2B - Mrs. Anderson
Email: handerson@sainttimothyschool.org

My SchoolNotes Site

Classroom Assistant: Miss Elise Edwards
Email: eedwards@sainttimothyschool.org

Communication

CONTACT ME: Please contact me via email or by sending a note in your child's backpack.

Room Mother

The room mother for our class will be announced in the Fall. She will be in contact with each family regarding volunteering in and outside the classroom for special events; during Art, Computer, PE and Library; and will forward schoolwide PTO announcements via email.  To assist her in communicating with the class, please contact her with your email address and willingness to volunteer. 

Classroom Guidelines

1. Listen carefully
2. Follow directions
3. Work quietly.  Don't disturb others who are working
4. Respect others. Be kind with your words and actions
5. Respect school and personal property
6. Work and play safely
7. Raise your hand and wait to be called on by the person in charge
8. Do your best
9. Try your hardest
10. Have fun

Behavior Management

Each student has a small colored card with a kite on our "Flying High" bulletin board. The card will fly high "blue" as long as the student follows school and classroom rules.  If a student fails to follow the rules, the following are the consequences:

Every day, your child will color in a balloon corresponding to his/her behavior.  If a balloon is any color other than blue, an explanation of the inappropriate behavior will be provided.   A parent should sign the form found in their homework folder each night and return to school in the folder.  Each day the kite is moved back to blue to begin a fresh day. At the end of the week, all students whose balloon has stayed in the sky all week will receive a small reward. 

Homework/Class Work

Any assignment not completed in class, should be taken home and completed that evening, and returned to school the next day.  Failure to do so will result in a loss of recess time.  All homework will be copied into  the Assignment Notebook - each day.  It is copied from the assignment board in front of the classroom.  I ask that you look at it every night, with your child, and compare it to the work in his or her homework folder on the school side.  Then please sign the child's notebook.  Your child should then put his/her books and the folder into their book bag - You Should Not Do This - make this task their responsibility.  If your child is absent, the work completed will be written down and placed into a folder that says, "If You Were Absent".  The work will be on their desk when they return to school, or it can be sent home with a sibling or neighborhood friend if I know this in the morning.  If you'd like to pick up the work in the office, please call the office and leave a message and it will be ready at the end of the day.  Any work completed in a messy manner will be returned to do over again neatly.  Neatness counts on all assignments.

Folders

HOMEWORK FOLDER: Your child will bring home a folder daily - labeled "Homework Folder". It is important to check this folder every night - it will contain work to be completed and notices sent from the office.  When the children complete their homework, please check it over, if you note any mistakes please have the children correct them.

WEEKLY FOLDER: A folder labeled "Weekly Folder" will be brought home.  It will contain papers that your child has completed in school.  Take time to review these papers and go over them with your child.  Remove the papers and keep them at home, sign the folder and return it to school the next day.  Any papers stamped with "Parent Signature" should be signed and returned. Inside this folder will also be a sheet for comments - please make any comments and then sign the form and return it to school the next day in the folder.

Grading 

Grading that will be used this year is:

Grades that appear on papers will note the number grade, or the percentage.  All work receiving a 4 to 5 mark will be stamped with a parent signature stamp.  Please review these papers and have your child correct them - they will learn from their mistakes.  Then sign and return the papers in the folder. A grade of 1 is reserved for children who do exceptional work, and for the student who goes beyond the established goals for achievement and contributions.

Special Assignments

RELIGION: There are certain prayers that the children are required to know in the second grade. Please practice these regularly when they are assigned, so the children will learn them.  The children will bring their book home regularly  please read and review the vocabulary words and hi-lighted parts. When we begin to prepare for the Sacraments they will be asked to practice at home (we will also practice at school), it is important to go over proper procedures so that they feel comfortable and ready to receive them.  The children also need to know how to reverently behave in Church.  Please stress correct posture (standing and kneeling) and how to genuflect.  remind them to sit still and LISTEN carefully to the priest.  They will also need to know the parts of the Mass and the correct responses.  Please use the Missal and follow along with  the parts of the Mass.  All students should be familiar with how to find the songs and use the books to sing the songs.

MATH: Please practice and review the basic facts for addition and subtraction on a regular basis - even if they are not assigned, for just a few minutes each night.  The more practice the easier Math will be for them.  I will give timed math tests on a regular basis so that the children can see how they are progressing. When "practice facts" is assigned as homework please use one of the following ways to practice facts: use flash cards, computer programs, or other creative ways to practice them.

HANDWRITING: All work must be done in a neat and organized way.  All written assignments must have a complete heading on them - that is: Child's name, the date (if it is a test) and their number in the top right hand corner - Please check over your child's work and remind them to put a heading on every paper.  If the paper has a page number on it, they should write their heading on the side with the lowest number. 

