ABC's of Our Classroom


  Attendance: Much of our learning will take place together in class. We do lots of hands-on activities and group work. Attendance is vital to ensure that learning is happening.  Please plan to attend school every day, on time, except in cases of illness or emergency. If your child is absent, make sure to send in an excuse note the next day.


Bucket Fillers: We are Bucket Fillers at Sexton Elementary and in our classroom.  This is a program which helps people focus on positive reinforcement.  Students can “fill a bucket” by catching a classmate doing something good, and filling out a form.  We will share some positive remarks each morning!


Classroom Rules and Behavior:  The children and I have worked together to create classroom rules which we all must follow.  If a student breaks a rule, he/she will get a warning.  After a warning he/she will have to change the color on the behavior chart.  This color will be recorded in your child’s agenda each afternoon. Your child gets paid daily based on good behavior.


Dismissal: School ends at 2:40 pm. You must send a note if your child is to go home a different way than his/her normal schedule.  Remember every Wednesday is early release at 1:35 pm.



Emergencies: An emergency card for each child must be on file in the office.  In addition to your home phone number, please list all work and cell phone numbers where you can be reached.  Please notify the office if there are any additions, corrections, or deletions during the school year.



First Class Globetrotter: Each child will have the opportunity to be the First Class Globetrotter, our version of Student of the Week.  Your child will bring home a special bag to fill the Friday before his/her week.  They are asked to bring in 9 photos for display, a favorite book, and a few “special items.”  Everything will be returned the following Friday.  Your child will be highlighted and honored during the week, and receive a special keepsake.

 

Graded Work: All graded work come home in a Take Home Folder every couple of weeks.  You should review the tests with your child, sign the back of the folder on the sheet, and send the folder back the next day empty (you keep the work).  Grades are E (90-100%), V (80-89%), S (70-79%), N (60-69%), and U (0-59%).



Homework: The homework that is given to the children is intended to enrich the learning that has taken place in the classroom.  It also fosters responsibility and helps your child establish good work habits. Please look in the agenda book for homework each night Monday through Thursday.  Homework is due the next morning.  If an emergency comes up write a note in the agenda and send in the work the following morning.


Important Papers:  Important papers will go home with students the day I receive them.  Please look each night in your child’s agenda, and if required, sign and return them the following day.



Jazzy Snacks: Healthy snacks can be sent into the classroom, with enough to share for the whole class.  We will use these snacks sparingly for special events or after testing.



Kindness: Sexton Elementary has zero tolerance for bullying. We will learn about being kind to others and ourselves everyday during our class meeting and by being Bucket Fillers. 




LAK Airways: Our classroom theme is LAK Airways, Where Learning Takes Flight!  I have a passion for travel and adventure and this theme ties directly to our Social Studies curriculum, for students to learn about the world around them.


Money System: A major part of the second grade math curriculum is counting coins. To encourage learning, a money system was set up in our classroom.  Every day students get paid for good behavior, and once a week for class jobs.  Students can use this money at Miss Lak’s Store every other Friday and buy special items.



N
ewsletters: Newsletters will be sent home every Monday from the second grade team.  Look forward to important information, what’s happening in the classroom, calendar events for the week, and a kudos section honoring a student in each class.

 

Open Communication: I value open communication between home and school and I encourage you to contact me at any time. You can write a note on your child's agenda, reach me by e-mail at laks@pcsb.org or call Sexton at 570-3400 and leave me a message.  I will schedule a conference to discuss your child’s progress in the fall (after the first round of testing) and in the spring.  If you would like to meet additional times, please write me a note in the agenda.



Postcard Project: One way for students to learn about the world around them is to receive postcards in the classroom.  If you have friends and family around the country and world, please ask them to send a postcard to our class and share a few interesting facts about the place. Thank you!



Questions: If at any time you have questions about anything going on in the classroom, do not hesitate to contact me.  I will be glad to talk with you. I love hearing from families of my students!



Reading Rays: Students are expected to read at home every night, as part of their nightly homework.  Each night should be recorded on the Reading Rays Book Log, which is turned in at the end of the month.  Children are honored for completing these logs by the class and school.



Scholastic Book Orders: Scholastic book orders are a great, inexpensive way to build your child's library with quality books and encourage a lifelong love of reading!  When you place an order you also help me earn bonus points.  I use these bonus points to obtain free books and materials for our classroom.  Look forward to book orders each month.


Testing: All students in second grade will take Common Assessments in Math, Science, and Writing three times a year.  They test students on end of the year expectations, and student scores are expected to increase throughout the year.  FAIR testing is done one-on-one with your child three times a year to test your child’s reading ability.


Uniform Policy: Your child is required to wear a uniform to school every day, except on those days which are specified in the handbook in their agenda.  This includes a white or powder blue polo, teal or purple Stingray shirt, and navy blue bottoms.  Girls may wear a navy blue dress.

 

Volunteers: We love volunteers! Moms, dads, grandparent, look for information on how you can help out in the classroom. There are many ways to help out directly with the students or behind the scenes organizing and paperwork.



Website: My classroom website is updated regularly and has a lot of useful information.  Please visit anytime by visiting the Sexton homepage or at:

https://www.teacherweb.com/FL/SextonElementarySchool/MissLak/apt1.aspx.



X Y Z:  I am eXcited to work with You and Your child this year! Make sure he/she gets plenty of Zzzzz’s each night as I have exciting days planned for this year.