IMPORTANT CLASSROOM/SCHOOL INFORMATION
Mrs. Johnsons’ 2nd Grade (864)355-8341
Email: jenjohnson@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website Link: Mrs. Johnson's Class Website
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 7:15-2:45
This year wour school wide theme is: Leadership is an Adventure!
My class will be known as the Mrs. Johnson’s Explorers!
COMMUNICATION: Parent/Teacher communication is so important! At the top I’ve listed my office hours, phone number, email address and link to my website. ClassDojo is the primary source for communicating with my class parents as a whole so please make sure that I have your correct email address and phone number! On my class website you will find my weekly newsletter that includes important dates, announcements, academics, Leader in Me, etc. I update it often.
TRANSPORTATION: Please call the school or send a note with your child if he or she is to go home a different way than they normally do. This is a precaution for your child’s safety and it’s important that I know how your child is to get home each day. Please display your lime green card with your car number in the car line.
GRADING SCALE
90 – 100 A
89 – 80 B
79 – 70 C
69 – 60 D
59 - 50 F
LANGUAGE ARTS: The language arts grade includes assessments from language & word study and writing workshop. District policy states that teachers will calculate the ELA report card grade as follows:
Writing and Language/Grammar Major Assessments at 30%
Minor Assessments at 60%
Word Study/Phonics (Spelling) at 10%
READING: The reading grade includes assessments from the reading workshop. District policy states that teachers will calculate the reading report card grade as follows:
Responses to literature, skills/comprehension quizzes, and graded classwork (Minor) = 60%
Story assessments, skills/comprehension tests, reader’s notebooks/portfolios (Major) = 40%
MATHEMATICS: Lessons include opportunities for daily practice and review, and hands-on activities. At the end of each unit, teachers administer a written assessment. Teachers will administer quizzes at various points throughout the unit. The mathematics report card grade comes from two components:
Unit Test Grades (Major) = 40%
Quizzes/Classwork (Minor) = 60%
SCIENCE/HEALTH:
Unit Test Grades (Major) = 40%
Quizzes/Classwork (Minor) = 60%
SOCIAL STUDIES:
Unit Test Grades (Major) = 40%
Quizzes/Classwork (Minor) = 60%
GRADED PAPERS:
Graded work will go home in your child’s communication folder OR it could be graded and posted via Google Classroom/email (Some assignments are done on Google Forms, Quizizz, Mastery Connect, etc.)
You may also check your child’s grades on Backpack. By all means, if you have questions or concerns regarding a paper, please let me know and we can discuss it.
ABSENCE MAKE-UP WORK: (Includes absences from tardiness & early dismissals.)
To be counted present for the day, a student must be at school for at least 3 hours.
All work missed during any absence must be completed and returned to the teacher within five (5) days of the student’s return to school.
Students are responsible to get makeup work from their teacher(s).
Provisions to make up school work missed during extended absences can be worked out with the teacher(s)/team concerned.
After the original 5 days make up allowance for absence, the Late Work Procedures will apply.
HOMEWORK: Homework assignments vary throughout the year.
Reading Log: (Begin with at least 10 minutes and build from there to a maxium of 30 mins.) & I also encourage you to listen to your child read, discuss it and read to him/her as well. After winter break your student will be responsible for reading for 30 mins. and then write a short response to one listed question every school night.
Studying for tests using Study Guides (Science, Social Studies, Health, Math)
Complete assignments from the day if necessary.
CONFERENCES: We will do Student-Led Conferences towards the end of the first nine weeks. I will create a Sign-Up Genius as we get closer. However, conferences may be scheduled at any time during the school year per teacher and/or parent request.
CHROMEBOOK COMMITMENT: You will receive a “Chromebook Commitment” form to discuss with your child. We will use our Chromebooks daily so it’s very important that your child learns to take care of it and knows the do’s and don’ts of this responsibility. All students' Chromebook will be kept at school to charge unless the students have a "at home" project to complete or the prediction of inclement weather.
ATTENDANCE AND TARDY POLICIES: Remember, we start promptly at 7:45. If/when your child is absent, please complete this form: Absences Form
To be counted present for the day, a student must be physically at school for at least 3 hours.
