Back-to-School Night

1. Back-to-School Night Garden Gate Elementary Room 5 2nd grade Miss Kuykendall Class Website: teacherweb.com/CA/GardenGateElementarySchool/MsKuykendall/t.stm

2. Tonight’s Agenda: • Curriculum Information • California Content Standards for 2nd grade • Common Core Standards • Daily Schedule, Procedures, Homework, Book Reports, Assessments/STAR Test, Field Trips, Birthdays, Volunteers • Questions

3. 2nd grade Curriculum • Text Books • Reading, Math, Social Studies • District Programs • Writing, Science Kits, Health • Supplemental Books • All subjects • Used to enhance lesson plans • Student reading

4. Reading • Houghton Mifflin Text • Read Alouds, Stories, Comprehension Questions, Related Activities and Projects • Focus Strategies: Phonics/Decoding, Predict, Infer, Monitor/Clarify, Question, Summarize, Evaluate • Reader’s Workshop • Garden Gate program used based on national research of how students become lifelong learners • Focus Strategies: Schema, Predict, Infer, Question, Visualize, Determining Importance

5. Writing • Expository • Step Up To Writing • Focus: organization, details, varying sentence structure, transition words, multi-paragraphs, research • Personal and Fictional Narrative • The Most Wonderful Writing Lessons Ever (Scholastic) • Focus: sequential, important details, character building, Writing Process

6. Writing Continued • Poetry • Mentor Text • Focus: Word study, creativity, voice • Letter Writing • Teacher Modeling, Student Samples, Books • Studying writing for purpose • Focus: 5 parts, friendly, formal, thank-you, and invitation

7. Math • Houghton Mifflin Text • Assessments, daily lesson, cross-curricular connections, games, centers, workbooks (intervention, English learners, advanced learners) • tear out practice pages • Marcy Cook Math (supplement) • Hands on Problem Solving, Logic, Daily Challenges • Timed Math Tests • 100 problems in 5 minutes 98% pass • addition and subtraction

8. Science • District Kit-Based Program (FOSS) • Life, Physical, and Earth Sciences • Hands-On • Focus: Investigation/Experimentation • Students record in a Science Journal

9. Social Studies • Scott Foresman Social Studies Text • Consumable text • DVD (Unit introduction, song, and video) • Time For Kids Magazine (supplemental) • Asking for a $5.00 donation • Current Events, Non-fiction reading, synthesizing, summarizing

10. Technology • G.G. Computer Lab (every other Thursday) • Curriculum Based Projects • Kid Pix • Kidspiration • Microsoft Word • PowerPoint • Type To Learn • Time TBA • 20 minutes daily for one month • Keyboarding skills • Supplemental Software • Coin Critters, Graph Club, Clock Shop • Levels for grades K-5

11. Music • Every Monday 11:00-11:30 • Teacher: Mrs. Morris • End of the Year Performance

12. Spectra Art • Every Other Wednesday 10:20-11:30 • Taught by two parent volunteers • Training is provided, lesson plans, and supplies provided

13. Physical Education • Every Week • Taught by one or two parent volunteers • Lessons and equipment provided • Organized sports/games • Movement, body management, locomotive, manipulative, and rhythmic skills • Students need to wear sneakers on P.E. day • Dairy Council Nutrition Program • Food groups, exercise, healthy lifestyle

14. Life Skills: Project Cornerstone • Garden Gate’s Character Education Program • Teaches social and personal skills • Taught by a community or parent volunteer • Training provided once a month (1 hour) • Lessons and books provided • Once a month for 45-60 minutes • For more information: www.projectcornerstone.org

15. Class Rules • Ways We Want Our Class To Be • 1) Be Responsible • 2) Be respectful • 3) Be Safe • 4) Do Your Best

16. California Content Standards • California Department of Education • www.cde.ca.gov

17. Common Core Standards- are consistent across states and are internationally benchmarked- are aligned with college and career expectations- build upon the strengths of the current standardsFormal assessment will change:3 brief performance tasks throughout the year will be scored by teachers, who will use the data to drive instruction 1 “test” (similar to the STAR, but not as time intensive)Implementation:Full implementation and assessment won’t begin until the 2014-2015 school year CUSD is working closely with the County Office of Education and California Department of Education in our implementationFor more information: California Department of Education website on CCS: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cc/

18. Our Daily Schedule

19. Reader’s Workshop • Students choose books from different genres at their reading level • Students read independently, with a classmate, or with a teacher • Focus is based on the daily mini-lesson

20. Benefits of Reader’s Workshop • Students are focused on meaningful reading • Greater amount of reading time compared to whole group reading • Increases motivation and fluency • Each student is able to read at his/her current reading level and apply comprehension strategies (differentiated learning) • Incorporates whole group mini-lessons, small group instruction, and individualized student-teacher guidance

21. Closer Look: Reader’s Workshop • Sample Structure Thursday and Friday

22. Writer’s Workshop • Students are working on the same writing topic/project • Students are working at their own pace • All students work through The Writing Process • All students conference with teacher before moving on to the next stage • Each student’s goal is consistent progress and improvement

23. Math: Houghton Mifflin Units

24. Homework • Starts on 9/12 • Includes 20 minutes of reading nightly, Reading Log, Spelling, and Math • Homework folders go home Monday and are due back Friday morning. If there is no school on Friday, it is due on Thursday. • Parents need to check for accuracy as I will only check for completion.

25. Book Reports • One Book Report a month • Book must be approved by me a month in advance • Genres: • October: Mystery • November: Non-Fiction • December: Autobiography • January: Biography • February: Historical Fiction • March:Realistic Fiction • April: Poetry • May: Science Fiction

26. Assessments/Tests • Pre-Assessments will sometimes be given in Math to determine students current knowledge and future needs • Chapter and Unit tests will be given in Math and Social Studies • Weekly timed Math tests • District spelling and reading assessments are given throughout the school year as students improve and progress • Science journals will be graded each trimester • STAR test: Not given to 2nd graders

27. Grading Class Assignments • After grading an assignment, I give a: • + for one/no mistakes •  for several mistakes, but the child understood • - for many mistakes or incomplete work • I try to have the students correct their work in class so I know they grasp the concept • Other times you will see a * or a sticker • This indicates that we have graded as a class or the activity didn’t need to be graded.

28. Field Trips • Our class will be going on the following field trips together: • 4 plays at the Sunnyvale Theater and Santa Clara University • Tech Museum of Innovation Asking for a $45 donation

29. Birthdays • District policy states that there is to be NO FOOD for birthday celebrations. • I recommend that you send something that students can use many days after your child’s birthday is over. Stickers, pencils, erasers, etc. are very popular and affordable treats that children can enjoy. • Keep in mind that there are 24 students in our classroom and items will not be distributed unless there is enough for each child.

30. Volunteers • We need volunteers! • Room Representative • P.E. Teacher • Project Cornerstone • Spectra Art • The classroom wouldn’t run without you! These activities aren’t possible without parent help.

31. Questions? • Please feel free to contact me : • In person: After 2:05 pm • By phone: If I miss your call, I will return it as soon as possible. • (408)252-5414 Ext. 205 • Email: I check my email several times a day kuykendall_casey@cusdk8.org