Welcome to Ms. Richards’

2nd Grade Team!

All About Ms. Richards…

Background: I’ve lived in Bellmawr since I was 7 years old – attended Bellmawr Park,

Bell Oaks, and Triton. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education & Special

Education from Lebanon Valley College (just up the road from Hershey Park! ) and my Master’s Degree from Walden University this past summer in Early Childhood Education.

I am a HUGE sports and Minions fanatic and love connecting learning in my classroom to key concepts of sports, such as teamwork!

In my spare time, I love reading, scrapbooking, watching movies, and listening to music, as well as spending time with friends and family. I am currently engaged and planning my wedding for this coming summer, which is super exciting and fun, too!

My experience: I spent a year in Lindenwold School #5 in the pre-k program followed by

being Mrs. Sexton’s 2nd grade long-term substitute all year in 2010-2011. Next I spent four years in 4th grade before moving down here to second grade this year.

Goals for Second Grade:

To give your child the academic, social-emotional, and life skills they need to

progress to third grade.

To provide a supportive and fun classroom environment, in which we

become a community of learners working together as a team to achieve

success!

Specials

Monday- LibraryTuesday- Physical EducationWednesday- TechnologyThursday- MusicFriday- Art

Daily Schedule Morning Meeting/Homeroom Fundations Reader’s Workshop (Whole Group

LAL) Specials Writer’s Workshop Lunch & Recess Small Group LAL Math 100 Book Challenge

Language Arts & Literacy

This year we are very excited about our brand new curriculum, Benchmark Literacy! This encapsulates whole group and small group instruction for Reading and Writing.

We will be utilizing a combination of fiction and nonfiction stories to work with children in whole group and small group.

Small group allows the students to work closely with the teacher, so that specific needs can be met.

Science and Social Studies will be taught in conjunction with Language Arts in Whole Group and Small Group instruction.

Writer’s Workshop• Students will begin each day with 3-5 minutes of

free writing or response, where we are “getting the cobwebs out” and getting some ideas down on paper or responding to a quote or question.

• Mini lessons & modeled writing to follow• Students work through the writing process to

create a different writing piece each marking period.

• First writing piece is a personal narrative, followed by persuasive, informational, and personal narrative again.

• All writing graded by district rubric.

Lunch & Recess• We are continuing with the coded lunch

system this year. Each student has a personal code and account. You can turn money in to be put directly onto your child’s account.

• Second grade has recess after lunch this year.

• Lunch: 11:45-12:15• Recess: 12:15-12:30

Math The children will have a Home Links worksheet to complete

some nights for homework. The Home Links book will be kept in the student’s desk at school and pages will be torn out and sent home, as needed.

We will be giving a Beginning, Middle, and End of the Year Math Assessment from Everyday Math this year. This will help the teachers assess your child’s specific needs and progress throughout the school year in math.

In addition, students will be completing an online Math Assessment in the computer lab, similar to NWEA but through a system called Link It.

*PLEASE* have your child begin learning basic facts now! Practice basic addition and subtraction facts at home nightly with Rocket Math homework, flash cards or popsicle sticks, etc. and students will practice in school daily

through Rocket Math and Stations.

100 Book Challenge Students are to get one step signed for every 15 minutes

they read (not one step for every book they read). The new 100 Book Challenge logs used this year will have 100

steps per side of each page. The first log is in your child’s 100 Book Challenge folder with steps #1-100 on the front and #101-200 on the back. The next log will have #201-300 and #301-400, etc.

The students will receive medals or wristbands for every 100 steps they reach as well as other incentives for specific steps, such as extra computer time, free snack, extra recess, lunch with the principal, etc. During this time, the students are quietly and independently reading

somewhere in the room. I will try to call students back to read with me, as well as review skills and assess their levels in all areas on a daily basis all year long.

Behavior: Our Classroom “Grules” to be a Good Minion (created by the minions of our “team”):

1. Safety first! 2. Be kind and respectful to yourself and others. 3. Be a good sport and have fun!

Our Classroom Consequences to Avoid Acting like a PURPLE Minion (also created by the minions of our “team”): 1. Lose $2 and lose a brain break. 2. Lose $5 and send a note or e-mail home. 3. Lose $10 and go to the office.

Behavior (cont.): Minion Money:

Students have the opportunity to earn or lose Minion Money based upon their behaviors in the classroom.

If students are following directions, listening, and following our class “Grules”, they may have the chance to earn Bonus Minion Dollars to put into their individual pockets on the chart.

On the other hand, if students are misbehaving or not following the class “Grules”, they may have the chance to lose Minion Dollars from their individual pockets on the chart.

