The   '   of

Second Grade

A Handbook for Mrs. Blandford's Class

August, 2008

Absence

If your child is ill, please send in a note the next day to inform us of your child’s absence and the reason for it.  If a student must leave early for a doctor’s appointment, go to the office to sign him out and the secretary will call him to the office. Never send another person to pick up your child without adding that person to your child's card in the Front Office.  They will also need to bring their Drivers License. 

Attendance

A successful school experience is the responsibility of the child, the parent and the school.  Your child's progress, both academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation.  Regular attendance without tardiness is a key.

Arrival and Dismissal

Pupils should arrive between 8:10 and 8:30 AM. Students should not arrive prior to 8:10 AM (unless they are eating breakfast at school) since supervision by the school staff is not available.  No child or parent should be in the building before this time. School begins promptly at 8:30 AM and afternoon dismissal is at 2:30. Please pick up your child promptly. If you are late, look for your child in our in the office.

Art

The children will attend Art as a Resource.  They will have a great time expanding their artistic abilities with Mrs. Powers!

Backpacks and B.E.A.R Binders

To help your child carry messages and information to and from school, you are asked to provide a backpack. Students will be given a “B.E.A.R Binder” for me to send notes and information to you and for you to send notes to me. Please have your child remove the notes and papers each day from the backpack and the B.E.A.R Binder to share with you.

Birthdays

Birthdays are special occasions for young children. If your child wishes, he/she may bring a treat for the class. Please let me know the day before when and what time you are coming in!  We will celebrate summer birthdays during the last few weeks of school.

Book Orders

Every month I will send home a Scholastic Book Club Catalog for you and your child to look over. These clubs offer wonderful books at reduced prices---what a great way to build your home library! If you choose to order, please make the check payable to Scholastic Books.

Breakfast

A school breakfast is served every morning from 8:10-8:30 AM. in the cafeteria.  You will get a monthly calendar in your B.E.A.R Binder!

Calendar

A calendar of events and the monthly school breakfast/lunch menus are available and will be sent home monthly in your B.E.A.R Binder.  The Blandford Bulletin,  will also be in your child's B.E.A.R Binder every Monday. A calendar listing events specific to our class can be found on our class website:  http://teacherweb.com/FL/ClayCounty/TheBlandfordBears/

Computer

Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences are held after school (usually from 2:30-3:30 PM) at the end of each grading period as needed.   You will receive your child’s report card and we will discuss your child's accomplishments, strengths and overall progress.  Please feel free to schedule additional conferences at any time throughout the year if the need arises.

Discipline

Our classroom is a small community where teamwork and good relationships are expected. We will spend time learning class procedures and practicing them. Each student is expected to act within our standards of behavior. To establish good order and help the children learn self-control, they will be guided to respect themselves and their companions through specific directions, positive reinforcement, suggested new activities and responsible actions.

Our classroom discipline system includes a Bear card system. The first time a

child breaks a rule, he will be given a verbal reminder. Nothing further will happen as he reflects on whether that behavior was a good “choice”.

E-mail

Emergency Card

Please complete and return the emergency card promptly (if you have not already completed one). If your home or work phone number changes, inform the office so you can be located quickly if an emergency occurs.

Emergency Closings

If schools are closed for a rain day or any emergency,check the county website, listen to the radio, or watch your local news.  http://www.clay.k12.fl.us/

Field Trips

We plan an end of the year field trip that is both fun and educational for the children. We often need parent volunteers on the trips and chaperones will be chosen on a first come, first served basis.  Please return permission slips as soon as possible after they are sent home.

Fire Drills

Fire drills are held throughout the year.  All students will participate and are expected to walk quickly and quietly to their designated exit.  We will practice and become familiar with procedures before our first scheduled drill.

 Games

 We do have a lot of "Learning Games" in our classroom!  Do not be surprised to hear that your child played a spelling, reading, or reveiw game!  I have found that kids learn more when they are having fun and I try to make Second Grade as fun as possible! 

Hands-on Learning

I feel that the best way to help children learn is to make learning fun. Important concepts can be learned by doing meaningful hands-on activities. There are times when seatwork is required and necessary, but for the most part, our classroom will be an active learning environment.

