Welcome to Grade 2 at Guthrie School. We are looking forward to a busy year of learning, exploring and having fun along the way. We will begin our year by establishing our daily routines and discussing classroom expectations to ensure we have a positive, respectful learning environment.
HOME/SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
Communication between home and school is extremely important. It not only provides comfort and security for your child but can often result in situations being resolved before they become a concern.
Communication can occur through the use of the daily agenda (please sign it each day after you read the entry), the Guthrie webpage (http://www.sturgeon.ab.ca/guthrie) where you can access news and information about the classroom, through Powerschool, phone calls, emails or by coming to the classroom. Please feel free to use these methods to help me get to know your child.
HOMEWORK
Students are expected to read each night for 10 minutes until Christmas break and 15 minutes in the New Year. After each reading time they are to write the name of the book they read in their agenda. Your initials are required beside the entry to confirm the reading. The agenda will be checked each day and a sticker will be awarded for each reading that is recorded and initialed. If the child has 5 stickers on Friday, they will be allowed to participate in a half-hour of “free time” where they can choose a preferred activity from several that are offered. Students that do not have 5 readings recorded will have an opportunity to practice their independent reading during this time.
Students will usually have time to complete their work during class but the spelling list may need to be practiced at home. Spelling and other subject work that is not completed during the time allotted in class will be sent home for the child to complete and return the next day. If a child is away they will be expected to catch up on the work they missed.
HELPER OF THE WEEK
Each week a different student will be chosen to be the helper. The helper changes the date on the calendar, leads the lines, helps the teacher and has a note written about them by each of the other students. The notes will be sent home with the student at the end of the week.
PROGRESS REPORTS
We are no longer issuing paper report cards but you may monitor your child’s progress on the Parent Portal (https://pschool.sturgeon.ab.ca/public). Parent/teacher interviews will continue to take place twice a year. However, I will gladly be available to discuss your child’s progress at other times that are mutually agreeable.
FIELD TRIPS
We will be booking field trips that are relevant to the areas we are studying. More information regarding field trip will be provided as they come up.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS
Book orders will be sent home throughout the year. This is a fairly inexpensive way to build your child’s library. Simply complete the order form and send it back to the classroom. You can pay for the order on line or provide cash or a cheque with your order. I will submit the order to Scholastic and your child’s books should arrive within a two week period.
LUNCH
Students stay in the classroom for lunch and are supervised by the teacher. The children have 20 minutes to eat their lunch and 30 minutes of outside play before the afternoon begins. Please ensure that your child has a snack for the morning recess and a nutritious lunch.
REWARDS
When your child does a particularly good job of meeting classroom expectations they will often receive a reward in the form of plastic money, initially a nickel. This plastic money will be saved and exchanged for larger amounts until your child has a plastic loonie! This loonie will be exchanged for a prize and then they will start again. So, your child may be bringing small toys home that they have earned in the classroom. This reward system not only encourages counting by 5’s, 10’s and, with help, 25’s, but also reminds students to be aware of classroom expectations and to feel good about doing their best each day in the classroom.
Thank you for taking the time to read this information. I look forward to the year ahead with you and your child. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.