Dear Parents,
Welcome to your child’s second grade class! I am Kelly Kurdys (soon to be Kelly Bertossi), your child’s teacher. I have high expectations for your children, both academically and behaviorally. As parents of these children, I hope that you will be willing to work with me by expecting great things from them too. We need to work together to teach the students how to be responsible, respectful, and hard workers.
If you need to speak to me about anything during the year, please feel free to call, email or stop by to schedule an appointment after school. I ask that you try not to speak with me during class time, as it is important for me to attend to the children. I will try to keep you informed of what is happening in the classroom through bi-weekly newsletters on this website and or updates on the website. You can reach me best by e-mail (kelly.kurdys@cms.k12.nc.us). The school number is 980-343-5480.
Included in the next few pages is important information about our classroom guidelines, procedures, and curriculum. Hopefully, this will answer many of the questions you might have about your child’s year in second grade.
We’re looking forward to a wonderful year filled with lots of learning and lots of fun!
~Ms. Kurdys/Bertossi
SUPPLIES
When students arrive in the morning they are to unpack, turn in notes to the teacher, sharpen pencils, use the restroom, and begin morning work. They are expected to be ready for the day with all the supplies they will need at their desk by 9:15, as classes will begin promptly at that time. The earlier your child arrives, the better. Morning work time a critical review and strengthening time of skills. Please ask your child on a weekly basis what supplies they need. If we are in need of any special items for projects, etc., I will let you know via the newsletter or updates on the website, however donations are always appreciated!
LUNCH
Our lunch begins at 12:15 and ends at 12:40. Please do not send any glass containers or carbonated drinks to school with your child. They are considered unsafe. If a student does not have money in their lunch account, they will be permitted to eat a regular lunch, however the lunch account will be debited and a letter will be sent home notifying parents.
Family members are always welcome at lunch. When a student has a visitor they may ask one friend to sit with them. After the visitor has had lunch with the student they must remain in the cafeteria with the rest of the class. Please have the student line up with the class in the cafeteria. Do not drop him/her off at the classroom. Students should not be in the classroom without the presence of a teacher. Parents and other lunch time visitors should say their "good-byes" at the exit of the cafeteria so that your child can join the rest of the class as normal routine.
BIRTHDAYS
Irwin Academic Center has a school wide birthday policy. School is not a place for your child's full birthday party with gifts and games, however we do permit a small birthday snack. The last week of each month is designated as a time when all birthdays for that particular month are celebrated. Room parents will coordinate with parents for "birthday children" prior to this date in order to organize a birthday snack if you wish to participate.
If your child is having a party outside of school and is not able to invite all the girls or all the boys from the class, please mail invitations to homes in order to avoid any feelings from being hurt. ALSO, classroom treats are not allowed in the cafeteria. For example, if you bring a pizza in for your child then lunch visitor rules still apply.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
It is VERY important to send a written note informing us of any transportation changes. If we do not have a note, your child will be sent home the usual way! If your child is absent, please send a written excuse with your child on the day he/she returns to school so the absence can be changed from an unexcused absence. Also, please keep us informed of any mailing address, email address, or phone number changes throughout the year so we can reach you if needed. I email parents frequently and need an accurate address for communication.
THURSDAY FOLDERS
Thursday Folders are an important form of communication between the school and families. This folder will included graded assignments that will provide you with a wealth of information on your child's academic progress. Please take out all work that is in the folder and keep the work. At times, there are papers that must be signed and returned. Please take time to go through all the information enclosed in this folder on Thursday evening in order to sign and return any forms to school the next day. All Thursday folders are due back to Irwin the following day.
HOMEWORK
Your child will be assigned homework every night Mon.-Thur. Students will be bringing all homework home in their homework folder. Please check to see that the work is completed, but make it your child’s responsibility to pack and return it the next day.
You should expect 30 minutes of reading for Reading Records each night plus another short assignment. Students will have 2 spelling assignments to be completed each week, due on Friday. (Word patterns should be practiced each night for the Friday test.) On Tuesday and Thursday, students will have a math, literacy, or other assignment sheet to complete. If your child is bringing home more work than that, he or she is probably not completing class work. Please check your child’s folder every night for unfinished work that needs to be completed and returned the following day. There will also be a long-term project assigned about once a month. It is also their responsibility to unpack homework folders at school and turn in assignments. If homework is not turned in on time, the student will automatically flip their behavior card and have to finish their homework during free time throughout the day.
RULES AND CONSEQUENCES
Inside the homework folder there will also be a daily behavior calendar. It will be marked each day with the number of cards your child had to flip (if nothing is marked your child had a great day. That's a zero)! By doing this, you will have daily communication about your child's behavior. Please discuss your child's behavior with him/her each night and praise good behavior. :-) Then, initital the calendar.
Rules
Consequences
The 2nd grade team uses a number system with cards 0-5. When a rule is broken students are given a warning if another rule is broken students are asked to flip a card to the next number. *If a child is consistently disruptive or displays aggressive classroom behavior which needs to be addressed immediately the card system does not apply and the student will be sent directly to the dean of students (Mr. Zaremba).
0-Good day :-)
1-2nd warning
2-15 min. timeout
3-30 min. timeout/write a value paper (this value paper will need to be initialed by parent)
4-Parent Contact
5-Office referral
Rewards
*Individual Praise
*Star Sticker Folder-Students earn star stickers for outstanding behavior (beyond classroom rules). Prizes are given depending on the amount of stickers earned. The star sticker folder will not be replaced if lost.
*Table/Row Points- working together as a team is an important skill in life. When I see students working together to stay on task they get a table/row point. The table/row with the most points gets a reward (candy, sticker, etc) at the end of the day.
GRADING
Students in 2nd grade do not receive A’s, B’s, C’s, etc. on report cards and progress reports, however students will see letter grades on assignments sent home, accompanied by a percentage grade!
This is often a shock for many parents and students, so please be prepared.
Your child's grades no longer only answer "are they doing well or not," but they now answer "how well are they doing?"
Your child will still receive 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s on report cards and progress reports, but they are directly related to the percentages and letter grades received on assignments.
Below is a comparison chart to help you gauge how your child is performing and how the percentages will translate to 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s.
A 93-100%....... 85-100%= 3 (Consistently demonstrates grade level expectations)
B 92-85%.......
C 84-77%....... 84-70%= 2 (Inconsistently demonstrates grade level expectations)
D 76-70%.......
F Below 70%....... Below 70%= 1 (Does not adequately demonstrate grade level expectations)
You will see different marks on the students’ papers including: homework, skills practice pages, and Bloom’s/Workshop activities. These are not taken as a grade, however they count towards work/study habits and participation on the report card.
√+ stands for above average or outstanding work.
√ stands for average or satisfactory work.
√- stands for work that needs improvement or extra effort.