NEW BEGINNINGS
It was a wonderful, busy first week in second grade! Last week, your favorite second grader went on a classroom scavenger hunt, completed a Find Someone Who activity that helped us learn a little bit about one another, went to Computer Class, Music, P.E. and Library, began drawing self-portraits, explored our three outdoor playspaces, and enjoyed the company of new and old friends.
On the first day of school, many children admitted to having “butterflies in their stomachs.” As the week progressed and we got to know one another, those feeling eased. The children are adjusting nicely to new the routines and responsibilities of second grade. Your children are an eager, imaginative, curious, active group of students and we look forward to all the possibilities of the new year! Be sure to check out the Gallery for the highlights from the first week.
We hope you can join us on Wednesday evening for Parent Night when we will share more about our classroom program and curriculum. The Parent Night Program begins at 5:30 with light refreshments in the ESH Lobby, an introduction from our principal, Susan Devetski, and comments from the Parents Association. The classroom will open at 6:00 p.m. and you will have some time to read a letter from your child and write a response to before our presentation begins promptly at 6:15 p.m. See you then! A schedule for Parent Night is attached below so you can have a preview of the evening to come. We hope to see you then!
It was a wonderful, busy first week in second grade! Last week, your favorite second grader went on a classroom scavenger hunt, completed a Find Someone Who activity that helped us learn a little bit about one another, went to Computer Class, Music, P.E. and Library, began drawing self-portraits, explored our three outdoor playspaces, and enjoyed the company of new and old friends.
On the first day of school, many children admitted to having “butterflies in their stomachs.” As the week progressed and we got to know one another, those feeling eased. The children are adjusting nicely to new the routines and responsibilities of second grade. Your children are an eager, imaginative, curious, active group of students and we look forward to all the possibilities of the new year! Be sure to check out the Gallery for the highlights from the first week.
We hope you can join us on Wednesday evening for Parent Night when we will share more about our classroom program and curriculum. The Parent Night Program begins at 5:30 with light refreshments in the ESH Lobby, an introduction from our principal, Susan Devetski, and comments from the Parents Association. The classroom will open at 6:00 p.m. and you will have some time to read a letter from your child and write a response to before our presentation begins promptly at 6:15 p.m. See you then! A schedule for Parent Night is attached below so you can have a preview of the evening to come. We hope to see you then!
ps_parent_night_2015.docx |
DISMISSAL
So far, our dismissal routine has been running smoothly despite challenges with School Pass. Thanks for your patience and cooperation and we get familiar with faces and routines. Here are a few reminders and some changes. We understand that School Pass has presented some challenges and has been frustrating for both teachers and parents. For our purposes, it is most important that teachers have a list of people authorized to pick your child up. As for the carline, simply having your car's transponder registered allows us to see when you've arrived and then we can bring your child out to you. At the least, please make sure you have the bright blue sign displayed on your dashboard. This will help the carline run most efficiently. If you need another blue dismissal sign, please contact the Primary School Office.
SNACK/LUNCH DONATIONS NEEDED
We always try to have extra snacks and lunch options on hand for times when a lunchbox is forgotten at home, when food falls on the floor, or when a child is still feeling hungry. If you’d like to help, we could use items such as microwaveable mac and cheese, ramen noodles, spaghetti-os, granola bars, pretzels, goldfish crackers, etc. that are easy to store. Please remember that we are now a peanut/tree-nut restricted school so plan accordingly. Thank you!
DAYS IN SECOND GRADE
We hope that you have all had the chance to explore our classroom website. Here you will find answers to many general questions, how to contact homeroom and special area teachers, a classroom blog that contains frequent updates about classroom happenings, photo & student work galleries, weekly newsletters, and more!
Because there is so much information to share each week, we invite you check the classroom blog and twitter often to learn more about your child’s experience in second grade. We will often include many things that we just cannot fit into our newsletters.
We welcome feedback on our class webpage and hope to get the children more involved in it as the year progresses. Please know that we will never post names attached to photos. Sensitive information will be password protected, such as our class schedule and directory. All comments on the webpages are moderated by teachers. If you'd like to leave a comment (on our webpage or on a flickr photo), please do not include your last name. For example, if you are commenting on a classroom project that's described in the blog, you can sign your comment as ____________'s mom or dad. We will share more information about our use of technology and social media later. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns.
