The ABCs of Second Grade
Mrs. O's Parent Handbook
2012/2013
Welcome to the 2012-2013 school year! I want your child to have a fun and successful year in second grade. This handbook will explain how I run my classroom and what to expect this year. I've included everything that parents most frequently ask me, so I hope this helps. Some things may change as the year progresses, but this will give you a good idea of my policies and plans. If you have any additional questions or would like clarification, please contact me.
A Attendance
Regular attendance without tardiness is essential! School begins promptly at 8:40 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. Most second grade learning activities are group oriented and involve interaction with the teacher and classmates. Therefore, it is hard to make up work at home. If your child must miss class, I will send any work I can to help them. If you know your child will be absent in advance, please let me know.
B Behavior
I strive to provide a safe, comfortable, and fun learning environment for the children. Respect is a key rule and focus in the classroom and throughout the school. Any student failing to follow the posted class rules will be given a verbal warning. After a verbal warning, the student will be asked to pull a clothespin with their private student number from green to yellow on the classroom stoplight. They must also fill out a reflection sheet explaining what they did wrong and a better choice they could have made. If there are any additional behavior problems with the same student, they will be asked to move their clothespin to red on the classroom stoplight and fill out another behavior reflection. If a student reaches the red light they will begin to lose privileges like recess or free time. If a student continues to misbehave after moving to red, their parents will be called and/or they will be given a referral to the principal.
A student behavior report is sent home on Fridays for parents to review, along with any student reflection sheets attached. Please sign the behavior report every Friday and return it each Monday. This routine helps your child develop responsibility and reinforces the importance of communication between home and school. Students will also receive a "golden bead" for bringing back signed behavior reports.
Students receive positive reinforcement for contributing to the classroom experience and modeling respect and responsibility. As a reward, students receive "golden beads," which may be exchanged for prizes from the treasure box on a weekly basis. Beads can be earned for any positive behavior and are based on the subjective judgment of the teacher.
C Communication
Always remember to check your child's backpack each night and look through their papers. It's a great way to get conversations going with your child as to what they've done at school. Please be positive and value the work your child has done.
Your child will have a designated "Take Home Folder." This folder will accompany your child back and forth to school each day. It will contain weekly homework packets, any unfinished classroom assignments, important notices, or other correspondence. This folder will also contain your child's completed and graded papers. Please send all notes, money and other important things you want me to find in your child's folder.
Please watch for newsletters and monthly calendars to come home with your child. These will let you know the skills we will be covering and special events that will be happening in our classroom and school.
I truly believe we are partners in your child's education and I value parental input! If the need arises for clarification of a classroom incident, specifics of an assignment, or any other concern or question please contact me directly. It is always easier to deal with situations immediately rather than letting them sit and fester!
Please do not come to the classroom to address concerns before or during school hours! Unless it is an emergency, please contact me via e-mail or phone or wait until after school to meet with me. You may call me at 
(520) 366-5508 or send me an email at OberdickN@palominas.k12.az.us. The best times to reach me at school will be from 8:15 a.m. - 8:50 a.m. or 3:30 p.m. -3:45 p.m. I am always willing to schedule a conference at any time.
D Daily Schedule
Our daily schedule will be sent home with your child soon so you may see what we are doing each day. Our daily schedule will include a 90 minute reading block, a 1 hour writing block, a 1 hour math block, a 20 minute recess, a 30 minute lunch, and social studies or science. We will also have specials (PE, computers, or library) for 50 minutes daily. Please keep in mind that our schedule is extremely flexible and subject to change based on the difficulty of what we are learning and special school events like assemblies.
E Expectations
I believe children will rise to the expectations you have of them, therefore I have high expectations of your child. The students may be young, but they are not too young to learn! One of the best things you can do for your child is teach them to be independent and self disciplined. Let them grow and take time to let them do things for themselves.
F Field trips
We will try to schedule at least 2 meaningful field trips for the class. They are a wonderful opportunity for students to learn and experience things outside of the classroom. Permission slips will generally be sent home at least one week before a field trip. We may occasionally request a small fee for field trips. Please let me know at that time if this causes a difficulty for your family. Opportunities to sign up for chaperones will also be provided on field trip permission slips.
G Grading
Please do not worry too much about grades. As long as students do their work and try their best, they will learn and succeed! My goal is not that every student earns straight "A's," but that every student shows growth and learning gains.
Grades are based on assignments, participation, class performance and other assessments. All graded assignments will be sent home in the take home folder each week. I do NOT grade every paper for every skill. Sometimes I practice targeted assessment and focus on one specific skill per assignment (i.e. handwriting.) If you have any questions or concerns about your child's progress please contact me so we can discuss it.
