Welcome to our Second grade classroom. I hope you are as excited about this
school year as I am. This is a terrific group of kids. They are learning our daily
routines and appear to be enthusiastic learners. We provide hands-on learning
where children can progress at their own pace and level. We have high
expectations for the children in our classroom both academically and socially.
Everyone helps each other and teaches each other. The children support each other
both in and out of the classroom.
A hands-on math, everyday calendar program provides a solid background in math
concepts and computation while also encouraging creative problem solving and
critical thinking skills.
I look forward to getting to know you. You are your child’s first and most
important teacher and we look forward to working with you to expand
his/her education.
If you need to contact me, please call Cambridge office 822-3611 or e-mail me at
jtriana@ahisd.net . I appreciate you sharing your special child with me this
year. I will do everything I can to make this an exciting and rewarding year.
PARENT PARTICIPATION
Our program generates a strong commitment from parents. We build parent
support by providing an open door policy and by letting you know you can
make a positive difference.
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
We love parent helpers/volunteers!!! Parents can work with individuals or small
groups in the classroom, or listen to children read orally (You must be fluent in
Spanish to work directly with the kids). Other ways you can help us is by sending
in supplies for classroom projects, helping in the computer lab, videotaping,
preparing games at home, compiling our book orders, getting special unit books
from the Main Library, recording books or music in Spanish, class photographer,
etc. There will be plenty of opportunities for everyone to help.
SCHOOL HOME COMMUNICATION
MONDAY HOME FOLDER (PTO Blue Folder)
Every Monday your child will receive a school folder containing pertinent
information about various school activities. Contents should be removed and read
upon receiving the envelope. Please return the empty envelope the following day
(Tuesday)!
MONDAY CLASS FOLDERS (Yellow Folder)
On the first day of each week your child will bring home a folder filled with the
previous week’s papers. Please take time to go through this folder with your child.
Please return the folder with any pertinent notes and papers the next day. Be sure
to sign the front of the folder to indicate that you have read the information. Most
work papers are intended to stay at home, unless you see a paper with a stamp
asking to please sign and return.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
SNACKS AND BIRTHDAY RECOGNITION
Everyday at 9:30 AM students are given a healthy snack provided by parents. At
the beginning of each month a calendar with parents’ date assignment for snack
will be sent home. Please send the snack with your child or make sure it is here by
9:00 AM. Please do not send candy. Please do send healthy snacks (See list
attached). We recognize birthdays during snack time. You are welcome to bring
cupcakes or cookies. Please do not send a whole cake to be cut. Snacks should be
pre-portioned for individuals.
BOOK ORDERS
Book orders will be sent home once a month. This is a voluntary service to give
you the opportunity to order children’s books, usually at a reduced price. The
orders will have a due date on the back of the form. It usually takes 2-3 weeks to
receive the orders. If you choose to order books, please send a check or money
order made payable to each company from which you order.
TEDDIES
Teddies will be our class pets and they will be going home with the student of the
week on Friday. When the bears go home with your child, they will have to draw
and write in Spanish (when able to), what they did with them that weekend and
they are welcomed to glue pictures taken with the bears in the journal. Please help
your child care for the bears and remember to bring it back on Monday. It is very
disappointing for the class when the bears are forgotten at someone’s home.
HOMEWORK
REASONS FOR HOMEWORK
1. Learning is a joyful experience occurring both at school and at home.
2. Children learn more from all kinds of homework (preparation, practice,
extension, and creativity) because they have all kinds of learning styles.
3. With continued appropriate homework, children will develop study skills,
problem solving skills, and strong self-concepts as a result of goal
accomplishment.
4. Homework connects the home and school as a communicative device and
parents and teachers are partners in its success. Therefore as a
communicative device, it serves its purpose when it informs and links the
child’s two worlds: home to school, and school to home.
The goal here is to teach responsibility for completion and return of materials. It
should foster positive attitudes, habits, and character traits.
HOMEWORK (CLASS POLICY)
Homework will come home Monday through Thursday in your child’s Daily
folder. This folder contains a reading and math element. If your child does not turn
in an assignment on occasion they will not be reprimanded. However, if it
becomes a pattern, a teacher will contact you by phone to assess the problem.
Furthermore, your child will be required to make up missed assignments. Let the
teacher know immediately if your child is struggling with homework or taking
longer than fifteen minutes. Homework time for second semester may be longer to
allow for reading practice. Please be sure that your child is bringing back the Daily
Folder.
