Welcome to Second Grade2-409 at PS 11!!

Agenda1. School Procedures: Arrival and Dismissal2. Office Paperwork: Blue Cards and Lunch Forms3. New Safety Protocols4. Grit5. Curriculum: Reading, Writing, Math, S.S., and Science6. A Typical Day in the life of a 2nd Grader5. Homework and Reading Logs6. Field Trips7. Specials8. Enrichment Programs9. Scholastic10. Birthdays11. Parent-Teacher Communications

School ProceduresArrival:8:20 AM: Cafeteria open for breakfast8:45 AM: Students line up outside of classroom8:50 Class starts!Late arrivals*

Dismissal:3:08 PM: Students will be dismissed in the front of the school. We will use the doors closest to

the yard. Please do not take your child from us until you see him/her give us a “high five!” 3:15 PM: Students will be brought to room 101 for late pick up.

Please help us to make dismissal safe and smooth for all of the kids in the class:• Absolutely no changes can be made to dismissal procedure unless a hand written note is

sent to school with your child in their homework folder OR the office receives a call BEFORE 9:00 am.

• If your child takes the bus home and you intend to pick them up instead, please make certain that you send in a written note AND you meet them at the bus gate. If you are not at the gate by 3:00, your child will be sent on the bus regardless of a note being sent.

Office Paperwork

Blue Cards• Emergency blue cards: please return them as soon as

possible• Please note— WE WILL NOT dismiss your child to

anyone that is not listed on the blue card unless we have a written note from a parent/guardian in advance.

• P.S. 11 teachers are no longer allowed to accept phone call or e-mail communications regarding dismissal of children.

Lunch Forms• EVERY CHILD MUST HAVE A COMPLETED LUNCH FORM

ON FILE AT P.S. 11. Please return the form ASAP

New Safety Protocols

• Allergies/epipens- All EPI pens must be registered with the Ryan Center! • We are a no nut school!• Buddy system

Grit

We believe in respecting ourselves and others as we:

• Take risks!• Reflect on our learning process.• Celebrate our triumphs and struggles

and• Persevere to reach our goals! *Language that promotes grit (homefolder)

Curriculum InformationUnits of Study: Reading

Unit 1: Reading Growth Spurt!

Unit 2: Becoming Experts (Nonfiction)

Unit 3: Studying Characters and their Stories

Unit 4: Bigger Books Mean Amping up Reading Power

Unit 5: Series Book Clubs

Unit 6: Reading Nonfiction Cover to Cover – Nonfiction Book Clubs

Curriculum InformationUnits of Study: Writing

Unit 1: Lessons from the Masters

Unit 2: Informational Writing

Unit 3: Writing Gripping Fictional Stories

Unit 4: Poetry

Unit 5: Writing about Reading

Unit 6: Lab Reports and Science Books

Mathematics

Math Strands to be covered throughout the year:1. Extending Knowledge of Place Value through 1,0002. Becoming Fluent with Addition and Subtraction3. Applying Base 10 Understanding4. Measurement5. Geometry & Fractions6. Developing Multiplication and Interpreting Data

Assessment:• Students are given a pre-test to assess their benchmark

understanding. This information is used to develop and adjust the curriculum as well as create grouping. The assessment is given again at the end of the unit to check for mastery of the skills taught throughout the unit.

Science and Social Studies

Science Units of Study:• Rocks, Sand and Silt• Plants• Balance and Motion***We have a ten week program with a science facilitator from Wonderhut.

Social Studies - New York City:• Citizenship and Civic Life: Rules and Laws• Urban, Suburban and Rural Communities• NYC Geography• Change over Time: Past and Present• Our Community: Needs and Wants** We go on many Field Trips that connect to our curriculum and encourage you to join us!

A Typical 2nd Grader’s Day(Scheduling will differ between classes)

Time Period Activity

8:50 AM-9:27 AM Morning Work, Morning Meeting, Word Study

9:27 AM-10:30 AM

Reading Workshop

10:30 AM-11:22 AM

Writing Workshop

11:22 AM-12:22 PM

Recess and then lunch

12:22 PM-1:24 PM Math Workshop (Grade-wide)

1:24 PM-2:16 PM Social Studies or Science

2:16 PM-3:08 PM Special Class (Music, Gym, Theater, etc.)

3:08 PM Dismissal

“Specials”

Swimming• Students will begin swim class in October. Mr.

Nichols will send a letter home explaining expectations and routines for swimming later this month. If you need to reach him with questions, he can be contacted via email: dnichol@schools.nyc.gov

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

Friday

Dance Swim Art Music Theater

HomeworkHomework Folder: Homework folders will go home every night. Please check to see if there is any

communication from your child’s teacher or from the school. On the inside of the folder you will find the following:

P.S. 11 Community Standards Current School Calendar, 2015 - 2016 School Policies and Procedures PS 11 Philosophy on Grit and Mission Statement

Homework Packets:Homework packets will be handed out every Monday and are due Friday morning. Your

child may keep his/her homework in his/her homework folder until it needs to be returned to us on Friday. Your child’s homework will be checked for completion.

Reading Logs:Students will be held responsible for planning and recording their reading for the week both

at home and at school. This will support student goal setting as well as foster a love and habit of reading. Please make sure your child is following and filling out their reading plans at home! We encourage that all students are reading for at least 30 minutes a night.

Field Trips

Field Trips• Parents/guardians must fill out and return the original

field trip permission form in order to give their child permission to leave the school building.

• Following Chancellor’s Regulation for field trips, no written notes or verbal permission over the phone will be accepted.

• Please dress your child in his/her P.S. 11 T-shirt on field trip days.

• If your child will want a school lunch for the field trip, we must know two weeks before the trip so that we may order it from the cafeteria.

• Chaperones will be selected on a rotating basis, with typically 4-5 per excursion.

Enrichment Programs

Julliard: Composition and music appreciation

Chess: Chess instruction (rules and strategies)

Pascal: Introduction to modern dance

Highline: History of the west side, study of ecology, and park design

Cookshop: Nutrition education program

Wonderhut: Hands-on science program, integrating art and science as well as social and physical activities

Birthday Celebrations

We love celebrating in our classrooms but please remember the following:

• All celebrations will be limited to 15 minutes.• Families may provide 1 treat per student• No goody bags, decorations, balloons, candles, or

toys are not permitted & we may NOT distribute home birthday party invitations.

• We are a nut-free classroom. Even if your child does not have an allergy, please do not send in food that may be problematic for another child.

• Siblings attending P.S.11 may not miss class to attend

Parent/Guardian-Teacher Communication

• Please feel free to email me at mspawlakps11@gmail.com Please allow up to 48 hours for a response.

• Call (212) 929-1743 and leave a message • Please also feel free to send in a note

with your child in his/her homework folder• Please email me if you are interested in

being a class parent