December 10, 2009
Hello Everyone,
The kids have been hard at work preparing their Biography Posters for
tomorrow's big event. Most of them are finished with their posters and ready
for action. One or two may take them home today to add last minute touches.
They need to be prepared with a short speech which includes:
1) Who they chose.
2) Why they chose that person.
3) How the person they chose is important to society.
They need to come to school in costume and with confidence. They have each
prepared (or need to) 3 questions for the audience to ask them about their
character. They have also each prepared 5 fast facts for their poster, so
that onlookers can just glance at their boards and know something about who
they chose.
Also, on January 11, 2010, the school will be going to the Food Bank for our
annual service trip. Our class will need some drivers to take us there. We
will leave the school around 9:00 and return at about 12:30, please let me
know if you can help us out.
Have a wonderful day.
Sincerely,
Erin
December 7, 2009
***There will not be Spelling or D.L.R. homework this week. Instead the
students are to focus on their Biography Reports. They need to practice
their speeches for thier in class oral report as welll as prep for the
Biography Day event by completing their posters, preparing "Ask Me"
questions, and getting the final touches ready on thier costumes.
Biography Day will be held in the gym on Friday at 8:20.***
November 30, 2009
Hello Everyone,
I hope that you had a fantastic Thanksgiving break; I know I did! There are
a few things coming up in December that I want to be sure that you are aware
of.
1) Biography Days-Dec. 11 at 8:20, kids will need to come to school in
costume. Please begin preparing your child's costume for the event. Also,
each child needs a two fold poster board (self-standing) by next Monday, Dec.
7th. Please send it in as soon as possible.
2) Holiday book exchange- On Dec. 18th we will have our annual class book
exchange/party. Please send in a gift-wrapped book that is age appropriate
for your child to exchange on that afternoon. We play a fun gift-exchange
game.
3) December Journals-The children will be bringing home their journals to
write in over the Christmas Break. Please remind them to write everyday and
help them remember to get into their backpacks to return to the classroom
after the break.
4) Current Events- We will not have current events this month.
That is about it, at least that is all I can think of right. Thank you for
your help with everything in advance. Have a great month.
Sincerely,
Erin Duke
November 2, 2009
Dear Families,
Happy Fall! I hope that you have been enjoying all of fall’s gorgeous
colors. I know that the kids and I have here at school. Things to note for
November:
1-Current Events- The kids were given their current event date today. 3rd
grade will be on the 18th and 2nd grade on the 19th. Remember to have your
child take notes and then study those notes for the speech. Please have them
practice speaking with intonation, expression, and clarity. The current
event does not have to be completely memorized, but they do need to know the
topic well without reading directly from an article. It is okay to read
from notes as long as they remember to look up from them and to make eye
contact with the audience.
2-We have a field trip planned to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on
November 18th and I need two drivers for that occasion. Please let me know
if you are available. We need to leave the school at 9:00 and will return by
12:00. Thank you!
3-I will be introducing Biography Day to the kids tomorrow. Please help them
come up with somebody to be who has made an impact on the world. We will be
doing most of the work for the day in class, but your job will be to come up
with an outfit/costume of that character. The event will be held on December
11th this year.
4-I look forward to meeting with each of you about your child’s progress thus
far at the Parent Teacher Conferences on November 16th. You should be
receiving your time and date from the office soon.
5-Please remind your child to practice and memorize their lines for the
assembly on Friday, Nov. 6th. My expectation is that they are poised and
ready to deliver their part with confidence that morning!
As always, thank you for your support and partnership in making your child’s
education the best it can be.
