11-09-09
Dear Parents,
I look forward to meeting with each of you to discuss your child’s progress this week. I sent the slips
home on Friday in the brown envelopes. If you didn’t find it, since they are small, you can check the
schedule outside the classroom door or call the office (they will have a schedule).
We are 1/4 of the way through the year. That’s hard to believe!
I was very proud of the students and how they carried out our class mass. They all did a great job
with their parts. I reminded those who didn’t get a part for this mass, their turn would be in Feb.,
our next mass.
Please remember that because of conferences this week, we will have half days on both Thurs and
Fri. Our dismissal time is 10:45 on those days and there will not be busing. We will not have centers
this week because of the half days. We will spend time focusing on writing longer pieces (stories)
which we really need to focus on, so it works out well. Center helpers for Tues. and Wed., please
note!
Our spelling will go as usual with words coming home today and the test on Friday. There will be a
take-home book.
On Thurs. Nov. 19th the mass is a grandparent’s mass. Please let any grandparents that might be
able to attend know and we that will be having a short reception after the mass in our classroom.
That is all for this week. Have a good one and thanks for your all of your support!
I am including our classroom rules, guidelines and signal for attention- Give me 5-. Please
review them with your child.
Rules
1. Be Kind, patient and share
2. Raise your hand, wait for your turn
3. Participate, do your personal best
4. Clean up after yourself
Guidelines- expectations at all times:
Practice active listening
Speak the truth
NO put downs
Treat others as you wish to be treated
Signal for attention- Give me 5- Raise your hand and think about the 5 things I need from you right
now.
1. My hands are free
2. I am quiet
3. My eyes are on the speaker
4. I am listening with my brain and ears- I am thinking about what is being said
5. I can ask questions when the speaker is DONE, if I do not understand
Dear 2nd grade Parents,
Welcome to 2nd grade. My name is Noelle Geary and I will be teaching math to all of the 2nd
graders. This will be my 11th year of teaching math to 2nd graders. Over the years I have witnessed
many changes in the curriculum. One thing is for sure. More and more is being placed in the
curriculum and expected of the students. I believe very strongly in learning the basics: that is
adding
and subtracting, and understanding place value at this point. When it comes to adding and
subtracting I teach strategies so that the students are not just counting on number lines, or fingers,
but learning how numbers work together.
Most nights there will be homework. This is usually a page that we started in class, but maybe didn’t
have time to finish. It is very important to complete and return the homework the following day.
Homework is about 40% of the report card grade, with the other 60% coming from test grades. We
do have a test after each unit. You will receive a study guide explaining what concepts will be on the
test.
I am sending a Parent’s Guide to Math Grade Level Content Expectations. This will show you all of
the concepts that we will be working on throughout the year. Please note your child is not expected
to know these at the beginning of 2nd grade, but at the end! These are what our curriculum is based
on.
If your child is getting behind in any way, I will contact you to keep you informed. If they are not
turning in homework, or struggling to understand the content, not focusing or listening, etc., I will
try and communicate with you so that we can plan how to help them succeed. You may also contact
me at any time at school, or on my cell phone. My number is 869-0818. Please feel free to call at
anytime. If I don’t answer, I will get back to you as soon as possible.
I am excited to start a new school year, and look forward to working with you and your children this
year. If your child is in Mrs. Fassbender’s homeroom, please introduce yourself to me so that I can
put a parent with child. Thank you and I will see you all soon!
Curriculum Information 2nd grade
Listening skills- We work hard on listening skills. It is my belief that this
is one of the
biggest determining factors of how your child does in school. A good
listener equals a
good student. Many times students are told to be good listeners. I
teach listening skills
in my classroom as a subject area. I use the “Give me five” method and
signal. The
five things I am looking for are mentioned over and over again,
especially at the
beginning of the school year.
1. hands free
2. no talking- or making any noise
3. eyes on speaker
4. actively think about what the speaker is saying- “listen with your brain
and ears”
5. wait until the speaker is done. Then if there is something you do not
understand,
you should ask questions about it.
