Symbaloo

Today we spent time saving our classroom Symbaloo to our favorites for easy access to websites. The students asked if they could access the Symbaloo from home.  I promised I would post the Symbaloo to our classroom blog :)

https://www.symbaloo.com/home/mix/13eP70c7dg

Achieve3000

Parents,
Today your child learned all about Achieve3000.  This is an online reading website with informational text that all students in my classroom are using.  It is an excellent resource for practicing reading because the text is leveled based on your child's pre-assessment score.  Students are encouraged to visit this website at home to practice their reading.  This can count as their 20 minutes of homework each night.  After reading the article, please make sure that your child completes the activity when it is offered.  This is great practice for strengthening comprehension.
www.achieve3000.com

Username-wcp and lunch number (no spaces)
Password-wcp and lunch number (no spaces)

Big Universe

	Dear Parents,

This year, our school will be using Big Universe, an award winning online literacy platform designed to instill the love for reading, writing, and learning in your students. We are excited about this literacy tool and think you will be happy to know this resource is accessible 24/7 at home on any device.

To get your child started at home, please follow these easy steps:

1.    Go to www.biguniverse.com and click Sign In

2.    Enter your account information:

                Username: WCP(Lunch Number)

                Password:  (Lunch Number)

                Group Username:  wcpss

Welcome to Second Grade!

Welcome!  I would like to welcome you, as well as your child to second grade because this year will truly be a joint venture between parent, child, and teacher.  This year will be a busy one of learning and growing.  Please take a few minutes to read over this handbook with your child.  It contains information about homework, communication, and school polices.  Thank you!

Methods of Communication…
 -You may email me at jbishop@wcpss.net and I will respond within 24-48 hours (often sooner).  Please do not send emails regarding changes in your child’s transportation.  I cannot guarantee that I will receive the email before the end of the day. 
-Please check our classroom blog http://bishopbres.blogspot.com/
My goal is to update our classroom blog at least once a week.  I will send out an email to let you know when our classroom blog is updated.  Please make sure I have your correct email address.  If you have not received an email from me by the end of the first full school week, please let me know so that we can make sure I have your correct email address. 
-You may call and leave a message at Banks Road.  I will return your phone call within 24-48 hours of receiving the message.  The phone number is 919-890-7333. 
  -You may send in a note with your child.  Please make sure the note is attached to your child's daily folder.  Please do not put any note in your child's book bag.  We do not check book bags.  I will respond to written notes within 1-2 school days. 

  - Report cards will go home at the end of the first, second, third, and fourth quarter.  Please sign and return the report card envelope.  If you would like to schedule a conference, please indicate on the envelope.  We will have two scheduled conferences throughout the year.  We will discuss your child’s progress and assessment data during these times.  If you would like to schedule any additional conferences, just let me know!

Attendance

Students are allowed to enter the classroom at the 8:45 bell.  We begin our instructional day at 9:15.  Your child’s progress is greatly influenced by their daily participation.  Regular attendance without tardiness is very important.  Please send a note regarding your child’s absence unless you have sent an email explaining the absence.  Absences without any parental contact are documented as unexcused. 

Classroom Management

During the first week of school we will discuss our classroom rules.  Our classroom rules will be the same as our school wide rules (Be Responsible, Be Respectful, and Be Safe).  After discussing our rules, we will establish appropriate rewards and consequences.  Your child will have a clothespin labeled with their name and the students will move their clip to the appropriate color based on the daily choices they make. Please refer to the behavior calendar in your child's daily folder for additional information.  Your child's daily folder will be sent home on the first day of school.  In that folder they will color a calendar reflecting their behavior for the day.  Please initial it and return the folder each day.  If your child completed a thinking plan, that will also be in their daily folder.  Please review it with your child, sign it, and return it to school the following day. 

Rewards- On Friday if your child has been on green (or above) each day that week, they will earn a lollipop to eat in class (often during writing time).  Students will also earn Blazer Bucks (school wide) that they can save and use for various rewards (ex. treasure box, lunch with a friend or the teacher, sit in the teachers chair for a lesson, no homework pass, etc.)

