September 8, 2009
Dear Families,
I hope you enjoyed the long weekend. We are continuing to work on procedures in the classroom as well as some assessments. These assessments will show where your learner is in reading, writing, math, and language. Some procedures this week include bus safety, reading independently, quiet time, math materials, math review, etc.
Open House is this Thursday, September, 10, 2009 beginning at 6:30. I look forward to seeing you here at school with your child.
Homework: We are working on homework in class again this week. Your child is also encouraged to read again at home. Please ask to see their assignment notebook and sign each night that they show you their homework. Next week homework will be completed at home.
We need more cracker boxes for students to make their book boxes this week. Thank you to the families that have sent a box in. If you have not brought one in, please do so. If you have an extra box at home we would love to have it here.
Have a great week! See you Thursday.
Dear Families,
It looks like this is going to be a great week both in the classroom and weather wise. Homework this week will be completed in class. Assignment notebooks will be brought home to you to see the completed homework. This week we will be reading silently to train our bodies what silent reading looks like, sounds like and what thinking can occur while we are reading. At home ask about the book your child read. Some questions to ask can include:
Book Title, Author
Why you picked the book
What genre book (fiction, informational non-fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, etc.)
What was the problem in the story?
How was the problem solved?
Who were the main characters?
How did the characters change as the story (or chapter) unfolded?
I am excited to see so much enthusiasm for the website! I will be taking pictures and uploading them for the families who have granted permission soon. Current things in the classroom are focusing on procedures. When a procedure is done correctly I will take pictures to post. Current procedures requiring a lot of attention are: lining up, sitting in circle, finding special/secret places to read, signing in for hot/cold lunch, putting red folders away. Wow! Just typing this shows that we have worked hard in our last two days of school.
This week we are working on Hopes and Dreams, why we come to school and classroom rules. Our hopes and dreams will be displayed for Open House, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009. During that time YOU will be asked to write a hope and dream for your child this school year. Be thinking now J
Have a wonderful week. Feel free to contact me with questions, comments, etc. The best way is to reach me through email or call in the morning before school.
Here is the Welcome Letter that was mailed to you.
This is the letter that is going home on the first day of school. The welcome letter is in the "homework" page.
August 27, 2009
Dear Families,
Welcome Back! We are looking forward to a wonderful year of learning and friendships. The red folder this letter is coming home in is referred to as the “Home-School Connection Folder.” Please send in any notes, written homework, lunch money, etc in this folder. In an effort to save paper, I am moving the Monday letters home to electronic letters home. These letters are accessible on our classroom website that I began to practice with last year. The web address is: http://mrsgoddu.weebly.com I can also send letters to your email address. If you do not have access to email or the internet or would like a hard copy of the letter home please indicate below.
Speaking of the classroom website… This year I will be updating the website weekly. The Home page will have the current letter going home and the Homework will have the past letters (as long as the website will allow me). I will also be posting pictures of students and their work on the website. You need to check and sign below what level of comfort you have with pictures and work being posted.
Homework this year will be written in your learner’s assignment notebook. I will be showing your child how to write in the assignment notebook. For the first two days we will not have homework. The next 3 weeks we will complete homework in the classroom. Your child will then be required to share with you what they completed for homework that day. Reading again is always encouraged. J
You will notice that the email addresses have changed. My new email is: hgoddu@lisbonschoolsme.org
Please check all that apply, sign below and return tomorrow.
Cheers,
Heather Goddu
353-4132 x210
hgoddu@lisbonschoolsme.org
http://mrsgoddu.weebly.com
************************************************************************
__ I would like paper copies of the weekly letter sent home each week.
__ My child’s picture and work may be posted on the class website.
__ My child’s picture only may be posted on the class website.
__ My child’s work only may be posted on the class website.
__ My child’s picture and work may NOT be posted on the class website.
Dear Families,
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer. I am busy with back to school planning as well as trying to indulge in a little R&R now that the sun is shining. J
For the families that do not know me, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Heather Goddu and I will be your child’s second grade teacher. This is my fourth year here at Lisbon Community School and my 9th year teaching. I am looping teacher and have had many of the students last year. When not in school I can be found on the Frisbee field or some other active outlet. I also have been enjoying my 7 month old son, Tucker.
