Second Grade Parent Letter

Arthur Dixon Elementary School

8306 S. St. Lawrence Avenue

773-535-3834

Dear Parents/ Guardians:

Welcome to second grade! We will make every effort to ensure that this year will be one that is fun and successful. Part of this success depends on us working cooperatively, with your help, we can achieve this goal! The following letter contains information that will serve as a guide for our remote classrooms. Please read through this packet thoroughly and hold on to it for future reference.

Remote Learning Space and Atmosphere:

· Eat breakfast and dress school appropriately before signing into google meets.

· Google Meets starts promptly at 8:30 am. Attendance will be taken and tracked through aspen. Students will be able to sign-in 5 minutes prior to the morning session.

· Inside voice and proper school behavior is expected.

· Please prepare a workspace conducive to learning.

· Have all school related supplies ready for learning. (Refer to supply list)

ATTENDANCE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!

Remote Learning- Attendance will be taken everyday!

Excellent attendance is one of the keys to unlocking the door to your child’s success. We will be giving incentives, throughout the school year, to students with Perfect Attendance. Perfect attendance means your child is present and on time everyday and no early dismissals.

Please keep the following guidelines in mind.

School begins at 8:30 am; tardy at 8:31! Dixon takes pride in the promptness of its teachers and students. Please make sure your child is dressed and ready to go promptly at 8:30.

In the unfortunate case of an absence, you will need to call Mrs. Green in the main office and discuss the absence. Mrs. Green is our attendance clerk. Failure to provide a reason will be considered as truancy. There are three reasons for absence accepted by the Chicago Public Schools. They are:

1. Illness

2. Death in the immediate family

3. A family emergency

Absences for any other reasons will not be excused.

In order for your child to attain perfect attendance please keep in mind that tardies, early dismissals; suspensions and absences do count against your child.

Each week we will try to highlight the students with perfect attendance (not late, left early or absent) on our attendance board.

LUNCH

During remote learning, we will take a lunch break each day. Once lunch is over, your child is expected to log in on time. Your child’s teacher will take attendance again. (Refer to Schedule)

REMOTE LEARNING HOURS

MONDAY-FRIDAY- 8:30am-3:30 pm

Please log onto Google Meets for Live Instruction

ROOM 204 Class Link : https://meet.google.com/lookup/fnducfglyu

ROOM 206 Class Link : https://meet.google.com/lookup/cre2cypqaj

Morning Instruction

Afternoon Instruction

8:30am -9:00 am

Morning Meeting (LIVE)

· Dixon announcements

· SEL Check-in

· Heggerty

12:15pm-12:20 pm

SEL/ Calm Classroom

9:00am-10:00 am

Reading/Writing Instruction (LIVE)

· Sight Words and Word Study

· Interactive literacy engager

· Reading Instruction

· Writing Instruction

· Directions for literacy Independent work

12:20pm -1:00pm

Math Instruction (LIVE)

· Math Application

· Interactive math engager

· Math Instruction

· Directions for math Independent work

10:00am-10:30am

Independent Work for Reading and Writing/Small Group/

1:00pm- 1:30pm

Independent Work for Math/Small Group/

10:30am-11:00am

Office Hours (Families can contact the teacher through email or phone)

1:30pm-1:50 pm

OFFICE HOURS(Families can contact the teacher through email or phone)

11:00am-11:20am

Social Studies

(LIVE)

1:50pm-2:10 pm

Science

(LIVE)

11:20am-11:30am

Social Studies Independent Work

2:10pm-2:30 pm

Science Independent Work

11:30am-12:15pm

Lunch (Offline)

2:30pm-3:30 pm

Ancillary Class

Second Grade Ancillary Schedule

Room 204 Room 206

Mon- Music Mon- Study Hall

Tuesday- Gym Tuesday-Study Hall

Wednesday -Study Hall Wednesday- Spanish

Thursday- Spanish Thursday- PE

Friday- Study Hall Friday – Music

Ancillary Google Meets Links

204 - 2

Spanish - https://meet.google.com/lookup/ar5byoevey

Gym- https://meet.google.com/lookup/dwdbh4qdyu

Music- https://meet.google.com/lookup/fq2qezu2zw

206 - 2

Spanish - https://meet.google.com/lookup/dpxrei4jxy

Gym- https://meet.google.com/lookup/eak75b5xe5

Music- https://meet.google.com/lookup/f3nlwvtebb

-Gym Attire (blue and gold sweats, t-shirt, gym shoes, no jewelry) Out of dress code negatively lowers your child’s grade.

Each of the ancillary classes is 2:30 p.m.to 3:30 p.m. Please make sure your child comes to school fully dressed in the proper attire for gym. Being properly dressed is a portion of the student’s gym grade.

DIXON’S REMOTE LEARNING DRESS CODE

Dixon has a school-wide policy regarding student attire. Students are not permitted to wear the following :

· Shorts- due to sitting

· Skorts- due to sitting

· Sleeveless basketball jerseys

· Too short/too tight tops

· Pajamas or house slippers- absolutely no

· Leggings without appropriate length skirt or tunic- due to sitting

· Clothing that reveals the chest, midriff, and/or back

· Spaghetti strap dresses or tank tops

We expect all students to be dressed appropriately for remote learning.

Your child should be READING everyday!!!!

Grading Scale

The Dixon grading scale is as follows:

A= 90-100

B = 80-89

C =70-79

D = 60-69

F= 0-59

Discipline in Room 204/206

Among other things, discipline can be defined as what the teacher does to encourage good (appropriate) behavior from the students. It is also a system that helps students develop inner control that lasts a lifetime. The students and I communicate in a trusting relationship that is built during the course of the school year.