Health

Please let me know of special circumstances which may affect your child. These could include medication that may make him sleepy, a death in the family, etc. Also, please let me know of any allergies your child may have, especially food allergies. We sometimes cook or do food activities to complement lessons in kindergarten and it would be helpful to know when I plan our recipes.

Help at Home

100% Homework Club

Homework

Homework will be sent home once a week (Every Monday). Your child should complete this work by himself, under your supervision, and return it on Monday. Completing and returning homework helps build a sense of responsibility and prepares him for the homework he will have to complete in later school years. Homework should be your child’s best work. Please keep your homework packet stapled, complete the checklist on the front, and place it in your B.E.A.R Binder!

Occasionally, I’ll ask your help in completing “family” homework--it’s called that because the whole family is encouraged to get involved in doing it.  

Illness

The question of when to keep your child home from school is often a difficult one, especially when decisions must be made first thing in the morning.  It is important, however, to keep your child home if he/she is ill. This helps to make them more comfortable and prevents others from becoming ill.  Children function more effectively in the classroom when they are healthy.

Independent Reading

Because children learn to read by reading, they need plenty of opportunities to read independently.  Sufficient time and appropriate materials are necessary to develop and strengthen reading abilities.  By giving the children time to read both at school and at home, we can work together to provide a literature-rich environment and a life-long love of reading.

Journals

  We will have a Writing Journal, Math Journal, and Science Journal!  These will usually remain in their desks, but on occasion I will send them home for you to look at!

Kindness

Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our class as well as others with kindness and respect. Bothering others, bullying and interrupting learning will not be permitted.

Library

The children go to the library on Monday morning. Please keep your Library Books in your back pack so that you have it ready on Monday morning.  You are allowed to check out 2 books if you return your old ones!

Literacy Centers

Lunch

We will eat lunch from 11:04-11:28each day. Children may bring a packed lunch from home or eat a school lunch. You are welcome to come and eat lunch with your child any time, but are asked to sit in the front of the cafteria. Lunches are $1.50.  The best thing to do is prepay or you can go to the county website and pay online!  http://www.clay.k12.fl.us/

Math

The Second Grade mathematics curriculum provides students with mathematical experiences that help them develop number sense and a positive attitude towards mathematics that will continue through their school career and their lives.  We employ a hands-on, problem solving approach.  We will use manipulatives daily, and you can use our website for fun mathmatical links!  We will be grading a lot of work in class!  Please review the daily work every night from your B.E.A.R Binders!  This will reinforce what we learned in school that day!

Please practice your addition and subtraction facts at least 3 times per week!  http://teacherweb.com/FL/ClayCounty/TheBlandfordBears/index.html

Music

Newsletter

Our weekly newsletter, The Blandford Bulletin, is generally sent home on Mondays. This will keep you informed about what is happening in our class---the skills we are learning, vocabulary words, poems or songs to practice, special activities and upcoming events. Sometimes there will be an activity attached to help your child practice skills at home.

Nurse

We are fortunate to have a health aide at Thunderbolt. She will tend to minor scratches and scrapes, as well as sudden illnesses.  For more serious injuries, she will contact you. Please be sure to send in any change of contact numbers in case she needs to get in touch with you.

Parent Involvement

Your support of school activities makes your child feel important and sends the message that you value school! We are always happy to have your help for special activities in the classroom. I will try to let you know at least a week ahead of time if I need help. Requests for help will be published in our weekly newsletter. I hope that you can come and join in the fun!  You may also volunteer on a weekly basis.  If you choose to do this please let me know if you are going to miss your day as I will be getting things together for you to do. 

Parties & Celebrations

There are three main parties each year---Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. The room parents usually organize these events and coordinate volunteers and donations.  All are welcome to participate in the festivities!  We will have some other celebrations that I will organize such as Thanksgiving, the 100th Day of School, Easter, and our End of the Year Celebration.

