Ms. Lovelace’s 2 nd Grade Class

1. Ms. Lovelace’s2nd Grade Class Welcome, students and parents!

2. Welcome to 2nd Grade! I will introduce you to the 2nd grade curriculum and give you helpful information about our school.

3. All About Ms. Lovelace • My background • I was born and raised in Florence, AL. • I graduated from UNA with my Bachelor's Degree. Got my Masters from Alabama A & M University and Ed.S from University of Alabama. • My experience • I’ve been teaching for 13 years in 2nd grade at Harvest.

4. My Goals • To give your child the academic and social skills they need to progress to 3rd grade. • To provide a supportive and nurturing classroom environment. • To help your child meet their goals and discover new interests.

5. Instructional Target Goals

6. We will use 7 Habits for Happy Kids by Stephen Covey. • Mrs. Scroggins will help teach the habits during our Counseling class. • We will discuss and plan different activities throughout the week.

7. Class Subjects • The subjects we cover during 2nd grade are: • Reading • Math • Language Arts/Spelling/ Writing/Handwriting • Science/Social Studies

8. Alabama College and Career Ready Standards • The students will be expected to learn at a higher level. • Instruction will be more rigorous than in the past.

9. Reading • We will use a new updated Scott Foresman reading series. • There is a strong correlation between reading and academic success. • Students should read for at least 20 minutes nightly.

10. Reading • I will extensively cover the following reading skills: • identifying story elements (beginning, middle, end, plot, character, etc.) • recognizing high-frequency words • identifying facts and opinions • drawing conclusions & author’s purpose • Main Idea & Inference

11. Reading • DIBELS- measures the words per minute (wpm) that students accurately read. • 2nd grade goals • Beginning - 44 wpm • Middle - 68 wpm • End - 90 wpm

12. Reading • ACCELERATED READING PROGRAM (A.R.) • Students read books on their level then take computer tests on those books to earn points. • The teacher will establish appropriate individual reading goals for each student. • Students who meet their goals for each 9 weeks will receive a reward.

13. Reading • ACCELERATED READING PROGRAM (A.R.) • You can monitor your child’s progress through Renaissance Place. • A.R. is a motivating way to expose your child to a wide range of literature while enhancing his/her reading comprehension and individual reading skills.

14. Language Arts/Writing • The focus will be on mechanics & grammar. • Throughout the year we will work on the informative/expository, narrative, and opinion modes of writing. • We want your child to be able to write a 6-7 sentence paragraph with neat handwriting, complete sentences and correct punctuation and capitalization.

15. Handwriting • ZanerBloser manuscript is taught a couple of times each week. • Parents please help assist your child in perfecting manuscript throughout the year before entering 3rd grade. • Cursive writing will start in 3rd grade.

16. Spelling • Your child will receive a Spelling list for several weeks in advance. • Please make sure your child studies the word for the week each night. • A spelling test will be given each Friday. • I will assign spelling homework on Mondays.

17. Math • We will be using Go Math! (Harcourt). • The series will focus on basic core math skills. • Quiz your child on addition and subtraction facts often. • They should be able to add and subtract quickly and without using their fingers.

18. Mad Minute Math • Students will have daily math drills on basic addition and subtraction facts. • The basic facts are varied so that a student at a given achievement level can reasonably be expected to recall them in one minute. • Mad Minute really encourages students to learn their basic facts and to know them as well as they know their own name!

19. Science & Social Studies • Science and Social Studies will be intergraded with reading.

20. Homework • I will assign homework on Monday. • Your homework is due on Friday morning. • Homework will count as one daily grade at the end of the nine weeks. • Reading will be daily for 20 minutes and recorded on the Reading Log.

21. Grades • Grades are averaged based on 50% of daily work and 50% of test with the exception of Language/Spelling. (Language is 75% and Spelling is 25%.) • A progress report will be sent home at the end of the 3 weeks and 6 weeks reflecting current grade averages.. • Grading scale: A (90-100), B (80-89), C (70-79), D (60-69), and F (59-0). • Weekly grades will be sent home on Wednesdays in their red folders.

22. Newsletters & Discipline Card • I will send home a newsletter every week. • This letter informs you of school events and various class assignments/news. • The letter will be sent via email. • Hard copy upon request from parent. • A discipline card is located in your student’s binder that should be checked nightly.

23. Wednesday Folders • Students will received Red Folders each Wednesday except for short weeks. (Holidays, etc.) • Graded papers will be in the folders.

24. Class Work • Class work will need to be done in class to receive a fair grade and reflect the student’s independent capability. • Papers that are incomplete when it’s time to move on to the next subject will be put in the WIP folder (work in progress). • During school time they will have to complete these papers.

25. Programs • Husky Champion Program will be for students with all A’s or A’s & B’s at the end of the nine weeks. • Leader of the Month will be focused on leadership. • Leader of the Year takes the place of our Citizenship Award. The students will choose the Leader of the Year.

26. Art & Music • Music will be taught for the first semester. • Students will then attend Art class for the second semester of the school year. • Art and music will be in the classroom this year.

27. Computer Lab • Technology is used throughout the day in all subject areas. • Students will attend our computer lab weekly for 30 minutes. • Teachers will provide a variety of technology lessons during this time.

28. Library • Library time will be different this year. We will use a flex schedule. • Your child will bring his/her library books home. • We will send more information about the library schedule.

29. Physical Education • Students will attend PE class for 30 minutes each day. • Our PE teacher is Coach Jared and her aides are Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Glover.

30. Snack • Second grade will have a morning snack time. • Students can bring healthy snacks and bottled water only(no juice boxes).

31. Breakfast/Lunch • Breakfast will be served 7:15-7:35. • The students will have six choices during breakfast. Please look over the menu before school. • We will eat lunch at 11:30-11:55. • Lunch prices $2.25 and $1.75 for breakfast. • Please make sure your child has lunch money.

32. School Hours • Our school day is from 7:20-2:35. Please have your child here on time. • When a student is tardy he/she is missing valuable teaching time. • Car Riders should not arrive before 7:15 in the morning. • Car Rider cut off is at 7:40 after that parents must walk students in. • Students are considered late after 7:40.

33. First Two Days of School • Parents may walk students to the classroom Monday and Tuesday ONLY.

34. Check Out/Dismissal • All students must be checked out by 1:45. • We dismiss Bus Riders at 2:30-2:40. • We will dismiss Car Riders at 2:35-3:00. • Car riders must have a number visible. • Car Riders should be picked up no later than 2:55 . • Students remaining after 3:00 will be sent to Extended Day at a cost of $7.00 per day.

35. Absences • When your child is absent, please send a note or email when he/she returns to school explaining the absence. • If an excuse is not brought within 3 days of the absence, it is automatically marked unexcused. • After the tenth absence, a doctor’s excuse must accompany your child for him/her to be excused; otherwise it will be an unexcused absence.

36. Transportation • If you have a transportation change that day. Email me before 11:00. • If I have not responded within 30 minutes, please call the office to let them know.

37. Safety • Portables will go into the building if there is a threat of dangerous weather. • The county and the front office monitors the weather. • Students are not allowed to talk to construction workers.

38. Problems, Issues, Concerns • Please use the proper level of support if a problem arises. • Teacher, Administration, Central Office. • Please always let me know if there is a problem…

39. Miscellaneous • Parent Handbook will be located on our web page. • 2nd Grade Handbook will be on my web page. (If you need a hardcopy, please let me know) • Please join Listserv • PTO will meet on Monday’s this school year.

40. Let’s Have a Awesome Year!