FALL SCIENCE COLLECTION
Now that the season is changing, we will invite children to begin adding to our autumn science collection. Soon, the children will start collecting all sorts of beautiful fall leaves. We’d like to add some pumpkins, gourds, mums, or other fall plants to our nature collection. If you are at a farmer’s market, pumpkin patch or even just the grocery store, we invite you to pick up a few things to share with the class and bring a little nature indoors. Thanks!
CULTURAL TRADITIONS
We love to celebrate and learn about different cultural traditions in our classroom. Each year we celebrate some school wide events, such as Halloween. However, other celebrations come from the students and the families in our class. In previous years, parents have volunteered to read stories, teach us how to play games, and make crafts and foods. We’ve learned about Hanukkah, Chinese New Year, Turkish holidays, Northern and Southern India, Irish folktales, Greek mosaic art, Mexican Easter eggs and more! If you have a cultural tradition that you would like to share with us, please let Ms. Harrison know. Our schedule is quite busy, so we’ll have to plan ahead. We hope you’ll participate!
APPLE PICKING FIELD TRIP
Our annual apple picking field trip will take place on Monday, September 28. Each student will fill a small bag of apples that costs $3. You will be billed through the FACTS system for this amount. Parent chaperones will be able to buy their own bags at the orchard. We have room for three parents on the bus. You are also welcome to drive and meet us there. If you decide to drive, we recommend that your child ride the bus with the rest of the class so he/she can experience the entire field trip with our new community of learner & friends. We will provide more details and directions later. This is an all day field trip. Please email Ms. Harrison if you'd like to join us.
ALVIN AILEY DANCE THEATER SIGN UP
The second grade will take its annual field trip to see the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater perform on March 11th. This is a wonderful cultural and city experience and we will take the Metra train to the theater! Although this field trip isn't until March, we must order tickets now to reserve our seats. Please sign up at the link below if you can join us. We need a commitment from you by this Thursday, September 17th and will not be able to issue refunds if your plans change. We apologize for the short notice. Tickets cost $12. The Laboratory Schools will send you an invoice using the FACTS billing system for the cost of your child's ticket and your ticket if you choose to join us.
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Sign Up
CONFERENCE SIGN-UP
Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday, October 12th and Friday, October 23rd. We know that many of you are eager to schedule a conference with us. Look for a separate email soon describing how you can sign up online. We will not post a sign-up sheet in the classroom. We’re hoping everyone will find the online system easy and convenient.
PARENT SURVEY/ CLASSROOM DIRECTORY INFO and FAMILY PHOTO
If you haven't done so already, please complete the Parent Survey and return it to school this week. We'd also like to get our classroom directory together. As listed in the August letter, you can help by completing the information here: http://goo.gl/forms/4fXmtXvDpH
Finally, please send in a framed family photo. The collection is really adding to our classroom community!
So far, our dismissal routine has been running smoothly despite challenges with School Pass. Thanks for your patience and cooperation and we get familiar with faces and routines. Here are a few reminders and some changes. We understand that School Pass has presented some challenges and has been frustrating for both teachers and parents. For our purposes, it is most important that teachers have a list of people authorized to pick your child up. As for the carline, simply having your car's transponder registered allows us to see when you've arrived and then we can bring your child out to you. At the least, please make sure you have the bright blue sign displayed on your dashboard. This will help the carline run most efficiently. If you need another blue dismissal sign, please contact the Primary School Office.
- If you plan to pick your child up from the classroom, please be there 10 minutes before dismissal (arrive by 3:00 or 2:00 pm). Please wait quietly in the hallway and we will send your child out when we are ready. If you miss us at the classroom, please meet us in the Lobby. Don't forget to share this information with caregivers and remember that we dismiss an hour earlier on Tuesdays and Fridays.
- Please call the Primary School Office (773-702-4543) or the Lab Extended Day Office (773-702-9449) with information about absences or changes in dismissal planes. You can also send Ms. Harrison dismissal changes via email no later than the night before. Do not worry about making these changes in School Pass.
- Be sure to display the blue dismissal sign (with child's and teacher's name) on your dashboard if you use the carline. If you need an additional card made, please contact the Primary School Office.
- Please contact the Registrar, Brent LaRowe at 773-834-8218 or [email protected] with questions or feedback about School Pass.
