Ms. Decker

1
Welcome to 2nd Grade!
2
All AboutMs. Spooner

• My background
• I grew up in New Jersey, but I have lived in
  Houston for the past 12 years.
• BA in Elementary Education from University of
  Houston Clear Lake
• ESL and GT certifications
• My experience
• 8 years teaching 2nd grade at Timbers Elementary
  in Atascocita

3
My Goals

• Students Social and Academic Success
• Student and Parent Communication
• Lets HAVE FUN!

4
Arrival Dismissal

• School hours are 800 a.m. 320 p.m. TARDY at
  805 a.m.
• Any walker or biker in K-2 must be accompanied by
  an older sibling or adult
• Parents must send written documentation to change
  a childs dismissal in advance if there needs to
  be a change.
• Students MAY NOT be removed from the car rider
  line to walk with a parent/guardian (in case of
  emergency dismissal change a student must be
  signed out through the office).
• Parents should not park on neighboring streets or
  in front of Fall Creek residents homes.
• Students MAY NOT be dropped off in the front
  parking lot. This is a major safety concern.
  Please drive through the line to drop students
  off safely in front of the school.
• Please be courteous and follow traffic patterns
  with drop off and dismissal and be patient as the
  first couple of weeks of school.

5
Absences

• Please remember that student attendance is a key
  factor in student success!
• Compulsory attendance requires that students
  between the ages of 6-18 attend school
  (exemptions include religious holy days, required
  court appearances, etc)
• A court complaint may be filed against parent if
  the student is absent without excuse for 10 or
  more days within a six-month period.
• State law requires that to receive final grade in
  a class (promotion) a student must attend at
  least 90 of the days the class is offered
  (equating to less than 18 excused or unexcused
  absences for the school year).
• Please remember that documentation for an absence
  must be recorded within 48 hours upon the
  students return to school

6
Dress Code

• Dress and Grooming Code is found on page 33 of
  the Humble ISD Parent/Student Handbook.
• Highlights for elementary students include
• Hair should be neat, clean, non-disruptive.
• NO hats, sunglasses, makeup, tattoos, excessively
  loose or tight clothing.
• For boys NO earrings, sleeveless shirts.
• For girls No spaghetti straps
• NO short shorts (must be at least to mid-thigh)
• Jeans should be free from holes
• Foot wear should be appropriate for physical
  activity (recess etc). Tennis shoes are
  required on P.E. days.

7
FCE Things to Remember

• FRIDAY IS SPIRIT DAY!!! Show your school spirit
  by wearing red or an FCE spirit shirt.
• Wear your favorite college shirt on the fourth
  Thursday of each month. FCE students are college
  bound!
• LABEL ALL JACKETS, LUNCH KITS, ETC. with student
  name.
• Helpful Hint Keep a jacket or sweater in your
  backpack. Sometimes it is chilly in the
  classrooms.
• Lost and Found is located in the back of the main
  hallway (although small items such as glasses are
  kept in the office). Please check in at the
  office if youd like to check the lost and found.
  Items will be sent to charity if not claimed.
• Second grade activity fee of 15 will be
  collected later in the year for the field trip,
  classroom projects, and misc. items.

8
Communication

• My email address (resend/call after 36 hrs.)
• jennifer.spooner_at_humble.k12.tx.us
• My phone number
• [phone]

9
Red Tuesday Folders

• Distributed EVERY Tuesday
• Things to look for Conduct form and graded
  papers
• Tuesday Folder - Important information from
  District, School, PTO, or Faculty

10
Orange Daily Homework Folders

• Students complete homework packet
• Read EVERY NIGHT! (Complete Reading Log in
  homework packet)
• Place all homework materials and reading log in
  folder to be returned DAILY!

