Mrs. Koehler's Class
Mrs. Koehler’s Second Grade Class
Welcome Second Grade Families!
Please take a moment to read over this newsletter, which will provide you with information concerning classroom and work procedures.
I am looking forward to a wonderful year with your child. I feel the key to success is good parent-teacher-student communication. If you have any question or concerns, please contact me at [email protected] .
“A.N.C.H.O.R.” Folder (A Nightly Communication, Homework, Organization, and Reading Folder)
· A pink or blue plastic take home folder will be coming home every night and will be sent back to school each morning.
· I know that your lives are busy, but by checking the folder every day and looking over the papers inside, you will be teaching your child that school is important and that their work is valuable.
· This folder contains a “Keep at Home” pocket and a “Return to School” pocket. The “Keep at Home” side is usually for informational notices and reminders. The “Return to School” side is where homework or other things that need to be signed will go. There is also a clear pocket where homework assignments, reading log, or projects will be.
· I will not be checking these folders for notes, field trip money, etc. So let your child know when there is something to be turned in that day.
Newsletters
· I will be sending home a weekly newsletter starting in September in addition to the weekly homework forms. Please check for it for reminders, dates, Specials rotation schedule, and other important information.
Homework
· The most important thing your child can do to further his/her development is to read. Reading will make up the majority of your child’s homework. I am asking that your child be engaged in reading for at least 15 minutes every night. They may read books of their choice to you or to themselves. After they finish reading, some great ways to talk about the book is discussing the character roles, reviewing beginning, middle, and end, asking your child to retell you the story, or see if they have any connections from this book to others they have read. All of these activities will further their comprehension and help them truly understand the text.
· Students will complete a reading log each night after they finish reading. Please keep this log in the take home folder with the rest of their homework.
· Homework will be sent home on Monday and is to be turned in on Friday. In second grade, the students will complete a weekly writing prompt, math and reading page each night, and a spelling activity. The spelling activities can be found in their plastic pouch in their take home folder.
· There will be an occasional project that the student is to complete. Information will come about that as assigned.
Make-up Work
· If a student is absent, the make-up assignments will be sent home when the child returns from school. Sufficient time will be allowed for completion. If the work is not returned by the given due date, the student will not receive credit.
Snacks
· Students may have a healthy snack everyday around 10:30. Parents are responsible for providing their child with a healthy snack daily. Please send snacks that don’t require utensils. Examples of a healthy snack are: granola bars, Gold Fish, crackers, fruit, vegetables, etc.
Volunteering in the Classroom
· Every Somerset family is required to donate at least 30 hours of volunteer time per school year. This can be done through donations of hours or items for the school or classroom (every $4 spent = 1 volunteer hour).
· Please complete the volunteer survey attached in this packet and return to school with your child as soon as possible. This will give me a better idea of how you choose to volunteer in the school as well as your availability.
· A volunteer calendar will be sent out monthly with what time you have selected to come in to the classroom.
· Also please remember if you can’t volunteer in the classroom, there will be several opportunities to do volunteer work at home.
· Further, please remember that parents are not to be in the classroom unless you have been scheduled on the volunteer calendar. I will always assume you are coming, but if can’t, just send me an email. No Problem!
Common Core
· As many of you know, Somerset does standards based grading. This grading is done based on mastery of the Common Core State Standards. If you have any questions concerning this grading system, I am more than happy to answer them.
· The school year is divided into four quarters. At the end of each quarter, your child will receive a standards-based report card indicating your child’s performance based on nations Common Core Standards with a 4, 3, 4, or 1.
4 = Exceeds Standards
3 = Meets Standards
2 = Approaching Standards
1 = Emergent
Curriculum
· The following indicates the curriculum we will be implementing during our instruction in second grade:
Reading – McGraw Hill Wonders Program
Math – Houghton Mifflin Go Math!
Writing – Being a Writer/Wonders
Science – A-Z Science
· I will also be implanting a modified version of the Daily 5 Literacy framework. Students are taught quality, in depth independent reading and writing practices while the teacher is working with differentiated groups.
Holiday Celebrations
· Throughout the year, we will have a few classroom celebrations.
· The way I have handled these in the past is to have a room mom head up and organize each of the holiday parties with other parents helping them out. I mainly serve as the middleman to get parents in contact with one another.
· If you would like to be our room mom, please email me and let me know!
Birthdays
· If a student wishes to bring in treats for their birthday, please contact the teacher beforehand to schedule a time to bring them in. There are 25 students in the class so please bring in a treat for everyone.
· In addition to a treat, a student may bring in their favorite book to have read to the class.
Contact Information for Mrs. Koehler
· The best way to reach me is through email: [email protected]
· Please note that I will be responding to email typically from 7:45 am-4:00 pm (Monday-Friday). I will read email outside of these hours, but I cannot guarantee a response. During the school day, I will be checking email during my planning time which is 12:30-1:15 and after school. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
· If you’d like to set up a conference to discuss any issues or concerns, please call the school or send me at note or email. J
As always, please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns about anything. We are a team and I welcome your input in your child’s education. I look forward to working with you to make it a fantastic school year for you and your child!
