bush elementary school journey to excellence
TRANSCRIPT
Parents’ Night2017-2018
Bush Elementary School
Journey to Excellence
Who is Mrs. Strange?
• an Illinois farm girl
• an Iowa Hawkeye
• the proud mother of two Aggie grads
who are former Bush students
• a lifelong learner and avid reader
• an experienced teacher who stays current
on educational research and best
practices
Mrs. Strange’s Philosophy
• I believe each child is a unique individual who deserves an
educational environment that is safe, caring, stimulating,
challenging, and fun.
• I believe that teaching is a continuous learning process.
• I believe public educators are not only responsible for the
intellectual growth of children, but also for their emotional and social
growth.
• I believe that a teacher’s enthusiasm is contagious and creates
enthusiastic learners.
• I believe there is no limit to what you can teach a child.
• I believe that children are happiest and most successful when
behavioral boundaries and expectations are clear and consistent. I
believe children want and need boundaries.
Parent and Teacher
Communication
• Send a note with your child
Parent and Teacher
Conferences
• Can be initiated by parent or by teacher
• Are scheduled in advance – no drop-ins
• Can be scheduled before school at 7:10
a.m. or during students’ ancillary time at
1:05
Classroom Procedures
Busy Mornings!
• Be on time for school each day – 7:35
• Morning routine:
1. unpack backpack
2. get out morning supplies
3. sharpen pencils
4. copy homework
5. do the daily warm-up
6. listen to announcements!
Folders
Red Folder
• comes home daily
• holds Reading Log
and Weekly Conduct
Sheet
• holds homework
• holds Wednesday
communications from
the office and PTO
Weekly Work Folder
• comes home on Wed.
• holds graded papers
• needs to be signed
and returned on
Thurs.
• keep passing papers
at home and return
papers with grades
below 70
Speaking of homework…
• it is given Monday-Thursday
• assignments written on back of conduct chart
• 20 minutes of daily reading
• math fact practice as needed
• spelling practice as needed
More About Homework…
• a review of material covered in class
• a chance for children to develop responsibility
• should be completed NEATLY in pencil
• is returned the next day by the child (not a parent)
or is completed during recess
• will usually be checked together in class
If you constantly bail your child out, she learns that self-sufficiency isn’t really necessary because you’ll always pick up the pieces.
- Jessica Lahey
Project Class
• Social Skills Training for all teachers and
students
• Reinforce them at home to help your child
understand the importance of proper social skills
Discipline Management
Although I prefer to accentuate the positive, there are consequences
for repeated behavior infractions.
• one conduct mark in a day = 5 minutes off recess
• two marks = 10 minutes off recess
• three marks = no recess
*Please note that some behaviors may warrant the loss of the
entire recess without going through the first 2 steps.
Conduct Grades• Weekly conduct grades are based on the number of
infractions for the week. The scale for weekly grade
computation is noted on the bottom of the Weekly
Conduct Sheet.
• Conduct grades for the report card are based on an
average of the weekly grades using the following
scale:
E = 4 points
S = 3 points
P = 1 point
U = 0 points
A student must have an E or S average to participate
in field trips.
ACADEMICS
Self-Contained Classroom
Reading
Writing
Language
Spelling
Math
Science
Social Studies
Handwriting
Guided ReadingSecond graders have moved from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”.
• Daily Five
• Small Group Instruction
• Independent Reading Levels
• Daily Read Alouds
• Mini-lessons
• Genre Studies
• Flexible Grouping
• Focus on comprehension, accuracy, fluency, expanding
vocabulary
OLA (Other Language Arts)a.k.a. Language, Writing and Spelling
30% of grade comes from Spelling
70% of grade comes from Language and Writing
Language
• skills that correlate with students’ reading
• students’ writing needs
• mini-lessons followed by application
opportunities
• proofreading and editing, parts of speech,
singular and plural possessives,
pronouns and antecedents, punctuation of
dialogue, irregular verb tenses
Writing
Learn steps of the writing process
Plan (Prewrite)
Draft
Revise
Edit
Publish
Share
Forms of Writing
• personal narratives
• expository nonfiction
• realistic fiction
• descriptive paragraphs
• how-to pieces
• fantasy
• poetry
• friendly letters
• book reviews
Spelling
• weekly word list is rule-based
• 3 review words on each test starting with 3rd
test
• correct spelling is not just for Friday’s test
• keep a Spelling folder at home for review
Math
Daily Routines
• calendar talks
• number talks
• number of the day
• problem solving (BIG
focus)
Problem Solving Steps
• understand the problem
• make a plan
• carry out the plan
• evaluate the solution for
reasonableness
PROBLEM SOLVING
STRATEGIES
• draw a picture
• look for a pattern
• guess and check systematically
• act it out
• make a graph/t-chart
• work backwards
Math Assessments
Skill Checks
• given weekly
• cover current week’s skills and review skills
• not retested
Fact Tests
• given every few weeks
• tests given in a grading cycle are averaged for one
grade
• mixed addition and subtraction
• not retested
Topic Tests
• given at end of a unit
• will be retested
Science and Social Studies
• Unit-based approach
• Varying time frames for different units
• Experts welcome to share/present
Science Units
• safe science practices
• properties of matter (measurement)
• states of matter and changes in matter
• sound energy
• force and motion
• natural resources
• weather conditions and seasonal changes
• patterns of objects in the sky
• basic needs of plants
• basic needs of animals
• life cycles of insects
• interdependence among living organisms
Social Studies Units
• citizenship
• timelines
• rules and laws
• maps and globes
• patterns in our world (seasonal and settlement)
• natural resources
• needs and wants
• landmarks
• patriotic symbols and songs
• customs and celebrations
• leaders in history
• pioneers in history
• good citizens in history
Grading Policy for Second Grade Students
Assignments that will NOT BE RETESTED:
• Weekly Comprehension Assessments
• Weekly Spelling Tests or Sentence Dictation
Tests
• Weekly Math Skill Checks
• Weekly Math Fact Tests
• Projects
• Oral Presentations
Other assignments for which a student receives a
grade below a 70 will be retested.
Calculation of Grade for a Retested Assignment
Original grade and retest grade will be averaged to
NO HIGHER THAN A 75.
Example 1:
Original grade earned: 25
Retest grade earned: 75
Grade entered in grade book: 50
Example 2:
Original grade earned:
60
Retest grade earned:
100
Grade entered in grade
book 75
Although the straight
average would be an
80, the highest grade
that can be earned on a
retested assignment is
a 75.
Students will receive 5 points off of a grade on a paper that is turned in with no name.
This will begin in the second nine weeks period.
Other Items to Note
• Weekly newsletter sent on Mondays
• Bush Parent Handbook available on website
• Absences – send note within 3 days
• No party invitations at school
• Thanks to Room Mother – Isla’s mom – Mrs.
Bate
• Scholastic News Magazine
Learning is a journey,not a destination.
Thanks for coming!
The powerof
modeling.
Children learn
what they live..
Get lost in a good book.