Welcome to second grade!  My name is Mrs. McCann and I am delighted that your child is in my class this year.  With your support and encouragement, your child will be a part of many exciting and rewarding experiences this academic year. 

I have compiled this class handbook to provide information on the policies, procedures, and expectations for the new school year.  Please review the handbook with your child and sign the contract at the end of the handbook.  This will let me know that you have read and understood the information contained here.

Absences

Regular school attendance is critical to the learning process.  When your child is absent, he or she misses valuable instructional time.  Please send a written note of explanation whenever your child is absent.  All homework and class assignments are to be made up within the next few days after returning.  It is important that your child have very limited absences.  We do a lot of activities in class that are difficult to make-up.

Classroom Discipline Plan

As I firmly believe that lifelong success depends on self -discipline, I have developed a Classroom Discipline Plan that gives every student the opportunity to manage his or her own behavior.  I will discuss this plan with the students, but I would appreciate it if you would also review the plan with your child as well.  Working together, all of us can ensure that your child will receive the most positive educational climate possible:

Classroom Rules:

1.    Raise your hand before speaking.

2.    Follow directions.

3.    Respect others.

4.    Work quietly.

5.    Try your best!

Behavior Management System:

Each student will have an index card with his or her name on it to use as his or her S.T.A.R. (Students thinking and acting responsibly) card.  Throughout the year, students can earn stars for their S.T.A.R. card in many different ways including: working nicely with a partner or group, displaying an act of kindness and many other ways.  Students will work toward earning various rewards based on the amount of stars they receive:

·        15 Stars = New pencil and eraser

·        30 Stars = Prize Bag

·        45 Stars = Homework Pass (Reading or Spelling)

·        60 Stars = Lunch in the Classroom

Once a child earns 60 stars, they receive a new S.T.A.R. card to start again. 

Students can also lose stars by not listening, not following directions, etc.  If a student loses all of his or her stars, recess time begins to be taken away. 

I encourage you to visit the classroom during open house where I will be happy to go over the system in more detail.  I believe this system will allow me to devote more time to teaching and less time to handing discipline problems as well as promote positive behavior.    

 Agenda Books

The school provides an agenda book for your child.  The school agenda books are extremely important, as they are a direct link between school and home.  This is a convenient place for you to see your child’s homework.

The agenda books contain the student handbook, general school information, and a calendar with weekly pages for students to record homework and reminders.

Each day, I will write the homework assignments on the board for students to copy.  Responsible students should also write down reminders to finish incomplete work at home.

Please be sure you check the agenda books and sign them daily.  It is your child’s responsibility to record their homework, as I cannot do so for the entire class.

FOLDERS

Each night, your child will take home a folder, which has two pockets.  Each pocket has been labeled in order for you to know which papers should return to school or stay home.  This folder will contain important information such as Weekly Progress Reports, assignments, and a behavior report, if needed.  Please review the materials with your child and sign each.  This is also a convenient place for you to place any notes / letters that you may need to get to me.

Homework

Homework is important because it teaches responsibility and helps students develop good study habits.  In addition, homework helps to reinforce lessons that have been learned in class, and helps to prepare students for upcoming lessons and tests.

Usually homework should not take more than 20 to 30 minutes a night.  In addition, time should be set aside daily for independent reading.  Please encourage your child to do his/her best work.  Homework should be neat and all written work should be done in pencil.  Homework will not be accepted if written in pen, crayon, marker, etc. (except homework that requires coloring!)  If for some reason no homework is assigned, your child should still spend time reading.  I suggest that each child spends 20-30 minutes per night reading. 

Homework assignments are written on the board each day, and there is a sufficient amount of time to write down the assignments.  In addition, I will always go over the homework assignments at this time, and remind the students what they need to bring home.  You and your child will also have access to the homework hotline; therefore, there is no excuse for a student not to know the homework assignment. 

If for some reason (sickness, emergencies, etc.) a students is unable to complete homework, please write a note, and the assignment will be excused until the next day or longer if needed.  However, please don’t write a note asking for more time to complete homework if the reason is due to lack of material, or because your child didn’t write down the assignment.  I will supply students with any supplies that would be necessary for special assignments. 

Please remember, homework is a valuable reinforcement of the lessons learned in the classroom and should be completed. 

There will be consequences when homework is not completed (example: student may lose time off of recess in order to complete unfinished work).  When students face the consequences of their actions it helps to prepare them to become more responsible, independent workers in the future.  (I know this is hard.  Please work with me on this.)  Also if needed you can call the homework hotline: 570-296-3130.  My voice mail is 7309.  

Weekly Progress Reports

GRADES

Each marking period your child will receive grades in the following 

subjects: Math, Reading, Language Arts (this includes writing and 

grammar), Science, and Social Studies, plus the special areas.  There are 

4 grading periods throughout the school year.  An interim progress 

report will be sent home mid-way through each grading period and a 

report card will go home every nine weeks. My grading scale is:                                                                

 O = 100 - 90

S+ = 89 – 80

Parent Conferences

If you would like to meet with me, please send a note with your child or call the school to make an appointment. 

****570-296-3130, voice mail extension is 7309 ****

The best times to meet with me are before and after school.