Sincerely,
Erin Duke
Oct. 15, 2009
Hello Everyone,
I hope that you are having a great day. The kids did such a fantastic job on
their reports this morning and they all deserve extra praise! October is the
month of responsibility at PNA and to work on responsibility the students
will be caring for egg babies next week. Please read the following
information (addressed to your student), which you will receive in hard copy
to please agree to and sign by Tuesday morning. Please email me if you have
any questions regarding this project. Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Erin Duke
*Egg Babies*
Beginning on Tuesday morning and to continue for four days, you will have the
responsibility of taking care of an “egg baby”. The purpose of this project
is for you to experience and understand the responsibility of caring for
something other than your self. You will treat your “egg baby” as if it is a
real baby. The following are the guidelines for the week:
1. This project begins on Tuesday morning and ends on Friday afternoon. Each
day at the beginning of class, there will be an egg check. Your egg must
remain in good condition.
2. Remember these eggs are like real babies. You should never leave your “egg
baby” unattended. If you leave them during the week for any reason, you
must secure an “egg-sitter” for them.
3. Your parents must sign the bottom of this form, your parents are
indicating that they have read this information and are ready to assist
you “egg”
grandparents.
4. At the end of each school day, you will have time to think about and share
your feelings and experiences of this extra responsibility.
5. Egg babies will be decorated in class to make your “egg” uniquely yours.
You will also have a chance to create a nest to keep it safe.
6. Keep in mind that your teacher is a reasonable person. If you run in to
any difficulties during the course of the week, please talk to her.
October 14, 2009
Good Afternoon,
This is just a reminder that the kids will present their river reports in the
gym at 9:30 tomorrow morning. They have all taken home their presentations
to practice tonight and should be ready to go by morning. Please give them
feedback; most of them need to speak louder and with more confidence.
See you tomorrow ,
Erin Duke
Oct. 7, 2009
Good Afternoon,
Tomorrow is our pumpkin patch trip so be sure to pack a picnic lunch and a
warm outfit for your child. Yay, the weather is supposed to cooperate and
rain isn't predicated. For next week, I have changed the kids river speech
presentations to Thursday, Oct. 15 at 9:30. That morning, the kids will be
presenting a slideshow about their river of choice. You should receiving an
invitation from your child either today or tomorrow. We will be prompt about
the beginning time because we only have 45 minutes to get through all nine of
them. I hope that this works for everyone, Master Lee will be here on
Wednesday and so the change was necessary.
Thank you,
Erin
October 1, 2009
Dear Families,
Despite the pouring down rain, our trip up the gorge was a huge success. Ask
your child all about it, we all had a fantastic time. Next Thursday, October
8^th , is our next field trip to the pumpkin patch. On that day again please
pack a picnic lunch, weather appropriate clothing, a change of shoes, and a
healthy snack. It has just been confirmed that the kids can be in “free
dress” for the trip. Please be sure to leave your child’s car seat that
morning too!
We will not have spelling next week because Friday, October 9^th there will
not be school. The kids will be busily at work on their river reports all
week and will need a poster board by Wednesday, October 7th. It does not need
to be a tri-fold board or anything fancy, just a basic piece of poster board
will do. Most of the work should be able to be finished in class, but
anything that is not done will go home with your child over the weekend.
Their oral reports are going to be at 9:45 on Wednesday, October 14^th for
anyone who would like to join us. My expectation is that they will finish
their posters by Thursday, October 8^th (or at home that weekend) and then on
Monday and Tuesday, they can practice for their oral reports.
I hope that everyone is enjoying this fall weather.
Sincerely,
Erin Duke
September 29, 2009
Hi Everyone,
Our big field trip up the gorge is tomorrow. This is just a reminder to
please be sure to pack the following with your child:
1) Car seat!!!
2) A picnic lunch
3) A weather appropriate jacket, boot, umbrella, etc...
4) A healthy snack
We will be leaving the school at 9:15 and we will return at about 3:00.
Thank you,
Erin Duke
September 24, 2009
Dear Families,
In Geography the kids are learning about the world’s major rivers this month.
So, what better place for an experiential learning opportunity than our very
own Columbia Gorge? On Sept. 30, we will leave the school at about 9:15 with
our first destination being Multnomah Falls. After some time at the falls, we
will then move up the gorge to the National Fish Hatchery to view the local
fish. Next, we will have a picnic lunch and enjoy the fresh air. Then we are
off to a 1:00 tour at the Bonneville Dam where we will get a chance to learn
all about turbines, dam history, and the Columbia River. This is sure to be a
memorable and valuable trip for all of the kids. Please note that we will not
be back to the school until about 3:00.
