Curriculum Night

Waggoner Elementary Second Grade

Mrs. Kiefer

Welcome!• Thank You for coming!• Enjoy your child’s note (take

home).• Write a love note back! Leave it on

your child’s desk. • Introduction• Website info• Classroom Routine (Schedule)

Language Arts• Focus on the Common Core Standards• Major Components of our Reading Program are:

– Print concepts, phonemic awareness, phonics, – vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension

• Flexible groupings: whole group, small guided reading groups, partner reading, independent reading

• Adopted Reading Series: Harcourt TROPHIES (Visit their website: www.harcourtschool.com)

• Ongoing reading assessments• Grammar skills are integrated each week.• Goal: We strive to increase student vocabulary,

comprehension, and fluency. Daily practice (both at school and at home) is essential for reading success.)

Spelling• Compliments the Harcourt Trophies reading and

language program. • Basic skills taught: phonics, spelling rules, patterns,

word origins, prefixes/suffixes.• Spelling is assessed and evaluated on an ongoing

basis through classroom writing samples, daily spelling lessons, dictated sentences, and tests.

• The true test of spelling mastery is its transfer to and application in student writing on a daily basis.

• Spelling lists will come home each week.

Writing• Writer’s Workshop• Steps in the writing process: prewriting,

drafting, revising, editing, publishing• Forms of writing: narrative, story, poetry,

expository (observations, journals, etc.) functional (friendly letters, thank-you notes, experiments, posters, etc.) literary response, research (simple report)

• Adopted Writing/Language program: Units of Study for Second Grade by Lucy Calkins

• Scott Foresman D’Nealian Handwriting• Emphasis on correct handwriting in all

written work• Cursive is not taught in 2nd Grade.

Cursive is part of the 3rd Grade curriculum.

Handwriting

Listening and Speaking Skills

• Students will be taught to effectively use listening and speaking skills in a variety of situations:

– For example: oral reports, Reader’s Theatre, Writer’s workshop (author’s chair)

Math• Focus on the Common Core Standards• Numeration: number sense, counting, place value,

money, fractions, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division strategies

• Problem Solving/Higher level thinking strategies• Data Analysis and Probability• Patterns and Algebra• Geometry• Measurement and Time• Adopted Math Programs: Investigations in

Number, Data, and Space by Scott Foresman and Mathematics by Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley

• Dreambox Learning

Science• Major Components of our science program:

– Earth and Space: Weather– Life Science: Insects, Human Body,

Mammals- Physical Science: Solids, Liquids, Gases- Hands-on encouraging active learning- Units involve cooperative skills and learning

the scientific method.

Social Studies• Major Components of our social studies

program:• Adopted social studies program: Social Studies:

People We Know by Harcourt• Students will… …explore the human experience through time

and recognize the relationships of events and people;…Learn about ideals, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship…analyze locations, regions, and spatial connections;

economic reasoning skills

HealthMajor components of our Health program:

– Adopted Health Program: Health and Fitness by Harcourt

– Students will study safety and injury prevention, nutrition, personal health, hygiene, and disease prevention.

Library and Technology

• Students will visit the Library weekly to check out books and learn library/media skills.

• We visit the Computer Lab every week and use the 6 classroom laptops to create multimedia projects, do research using the Internet, and explore various computer programs.

Specials• P.E. is scheduled on Monday with Mr. Colson.

• Library is scheduled every Tuesday with Ms. Leopardi.

• Computer lab is on Wednesday.• Art is every Thursday with Mrs. Pope.• Music class in on Friday with Mrs.

Weissberg.

Classroom Management• Based on Love and Logic Strategies.

- Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be respectful!• Praise rewarded for positive behaviors.• PAW-sitive slips, classroom bingo, high fives• Popcorn pieces - whole class rewards

• Consequences:1. Verbal reminder2. Refocus – fill out think sheet3. Time out – in class/pod/another class4. Parent e-mail or phone call5. Visit to the principal.

» Weekly reports will be sent on Friday.

Homework Homework Expectations:

– Weekly homework will be assigned on on Monday, due on Friday. Please look in your child’s Communication Folder. (Note: If you need an extension over the weekend, just send a note in on Friday to inform me of the change.)

– Students are to do homework thoroughly. Parents and students sign the contract.

– Students are to do homework neatly.– The Harcourt Trophies reading book must be

brought back to school each day. We do not have extras.

-Math practice on Dreambox will support the same curriculum we are learning at school. Feel free to use other resources (learning games, paper/pencil, computer games etc. to practice math skills.

Volunteers• We appreciate any time you can spend

with us!• Work with students, workroom, and

help with special projects.• Sign up each month on SignUp Genius.

Thank you!

School Policies• Snacks/Class Parties

- Please do not send in any homemade treats. When asked to donate snacks/party supplies, please send in store bought items only.

- Please sign up to send in store bought healthy snacks.

• Birthdays– Please mail all birthday invitations (don’t send them

to school), this helps avoid anyone getting their feelings hurt. Please do not send in any birthday treats.

– Your child will receive birthday acknowledgment from administration, morning announcements, and myself.

Miscellaneous• Label items (backpack, lunch box, jackets, etc.)• Always send in lunch $ in an envelope with child’s name• Car Pick-Up: USE tagboard name plate in car window…

include all last names of students in car pool (only driving through)

• Ramada Pick-up (Park and designate a specific meeting spot.)

• Return library books each Tuesday. • Bus passes will only be issued for emergencies and

parents who call the Transportation Department (480-541-1700).

• Please do not call the office after 1:00 to make an unscheduled after school change unless a true emergency arises.

Stuffed Animal Day is this Friday

Communication• Weekly newsletter will be send via

e-mail each Friday or Monday.• Send a note with your child• Call me at (480) 541-5717• Email – lkiefe@kyrene.org• Front office (480) 541-5600

Thanks for Coming!!

Thanks for Coming!!I’m looking forward to a great year!!!