WELCOME!!

1. WELCOME!! • Please sign up for a fall conference and check out my wish list items! Forms are on the back counter. • Find your child’s desk. You will find a silver folder which includes important forms for the school year. I must have the orange papers filled out before you leave tonight.

2. About Me • This is my 11th year teaching and my 8th year at Ray Marsh. I’ve taught 5th and 1st grade and am thrilled to be teaching 2nd! • I am married to a teacher and we have 3 daughters, 2 of whom are attending Ray Marsh. • I received my bachelor’s degree from K-State and my master’s from Mid-America Nazerene University.

4. Communication • Communication between parent and teacher is a critical component to a child’s success at school. • If you wish to discuss something, please send me an e-mail or leave a voicemail. I will NOT answer the phone, or respond to emails during instructional time. Where would you rather your child’s teacher be: on the phone or computer; or TEACHING? I will respond either during my plan period (1-2 pm) or immediately after school.

5. Communication Con.’t • The best way to stay informed is to visit my ‘web back pack’ on a regular basis. Let me show you how to find it! • Shawnee Mission School District

6. Web backpack perks!! • You can find our specials schedule! • You can find our daily schedule! • You can contact me directly from the web backpack! • You can look for important dates on the classroom calendar page! • You can look for important information!! • You can find the Star of the Week information! • You can find the Spelling words for the week! • You can review important school policies! • You can find GREAT websites for your child to link directly too, and know that they are safe!

7. Spelling • We will be using the spelling program that goes with our new Wonders Reading Program. On Mondays we will always take a spelling pretest. This pretest will come home on Mondays, so watch for it! Students will have all week to study these words. Our spelling tests will always be on Friday mornings. If you some reason the pretest does not make it home on Monday, you can find the words for the week on my web backpack. Additional words will be given if a challenge is needed.

8. Reading • We will be using a new program this year, called Reading Wonders, by McGraw Hill. Daily instruction will be from 8:30-11:00 every morning with no interruptions. We have many different components to our reading program, including small group time (formerly known as workshop). Our small group reading time will take place from 10:30 – 11:00 daily. Small group reading time is a time that the teacher is working in small groups, with individual students, and other reading skills practice as a whole group. This is also a time for literacy centers that focus on writing, spelling, language arts, phonics, or other reading skills. The schedule also includes 30 minutes for spelling and language skills as a whole group. If data indicates that additional reading support is needed for a student to be more successful, reading specialists and educational aides will provide assistance in and out of the classroom.

9. Classroom Management • A large part of our social studies includes the study of economics. We will have an economic system running in our classroom. Student’s receive money for jobs and excellent behavior. They can be ‘fined’ for inappropriate behavior. • Students will have an opportunity to spend their money frequently during the 1st semester – I need your help! • Students will ‘bank’ their money the 2nd semester for a huge ‘garage sale’ during the last week of school.

10. HOMEWORK • Homework packets will come home on Monday with the assignments for all week in a yellow folder. The homework packet should be returned in that yellow folder on Fridays. Some parts of the homework will not require a written sheet from the student, so I’ll be asking for a parent signature to verify that the assignment was completed. It is your child’s responsibility to return the homework folder on time. If completed homework is turned in on Friday, and in the yellow folder, a sticker will be added to a sticker chart found in the yellow folder. Please keep the sticker chart in the yellow folder all year. I will use the number of stickers received to give out rewards at the end of each quarter. • The district mandates that 2nd grade homework should be around 20 minutes a night. • If a student is struggling to turn in homework on time, or failing to complete parts they may be required to make the work up during the school day.

11. Absences • It is hard for a child to be at school when they don’t feel well! When a child is ill, he/she needs to be at home. Please email or leave a phone message for me or the school nurse, Nurse Peggy. If you contact me, I will let her know. If we do not hear from you, you will get a phone call from the nurse. Medicines need a doctor’s prescription and note. These need to be kept in the nurses’ office. Some over-the-counter meds can be given, so see the nurse if you are interested in finding out more about that! • Please let me know by 10:30 a.m. if your child is sick and you would like work sent home! You can pick it up in the office or have it sent home with a friend at the end of the day. I strongly recommend that work is sent home, even if the absence is only one day. Otherwise the make-up work can be overwhelming!

