1. Sneak-A-Peek Bill Arp Elementary Mrs. Cooper’s Class 2013-2014

2. Welcome to Second Grade! We are going to have an interesting and productive year filled with exciting activities!

3. About Mrs. Cooper My background I grew up in Stockbridge, GA. I moved to Douglasville in 2006. I got married in the Summer of 2008. I have a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from the University of West Georgia, a M.A. in Instruction from Central Michigan University, and an Ed.S. in Early Childhood Education from the University of West Georgia. This will be my 8 th year teaching elementary school.

4. Behavior Management One of the most important aspects of our classroom is following rules. It is mandatory that we have rules to promote an orderly and safe atmosphere for teaching and learning to occur.

5. Behavior continued… We will be discussing the classroom and school rules during the first week of school. I will be sending a letter home with your child discussing the rules and consequences.

6. Bill Arp’s Red Folder Tuesdays All information coming from the office, PTO, and/or the school system will be sent home on Tuesdays in a red folder. Progress reports and report cards will also be sent home in this folder. Please look through the red folder each Tuesday night, remove or sign the information, and return it on Wednesday.

7. Travel Binder The travel binder is primarily used to carry homework assignments and classroom information. Please check the binder EVERY NIGHT! I will be sending home important information throughout the year that may require a parent signature. The folder should be returned to school EVERY DAY with completed homework. There will be a place on the homework sheet for you to initial each night indicating that your child has completed the assigned homework.

8. Homework Homework will be given daily except on Fridays and holidays. All homework assignments will be written on the homework sheet. I will also send a newsletter that will include parent information.

9. *Typical week of homework… Test prep/Review Spelling practice Sight word and fluency practice Math practice (could involve worksheets, counting money, math facts, etc.) *Homework is meant to be used as practice and review of previously learned material. It will reflect what is being taught during the school day and is an indication of your child’s progress.

10. Completed Work Folder All graded work will be sent home on most Mondays or Tuesdays in a completed work folder. Review graded work with your child and remove papers from the folder. Please sign and return all papers that receive a grade of 1. Please return the completed work folder the following day with your signature on the sheet stapled to the front of the folder.

11. Special Areas 9:45-10:30 PE Your child will have PE several times during the week. Please make sure they have appropriate shoes. Music and Art Students will rotate between music and art during the nine weeks. A final specials schedule will be sent home soon.

12. Parent/Teacher Conferences We will have two conferences during the school year. Additional conferences may be needed. If you need to schedule an additional conference, give me a call or send an email. For your convenience, conferences may be held over the phone or in person.

13. Money Send ALL money in the zipper pencil bag (located in the travel folder). All money should be placed in a sealed envelope indicating the purpose, amount, student’s name, student’s ID #, and homeroom teacher’s name. ASP money is given directly to the office. Please do not send it in the travel binder.

14. Breakfast/Lunch Breakfast 7:15-7:45 $1.25 Lunch 12:05-12:35 $1.80 *It is the parent’s responsibility to keep up with the child’s account balance. Please visit the online lunch system by visiting DCSS’s website. Contact Denise Caldwell if you have any questions concerning lunch money.

15. Absences/Tardiness School begins promptly at 8:00. Arrival time should be 7:15-8:00. Announcements are over by 8:00 so it is best that students are present by 7:45am. Students must be physically in the room when the bell rings or they will be marked tardy. Absences will require a written excuse note. Please send all notes in the zipper pouch located in the travel binder. Check the student handbook for more attendance information.

16. Change in Transportation If your child is going home a different way, please send a written note to school in the zipper pouch of the travel binder. A note should be sent each day the child has a change of transportation. We are not allowed to change transportation over the phone or through email. Emergency changes may be made through the office.

17. What do we learn in 2nd grade? Writing Each student has a writing portfolio. Students are graded based on a second grade writing rubric. The rubrics will be sent home so that you know what level your child is on and how to work on reaching the next level.

18. Writing cont. I will have conferences with each student to discuss how to improve their writing. One way children improve in reading is through writing, so I will do a lot of whole group writing activities throughout the year.

19. Language Arts We will be working on reading comprehension, speaking/listening, grammar, spelling and handwriting.

20. Math There will be daily problem solving activities and problem solving tests given every week. We will be using calendar math everyday which helps with repetition of important math concepts. There will be timed tests weekly to assess math facts.

21. Social Studies/Science Our Social Studies and Science units are thematic. Students will have a few projects that they will complete to show what they’ve learned.

22. iText my Students To receive text messages from Mrs. Cooper, please refer to the Remind101 flyer that was handed out at Sneak-A- Peek. I will send texts throughout the year for important information and reminders. With Remind101, all personal information remains completely confidential.

23. Contact Information Email jennifer.cooper@douglas.k12.ga.us jennifer.cooper@douglas.k12.ga.us Mrs. Cooper’s Room (770) 651-3285 Front Office Number (770) 651-3200 My primary method for communicating with parents will be through email. Please let me know if your email address changes. Please visit our classroom blog to learn more about what is going on in our classroom throughout the year… www.mrscoopsclass.blogspot.com