Syllabus

My role as a self-contained teacher is to provide each student in my classroom with the appropriate tasks needed to assist them to reach their IEP goals, while still providing access to the general education classroom.  Additionally, there is time spent learning social/behavioral skills and independent functioning skills as well. Students spend time with same-aged peers during appropriate settings, including field trips.

Contact Info & Hours

You can reach me by email at mcsmith@greenville.k12.sc.us. You can text or call my cell at 864-979-0387. During the school day, I will check my email before school, after lunch and/or recess, and at the end of the day. I will also check my cell at those same times in case you need to send me a text. You can call Mountain View and request my classroom to leave me a voicemail any time. In the afternoons I provide tutoring services and in the evenings my priorities shift to family, so if you need to reach me by cell after 3:00 p.m. please understand if it takes longer to get a response.

Grading

Grades are calculated following the adopted grading scale for Greenville County Schools.  Students in Grade 2 receive letter grades in each core subject. Each subject is broken down into major grades, minor grades, and for ELA, spelling grades.  Students in Kindergarten and 1st grade do not receive letter grades, rather receive proficiency grades in several areas.  

Expectations

My focus is on rewarding for the positives, rather than taking away. We are a family and my goal is to create a classroom culture where your child feels safe and loved. The expectation is that we treat one another with kindness and respect. 

If for some reason your child has had an exceptionally difficult day in regards to making purposeful unkind or disrespectful choices, they may have to walk laps around the track before they play at recess. If your child becomes a physical danger to themselves or their peers and teachers, and their behavior is not related to their disability but rather a choice that they are making, you will be contacted to come in and meet immediately. My first priority is and must be the safety of all my students. 

Procedures for Non-Instructional Routine

Students are expected to remain quiet and walk in a single line in the hallway with hands to themselves.  Lunch time expectations are that each student will remain seated during our cafeteria time, clean up after themselves, and speak in a reasonably quiet voice.  Dismissal time requires that all students remain silent and seated during the time when car numbers are called.  

Communication

Parents can expect a weekly newsletter communication.  Additionally, parents can expect emails and/or phone calls as the need arises.  Additionally, each student will receive progress reports concerning IEP goals on a regular basis.

Food

Breakfast and lunch is FREE for all students.

Please send a snack each day with your child. I will bring in snacks and juice boxes or small waters from time to time, but cannot keep the classroom stocked at all times. Please send a water bottle with your child each day. I encourage them to drink water often throughout the day, and it is especially needed for P.E.

PTA will bring around the school snack cart on Friday mornings. Items cost .50 to $2 and is cash only.

Birthdays

Birthday party invitations ARE allowed to be sent in. Per GCS policy, your child will personally hand them out and all classmates must be included.

Extra Tidbit

If your child has toileting needs, please send in flushable wipes. I will send home a note when supply is getting low. Please send in at least 1 pair of change of clothes.

Medicine

If your child takes medicine at school, any and all medication must be checked in with the nurse, and she will distribute it to your child at the appropriate time. 

Homework

Students will be given basic weekly homework that will be distributed on Monday and is due by Friday. Homework will consist of weekly spelling words practice and math review. 1 Raz Kids book per week will be assigned. All instructions will come home with your child on their weekly agenda sheet. Weekly homework is not required. Your child will not be penalized for not completing homework. They WILL get an extra treat/prize on Friday if it is completed though! 

If your child is not getting his or her work done in class due to lack of effort or defiance, that day’s work will be sent home in their homework folder and will need to be completed and returned within 2 days.

Academics/Curriculum

We are working toward meeting IEP goals…AND so much more! Students will receive instruction in all subject areas. We will also have sensory time and social skills lessons. Much of instruction will be done in small groups. Independent work will spiral (be familiar/review).

Multiple intense reading programs, like Spire/Sounds Sensible, Explode the Code, Making Connections, special education modified Reading Recovery, and Edmark are used in the multi-cat setting, as well as Saxon Math. For social/emotional learning, we use Thinking About Me and Superflex curricula. We will be playing games, doing social stories and role play, having structured talk time, and lots of opportunity to work together academically and functionally. 

We use News2You weekly. This program is geared for special education students. It covers social studies and science current news. It is interactive and fun for the kids! 

Field Trips

Real world experience is so essential for our kids. We have some awesome field trips planned that align with curriculum. While we have some planned for us as a single class, we also have field trips that we will attend with general education classes. The class that your child pushes into for mainstreaming each day will include your child on their class field trips. Field trip chaperones must be Volunteer Level 2 cleared prior to attending. Please find the application on the MVE website. More details on field trip dates, venues, etc. to come.

Attendance

School starts promptly at 7:45 AM. If your child is eating breakfast at school, please make sure to allow time for that.

If your child is absent, please remember a parent or doctor’s note. Email me and our attendance clerk, Crystal Grant cgrant@greenville.k12.sc.us.

If your child is going to have an early dismissal, please let me know ahead of time. Send me an email and copy Angela Childs in the front office on the email achilds@greenville.k12.sc.us. 

Visitors

If you would like to come for lunch, we would love to have you! School policy is that you make a “reservation” with me ahead of time. Reservations can be made after Labor Day.

If you are chaperoning a field trip or coming into the classroom to volunteer, you must have a background check done and be approved so please go ahead and fill out that application ASAP! Find it on the MVE website.

Classroom Library