Welcome Back!!

www.mrsrodemoyer.weebly.com

Welcome back to school, as well as to second grade! I am so thrilled that you are in my homeroom and I am looking
forward to a new and exciting 2017-2018 school year! You will find a breakdown of our daily schedule and activities
listed below. Please review this letter with your parents or guardians so that both of you have a better
understanding of our daily schedule.

Literacy Block (Writers Workshop, Literacy, Guided Reading, Spelling)

Our literacy block will run from 9:10-11:35. The second grade teachers are piloting a new reading program this
year titled Schoolwide. We are excited about using new ELA materials and believe this will be a positive
experience. We will continue using LOGIC as our word work program in second grade. Therefore, spelling rules
will be sent home on a weekly basis to practice rather than lists of words to memorize. Writers Workshop will be
part of our daily schedule, as well.

Literacy Block Homework

I firmly believe that students should spend a good portion of time after school winding down and spending quality
time with family/friends. Therefore, other than math fact drills and LOGIC/Math study guides to prepare for
assessments, I do not send home a great deal of homework. However, students will be asked to read a book of
choice for at least 10 minutes each night. I encourage you to listen to them read and recommend that you ask
comprehension questions as they read aloud to you each night. Your child will not be asked to turn anything in for
this as the recommendation to read on a daily basis is something that has to be encouraged and enforced at home.

Word Work: We will have a LOGIC test every Friday based upon the spelling rules that are sent home at the start
of each week. While I do not send home a great deal of homework, it is important that you practice these LOGIC
rules with your child to prepare for the assessments, just as you would any other assessment. (Note: Should the
school week be shortened due to vacation days, our homework and testing schedule will be adjusted accordingly.
Also, should your child forget to bring the rules home, they can be accessed on our classroom website at
www.mrsrodemoyer.weebly.com).

Lunch
We will be eating lunch every day from 11:35-12:05. Guardians are welcome and encouraged to join their child for
lunch on occasion. The children love it when someone special comes in to eat with them.

Specials: 12:07-12:52
Our specials class schedule for first semester will be as follows:
Day #1: Art
Day #2: Music
Day #3: Technology (1st semester); Spanish (2nd semester)
Day #4: Gym
Day #5: Library
**You will find the number of the specials day located on the monthly lunch calendars. The circled number in the
upper right hand corner of each box will indicate what day # we are on.

Handwriting/Model Drawing: 12:55-1:20

We will be learning cursive writing this year. In order to write in cursive quickly, we have to continue practicing
holding our pencils correctly, which is something many children need to work on. We will also be learning Model
drawing. This is a visual approach to teaching the foundations of mathematics. This method of teaching math has
proven to be very beneficial to the students.

Health, Social Studies, and Science: 1:20-1:50

Health, Social Studies, and Science are non-graded subjects in second grade. We will be learning a lot of
wonderful things in each area.
Recess: 1:50-2:10
I do not take recess away from students for missing homework assignments (Math Fact Packet) or poor behavior,
unless it is absolutely necessary. Student Behavior is managed through my positive behavior management program
I created called CHOICE Banking. Information regarding this program can be found on our classroom website.

Math (2:10-3:25)
During second grade, we focus on mastering math facts in order to prepare us for the transition to multiplication in
third grade. It is essential for the children to know their basic addition and subtraction facts with automaticity.
We review our math facts on a daily basis. Please know, student progress on mastery of basic addition and
subtraction facts will appear on this years report card. The students in 2B will be using a math fact
automaticity program I created titled Fast Facts-Math Monsters. The program is based upon fact families. The
students will be learning the addition facts in conjunction with subtraction rather than separately. The idea
behind this method of building fact fluency is to establish a solid understanding of the relationship between
numbers and to develop an awareness that three numbers are related. More information about this program will
be forthcoming.

At the start of the year, we do a lot of learning with manipulatives and in small groups. I do not send home a great
deal of math homework unless the kids are really struggling with a particular skill and extra practice has proven to
be necessary. On a daily basis, your child will be exposed to story problems on their morning work which we go
over together as a class upon completion. Every Tuesday and Thursday, I teach Singapore Math (model drawing).
This method of instruction has proven to be very beneficial in helping children to understand and analyze story
problems and the relationship between numbers. Both of these story problem activities can be taught in very
simple or more advanced terms, thus meeting the needs of all learners in the classroom (ex: simple pictures and
repeated addition versus multiplication and building arrays). By mid-year many of the students understand and
begin to multiply numbers as a result of the constant repetition of these story problem activities. Typically, by the
end of the school year, I have a handful of students who understand and begin to divide numbers.

Math Homework: Students WILL be bringing home an addition and subtraction math fact packet at the start of
each week. Every night, they will be asked to complete one 3 minute addition timed test and one 3 minute
subtraction test. They will record their scores they earn each night on a recording page that is attached to the
packet and will be used to demonstrate improvement/growth throughout the year. At the start of the year, many
students can only solve 25/100 facts or less in 3 minutes. However, through continued practice they will quickly
advance and in no time, they will be solving 100 problems! It is not necessary to record elevated scores on the
recording page as every Friday we take a 3 minute addition and a 3 minute subtraction test. If elevated scores are
being turned in, it will be obvious at that time.

Holiday Celebrations
We will be celebrating three parties throughout the course of the school year. There will be a Halloween Party, a
Christmas Party, and a Valentines Day Party. We are asking that each second grade student help with the cost of
these parties by contributing $3.00. The $3.00 will be used by our room parent to purchase supplies for the
parties. Please send the money to me in an envelope with your name on it. Over the years, it has been found that
while this monetary contribution is appreciated, the room parent typically spends that money on games and prizes
leaving little to spend on food and drinks. If possible, please volunteer to provide a snack, supply, or drink for at
least one party throughout the school year. Sign-ups for party helpers, snacks, supplies, etc. will be available on
our classroom website via Sign-Up Genius.

Absences
Written excuses are required by law for student absences. Please send a written excuse with your child the day
he/she returns to school. They will be kept on file in the office.
Parents
Parents, please be advised that I can be reached for homework requests or to set up a conference by calling the
school. The phone number and extension where I can be reached at is 897-2100, ext. 3322. Please call by 9:00
a.m. and leave a message on my voice mail. If you wish to communicate with me via email (preferred), my address is
krodemoyer@hcsd.iu5.org. Please use our classroom website to remain up to date on things going on in our
classroom, as well as to answer any quick questions you may have. Our address is www.mrsrodemoyer.weebly.com.
It might be convenient to add this website as a favorite on your computer for easy access.

Attention: If you plan on picking your child up prior to the end of the school day or have an urgent
message that needs immediate attention, please contact the school office rather than call my classroom.
There are many times when I am unable to listen to my messages until the students have been dismissed and
I do not answer calls during instructional time.
Bus pass requests must be made in writing through the school office.

Student achievement and success is at the center of every decision we make and all that we do at Rolling Ridge
Elementary School. I am looking forward to getting to know you and having a wonderful school year!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Rodemoyer