Dear Family,
Welcome to an exciting year in second grade! I look forward to working
with you as a partner in educating your child. My goal is to facilitate
learning in an exciting and meaningful way for your child. As an
educator, it is my goal to see that your child becomes a lifelong
learner.
This handbook was written to introduce you to my classroom policies and
procedures. Please refer to it throughout the school year when necessary.
If you have any questions or concerns that cannot be answered here, please
do not hesitate to contact me. Again, with your cooperation and support,
I know we can make this the best year yet for your child!
Enthusiastically,
Stacy Vensko
GRADING IN MRS. VENSKO'S 2ND GRADE CLASS
HOW WILL YOUR CHILD BE GRADED?
Second grade students will receive percentage and letter grades in
the following subjects: Math, Reading, Language Arts (this includes writing
and grammar), Handwriting, Science, Social Studies, and Spelling. There are
4 grading periods throughout the school year. An
progress report will be sent home mid-way through each grading
period and a report card will go home every nine weeks. The grading
scale is as
follows:
90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
60-69 = D
59-below = F
WHAT WILL MY CHILD BE GRADED ON?
Your child will receive a letter/percentage grade on tests and some
class assignments. Work that is done in the classroom together will not be
given a grade. Many times, the students work together on an assignment
and/or we complete it together as a class. When we complete papers
together in school, you will see a "CT smiley face"
written at the top of the students' papers. This work will not be given a
letter grade.
WHAT TESTS WILL MY CHILD BE GIVEN?
Tests will be given in all subject areas taught in our second grade
classroom on Thursdays and Fridays. Each Thursday, your child will take the
weekly story selection test (story from the reading book). This test
assesses your child's comprehension of the story. It consists of eight
multiple choice questions and two short response questions. On Fridays, your
child will take a spelling, dictation, vocabulary, and FCAT weekly
comprehension (cold read) tests. Please check the weekly newsletter for the
skills being taught, units being studied, and tests being given each week. If
you have any questions about your child's grades, please contact me
immediately so that we can discuss your concerns. All graded classwork
and tests will be sent home in the weekly Friday envelope. The papers inside
this envelope are from the previous week. Over the weekend, please review
all work with your child, sign on the dated line, and return the envelope to
school on Monday. You may keep all of the graded papers at home.
WEEKLY SPELLING
Each week, your child will be given 15 words on Monday to learn to
spell. Spelling tests are given each Friday (10 spelling words plus 5 high
frequency words). The spelling words will all contain the special phonics
pattern that we are currently working on in class. High frequency words are
also called "popcorn words" because they "POP UP" in our reading and
writing all the time! It is very important that your child learns to
recognize, read, and spell these words in second grade. In addition to the
spelling and popcorn words, your child will be given three dictation spelling
sentences. Dictation sentences will contain any of the ten spelling words
from the weekly list. For the dictation test, students will be expected to
listen carefully to the sentence dictated by the teacher and then write the
sentence correctly on paper. We count the words in each sentence
together. Dictation sentences will be counted as both a language arts and
spelling grade.
WEEKLY READING
Your child will be given a vocabulary, story selection, and FCAT
weekly comprehension test each Friday. At the start of the week, all
reading vocabulary words and reading skills will be introduced. Skills
taught throughout the week will be tested on Friday. The vocabulary words
go along with our story of the week. For the first semester, vocabulary
words will be counted as bonus words and are worth 1 point each if spelled
correctly on the test. At the start of the second semester (in January),
these vocabulary words will no longer be counted as bonus words, but will be
included as weekly spelling words. In addition to these tests, I will
administer informal reading inventories, running records, reading behavior
rubrics, and fluency checks throughout the year to assess your child's
reading. Results of these tests will be discussed during conferences. Feel
free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions about your child's
reading.
**Please note that the FCAT Weekly test, county cold read tests,
and unit reading tests will be weighted in the final reading grade. This
means that these tests will be counted more (at least twice).**
**PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING TESTS ARE NOT WEEKLY TESTS**
**STANFORD 10 ACHIEVEMENT TEST**
This standardized test will be given at the end of the year (in May)
and consists of two parts: reading comprehension and math problem solving.
