Information about our class procedures.
Dear Parents,
I look forward to the weeks ahead. Thanks again for sharing your special little one with me this school year. I feel very blessed and will work very hard to provide them all of the resources and encouragement they need to be “independent learners”.
We’ll be communicating daily through their Daily Communication Folder. Feel free to contact me as you see fit via email or a note in the folder that your child can give to me in the morning.
Daily Planner/Agenda and Communication Folder: Your child will be bringing home a daily planner so you can see what we have done that day and what the homework assignments may be for that night. Your child will need to look at the planner to see what homework assignments or reminders they may have. This is also where they will write their spelling words each week so they have them to complete weekly spelling activities for homework as well as study for their weekly tests! This is a good place for notes between you and I as well.
The daily folder is used for unfinished daily work (that becomes homework), or notes from the school or teacher, etc. Your child’s daily planner/agenda and homework folder will be taken home every day and is expected to be returned to school each day.
Class Parties: There will be a Winter and a Valentine’s Day class party for the year. I’ll be reaching out for volunteers or help with bringing in items as we get closer to the date to be sure we have all that we need.
Birthday Treats and Invitations: You’re welcome to send in treats for your child’s birthday. Birthday invitations cannot be passed out at school unless there is one for each student.
Conferences: Please remember to get onto Skyward and sign up for your preferred conference time. Conferences are scheduled for August 23-24. If something comes up after scheduling it, please email me at [email protected] so we are sure to get something scheduled. This is a parent led conference, giving you the opportunity to tell me about your child’s physical and educational needs.
Lunch: There will be four choices for lunch. The first two choices will be a hot lunch and the third choice is a salad (all listed on the monthly cafeteria menu). Choice 4 is a home lunch. Whatever the student chooses in the morning during lunch count will be the meal they will eat at lunch, no exceptions. Students must take their checks to the cafeteria to pay for meals before school. If you’d like to join your child for lunch, please let me or the office know if you will be ordering a school lunch ahead of time, preferably in the morning. Lunch is from 11:45-12:15.
Absences: Please let the office or me know if your child is ill or will not be at school. A quick email works great so that the office staff won’t need to call to check in with you.
Snack – Your student is encouraged to bring in a water bottle (containing water only) that may be kept at his/her desk. Hydration increases academic performance. Students will take a daily break for snack. This snack should be a small, healthy snack to eat while they continue with their daily work. Please don’t send a snack that has a lot of liquid in its container or that needs a spoon to be eaten.
Supplies Needed – I’m asking for every student please bring in a package of sleeve covers/page protectors for their three ring binders. They will be using these to collect work throughout the year to see the growth they’ve made! If we take a test or complete an assignment and you do not see it come home in their Monday folder, chances are they have chosen it to go in their portfolio.
Homework: The amount of homework each child will have will vary. Any daily homework assignments will be unfinished classwork that they did not complete from that day/week. I’ll also be sending home other homework sheets, projects and activities throughout the year. I usually send an email or letter home for directions and due dates for those. Each week you child will consistently have the following:
1. Studying spelling words by completing 3 spelling activities (a student example will be sent home for you to view).
2. A weekly reading log that requires the students to read a total of 60 minutes per week. The reading log is in the front sleeve of the communication folder. Please initial so I know it was completed. I know your kiddos have busy lives outside of school so it is up to you and your home schedule if your child reads 10-15 min per night, 20 min 3 nights, etc.
3. Practice math/reading skills sheets.
Please note that each of these assignments will be assigned on Fridays (unless there is no school) and will need to be turned in by the following Thursday. Please be sure all your child’s assignments are turned in on time and remember that second graders should not have more than 20 minutes of homework a night so planning out what will be done on which nights to fit your home schedule is appreciated. If you ever have questions regarding homework or have something come up and cannot complete it on time, please write me a note or email me. I understand that life happens sometimes!
We have several school-to-home websites the district offers for practice that students will learn their username/passwords for (these will also be in their planners). Many of these can be used at home as well.
Newsletter: I’ll publish a weekly newsletter. I’ll email this to you each week. The newsletter will include upcoming projects, activities and reminders. It will also include what we’re working on in class and the spelling list for the next week. I’ll have these posted on my classroom website that you can find through the district website as well. Please look for an email from me in the next week to ensure that I have the correct contact/email preferred for communication between home and school.
Positive Behavior System- I use a ticket reward system in my classroom. Students earn tickets for completing homework, showing kindness, participation, completing an assignment correctly the first time, good test scores, etc. The class will make a menu (chosen by them) of what items they want to work for and what each item is worth. They can add to/remove items from the menu throughout the year. Once students earn tickets, I do not take them back. There are regular things I give them out for but most are given randomly (not to be expected). This has worked really well in previous years and I always look forward to seeing what each class chooses for their incentives.
We’ll also be filling out “Bucket Fillers” regularly. These are little “gotcha” notes students write each other for things that they like about one another. (Examples I often see: I liked the way you read to the class today, I think your shirt is cool, I like that you play with me at recess, etc.) I will also fill these out as a positive note to come home when your child is doing something great! Great news is always fun to share!
Bradley also has two school-wide incentives.
- We give out Green Buffaloes notes, as well. These are written by myself or a staff member and are delivered to the office. Your child will be called to the office to acknowledge the good deed and there will be a phone call home as well. Each time a child receives a green buffalo, their name goes in a drawing to get the chance to spin a wheel of prizes at our Leader in Me Assemblies.
- Students can earn buffalo tickets. When students receive 25 of these tickets (from any staff member) they will turn it in to the office and will receive an extra recess!
Specials- We follow an ABCD schedule. This means that we don’t have a simple schedule such as having P.E. every Tues. and library every Wed. Instead we have a 4-day cycle so whatever special we have on Mon., the students have again on Fri. I’ll put the specials schedule for the week in my newsletters that I email home so you that know what day to help your child remember tennis shoes for P.E. and library books for library! Our specials time is 10:50-11:35am.
Please email me or stop in if you have any questions or concerns.
Very Respectfully,
Mrs. Silvers
(913) 651-6915
“I pledge to: Work hard, do my best, and respect the safety and needs of others.”
About me:
I grew up on a farm outside a very small town in the heart of the Flint Hills. I attended Kansas State University for my undergraduate degree and met and married my husband who is a teacher, too. We have 5 children between the ages of 25 and 10 and raise cattle on a farm between Winchester and Valley Falls. This will be my 17th year teaching and my 15th year teaching at Fort Leavenworth. I feel so blessed to get to teach children from all over the world. I’ve taught K-3 Special Education, 1st grade and 2nd grade for 11 years. I have found that teaching 2nd Grade is a perfect fit for me! I can’t wait to get to know your little ones and your families this year!