Mlle Smedstad's Classroom Information

Contact Information

Phone: (952) 848-4170

Email: krista.smedstad@edinaschools.org

If you wish to communicate with me, you can e-mail me or leave a phone message, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

***For time-sensitive information (a change in your child's bus routine that same day, for instance), please leave a message with Karen Roach or Anne Anderson in the main office (952) 848-4100, and they will deliver it to me. All dismissal changes for the following day should be sent on a paper note pinned to your child's shirt or backpack.

Mlle Smedstad's Class Weekly Schedule:

This is the 2018-2019 schedule, so it will likely be a little different this year. I will add Art and Library once these are decided.

Lunch/Recess Daily: 12:15 - 1:00pm

My teaching philosophy

I believe that teaching is a balancing act: I set high expectations for all students and coach them through moments where they struggle. I adapt instruction and the classroom environment to individual student's needs and help students adapt to working with different types of people in varying learning environments. After all, school is meant to help students succeed in life, which will offer opportunities to choose one's preferred path and include challenges that require being flexible, resilient and determined to overcome. Finally, I believe that school and home should collaborate together to help students grow their character, so that they become kind, honest, respectful, hard-working, confident, and responsible young people!

Ici on parle français!

The classroom is a French-only environment. Students are expected to speak French during the day. This is a struggle in the fall, and it requires real effort on the part of the individual student all year long. The immersion classroom is like a team sport: every member has to practice, play by the rules, and do their best for the good of the team. As a team, we help and support each other in our new language. Students who commit to speaking French show amazing growth over the course of the year.

Homework Routine

Every Friday, your child will bring home a white 3-ring binder where you will find the weekly homework checklist and any other paper-pencil homework in the pocket. Other school fliers and some of the student's completed daily work will also be sent home in the pocket of the binder. When you see the binder come home, you can take out any fliers and the daily work from the pocket. On the following Friday, help your child return the binder to school with the paper homework and checklist tucked in the inner pocket, labeled with your child's name. You may also use the pocket section of the binder to return any permission slips, order forms, etc. on Friday to make sure they get to me.

Please note that you will also see your child's tests from the previous week included in the 3-ring portion of the binder. Anything in the rings stays in the binder, and this becomes your child's assessment portfolio, which we will refer to during conferences. See the Second Grade Homework Information Page for more detailed information about homework.

Library Books

Second graders choose English and French library books each week. The English library books go home, and the French books stay in the classroom, at least for the beginning of the year. Students read their French books during independent work time. Check my specialist schedule for check-out day and time.

Birthday Celebrations

A powerful tradition in our classroom is that classmates write compliments to the birthday boy or girl on our morning message and get to read them during Morning Meeting. In keeping with the district policy, students do not bring treats.

Snack break

Students may bring a snack, and we ask that you follow the school guidelines: fresh or dried fruit, vegetables, cheese or yogurt.

Reading Kits

Every week beginning in late fall, students bring home a reading kit, which includes a CD (or I will copy the audio onto a jumpdrive you provide). Instructions for how to use the kits and maximize reading practice are included in the kit.

Communication

Every Friday, I send out a brief e-mail, alerting you as to what you will find in the white binder and to remind you of upcoming events, due dates, etc. Our class also uses Seesaw, a wonderful and efficient way to share photos, videos, and student work directly with families through the Seesaw app. You will be receiving directions to accessing your child's and the class' feed at the beginning of the school year.