Our first day of school is, Thursday, August 27, 2009! I would like each student to bring in an empty cereal or cracker box. This box is going to be used as your learner’s browsing box during literacy time. We will be decorating it at the beginning of school. The box should be able to hold 3-4 thin chapter books. We have limited space for all the students’ boxes so please use a cereal, cracker or granola bar box, as they work the best. Also, please send your child in with a note stating the drop off address and the color bus they will be riding home on. This will help me when placing the children in bus lines. If your child is a pick up, they will be dismissed to the cafeteria this year as the bus lanes have changed. As more information is available I will send it along.
I do not know if breakfast, lunch and lunch milk will cost the same as it did last year. Information may be found in the papers before the first week of school, and if not then they will be sent home on the first day of school. Please label the money clearly with the student’s name, teacher name and amount. You may send in any amount and the kitchen will let you know when your child’s account is running low.
We will have two snack times each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, so please pack two snacks each day. We eat lunch around 12:00. This year I believe that recess will be before lunch. This leaves the afternoons to be long. We will plan to have an afternoon recess and snack time to refuel our brains and bodies. Our mornings will embrace math, specials, content and the afternoons will be devoted to an intense literacy block and content intertwined.
We will have our special classes on number days. Day 1 is Art, Day 2 is French and Library, Day 3 is ½ year Art and ½ year Computer, Day 4 is Music and Day 5 is PE . We will also have Guidance/Officer Estes during some quarters. As these are finalized I will keep you up to date.
We will begin homework right away. I am trying a new approach in an effort to save on paper. The first day of the week students will write the homework for the week in their assignment notebooks. A parent/guardian needs to sign their homework each night. The students need to bring the folder back to school. Make sure to include any papers that were used (this helps me see the work and understand where your child is on the assignment). Homework will be math, reading, spelling words among other things. I will continue to send out weekly newsletters. These will be electronically unless you prefer a hard copy.
My Homework philosophy is as follows:
1. Only items that have been introduced and practiced in class will be able to come home for homework.
2. I do not want students to spend a lot of time on their homework, this can lead to a frustrated child. Please spend NO MORE THAN 30 MINUTES on homework. If they do not finish please state it in their assignment notebook.
On a separate page I have created a list of materials your learner will need for this school year. I know that Staples and Wal-Mart have good school deals. Be sure to look in the Sunday paper for Staples 1 cent sales. As school starts early this year, I am looking for students to have all their supplies by the Tuesday after Labor Day.
School begins at 8:40 and will end at 3:10. As I find out about new procedures, schedules and updates, I will inform you of them ASAP. You may reach me through the information below. I regularly check my email. I am looking forward to working with you and your child. I anticipate this to be an exciting and engaging school year for all involved!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Heather Goddu
Room #210
Phone: 353-4132 ext.210
Email: hgoddu@union30.org
The students in my class have a 12x6 inch clear cubby to place supplies in. Supplies that are needed are:
v A smile J
v An assignment notebook
v One subject notebook
v A small pencil bag to keep pencils and erasers in
v Pencils and pencil top erasers
v A manual pencil sharpener
v Small box of crayons, 24 pack works great
v Markers (optional)
v Colored pencils (optional)
v Highlighter (optional)
v Scissors
v Lots of Glue sticks
v 3x3 Sticky notes, 6 pack works great
v Scotch tape (optional)
v A water bottle that closes well. Fill the water bottle half way and freeze overnight. Fill the rest of the way the next day and your child has cold water to keep them hydrated all day.
v A backpack or bag to bring books and papers home in
v A lunch box to put snacks (we have 2 snack times) or lunch in
v A box of tissues
v Box of baby wipes, to wash tables and chairs with no mess J
v An open mind
v Empty cracker box (triscuit/wheat thin size box works best)
Throughout the year, items will need to be replaced when they get lost, broken or used up. Most students need to bring in pencils, erasers, glue sticks and sticky notes monthly and some bring pencils and erasers weekly. Please remember to label all of the items.