STARS (Students Take Active Responsibility Successfully) Friday – The entire 2^nd grade team will participate in STARS Friday.  If your child has stayed on green or above the whole week, they will be able to participate.  They must also have ALL work completed.  There will be a rotating schedule of activities (curriculum related crafts and movies, games, extra recess, etc.)  If students move their clip to yellow (twice in one week) or orange/red (once in one week), they will not attend STARS.  Instead, they will attend our grade level study hall. 

Homework and Daily Folder

Homework will come home on Monday in your child’s daily folder.  Students should complete homework each night for at least 20 minutes.  This time is separate from the 20 minutes of reading each night.  All homework should be returned on Friday. Homework will include the following items each week: written responses after independent reading, math worksheets, and Letterland assignments. Your child should be able to complete this homework independently since it is a review of concepts learned in class.  As your child completes his/her assignments, please initial in the box to the right each night.   

Your child will be expected to be responsible for their homework, making sure they keep track of it, and turning it in on Friday.  If your child does not turn in their homework, they will not be able to attend STARS on Friday.

Daily Folder- Your child will bring their folder home each day.  On Monday, their homework will be in the folder.  It will also contain a written reading response log to document nightly reading and their behavior calendar. Each Friday, your child will bring home work from that week in their daily folder.  The folder will also contain important school information (pictures, PTA filers, etc.)  Please make sure to clean out this folder each weekend and return it on Monday. 

Birthdays

County and school polices seek to make the school a healthy environment.  Some ideas to celebrate your child’s birthday at school besides a special snack are to send in a special book to read, eat with your child at lunch, or donate a book to the library.  If you wish to celebrate your child’s birthday at school with a snack you may bring in a store bought/store prepared snack.  This can be shared with the children at lunch or during recess.  Please let me know at least one week in advance of when you plan on bringing in the snack.  Toys treat bags, and balloons are not allowed.  Please do not send in birthday invitations, unless you have one for each child in our class.  This eliminates feelings getting hurt. 

Bathroom

We do not have a bathroom in our classroom.  Your child can go to the bathroom before the bell rings in the morning and during our scheduled bathroom trips.  They will not be able to go to the bathroom during instructional times unless it is an emergency.  If your child has a medical condition that requires additional bathroom trips, please let me know. 

Toys

Toys (electronics, silly bands, necklaces, etc.) are not allowed.  If I see your child playing with toys in the classroom, I will keep them until the end of the day.  If I see them again, I will keep them until a parent comes to get them from school.  I want our classroom to be an environment with as little distractions as possible. 

Snack and Lunch

If your child buys their lunch, you can send in a check (made out to Banks Road Elementary Cafeteria) or cash to add to their lunch account.  Pre-paying for lunches eliminates confusion and lost lunch money.  If their lunch account is low, a notice will be sent home from the cafeteria.  We will have snack every day during recess.  Please send a healthy small snack (fruit, vegetables, crackers, etc NO soda or candy please!) each day.

Volunteering

Our classroom is always open to volunteers!  Please fill out the volunteer information sheet if you are interested in volunteering in our classroom this year.  You must register to be a volunteer in the front office.  Even if you were a volunteer last year you must do this again. 

Transportation

Please make sure to let me know how your child will get home from school each day on the information sheet in the first day packet.  If your child will be going home a different way, please call the school or send in a note in your child’s daily folder.  If I do not hear different from you your child will go home the same way each day. 

Literacy and the Daily Five

The Daily Five is a way of structuring the reading block so that every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks.  These research-based tasks are fun, engaging, and have big impacts on student reading and writing achievement.  During this time, I will provide focused, intense instruction to individuals and small groups of students.  Here are the Daily 5 components:

·         Read to Self: Research continually shows that the very best way to become a better reader is to practice, practice, practice! Your child will read books at his or her “just right” level each day.

·         Read to Someone: Reading to someone helps develop reading fluency and comprehension.

·         Listen to Reading: Listening to reading helps children develop reading fluency.  It also allows them to access texts that they can’t read independently yet. 

