Welcome to second grade! An open line of
communication between parents and the teacher is essential in order for your
child to have a successful year. Please feel free to contact me with any
questions or concerns that may arise during the school year. The best way to
reach me is through a note or to leave a message with the office. I will also
call or write home when necessary.
All students are expected to be on their best
behavior at all times to ensure the best learning environment. In order to
provide consistency for all students, we will be using a behavior management
technique called Give Me 5. When attention of the class is needed, the teacher
raises her hand in the air with all five fingers spread apart. Give Me 5 is
said verbally once, but this is primarily a visual cue.
The five fingers symbolize the teacher's
expectations of the students at that time. These expectations are eyes on
speaker, ears listening, hands free, mouth quiet, and body still. A poster
modeling this is posted in the front of the room for students to refer to.
The following consequences are in place for
students who do not follow the classroom rules. There is a large traffic light
located in the front of the room. Every morning all of the children start out
with their clothespin on green, meaning great behavior. The first time the
student misbehaves or does not follow the teacher's direction they will
receive a verbal warning. The second time in the same day, the student's
clothespin will be moved to yellow, meaning they have a warning. If a student
is spoken to for a third time in one day, they will be required to take a note
home letting their parents know how they behaved at school that day. This note
will need to be signed and returned the next day. Each child that remains on
green for the entire day will receive a raffle ticket at the end of the day.
On Friday afternoon we will have a raffle and a few tickets will be chosen.
These children will receive a small prize.
Throughout the day, the class is given the
opportunity to earn marbles for good class behavior. When the class receives a
designated number of marbles we will have a special treat. Earning marbles
requires the class to work as a team and therefore provides a safe and
pleasant learning environment for students to work in.