Absences: Be sure to call the office to let the school know that your child
will be absent and the reason for the absence. When you call to report your
student's absence of at least 3 days, you may also request a homework pick-up
in the office or classroom. The student has as many days to make up the work
as s/he was absent. If you (parents) are going out of town, please let me know.
Book orders: Book orders are entirely optional but they are a fun and
inexpensive way to expand your child's home library. They are sent home about
once a month and you will have a few days to go over them with your child.
Checks are made out to Scholastic Book Club. A parent volunteer has handled
the book orders for our class, and it is easier than ever online.
Communication: You may reach me by calling 867-4773, ext 203, leaving a
voicemail message, or by writing a note. Leave time sensitive messages with
the office, and they will contact me. Of course, you may reach me by email,
charris@saratogausd.org.
Conferences: We meet formally once a year the week of November 2, and
conferences will be optional March 17 and 18. I am available to meet with you
at a mutually con-venient time as concerns arise throughout the year. This
is easiest to arrange by email.
DEAR Time: We have Drop Everything and Read Time every day from 1:10-1:30. It
is best if children read a book they are interested in and it is a "just
right" book at their level. They should be challenged by no more than 5 words
on a page, or their fluency and comprehension will not improve. To develop
oral fluency and expression, it is advisable to have your child read aloud to
an adult 2 or more times a week. A fun way to check
comprehension is to sign up your student on www.bookadventure.com. You can
generate a book list according to your child's interests, and after they have
read the book, they can take an online quiz. We will use the Scholastic
Reading Counts program of quizzes here in school.
Discipline: Saratoga District and Argonaut School have a discipline policy
that is firmly enforced. All students are reminded of the rules of the school
throughout the year. Violent or threatening verbal and written language is
not allowed. Should problems arise in the classroom, you will be notified.
The 2009-10 classroom rules were generated by your students the first week of
school.
1. Raise your hand to talk.
2. Be safe.
3. Be quiet and listen to each other.
4. Be respectful of classmates and their things.
5. Take care of your supplies.
6. Be kind and take turns.
7. Learn a lot, and have fun.
If a conflict arises between two children, they are encouraged to use "Stop,
Think, and Make a Plan" and "Talk It Out" methods to resolve it.
In a kind and positive social-emotional environment students learn more. I
encourage the students to celebrate the successes and growth of their
classmates. There are group points and super stars for outstanding behavior.
Fun Friday is a free play time in the afternoon before dismissal. Students who
have finished all of their weekly work and behaved well, will enjoy the full
free playtime.
Email: You can best reach me via email. My email address is
charris@saratogausd. I will respond within 48 hours. Time sensitive messages
such as a change in a pick up
plan, should be left at the office. The whole class is currently signed up for
my class email roster!
Field trips: Trips are being planned to Filoli, Long Marine Lab at UCSC,
a live theater production, the Acme Bakery, and programs directly
complementing our language arts, social studies and science curriculum. We
are planning in-class field
trips from the San Jose Quilt Museum, the Bay Area Marine Science Institute,
and the Santa Clara County Water District. Confirmed dates will be listed on
Mrs. Harris' website under calendar. Drivers will be needed.
Grading: All class work and homework is seen by me. Most of the time there
will be stars, happy faces, and/or comments. I also use a plus + (excellent
work), check plus (good work), check (just good enough), check minus (needs
improvement), and minus - (start over again). Second graders do not receive
letter grades. The report cards are filled in according to the progress your
child has made from the beginning of the school year towards mastery of second
grade standards as outlined by the report card. Children are not compared to
other students, and the students are not ranked. Developmental readiness can
affect the time at which a child masters a standard, and individual
differences are honored.
Homework: The Saratoga Union District Homework Policy states that second
graders should spend 20-30 minutes doing homework each night. The second
grade teachers meet often to discuss and coordinate homework for the week, and
mine is posted on my website,
http://teacherweb.com/CA/ArgonautElementarySchool/CindyHarris.
The purpose of homework is to:
-practice or review content previously studied
-motivate individual study of particular interests
-complete unfinished classroom work
-do research related to classroom studies
-ensure recreational reading time to increase the enjoyment of
reading
-foster use of community resources, such as libraries and museums
-develop the student's sense of responsibility
-encourage creative work--writing, composition, art, etc.