·         Word Work: Working with words helps children become better spellers and writers.  Your child will learn about word families, practice high frequency words using an assortment of engaging activities. 

·         Work on Writing: Just like it takes practice to become a better reader, it takes practice to become a better writer.  During this center, your child will work on writing of their own choices.  We have also have a separate Writer’s Workshop time to work on specific forms of writing.

Social Studies Link

http://piggybank.disney.go.com/game/


Students played this interactive game at school and loved it!  They asked me to post the link on our classroom blog so they could play it at home.  Great practice for learning about economics!

Classroom Store

FYI-In social studies, we are learning about economics.  We have been learning all about money, goods/services, needs/wants, producers/consumers, etc.  In a couple of weeks, we are going to have our very own classroom store.  Your child has been asked to start thinking of goods they can make at home to sell at our classroom store.  Please do not go out and purchase goods from stores to sell.  Instead I would like for the students to make their own goods (please refrain from food items).  Some of the goods we are making in class include: bookmarks, homework passes, beaded jewelry, popsicle stick picture frames, games, fortune tellers, and pictures.  I would love for students to make some additional goods at home (ex. loom jewelry, homemade play-doh, etc.) The students seem very excited about this fun learning experience and I thank you in advance for your support.  Please send in all items by Wednesday, February 11^th. 

Ms. Bishop

Achieve 3000/Kid Biz

Reading Program for Banks Road Elementary-Parent Information Posted: 30 Dec 2014 08:26 AM PST Trailblazers, Our students in Grades 2-5 have access to this reading program.  If used consistently your child has the opporunity to deepen their comprehension skills and practice reading strategies they are learning in class.  If you have questions, please contact Ms. Moore at dmoore4@wcpss.net.  She is our Achieve 3000/KidBiz Teacher Contact.  :) Mrs. Graf  Dear Parent/Guardian, Now your child can improve his or her reading skills at home with the same great technology program we're using in school: KidBiz3000. Throughout the week, KidBiz3000 sends lessons. Every student in the class gets the same basic lesson, but the content is customized to match each child's own reading level. The lesson comes with a variety of fun activities to improve your child's comprehension, vocabulary and writing skills. As your child's reading level improves, KidBiz will increase the level of difficulty so he/she remains challenged and interested. Doing his or her best on the activities will ensure the best match between your child's ability and the content delivered. It is also important that your child's answers to the questions reflect work completed independently and without extra assistance. Students use this program in class, but you can also share in the fun at home - or anywhere a computer is connected to the Internet. Here's how: Log on tohttp://login.achieve3000.com Encourage your child to follow these five easy steps: Step 1:Respond to the Before Reading Poll. Step 2:Read the Article. Step 3: Do the Activity Questions. Step 4:Respond to the After Reading Poll. Step 5:Answer the Thought Question. Explore other KidBiz features, including other articles, the Stock Market game, puzzles, and more. We hope you enjoy exploring KidBiz with your child.

Spirit week starts Nov. 17-21...

Mon.- dress as your favorite book character
Tues.- Mismatch day
Wed.- Crazy Hair day
Thurs- Sports day (Jersey/shirts)
Fri. - School Spirit day

Fun Times in Second Grade!

Chase and Evan worked as engineers to build a house.  According to the boys, "it's a mansion!"  They even made a blueprint :)

The students researched the anatomy of a pumpkin, labeled the parts, and completed a venn diagram to compare/contrast two pumpkins

Luke made a snack which include marshmallows (ghost poop), candy corn (goblin teeth), cinnamon toast crunch (monster scabs), and chocolate chips (witch warts)!

Hutton and Graham completed a Halloween word search :)

Josh also made a special snack!

Tayla practiced place value (standard form, picture drawing, expanded form, and number word)  

The students enjoyed playing this game with book buddies!

Ada and James chose an adjective to describe a pumpkin and decorate!