In my opinion the other important factors that will affect your child’s
success, as much
as ability are: following directions, staying organized, staying on task,
getting along
with others, and attitude. These are all talked about and actively taught
in my
classroom! Any way that you can reinforce these skills at home would
be beneficial to
your child.
Religion- Please make sure that you sign up at your parish so that your
child will be
registered to receive their sacraments this year if you are Catholic.
Non-Catholic
students are expected to learn and do everything else in the classroom
as the Catholic
students. Those preparing for their sacraments will have additional
responsibilities
through the parish in order to receive their sacraments, even though the
majority of the
instruction will be given in school. I express the belief that we are all
Christians and
can learn from each other’s traditions and beliefs. There will be some
tests on material
learned. You will receive study guides, and the textbook usually comes
home to help
you review with your child. Mass is at 9:00 on Thursdays during most
weeks. Please
remember dress code for Mass on those days! --no jeans, t-shirts or
sweat pants.
Math- We will be working on understanding numbers and how they work
together.
Proficiency of addition and subtraction is one major goal this year. To
me this means
being able to add and subtract fluently in one’s head. We will work on
using
strategies, instead of fingers and number lines. Study guides will come
home before
each test with the major concepts for that unit. You will get a separate
sheet listing all
of the math concepts studied in 2nd grade. I have an enrichment box
with more
challenging work for those who need something beyond what is taught.
Extra credit
will be given for those assignments completed. Most of this work will be
expected to
be done independently, or with minimal directions given by me.
Spelling- coming into 2nd grade the students are responsible for
knowing and
applying all of the consonant and vowel sounds, most blends- ex-sh, tr,
ch,
and all of the first grade red words. We will have a test over the first
grade red words
during the 2nd week of school. I will send a list home so that you may
review these
with your child. Most weeks I offer a couple of challenge words. These
are optional
and meant for those needing more of a challenge than the required
words. Please
encourage your child to learn them if that applies to them. For a student
weaker in
spelling who has to spend a lot of time learning the regular words on
the list and that
week's red words, the challenge words are not important, nor should
any time be spent
on them. Each week we concentrate on a spelling rule. All of the words,
except for
the red words, relate to the rule. Please teach and reinforce the rule
once it is
introduced. The take-home book will also relate to the spelling rule so
that the rule is
being spelled and read. There will be a weekly assignment to write
each word 3 times
and turn that in the day after the spelling words are introduced, usually
Monday.
Neatness counts !
There will be a spelling test on Thursday, with retakes on Friday if more
than 3 words
are missed. Words are written in sentences on the test.
Reading- One of the most important skills worked on this year is
reading. There is
always a wide range of reading abilities coming into 2nd grade. I will be
doing
assessments during the first month of school. There will be a
take-home book on most
weeks. This must be read at home two times during the week. It is
handed out on
Monday and must be returned by Friday. It is required that a parent sign
the book,
indicating that it has been read twice that week by the child to an adult.
The student
must also have their name on the front. The reading goal for 2nd grade
is to produce
fluent readers who understand what they read. Fluency and
comprehension are two
things I will refer to when I talk to you about your child as a reader.
Fluency means
reading smoothly and at a good pace. Comprehension means
understanding what
was read. I will be sending fluency and comprehension packets home
with
suggestions on how to work on these areas with your child. The
students will be in
small reading groups - no more than four to a group- on most weeks.
We will work on
reading skills and read a story each week. There is usually some type
of homework
relating to the story that was read that day that will come home. It is
important that the
homework is completed that night and returned the next day, with the
book, if it came
home. If the book is not returned the next day, I will have your child call
you and ask
you to bring the book back. It is important to send the books back so
that the next day’s
group has enough books. Accelerated reader is also a part of our
reading curriculum.
This is a computerized program that tests comprehension on materials
that are read
independently by the students. About 25 minutes a day are reserved for
independent
reading and accelerated reader. You will be sent home quarterly
reports showing how
your child is doing with this.
