Ms. Sowder’s Classroom Meeting Notes
2015-2016 School Year
Item 1: Homework Policy
*Nightly Homework: Read 20 min (record on monthly reading log) and practice spelling
words.
Additional Homework: Weekly homework packet (4 pages-2 math, 2 language arts-all
geared towards state common core standards and topics covered in class) Shared Reading
Poem (Read every night and initial the back side) DUE FRIDAY’S OR LAST DAY OF THE
WEEK
Friday Journal is due back on Monday. At least one parent needs to read and write back to
the child.
Monthly Homework Packet: Designed to help your child with social skills and items that
can’t be covered during the school day. Please choose one item to do each week. Just initial
next to what you completed and sign the back before turning in. This is optional. If
student completes and returns on the last day of the month, they will receive a prize.
Item 2: Tests and Assessments
Math Tests: There will typically be about 1-2 math tests per month in our classroom.
Please use the Standards Practice Book to help your child study for the test. Some
parents find it helpful to keep the pages students complete at home in a folder so you can
look back and see exactly how I taught it. It is very important that your child shows all of
their work on tests. I will send out an email and there will be a written reminder in your
child’s agenda one week prior to the test. It is a good idea to start reviewing a week in
advance. If your child is struggling, I am willing to give them additional help after school
on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for 15 minutes at no cost. I want them to succeed and I am
willing to do whatever it takes to help them.
Reading Tests: Monthly reading tests will be given at the beginning of the month (pre test)
and at the end of the month (post test). The pre test is not taken for a grade and will not
come home because I use it to see what students already and what they need additional
help with. These tests should not require as much studying at home.
Spelling Tests: Weekly spelling tests will be given on Friday afternoons. These words are
broken into chunks. For example, this week is ee and ea words. My spelling lists follow the
Phonics Dance Program (written by Ginny Dowd) which uses music and movement to help
students learn letter sounds and patterns. There will be three word wall words on each list
as well. These words typically do not follow a pattern and simply need to be memorized
since they are so often used, but do not follow a pattern. Starting in a few weeks, I will
also start giving students two dictated sentences to write. These sentences will use
spelling words we have learned up until that point. I will also start giving a handwriting
grade based on spelling tests. I always correct any letters I find out of place on tests, so
have your student practice making all letters correct. I tell them their handwriting must
be “Sowder approved” at all times! 
Phonics Tests: I will give bi weekly phonics quizzes on the hunks and chunks we are learning
that week.
Writing: I will not give writing tests, but will grade one final piece of writing per week.
*Please note: Social Studies and Science grades are pass/fail based on child participation
and development.
*If I notice your child is struggling in a specific area, I will alert you right away and we will
come up with a plan of action to get them back on track. I do not let students fail. If they
fail, it tells me that I am not doing enough to help them. The only time they will receive a 0
is if they are refusing to do the work. If they complete a paper and get a 60% or less,
they will be asked to see me and redo it for half credit.
Reading Assessments: Second graders are given a reading assessment called the
Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) about three times a year. I may end up giving it
to them up to 5 or 6 times if they continue to move up levels. These assessments are
awesome because they tell me exactly what level your child should be reading at and helps
me create my guided reading groups. Second graders will also be given the online STAR
reader test. This is just another form of assessment that lets me see what they need to
work on.
Math Assessments: I gave students a beginning of the year math test the second day of
school and I will give the same test again in April. My hopes is that each student will make
a years’ worth of growth in that time frame.
Writing Assessment: The state gives a second grade writing assessment in April. The topic
varies each year. Last year was a friendly letter.
Item 3: Make up work
If students are absent for more than one day, I will compile their make-up work to give to
them when they get back to school. They will have the amount of days they were absent to
make up the work. We do not do very much paperwork in class, so typically there will not
be a great deal of work to be made up. If the student misses a test, they will be able to
make this up upon returning to class. Please email me if additional prep time is needed and
we can arrange for them to take it at a later date.