Message from Mrs. Graf

"The Office of Magnet Programs is hosting its annual Magnet and Early College Fair on Saturday, November 1 at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High Schools 9am - 12pm. 5th and 8th grade families are encouraged to attend to explore their magnet middle and high school options. All early colleges including the new Vernon Malone College and Career Academy will also be in attendance. There will be staff and parents who can answer questions along with school tour schedules. For more information call the Office of Magnet Programs" Thank you, Mrs. Graf

Message from Ms. McCool

Parents, The Banks Road Book Fair will run from November 6th - 14th. During this time, all students will be given time to come through and preview the items available for purchase and make a wish list of items the would like to buy. Parents can then look over their students' wish lists and either come in to buy with them or send in money with their students so that they can come in and make their purchases on their own. If you send in a check, please make it payable to the Banks Road PTA and do NOT include sales tax. If you are interested in helping out at the Book Fair, please feel free to sign up at the following link, http://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044da4ae2ca46-banks. The signup will be updated shortly so that you can see when your student's class will be attending their preview. There is also access to our Book Fair online through Scholastic.com. The online fair is available from October 31st - November 20th. Also in regard to the Book Fair, there are a number of our students who are not able to afford to buy a book. During the Book Fair, we will be accepting financial donations for the "All For Books" program. These funds will be used to buy books for these students. If you want to contribute to this program, please send in these donations labeled "All For Books". These funds must be received by Thursday, November 13th so that the books can be purchased and delivered to these students on Friday, November 14th. Last year, we held a coin drive and we raised almost $1000 which enabled us to put one new book in every student's hands. Due to the timing of the Book Fair this year, we are unable to conduct the coin drive. Your donations to this program are greatly appreciated! Thank you very much for your help and participation in the Book Fair.

Additional Questions for Written Response Homework

Students may choose to continue using the question stems they have been using for homework or they may choose new questions from the list below. If your child is reading a chapter book, please focus on responding to one chapter only-not the entire book. As always, please let me know if you have any questions. Describe a character using details from the story. Describe the problem and solution. What was the cause and effect? What lesson does _____ teach? Using the picture on page ___, describe how _____ feels. Identify 3 text features used in the book. Explain the information you learned from the text features. What lesson does this story teach? Use details from the story in your answer. What could be another title for this book? The author says _____. Use information from the book to explain why this is true. Explain why _____ is a good title for this book. Use details from the story in your answer. Describe the main idea of this text. Use 3 key details to support your answer. What lesson did _____ learn from this story? Use details from the story to indicate the lesson learned. Describe the events at the end of the story that solved the problem. Identify 2 character traits and how those traits were related to the _____ in the story. Explain how _____feels at the end of the story. Use a detail from the story to explain. At first, how does ___ feel about ___? How does he/she feel about it later? Use a detail from the story in your answer. Write 2 reasons that _____ happened. Use details from the story to explain your answer. Explain why the author wrote this book. Use at least 2 key ideas from the book in your answer. Is _____ a good title for this story? Use details from the story to explain your answer. Describe the effects of ___. Use at least 2 key details from the book in your answer. Summarize the story and the lesson it teaches. The author says _____. What is another word to describe _____? Explain why you chose this word. Explain 2 key ideas from this book. Use a detail from the book to support each key idea.

Specials for October and November

Specials for October and November Monday-PLUS Tuesday-Media Wednesday-Art Thursday-PE Friday-Music

FYI-Volunteering for field trips and in the classroom

Volunteer Program-- Programs Closes to Mondays at the end of the Month Trailblazers, We have great volunteers at Banks and want to continue to have our parents and community stakeholders in our building and classrooms supporting students. In order to volunteer in our school, each person must go through the volunteer registration and reactivation process. Please see the information below regarding this process. Please call the school with any questions regarding reactivating your volunteer status or completing the initial volunteering process. Thank you, Mrs. Graf Reactivation for Continuing Volunteers • All continuing volunteers approved for the 2013-2014 school year MUST reactivate as a volunteer no later than 4:00 p.m. on October 31, 2014. Volunteers may go to any WCPSS site and register through the intranet. Access to the volunteer system is: WCPSS Intranet – Business Applications – Volunteer Registration. • After October 31, 2014, individuals previously approved may not volunteer without a new criminal record check. To avoid unnecessary costs to the school system, continuing volunteers are encouraged to reactivate early in the school year – and no later than October 31, 2013. • The volunteer system will be open daily for reactivation/registration from July 1, 2014, through October 31, 2014 for 24 hours a day. • From November 3, 2014, through May 18, 2014, the volunteer system will be open on Mondays only, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. However, during this time period, the volunteer system will be closed on the following Mondays: November 10, 2014, December 22, 2014, December 29, 2014, and January 19, 2015.