H Homework
Homework will be sent home in a packet every Monday. Packets will include skills from the previous and current week. Packets can be completed throughout the week, but are due on Friday. I do not advise waiting until Thursday night to complete the packet! Your child will also receive a weekly reading log. Please read with your child daily and record the information on the log.
I Internet & Technology
All students will be given the opportunity to use a computer in the classroom. Students will only be allowed to use the computers in class if parents have returned the permission form sent home at the beginning of the year. Students who do not follow the rules for computer usage may lose this privilege.
Websites will also occasionally be given to parents for use at home. I strongly encourage all families with internet access to explore these websites with your child and use them as a valuable resource!
J Jobs
Students will have jobs assigned to them each week. Every student should get a chance to do every classroom job over the course of the year. An example of a classroom job is Energy Monitor. This student turns off the lights when we leave the room. The job system promotes responsibility within the classroom community.
K Kindness
It is expected that everyone in our classroom will treat all others with respect and kindness!
L Lunch & Snacks
We will be eating lunch from 11:55-12:20. Please send either a nutritious lunch with your child or money to purchase a lunch. The school lunch costs $2.50 daily. All lunch money is to be put in a sealed envelope or bag marked with your child's name on the outside and what it's for, or better yet, please pay in advance for lunches at the office! Please label lunch boxes and/or snacks with your child's name.
We will also have a small snack each morning so please send a healthy snack with your child each day. Avoid sending sodas or candy to school with your child. Thank you!
M Materials
Please review the student material/ supply list sent home. It is very important that students are prepared to learn, and having the correct materials is crucial. Please contact me as soon as possible if you are having trouble finding or purchasing any of the items on the list.
N Needs
If you feel your child has a special need, such as enrichment or remedial materials, please let me know as soon as possible. I strive to provide opportunities for children of all ability levels, but it is helpful to know this information from the beginning so I can address the situation immediately. I also appreciate other information such as special seating needs, allergies, or difficult emotional times that your child may be going through.
O Our School
We are proud to be a part of the Palominas School District and the Valley View family! Please visit our school website regularly for news, updates, and opportunities to get involved at: http://www.valleyviewschoolaz.com.
P Parties & Birthdays
Birthdays are important days! It is often the wish of the child and/or parent to bring in a treat of some kind to celebrate the special day; however, due to student allergies and other health concerns, I do ask that you try to send non-food treats like stickers and pencils to distribute if you wish to celebrate the event with the class.
To eliminate exclusion, birthday invitations may be given out only if all students (or all the boys/ all the girls) are invited. If your child cannot invite everyone, then please do NOT pass out the invitations at school. However, if you provide me with the invitations, names, and stamps, I will be more than happy to address and mail them for you.
Q Questions
Never worry about asking questions! If you don't know or are unsure about something, I will do my best to explain or find the answer for you.
R Recess
The children will be going out for recess and/or PE daily unless it is raining or extremely hot or cold. Please keep this in mind when helping your child select clothing for the day. When selecting shoes and clothing to wear, remember that they will be running, climbing, and playing games. It is also advised to put sunscreen on your child each day. On occasions that you feel it is necessary for your child to stay indoors or not play, please send a written note. I will try to make arrangements for your child.
S Show & Tell
We do not have a scheduled "show and tell" in second grade. However, sometimes students may bring in a special item related to our second grade curriculum, and I can make time at the end of the day for them to share these things. This is determined on a case to case basis.
T Transportation
If you plan to pick up a child that normally rides the bus, have your child ride a different bus than usual, or otherwise change your regular form of transportation from school, you must send a written note or contact the office at (520) 366-5508 . Do not rely on your child to tell us this information, because children often become confused and relay information incorrectly. If no written note or phone call is received, your child will be sent home by his/her usual method of transportation.
U Unique
I truly believe that every child is special and unique. I never want your child to feel bad about their self. Every child may not succeed at every task the first time, but I will do my best to ensure that every child, regardless of their unique skills and needs, has opportunities for success!
V Volunteers
If you would like to help in the classroom, I would love to have you! Your help is welcomed and greatly appreciated. However, you must obtain a Visitor Pass before I can allow you in the classroom. Please see the office to obtain this pass. Also, please give me advance notice if you plan on coming in to help so I can prepare things for you to assist with.
W Wish List
I will periodically be sending home an on-going classroom wish list. It will be filled with things that we need for our classroom that the school cannot buy. If anyone would like to donate any of the items on our list it would be greatly appreciated, but please do NOT ever feel obligated!!
X and Y Extraordinary Year!
I am looking forward to having an extra-exciting, excellent, extraordinary year with you and your child!
Z Zero Tolerance
I am a very patient person with children, but I will have zero tolerance for violent, abusive, or bullying behaviors. Please notify me immediately if you feel your child is the target of a bully or is in anyway feeling unsafe at school!