Second Grade 2017-2018
• I was born and raised in Pittsburgh. • My family and I live in Sewickley. • I have 3 sons, Nolan (8), Will (6), and Colin (5). • This is my 15 th year of teaching at Pine-Richland. • I have taught second, third, and fourth grades. • I graduated from Duquesne University with a degree in Elementary Education. • I serve on the districts English/ Language Arts curriculum committee. • I am the co- chairperson of Wexford’s Literacy Book Room. This room contains the books we use for small group differentiated guided reading groups.
• Welcome to an exciting year in your child’s educational journey! • This year’s second grade theme is “All - Star Sports!” The students will learn how to work collaboratively and independently. • We will learn to be kind, caring, responsible, and respectful students. • In second grade, we will work in large and small groups. • Your child will also be responsible for completing his/her independent work during the course of the school day.
• 8:55 Arrival • 12:00 Lunch/Recess – Turn in homework • 1:00 Silent Reading/Read Aloud – Exchange books • 1:20 Reading – Complete morning work • 2:00 Spelling/Grammar/Writing – Take attendance/lunch count • 2:30 Guided reading groups • 9:15 Tardy Bell Rings • 9:30 Morning Meeting • 3:00 Social Studies/Science • 3:35 Prepare for Dismissal – Math Calendar – Daily Schedule • 3:45 Dismissal – Learning Targets • 9:45 Math • 10:45 Guided reading groups • 11:15 Specials
• The second grade reading program consists of whole group reading lessons, small group guided reading lessons, and independent reading assignments. • As a whole class, we read stories from the McGraw Hill Reading Wonders reading series. • In small groups, students read guided reading books at their instructional reading level. Teachers provide direct reading instruction to students based upon their individual needs. • During the reading block, students work independently on five literacy activities: read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, work on writing, and word work (grammar & spelling). • Reading comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, phonics/spelling, writing, and grammar lessons are taught each week. • A reading comprehension test will be given five times each grading period on Fridays. • The STAR 360 assessment is given three times a year to monitor students’ reading development. • Oral reading benchmark reading assessments are given throughout the school year to monitor the students’ reading progress.
• Second grade writing goals are: – To write a paragraph with a topic sentence, three supporting details, and a closing sentence. – To self-edit for capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar. • Second graders will write personal narratives, informational reports, friendly letters, persuasive essays, opinion paragraphs, and poetry. • Writing lessons include: topic focus, organization, word choice, descriptive details, voice, strong openings and conclusions, time-order words, and sensory words. • Writing projects will be compiled into their student portfolios. • Manuscript letter formation will be taught during the first semester. • Cursive handwriting will be instructed during the second semester.
• The Wilson Fundations program is a phonemic awareness, phonics, and spelling program. • It is a systematic, sequential, multisensory method of teaching students. • Students blend and segment sounds as they spell words. • Students actively manipulate sounds by moving magnetic letters to form words. • Students use white boards and gel boards to practice spelling words. • The Fundations spelling list will be sent home each Friday. It consists of 15 phonetically regular words and 5 trick words (phonetically irregular words). • Students will practice these spelling words in Fundations lessons all week. • Students will also need to study the spelling words at home. • The spelling test will be given on Thursday of each week.
• The Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Envision math series gives students the opportunities to explore math concepts through concrete math manipulatives and paper/pencil assignments. • The students will learn math concepts and problem solving skills through whole class activities, small group games, and individual practice. • We place a great importance on memorizing addition and subtraction facts to 18 in second grade. An individualized “Mastering Math Facts” program is used to teach students their basic facts. We will begin this program, “Math Rockets,” in October. • The second grade math topics are: – Addition and subtraction concepts and facts – Place Value – Money – Telling Time – Two-digit and three-digit addition and subtraction – Geometry/Fractions – Measurement – Graphing/Probability – Multiplication & Division concepts
• Social Studies • Science – Houghton Mifflin, publisher – McGraw-Hill, publisher – Units include: – Units include: • Our School Community • Plants • Economics: Goods & • Fossils • Habitats Services • America’s Past – Two ASSET science kits • Cultures & Holidays • Balance and Motion • Everyday Heroes • Changes • Pittsburgh: Then & Now
• Music! • Physical Education! – Our music class consists of – Wear gym shoes! vocal and small instrumental • Computers! instruction. • Art! – Bring a labeled short-sleeved t-shirt! • Library! – The students are permitted to check out two books per week.
•Wexford’s Schoolwide Behavior Program is based upon the book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids. This book encourages positive behavior and shows children how easy and rewarding it is to express kindness, appreciation, and love on a daily basis. We can “fill someone’s bucket” by using kind words, giving compliments, and showing our appreciation. • Students will be taught the expectations for good behavior in all school areas. These expectations are listed on the buckets by our classroom door. • Students will receive encouragement when meeting these expectations in the form of verbal praise, stickers, coupons, tickets, and special recognition. • Students will understand the enforcement steps that will be followed if a student does not meet the behavioral expectations. For example, the recess enforcement steps are a verbal warning, a 10 minute time-out, an entire recess loss, and a referral to the office.
• Our Classroom Rules: • Our Classroom Consequences: • Verbal reminder • Raise your hand and wait. • Lose a fuzzie/move to yellow card • Show good listening. • Lose recess/move to red card • Check your personal space. • Parent meeting • Use kind words and actions. •Principal’s office • Do your best!
• We look forward to celebrating our students’ birthdays. In lieu of birthday snacks, the second grade teachers request that children select a book to donate to their classroom. The birthday book may be wrapped in birthday paper to add to the day’s festivities. • A special bookplate will be placed in the front of the book acknowledging your child’s gift. He/she may read all or a portion of the book to the class. • The “Big Hit Birthday Books” will be placed in a special birthday basket in our classroom for all to read! • Summer birthdays will be celebrated during the last day of school! • Birthday invitations should NOT be sent to school for distribution. To avoid hurting children’s feelings, please mail all party invitations and thank you cards to the children’s homes. Addresses can be found in the Wexford Student Directory, which should be available in late September.
• Monday Handwriting • Tuesday Math paper • Wednesday Website work • Thursday Math paper • Friday Spelling homework • Every Day Study spelling words Read book in plastic reading bag • Website work = Reading Wonders, Kids A-Z, Spelling City or Envision Math websites
• Please call the school office the morning of your child’s absence. • Make-up homework is available, by request, after the second consecutive day off. All requests must be called into the office or e-mailed to the teacher by 10:00 am. Work may be sent home with another student or available for pick up at 3:45 pm the same day of request. The school office is open until 4:30 pm. • When your child returns to school, remember to send a note to school stating the reason for the absence. • If a special absence is necessary for travel or other family needs, a Request for Special Absence form must be completed 2 weeks prior to the absence. Your child will have make-up homework to complete during the absence.
• Second Grade progress reports are distributed every nine weeks. • Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for November 3 and 4. • If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s education, please contact me at jseifert@pinerichland.org. I check my e-mail at the end of the school day. • Each Friday, you will receive a Classroom Newsletter, which will highlight our learning from the week and give you a preview of the upcoming week. All important homework assignments and announcements will be in the newsletter. Please be diligent about reading our newsletter!! • Our second grade website is located at http://pinerichland.schoolwires.net/Page/1594.
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