First Homework Packet

Families,

          Today you will find your child’s first homework packet in their purple BIRD folder. Each Monday a packet of work will come home with your child to be completed during the week. Please make sure you read the information about fluency practice. For the first few weeks, all students will receive the same homework. Once beginning of the year assessments have been completed, students will receive homework that can be done at their independent working level. Homework is due every Friday. This includes the spelling homework I send home the previous Friday.

          There is a September reading calendar in the BIRD folder as well. Please keep this calendar at home during the month and make sure your child colors in each day that they read at least 20 minutes. Reading does not have to take place in one 20 minute block—it can be broken into two 10 minute chunks if that works better for your child. Reading can be done independently (silently), to an adult, or with an adult (taking turns reading). Books, magazines, and comics are all acceptable reading materials. Students can also read books on myOn during this time (see intro letter in BIRD folder for details). Students who return their reading calendar at the end of the month with at least 20 days shaded and a parent’s signature will be invited to the 20/20 Lunch Bunch. This celebration happens in my classroom during lunch. Student will get to eat their lunch in the classroom, watch a cartoon, and receive a prize for their reading efforts.

          My goal in assigning homework is not to make your evenings stressful or take away your valuable family time. I want to instill a sense of responsibility and help students develop a routine of reading at home. If your child is overwhelmed by the amount of homework, it's too difficult, too easy, or you have other concerns, I'm more than willing to discuss this with you and your child. Homework (packet and spelling) should not take more than 15 minutes per night (Monday-Thursday), plus the 20 minutes of reading 20 days per month. I’ll talk more about homework expectations at Parent Night on September 10. If you have questions before then, please email me.

Thank you for your support!

New, Notes, and Updates

Families,

Please check your child's purple BIRD folder for spelling homework. Our first list of words came home today (-id and -ide), along with the homework choices. Students should complete at least 3 homework assignments and return them next Friday, September 4.

Students also brought home a login for a math website called TenMarks. Students practiced logging into the website today. There are some assignments I've given students to practice that focus on place value to 100. There is also a Jam Session where students can choose the math skills they want to practice. If you have a computer or tablet with internet access, I would highly encourage your child to use this resource at home. If not, our class will be going to the computer lab weekly for a 30 minutes session on TenMarks. I especially like this program because it is Common Core aligned, promotes higher level thinking, and offers hints and videos to help if a child needs to review a skill.

Picture Day is Tuesday, September 1. Please return the picture order form by then if you want to order portraits. All students will have their photo taken.

Finally, Parent Night is Thursday, September 10 from 6:00-7:30 pm. Please plan on attending to learn more about our classroom routines, learning goals in second grade, and ways you can help your child succeed. Thank you in advance for your attendance--I know how busy evenings with kiddos can be and appreciate you coming. While this evening is for parents, please come even if that means bringing your child(ren) with you!

We have had such a busy week and I've truly enjoyed getting to know each of your children. Our class is hard-working, kind, and eager to learn. I can't wait to see all the milestones they reach this year.

Enjoy your weekend!

Recipe for Success

Here's our recipe for a successful school year:


1 cup of creativity
1 pinch of fun
1 dash of cooperation
1 spoonful of respect
and a heap of hard work


Directions: Mix them all together for a great school year!!!

Student Portraits

Families,

An order form for student portraits came home today. If you would like to order photos of your child, please return the order form by Tuesday, September 1 (picture day). All students will be photographed whether or not families order photos.

Say "Cheese!"

Real Reading

Families,


We've been talking A LOT about the choices good readers make. We've also been working on building our reading stamina. It's difficult to begin reading in our classroom without having discussions about my reading expectations. Check out the great ideas students came up with to compare real and fake reading...

Also, here's our Read-to-Self poem...

Thank you for supporting these same reading practices at home. On Monday, August 31 I'll send home a reading calendar for the month of September. This will include information about my reading expectations at home and the reward for students who read at least 20 minutes 20 days during each month.

Welcome!

Hello Families,

Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year at Chief Jo! I am so excited to begin a new school year. As you can imagine, we have so many fun and exciting activities planned for the first week of school. Students will be learning our classroom expectations, reviewing some math and reading skills from first grade, and making new friends.

If you weren't able to attend our Meet and Greet, please make sure to check your child's backpack after the first day of school for a blue folder containing information about Chief Jo and our class. There are some forms that need to be completed, signed, and returned to me as soon as possible. Thank you for taking the time to look through all this information.

Please plan on attending our Parent Night on Thursday, September 10 beginning at 6:00 pm. I'll be speaking about our classroom routines, the second grade curriculum, and answering any questions you may have about our upcoming year in second grade.

If you have any questions or concerns prior to Parent Night, please don't hesitate to contact me. The best method of contacting me is via email. My email address is hoschouer.ana@westada.org. You can also call 350-4200, though you'll likely get my voicemail between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm.

I look forward to a fantastic year in second grade. Thank you for the opportunity to teach your child--I consider it a great honor and privilege!

Take Care,