Classroom Policies and Expectations

Daily Schedule:

Homework

Homework is always for a grade. I will not give homework in Science, Social Studies, or Health. If their is no homework assigned for the night, the top of the column in their planner should read “No Homework.” At this point, I do not require a parent signature in your child’s planner. If they continue to forget their homework, I will ask for a signature. Students will lose 1 point for everyday their homework is late. I will not give homework over the weekend!

Classroom Behavior Policies

Students who are showing great character (being kind, respecting others, helping others, following directions) will receive a Character Card. Students are to put their name on their Character Card and turn it in. Students who receive 10 Character Cards during one week will receive a prize on Friday. Students who did not reach 10 may save their cards to count for the next week’s prize. This positive reinforcement strategy is not meant to be a competition. If this becomes a problem, we will not continue this reward system. Please encourage your child to show great character!

Additionally, “Team Points” are given out throughout the day. Each “Team” is comprised of 5 or 6 students (will be changed periodically). If every member of the team follows directions, they are awarded a point. At the end of each week, the team with the most points will receive a small piece of candy. If you do not want candy to be given to your child, please let me know and I will find another appropriate prize!

On the other hand, I have developed a system to prevent negative behavior. As a school, St. Peter issues Demerits and Detentions. In our class, a student’s first offense will result in a Behavior Report. This Behavior Report serves as a warning, meaning that if this behavior is repeated, it will result in a Demerit or Detention (at teacher/principal’s discretion depending on the severity of the situation). Behavior Reports are also given for incidents that are considered “minor.” For example, students will receive a Behavior Report for not following directions, running in the hallway, not keeping their hands to themselves, disrupting the class, talking when the teacher is talking, etc. When students are given a Behavior Report, they are instructed to explain what they did wrong and why it goes against our classroom/school rules and policies. The student will sign their name at the bottom and take home with them that day. The Behavior Report needs to be returned the following day with a parent signature. Please discuss with your child why this behavior is not tolerated in school. This Behavior Report system will hopefully minimize the number of Demerits and Detentions. For every Behavior Report received, the student will miss 5 minutes of the next recess.

Grading

Not all assignments will be graded! If there is work sent home that has a “Check, Check Plus, or Check Minus,” this was just practice! A CHECK shows that your child grasps the concept at hand, a CHECK PLUS shows that your child is ready for more challenging content, and a CHECK MINUS shows that your child needs more help on this subject. Anything sent home with a grade (A, B, C, etc.) will be factored into their report card.

Students should bring home their “Home Folder” each day (if there is nothing to bring home, they may keep it at school!) The left pocket is labeled “return to school” (these items need to come back the next day) and the right pocket is labeled “keep at home” (these items can be left at home)

Sacraments

This year, our second graders will be receiving their First Reconciliation and First Communion. The following dates are mandatory for students who wish to receive these sacraments:

Thursday, November 9th: First Reconciliation meeting at 7:00pm (with parents)

Saturday, January 20th: First Reconciliation in the Church at 11:00am

Thursday, March 8th: First Communion Meeting at 7:00pm (with parents)

Saturday, April 28th: Jesus Day from 9:00am-noon in the school and Church

Sunday, May 6th: First Communion at 12:00pm

Other Reminders/Information:

Brave spellers: When students need help spelling a word, I often encourage them to be a “brave speller,” this means that I want them to sound it out on their own. Of course, if the word is very complex or a child is struggling with an entire sentence, I will assist them. It is important for children to sound out these words on their own, even if they aren’t spelled correctly. This will help them develop writing fluency and their ability to spell will improve overtime. Please encourage your child to be a “brave speller” at home!

Morning Meeting: We gather at the front of the room each day for our Morning Meeting. At the Morning Meeting we talk about the days of the week, the weather, our schedule, and other important reminders.

Jobs: Each student is assigned a job for the week. They are responsible for completing the tasks associated with that job. Each week, one student is on “Vacation” (meaning that they have a week off!) and one is our “Star Student.” Each child will have the opportunity to experience each job. When they are Star Student, their “All About Me” poster goes at the front of the room and they get to tell the class about themselves at our Morning Meeting. Additionally, they are able to sit on a bean bag chair during Library time. They may choose a friend to join them on the other chair, as well.

Supplies: It seems that all students have the correct supplies! I have encouraged students not to overpack their pencil pouch. There are 5 “Team Buckets” on our window sill that provide extra space to keep small supplies that do not fit in their pencil pouch. Because 3-4 students share one bucket, I often remind them to use their own supplies only. If this becomes a problem (stealing others’ supplies) I will remove the buckets. So far, we have not had any issues! I also provide crayons, pencils, colored pencils, markers, glue, and scissors for students to borrow if needed. These items are to be returned after using!

Notebooks: Our composition notebooks are labeled “Writer’s Notebook,” while our spiral bound notebooks are our “Math Notebooks.” We will use the Writer’s Notebook for free-writing or note-taking. The Math Notebook is to be used for note-taking and/or scratch paper needed while completing an assignment. Students are given the option to bring home their Math Notebook when we have math homework, but it is not required. We will very rarely bring home the Writer’s Notebook.

Dear Miss Rosinski: I allow students to write a notes to me during the day and they drop it in the “Dear Miss Rosinski” bucket. Students may write to me about anything. For example, if a student is being bullied and they are afraid to approach me in person, they may write to me about it and I will take further steps to solve the problem.

Brain breaks: When I notice that students are having trouble focusing, we take a “Brain Break!” These are videos on gonoodle.com that give students a chance to get up out of our desks, stretch our legs, and just give our brain a break! We usually take 3 or 4 Brain Breaks a day.

That’s it for now! Remember to sign and return each weekly newsletter!

If you have any questions at all, please email me at hrosinski@stpeterschoollorain.org.