Curriculum Night Information Package. Welcome to Mrs. N. Victorino-Avila Room 122. ( Page 1 of 7 )

Transcription

1 Curriculum Night Information Package Welcome to Mrs. N. Victorino-Avila Room 122 ( Page 1 of 7 )

2 Grade 2 Ontario Curriculum See Family Life: Fully Alive Religion: We Belong to the Lord Jesus Language: Comprehensive Literacy and The Daily Five (see page 5 for more information) Mathematics: Nelson Mathematics Students will further develop their math skills in all five strands (Number Sense and Numeration, Measurement, Data Management and Probablity, Patterning and Algebra, and Geometry and Spatial Sense). Science: SCIENCE STRAND Grade 2 Understanding Earth and Space Systems Air and Water in the Environment Understanding Matter and Energy Properties of Liquids and Solids Understanding Structures and Mechanisms Movement Understanding Life Systems Growth and Changes in Animals Social Studies: SOCIAL STUDIES STRAND Heritage and Identity People and Environments Grade 2 Changing Family and Community Traditions Global Communities Arts: Visual Arts, Dance, Drama Physical Education and Health: Mr. Fioravanti Gym is on Tuesday and Wednesday Health: Ms. Smyth Thursday Music: Ms. Rigby - Wednesday French: Ms. Kouzela -Tuesday to Friday Social Studies: Ms. Berbenetz - Tuesday and Thursday

3 Dear Parent/Guardian, Welcome to a new school year! The Grade 2 Curriculum is exciting and challenging. It is working as a team, that we can best ensure your child s success this year. There are many expectations that need to be covered for students to become proficient at the skills the Ministry of Education requires of Grade 2 students. Therefore, it is critical that students keep up with the work and pay attention during lessons. To assist your child with keeping organized, here are some of the expectations, homework requirements, and other important information. Punctuality & Attendance: The school bell rings at 9:00 a.m. Students who are late must go to office and get a Late Slip before entering class. Please ensure your child is at school every day, unless he/she is sick. Behaviour Code: The Ministry advocates that all students need a safe environment in which to learn. Politeness and respect are essential at all times. Be a bucket filler, not a bucket dipper! Please refer to the Holy Angels Behaviour Code in the school agenda. Homework: 1. Each student is asked to keep track of all assignments in the Holy Angels agenda or other agenda. This is a great place to send me a note, or for me to send one to you, as each child is asked to bring this DAILY to and from school. 2. Please be sure your child has a quiet place in which to do his/her homework. 3. For Grade 2s, allow 10 to 20 minutes to complete homework every day. Students should also be reading daily. 4. With your child s input, set a time he/she is to start everyday (i.e., from 6:00pm to 6:30pm). This way, you do not have to keep negotiating with your child what time he/she has to start his/her homework. 5. When homework books are sent home, please have your child complete only the assigned pages. Do not go ahead since those lessons would not have been taught yet. 6. Homework will be assigned throughout the year. If work is NOT completed at school, your child will be asked to complete it for homework or to complete it during recess. Test Books: All tests, quizzes, and evaluations are placed in a test book duo-tang. Tests are to be signed by a parent every weekend and any errors are to be corrected by the student. Please spend time looking through your child s test book to see his/her progress in school.

4 Weekly Word Study and Reading Homework Duo-tangs: On Mondays, students will get 5 new word wall words and worksheets to complete for the week in a Word Study duo-tang. Depending on their after school schedules, students can work at their own pace to complete all tasks before Friday. The Word Study duo-tang is due FRIDAY and students will have a 5 word spelling test. The Reading Homework duo-tang goes home on WEDNESDAY and students are asked to choose 1 book to complete a Reading Response worksheet for that week on the book they have read. The Reading Homework duo-tang is due MONDAY. Lunches/ Snacks/ Birthday Celebrations: Due to an increase in students with life threatening allergies, please ensure that all food items sent to school are peanut and nut free. For birthday celebrations, consider a non-food item such as pencils or donating a class book, as birthday cakes and other food treats are not allowed in the classroom. Book Clubs: Our class will be involved in the Scholastic Book Club. The September order has already been placed and should be arriving shortly. If you are interested in ordering books, please return the forms by the due date along with a cheque made payable to Scholastic Canada Ltd. This is a good way to build your child s home library and foster a love of reading. Physical Education: Classes will focus on Healthy Living, Fundamental Movement Skills, and Active Participation. Students will have gym on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with Mr. Fioravanti. Health classes will be on Thursday with Ms. Smyth. Please ensure your child brings appropriate clothing and proper running shoes. FIRST RECONCILIATION & FIRST COMMUNION A letter was sent home on September 16, 2014 from Holy Angels Parish. Please contact Holy Angels Parish or your local church to register for classes. When Problems Arise: Parents will be notified when one of the following begins to occur with frequency: 1. Homework is often forgotten at home, left incomplete or not completed to expectations. 2. Your child is not following the class rules or following the school s Behaviour Code. 3. Other issues arise that I think you should be aware of. Sincerely, Mrs. Avila If you have any concerns, please feel free to contact me at school. (Page 4 of 7)