According to the pupil progression plan, the results from the reading portion
will be used as a criteria for promotion and retention in second grade.
Your child MUST score at least 36% or higher on this test to be promoted to
third grade.
**FAIR READING ASSESSMENT**
This is a new, state-wide reading test and will be given three times
a year (beginning, middle, end. This test assesses your child's reading
skills. More information about this importnat readng test will be sent home
shortly...
**DRA2 READING TEST**
This reading test will be adminstered at least two times during the
school year (beginning and ending). The results of this test will provide
the teacher with reading levels for instructional and independent reading
purposes.
MRS. VENSKO'S CLASSROOM POLICIES
ABSENCES/EXCUSES
Anytime your child is absent from school, please send a written
excuse explaining the absence and return it on the day your child returns to
school. Please remember to date and sign the excuse. If I do not receive a
written excuse, the absence will be considered unexcused. Your child has 5
school days to complete any work and make-up tests that he/she has missed.
If
your child misses 9 or more days of school in a single semester, a letter
will be sent home and a doctor's excuse must be turned in for all absences.
This is school board policy.
SENDING MONEY TO SCHOOL
Occasionally, your child may need to bring money to school (i.e.
field trips, book orders, etc.). Be sure to put the money in
a sealed envelope with your child's name and purpose for money written on
front. Please put the money in the money pouch located in your child’s
H.O.B.O. book. This helps me to keep all money organized and ensures a safe
arrival to school. Thank you!
SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUBS
Ocassionally, I will send home a Scholastic Book Club order form.
This is a wonderful opportunity for you to buy inexpensive books for your
child. Often times, reading levels are noted on the pamplets to make it
convenient and easy for you to choose just right books for your child! If
you wish to order something, just return the order form with a check made
out to Scholastic Book Clubs. Be sure to put the money in a sealed envelope
inside your child's H.O.B.O. book.
MEDICATION
Children should not bring any medication to school at any time. If
your child needs to take medicine at school, you will need to bring the
medication to the nurse's office in the original container and fill out a
medicine form there.
BIRTHDAYS
Birthdays are special times for your child and will be celebrated in
our classroom. Feel free to bring in a small treat for your child’s
birthday. Please do not send in any birthday cakes or ice cream. Because
of our busy schedule, we will celebrate your child’s birthday at the end of
the school day. Feel free to stop by at that time if you would like! If
handing out party invitations in school, please give one to each member of
the class. Students who have birthdays during the summer months will have a
special day dedicated at the end of the year to celebrate.
TRANSPORTATION HOME
For your child’s safety, it is school policy that I MUST send your
child home his/her normal way, UNLESS I receive a written note or a phone
call from you. This will prevent any misunderstandings and is in the best
interest of your child. Thank you for your help in this matter.
WATER BOTTLES
I will allow your child to bring in a bottle of water to drink each
day. Please send only clear water to school (no colored water). Be sure
to write your child’s name or initials on the bottle of water. These bottles
of water will go home daily. If your child will be using the same water
bottle each day, please remember to clean it out and fill it with fresh water
for the next day. If you would rather send a new bottle of water to school
each day, it is your choice.
CLASS CELEBRATIONS
Throughout the school year, we will have classroom celebrations. I
will plan a celebration for Christmas and Valentine's Day. Donations for
celebration supplies will be divided among the class equally for the three
parties. When it gets closer to that time, I will send a letter home with
supplies that we would like to have for our celebrations. We look forward
to celebrating these special times with you!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
We welcome all volunteers and would love for you to help us out if
you can. There are many volunteer opportunities available inside and
outside of our classroom. A volunteer affadavit MUST be on file, for the
current school year, in order for you to volunteer in our classroom.
**Please understand that you MUST fill out a brand new volunteer
affadavit at the beginning of each school year.**
More information regarding volunteering opportunities will be sent home
during the first few weeks of school.