SNACK/LUNCH DONATIONS NEEDED
We always try to have extra snacks and lunch options on hand for times when a lunchbox is forgotten at home, when food falls on the floor, or when a child is still feeling hungry. If you’d like to help, we could use items such as microwaveable mac and cheese, ramen noodles, spaghetti-os, granola bars, pretzels, goldfish crackers, etc. that are easy to store. Please remember that we are now a peanut/tree-nut restricted school so plan accordingly. Thank you!
DAYS IN SECOND GRADE
We hope that you have all had the chance to explore our classroom website. Here you will find answers to many general questions, how to contact homeroom and special area teachers, a classroom blog that contains frequent updates about classroom happenings, photo & student work galleries, weekly newsletters, and more!
Because there is so much information to share each week, we invite you check the classroom blog and twitter often to learn more about your child’s experience in second grade. We will often include many things that we just cannot fit into our newsletters.
We welcome feedback on our class webpage and hope to get the children more involved in it as the year progresses. Please know that we will never post names attached to photos. Sensitive information will be password protected, such as our class schedule and directory. All comments on the webpages are moderated by teachers. If you'd like to leave a comment (on our webpage or on a flickr photo), please do not include your last name. For example, if you are commenting on a classroom project that's described in the blog, you can sign your comment as ____________'s mom or dad. We will share more information about our use of technology and social media later. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns.
FALL SCIENCE COLLECTION
Now that the season is changing, we will invite children to begin adding to our autumn science collection. Soon, the children will start collecting all sorts of beautiful fall leaves. We’d like to add some pumpkins, gourds, mums, or other fall plants to our nature collection. If you are at a farmer’s market, pumpkin patch or even just the grocery store, we invite you to pick up a few things to share with the class and bring a little nature indoors. Thanks!
CULTURAL TRADITIONS
We love to celebrate and learn about different cultural traditions in our classroom. Each year we celebrate some school wide events, such as Halloween. However, other celebrations come from the students and the families in our class. In previous years, parents have volunteered to read stories, teach us how to play games, and make crafts and foods. We’ve learned about Hanukkah, Chinese New Year, Turkish holidays, Northern and Southern India, Irish folktales, Greek mosaic art, Mexican Easter eggs and more! If you have a cultural tradition that you would like to share with us, please let Ms. Harrison know. Our schedule is quite busy, so we’ll have to plan ahead. We hope you’ll participate!
APPLE PICKING FIELD TRIP
Our annual apple picking field trip will take place on Monday, September 28. Each student will fill a small bag of apples that costs $3. You will be billed through the FACTS system for this amount. Parent chaperones will be able to buy their own bags at the orchard. We have room for three parents on the bus. You are also welcome to drive and meet us there. If you decide to drive, we recommend that your child ride the bus with the rest of the class so he/she can experience the entire field trip with our new community of learner & friends. We will provide more details and directions later. This is an all day field trip. Please email Ms. Harrison if you'd like to join us.
ALVIN AILEY DANCE THEATER SIGN UP
The second grade will take its annual field trip to see the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater perform on March 11th. This is a wonderful cultural and city experience and we will take the Metra train to the theater! Although this field trip isn't until March, we must order tickets now to reserve our seats. Please sign up at the link below if you can join us. We need a commitment from you by this Thursday, September 17th and will not be able to issue refunds if your plans change. We apologize for the short notice. Tickets cost $12. The Laboratory Schools will send you an invoice using the FACTS billing system for the cost of your child's ticket and your ticket if you choose to join us.
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Sign Up
CONFERENCE SIGN-UP
Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday, October 12th and Friday, October 23rd. We know that many of you are eager to schedule a conference with us. Look for a separate email soon describing how you can sign up online. We will not post a sign-up sheet in the classroom. We’re hoping everyone will find the online system easy and convenient.
PARENT SURVEY/ CLASSROOM DIRECTORY INFO and FAMILY PHOTO
If you haven't done so already, please complete the Parent Survey and return it to school this week. We'd also like to get our classroom directory together. As listed in the August letter, you can help by completing the information here: http://goo.gl/forms/4fXmtXvDpH
Finally, please send in a framed family photo. The collection is really adding to our classroom community!
beginning_of_the_year_parent_survey_2015-16.docx |
Be sure to ask your child about our read aloud, Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant.
Enjoy the lovely fall-like weather and have a great weekend!
Enjoy the lovely fall-like weather and have a great weekend!