2K   Mrs. Kegley’s Notes
about Second Grade


1.    This year is going to be a very special year in your child’s life.  I will keep you up-to-date via my weekly newsletter.  It comes home with your child at the end of every school week on bright orange paper.  Like all important papers, these ORANGE LETTERS and the schoolwide “News & Notes” should be found in your child’s COOKBOOK.  Please make it a habit to read it before the beginning of the next school week.

2.    Weekly newsletters include information on subject areas and units of study, weekly memory assignments, spelling words, concepts we will focus on for the coming week, and notices about special things like field trips and book orders, as well as any other information you should know as it becomes available to me.

3.    Memory assignments are almost always two scripture verses per week. Our second grade goal for Memory Work is to assign the verses and then the CHILD has until Thursday to recite the verses to me.  You can best help your child with memory assignments by having your child say them as a part of mealtime prayers or bedtime prayers or whenever your child can consistently practice them.  It will quickly become a routine. 

4.    Be sure to check your child’s COOKBOOK daily for notes, homework, or to see what your child has been learning.  There is a separate note explaining what the COOKBOOK is in this informational Home Visit Folder. 

5.    Second grade homework consists of up to two math homework pages, one fits with the lesson we had that school day and a fact practice page (usually Monday through Thursday), reading (every night), and other writing assignments.  Your child should read to an adult or older sibling for approximately 15 minutes each night until he/she feels comfortable enough to read on his/her own.  As with anything we wish to do well, we need practice!  Reading material may come from school or may be books that you have at home.  Your local library is also an excellent source for great books.








6.    Spelling tests will be a bit different this year as we use the Sitton Spelling program. Second grade will continue to focus on Word Wall Words which are words your child needs to use forever.  These forever words will be known as our PRIORITY WORDS.  You will see us practice them and be tested on them in some creative ways.  Tests will be fill in the blank, a story in which the students listen to a story, sentence by sentence, and fill in the missing words.  

7.    A book report will soon be assigned for each month. 

8.    If work is sent home with problems marked with a check mark or the words “FIX AND RETURN” written at the top, please help your child correct his/her mistakes and return the corrected paper to school the next school day.

9.    Snack breaks:  The children have the opportunity to have a nutritious snack both in the morning around 10:15 and in the afternoon around 2:15.  Your child does not have to eat at either or both of these times.  You and your child are the best judges of snack needs.  Healthy snacks include fruit, vegetables, yogurt, crackers, cheese, fruit juice, plain popcorn, pretzels, etc.  Cold water is plentiful at school.  Please refrain from sending sugary snacks such as candy or cookies.  Chips and other foods similar to chips are better with lunch.  Our rule will be a healthy snack in the morning is a MUST and a dessert leftover (or chips) from lunch can be eaten for afternoon snack. Birthday snacks are the exception to this rule.

10.    Water bottles with tight fitting lids may be used during the warmer school days.  It even helps to place them in a clean sock to prevent the condensation from getting all over our desktops!  When the time comes, you will know when the water bottles can stay at home rather than at our desks.  Some children have been known to continue to use their water bottles only at snack time, which works very well.

11.    If your child wishes to celebrate his or her birthday in school, please let me know ahead of time.  Vacation and weekend birthdays may be celebrated before or after the vacation or weekend.  Summer birthday celebrations will be assigned as “pretend birthdays” later this school year.




 
12.    Second graders typically sing during a church service once per quarter.  The choir schedule is printed each year in the front of the Parent Handbook.  The dates for 2nd Grade are:  September 14th @ 9:30, November 23rd @ 9:30am,  January 25th @ 9:30 and beginning of 11:00am, March 4th 11:00am and 6:30pm, and April 26th @ 9:30. The children are expected to be here to participate when 2nd Grade is scheduled to sing in church. Kindergarten through 2nd Grade has an Advent Service this year, on December 17th,  starting at 6:30pm.   Second graders will also be presenting a Chapel service this school year on Wednesday, April 29th ,  at 8:40am.

13.    If your child is taken out of school for ANY reason, please send a note ahead of time.  Then remember to sign your child out of the building in the school office.  Pink slips for extended vacations during the school year should be picked up from the school office, filled out and returned to me.

14.    Book orders come home about once a month.  This is a great way to purchase good reading materials at reasonable prices.  Scholastic book orders will be sent home as attachments to ORANGE parent letters.  You are never under any obligation to order anything.  Please know that a minimum dollar amount is required to order from God’s World, so if that minimum is not met, I will be returning your order form and money to you.  From time to time, secular clubs offer books that we feel are not appropriate for us as children of God.  Please make your choices pleasing to God.  Should you ever decide to order, you simply fill out the forms and return them to me by the due date with money or a check made out to the book club or to me.  If you ever wish to order anything as a surprise for your child, just indicate so on the form and I will get the books to you privately.

15.    Field trips:   Our Second Grade class will be taking field trips six times during the school year and one will come to visit us at school!  I hope the trips will enhance our student’s educational experience.  You will know well ahead of time as to the dates and costs of each trip.  The field trips will be: 
1) Boerner Botanical Garden for “Trees for Me” on Tues. Sept. 30 
2) Milwaukee County Zoo trip “Homes and Hideaways” on Nov. 11  
3) Children’s Health Center brings the trip to Our Redeemer for “Eat to Live” on Feb. 11 
4) Wisconsin Lutheran College for the play “If You Give a Pig a Pancake” on March 2

5) Schlitz Audubon Center for the Maple Sugaring tour on March 17 
6)  P.A.C. for First Stage’s play “When I Became a Pirate” on May 8
7)Wauwatosa Historical Society Kneeland-Walker House and School tour sometime in May. 

16.    An estimate for the total cost for all of these field trips is around $55.00. Field trip costs are admission into these places and the bus costs for each trip. Adult admissions prices will vary for each trip.

17.    Second Grade students take an active role in the first conference on October 30th and 31st with parents.  Students set goals and communicate these goals with parents.  Students will also share examples of their work at this conference.

18.    Student of the Week:  Your child may display 5-10 of their favorite photos of themselves and their family in our classroom, along with a drawn picture.  Your child will not need to take a spelling test during their week.  Your child will also need to complete the Student of the Week poster prior to their Star Week.  The poster needs to be brought in to school on the Monday of the Star Week.  Our classroom Star Student bulletin board uses this poster as a focal point for the display all week long.  Your child will also lead an Estimation Bag activity with some preparation at home (read another sheet in this packet for ALL of those DETAILS).  Share a special picture book.  Finally, your child is welcome to have a guest at lunch time.  The guest may bring a special lunch or buy a lunch ticket for a school lunch.

19.    You are encouraged to use Our Redeemer’s voice mail system to leave messages.  My voice mailbox number is 220.  I will return messages as soon as possible.  My school email address is:  denise.kegley@orlctosa.org   I check my email nightly.