5 READING and WRITING and The Daily Five It won t be long until you hear your child talking about The Daily Five. The Daily Five is a way of structuring the reading block so every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research based tasks are ones that will have the biggest impact on student reading and writing achievement, as well as help foster children who love to read and write. Students receive explicit whole group instruction and then are given independent practice time to read and write independently while I provide focused, intense instruction to individuals and small groups of students. When it is up and running smoothly, students will be engaged in the Daily Five, which are comprised of: Read to Yourself - The best way to become a reader is to practice each day, with books you choose on your just-right reading level. It soon becomes a habit. Read to Someone - Reading to someone allows for more time to practice strategies, work on fluency and expression, check for understanding, hear your own voice, and share in the learning community. Work on Writing - Just like reading, the best way to become a better writer is to practice writing each day. Listen to Reading - We hear examples of good literature and fluent reading. We learn more words, thus expanding our vocabulary and becoming better readers. Spelling/Word Work - Correct spelling allows for more fluent writing, thus speeding up the ability to write and get thinking down on paper. This is an essential foundation for writers. There are very specific behavior expectations that go with each Daily 5 component. We will spend our first weeks working intensely on building our reading and writing stamina, learning the behaviors of the Daily 5 and fostering our classroom community. I will also spend time learning about your child s strengths and greatest needs as a reader in order to best plan for each student s instruction. Your child will be taught to select Good Fit Books or books they can read, understand and are interested in, which they will read during Daily 5. They will be spending most of their time actually reading, which research supports as the number one way to improve reading. I anticipate the motivation and enjoyment of reading will skyrocket when this gift of choosing their own books is accompanied by extended practice and specific reading instruction for each individual child. Please think of our classroom as you visit garage sales or clean your own child s bookcase.

6 September 2, 2014 Dear Parent/Guardian, I am excited to announce the launching of our class website that will be used as a platform for communication, to support student academic needs, as well as recognizing achievements and personal accomplishments. A class website is great way of keeping parents/guardians informed and up to date on daily assignments, class projects, class trips, as well as providing links to additional educational activities and exercises. Having students involved in a class website not only creates excitement, it becomes an incentive for them to achieve their best. The website is members-only protected and only students and parents will have access to it. Our internet address is: Parents and students will have to Sign Up as a new member and when I receive the online request, I will add you as a member to the group. To sign in as a new member, you will need a valid address and create your own password. Please send me a message when you sign up stating your relationship to child, for example, This is Maria s mother. Please ensure you complete all sections of the forms coming home today, in order for your child to be part of our class website. After your request is accepted, you will receive a confirmation and subsequent updates of events in our class. You will then be able to view upcoming events, class photos, and more. All students and parents are expected to sign the TCDSB Acceptable Use Policy form every year. Everyone is expected to follow the guidelines outlined in the policy to ensure the safe and appropriate use of technology. The full version of the TCDSB Policy may also be found at Thank You. Mrs. Victorino-Avila (Grade 2 Teacher)

7 We have a class website!!!!! Check it out at On our website, you will find: All About Mrs. Avila Learn more about Mrs. Avila and how to contact her. Check Out Our Look at pictures of areas around Room 122 Classroom and students doing activities and learning tasks! Class Work,Projects, Student work will be displayed on this page. Art and more Our Daily schedule Calendar Classroom Photo Album Wish List Newsletter Bucket Fillers Fun links for kids ( Page 7 of 7) When do we have Social Studies everyday? What time does Math start? Check it out online! Check out when special assignments are due, when we are going on field trips, and so much more! Mrs. Avila will be posting pictures throughout the year on our class website! Looking for that special something to donate to our classroom? Mrs. Avila will be updating her Wish List all year. Thank you so much for your generosity! :o) Be sure to check out Room 122 s very own monthly newsletter! It s always nice to receive compliments and do something nice for someone. We practice bucket filling every day. Read about the great things we do for each other on our website. Done with homework? AWESOME! Check out these great websites!