Room 146
Handbook
Ms. Murray
2nd Grade
I have read and understand the attached Class Handbook.
Student Signature:
______
Parent Signature:
______
School Hours:
Our class hours are from 8:10 – 3:40. Early dismissal each Wednesday is at 12:25. Students should arrive around 8 and should not be left waiting longer than 5 minutes after school. Students eating breakfast must go directly to the cafeteria and be finished by 8:10. Each 2nd grade walker or car rider must be picked up by an adult or older sibling in person. If there is a change in the way a child is getting home, send me a note in your student’s agenda, or an email. Please call before 1:00 if there is an emergency change of plans. Remember, any interruption in our class is an interruption in your child’s learning.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday Schedule:
8:10 – Students enter the classroom
8:15 – School Begins (students are tardy when not in the room by this time)
8:30 – 9:00 – Walk to Read
9:00 – 10:30 – Math Block
10:30 – 11:10 – Recess and Lunch (Recess 10:30-10:50, Lunch 10:50-11:10)
11:10 – 1:40 – Language Arts Block (Reading and Writing)
1:40 – 2:20 – Special Area Classes
2:20 – 2:40 – Recess
2:40 – 3:30 – Science and Social Studies
3:30 – 3:40 – Pack Up/Dismissal
Wednesday Schedule:
10:20 – 10:50 (Recess 10:20-10:30, Lunch 10:30-10:50)
12:25 –Dismissal
Special Area Classes:
Monday – Music/Art
Tuesday – Library
Thursday - Technology
Friday – P.E.
Bathroom Policy:
The students will be allowed to go when needed but are encouraged to go at set times (before school, before special areas and during recess) with the rest of the class. Please emphasize this with your child.
Remind 101:
I will be using an app called Remind to contact you throughout this year. It is really cool because it will send my emails to your phone as a text message. I will be sending newsletters, and classroom updates through this. To join simply text @8f7gf9 to the number 81010. You will then receive a confirmation text saying that you have been added. Using this, you will be able to send me quick messages/updates as well!
OrangeHomework Folders:
The orange folder that your child has is going to be their homework folder. This folder needs to be checked each night for papers that are being returned and papers that need to be signed and returned. Please keep the handbook in the folder so you can reference it when questions arise. Your child’s monthly reading log will also be kept in this folder.
Student Planners:
Your child’s planner will go home each day and need to be returned each morning. Your child will write a sentence about the day in the planner everyday and then I will either stamp it or put a sticker on it so you know I have checked it. Please check this nightly and sign it. There is also enough space that you can write a note to me if needed. However, if it is an important note, it would be helpful for you to email me (), or send a note via Remind as well.
Book Log:
Your child will succeed in reading if they have as much practice as possible. This needs to continue when they are at home. I am asking that your child reads at home each night for at least 20 minutes. This can be library books, books at home, or copies of decodable books that I send home. We will be participating in the 100 book reader program at Copper Trails again this year. You have a reading log in the homework folder. Please record every book that you and your child read together. The books in the reading log need to be read independently. When students get to 100 books, they get a t-shirt they can wear on Fridays to show their achievement. I usually check the book logs one day a week just to make sure students are keeping up with this.
Homework:
I don’t like to assign homework andI don’t plan on sending home worksheets this year. However, the students will need to read nightly, read and take at least 2 Kids A-Z quizzes weekly, read at least 2 other books (or chapters) and write a sentence about what they have read, and practice spelling words nightly. I am also asking that students practice math facts (addition and subtraction) this will help them with the Rocket Math that we do in class.
Kids A-Z:
Last year, the 1st grade was able to get a subscription to Kids A-Z for each student. The PTSA has agreed to pay for the subscription this year for all students in Kindergarten thru 2nd. There will be information going home with log-ins during the first week of school. Unfortunately, the subscriptions do not transfer so you will notice that your child’s information from 1st grade is not on there. If your child does not have access to Internet at home, please let me know and we will figure something out. Please see the Kids A-Z information page that is also apart of this packet. You will also find your students login information on that paper.
Newsletters:
I try to write a newsletter most weeks. These will include what we are studying, important classroom information, and spelling words for the week. I usually email those through Remind out on Sunday or Monday. I will also do my best to have them in the orange folders on Friday afternoons.
Assessments:
There are many different types of assessments that we give in 2nd grade. Two schoolwide tests that are given to all 2nd graders are DIBELS and Galileo. We will give the DIBELS test 3 times per year and Galileo test is 4 times per year. Weekly, we will give a spelling/phonics test every Friday. Please make sure your child is here for Friday mornings because they don’t always do as well when they have to make up a test. Math tests will be periodically when we are finished with a unit of study. The students will also have a writing sample each week that will be kept in a writing portfolio.
Report Cards:
Report cards are sent home quarterly. We must meet the 1st and 3rd quarter to go over the report card at Parent/Teacher Conferences. The other two will be sent home with your child.
