1. Welcome to second & third grade with Mrs. Biggs About Me My name is Mandy Biggs and this is my eleventh year teaching at McCleary. I graduated from WSU (go Cougs) with a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education. I completed my Masters degree from Lesley University in Curriculum and Instruction. I am most proud of my work to receive my National Board Certification in 2010. My husband and I live here in McCleary out in the country on about 13 acres, with our three very busy sons. Race, just turned six and loves racing his quarter midget at the track in Elma. Carter is 3 ½ and will be starting preschool here at McCleary this fall. Sawyer just had his first birthday. He loves to cuddle and explore everything. The boys are huge Seahawks fans and are excited for football season. Go Hawks! = ) I enjoy reading, scrapbooking, baking, gardening, crafts, spending time with my family and of course teaching. I am really excited about many of the projects I have planned for this year. About our Classroom *AR (Accelerated Reader) – Third grade’s AR goal is 60 points and second grade’s goal is 40. During the year we will have “mini” goals for the students to achieve to help them stay on track and challenged in their reading. Watch the monthly calendar for more information. * PE – Students should wear shoes that they can safely run and participate in PE activities. Our PE days are Tuesday and Wednesday. *Monthly Calendar and weekly homework packet – At the beginning of each month a calendar from the 2/3 teachers will go home. This will list all homework and activities for the month. Homework will be sent home every Monday and due back on Friday. The purpose of homework is to provide students with the opportunity of learning responsibility (bringing it home, completing it and returning it to school on time) as well as providing opportunities for students to share what they are learning in school with their family. Our homework is aligned with the Common Core Standards. Make sure your child reads for at least 20 minutes every night! *Birthdays – If you would like to send in treats please email or call me at least one day in advance. This will allow me to let you know of any allergies and how many students to plan for.

2. *School wide we will continue with our citizenship program called Make Your Day as well as continuing to implement Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Ask your child about the Wildcat Bonus and how they can earn one! For more information please see the student handbook on the school website or feel free to ask me any questions you may have. *Home/School folder – Your child will have a green folder to take home homework, calendars, corrected work, communication, etc. and to bring back homework and any communication for me. Ask your child to share their folder with you and go through the papers in it. This is an excellent time to check your child’s understanding of what we are learning in class. Thank you! *Please make sure your child brings his/her backpack to school EVERY day along with their green folder. = ) *Our classroom Facebook page – Our class page will only be “friending” parents/guardians of current students to protect student privacy. Privacy settings are in place to only allow friends of the page to view photos and posts. On our class page we will be posting classroom photos, items we are working on in class, classroom happenings. etc. If you have a question/concern specific to your child please send me an email. *For privacy, no tagging pictures! Find us on facebook Biggs Classroom and friend our class page to keep up with what is happening in our classroom. If you have any problems finding it please email me and I will friend you. *Did you hear the good news? McCleary School will be providing breakfast and lunch free to ALL students! Some students may find themselves feeling hungry before the end of the day (lunch is at 11:10 for 2/3 grade this year). Students are welcome to bring a healthy snack to eat (we will not be sharing snacks) and a water bottle with a top that closes. *Ways you can help support our school Here are some easy ways you can help support our school. Please save the following and send in with your child. Thank you! *Gordon’s receipts * Box Tops *Campbell’s Labels for Education Wow! That is a lot of information! If anytime during the school year you have questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. With everyone’s busy family schedules, I have found that email is an effective way to communicate. My email address is mbiggs@mccleary.wednet.edu. I frequently check my email but you can also reach me by leaving a voicemail on my direct line 495-3537. I am looking forward to an exciting year of learning! Mrs. Biggs