Second Grade News - Important Information

Second Grade News
Mrs. Sederstrom and Mrs. Callanen’s Class
August 26, 2009

Welcome to the start of a new school year! We feel privileged to be teaching your child. It promises to be a very exciting and rewarding year. Here is some information you need to know:

Arrival/Dismissal
On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, school starts promptly at 7:55 a.m. and dismissed at 3:00 p.m. Our Class Mass is on Thursdays and we are expected to be at school by 7:45 a.m. to walk over to church on time. Every Friday, school starts at 7:55 a.m. and dismissed at 12:30 p.m.

If you arrive after 8:00 a.m., please go directly to the office before you come to class. Please note that more than three tardies in a trimester equals a detention.

For your child’s safety, if you need to take your child out of class early (even five minutes) you must sign your child out in the office. The office will then call the classroom and your child will meet you in the office.

Snack
To maximize alertness, it is recommended that you send a healthy snack to school for your child to eat at the first recess. Please have the snack packed in a bag! Loose snacks usually end up on the floor and is unsanitary.

Birthdays
On your child’s birthday you are encouraged to take them to the 8:00 a.m. Mass to celebrate God’s gift of life. They are welcome to wear free dress. However, make sure that it is dress up not dress down. They will receive a Happy Birthday certificate, sticker and book mark from us. Birthdays are special days and we look forward to celebrating your child’s.

Please know that due to the nutrition policy and many food allergies, edible treats are not allowed. However, you may “treat” the class with non-food items, such as pencils, erasers, stickers, a book for the classroom, etc. Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this policy.

Homework
Homework assignments will be written in the student agenda book and must be signed each night. The agenda signature will be checked each morning and counts toward the homework grade. Assignments will be kept in a folder handed out every afternoon and due every morning unless otherwise noted in the agenda book. Each week homework will be posted for the week on our class blog at http://secondgradesjs.blogspot.com/ Check the site regularly for updates and news.

Your child must also read daily for at least 15 minutes, alone and/or with a family member. We also strongly encourage nightly review of basic math facts to 18. In addition, 5-10 minutes set aside for conversation specifically focused on the daily activities in school is highly recommended.

We recommend that your child have a regular space to do homework. Also, paper (lined and unlined), pencils, scissors, ruler, pencil sharpener, and glue may be needed for homework assignments. Your child should NOT bring these additional supplies to school.

Questionnaire
We would appreciate it if you would fill out the enclosed questionnaire. This information will give us a head start in understanding your child’s needs. Please return the questionnaire by Friday, August 28th.

Friday Folders
Students will bring home a “Friday Folder” every week. It will include all the tests and graded work completed during class. Not all work done in school will be included in this folder (we keep a file of work from students to review with parents at Parent-Teacher conferences). Please review and take all the contents out. Friday folders are due back at school on Mondays.

Scholastic Book Orders
We will send a book order form once a month. The completed form will be due one week from the day it comes home. Please make all checks out to Scholastic. You can now order books online and pay with credit card. More information will be sent out with the first flier. The more books your child is exposed to the more they will develop their reading skills.

Important Dates:
Thursday, August 27th
5 Clues in a Bag homework assignment due

Friday, August 28th
Questionnaire due

Communication
Again, please write a note in your child’s student agenda book if you have any immediate questions or comments. You may also contact us by leaving a message at 310-670-1678 x212 or secondgradesjs@gmail.com. We will respond as soon as possible. Our schedule is as follows: Monday & Tuesday – Mrs. Callanen, Wednesday & Thursday – Mrs. Sederstrom, Fridays – Alternate.

We are truly looking forward to a terrific year with your child. We know that with your support we will have a very successful year together in second grade!

Thank you,
Mrs. Sederstrom
Mrs. Callanen