School Supplies:
2nd grade teachers have made a school supply list that was sent home with report cards at the end of 1st grade. I will collect supplies during the first week of school, and they will be dispersed into table groups to use. We will use A LOT of Clorox wipes, glue sticks, erasers, and Kleenex throughout the year, so feel free to send extras whenever possible!
Book Orders
I will be sending home flyers periodically for Scholastic Book Orders. These sometimes offer very good prices on books the children really enjoy. Please look these over for quality additions to your home library. At any time, you can also order books from Scholastic.com. Our class code is NBL7X. I will contact you when the books are delivered to school. Ordering books using this code helps us earn new books for our classroom library!
Water Bottles:
The students are encouraged to have a water bottle filled with water only at their desk (please, no Kool-aid or Gatorade). As long as the bottle is not a distraction, they can keep them with them. However, the bottles will be taken away if the student is not being responsible.
Lunch:
You can put money in your child’s lunch account three different ways. You can pay online, bring the money directly to the cafeteria in the morning or send it with your child. If you are going to send it with your child, please put it in a sealed envelope with this label written on the outside.
Lunch Money
Student’s Name
2nd Grade
Ms. Murray
Snack:
We have a long day this year! I will be giving the students an opportunity to eat a small snack at some point in the afternoonif they have something from home. I will not be providing students with a snack who don’t have one. Good snacks are single servings of fruit, pretzels, snack bars, or animal crackers. Please don’t send anything that is messy or requires refrigeration. The students will have 5 minutes to eat a snack so please don’t pack anything too big. Just a handful of a cereal or pretzels or a snack bar is perfect. We do have multiple students this year who have nut allergies so please make sure to never send anything with nuts. Nuts are not allowed in the classroom this year.
Money:
When money is on it’s way to school, please pack it tightly in an envelope. Make sure you write your child’s name and room number on the envelope. A pocket in the folder would be a good place to put the envelope. However, please make sure your child knows it is there because I do not go through everyone’s folder each day.
Birthdays:
Birthday treats are FUN (if there’s enough for everyone)!!! Please keep the birthday treats simple enough for your child to serve. I would suggest cupcakes, cookies and juice boxes. There are also healthier alternatives such as jello, pudding cups or pretzels. No cakes please! Please let me know your plans in advance. There are approximately 32 students in the class.
Appointments:
If it is necessary to pick up your child for an appointment, you must stop at the office and check them out. We ask that you try not to pull your children out of class during the last hour of the school day. The office will call me to dismiss your child. The person picking up the child must be on the approved list and show photo ID.
Toys:
Please do not send toys (or Pokémon cards) to school with your child. Even when the toy is in the child’s backpack, it is very tempting to go over and play. We might have special days when toys are invited into the classroom but you will receive a notice on those occasions.
June Box:
If a student is caught playing with something during instructional time, I will give them a warning to put it away. However, if it happens again with the same object, I might have to take it away. The object then gets put in the June Box. Once something is put in the June Box, it cannot be removed until the last day of school. (Unlessa parent comes to retrieve it.)
Behavior Management Plan
We are using a traffic light to monitor behavior in our classroom this year. Each student has a clothespin that is on a class traffic light. The children will start each day on green. However, if the student does something to disrupt their own learning or someone else’s learning, they will be asked to move their clothespin down (green, yellow, orange, red). There are different negative classroom consequences associated with each color. Your child’s color for the day will be in their planner. Please put your initials next to it so I know that you have seen it. If your child does something above and beyond what is expected and they are on green, they will move their clothespin up to the blue star. These students deserve special praise!!
Positive Classroom Consequences
Positive classroom consequences are rewards for following the rules and procedures outlined above. They include:
- Teacher praise
- Special privileges
- Positive parent contact
- Opportunity to pick a toy from the treasure chest
Negative Classroom Consequences
Negative classroom consequences are given when students choose not to follow the rules and procedure outlined above. They include:
- Verbal warnings
- Time out
- Loss of privileges (such as recess and/or centers)
- Parent phone call
- Parent/teacher conference
- Office referral
Volunteer Form
I know many of you would like to volunteer in the classroom and we have different options that will hopefully fit your schedule. If you are interested in volunteering in one of these areas, please check the area and then I will contact you to set up a schedule. I completely understand that many of you are unable to volunteer due to schedules or family situations! Please do not feel as if you absolutely have to check anything on this form.
_____ Small Group Volunteer – These volunteers would come in to the classroom at a scheduled time for approximately an hour. They will work with small groups of students on reading or math.
_____ Paperwork Volunteer – These volunteers would come in to the school at a scheduled time each month (or every other week) and help with things like making copies, grading papers and laminating.
_____ I am unable to volunteer in the classroom at this time!
Thank you for helping make the classroom run smoother,
Ms. Murray
Parent’s Name ______Email or Phone Number: ______
Student’s Name ______