Be sure to pack the following for the trip:
1) 1) A picnic lunch, obviously we will not have access to a microwave in the
gorge ;) !
2) 2) A healthy snack
3) 3) A warm jacket and boots
4) 4) A raincoat if it is raining.
Also, please let me know if you can drive. I am still looking for someone to
take half of the kids. I do have a backup plan in mind, but would prefer if a
parent from our room could drive us.
Thank you,
Erin Duke
September 23, 2009
Dear Families,
I have changed the format for 3rd grade math this year and wanted to let you
know about the changes. For the first half of the class I teach them the
concepts and we go through the lessons of the day in their "Big Books".
Then, for the second half of class, the kids work on the coordinating
lesson/lessons in their small books independently. Whatever they do not
finish in their small books in class then becomes homework for the night.
Also, if there is a specific section that they are having difficulty with I
may assign extra problems for the evening. This new plan will help us move
through the content quicker and actually more thoroughly. With this being
said, the kids will not have a lot of math homework coming home unless your
child is having difficulty with a particular topic. Everything we are doing
now is review and they are cruising through it, but soon the concepts get
much more difficult and will challenge them to their full capacity. Please
let me know if you have any questions or concerns about math.
Sincerely,
Erin
September 21, 2009
Hello Everyone,
Things to Note about 2nd /3rd Grade:
1) _October's Current Event Schedule (check the website for further details):_
October 20th-Makayla, Manasi, Evan, and Aneesh
October 21st- Chris, Koral, Zach, Ethan, and Jamie
2) _Reading-_ Third Grade Students received their first Comprehension packet
today and it is due Friday, Oct. 2.
3) _Field Trips-_ I am still looking for drivers for the following trips.
a) Bonneville Dam, Multnomah Falls, and Fish Hatchery 9/30 (Isla 3, Nicole 4)
b) Pumpkin Patch 10/8 (Deepa 3)
c) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 11/18
Please let me know if you can drive to any of these trips.
4) _Flat Stanley Project- _
The first round of Stanleys went home over the weekend and some didn’t return
this morning (oops), please help your child remember to bring him back
tomorrow.
5) Spelling- Spelling officially begins this week! The kids have been placed
into spelling groups and have their lists ready to study for the week. Here
is a review of how to do Spelling:
Monday- copy words onto spelling study sheet and follow the study steps.
Tuesday- write “meaningful” sentences with the words and be sure to underline
the spelling word in the sentence.
Wednesday-continue studying the words with flashcards, etc…
Thursday- study for the test
Friday- test day!
6) Homework- Please be sure that your child is doing his/her homework every
night and give him/her a friendly reminder to turn it in when it is due. I
have update the website and so you can check to see what they should be doing
at home, especially with the math work.
7) Scholastic Book Orders _The kids will be bringing home Scholastic Book
Order forms today and if you would like to order please return them with
payment by Sept. 30th.
Thank you again for your support. Let’s make this a fantastic year together!
Sincerely,
Erin Duke
September 11, 2009
Hello Everyone,
This has been a great first week back with the kids! I look forward to
telling you all about it on Tuesday for Back to School Night. There have
already been a couple of requests for volunteer opportunities, whoohoo. So, I
have put together a list of options to choose from for those of you who are
interested. Thank you ahead of time for all of your support this year. I plan
to use email as my main form of communication with you this year, so look for
emails coming your way regularly. If you find something on the volunteer list
that you would like to help with, please let me know as soon as possible.
*_2009-2010 Volunteers for Second and Third Grade with Miss Duke _*
Isla Wilson will be the room mom for our class this year, thank you Isla!
