WELCOME TO 2ND GRADE!

Dear Family,

Welcome to second grade! I’m excited to have your son or daughter in my classroom. This is a letter to tell you about a variety of things that will be happening in our room this year.

SCHEDULE: This is our schedule for now. If it changes, I will let you know. It may vary at times because of special projects or programs.

8:00-8:20 Bell rings – Welcome, Morning Meeting, Announcements

8:20-8:45 Writing

8:50-9:40 Gym and Music

9:40-10:00Bathroom break, Snack & Story,

10:00-10:30WIN Time

10:30-10:50 Daily 5/Guided Reading

10:50-11:05 Whole Group (Phonics)

11:05-11:25 Daily 5/Guided Reading

11:25-11:40Whole Group (Grammar/Vocabulary/Spelling)

11:40-12:00 Shared Reading

12:05-12:50 Lunch/Recess

12:55-1:55 Math

2:00-2:30 Unit Science, Social Students, Health, Art, etc

2:25-2:35-2:50 Recess

3:00 Dismissal

SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Here is a list of supplies that your child will need to start the year. These supplies will need to be replenished as needed.

**24 yellow #2 pencils **2 pkgs pencil top erasers **2 large boxes of Kleenex

Colored pencilsWashable markers2 Large erasers

HighlightersScissors (no plastic blades)Inch/centimeter ruler
4 folders –different colors**1 container of Clorox wipes1 package of sticky notes

Backpack2 school boxes - 5x8 size (different colors)

**6 glue sticks and 1 – 4oz. bottles of white Elmer’s glue**1 package dry erase markers

2-1 inch 3-ring binder with clear pocket front **Quart or snack size freezer Ziplock baggies

2 boxes of 24 crayons (no larger) (1 for each semester)4 spiral notebooks; wide lines – different colors

1 package of plastic sheet protectors-put sheets into binder please!

Gym – tennis shoes that have good support and laces for running and movement. Need NOT be kept only for gym.

**designates shared supply item Please label all other items with child’s name

Classroom Parties:We have three parties that take place during our second grade year: Tiger Day is celebrated in October, Christmas/Winter and Valentine’s Day.I will ask for volunteers in my weekly newsletters.

STAR STUDENT: Each child will get to be a star student. When your child is the star student, I will send home a sheet that you may help your child fill out. Please return the sheet along with 4-6 photographs that are special to your child. These items will be displayed while your child is our star student.

MILK BREAK: Each morning your child will be having a milk break. The district will send you a letter regarding milk purchasing for the year. Your child will receive milk each morning unless I receive a letter from you saying otherwise. Please do not send additional beverages with your child if they do not want milk. You may send a water bottle if you wish. We will have a nutritious snack with our milk. You will be asked periodically to bring snack. Watch the behavior/homework charts to see when it is your turn to send a store bought nutritious snack. Some suggestions might be crackers, carrots, raisins, granola bars, 100% fruit juice snacks, low sugar cereal, fruit, and occasionally cookies ***Milk time does not replace breakfast. Please make sure your child has breakfast each morning at home or enroll them in the breakfast program at school. Breakfast helps to get your child’s body fueled up and ready for the day. Each week 2 students will be assigned snack; when it is your turn, please send enough for 2 or 3 days!

**We do have a PEANUT ALLERGY! All snack items must come in the original packaging. It cannot contain peanuts or be made on a peanut line.

CLASSROOM DISCIPLINE: Our district’s mission is, “To develop the potential of each learner for success in a changing world.” My goal is that if we all - parents, teachers, and students - work together cooperatively we will have a quality school experience.

We use a program called Go Green as our behavior plan. The purpose of the program is to provide educators with a way to address behaviors in a proactive way. It is done through providing frequent reinforcement of positive behaviors to encourage a positive environment. Your child has a card in which they will start the day on Green. There are four levels: green, yellow, orange, and red. If they move a level, they will stay there for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, it will be up to the student to ask the teacher to move back to green after explaining their misbehavior. We will have Go Green celebrations randomly throughout the day; the students whose cards are on green will be able to participate in the celebration. Here are the 6 rules that we will follow:

  1. I will listen and follow directions.
  2. I will raise my hand to share ideas.
  3. I will use a soft voice.
  4. I will walk in school to stay safe.
  5. I will use my hands for helping, not hurting.
  6. I will use kind words.

A behavior chart will come home daily with our classroom rules. It should be returned to school the next day. You are to sign the chartDAILY once you have looked it over. The chart will communicate how your child’s day went in our classroom and will let you know if there is homework that night. If you have questions about this, please let me know.