SES's School-Wide Daily Schedule:
7:00 Main Entrance opens for early drop off. Bus entrance opens.
7:00-7:30 Breakfast is served.
7:30-7:45 All classrooms will be opened and teachers will be at their doors to greet students.
7:45 All students not in the building by 7:45 are considered tardy and must report to the attendance clerk (front office) accompanied by a parent. Students will not be admitted to class without a tardy pass.
10:25-12:35 Lunch is served.
1:45 Early dismissals and transportation changes must be prior to 1:45
2:05 Afternoon announcements and afternoon dismissal begins.
2:15 Car line begins
2:45 All car riders must be picked up by this time. Teachers' contract hours end and late parents will have to enter the building to sign out students.
Supervision by the Simpsonville staff is provided from 7:00 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. Students may not enter the classrooms before or after these hours. Students that have not been picked up by 2:45 are moved to the front lobby and must be signed out by a parent/guardian.
EARLY DISMISSALS: Please send a note in the morning if you plan to pick up your child early. Check in at the office and they will call for your child to meet you there.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT: Students are expected to follow Greenville County Schools’ discipline plan as outlined in the SES handbook. In addition, students at Simpsonville Elementary School will abide by the following:
School-wide Behavioral Expectations:
1. Listen to and follow directions.
2. Excellence is everything.
3. Always show respect.
4. Do the right thing.
The first week of school, we will be discussing positive behaviors and what it means to be a Leader. We will develop our class mission statement and our class expectations. School-wide and classroom expectations will be posted in our classroom.
I will mainly use ClassDojo, for everyday communication to parents. I will also use E-mail messages, phone calls, newsletters, and my website as my communication this year. For behavior management, I like to reward students for making the right choices while at school. I will use ClassDojo to give points to students during the day for following class and school wide expectations. I will give points to students who are working hard, showing kindness and being a leader. Each student who has had an overall good day, will be rewarded with 3 points at the end of each day. At the end of each week, if a student has earned a total of 15 points or more, they will receive a reward that Friday or the following Monday. The reward may be a sweet treat like Skittles, an in-class special privilege or it could be a small toy or a special pencil.
It is also important to know that I will contact you as needed if your child’s behavior warrants more attention. Severe disruptive behaviors and chronic misbehaviors may result in referrals and an administrator will be contacted.
Please be on the look out for an email or text message asking you to join ClassDojo!
LUNCH: Our lunch time is 11:05-11:35 Table 5A . GCS Meals & More (Click on link for menus and information.) Our lunch time goes by very quickly. If you would like to bring the class a special treat, please remember to contact me and the front office in advance.
CLASS T-SHIRTS: We will wear our class shirts on field trips, class picture day, field day, and on spirit days! Information and order forms will be sent home within the first couple of weeks of school. Please return the form and payment in a sealed envelope with your child’s name on it. School Cash Online can be used to pay for your child's T-shirt on some occassions.
SIGN-UP GENIUS: From time to time, I will send parents an email stating that I created a “sign-up genius” for a special day/event. This is a great way for you to “volunteer” and contribute to our class and send in items – which is a BIG help!
FIELD TRIPS: My hope is that we will be able to go on 2 field trips this year. We usually always go to Roper Mt. Science Center. Sometimes we go to Paris Mt. Plus, we have a few “field trips” at our school such as virtual field trips, Porkchop Productions, etc. Once a field trip is planned, I will add it to my weekly newsletter and you will receive an information letter as well as permission form.
Sometimes parents are allowed to chaperone. However, you must be approved as a “Volunteer 2” in order to do so. You may contact the front office for more information or go to the Parent page on the GCS website and look for “School Visitor and Volunteer Guidelines”. Volunteer 2 status is active for 2 years; therefore, if you were a chaperone last year for the first time, then you should still have an active status. You may check for your status in the main office.
If I didn’t provide information about something you’d like to know or if you ever have any questions about our classroom or the school, please call me, email me or send me a note and I’ll be happy to answer your questions. If I don’t know, I’ll do what I can to find out as soon as possible.
Thank you for your support and I look forward to an AWESOME year!