These are the other roles that need to be filled for the year:
*_Scholastic Assistant-_* organize, pass out, and order scholastic books for
the kids
*_Field Trip Coordinator- _*call our destination to make arrangements and
organize drivers. Some of the trips that I anticipate for the year include
the Bonneville Dam/Multnomah Falls (9/30), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
in downtown PDX (11/18), Pumpkin Patch with whole school, Wilsonville Senior
Center, Fred Meyer Bakery Factory, OMSI, PSU Laboratory, Chinese Gardens, and
the Portland Art Museum.
*_Community Service Coordinator_*- help come up with meaningful service
opportunities and arrange projects for the class to participate in.
*_Math Assistants_**- * on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays help with Math
from 9:30-10:30
*_Party Assistant_*_- _plan the Halloween, Christmas, Valentines, St.
Paddy’s, and The End of Year Parties for the class---Isla Wilson and
_*Math Correcter*_- Help me correct math work from the comfort of your own
home.
Sincerely,
Erin Duke
Sept. 8, 2009
Welcome Back to a new and exciting school year at PNA. I am truly
looking forward to building fantastic relationships with you and getting to
know each individual students strengths. I know that this will be a
successful year together.
We have many interesting topics to cover over the next few months and I
have outlined the first units of study as follows:
Language Arts:
Math: 1st and 2nd grade review
History and Geography: The World's Major Rivers
Science: The Scientific Process
Character: Responsibility
I hope that many of you would like to volunteer and help out the class.
Volunteering will begin in October, which gives the students and I a chance
to establish routines, transitions, expectations, and to bond as a class in
September. I appreciate your understanding of this request.
My web page can serve as a direct mean of communication between us (use
the mailbox in the top right corner of the screen of my homepage
to email me). I am also available and happy to meet with you personally
before or after school to discuss your child’s special needs or to address
any concerns or questions you may have for me. If you would like to meet
with me, please set up an appointment to ensure that I don’t have another
commitment.
I will be posting homework on the homework link of my homepage for you
and your student to access. Please check this nightly with your student.
You should expect your child to be completing 30-40 minutes of homework each
evening. This includes 10-15 minutes (min.) of reading time that will need
to be recorded in a Reading Log, which will be sent home in your child’s
Homework Folder each evening.
Students will do monthly Current Events as a way to build speech
skills. The current event of choice does not need to be up to the very
minute. It might be a recent article in National Geographic or Ranger
Rick. The information may come from any source: newspaper, Internet, TV,
radio, or magazine. It can be on any subject: science, sport, politics,
interesting people, or neighborhood events, for example. Of course, it goes
without saying that it needs to be age appropriate. The child will tell the
class about it. If possible have them bring in a copy of the article so we
can hang it up for the week. They do not need to know every little detail,
but should be able to give a general overview of what it is about. Please
have the children know what they are saying. They are to talk about this
event and not read the article. This should be between 1 minute and 5
minutes long. The child can then take 3 questions from the class. This is
another opportunity to practice their public speaking skills. The list of
who is responsible for what day will be posted on the current events link.
Just a reminder about the mornings:
I know that you have a lot to tell me about your child, but please remember
that school starts at 8:15 and I need to be prepared to teach your student.
If you have information to share with me please make an appointment for the
early mornings to end by 8:00 or for the afternoons. I would love to talk
with you about your child, but I need to be respectful of all the children
when it is their time (8:00-3:10). Also, it is my expectation that there
will only be students in the room by 8:15, so that we may begin our day as a
class. Thank you for your consideration.
I look forward to seeing all of you at Back To School Night. That will
be my time to share with you all of my goals and expectations for the year
and your time to ask me any questions that you may have about your second or
third graders education.
See you there!
Sincerely,
Erin Duke
My Classroom Management Philosophy
I believe that when children feel safe, when they feel they belong and
are significant they thrive. The children in my classroom have the
opportunity to actively participate in a democratic society. I have clear
expectations and use incentives to motivate students to do their personal
best. I mention successes in effort and ability and I am constantly looking
for an opportunity to use genuine praise. I encourage students as often as
possible to help build model behaviors. Each individual voice is to be
validated and respected; we will accomplish this through the use of class
meetings. I prefer to take preventative measures towards problems and use
intervention methods, instead of waiting until troubles arise.