HOMEWORK: Students will be expected to complete homework assignments in second grade. I will keep track of homework assignments.Homework will be as follows:

  • Spelling: There will not be formal spelling homework; however, a list of ideas will be sent home with the first spelling list. Please keep this for your reference. It is highly recommended that you practice with your child nightly.
  • Readingat home: Your child is to read to you or to themselves, with your supervision, for at least 15 minutes each evening. Students will record the number of minutes read on their behavior chart. Add up the number of minutes read at the end of each week and I will collect on Monday morning.
  • Math: Math assignments are printed on yellow paper. It will be sent home weekly.

BOOK ORDERS: Each month I will send home a variety of book orders. If you decide to order, send a check made out to the book company from which you are ordering. Please do not make the check out to Park Side or myself. You may also place your order online using a credit card. There will be directions attached to the book orders.

BIRTHDAYS: We will be celebrating your child’s birthday in school by making cards and singing “Happy Birthday.” Half birthdays will be celebrated for students who have birthdays in June, July, and August. You may send a store bought food treat for the class or “treat” our class to a new book for our classroom library. If you choose a book, put your child’s name and a photo in the front cover. You and your child can together decide if and how you would like to celebrate their birthday in our classroom.
Clothing:

Your child will have gym class every day. Please make sure that they have running shoes with them at school. When the weather is cool, be sure that your child has a jacket and gloves. When winter comes, your child will need to wear a winter jacket, hat, gloves/mittens, and when it snows, boots. If your child wishes to play in the snow, they will need to wear snow pants/snowsuit and boots. Your child will be outside every day unless it is raining or below zero.

I am looking forward to working with your child and with you. School will provide many productive, rewarding and worthwhile experiences for your child. In order to get each day off to a super start, be sure that your child gets plenty of sleep on school nights, has a healthy breakfast, gets to school on time (8:00) and wears comfortable clothes. Make time to talk about your child’s day when he/she gets home from school. Remember, your own reactions and attitudes will go a long way toward determining how your child feels about school. I will send a weekly letter home about what we are studying and any important information. Feel free to contact me with ideas and concerns as the year progresses. Working together we can make school a great experience for your child!

Sincerely,Miss Nuese

**My email address at school is

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Dear Parent,

The new school year is here. I would like to welcome you and your child to second grade. I am committed to providing each child with a successful school experience. To help me achieve this goal I would like you to respond to the following questions. Please return this promptly to school.

“What needs to happen throughout the school year in order for you to consider the year to be a success?”

“What can I do as your child’s teacher to make this school year a success?”

“Tell me any important information you feel I need to know about your child.”

Your comments are important. Please return your responses as soon as possible. I look forward to working with you and your child.

Thank you,
Miss Nuese

Your name ______Child’s name ______

Volunteer Information

If you wish to volunteer for any activity at school, we need you to fill out a volunteer application annually. (The form is on the next page!) This form is REQUIRED for all volunteers in our school district. A background check is required at a cost to you of $25. Background checks are valid for 5 years as long as you fill out the volunteer application annually. If you have further questions about this please contact the school office. Thank you for your understanding as we strive to keep our students safe!

**I love having volunteers in my classroom throughout the week. If you’d like to come in please e-mail me!

I would like to help with:

* Help chaperone field trips______

* Clerical items such as cutting, filing, sorting at home or school ______

* Help with classroom parties (Fall, Winter, Valentine’s) ______

* Assist in the classroom with reading or math ______

The time and day of the week that works best for me to help in the classroom is:

______.


Marshall Public Schools #413 VOLUNTEER APPLICATION FORM

School Year 2014-2015

Last Name (legal) ______First ______MI ______

Address ______

City ______State ______Zip ______

Best ways to contact me during school hours (Please check all that apply)

 Home Phone ______ Cell Phone ______ Work Phone ______

 E-Mail ______ Other ______

______

Signature Date

Please indicate days and times most convenient for you to volunteer:

 Monday Times: ______ Thursday Times: ______

 Tuesday Times: ______ Friday Times: ______

 Wednesday Times: ______ Weekends Times: ______

 Available for at home projects: ______

I need notice in advance of:  1 day  2 days  1 week  more than a week ______

Student Information:

Name: ______Grade _____ Teacher ______

Name: ______Grade _____ Teacher ______

Name: ______Grade _____ Teacher ______

Relationship to student(s):  Parent  Grandparent  Community Member  Other ______

We will provide reasonable accommodations with advance notice to persons with disabilities upon request.

Accommodations request: ______

Criminal Record History Release Form (background check)-Volunteers: Marshall Public Schools #413 requires volunteers 18 years and older to complete a Disclosure and release of Information Authorization form to protect our volunteers and students. Every volunteer 18 years and older must sign a form each year at each building where they will volunteer. The assignment in a volunteer situation will determine whether a check will be done. All fees for such a check are at the volunteer’s expense.

School Use Only

Date Rec’d ______Approved ______Not Approved ______Administrator’s Initials ______

Background Check exp date: ______

In case of a medical emergency, please give the name and contact information of a person you would like us to contact.

Name ______Relationship ______Phone ______
Please indicate your interests and dislikes.