Twenty to thirty minutes should be spent doing the daily assignment. Your
student may require more or less time. Please notify me if the homework is
taking too long. Be sure to have your child read daily. Independent reading
is one of our goals. Reading to your child with expression and fluency,
provides a positive model.
Please read over your child's homework assignment each day. After checking
the completed homework, don't forget to sign the homework cover sheet. The
weekly homework schedule is (roughly...):
Spelling: Alphabetize the words and write sentences using them.
Math review
Language Arts/Social Studies homework (Homework Connections)
I Search (oral sharing from a written researched preparation with source
citation (ongoing).
Be sure to provide a quiet time and place for your child to do homework.
Schedules may vary, but allowing your child a snack and some play time before
homework is beneficial. Encourage your student to think about what s/he is
doing. If s/he asks a question, try asking a question in return to guide
his/her thinking--resist the urge to provide a quick answer.
Ask your child to try his/her best on spelling, but don't expect every word of
the spelling sentences to be spelled correctly--it is actually better for me
to see their progress in spelling on homework, too. Spelling the first
hundred words by the November conference is a goal, and these words should be
spelled correctly as well as the weekly
spelling words.
Try to promote creativity. Praise any efforts. Encourage him/her to do
his/her best work. Is it neat? Is there anything to change or add? Is your
child proud of it? Is it in his/her backpack?
I Search: As a part of Homework, students give a 5 minute sharing assignment,
I Search (Sharing with an Information Search). Students should consult books,
articles on the internet (with parent guidance), or an expert on a subject.
Guidelines are pasted into the cover of your student's I Search Journal. If a
student is absent or forgets his/her sharing on the appointed day, Friday is
make-up day. Each student has one full week to prepare a written mini report
from published and cited sources in print or on the internet. Please let your
child take the lead in choosing a topic as this will encourage ownership of
and enthusiasm for the research and presentation. A book report is not
research. Copying is not allowed. Have your student write in their own
words, and practice aloud,
so he/she will be able to pronounce all words used. In the beginning, the
students will read from their Journals. As they become more comfortable in
front of an audience of their classmates and are familiar enough with the
topic, they may wish to present their topic without reading, but memorization
is not a goal. Prepare questions for the audience from the material
presented. The students love to see pictures drawn or cut out, artifacts,
books, or brief, simple, experiments done in class (please provide all
materials necessary for an experiment - no matches)! No reports on toys, and
please choose topics that will not scare or make other students uncomfortable.
Just Right Books: Please see the handout on choosing books that are just
enough of a challenge for your child's reading enjoyment. I have also
included a list of favorite second grade authors.
Knowledge: Everyone has a special hobby, talent, or interest. If you or your
child would like to come into the classroom to read a story about or
demonstrate any special interests or talents, please contact me. We can set
up a time for you or your child to read, share, or teach us something!
Library: We will be going to the school library in the afternoon once a week
on Tuesdays from 1:45-2:15. Students will be expected to check out two - three
books when we visit the library, and only one is to be brought home (the other
two are for
DEAR time). No cartoon style books are checked out. Please send back the
book on time, so your student may check out new books the following week.
Meetings: School is dismissed every Wednesday at 2:10 p.m. for staff
meetings. Please be on time as the teachers need to be on time as well.
There are other meetings for me after school on different days, but I will
always schedule time to meet with you.
Music: We have SEF funded music class again this year on Wednesdays from
9:45-10:15 and 10:30-11:00. Half of the class goes with half of another 2nd
grade class, and we have small group instruction in the classroom with the
remaining half.
Notes: Most notes will be sent by email. I often write notes on assignments
that need revision or correction; please return them in one or two days.
Please check assignments carefully. There is also a comments section on the
weekly homework cover page and I check any comments you have made and for
parent signatures.
Oops!: No one is perfect. The students have been assured that they are not
expected to have every lesson perfect. When we make mistakes, we can learn
from them. Also, no students are teased or laughed at for their mistakes.
Also, I can be politely told if I make a mistake as well.
P.E.: Please be sure to have your child wear closed shoes and comfortable
clothing on Thursdays, our P.E. day. This is another small group instruction
opportunity for your child.