I have one ultimate rule, which is respect. Respect includes of self,
of others, and of a safe learning environment where everyone feels
comfortable and needed. The “Golden Rule” to treat others as you would like
to be treated, will be posted clearly in the room and I will refer to it
whenever it is not being followed. With a sense of community the students
will want to follow their rules. It is important to give children choices,
so that they use their energy in constructive ways. Children need to be
held accountable for their actions and encouraged to make those actions
contribute positively to the greater society. Students also need to be
taught how to resolve conflicts. I plan on accomplishing this by holding
regularly scheduled class meetings.
Both problem-solving and critical thinking skills are valuable when
dealing with conflict and are important social skills that can be learned
through the use of class meetings. The meetings will be held in a circle,
so that each individual face and voice is seen and heard. I will have
a “Three C’s Box” in the room where students can place comments, compliments
and concerns to be addressed at the weekly meeting or in private. We will
use “I Statements,” when addressing specific problems, so as not to hurt
feelings or place blame. We will focus on community and on maintaining and
encouraging a comfortable environment where everyone has ample opportunity
to succeed. Class meetings are a way for everyone to work together to
create harmony for
all.
I use long-term incentives and consequences through the use of a marble
jar. The jar is used to encourage appropriate behavior and discourage
inappropriate behavior. The students have to all work together and to be
following their own rules to receive more marbles. If the jar gets full to
a certain level they receive a special reward. I also use moment-to-moment
incentives like smiles, positive eye contact, graphic reinforcers, praise
and encouragement. I also use tangible reinforcers on occasion. I make
transitions smoothly and use routines to eliminate down time and confusion,
which is when students often have the opportunity to misbehave. I always
use intervention methods, like a lot of monitoring and reminders of the
rules, before resorting to consequences.
If a student chooses to not follow the rules I will create an
Individual Behavior Plan with them. Together we will write contracts with
positive incentives for successful behavior included within them. I want
every student to succeed to his or her level of personal best.
I work hard to create a sense of community and belonging for each
individual student in my classroom. Respect is the ultimate rule that
everyone is expected to follow. With the use of class meetings democracy is
achieved and every voice is validated and behavior problems eliminated. I
hope to foster “An attitude of caring and concern for others, for the
community, and for the environment-as well as the action required to
demonstrate this concern” in my classroom, as stated by Alfred Adler, M.D.
Sincerely,
Erin Duke
Classroom Discipline Plan
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”-The Golden Rule
Dear Families:
I am delighted that your child is in my class this year.
I have developed a classroom plan, which affords every student guidance in
making good decisions about his or her behavior and thus an opportunity to
learn in a positive, nurturing classroom environment. Your child deserves
the most positive educational climate possible for his or her growth, and I
know that together we will make a difference in this process. The plan
below outlines our classroom rules, positive rewards and consequences for
appropriate and inappropriate behavior.
Class Rules:
1) The Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you,” and respect others and yourself at all times.
2) Listen carefully
3) Follow Directions
4) Work quietly and do not disturb others who are working
5) Be kind with your words and actions
6) Respect school and personal property
7) Work and play safely
To encourage students to follow rules, I recognize appropriate behavior with
praise, and positive notes.
However, if a student chooses to break a rule the following steps will be
taken:
First Time: Warning
Second Time: 5 minutes working away from the group.
Third Time: Student will write and a sign a ‘Behavior Journal’, which is an
account of his or her misbehavior and a copy of this will be sent home to
you on the day of the incident.
Fourth Time: Student will be sent to conference with Mr. White and the
teacher will call the parents.
Fifth Time: Parents will be asked to come in for a behavior conference.
Please ask your child to review this plan with you. Do not hesitate to
contact me if you have any questions about this plan or any other matter.
Sincerely,
Erin Duke
