Parent+Handbook

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=**About me:**= My name is Amy Cordova. Those of you with [|older children] may know my name. I started [|teaching] for Platte County in 1997. I taught 4th grade for four years. Then, I moved to 2nd grade. After one year of [|second grade], I chose to take a leave of absence to have my daughter. While at home, I ran a [|preschool]. After a three-year “sabbatical” from the [|school district], I returned to second grade. This is my fifth year back. While on my “sabbatical”, I attended [|Baker University] and worked on my Master’s [|Degree]. I graduated with a Master of Arts in Education in December, 2005.

=**Communication**= The only way we can guarantee the success of your children is through open [|communication]. Please contact me with any questions you might have. Following are the ways you can contact me. Classroom [|phone]: 816-858-5977 ext 1473 Classroom e-mail: CordovaA@pcriii.k12.mo.us

=**Transportation Changes:**= It is important for you to keep your child on as normal a schedule as possible. However, things happen and we all need to make changes at some time. If there are changes in your child’s daily routine or transportation, please send a note to school. If I do not receive a note, your child will follow their normal routine. If you chose to e-mail notes to me, please also send a copy to the office at ItaoT@pcriii.k12.mo.us.

=**Classroom Rules**= 1. Be Safe 2. Be Kind 3. Be Responsible

Classroom Discipline Program (BIST) 1. Warning 2. Safe Seat 3. Buddy Room 4. Recovery Room – Call to [|parent]

Flip Cards While the BIST program is used on a regular basis, I also use flip cards to monitor how the student is doing throughout the day. Anytime a child moves beyond a warning, his/her card will be flipped. Here is what each color means: Green – good day Yellow – ok day – let’s [|work harder] tomorrow Orange – need some improvement in my behavior – miss 5 minutes of my recess Red – my behavior is not acceptable for the classroom – call Mom/Dad and confer.

=**Classroom Schedule**= Attached you will find the schedule. Please note that our days rotate by color. Red = Library, Blue = PE, Orange = Art, and Green = [|Music].

=**Communication Arts**= 120 + minutes of reading/writing instruction will be given each day. This can and will be done across the curriculum. In Reading, we will work on reading fluency, comprehension, word attack and many other skills to help your child become a better reader. We will read many different types of stories, including non-fiction text. Instruction will be given in whole group, small group and individual settings. In writing, your child will learn to go through the [|writing process]: pre-write, rough draft, re-write, edit, and publish. We will typically take about a month to go through this process. As we go through the process, we will be [|working] on the 6 traits of writing: ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions. We will focus on four genres of writing: personal narrative, expository, descriptive, and persuasive Another part of communication arts is [|grammar]. This is where we learn nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. This is where we learn what makes a sentence and what doesn’t. This is also where we learn about capital letters and punctuation.

=**Spelling**= Over the years, I have struggled with spelling. [|Students] go home and memorize the list, do well on the test, then forget how to spell the word later. Five years ago, I worked in conjunction with Mrs. Nespory to introduce a new spelling series. In this series, we taught spelling concepts instead of spelling words. This way, students became able to spell words after the “spelling test.” This will assist them tremendously in their reading and writing. I am proud to say that the entire second grade has adopted this spelling series.

Attached you will find a copy of a. We will work on memorizing how to spell core words and how to apply spelling concepts to the rest of our writing. Your child will receive 5 new spelling words each unit. Once the word in introduced, the student is then responsible for that word for the rest of the year and I will count it incorrect anytime it is spelled incorrectly.

=**Math**= Your child will learn many things in math this year. They include the following things: number concepts through 100, addition/subtraction facts through 20, two and three digit addition and subtraction, problem solving skills, skip counting by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, and 100’s, use of estimation, compare and contrast, patterns, classification of objects by attributes, calendars, money, measurement, and graphs. I will use a combination of investigations, manipulatives, and traditional teaching to facilitate your child’s [|acquisition] of these skills.

=**Handwriting**= After Winter Break, we will begin learning cursive. Students will be instructed on proper formation of letters using D'Nelian. Please do not encourage your child to write in cursive until after we have learned it in class.

=**Science and Social Studies**= We will focus on several units in both Science and Social [|Studies] this year. Many of our topics of [|study] are integrated into our reading and writing. Others will be taught separately. Follow the blog to know what we are studying at any given time during the school year.

=**Grading**= Much of the work we do in second grade is a review and build upon what the students learned in 1st grade. Attached you will find a copy of the grade card. Following is the grading scale. O – Normally scores 95% or better S – Normally scores 80%-94% N – Normally scores less than 79%

=**Homework**= I believe strongly that homework at the elementary level should be reading, practicing Spelling words, and working on Math facts. Therefore, I do not assign homework on a daily basis. In Math and Spelling, your child will receive homework on occasion. This homework is designed to practice what we have learned at school. Please help your child complete his/her homework and return it the next day. All other homework that is assigned will be given at least a weeks notice to complete. However, if your child does not complete his/her daily work at school, then he/she will have it as homework. Check take-home [|folders] daily for work that needs to be completed.

=**Friday Reports**= Friday Reports are posted on the class website at https://mrscordova0910.wikispaces.com They will give you the following information:

Does your child need any supplies for the following week? What we will be studying the following week Any important information or dates that you need to put on your calendar If you child has struggled with behavior during the week, a behavior note will come home on Friday indicating what he/she needs to improve. If you child’s behavior has been acceptable, no note will come home.

=**Recess**= We will go outside twice daily for recess, weather permitting. Your child will be expected to go outside with the rest of his/her peers. Therefore, your child needs to dress appropriately for the weather. If your child must miss recess, you need to send a doctor’s note indicating why he/she must miss recess. Children who miss recess will be required to sit and read a book quietly at their desk.

=**Healthy Snacks**= I encourage you to send a healthy [|snack] with your child to eat at morning recess. Students eat [|breakfast] before 7:30, have a special from 9:00-9:50, then go to recess. They need some energy to make it through to lunch. Please note that if your child brings candy to school for snack they will not be allowed to eat it. It will be sent home.

=**Take-Home & A/R folders**= Your child will have a folder to take home every day. In the folder, you will find two pockets. One will have papers that need to be returned to school. The other will have papers that stay at home. In the middle, you will find a calendar. Parents should sign the calendar each day to signify that they have looked at the folder. Once Accelerated Reader is up and going on our [|computers], we will start bringing home AR books. Your signature then tells me that your child read his/her book and you have looked at the folder.

=**Star Students**= Each student will be assigned a week of the year to be Star Student. On Monday, he/she should bring in items to decorate our bulletin board with. The star student will be our helper for the week. Then, on Friday, the Star Student will share his/her favorite book with the class.

=**Volunteers**= Students know that when Mom or Dad get involved in something it is important. Therefore, I encourage you to volunteer to help in the classroom. The Platte County R-3 School District supports the Youth Friends Program. If you would like to volunteer to work with individual students, then please join this program. If you would not like to work with students then let me know. I have lots of other ways for you to get involved in your child’s class.

=**Birthday Treats**= Birthdays can be celebrated with treats. Please send them in the morning with your child. We will work them in when it is convenient for our class schedule. **PLEASE DO NOT SEND BIRTHDAY [|INVITATIONS] TO SCHOOL UNLESS YOU ARE INVITING THE ENTIRE CLASS.**