I am very excited about spending the upcoming year with your child. If you have any questions that are not answered here, or if you have any comments or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Email: ljhalvorsen@dcsdk12.org or laura.halvorsen@dcsdk12.org
Cougar Run phone number for messages: 303 387-6675
Website: https://sites.google.com/dcsdk12.org/mrshalvorsensclassroom/home
Behavior expectations are set by Douglas County School District, and Cougar Run ROCKS:
Cougar Run embraces Positive Behavior Support. Cougar Run ROCKS by explicitly teaching, modeling and recognizing students for demonstrating our core values.
R-Students are expected to be respectful and responsible in all that they do and say. They are in the right place at the right time doing the right thing.
O-The Power of One highlights the idea that each student has the ability to make a difference and that one person can positively impact others with their words and actions.
C-Students demonstrate compassion to one another and are thoughtful about what they do and say. They are encouraged to think about others’ perspectives and show empathy.
K-Students are encouraged to show daily acts of kindness to their classmates. Acts of kindness are recognized and celebrated.
S-Students’ emotional and physical safety is our first priority at Cougar Run. We have a multitude of security measures in place to ensure our students feel safe coming to school each and every day. Through our PBS initiatives, students emotional safety is also fostered.
The use of Restorative Practice is encouraged and students are helped to identify what happened, how it affected others, and what could be done could be done to make things right.
On the day that you would like us to celebrate your child’s birthday, the other students will prepare a “gift of a letter” for your child to bring home. Treats are completely optional but if you choose to send something, please make sure it is store-bought, in its original packaging, and the same for each student.
Daily reading of every kind is encouraged. This could be reading independently, being read to, or reading out loud to a family member-pets included; it could even be reading a game or listening to an audiobook. Math homework within Ready math is nonexistent but you are encouraged to check out this website for parents from PBS Kids. The math packets your child will bring home will have extra "incomplete" pages that you are welcome to use at home to reinforce/practice what has been learned at school. Your child works hard at school and because there is insufficient research to show academic value of homework in the primary grades, I'd like to suggest playing outside, creating, reading, writing, relaxing, exercising, volunteering, and helpful jobs in and around your home.
We have snack time in the afternoon during recess. Students may bring one snack/day and it should be a single item that is quick and easy to consume. Snacks cannot be shared. Everyone is allowed access to his/her water bottle at all times and should be brought to school already filled with fresh water each day. Students will have access to drinking fountains.
Library books are always due two weeks after checkout. Our weekly library day will be determined in August.
In order to limit the number of things brought back and forth to school each day, I will try to send home papers as I get them.
Cougar Run uses the Douglas County School District Elementary Progress Report. The Progress Report is based on state standards. Progress reports are available through Infinite Campus two times each year. i-Ready Diagnostic adapts to each student, providing easier or harder questions depending on students’ answers to previous questions, and is used throughout Cougar Run to measure growth (3X/year) in both reading and math.
8:25-8:40am Soft Start
If your child eats breakfast at school, please arrive as close to 8:25 as possible. Your child should come into the classroom during this time and check-in. We will use this time to work on a wide variety of skills. The children will put his/her lunch in the appropriate cubby, hang up coat, backpack, and after announcements at 8:45, get right to work. Throughout the year we will focus on communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.
8:35am-11:50am Language Arts
Wonders by McGraw Hill is our program for reading, phonics, word study, and spelling. My newsletters will provide updates about each weekly unit.
11:50am-1:10pm recess/lunch and specials: music, art, pe
1:10pm-2:10pm Math:
The first sentence from the publication, Everybody Counts: A Report to the Nation on the Future of Mathematics Education (National Research Council) reads, “Mathematics is the key to opportunity.” Mathematics is too often viewed as being about getting the right answers, rather than about clear, creative thinking. Math is only meaningful for children when they are able to construct their own mathematical knowledge. This year students will learn to value mathematics and become confident in their abilities as mathematical problem solvers. They will also learn to communicate and reason mathematically through the implementation of the Ready Math curriculum.
2:10pm-2:30pm recess
2:35-3:20 Science/Social Studies
Project-based learning (PBL) is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges. With this type of active and engaged learning, students are inspired to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they're studying. (Edutopia.org August 2015)
In second grade we weave PBL into all of our core content areas. The experiments and activities will guide your child to acquire information, solve problems, apply scientific skills, analyze data, and evaluate results. Science areas include: Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth Science. Social Studies areas include: History, Geography, Economics, and Civics.
3:20-3:30pm-Clean-up and Reflection
Communication is the key to an optimal learning environment for your child. Parents and teachers working together will create the necessary link to foster this environment. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I check my email several times each day. My email address is ljhalvorsen@dcsdk12.org. We have set conference times throughout the year in both the fall and the spring. Check both the Cougar Run website, and our classroom website for updated information.
Parent Volunteer Opportunities- I do not know what this will look like this year, and typically do not start volunteers until after Labor Day. As we learn how to best use your help in the school, while continuing to keep our children safe, additional information will be forthcoming.