11
Classroom Community

• Our school is a community. In our community, we
  have rules to help us get along with each other.
• Our Cardinal Creed (school AND classroom rules)
  are
• Be Safe
• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible

12
Discipline Plan

• Class Incentives
• Behavior Chart (weekly conduct form)
• Classroom Consequences

13
C.A.T.C.H. Break

• Coordinated Approach to Child Health
• We will have a snack break each morning in the
  classroom.
• Please send nutritious snacks such as fruit,
  crackers, cheese, etc
• Water bottles with a sport top are also
  encouraged.

14
Birthday Treats

• We are encouraging parents to take advantage of
  our frozen treats through the cafeteria. Treats
  may be ordered at a discounted rate in advance.
• Fall Creek Policy No Treat Bags.
• If you have party invitations you would like
  given out, we can only pass them out if there is
  one for each classmate.

15
Lunch in the Cafeteria

• You are welcome to have lunch with your child in
  the cafeteria. Our lunch time is 1120.
• We have special tables for parents and their
  child on the stage in the cafeteria.
  (Student/Parents only)
• Please remember to sign in at the front office.
• Monthly menus can be downloaded on Fall Creeks
  Website
• Cafeteria Prices Breakfast - 1.30, Milk 40
  cents, Lunch - 2.00, Meal Ticket for a week
  10.00
• Snack accounts for ice cream may be frozen at
  parents discretion.

16
Class Subjects

• The subjects we cover during second grade are
• Reading
• Written Composition
• Grammar/Capitalization/Punctuation/Handwriting
• Spelling/Word Study
• Math
• Science/Health/Social Studies
• Music, Art, PE, Computer Lab, Library

17
Daily Schedule

• Community/Care Time
• Literacy Instruction (Reading Lesson, Just Right
  Reading, Reading workshop/Workstations)
• Interactive Read aloud (C.A.T.C.H. Break)
• Math workshop
• Handwriting/Everyday editing
• Lunch/Recess
• Writers Workshop
• Specials
• Word study
• Science/Social Studies
• Dismissal

18
Specials Schedule

• We are on a six day rotation this year. The 2nd
  and 4th nine weeks we will have art instead of a
  second section of computer.
• Our Specials Schedule will be available in your
  childs Orange Homework folder on their monthly
  calendar.

19
Reading/Writing

• Balanced literacy approach
• Read-Alouds
• Genre Studies
• Just Right Reading
• Guided Reading Groups
• Reading Workshop (research)
• Writers Workshop held daily that incorporates
• The writing process
• Everyday editing
• Handwriting

20
Spelling/Word Study

• Phonetic principles for spelling words areworked
  on and high frequency words will be emphasized
• Spelling lists usually come home every other
  Monday
• List will show phonetic PATTERN (CVC),(CVVC)
• Test will be given at the end of two weeks
• The test will look for application of the
  phonetic principles being studied

21
Math

• Goal in 2nd Grade is to create problem
  solvers/critical thinkers.
• Memorization of basic addition/subtraction facts

22
Math cont

• Types of Word Problems
• Combining situations (with/without additional
  information)
• Separating Situations
• Unknown Change situations
• Comparison Situations
• Related Situations
• Multi-step Situations

23
Examples

• Unknown Change
• Stonewall had 30 dog bones. He gave SOME to
  his brother. Now Stonewall has 16 dog bones.
  How many did he give away?
• Multi-step Situation
• The Boy Scouts were selling coupon books.
  Their goal was to sell 85 coupon books. In
  April, they sold 30 books and in May they sold 45
  books. What is the difference between the number
  of books sold and their goal?

24
Science/Health/Social Studies

• The Scientific Process
• Seasons, matter, weather, living things, and our
  environment
• Social Studies- How things work together
  (communities, citizenship, government, natural
  resources, and economics)

25
Grades

• Students will not receive numeric grades.
• Second Grade Report Card is standards based.
• Each student will be scored based on their
  mastery of a given standard/TEK.
• All reading/writing/conventions standards are
  scored each nine weeks.
• Most math standards are only scored during the
  nine weeks they are taught or are gradually
  increased in difficulty throughout the year.