At the end of each week, students will count up their Minion Money in their pocket to make change. For example, if a student has five $1 bills, they will change it in for one $5 bill, etc.

Every other week (2 times per month, as possible), students will have the chance to count their money and purchase items from the Minion Mall. Depending upon how much money they have will depend what they can purchase!

Behavior (cont.):• The students will have a class-wide behavior system in

place, as well. Students can work together as a team to earn ROCKIN’ RICHARDS!

• Rockin’ Richards are the small, fuzzy, colorful cotton balls in the jar behind my desk. Every time they work well together as a team or receive a compliment from myself or another teacher for good work or good teamwork or being good role models, etc., they will earn Rockin’ Richards into their bucket because they are “Filling my bucket!”

• When the students have earned ALL the Rockin’ Richards, they will have the chance to choose and vote on a Random Reward. • Examples of Random Rewards include, but are not limited

to: popcorn party, 100 Book Challenge outside, dance party, choose your job for a day, hat day, pizza party, bonus minion money for everyone, etc.

Homework Students will usually have homework everyday.

Only exception will be on Friday. No homework! Happy weekend!

Homework assignments will always be copied into the agenda books when students enter the classroom in the morning, which must be signed by parents each night.

Homework will be posted on our class website, updated over the weekends for the entire upcoming week.

Homework varies depending upon the day of the week: Monday: Varies Tuesday and Thursday: FUNdations Wednesday: Reader Responses **Math homework may come home on ANY night!**

Grading The grading system for 2nd grade

is the following: E (Excellent): 100-90% G (Good): 89-80% S (Satisfactory): 79-70% N (Needs Improvement): 69-65% U (Unsatisfactory): 64% and BELOW

“Celebration of Knowledge”

“Celebration of Knowledge” stands for “test”, a word that causes stress and anxiety rather than the joy of celebrating what you have learned!

The “Celebration of Knowledge” folder will come home every Tuesday (yellow Tuesday Test Folders).

Inside the folder will be “Celebrations of Knowledge” that need to be viewed and a log that needs to be signed and returned.

Involvement Room Parents- we will be having room parents in

2nd grade this year! If you have signed up to be a room parent, you will be notified with what your responsibilities will be to help this year!

Mystery Readers- before you leave this evening, please sign up to be a Mystery Reader this year on the sign up sheet on the back table!

Reading Helpers- if you have signed up to be a reading helper, you will be contacted to come in and work with a small group of students during our Small Group Reading time from 12:30-1:30.

Involvement continued…

• Birthdays- Policy on birthdays has changed for students in 1st through 4th grade. Students are no longer allowed to send in a food treat (i.e. cupcakes, pretzels, cake, ice cream, etc.). You should have received a letter last week explaining this policy. Students may donate a book to the classroom library, bring in items like pencils, erasers, puzzles, coloring books, etc. for their classmates, or wear something special in honor of their special day. In addition, students may receive special classroom privileges like choosing their seat for the day or bonus time on the classroom computers or iPads.

• Scholastic Book Club- Order forms will be sent home monthly. Or you can ORDER ONLINE (see online ordering directions paper on your desk)! Our first catalogs will be sent home with your child tomorrow! Please order by next Friday, September 25th!

Things to note Conferences will be November 23rd and 24th. There is a sign-up

sheet located on the back table next to the Mystery Reader and Room Parent sign-up sheets. Please sign up before leaving tonight if you already know when you can be available and your time will be reserved in advance!

I would like to invite you to take a look at the white board to see “who’s pitching in” this year! Please feel free to grab a baseball (or several) off of the “field” (white board) with an item you would like to donate to our classroom throughout the year.

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO DONATED CLASSROOM SUPPLIES ON THE FIRST FEW DAYS! I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED SO MANY DONATIONS AND I FEEL SO LUCKY ALREADY TO HAVE SUCH WONDERFUL PARENTS TO WORK WITH THIS YEAR!

Things to note Please fill out the Highlights form that is on the desk, as well as

read the note from your child and leave a note for them in return! If you ever need to contact me with questions, comments,

concerns, or would like to set up a conference, feel free to contact me at any time. The contact information is provided on the letter on your desk, as well as Remind 101 directions. You can also send in a note with your child either in the agenda book or separately on a note.

Lastly, thank you so much for your time! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to write them down on the index card located on your desk with your name and contact information. Drop it in the basket on the bookshelf by the front door as you are leaving and I will be sure to answer you as soon as possible!

• Thank you so much for coming to Back to School Night! I enjoyed meeting each of you. Remember, not only are the students and I part of this team, but each of you play just as important a role to our team’s success all year long! Looking forward to a super second grade year together!