Parties/celebrations/activities: will include Halloween, Gingerbread House
Building, Friendship (Valentine's) Day, and an End-of-the-Year Lunch. I
encourage celebrating your child's birthday in class with a small healthy
treat; just let me know in advance. You might even consider just a goody bag
and no treat, and we will be sure to sing "Happy Birthday".
Questions: If you should have any questions for me, write me a note, call the
school (867-4773 ext. 203) to leave a message. I'll get back to you within a
day or so. You can also look it up in the A to Z or go to my website to check
for answers.
Recess: We have recess from 10:15-10:30, and 10:10-10:30 on Fridays.
Students are encouraged to use the restroom, wash their hands, eat a snack,
then play. It is a l-o-n-g time between breakfast and lunch. PLEASE provide
a simple snack of fruit, veggies, cheese, crackers, a granola bar, etc. for
your child, everyday, whether they bring a lunch or buy one.
Subjects:
Language Arts: This is our seventh year using the current Houghton- Mifflin
series, and this is a piloting year, with the 2nd grade representative from
Saratoga School taking the lead. Our current H/M program blends reading,
vocabulary, spelling, art, and
writing together. In addition, we will be using some Slingerland
(multi-sensory) techniques and reviewing manuscript printing. We also read
and analyze many selections from our CORE Literature list. OnWednesdays, we
will work on writing projects, and a parent facilitator/helper is needed.
Eduplace is the Houghton Mifflin website and
has games for practicing language arts skills.
Mathematics: This is the first year we are using the Envision math program.
We will continue with math centers from Creative Publications. At the
beginning of each unit, there is a family letter explaining the concepts to be
mastered.
The math program aligns to the current California Mathematics Standards, and
provides familiarity with STAR formats. Math centers will take place on
Thursdays from 10:30-11:30 and 2-3 parent volunteers are needed for this time,
as this is a time for "hands-on" discovery with manipulatives, with a 1 to 6
ratio (adult/student). The students can move ahead at their own skill level on
many of these activities.
Science: This is our 2nd year using the FOSS Science Program from the
Lawrence Hall of Science. Second graders study Earth Science, Life Science,
and Physical Science. The units will include many hands on activities, and
parent assistance will be appreciated on Fridays from 11:15-12:30. The
students will be integrating reading, vocabulary, spelling, art, and writing
in their science studies by recording data, making graphs and charts, and
keeping journals. The Saratoga Education Foundation is funding one Lawrence
Hall of Science enrichment lesson for our students.
Social Studies: We will continue with the Social Studies program from Scott
Foresman. Students in second grade develop an understanding for geographic
locations of people and their environments. They explore their family
histories and discover the ordinary and the extraordinary people who have made
a difference in our lives. Students explore the themes of courage,
responsibility and contributions to safety, welfare and happiness of others as
they learn their roles as citizens of the larger world.
Enrichment: The district and the Saratoga Education Foundation are funding
weekly P.E., music, and library time.
Tests: All students will take a spelling test every Friday. There will be
periodic tests during math, science, and reading units to assist in assessment
and understanding of individual student needs. We also take the state tests
in May. The results are usually mailed to you during the summer.
Unique: Each child may have a special interest or talent. Encourage your
student to excel in what they like to do by reading books about their favorite
subject, doing experiments with multiple materials, immersing him/her in the
arts, etc.
Volunteers: Volunteers are appreciated! Parents can help with assembling and
distributing homework packets, copying and assembling, field-trip driving,
gardening, materials preparation, partying, Wednesday Writing time, Thursday
Math Centers, etc. There are certain things a volunteer can even work on at
home! Remember that confidentiality is required when one is a volunteer in
the classroom.
Website: I renewed my website with TeacherWeb.com, where I post homework and
the address is http://www.teacherweb.com/CA/ArgonautElementarySchool/Cindy Harris/
eXtra fun: Learning can be fun -- and we will have a lot of that here in Room 3!
Young children are easily discouraged so please be very supportive. Often, if
they see you or an older sibling doing something, they can't understand why
they can't do it. Encouraging words, signals, and hugs are great motivators!
This year will be a learning experience for all of us. Please keep in mind
that every child learns at a different rate. Your student will need your
guidance throughout the year. Please help read directions, ask questions, and
engage your student in the assigned homework --but don't do it for them! It
isn't expected to be perfect!
Zoom!: The year will zoom by before you know it. It's going to be a great
year as we work together as partners in the education of the hearts and minds
of your children.
