AESA: Please plan to join AESA. This group helps to provide your child with many wonderful learning experiences.
Attendance: Many 2nd grade learning activities are group oriented and involve interaction with classmates. Therefore, it is next to impossible to recreate these activities at home. Please view school as a priority and see to it that your child attends everyday except in cases of illness or emergency.
When your child is absent, please send a note explaining the reason for the absence with your child on his/her first day back at school. If your child is going to be out for an extended period of time, please let me know so that assignments may be prepared in advance. When students are absent, they are responsible for making up the work. Students will have their “Make-Up” work on their desk when they return. Students have the same number of absent days to make up their missing work. For example, if a student misses 2 days of school, he/she would have 2 days after he/she returned to school to make up the work.
Art:  We will have art class with Ms. Parker every other week.  

Blue Weekly Progress Folder: Your child's work and tests papers will be sent home weekly in a blue Weekly Progress Folder. Each week you will receive a progress report that will be sent home along with graded papers from the previous week. This report will let you know if your child had a good week or is having difficulty in academics or behavior. I will write a brief note on your child's folder each week.  There will be a place on this folder for you to sign your name which will indicate to me that you have seen the papers.  Your comments are welcomed and please feel free to respond on the folder.  You may keep the work papers and test papers.
Book Orders: Book orders will be sent home monthly. This is  often a very inexpensive way for parents to get great books for their child’s home library, however, please do not feel like you have to purchase any books. It is just an option for you.  For each book that is ordered we receive bonus points which I use to buy books and items for our classroom. Please make  checks payable to Scholastic.
Birthdays: We celebrate birthdays at the end of the day. We sing “Happy Birthday” and the birthday child may pick a fun activity for the class. If you want to send a treat for the class on your child's birthday, please feel free to do so. This is not mandatory.
Invitations to parties may only be sent to school if all the girls and/or all the boys are invited.

Communication: Communication is an essential ingredient in our success together. Please use the RED, Ready Every Day, Folder for daily notes to me and/or office. You must send a note if your child is to go home a different way than his/her normal schedule.
Parent/Teacher Conferences will be scheduled with all parents in November and February. You may schedule a conference at any time during the school year if you have any concerns or questions. I may also request to meet with you if I feel that your child is having  difficulty in a subject area or with behavior.
If you ever have any concerns, questions, ideas, etc., please feel free to write a note or call (466-4831 Ext. 169 ) or e-mail (roberta.gray@neomin.org) .
Computers: We will use our classroom computers each day to practice skills; write stories, poems, and letters; create class Power Point/Local Web Site presentations; and work on research. We will also work on several Internet projects with other classes around the world.
Curriculum: Our curriculum is based on the Ohio State Standards, Benchmarks and Indicators for second grade or our school's web site on the Ohio Standards at http://www.genevaschools.org/standards/
 
Discipline: Establishing good classroom discipline is essential to each child’s success, confidence and well being. Every child should feel that the classroom environment is safe and secure, as well as, free from all threats of physical and emotional harm. It is important that each child learn to develop self-discipline and good work habits, resolve conflicts peacefully, and think independently. In order for all children in our class to learn, we have rules, procedures and guidelines to follow. Without this structure, the behavior of some children may distract others, prohibiting them from learning. With your support of our classroom discipline system, I will be better able to teach and help your child reach his or her potential.
We will be working on the Raise Responsibility System which encourages children to exercise self-discipline through reflection and self-evaluation. Students learn to control their own behavior, rather than always relying on the teacher for control.

Emergencies: Please make sure we have the correct emergency numbers and information on file for your child.

Forgotten Books, Lunch Boxes/Money, etc.: If your child forgets lunch money, books, homework, etc., please take the item to the office and they will notify your child to come pick it up in the office

Grading Scale: The following grading scale is used in 2nd grade:
A=100-90, B=89-80, C=79-70, D=69-60, I=59-0
All graded work will come home in the Blue Weekly Progress Folders on Monday or the first day of the school week. Parents need to sign the Weekly Progress report  sheet each week.
Gym:  We will have regular gym class with Mrs. Patterson once a week for 30 minutes.

Homework: Your child will have math homework. This homework should take about 10-15 minutes. Your child should also complete at least 100 minutes of reading every week.  Starting the second six weeks the children will have a weekly assignment which is due on Friday.

Internet: Your child will use the Internet to conduct research and practice skills this year. All Internet searches will be guided by the teacher.