Writing- Punctuation, ending marks, capitalization rules, etc. are all
taught through real
writing of lists, letters, and stories of both fact and fiction. This can be
one of the more
challenging areas for some students. We work daily on writing skills.
Handwriting- The first half of the year we review manuscript, or printing,
making sure
the size, shape and spacing are correct. The 2nd half of the year cursive
writing is
introduced. 3rd grade reviews, and reteaches all cursive letters and
writing.
Centers- I have weekly learing centers that the students rotate through.
They include,
art, computers, math and language arts. This is the area in which I
need extra support
in the classroom daily. Centers last approximately 40 minutes each
day. The way I
prefer to do this is to have one person select a day where the time
period and day work
out for them to volunteer then that person then commits to being in the
classroom as a
center volunteer each week at that time, for the entire year.
Please look for a schedule to come home with center times listed and
let me know if
you would like to volunteer for a spot for this year.
Science and social studies is taught by Mrs. Fassbender, as I teach all
of the math.
This means that the classes switch teachers and classrooms for 45
minutes each day.
You will find information regarding the curriculum in your packet.
I realize that I am providing you with a huge amount of information. I
hope that once
the year begins and we get into a routine it will be easy for you to follow.
I tend to be
very structured and predictable in the routine I follow. I also try to send
home a weekly
or biweekly newsletter home with reminders and new information.
There is also a
website at www.fathermqt.org that you may visit for information.
There will be a sign up sheet for intake conferences posted outside the
classroom.
These will be held during the second week of school. If you feel this
meeting where
you provide me with information about your child would be beneficial,
please sign up,
or contact me either at home 869-0818, school, 225-1129, or before or
after school.
These are optional.
I look forward to getting acquainted with all of you this year. Working
together we will
have a great year educating your child!
Schedule--- 2G 2009-10
Monday
8:00-8:30 Morning Work
8:30-8:50 Morning Meeting
8:50-9:20 Religion
9:20-9:40 Spelling
9:40-10:00 Break
10:00-10:50 Switch
11:00-11:35 Lunch
11:35-12:10 BEAR
12: 10-1:00 Art
1:00-1:50 Math
1:50-2:20 Red Words/
handwriting/WW
2:30 Dismissal
Tuesday
8:00-8:10 Morning work
8:10-8:50 Music
8:50-9:10 Morning meeting
9:10-9:40 Religion
9:40-10:00 Break
10:00-10:50 Switch
11:00-11:35 Lunch
11:35-12:00 BEAR
12:00-12:50 Math
12:50-1:30 Gym
1:30-2:20 Centers
2:30 Dismissal
Wednesday
8:00-8:30 Morning work/religion
8:30-8:50 Morning meeting
8:50-9:30 Music
9:30-9:40 Handwriting
9:40-10:00 Break
10:00-10:50 Switch
11:00-11:35 Lunch
11:35-12:00 BEAR
12:00-12:50 Math
1:00-1:30 Handwriting/keyboarding
1:30-2:2 0 Centers
2:30 Dismissal
Thursday
8:00-8:30 Morning work
8:30-8:45 Morning meeting
9:00-10:00 Mass
10:00-10:50 Switch
11:00-11:35 Lunch
11:35-12:00 BEAR
12:00-12:50 Math
12:50-1:30 Gym
1:30-2:15 Centers
2:30 Dismissal
Friday
8:00-8:30 Morning work
8:30-8:50 Morning meeting
8:50-9:20 Religion
9:20-9:40 Show and ask
9:40-10:00 Break
10:00-10:50 Switch
11:00-11:35 Lunch
11:35-12:00 BEAR
12:00-12:50 Math
12:50-1:30 Centers
1:30-1:45 Spelling test
1:45-2:15 Library
2:30 Dismissal
Switch is with Mrs. Fassbender- Science/Social Studies
WW is writing workshop
BEAR is (Be Excited About Reading)-- silent reading time
