Mrs. Gilliam’s Second Grade Class

1. Mrs. Gilliam’s Second Grade Class Welcome, students!

2. Welcome to Second Grade! • I will introduce you to second grade and to our classroom. • If you have any questions during my presentation, please raise your hand and wait to be called on.

3. All About Me • My background • I grew up in Chicago and moved here to Americus during high school. • I attended Sumter County High and Georgia Southwestern. • My experience • This is my third year teaching.

4. My Family • My husband • Donnie • My children • Trinity • Savannah • Paul • Aldon

5. My Goals • To give you the academic and social skills you need to progress to third grade. • To provide a supportive and fun classroom environment. • To help you make new friends and discover new interests.

6. Class Subjects • The subjects we cover during third grade are: • Reading and writing • Math • Science • Social studies • Connections

7. Reading • Mrs. Studdard’s Group- Stories with Mrs. Studdard • Small Group-Stories from H. Mifflin with Mrs. Gilliam and reading strategies • Independent Centers- 1 1/2 weeks to complete assignments

8. Writing • We will have writing each day at 1:55-2:25 • You will write in your journals each day about a certain topic. • Each 9 weeks, you will need to complete a writing assignment.

9. Math • Adding and subtracting up to 3-digit numbers, number patterns, geometry, fractions, money, place value, and much more. • You will be graded on class work, tests after each chapter, and timed math facts tests.

10. Science • Water cycle, sun, moon, and stars, plant and animal life cycles and more.

11. Social Studies • Important buildings and places in the U.S., landforms of GA, important people in GA, and money.

12. Connections • Music-Mrs. Kerlin • Art-Mrs. (Alston) Smith • Piano-Mrs. Parks • Dance-Mrs. Richmond • Digital Arts-Mrs.Schebeck • Drama- Ms. Parker

13. Classroom Community • Our classroom is a community. In our community, we have rules to help us get along with each other. • Our class rules are: • R-respect others • U-use time wisely • L-listen to others when they are talking • E-encourage others to do their best • S-stay in your work area until you get permission to move

14. Homework • I will assign homework on Mondays for the whole week. Do a little each day. Practice spelling and your reading vocabulary each day. • Your homework packet is due on Friday morning. • You may win a treat for turning in your homework. The more you do it, the more chances you have to win. • If they do not finish or they do it incorrectly, your child must complete it by the next Monday.

15. Tardiness • School starts at 7:45 A.M. • If you aren’t in the classroom by this time, please check in at the school office before coming to class to get a tardy slip.

16. Class Meetings • It is important that we all know what is going on and things that we need to work on. • Every Friday, before dismissal, we will look the yellow sheet on the door to see if someone is having a problem with someone else in the class or just wants to talk about something as a class. • We will also share good things that someone has done for someone else in the class during the week.

17. Agendas • We will be using agendas to write our homework assignments in each day. • They were late coming in, but we will be using them. • Each Monday, you will write the assignments for each day in the box. • Your agenda needs to stay in the first part of your GATOR. Do not take it out at home or at school.

18. Your GATOR • Getting All Things Organized and Ready • You need to take your GATOR home and bring it back each day. • You are responsible for keeping it organized. I will tell you where things are supposed to go. • Parts of your GATOR: • Agenda • Homework Folder-Keep your homework in it when I give it to you. Bring it back completed on Friday. Turn it into the homework basket on the table. • “Communication Courier”-All things that the school sends home or class notes will go in this folder. Show your parents this on Wednesdays. Sign and Return stuff goes in here. • Behavior Folder-Show your parents this folder daily. They must sign the sheet each day. • Practice Folder-Spelling and math facts stay in the folder.

19. Table Tallies • We have three groups in this class. • The green, orange, and pink groups. • When I feel a group deserves a tally for doing something good, behaving the right way, or working hard as a team, I will put one on their table tallies sheet. • Each Friday, at the class meeting, I will announce who has the most for the week. • The team with the most tallies will earn a prize. • This has been working well so far! Please encourage your child to work as a team.

20. Hallway Behavior • Our class must stay quiet in the halls at all times. • We will line up on the green line in the classroom. • We will not leave until the entire class is quiet. • If I have to tell anyone to stop talking in the hallway, I will make you move to the end of the line and move your clip to the “R” in rules. • We are respectful to others when we let them learn by walking by their class quietly.

21. Breakfast • Every morning, you will put your stuff away and get your breakfast and bring it to your desk. • You must get a milk. • Eat quickly so you can complete your morning work. • Throw your trash away when you are finished in the clear bag only. DO NOT PUT TRASH IN THE GARBAGE CANS. • Only the breakfast helper fills out the breakfast sheet and gets the food to each person. • Please have your child here on time, the earlier the better, since we also practice skills during Morning Work.

22. I CARE • Please help us get 100% participation this year. • It is very simple • Fill out form the best you can each month and turn them in within the week I send them home to be filled out. • Complete as many activities as you can, but you don’t have to do the activities in order to return your feedback form. • You child gets a treat each month for turning in the form as well as a Gotcha.

23. AR • Accelerated Reader • Read books at home • Take tests at school on computer • Each student has a unique goal to meet • Must have 85% average • If they meet the goal, they get to go to the AR party. • Your child cannot take an AR test until you sign their folder saying that they read and are ready to test on their book. They should read the book 3 times before testing.

24. School IDs • These are to stay at school. • They are used for getting library books and lunch. • If your child looses their ID, it costs $3 to replace it.

25. Ice Cream Sales • This is a fundraiser for our school. • They can purchase ice cream for 50 cents. • I will only collect money for the entire week, or for how many days you would like them to buy, on Mondays. • If they don’t bring money on Mondays, they will have to wait a week to purchase ice cream. • They must be on time in order to purchase ice cream.

26. Contacting Me • Please, for any reason, you can contact me on my cell phone at 938-3356. • Please do not text me, but please leave a voicemail if I do not answer. I will call you back. • Please call between the hours of 3-9 p.m. • You may call me on the weekends, if you need to. • It is very important that we keep open communication. If you have a problem or concern, please feel free to talk to me. I am here to help your child succeed.

27. Let’s Have a Great Year!