Aug. 27-31

Happy first day of school!
I'm so excited to see everyone and to start the year with the best class at Caraway Elementary.

This will be an olympic first week! We will be getting to know each other, finding out about second grade expectations and learning to work as a team - all in olympic fashion.

Our first day goal is going to be moving from acquaintances to becoming friends.  We will get to know each other through detective games, building graphs and learning about our teacher and classroom.  Our first day jitters will be a memory by the end of today because of some special jitter juice we will make!

On the second day we will have a celebration of everything 2! We will honor the second day in second grade with all things that come in pairs, are doubled and 2s of all kinds. We will be focusing on time throughout the day and week and learning how to tell time on an analog clock.  Our first homework assignments (Me in a Nutshell & What Lights You Up?) will be coming home with our Tuesday folders and due on Friday. 

Wednesday, we will revisit our class rules we made on Monday and discuss what second graders are, what they can do and what they have.  We will continue our time unit in making our own clocks. Through various games we will continue to get to know each other, throughout the day andWe will dig deep in discussion of how to be a bucket filler (someone who goes out of their way to help others; creating a positive, supportive and responsible community of learners).

Thursday will be a continuation of learning about second grade with classroom and school expectations.  We will focus on lunch expectations and making good choices in our eating and how we act in the lunch room. Our focus today will be to let our light shine in talking about their talents and what makes them special.

Friday, we will continue to learn about each other by sharing our Me in a Nutshell bags and looking at the pictures of What Lights You Up? with the class.  In the morning, we will celebrate our first week of school with a Second Grade Olympics contest. Our class will work as a team to compete against the rest of second grade, and will put to use all the teamwork skills and ways to encourage each other we learned earlier in the week. We will make a snack mix for champions upon completion of the games.

Here is some helpful information you might like to know about the first week of school!

Morning
School starts each day at 7:45. The first bell rings at 7:35 each morning. If you arrive before the bell, you can go to the cafeteria and wait in our assigned class spot.  I'll be in the cafeteria every morning for the first two weeks. If you get to the classroom before me the door will still be locked. Don't worry!  Our class will be at the room shortly. 

Breakfast
Breakfast is offered at the school and starts at 7:15. The cafeteria stops serving breakfast at 7:35.

Snack
We will have snack every day at 10:00. Students are responsible for bringing a healthy snack (no cookies, candy or cupcakes, etc). Snacks cannot be shared due to allergy concerns. Water bottles are welcome in the classroom, but must have a top or straw so that they remain closed in case of spills. Please have your child put their name on their bottles so they are not accidentally shared.

Lunch
We will have lunch every day at 11:20. Your child can bring a lunch or eat from the cafeteria. If you plan to join your child for lunch, please let me know so I can mark down your lunch choice. Adult lunches cannot be put onto student accounts, and need to be ordered in the morning since our lunch is delivered to the school.  There are extra sides your child can purchase, in addition to the lunch. Your child will need permission to purchase these extras.  Please send me an email and let me know.


Specials
Your child will need to wear tennis shoes or bring them in their backpack. They cannot participate in PE if they are not wearing safe footwear. Our PE days are Monday and Wednesday.

Recess
Recess is at the end of the day at 2:00 when it is very hot. If the heat index is over 100 degrees we will have indoor recess (per district policy). Please encourage your child to bring a water bottle every day in case we are able to go outside.

Dismissal
School ends each day at 2:45. Bus riders only are allowed to leave at 2:40 so that they can load the buses and leave before the car rider line begins.

We will walk down to the office in a line at the end of the day. It may be easiest for you to have an outdoor meeting point (flagpole, picnic table, owl garden). If you would like to meet them at the door at the end of the day, be sure to sign-in at the office (per district policy).

Please email me with any questions or concerns you have about the first week of school.

Have a great first week!