Item 4: Classroom Behavior
I expect a great deal out of the students in my classroom. I treat them as if they were my
own children. I expect them to be respectful and kind at all times. I also expect them to
learn responsibility. This means listening to what I say, getting work done and turned in on
time, being honest about missing or forgotten assignments (I do not tolerate being told
“my mom forgot to put it in my folder/bookbag”…they will learn quickly that they need to
take responsibility for getting things done! 
If students are not following rules and expectations they will be asked to lower their clip.
They will also lower clips for missing work, homework, and not putting name and number on
their paper. They will then have to earn their way back up to green or blue.
Item 5: Daily 5
Daily 5 is a book written by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, I read this book when I was
starting my first year of teaching and it completely changed my life! It is an updated
version of what we all know as “centers” except it is more independent and much less
paperwork. Students rotate through 4-5 choices a day. Each choice is 15 minutes. During
this time I pull single students and groups of students to do guided reading. This is the
most important time of our day! I meet with each group at least four times a week. This
allows for one hour of completely tailored instruction to your child per week!!!
1. Read to Self-Students read by themselves and work on increasing their reading
stamina
2. Read to Partner-Students pick a book with a partner and take turns reading to each
other
3. Listen to Reading-Students listen to fiction and non-fiction story pairings on the
classroom computers and ipads.
4. Word Work-Students work with manipulatives such as play dough, clay, wiki sticks,
pipe cleaners, etc to make their spelling words and word wall words.
5. Writing-Students write every single day. They are given choices about what writing
they would like to do (letter, card, narrative, etc.)
Item 6: AR Quizzes
Every Wednesday and Friday morning we will go to the computer lab to take AR quizzes
and to learn to type. On students reading log, please write the book title, author name, and
if you can find it…write the quiz number. Please write books on the reading log in neat print
so that your child and myself can read it! (This makes finding the quiz easier )
Students earn points and prizes for passing quizzes.
AR code directions:
*Go to Tippcityschools.com
*Go to Our Schools—Broadway Elementary
*On the left hand side scroll down until you see AR Reading Book List (that will take you to the website)
*Once you are on the website, press quiz search (it is in blue)
*Near the top of the page it will say title- type in the title next to it
*The book title picture will pop up and it will say quiz code
*Write that code in your child’s agenda for Wednesday and Friday as well as on monthly reading log.
Not every book is on AR! If you can’t find it try typing in the author’s name.
HOPE THIS HELPS!!
Item 7: Birthday’s and classroom celebrations
Students are allowed/encouraged to celebrate their birthdays in the classroom. Our snack
time is at 10:40 each morning, so that is when I typically like to have birthday treats.
We will have a few classroom parties this year. For the official school parties (Halloween,
Christmas, Valentine’s Day) I will need parents to plan and volunteer. For the other
celebrations, just stay tuned for more info on how you can help!
*Johnny Appleseed’s Birthday Celebration: will send home a letter with what we need and
volunteers.
*Halloween, Christmas,Valentine’s Day-I would love for one or two parents to take the
reins on organizing these. Last year we did four stations (craft, craft, game, snack) and it
seemed to work well.
*Thanksgiving Lunch-will send home a letter with food items we need and volunteers
*Who Feast-We will have a Who feast (styled after the famous Dr. Seuss story, How the
Grinch Stole Christmas) and dress up as characters and eat lunch in the room.
*Polar Express Christmas Celebration-We will watch the movie and have pancakes and hot
cocoa.
*Trip to Antarctica-We will hop on the Sowder Airlines and head to Antarctica on a virtual
fieldtrip to finish our January penguin unit.
*Dr. Seuss Celebration week-we will have a different book theme each day. More info to
come.
*St. Patrick’s Day-We do not have an official party, but I do ask that students create a
leprechaun trap.
*Poetry Picnic-This will be during the school day on a Friday in April. Parents and families
will be invited to come listen to poetry and eat lunch with their child.
*End of Year celebration-Marion’s Pizza, Troy OH (one evening in May)