12. Recess • We almost always go outside for recess, so please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. Also, please remember that if your child is well enough to be at school, they are well enough to go outside for recess.

13. Money • If you are sending cash/check for any reason (lunch, field trip, book order, etc.), please put it in an envelope or baggie with your child’s name and 2-P on it. Please do not take field trip forms or money directly to the office as teachers are to record this information. • I will send home a book order most months. There are some great deals and books that align with our curriculum. It’s also a great way to get kids fired up about reading. If you would like to order, you can send in an order to me with a check, or you can also order on-line, which tends to be the most convenient for all of us. I will send home this information with the first book order.

14. Dismissal • We ask that you enter the circle drive and continue to drive as far forward as possible. • For everyone’s safety we can not allow students to walk to you in the parking lot. You need to exit your car and meet them at the crosswalk so they can be safely escorted through the parking lot. • Parking and double parking are strictly prohibited in the circle drive. Please do not leave your car parked in the circle drive. If you feel the need to get out of your car to find your student, or speak with someone, then we ask that you please park in the parking lot. • If you have someone come pick up your child that doesn’t usually do so, please inform them about our dismissal procedures.

15. Happy Birthday! • Birthday treats are always welcome! If you wish to send in treats for your child’s birthday, please just email me or jot me a note in advance. If you can include napkins, that would be great. If you choose to send in a drink, juice boxes work great. Also, please remember that according to our school policy, unless your child is inviting the entire class, they may NOT pass out birthday party invitations at school!

16. Birthdays • We know birthdays are special and we love recognizing birthdays and ½ birthdays on the announcements. • Students may bring treats, or parents may drop them off at the office. While you may have lunch with your child, birthday treats are restricted to the time designated by the teacher. • When balloons and special gifts arrive during the school day they are held at the office for the student to pick up at the end of the day and are not delivered to the classroom.

17. Cell Phones • Cell phones may be used before and after school for safety purposes only with the permission of a teacher. • If a student does not follow the policy parents will be requested to pick up the phone from the office.

18. Other information about: Lunch: • You are more than welcome to come eat lunch with your child! We eat lunch from 11:49-12:19 on regular school days. Getting ready for lunch is a crazy time, so please plan on either meeting us in the hallway or down in the cafeteria. Also, your child may walk you to the office doors after lunch and needs to say goodbye to you there! Visitors: • Please remember that if you come to eat lunch with your child or need to visit anywhere in the building, you MUST enter through the office, sign in, and put on a visitor’s badge! This is for safety reasons, and is a required building policy. We thank you for supporting us on this issue! Concerns: • I would LOVE to talk with you about your child and any questions or concerns that you may have…but, please email me or call me to request a time that we can talk. Coming in before or after school is not an appropriate time to discuss your child’s progress. I would like to give you an uninterrupted time that we can talk! Thanks! Grading: • Many papers coming home will not be graded. Most will just have some kind of remark, happy face, or sticker. Papers that are graded and have a grade lower than a 70% may be sent home to be corrected and then sent back to me for additional credit.

19. Star of the Week • Each child will have a special week in which they will be our “Star of the Week”. This is a very special week for your child, but they will need your help! • The Friday before your child’s week, I will send home a letter for information and a poster for you and your child to fill out. These can be put on a poster, or filled out on the sheet. • During this week, I would love for you to come be our Guest Reader. • We will start in September and will go in a random order.

20. Why it’s good to be on time…. • It is so important for your child to be here by the time the bell rings at 8:10. Feeling rushed or missing beginning instruction, and missing out on work time is frustrating for a child and often sets a negative tone for your child for that day! We don’t want that!!

21. Chicks • We will be getting chick eggs in September. We are asking for a dollar donation from each child to purchase our materials. This is always an awesome experience for the kids and such an exciting time to be on the countdown for when our chicks will hatch! Thanks for your help!!

22. IT’S GOING TO BE A GREAT YEAR IN MRS. PETERS’S CLASS!! CALL ME: 993-3426 EMAIL ME: mapetesu@smsd.org