Welcome to 2nd Grade!
Mrs. Tessenair’s Class
2015-2016
Hello and welcome to my class! I want to express how I excited I am to teach 2nd
grade this year at Cloverleaf. I can’t wait to see what great things will happen this
year! Below I am listing some very important information that will help you better
understand our classroom.
Student Responsibility
Now that your child is in 2nd grade, I expect him/her to develop a sense of
responsibility and independence, and we will continuously work on this throughout
the year. Some examples of this include returning completed homework
assignments daily, taking responsibility for his/her actions, and keeping a tidy desk
area. These are important life skills that will help your child in years to come!
Communication
Communication between school and home is crucial for the success of students.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about your child, and I will
be glad to set up a time to discuss these items. My school email address is
jessica_tessenair@iss.k12.nc.us. As for my communication, I will be in contact with
you in several different ways:
-report cards
-progress reports
-parent conferences
-phone calls
-newsletters
-classroom webpage
-emails
-communication folders
Communication Folder: Students will have a communication folder that they will
bring home each day. This will contain notes, homework, and other information.
Students will need to return important papers to school in this folder every day
(homework, notes from home, etc.).
Planner: Students will be provided with a student planner from the school. This is
where your child will be responsible to write his/her homework assignments daily.
You and I may also write little notes if need be in the planner as well. It is my
expectation for your child to show me any notes written in the planner.
Students are expected to take their planner and communication folder to and
from school each day!
Homework
Homework will be listed in your child’s planner daily. Homework is meant to practice
things we are learning in class. I would encourage you to assist with homework,
making sure assignments are understood. Homework may include:
spelling/vocabulary, math, reading and special assignments. Students are
responsible for turning in assignments on time. Your child will be required to read
every night. This will be tracked on a reading log.
I give ample time for class assignments to be finished at school, but should any
classwork not be completed it will be homework. It will need to be returned to
school the following day.
Behavior Policy
Rules
1. Follow directions the first time.
2. Keep hands, feet and other body parts to yourself.
3. Follow the 3 R’s (respect yourself, respect others, and respect your school)
4. Raise your hand to speak.
All of my students are expected to follow these four rules. I have high
expectations for your child’s behavior as well as academics. Your child and others
will be more productive learners if these rules are followed. To monitor student
behavior I will be using a clip up/clip down system. Students will begin each day on
“ready to learn” (green) and can either go up the chart for making good choices, or
go down the chart for making bad choices. Students can move back up once they
have moved down or vice versa. Every day, in his/her take home folder, your child
will color the level he/she is at for the school day.
Grading
Student work will be graded as follows:
++ = 90%-100% correct
+ = 80%-89% correct
= 70%-79% correct
- = 69% correct and below
Weekly Work
I will try to send graded work home on Fridays. Please look over the work and any
notes attached.
Lunch Money
Each student is issued an account number, and all money sent for meals is
deposited into their account. Parents should send lunch money in an envelope
labeled on the outside with:
-the child’s name
-lunch account number
-teacher's name
-amount enclosed
-phone number
The envelopes will be collected and sent to the cafeteria staff by 8:00am. Parents
can send money for the week, month or entire year if you desire.
Paying by check is a good way to keep up with how much you have paid and is
a good receipt in case you or the lunchroom manager has any questions about
your account. Please make sure your phone number and address are on your check.
You may also pay online. If you are submitting a free/reduced lunch application
form, you will need to continue paying for your child’s lunch until the application has
been approved. These applications MUST be filled out each year. The sooner you
get your application filled out and returned, the sooner it will be approved!
Extras: Teachers and/or cafeteria staff cannot dictate when students can
purchase snacks/ice cream in the cafeteria. If you wish for your child to only get
snacks on a certain day, please send this in writing and it will be noted on their
account.
Odds and Ends
Shoes: PE is an enhancement your child will have at school. Tennis shoes are
required to be worn on days your child has PE. I suggest that students wear tennis
shoes daily, as we have recess every day (weather permitting).
Field Trips: Field trips are a great learning experience. Parents are allowed to
chaperone, but will need to provide their own transportation and fill out a
volunteer form from the office to attend. Money and permission slips will need
to be returned according to the deadlines set.
School Hours:
-Student drop off begins at 7:00 am
-Tardy bell rings at 7:30 am
-School dismisses at 2:10 pm
-No early dismissals permitted after 1:30 pm
Volunteers: I welcome you to volunteer in our classroom. There are a variety of
ways you can do this. A classroom volunteer form will be sent home for you to fill
out. I appreciate any help you can give! If you plan to volunteer, please let me know
in advance so we can schedule a time for you to come. Popping in without prior
notice is distracting to the students and pulls me away from instruction. Please
consider how your child will react if you are present in the classroom as well. If
your child gets attached or will not respond appropriately, please consider
volunteering in other parts of the school.
Birthdays: Birthdays are a special part of every child’s life! If you would like to
celebrate your child’s birthday at school, please contact me so we can set this up in
advance. If you would like to send party invitations to the students in our class,
please choose to invite all of the girls or all of the boys or the whole class if you
would like invitations passed out during school. I would be happy to quietly insert
these invitations into our communication folders. If just a few children are invited,
please send these invitations on your own.
Absences and Tardies: School attendance is crucial to your child's
success. Students are allowed NO more than 10 absences in one school year. More
than 10 can result in retention (see district attendance policy). 10 tardies/early
dismissals will equal 1 absence. When your child is absent, it is CRUCIAL for you to
send in a doctor's note or excuse note stating the reason for the absence. Excuse
notes can also be submitted online (see our school's web site). Please remember
that tardies are VERY disruptive to our day and your child misses instruction
during their time out. These should be avoided if at all possible!
Student Pick Up: School will dismiss at 2:10 daily. Students will either be a car
rider, bus rider, or go to Primetime. Transportation changes cannot be made after
1:30pm each day. If your child is going to go home differently, you MUST provide
a written note or call to let me know of the change. I CAN NOT just take your
child’s word for it! Students may not ride a different bus than they are assigned
to unless approved.
Car rider pick-up: If you plan to pick-up your child by car, please make sure that
you put the pick-up sign with your child’s name on it in the front window of your
vehicle so it can be seen clearly by the staff. If another person will be picking up
your child in the car rider line then they must have the pick-up sign. Car riders will
stay in the cafeteria until called by staff. Please stay in the car rider line and wait
for your child to be called. You may not park and walk into the cafeteria. All
students need to be picked up by 2:30 in the car rider line.
Medicine: Students need to be given medicines before school if possible. Students
WILL NOT be given tylenol or motrin at school. In the case that it is necessary
for medicines to be administered at school, approval from the school nurse is
necessary. Medicines are NOT allowed to be transported in students' bookbags to
and from school.
Conclusion
Thank you for trusting me with your child’s 2nd grade education. I look forward to a
great year of learning and growing. Thank you in advance for your support for what
I know will be a great year. If I have not addressed any areas of concern, please
contact me so I can help.