READING:  I will be sending home a list of Vocabulary words that go along with the story we are reading.  Please review these words with your child.  It is important that you help your child know these words since many of them are hard and new to them.  They need to know how to pronounce the words and they need to know what the words mean.  They do not need to know how to spell the words.

READING CHALLENGE:  Each child should read 70 minutes a week (this averages out to 10 minutes a day).  When reading, it can be any type of book, and the child can read silently or aloud. Each time your child reads for 70 minutes, please complete a "balloon" paper and send it in.  Your child will be rewarded monthly when 4 sheets are turned in.

Class Prizes

Donations of prizes are greatly appreciated.  In the past, parents have sent in such things as: pencils, erasers, books, bookmarks, small hand held games, balls, school supplies, etc.  Please send them to me in a bag labeled Treasure Chest Prizes.  These prizes will be used for Reading prizes and other prizes as needed during the school year.

Guest Speakers

Periodically throughout the year we will have parents and friends as guest speakers talk to the class on various topics.  Many parents have talked to the class about their jobs or hobbies. If you are interested, or can recommend someone that the children would be interested in please let me know.

Snack

Every morning a time is set-aside for the children to eat a small snack, brought home from home.  Please try to send health snacks - such as fruit, etc. The children generally have 10 minutes in which to eat the snack.

Birthdays

To celebrate their birthday your child may bring a treat to share with the class, as long as the treat is the exact same treat for everyone in the class.  the treat need not be edible.  Any extra treats will be sent to the office.  Students will not be permitted to share their treat with any other students or classes.  Please send individual treats - no sheet cakes or juice please. Do not send any treats that contain nuts or any form of nuts. If the birthday falls on a weekend they may choose either Friday or Monday on which to celebrate it - please let me know which they choose.  If a child's birthday is in the summer they can choose any day during the school year to celebrate their birthday.  Please let me know which day they will celebrate their birthday.  If a child wants to hand out birthday party invitations they must be passed out to the entire class.  If a child only wants to invite a few friends to their birthday get together the invitations must be sent through the mail.

Volunteering

To volunteer for Specials, please contact your Room Mother who will prepare a schedule of volunteers for Art, Library, PE and Computers. 

To volunteer to help in the classroom, please consider signing up for one of the following activities. The 2008-09 dates for each event will be posted in September.

Holy Cards

Each child will be assigned a Saint and Feast Day. Mrs. Anderson will give your child the cards to distribute in class.

Classroom Activities

Provide stickers for classroom and treasure Chest prizes for classroom

Cut laminating/projects

Classroom helper (filing, hanging things in hall, etc.)

Class Historian - document and put together a class scrapbook throughout the year

Class Book Orders - tally and send in order; sort order upon arrival - Michelle Susco

Auction Basket for 2B - Set theme and collect items for spring auction

Decorate Room for Holidays

Special Activities

Harvest Festival: Students rotate through activities and crafts related to apples. Parents will lead a group in the activities.  Materials will be provided.

Halloween Learning Experience: Read Story, Craft with Class

Election Day: Supervise voting in the classroom and tabulate votes

National Young Readers' Day: anytime; Parents come in and read their favorite story to the class.  

Thanksgiving Learning Experience: Story and craft.

St. Nicholas Learning Experience: Religion lesson about St. Nicholas and his kindness to others.  Distribution of treats.

Christmas Learning Experience: Celebration of Advent

Feast of the Epiphany; Story and craft.

Reconciliation Retreat Day: Day to reflect on our First Reconciliation.  Parents needed to provide a craft, assist groups with activities and play the part of the priest during practice. Materials provided.

Reconciliation:

Reconciliation Celebration: Class treat and remembrance celebration reception of Sacrament.

Valentine's Day Learning Experience: Story and craft.

Mardi Gras Celebration: Story and craft. King Cake (provided).

Presidents' Day: Social Studies learning experience where the second grade students dress up as Presidents, First Ladies or Vice Presidents to learn about our country's leaders. Parents needed to be a photographer, videographer and dress up as Secret Service agents to escort the dignitaries. 

St. Patrick's Day: Story and craft.

Easter Learning Experience: Story and craft.

First Holy Communion Retreat (with the CCD):  A day of reflection including Mass, arts & crafts, brunch, visit to the Blessed Sacrament and recitation of the Holy Rosary.

First Holy Communion Retreat: Day to review First Holy Communion and make bread.  Parents needed to assist group with activities.  Materials provided.

First Holy Communion:

First Holy Communion Breakfast: Celebration with our families of the gift of First Holy Communion with a light breakfast immediately following the 9:00 Mass. Students wear their First Communion attire to school and Mass and change into their uniforms before breakfast.  Parents needed to assist in the classroom during the change of clothes. 

End of School Ice Cream Social: Celebration of the year in 2nd grade