Message from Mrs. LaPlace

Celebrate in December! I am sure you have already heard the students singing at home about Las Posadas, Christmas, Kwanza, and Hanukah! Throughout the school, the students are working on a performance in December. Each grade level is learning about different celebrations and holidays in December. Every grade level will have a performance for their family members. Who- Grades k,1 and 2 Where- Multi purpose room When- Track 1 and 3 December 4 9:30 am -10:30 am Track 2 and 4 December 18 9:30 am -10:30 am Who – Grades 3,4 and 5 Where- Multi Purpose Room When- Track 1 and 3 December 4 6:30 pm Track 2 and 4 December 18 6:30 pm Please email me at lloftin@wcpss.net if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you, Lee Loftin LaPlace Music Specialist Banks Road Elementary

PTA Events

Our PTA has tentatively planned Movie Night for December 1st (time to be announced at a later date). October 23rd: Family Fitness Night: This night is co-sponsored by the Kraft YMCA. The event will be held from 5:30-7:30 in the MPR. There will be vendors including CrossFit, Jazzercise, The Strong Center, Jess Dance Fitness and more. Admission is FREE for our Trailblazer students and families. October 28th: Spirit Night at Interskate Rink on 401. This was our highest attended Spirit Night last year with a total of 477 Trailblazers students and families in attendance!!! The fun begins at 5:00 and you can skate the night away until 8:00 p.m. Last year the admission included pizza and a drink. I do not have the details about the admission fee or what it includes at this time. As soon as our PTA finalizes this event, I will be sure to share this information with you.

Spirit Week

Spirit Week
Spirit Week is next week which means there will be some fun dress up days!
Monday 9/15 Neon Day
Tuesday 9/16 Sports Day (wear your favorite sports team jersey/shirt)
Wednesday 9/17 80's Day 
Thursday 9/18 Career Day (dress like what you want to be when you grow up)
Friday 9/19 Spirit Day (wear the Banks Road colors)

Volunteers

FYI
This must be completed if you plan to volunteer in the classroom or on our field trip this school year. Thanks!

Reactivation for Continuing Volunteers

·         All continuing volunteers approved for the 2013-2014 school year MUST reactivate as a volunteer no later than 4:00 p.m. on October 31, 2014. Volunteers may go to any WCPSS site and register through the intranet.  Access to the volunteer system is:  WCPSS Intranet – Business Applications – Volunteer Registration.

·         After October 31, 2014, individuals previously approved may not volunteer without a new criminal record check.  To avoid unnecessary costs to the school system, principals and their staff should encourage continuing volunteers to reactivate early in the school year – and no later than October 31, 2014. 

·         The volunteer system will be open daily for reactivation/registration from July 1, 2014, through October 31, 2014 for 24 hours a day. 

·         From November 3, 2014, through May 18, 2015, the volunteer system will be open on Mondays only, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.  However, during this time period, the volunteer system will be closed on the following Mondays:  December 22, 2014, December 29, 2014, and January 19, 2015.

 

New Activation

·         Any new volunteer applicants for the 2014-2015 school year must register and have an approved criminal record check prior to engaging in volunteer work.  Applicants may register at any WCPSS site through the intranet.  Access to the volunteer system is:  WCPSS Intranet – Business Applications – Volunteer Registration.

Pictures

On September 11, Strawbridge will be coming back to do retake/absence pictures for tracks 2, 3, and 4.  Students who weren't here on picture day can come to the office to pick up a form, students who want their pictures retaken must bring in original pictures in order to have their pictures retaken.  

*I have not received track 4 pictures yet but I will send them home as soon as I do.