Journals: Your child will do a daily jpournal writing throughout the school year.

Kindness:  Students in my classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our class as well as others, with kindness and respect. Hitting, fighting, name calling, and making fun of others will not be tolerated.
 
Lunch: Lunch is from 11:35 – 12:10. Please put your child’s lunch and/or milk money in an envelope and write their name and the amount of money enclosed.
Love of Learning: This year will be filled with many lessons and activities that will help your child to truly enjoy learning and to carry that love for learning with them as they grow.

Math: Our math series is Everyday Math. Everyday Math is based on introducing a topic to students and then allowing them to build upon that concept as they learn new ones. Topics are never dropped but are instead increased in complexity and practiced every day, providing the time required for concepts to become totally familiar.
Music:  We will have regular music once a week with Mrs. Stowell for 30 minutes.

Newsletters: I will send home a classroom newsletter weekly in the Blue Folder. This newsletter will keep you informed about what is going on in the room. It will contain information about what skills we are working on, upcoming events, and other general information.
You may also view the weekly newsletter on our website:
  http://www.genevaschools.org/austinbg/class/gray/newsletters/

Open House: Please plan to attend this event to learn more about our daily classroom activities!

Parties: We have a Fall Party, Winter Party and a Valentine’s Day Party.  Forms will be sent home for donations.

Quiet Times: During tests and when others are speaking the children are to be quiet.  Children may ask each other questions that relate to their work during independent work times if they use their super whisper voices.
Questions and Concerns: If you have any questions please feel free to write me a note or call me.  If you call me at school, please call before or after school.  The school phone number is 466-4831 Ext. 169.  If you cannot contact me during those hours, you may also contact me at my school e-mail address, roberta.gray@neomin.org.
 
Reading: Reading Instruction consists of Reading, Word Work, Writing and Language.  We will be using the Houghton Mifflin, Reading Instruction series plus various trade books.  We will use these materials to build comprehension, vocabulary, and phonics skills while developing fluency.  
Recess: Your child has 15 minutes of recess before lunch every day.
RED Folders: Your child’s RED (Ready Every Day) Folder  is very important. Please check your child’s Take Home Folder daily for any papers sent home regarding homework, projects, reminders, or any other pertinent information.  It should come home every day and brought to school every morning.
 
Science: In science we will discuss weather, our solar system, heat, light, sound, force, moving objects, water, plants, animals, and habitats. We have  pet gerbils in our classroom.  We will have various creatures in our room this year.
Social Studies: Our social studies text combines political science, population problems, economics, history, and geography with focus on community life. We are also part of two regular postcard exchange programs.  We will exchange postcards with other classes in the United States.  Donations of postcards with pictures of our area or Ohio and postage stamps for postcards would be deeply appreciated for this project.
Supplies: Your child will need three or more pencils, an eraser, crayons (no magic markers please), white glue, glue stick, pencil box, folder for papers (no trappers please), 12 inch ruler, two 70 page spiral notebooks, scissors, and two boxes of tissues.  As the year progresses please check with your child to see if he/she needs to replace any of these items. 

Tardies: Students should be at school by 8:45.  Arriving after this causes students to lose instruction time.
Toys: Toys are not allowed in the classroom. Children must keep toys in their book bags or on my desk. This also includes items that are not necessarily toys but that distract the students’ attention from their work.
Trucker Buddy: Every week/month, our trucker buddy will share news about his travels with us.  We will write him a letter every month telling him about our activities in class.  The trucker buddy program provides a wonderful enhancement of our curriculum in reading, writing, geography, mathematics, social studies, and history.

Unique: Each child is unique and has his/her own special gifts and talents.

Visitors: According to school policy, all visitors need to check in the office and obtain a visitor's badge whenever they are in our building during the school day.

Website: Our classroom website is updated weekly so check it out!
http://www.genevaschools.org/austingbg/class/gray/
There is also a web site for Austinburg Elementary at http://www.genevaschools.org/austingbg/

eXcited:   I am excited to work with you and your child this year!
eXtra Practice Sheets: Any extra worksheets are placed in our extras basket.  Children are allowed to take these papers home for extra practice.

You: You are your child’s first teacher and you play an extremely important role in your child’s education.

Zooming through Many Skills: 2nd grade is jam packed with a lot of things to learn. I feel confident that your children will be successful in mastering these skills if we work together, by keeping in touch and by you reinforcing these skills at home.
Zzzzz’s: Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest. It will help them be alert and ready to learn each day.