Back To School Night
The Website
The Sandburg website, Sandburg.LittletonPublicSchools.net, is the place to go for information about our school; everything from calendars and the lunch menu, to grade level curriculum and LPS links. At our class webpage you can find homework, spelling lists, class news and contact information. From the Sandburg page select Teacher Pages, then 2nd or 3rd grade, then Egan 2/3.
Classroom Management
I use “Caught Being Good” tickets, as individual rewards, for all good behavior. The students write their name on the tickets and put them in the little jar. We have a drawing on Friday for homework passes and the raffle. A homework pass can be turned in instead of any one homework assignment, due to me. The raffle is held twice a year. The prize is “Teacher for the Day.” On Friday all the tickets are put into the big jar. When the big jar gets full the class earns a games and popcorn party.
Students turn cards when they make bad choices. The consequences are as follows:
Orange = Warning
Yellow = 5 minutes in at recess to discuss behavior and record bad choices in the Log and make a note in their planner. The students write in the log themselves.
Blue = 10-15 minutes in at recess. The above discussion and log record, plus the students fill out a “Think It Over Sheet.” The sheet is sent home at the end of the day to be signed and returned the next day.
Red = All of the above plus a call home.
Homework
Students will record their homework in their planners and bring them home nightly. The planners must be signed by a parent nightly.
Reading Homework
At the beginning of the year, while I am giving reading assessments, the class will learn how to write quality answers to reading questions using Better Answers. During this time their reading homework will be to free read each night for 20 minutes.
Starting in September going through the first trimester, everyone will participate in reading groups led by me. Homework will be nightly assigned reading pages and an accompanying activity; such as writing a summary, blog discussion groups, or completing graphic organizers to reinforce reading concepts and skills.
Current Events on Late Start Wednesdays
Bring information about a current event to school on Late Start Wednesdays to share with the class. Students should have enough knowledge about the event to be able to share and answer questions about it from memory. Pictures and articles are not required but are recommended.
Occasional Science or Social Studies Project
These projects are graded on a rubric which focuses on the student’s ability to share their knowledge of the content.
Spelling
Spelling will look very different this year. After hours of discussion about how to get students to transfer the spelling words they know into their writing, we have decided to take a different approach. The entire school will be using a program call Words Their Way. The students will no longer have books and weekly tests. They will engage in hands on activities, with word lists, that are designed to teach spelling patterns. We are excited about this program, and want to implement it in the right way. For this reason spelling will begin school wide in October.
Social Studies and Science Units of Study
Communities, Immigration, Family History and Country Research
Simple Machines
Government and Economics
The Solar System, Seasons, Day and Night, Star Lab
Biomes
Animal Research Project
As I become more familiar with the curriculum I will add extension activities to all of these areas of study.
Handwriting and Keyboarding
Although handwriting is no longer a part of the LPS curriculum we will be teaching handwriting using the Handwriting Without Tears materials. Third graders will work on cursive and the second graders will refine their printing skill. Keyboarding will be taught and practiced throughout the year.
Assessments
Dra2 – Reading Level (fall and spring)
MAP – Reading and Math on the computer (fall and spring)
Common Writing by grade level (quarterly)
District Writing – 2nd grade (spring)
Cogat – 3rd grade (fall)
CSAP – 3rd grade (spring)
Volunteer Sign Up
I could use volunteers at the following times:
Monday from 11:05 – 11:50 to help with independent table work.
Tuesday from 10:20 – 10:45 to help with independent table work.
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:20 - 11:50 to help with independent table work and computer projects.
Tuesday - Thursday from 9:15 -10:20 to help with writers’ workshop.
Monday - Friday from 1:30-2:30 to help with math.
Occasional Science and Social Studies project help from 2:45 - 3:30