Back to School2014-2015

Mrs. IsaacsonRoom 10

I have been teaching for 27 years in many capacities: sixth grade, reading intervention, & instructional coaching. But 2nd grade is my very favorite! I have four children, and all their names begin with the letter “K”. Reading, scrapbooking, doing crafts, and watching my kids’ sporting events are someof my favorite things to do.

Three shorter recesses have replaced the two longer recesses that the school had last year.

8:40 1st bell rings8:50 Late bell rings, school begins10:15 – 10:30 Morning recess12:20 - 1:05 2nd grade lunch & recess 2:10 – 2:25 2nd grade recess 3:25 School dismissed (Mon.-Thurs.)

School is dismissed at 1:25 on Fridays.

Ms. Fredericks – Principal Mrs. Stark – Administrative Intern Mrs. Dickson – Secretary Mr. Gorringe – Custodian Mrs. Preston – Librarian Mrs. Lake – Computer Prep-Time Teacher Mrs. DeVries – P.E. Prep-Time Teacher Mrs. Gray – Music & Art Prep-Time Teacher

Other 2nd Grade teachers: Mrs. Edgley Mrs. Handy Mrs.

Osborne Mrs. Montgomery & Mrs. Chen (Chinese

Immersion)

School Personnel

• Listen carefully.• Follow directions.• Work quietly. Do not disturb others.• Respect others. Be kind with words and

actions.• Respect school and personal property.• Work and play safely.

Grading is done on a 1-2-3 rubric, just as the district DESK report card is. However, I mark their papers with a plus sign (+), a check mark (), or a minus (-) sign as an easy-to-understand visual reminder.

85 – 100% = + 70 – 84% = 69% and below = -

Every Monday, a homework packet consisting of a reading passage with questions and math review pages will be sent home. Your child needs to complete it and return it to me by Friday of the same week. Not only does completing the homework packet help review important concepts, but it also teaches your child the importance of responsibility and completing work. The weekly spelling list is also attached to the packet. You and your child may use this to practice the words at home for the spelling test on Friday.

We will be learning these things (and lots more!):

• Types of sentences• Parts of a sentence• Friendly letter writing• Informative paragraphs• Persuasive writing• Possessive nouns• Common and proper nouns• Plural nouns• Adjectives• Verbs • Contractions

Reading skills & strategies we’ll be emphasizing:

• main idea and details• parts of a story• comparing and contrasting• sequencing and transition words• summarizing• predicting outcomes • inferencing

• fact and opinion• reading genres• fluency

Areas we will be focusing on are:

• Numbers and operations• Mental strategies for addition & subtraction• Place Value• Measurement• Time• Money

• Graphing data• Fractions• Geometric shapes

Some of the areas we will be studying are:

• Weather• Moon and Stars• Rocks• Gravity• Living Things

You are a welcome presence in the classroom. If you’d like to volunteer on a regular basis or even just once or twice a

year, please fill out a volunteer form in our classroom at our Back-to-School Open

House and give to Mrs. Isaacson. There are opportunities to listen to students read, help them with their math facts, supervise our class store, or help with class parties.

We appreciate your help!

We already have pencil boxes, crayons, and colored pencils for each student in our class, but it is important to have a backpack or bag to bring papers home in every night. We use lots & lots of supplies in 2nd grade, so it would be very appreciated if every child could donate these items:

• 8 – 10 small gluesticks• a 4 oz. bottle of Elmer’s Glue• a regular box of tissues• a roll of paper towels

Fun Friday – Every Friday , each student who has completed their work in class and returned their homework will get to participate in a “Fun Friday” reward activity.

Star of the Week – Each child will have the opportunity to be the Star of the week. A paper will be sent home the week before, along with a posterboard to decorate about themselves. They’ll share their poster the following Monday and it will be on display in our classroom during the week.

Birthdays – You are welcome (but not required!) to send a small treat for the class on your child’s birthday. In keeping with district policy, it must be store-bought. We will celebrate summer birthdays on the child’s half-birthday (June

birthdays in December, July in January, & August in February.)

Communication is the key to a successful school year. We’re all in this

together – parents, teachers, and administrators working together to help

your child reach their full potential.It’s going to be a great year!

Mrs. Isaacson’s email: jisaacson@dsdmail.net

Syracuse Elementary phone: 801-402-2600