Mrs.

Moores
Second Grade Class
Handbook





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Introduction

I have compiled a handbook to answer some of the most
commonly asked questions about our classroom. This booklet
is meant only to describe general classroom activities and
does not explain curriculum. The guidelines addressed in this
handbook are subject to change, as the situation requires. If
you have any questions after having read this, please dont
hesitate to ask. I can be reached by email, note, or voicemail.
If you have an urgent message, please call the office. The
best time to reach me by phone is before school. However, I
would be happy to make arrangements to meet with you after
school. I look forward to a wonderful year with you and your
child.

Sincerely,
Lynsey Moore

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School Information


Leonard Elementary
4401 Tallman
Troy, MI 48085


Office Number (248) 823-3300
Attendance Line (248) 823-3301
Fax Number (248) 823-3313

Mrs. Moore (248) 823-3316
Email lmoore@troy.k12.mi.us

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Important Information

School Hours 9:10 a.m. 4:02 p.m.
Half Days 8:10 a.m. 12:45 p.m.

What should I do if my child is sick?
If your child is sick, call the school attendance line (248-823-
3301) to officially report all absences. I appreciate an email as
well, but it is not necessary.

How do I contact you?
I can be contacted before and after school by using my direct
line (248-823-3311). During school hours you can call the office
(248-823-3300), leave a message on my voicemail, or email me at
lmoore@troy.k12.mi.us (email is the most efficient way to get a
hold of me).

What if my child is late for school?
If your child arrives late to school, he or she MUST be signed in
at the office by a parent/guardian before going into the
classroom. If your child needs to buy lunch, please notify the
office when they are signed in.

What if there is a change in my childs transportation
routine?
If your child is to go home any other way than his or her normal
routine, A NOTE IS NECESSARY. For your childs protection, we
will not take a childs word that he or she is to ride home with
another parent or on another bus.
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Student Expectations

Clearly defined and stated expectations of behavior will help our
classroom run smoothly and successfully.

It is my belief that students should be intrinsically motivated to
behave appropriately. External motivators (treats, special prizes) will
not be the primary means of management in our classroom, but will be
used periodically. It is my goal that the students will behave because
they understand that it is the respectful way to act in a learning
environment. It will be my responsibility to consistently and constantly
model for the students the importance of the expected classroom
behaviors (respectful listening and speaking) so they will understand
the value of these skills. As a class, we will establish a list of behavior
expectations. We will spend time discussing our chosen rules so the
students become familiar with them. It is also my goal to help the
children become aware that they are responsible for their actions.
They are able to make choices throughout the day, and I want to do my
very best to teach them how to make good choices and encourage them
to help others to do so as well. We will be using the term
bucketfilling to describe the kinds of choices we want to make.

All children make poor choices sometimes. I will do my best to make
consequences relevant to the poor choice that was made. Occasionally,
a poor choice may warrant a behavior reflection. A behavior
reflection is a paper that requires the child to acknowledge the poor
choice and make a plan to make a better choice the next time. The
child then brings this form home with the purpose of discussing it with
a parent. You should then sign the reflection and return it to school.
This way we can work together to help our children learn how to make
the best choices.

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Homework

A lot of second grade work is approached with hands-on
application and is completed in school. Math homework will
generally be sent home Monday through Thursday. Exceptions
will be made if a lesson is not completed or if I am giving an
assessment. Your childs work will receive marks such as,
Super!, Wonderful!, or even Please try again. Emphasis
will be made on students trying their personal best and making
attempts at new things. However, there is a certain amount
of responsibility and accountability placed on students to
complete their assignments. I will check to make sure that
every child has returned their homework in order to instill
responsibility.



Homework Folder

Your child will be bringing home a Homework Folder each day.
This is our primary means of communication and your childs
first step in organizing his or her own schoolwork. It is your
childs responsibility to remember to bring the folder to
school every day!

Please help your child put his or her homework and any notes
from home in their homework folder every night.
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Home Reading

Reading is a very important part of second grade. Your child will be
responsible for reading every night at home. In order to encourage
and support this necessary activity, your child is expected to complete
a reading calendar that records the number of minutes read daily. The
calendar will be returned to school at the beginning of the following
month. When reading at home, sometimes your child will be able to
read independently; sometimes your child will be able to read the book
with some extra support from you; and sometimes you will want to read
the book to your child. As long as your child is engaged in reading, the
book has been a success!