Sincerely,
Tiana Koehler
Welcome Second Grade Families!
Please take a moment to read over this newsletter, which will provide you with information concerning classroom and work procedures.
I am looking forward to a wonderful year with your child. I feel the key to success is good parent-teacher-student communication. If you have any question or concerns, please contact me at [email protected] .
“A.N.C.H.O.R.” Folder (A Nightly Communication, Homework, Organization, and Reading Folder)
· A pink or blue plastic take home folder will be coming home every night and will be sent back to school each morning.
· I know that your lives are busy, but by checking the folder every day and looking over the papers inside, you will be teaching your child that school is important and that their work is valuable.
· This folder contains a “Keep at Home” pocket and a “Return to School” pocket. The “Keep at Home” side is usually for informational notices and reminders. The “Return to School” side is where homework or other things that need to be signed will go. There is also a clear pocket where homework assignments, reading log, or projects will be.
· I will not be checking these folders for notes, field trip money, etc. So let your child know when there is something to be turned in that day.
Newsletters
· I will be sending home a weekly newsletter starting in September in addition to the weekly homework forms. Please check for it for reminders, dates, Specials rotation schedule, and other important information.
Homework
· The most important thing your child can do to further his/her development is to read. Reading will make up the majority of your child’s homework. I am asking that your child be engaged in reading for at least 15 minutes every night. They may read books of their choice to you or to themselves. After they finish reading, some great ways to talk about the book is discussing the character roles, reviewing beginning, middle, and end, asking your child to retell you the story, or see if they have any connections from this book to others they have read. All of these activities will further their comprehension and help them truly understand the text.
· Students will complete a reading log each night after they finish reading. Please keep this log in the take home folder with the rest of their homework.
· Homework will be sent home on Monday and is to be turned in on Friday. In second grade, the students will complete a weekly writing prompt, math and reading page each night, and a spelling activity. The spelling activities can be found in their plastic pouch in their take home folder.
· There will be an occasional project that the student is to complete. Information will come about that as assigned.
Make-up Work
· If a student is absent, the make-up assignments will be sent home when the child returns from school. Sufficient time will be allowed for completion. If the work is not returned by the given due date, the student will not receive credit.
Snacks
· Students may have a healthy snack everyday around 10:30. Parents are responsible for providing their child with a healthy snack daily. Please send snacks that don’t require utensils. Examples of a healthy snack are: granola bars, Gold Fish, crackers, fruit, vegetables, etc.
Volunteering in the Classroom
· Every Somerset family is required to donate at least 30 hours of volunteer time per school year. This can be done through donations of hours or items for the school or classroom (every $4 spent = 1 volunteer hour).
· Please complete the volunteer survey attached in this packet and return to school with your child as soon as possible. This will give me a better idea of how you choose to volunteer in the school as well as your availability.
· A volunteer calendar will be sent out monthly with what time you have selected to come in to the classroom.
· Also please remember if you can’t volunteer in the classroom, there will be several opportunities to do volunteer work at home.
· Further, please remember that parents are not to be in the classroom unless you have been scheduled on the volunteer calendar. I will always assume you are coming, but if can’t, just send me an email. No Problem!
Common Core
· As many of you know, Somerset does standards based grading. This grading is done based on mastery of the Common Core State Standards. If you have any questions concerning this grading system, I am more than happy to answer them.
· The school year is divided into four quarters. At the end of each quarter, your child will receive a standards-based report card indicating your child’s performance based on nations Common Core Standards with a 4, 3, 4, or 1.
4 = Exceeds Standards
3 = Meets Standards
2 = Approaching Standards
1 = Emergent
Curriculum
· The following indicates the curriculum we will be implementing during our instruction in second grade:
Reading – McGraw Hill Wonders Program
Math – Houghton Mifflin Go Math!
Writing – Being a Writer/Wonders
Science – A-Z Science
· I will also be implanting a modified version of the Daily 5 Literacy framework. Students are taught quality, in depth independent reading and writing practices while the teacher is working with differentiated groups.
Holiday Celebrations
· Throughout the year, we will have a few classroom celebrations.
· The way I have handled these in the past is to have a room mom head up and organize each of the holiday parties with other parents helping them out. I mainly serve as the middleman to get parents in contact with one another.
· If you would like to be our room mom, please email me and let me know!
Birthdays
· If a student wishes to bring in treats for their birthday, please contact the teacher beforehand to schedule a time to bring them in. There are 25 students in the class so please bring in a treat for everyone.
· In addition to a treat, a student may bring in their favorite book to have read to the class.
Contact Information for Mrs. Koehler
· The best way to reach me is through email: [email protected]
· Please note that I will be responding to email typically from 7:45 am-4:00 pm (Monday-Friday). I will read email outside of these hours, but I cannot guarantee a response. During the school day, I will be checking email during my planning time which is 12:30-1:15 and after school. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
· If you’d like to set up a conference to discuss any issues or concerns, please call the school or send me at note or email. J
As always, please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns about anything. We are a team and I welcome your input in your child’s education. I look forward to working with you to make it a fantastic school year for you and your child!
Sincerely,
Tiana Koehler