Welcome to 2nd Grade Mrs. Hobbs’ Class

Dear parents, Welcome to 2nd Grade! In this packet you will find information about what to expect in 2nd grade. By working together we can make your child’s second grade year terrific! School Day: The school doors open with the first bell ringing at 7:40. The doors will close with the second bell ringing at 7:45. Students who come after the second bell are considered tardy and will need to enter the main doors at the front of the school. Class is dismissed at 2:30 on M, T, Th, and F. On Wednesdays, students are dismissed at 1:15. Being that there is so much to do in one day, it is very important that your child attends school regularly and on time. Lunch: Our regular lunch time is connected to recess. They take this break from 11:15-11:55. Please check in at the office with your ID if you plan to attend lunch with your child. If lunch money is brought to school, your child will have time in the morning or during their lunch to bring the money to the cafeteria. Lunches can be purchased online as well. Specials: Our specials time is from 12:55-1:40 and on Wednesdays it is from 12:30-1:15. We will rotate through music, P.E., and art. Second grade rotates on a 4 day schedule; which means that your child will be in music for four days, then, P.E. for four days, and art for four days before repeating the cycle. Online Classroom: Newsletters, calendars, web sites, and other pertinent information will be located within the online classroom. At times throughout the year, I will post various pictures of your child or videos showing the work that is taking place within the classroom. If you do NOT want your child videoed or photographed, please send in a note indicating your disapproval. The online classroom is a great way for you to access information about what we are learning and follow us throughout the second grade year.

Homework: Homework is vital to your child’s success this year as it is needed practice that will support what was learned within the classroom. Your child will write their homework in their planner each day. Please initial the planner indicating you checked their work prior to your child bringing the homework back to school. Reading, math, and spelling activities are completed nightly. Student selected books will come home in a book bag and will need to be returned nightly in order for them to switch the book out. If your child is reading a chapter book, they may need the book for the week, but will still need to bring the book bag back to class for monitoring reasons. Second graders are expected to read at least 20 minutes every night. At first the math homework is limited, but as the year progresses, anticipate math links coming home nightly to reinforce the lesson that was taught earlier in the day. Spelling chunks will be sent home on Friday and will be tested the following Thursday. I do not post homework to the online classroom. Although it isn’t always listed, your child should be studying their math facts as well to increase automaticity in this area. Homework Folder Your child will come home with an orange folder containing daily homework; however, on Friday, this folder will be filled with the week’s work, important information, and any unfinished assignments. Please spend some time looking through your child’s work, empty the folder and keep the work at home. If there are unfinished papers, please allow your child to work on them independently and return them to school on Monday. Note, some work will remain at school all year in your child’s portfolio. Please return the empty folder to school on Monday. Classroom Management: Following our expectations is expected and not suggested. They are discussed on the first day and practiced regularly throughout the school day. We have a “SPOT” chart to help monitor the expected behavior. When I spot a child showing positive behavior they will get to move their clip up. By the end of the week, those that stayed on the green or higher, will receive a lottery ticket for a Great Grizzly drawing! For those students who show exemplary behavior and participation, they will receive a call home to celebrate their success and will be considered for a positive referral. On the flip side of things, if I spot a child showing negative behavior, they will have to move their clip down. If needed a note will be sent home for any child that, despite reminders, continues to have behavior that impacts their day and others around them. The clips have proven to be a great visual reminder that allows a child to monitor themselves throughout the day.

Thank you for all your support. It’s going to be a fantastic year! Snack: We will have a snack time every morning. Please pack a non-messy snack for your child to have each day. Please do not send soft drinks or any other sugary items to school. Water bottles are fine as long as they do not become a distraction. If you could send in extra snacks for the class, that would be greatly appreciated! Birthday Treats: I would love to celebrate your child’s birthday with the class. Please know that we will celebrate either right away in the morning or during the last 10 minutes of the day. If you are sending in treats, please make sure that the treat you send in is pre-cut and that there is enough for every child. Birthday treats are shared with our class only. Students cannot travel around the lunchroom or school sharing their extra treats--even though it is a sweet gesture.  Volunteers: As a teacher, I am always looking for help. The classroom volunteer work would range from working with small groups of students, cutting, pasting, making copies or filing papers. If you would like to volunteer from home, I could always use help with cutting. Every little bit of help is appreciated! Also, please remember that we have a lovely Parent Group that provides many opportunities for parents to help in a variety of areas. We can never have too many volunteers at our school! **Also, before you throw…think of us! Books, books, and more books are always needed in a classroom of many. So if you are finding yourself throwing away books, please, consider donating them to the classroom library! We always enjoy reading what others once treasured. I am sincerely looking forward to working with you and your child this year. Communication is valuable between teacher and parent, so I encourage you to contact me via email (Elizabeth.hobbs@adams12.org), phone (720)-872-5975, or set up an appointment if you have any questions, concerns, or would simply like to discuss the progress your student is making. Thank you for all your support. It’s going to be a fantastic year!