1. Ms. Diggs & Ms. Tijerina

2. This is my seventh year teaching. I taught 4 th grade for two years, and have been in 2 nd grade for the last four years. I graduated from University of Houston with a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and psychology. I will be teaching your child reading, writing, language, and spelling! Ms. Diggs This is my 29 th year teaching! I have a Bachelor of Science in Education. I have three daughters and two grandsons. I will be teaching your child math, science, and social studies.

3. School starts at 8:00. Students arriving to the classroom after 8:10 are considered tardy. There is no supervision for students who arrive before 7:30. After 7:30, students may wait in the cafeteria. Breakfast will be served in the classroom from 7:55- 8:10. Breakfast is over at 8:15. Students who are tardy may miss breakfast. Please make sure your child is on time so that we can all start the day off on a good foot!

4. In Reading, 2 nd graders learn about… Non-fiction and fiction books Poetry, plays, procedural text, fables, folktales, and electronic media Reading fluently (90 words per minute!) Monitoring comprehension when reading independently (for 30 minutes!) Retelling, summarizing, making predictions, asking questions, and making connections to texts Using synonyms, antonyms, homophones, prefixes, and suffixes to determine the meaning of words How to read words with prefixes, suffixes, multiple syllables, long and short vowels, contractions, etc.! Students will receive small group instruction during reading. They will also practice skills independently at reading workstations.

5. What can you do to help? Establish a nightly reading routine at home (15-30 minutes) Read with your child, to your child, and listen to your child read Make sure your child completes his/her reading log Ask your child what he/she read about to help with comprehension Let your child know you think reading is both fun and important! Review classwork and tests that are sent home. Review errors with your child. Help your child study vocabulary words and skills. Visit the library as a family! Allow your child to visit learning websites for extra practice.

6. In Writing and Language, 2 nd graders learn about… The writing process (planning, drafting, editing, revising, publishing) Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions Writing sentences with complete thoughts Writing stories, letters, poems, persuasive pieces, and information about topics of interest Spelling words with blends, long and short vowels, multiple syllables, contractions, inflectional endings, r-controlled vowels, and high frequency words

7. What can you do to help? Make sure your child completes his/her spelling homework Help your child study the weekly spelling words Encourage your child to write at home! Let your child use different writing tools, special paper, diaries, etc. to make it more engaging! Let your child tell you stories! Children need to be able to verbalize stories before they can write them. Review classwork and tests that are sent home. Review errors with your child.

8. In Math, 2 nd graders learn about… Numbers to 999 Counting mixed coins Addition and subtraction (with regrouping) Problem solving Telling time in 5 minute intervals Fractions 2-D and 3-D shapes Measurement (length, weight, capacity) Exploring multiplication and division Students will receive small group instruction during math. They will also practice skills independently at math workstations.

9. What can you do to help? Practice math facts (use flashcards, games, etc.) Apply math to real life situations (at the grocery store, while cooking, etc.) Practice telling time, counting money, measuring, etc. whenever you can! Practice counting and skip-counting Make sure your child completes his/her math homework (M-R) Check over your child’s homework! Review classwork and tests that are sent home. Review errors with your child.

10. In Science, 2 nd graders learn about… How to be a scientist Earth and space Properties of matter Forces and motion Natural resources Plants and animals Encourage your child to explore, be curious, and ask questions!

11. In Social Studies, 2 nd graders learn about… How to be a good citizen The community, city, state, and country Government services and purpose Famous people Map skills Making good choices and decisions

12. Students alternate between MAP classes as follows: Music, PE, Art, PE We will visit the computer lab and library on Tuesdays. Please make sure your child has his/her library book to exchange on Tuesdays.

13. Lunch is from 10:55-11:25. Please make sure that any lunch money sent in is in an envelope or bag clearly labeled with your child’s name! Free/reduced lunch must be applied for online this year. Students may bring a small, healthy snack to have in the afternoon. Please do not send anything other than water to drink.

14. Recess will be after lunch, from 11:25- 11:55. Please have your child wear sneakers to school so that he/she is ready to play at recess!

15. School ends at 3:40. You may not dismiss your child from the front office after 2:30 unless it is an emergency or you have a doctor’s note. Children are encouraged to ride the bus. Please send in a written note if dismissal procedures are going to be different on any particular day. This is the only way your child’s transportation may be changed.

16. Your child will have a behavior card in his/her binder. It will be marked each day to tell you how the day went. Please review and sign it every night. Children who receive less than 7 marks in a 6 week period will receive a special reward. Students are expected to be safe, be responsible, and be respectful at all times. School Norms: Dress for Success Ask/Answer/Action Personal Space Kind Words Quiet Zone Students have the opportunity to earn “College Cash” for demonstrating good behavior to spend at the school store. Consequences may include isolated lunch, loss of recess, or loss of another privilege.

17. Reading: Students will complete a reading log after reading 15-20 minutes a night. Spelling: Students will need to complete a total of three activities of choice from the tic-tac-toe board using the words for the week. The spelling homework will be collected on Friday, the day of the test. Math: Students will need to complete a practice sheet each night as well as study their math facts. Please see your child’s binder/homework sheet for more information on homework requirements.

18. Your child has been given a binder. This binder needs to be checked every night and return to school every day. All important information will be held in this binder. Please become familiar with it and help your child keep it organized! Weekly AgendaBehavior Card Homework SheetImportant Notices HomeworkReading Log

19. Progress reports will be sent home every three weeks and report cards every six weeks. The grading system is as follows: A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C= 75-79 D = 70-75 Below 70% is failing Grades will come from tests, classwork, and projects. Graded papers will be sent home on Wednesdays. Any graded assignments with a grade below 70% will need to be corrected and returned with a parent signature. You may also visit the Parent Portal to access your child’s grades, set alerts, etc.

20. Students who need extra help in Reading, Language Arts, and Math will be invited to tutorials. Tutorials will officially begin the week of September 16 th. We will contact you if your child needs to attend.

21. Navy blue, red, or white collared shirts only Navy or khaki pants or skirts (no cargo pants) Students are supposed to wear belts if their pants have belt loops. Sweaters and sweat shirts with hoods may be worn as jackets but not in the classroom. All sweaters worn in the classroom must be navy blue, red, or white.

22. 2 nd graders get to visit the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March!

23. Please let us know if you would like to volunteer your time to help in the classroom, at home, or to help on field trips or with special events! Volunteer in our Classroom!

24. Your child will have a behavior card in his/her binder. Please sign and return this daily. Each week your child will have a new agenda (telling what we will be learning about) and a homework sheet. Please contact us via phone or e-mail with any questions or concerns. E-mail is the fastest way to communicate. We cannot answer the phone during the day but will return calls within 24 hours. Please visit our websites!

25. Brenda Diggs BDiggs@staffordmsd.org 281-261-9200 Ext. 3601 http://classroom.stafford.msd.esc4.net/webs/bdiggs/ Conference Time: Daily from 2:20-3:00 (Please set up an appointment.) Vanessa Tijerina vtijerina@staffordmsd.org 281-261-9200 Ext. 3608 http://classroom.stafford.msd.esc4.net/webs/vtijerina/ Conference Time: Daily from 1:25 to 2:00 (Please set up an appointment.)

26. We look forward to working with you and your children this year. It is going to be a wonderful year filled with exciting learning activities! for taking the time to attend!