DISCIPLINE
In order to guarantee every child the educational environment he/she deserves, we
will not allow any child to disrupt our teaching or another child’s learning. We
have implemented the Cambridge Social Skills program and will proactively teach
the appropriate social skills expected to be utilized by our students. When a
situation arises that calls for discipline from a teacher, we will ask the child if this
is the way they wish to be treated. We will discuss ways the problem can be
solved. Many times we will ask the children involved to do the discussing and
come to us with a solution on which both children agree.
Every child begins the week with a green card. If student chooses not to
follow the rules, these are the consequences:
1. Verbal warning
2. Change green card to yellow (lose 5 min. of recess)
3. Change yellow card to red- (lose 10 min. of recess)
4. Change red card to blue- contact parents (lose entire recess)
Severe disruption will result in being sent to the counselor or principal.
The students, who choose to follow the rules and maintain the green card all
week, will be rewarded on Friday with treasure chest. If they only miss 1 day, they
can still get a sticker or a treat.
Please review this plan with your child. We will discuss the rules and
consequences daily so your child will become familiar with them.
SHOW AND TELL
Show and Tell will be part of our learning time every Friday. It will give children
the opportunity to use the Target Language to share one thing that is important to
them. If the children choose to bring an item to school for Show and Tell, the item
must fit into a backpack. Children should be able to use Spanish to tell three
important facts about the item.
SPELLING LIST
The weekly spelling list will also be changed out every Monday. It will be written
on the weekly homework sheet. Spelling words will not be translated in English
because we have found that this only serves as a clutch and the children become
very dependent on this and they tend to expect you to tell them what the words
mean. We will have weekly Spelling Tests: practice tests on Wednesday and test
on Friday. (Note: Students who receive a 100% in their Practice Test Wednesday
will not need to test again Friday.
*Suggestions on how to study for spelling:
Monday: Write the words 2 times each.
Tuesday: Clap and snap each word (clap for each consonant and snap each vowel).
Wednesday: Write the words you missed on the practice test 5 times.
Thursday: Have an adult give you a practice test on all the words.
NOTE: These activities are strictly optional and not required as a grade.
STUDENT OF THE WEEK
I will choose a student of the week based on their performance in class. I will look
at overall grades, behavior, homework, attendance and effort. When I choose a
student, I will let him/her know on the Friday prior to their week to give them time
to color some things needed. You may also send pictures of your child, your
family, pets, or special things he/she would like to share with the class. You will
get your pictures back the following week.
FYI’s
I will send FYI’S home often. This will be a note “for your information” of
whatever is happening in our class or in the school throughout the year.
BASAL BOOKS
We will read a new story every week in our basal readers. Our spelling words will
be from the story of the week. Students will take their book home on Wednesday
to read for homework to you and answer questions about the story.
GUIDED READING BOOKS (BOOKS IN A FOLDER)
When we start reading groups, I will begin sending home leveled books in a plastic
folder. Your child should be able to read to you with very little help. I will send 2
new books per week. The folder will also have a sheet for you to write the book
your child read to you and if they needed help, write comments, and your initials.
PLEASE HELP YOUR CHILD CARE FOR THESE BOOKS. If your child loses
or damages a book, I will ask you to please pay for the book. If it happens more
than once, your child will no longer be able to take books home.
POETRY BINDERS
Your child will learn at least 1 new poem per week. They will have this poem to
illustrate and put in their binders. They will take the binders home on Friday to
read all of their poems to you. They must bring it back on Monday. The plastic
protectors will help the poems make it throughout the year (we will have more than
100 poems by then). These poems are great for building confidence in reading for
your child.
Dear ______________________
Welcome back to Second
Grade!
You may sit in my chair and
look in my desk. This is
where I keep all of my
important things for
school. Sra. Ojeda will be
telling you about what we
do at school. Thank you for
coming to my class.
Love,
__________________
P. S. Please leave me a
little note in my journal.
I love surprises!
Parent Questionnaire
Child’s
Name __________________________________
Parents
Name __________________________________
Is there any information you need to
share with me about your child’s learning
style, or any other information I would
need to know in order to teach your child?
(Use back of page if needed)
Please check if you might be able to
volunteer in the following ways:
_____ Computer Lab (Monday 11:55 – 12:45)
_____ Art Class (1:40 – 2:45 see attached
special classes schedule for days)
_____ Reading with students in Spanish
(most likely in the mornings)
I’ll be in touch with more information.
Thanks!