What’s “Cookin” in the KITCHEN?
“A Feast of
Learning”
Grade Disclosure
Document 2016-2017
Shiree Kitchen
This year in
second grade we will expand and refine what we learned in first grade. I am excited to be teaching your child and
hope to have a positive influence on their life. This is my 29th year of teaching-
15 in Alpine School District and 14 in a preschool in my home. I am happily married and the proud mother of
6 children, and 1 grandson, who all attended Forbes Elementary (except my
grandson). I am looking forward to a wonderful year working in a partnership
with you and your child.
Communication: I believe
in communication between school and home.
You are welcome to contact me at school, and I will be happy to reply to
emails. My email is skitchen@alpinedistrsict.org.
Please don’t call during school hours unless it is an emergency. I teach from 8:00-3:30 and I am at school
from 7:30-4:00. I have a blog at
skitchen116blogspotcom.blogspot.com. I
will send import information by
email, notes with homework on Monday,
and post on my blog.
Curriculum: The
specific objectives and standards that your child will be learning are
available on the Internet at www.uen.org/core.
Reading: Most of our day is
spent reading and building strategies that will help your child become a better
reader and love to read.
Homework:
The only homework
this year will be reading and word work. We will be using Raz-Kids online to track
reading and it will count as part of your child’s reading grade each week. If
you do not have access to the Internet, please let me know by filling out the
Raz-Kids page and I will send books from the Take-Home Library for your
student. Reading at least four books per week is required on Raz-Kids. This
includes listening, reading, and passing the quiz at the end of each book
(shown by three green checks). If you are participating in the Take-Home
Reading, at least four books will need to be read each week. A parent or
guardian initial will be required on the take home page for each
book read. These
books will go home on Monday and need to be returned every Friday with signatures.
In addition, there
will be a Weekly Overview (word work) of words sent home that we are learning. Students
must be able to use these words correctly in speaking, reading, and writing.
The spelling patterns should also be readily recognizable in words that are
not listed, but that follow the same pattern.
I will email you
some extra work each week for students who want a challenge or need extra
practice. It is optional and students will receive a treat or token for going
the extra mile. You will need to download and return these assignments on
Fridays. Students will not be allowed to call home if they forget their books.
They should pack their book bags at night with all the materials needed for the
next day. Organization is
a key to success!
Math Drills
In my experience,
students cannot move on to higher level reasoning in mathematics until they master
their basic math facts. In addition to regular math assignments, your child
will be performing drills until he or she has mastered the basic facts. You can
help your child prepare by studying with flashcards or having them spend 15
minutes a day working with an online math fact program or app. You can even
call out math facts to your child while driving in the car or waiting in the
doctor’s office! Mastering addition and subtraction up to 20 can be
particularly challenging, so when everyone knows their math facts we will
celebrate with an ice cream party!
Water Bottles
I permit my
students to bring a water bottle to school to keep by their desks during the
day and to use at recess. Plain water is the only beverage permitted, and the
bottle must have a secure lid. Water bottles should be taken home regularly to
be cleaned.
Spelling Program
and Word Work
My spelling
program is very flexible and is based on the needs of my students. The Weekly
Overview page that comes home the first day of each full or four-day week will
be used daily in the classroom. It is important that your child learn these
words. We will be working on then in class all week. Students will be assessed
on their knowledge of these words using writing and oral assessments. This means
NO SPELLING TESTS. I believe that it is much more important for students
understand vocabulary and word meanings than using rote memorization to spell
just for a test. We will be putting their words to use in daily practice
instead of having a traditional Friday spelling test.
Content: Specialty Teachers will teach content areas P.E., Health,
Music and Computers. We will do monthly art projects, journals, experiments,
readings and projects for our Science and Social Study units.
Grading: Class work will be
sent home daily and it would be wonderful if a parent would go thorough their
child’s backpack and talk to them about what they did each day and see how they
are doing. I try to grade math papers
daily. Daily work is just practice. Test and graded assignments will be sent home
stapled together with the Teacher’s weekly note on every Monday. Grades will be
entered on Skyward in a timely fashion.
I try to update grades every Friday.
Your child will receive an “O” for outstanding, “S” for satisfactory or
“N” for needs improvement.
Attendance: It
is important that your child is at school unless they are sick. Much of what we do is hands on and it is difficult
to make up. District policy states that
the teacher must call home after a student misses 3 consecutive days.
Discipline: We
have 4 class rules in our class- “BE SAFE, BE RESPECTFUL, BE RESPONSIBLE, and
BE COURTEOUS”. We practice all of these
in class and have set up rewards and consequences for our actions. I feel children need to be accountable for
their behavior and I give positive reinforcement for good behavior. If a child’s behavior is disruptive to our
class they will practice the right behavior, conference with the teacher and if
it continues the parent will be contacted.
Supplies: Our class is always in
need of dry erase markers (Not BLACK), pencils (sharpen), sanitizing wipes, and
Kleenex and paper towels. Any donations will be appreciated.
Volunteers: I welcome
and need volunteers to help listen to children read, practice Fry Phrases,
phonic lessons and math facts.
I want every
student in my class to have a wonderful year where they feel safe, and become
better socially and academically.
Working together as a teacher, student, parent, class and school we can
have a fantastic year. I am a teacher
because I love to teach. I have great satisfaction when I have those “Aw-Ha!”
experiences, when the lights turn on for your children and they love to come to
school, when they love to learn, and when they know they are important to me
and to their classmates. Working
together we will achieve excellence!
Mrs. Kitchen
