monday. The students did awesome- I would have to say the best I've had all of my 8 years of teaching- really! We did practice on Friday afternoon, but just seeing it in action on Monday morning was really great.
I've had a few questions about the homework. In your child's homework folder is a green sheet which explains the nightly schedule. Each Monday your child will be going home with a reading log they will need to complete each night and return the next day. I look it over each morning, and return it back to your student. Each night has a different type of homework- grammar, math, or spelling. The schedule explains what your child needs to do each night. When there is spelling for the night, a blank lined piece of paper will be in your child's folder. Each Monday he or she will take home a list of the words for the week- this list stays in the folder or at home. Every day it is imperative your child returns their homework- it's a responsibility a child learns which can carry them through the entire year. I can understand when things get crazy at home- the family gets home late, etc., anything can happen. However, I ask that if time does in fact run out and there isn't enough time for your child to do their homework- please let me know. Email me, send a note to school with your child- something to let me know that there simply wasn't enough time. I can understand that. I won't penalize a child for something like that. However, when homework isn't returned without a note or an email, I will ask that child to owe a nickel. Students who turn in their homework the entire week will earn a nickel on Friday of that week. If there is an absence and the homework has been turned in all week, the child can earn the nickel on the Monday they return.
Your student also has an explanation of the clip chart for behavior in their orange folder. The green is where your child should aim for each day- but the blue, purple, and pink are the super extra goals. Yellow, red, and brown are for warnings and for me to call or email home with any concerns I may have. We start each day on green, the students depending upon behavior move their clips up or down. At the end of each day, I have the students color in the behavior chart in their orange folder with the color they ended their day on. This has been really helpful for the students to have a visual of how they ended their day on. I've noticed a change in the students' behavior the next day based on how they did the previous day- that has helped me reinforce that the system is working. I started using it only last year- after using a similar system with a pocket chart for years- and have found the clip chart is far more effective because the students are given more power over moving up when they go above and beyond.
Grade 2 is having a parent night! I'm really excited about it because this will be a great time for me to chat with you about my classroom polices- homework, behavior, AR testing on the computers, etc. Further news on when we will have it is forthcoming in your child's homework folder.
News
Aug. 28 1/2 day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service
Birthdays
None in August
Thank you for all you do!
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us
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