September 2, 2016

Dear Parents,

We, the second grade teachers, are very excited to be working together as a team.  We have spent countless hours preparing for our second graders.  Thank you all for allowing us to meet with your child to get many of the beginning of the year assessments completed before the start of school.  Our plan is to work collaboratively to provide the BEST possible instruction for every second grader, which will allow for grouping to better meet your child’s needs.

Our daily schedule is: 7:40 - 8:00 morning work, 8:00 - 9:00 Shared Reading Lesson (whole group), 9:00 - 9:15 snack, 9:20-10:10 Math, 10:15 - 10:55 specials (Mrs. Wight’s schedule is a little different on Mondays, PE 9:30 - 10:10), 11:00 - 11:30 Recess, 11:30 - 12:00 Lunch, 12:00 - 12:15 Journal Writing, 12:15 - 1:00 Reading Groups, 1:00 - 1:15 recess, 1:15 - 2:15 Social Studies,Science, or Writing Workshop. As you can see, it will be crucial for all students to be on time and remain at school for the entire day.

If your child is late (better late than not at all), in addition to you needing to sign him/her in, your second grader will also need to order lunch through the office if one is need for the day.  Also, because we are instructing in reading in the afternoon, it will be VERY IMPORTANT that any bus changes are sent with your child in the morning or called in to the office by 11am.  That way your learner and other learners will not be disturbed during afternoon lessons.

We will be beginning our first homework assignment next week, a daily reading log of 15 minutes each night.  You will see a new reading log in your child’s folder the first day of each week and the logs need to be turned in on the last day of each week. Research shows that there are many benefits of reading with your child.  

Benefits include:  https://www.kidcentraltn.com/article/benefits-of-reading-to-your-child

• Boosting School Readiness – Reading is one of the easiest ways to increase school readiness. When you read to your child, you’re building their vocabulary, language and literacy skills, while improving concentration, curiosity and memory. Watch the video below to learn more about how reading builds comprehension and critical thinking skills.

• Success in School – Studies show that children who grow up with lots of books in the home tend to go farther in school.
• A Love of Books – Reading together builds strong family relationships. By cuddling up together with a good book, you teach your child that reading is fun—even for adults.
• Teaching Coping Skills – Books are a great way to teach children how to handle new experiences and stressful situations. Stories can help children understand, talk about and deal with everything from starting a new school to the loss of a pet.

Note:  We are only having a short 10 minute snack in the morning.  Please remember that snack is a snack, not a meal.  Teachers will use the snack time to read to the class.

Research shows that snacks should be a combination of a protein with either a fruit or vegetable to keep bodies and brains going. An example would be a cheese stick with carrots or an apple.Please remember we are a peanut and tree nut free school.

The Second Grade Teachers

Calendar of Upcoming Events

September

9/5 ~ No School~ Labor Day

ASAP~ Field Trip Permission Slips Due

9/13 ~ Tuesday ~ Open House

9/14~ Second Grade Field Trip to the Oxford County Fair

9/15 ~ School Photo Day

October

10/7 ~ No School (Workshop day)

10/10 ~ Columbus Day (no school)

10/14 ~ Grandparent’s Day