Playground Procedures

Please review these playground rules and safety procedures with your child:
1. Always follow the directions of the adult on duty

2. Follow all school rules.

3. Walk to recess and lunch in an orderly manner.
4. Do not jump off any playground equipment.

6. There will be no football or any games involving tackling.

7. Only one person per swing and do not twist it. Do not give “underdogs” to other students.

11. You may only come down the slide on your bottom facing forward.

Questions

  Please feel free to call me at school (between 7:30-8:30a.m. or between 2:30-3:30p.m.). Or you can always write a note or email me at:    http://teacherweb.com/FL/ClayCounty/TheBlandfordBears/

Recess

The children will play outdoors for 30 minutes each day (unless it is raining).  If it is raining we will pick an indoor activity instead!  Please keep this in mind when helping your child to select clothing for the day.

Report Cards

Restrooms

Have your child use the restroom shortly before coming to school. We will go to the bathroom once in the morning, before lunch and once in the afternoon. Please make me aware of any medical problem that might require more frequent restroom trips.

Room Parents

The room parents' job is to be available for any number of things: to help coordinate parties and activities; to seek volunteers for field trips and events; and to help with fundraisers.  Being a room parent is a great way to be involved in your child’s school life.  You may sign up to become a room parent any time!  Just let me know if you are interested!

Science

We will have Science Class every day!  We also have a Science Center complete with a Guinea Pig, Turtle, and a host of Scientific Activities for your child to participate in.  We will also have Mad Scientist Day where the children will bring in their own Science Projects to share with the class!

Shared Reading

Shared reading is an interactive process used with the whole class. As the teacher reads a story, children join in on phrases or words that they know. During subsequent re-readings, children read more and more of the text, until they are able to read the story independently. Shared reading is an opportunity for the teacher to model conventions of print and the use of reading strategies.

Show and Tell

Show and tell will be on Fridays. This is the only day the children are permitted to bring in toys from home. 

Snack

We will have communal snacks daily in our classroom.  Please send in 20 individually wrapped snacks at the beginning of every month.  I will set out 2 choices for the children every afternoon. 

Social Studies

    We will have Social Studies every day in our classroom!  We will also be integrating many Social Studies and Science Units into our Reading and Writing Curriculum.  Some of my favorite S.S. projects are:  Johnny Appleseed, Gingerbread Map, and Holidays Around The World!                    

Supplies

Toys

Bringing toys to school is discouraged because they distract the children from learning. If a toy is accidentally lost or broken, feelings will be hurt. Students may bring in books that are clearly marked with your child's name.  If you bring in a toy it goes in the "June Box" where it will stay until June or a parent comes in to claim it!

U Are A Shooting Star!

Visitors

Thunderbolt has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces) are required to check in at the school office. Thunderbolt welcomes and encourages family involvement. It is important to remember that while this may seem inconvenient to frequent visitors, it is the goal and responsibility of the school to create a safe learning environment.

Website

Our class has a website which can be accessed at http://teacherweb.com/FL/ClayCounty/TheBlandfordBears/List0.stmCheck in regularly to find information about curriculum, special events and school news. I will be featuring photos of our weekly activities--it's the next best thing to being in our classroom each day!  

Word Rings

Word Rings consist of word, letter and number cards on a metal ring that give students an opportunity to practice learning at home. I’ll add new vocabulary words weekly.    The Word Rings will be stored in the zipper case of the B.E.A.R. notebooks—please remember to return them to the case after each practice because they can’t be replaced if they’re lost.

Writing

Our writing program builds on what each child already knows. Writing begins with scribbles and proceeds to lines and circles, random strings of letters, words and spaces and eventually sentences, and in Second Grade paragraphs.   Your children will be encouraged and praised for all attempts and accomplishments in writing. Providing a risk-free environment is paramount to your child's progress in writing.  If possible, please provide your child with writing tools, such as pencils, crayons, markers and paper at home.  We will be learning how to write Narratives, Expositories, and How To papers. 

   eXtra Special

Second Graders learn that they are eXtra special and unique.
Second Graders have opportunities to describe how they are alike as well as different from others. They share their culture and learn about different cultures within the class.

Younger Siblings

We love our siblings!  But please leave them at home when you come to volunteer or to a special event in our classroom!  This ensures that all attention is focused on your Second Grader's big day!

Zzzzs

Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to your child.   It will help them to be alert and ready to learn each day!  Remember a Second Grader needs 8-10 hours of sleep every night to ensure a successful day! 

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