Communication Journal

Communication is the key to success! There will be several ways in
which you will be regularly kept informed on our classroom happenings.
I will be sending emails on a regular basis to keep you informed of what
we are doing in the classroom. Also coming home on most Fridays will be
a communication journal. The purpose of this is to encourage and
develop your childs communication skills. On Friday, your child will be
writing to you about our activities for the week in a special notebook.
In second grade, the students will be expected to write detailed
entries, including complete sentences and eventually solid paragraphs.
Please take a few minutes each weekend to write back to your child on
the following page. I encourage you to write in the journal with your
child sitting next to you, so they can see the writing process in action.
After youve shared your entries, please send the journal back to
school on Monday.
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Conferences and Report Cards

Conferences are held twice each school year. Everyone will be
invited to attend a fall conference. Spring conferences are
held on an as-needed basis. However, I would be happy to
meet with you at any point throughout the year to discuss
your childs progress in second grade.

Report cards are sent home quarterly. The report cards are
available electronically. You will need to access your childs
Edline account to view their report cards.
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Birthdays
Birthdays are special days in second grade! We would love to
celebrate your childs birthday at school.

Because of a new district policy, birthday treats are not
permitted during school. However, we will be honoring your
child in other ways. If your child would like to bring in his/her
favorite book to share, or another special belonging, they are
welcome to do so.

We do ask that if you are planning a birthday party for your child,
please do not pass out invitations during school. This can lead to hurt
feelings and sad friends. A Leonard Directory is available so you can
access the mailing addresses of the friends you need.
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Lunch
12:00 12:40

Students that use lunch boxes or brown paper bags should have their
name printed on the outside so that it can be easily identified.
Students that bring their lunch may buy milk or juice for $0.35. A
small bottled water may be purchased for $0.50. Students can
purchase a hot school lunch, which includes milk or juice, for $2.25.
Please place your childs hot lunch money in an envelope or plastic
bag labeled with your childs name. This will help reduce lost lunch
money. Students who buy lunch frequently can prepay. A check can be
made payable to Troy Food Services and sent into school. A notice will
be sent home when your childs account is getting low. If your child
wants to buy a hot lunch, he or she must sign up before the morning
attendance. If your child is late for school, please notify the office of
your childs lunch choice when signing him or her in. No child will go
without a lunch, but may be asked to eat cereal if he or she forgets to
sign up. The Troy School District publishes a monthly menu that will be
available online every month.
Recess

As long as the weather permits, the children will have the opportunity
to have at least one outdoor recess each day. It is important that the
children are dressed appropriately for playing outdoors. When the
winter months set in, the children will need boots, snow pants, warm
jackets, hats, and gloves to assist in keeping them healthy and safe on
the playground. Please write your childs name on all of their
belongings before they are worn to school. This extra help makes
identifying lost items much easier. When winter rolls around, if you
could please send your childs winter gear to school in a reusable
shopping bag, it would help to keep everything together.
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Popcorn Days

The children have the opportunity to buy popcorn on
designated Fridays (usually it is every other Friday). The
children need to tell me in the morning if they are planning on
purchasing a bag, so I can send the total to the office. Then,
the popcorn is delivered to our classroom during the day.
Popcorn is 25 cents.
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Snack Time

Your child should bring in a HEALTHY snack every day, even
on half-days of school. Snacks should be kept separate from
lunch so that your child is not confused between snack and
lunch. This snack should be as nutritious as possible. Raisins,
cheese, crackers, fruit, vegetables, and granola bars make
great snacks. Thank you! Please try not to send in anything
that requires a spoon or fork, or anything that would need to
be cut. Drinks are not necessary as we have a drinking
fountain in the classroom. Please keep in mind that our
classroom is nut-free due to allergies. This means all
snacks containing any peanuts or tree nuts cannot be eaten
in the classroom. Students may still bring these items for
lunch.


Book Orders

I will be sending books orders home about once a month.
Many parents enjoy purchasing books this way, as it is an
inexpensive way to increase your childs personal library.
However, there is no obligation to buy books. There will be a
date on the reminder notice indicating when the order is due.
Books usually arrive one to two weeks after I place the order.
If you wish to purchase any books, please submit your order
online.