In Room 204/206, the class rules will be discussed and modeled the first weeks of remote learning. Students have the choice to follow the rules or break the rules. There are positive and negative consequences that students can choose to be eligible to receive.

We feel that we are clear, consistent, and firm in our dealings with the students; and, we are also loving and fun. We respect the students, and in turn, they respect us. Our classrooms are a community of learners!

Discipline Plan for Second Grade Students

Class Rules

1. Follow directions the first time they are given.

2. Listen when others are speaking.

3. Stay on task at all times.

4. Stay seated during instructional time- breaks will be provided.

PBIS

Green – Your child has earned their 5 points for the day for demonstrating proper behavior both in the classroom and outside the classroom. Your child will come home with a sticker.

Yellow- Student will move to the color yellow. Student has chosen to break a rule after verbal warning. Your child will not earn their points for the day.

Orange- Student has chosen to break rules at least three times during the day. An appropriate negative consequence from above will be issued for choosing to make poor choices. Your child will not earn their points for the day.

Red- More than three times in a morning and/or afternoon- Student chooses to receive a negative phone call/and or email so the teacher can discuss broken rules with family. No points earned for the day.

Breaking rules on three or more mornings and/ or afternoons in one week- Student chooses to receive an Action Plan and be part of a meeting with teacher, his/her family, and possibly the principal or assistant principal.

DIXON’S WEB Page!!!!

Check it out!! @ www.dixoneagles.org

PARENT/TEACHER CORRESPONDENCE

We will provide office hours in the near future on our web page and through future communications.

Thank you,

Ms. Gallagher

mgallagher@cps.edu

Mr. Jackson

drjackson23@cps.edu

319-343-7914

*Policies included in this letter are subject to change. However, if any changes are made you will be informed as soon as they occur.

2nd Grade Supply List

2020-2021

Have the following supplies available at home for remote learning!

· Laptop

· Printer

· Good headphones- blocks noise helps reduce distraction

· Remote mouse might help your child adapt to moving throughout the instruction/learning environment.

· 1 composition notebooks

· 1 pack of wide-rule loose leaf paper

· 1 pack #2 Pencils

· 2 Erasers (large)

· glue sticks

· 1 box of crayons

· 1 box of markers

· 2 Black Expo markers

· Highlighters

· Pencil Sharpener

· Scissors

· index cards

☺ Thank you!!

Remote Learning Guidelines and Expectations (Pre-K-2)

A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Remote Learning

As we transition to remote learning at Dixon Elementary School, we need to be mindful of appropriate behavior when using video conferencing and two-way communication applications such as Google Meet. Our positive school climate must extend into our new reality with remote learning. Please help your child maintain this climate by adhering to the following:

Be respectful and school-appropriate at all times

Please monitor your children as they access the online learning environment. Be mindful that live lessons are 30-minutes or less, so students need to refrain from disrespectful or disruptive behavior in the virtual classroom. Teachers reserve the right to mute students whose behavior interrupts the learning environment.

Be present and mindful of others

Please prepare your children to be engaged in the virtual learning classroom prior to each live lesson. It may be helpful for students to have a good breakfast or snack prior to morning lessons and a good lunch or snack prior to afternoon lessons. Encourage your children to use the bathroom prior to logging in to each lesson to avoid unnecessary interruptions.

Practice active listening

Active participation in a virtual learning environment can be tricky as only one voice can come through at a time. Students who are able to write may use the chat feature to type questions or comments during a live lesson. Please help your children get used to this feature and to the virtual learning environment by either talking with your child about how it works or hosting your own Google Meet with your child(ren) from different rooms in your house. Teach children how to mute themselves, use the chat feature, and how to enter into conversations by waiting for a pause in the discussions.

Be punctual – Attendance counts

Because live lessons will be less than 30 minutes, please make sure to log in a few minutes prior to the start time of the lesson. This will allow lessons to start on time and give students the best learning experience possible. If your child is unable to attend a lesson, please email his/her teacher so the teacher is not concerned about your child’s lack of attendance.

Be aware of your surroundings

Find a place in your residence that is free from distractions where you can also be comfortable and focus on connecting with your class. Be mindful of your surroundings and what may be seen while you are on video and remove noisy distractions like pets, TV, and music. Help your child learn to mute his/her microphone when not speaking.

Speak clearly

Help your child practice speaking clearly in the virtual classroom setting. This may take some practice, as younger students don’t always have an understanding of how their voice sounds through a mic. Have some fun practicing this with your child and getting them used to hearing themselves speak into a mic prior to joining a virtual classroom.

Respect privacy

As you support your child’s remote learning, please be mindful of the privacy of other students in the class. Younger students will require time to adjust to this environment and may forget they are on camera and do or say something silly. Please encourage your children to be especially patient and empathetic to others as they learn and grow as remote learners.

Recording of class activities by anyone other than the teacher on Google Meet is prohibited

Neither the student nor parent may record, share, or alter the content of live class-related activities. Students may not record any live activity with other students when that activity is for the purpose of school-related work unless express permission is provided by a school official. In cases where a teacher does record a class lesson, he or she will make that recording available only to the students in the class. This posting will happen through secure means. Any sharing of that recording by anyone other than a school official is prohibited. Dress appropriately

Though we understand that remaining in your homes encourages a more relaxed dress code than the school environment, please follow the dress code guidelines in order to create a learning environment free of distractions. If your child would not wear something to school, he/she should not wear that item during a live lesson.

Adapted from Ottawa School District