Our classroom policies are designed to create a safe, respectful, supportive, and productive learning environment for every student. Students will be explicitly taught classroom expectations, given opportunities to practice them, and be supported in taking responsibility for their choices. When concerns arise, consequences will be consistent, respectful, and focused on reflection, problem-solving, and returning successfully to learning.
Our classroom behavior expectations are designed to create a safe, respectful, supportive, and productive learning environment for every student. Students will be explicitly taught classroom expectations, given opportunities to practice them, and be supported in taking responsibility for their choices.
Students are expected to follow Odyssey’s Voyager Vows, demonstrate the SAIL values, and contribute positively to our classroom community. During the first week of school, our class will work together to create a Class Declaration describing how we want our classroom to feel and how we will treat one another.
Students are expected to:
Treat classmates, teachers, and school materials with respect
Follow directions and classroom procedures
Use safe and appropriate words and actions
Participate in learning and complete their work with care
Respect personal space, belongings, and individual differences
Take responsibility for their choices
Make an effort to solve problems and repair harm
Ask for help or a break when they need additional support
Students will not be expected to demonstrate perfect behavior. Second graders are still learning how to manage emotions, navigate friendships, solve problems, and make responsible choices. Mistakes will be treated as opportunities for reflection, growth, and reteaching.
Recognizing Positive Choices
Students will receive frequent encouragement and behavior-specific praise for demonstrating responsibility, kindness, effort, improvement, academic engagement, and successful use of classroom routines.
Positive choices may also be recognized through positive notes, communication with families, classroom privileges, leadership opportunities, recognition of individual or whole-class growth, Fun Friday, and other classroom celebrations.
Acknowledgements will not be limited to perfect behavior or high academic performance. Students will be recognized for their effort, improvement, responsible choices, kindness, and growth.
Responding to Behavior Concerns
Most behavior concerns will be addressed through calm, respectful, and private responses. When a student is not meeting a classroom expectation, the following steps will generally be used:
First Verbal Warning: The student will receive a calm reminder or redirection and an opportunity to correct the behavior.
Second Verbal Warning: If the behavior continues, the student will receive another warning. The expectation may also be clarified, retaught, or practiced.
Logical Consequence: If the behavior continues after two verbal warnings, the student will receive a logical consequence directly connected to the behavior.
Think Sheet: If the student does not improve the behavior following the logical consequence, the student may complete a Think Sheet in a neighboring second-grade classroom.
Teacher Choice and Additional Support: If the behavior continues, the teacher will determine the most appropriate next step. This may include family communication, an individualized support plan, administrative assistance, or another response consistent with Odyssey’s schoolwide policies.
This sequence will generally be followed for recurring classroom concerns, but not every situation will follow an identical progression. Responses will be based on the circumstances, seriousness of the concern, and individual needs of the student. Serious or unsafe behavior, or behavior that causes a significant disruption, may require an immediate response without first progressing through every step.
Corrective responses and consequences will not be used to embarrass or shame students. The goal will always be to help the student understand the expectation, take responsibility, repair harm when necessary, and return successfully to learning.
Logical Consequences
Logical consequences are directly connected to a student’s choices and are intended to teach responsibility, self-regulation, and independence. They are not unrelated punishments. Logical consequences will generally fall into one of three categories:
Break It, Fix It: The student helps clean up a mess, repair damage, apologize, or otherwise make the situation right.
Take a Break: The student temporarily moves to a calm space, changes locations, or uses a regulation strategy before rejoining the activity.
Loss of Privilege: Access to a material, space, activity, or privilege may be temporarily limited when it has been misused. The lost privilege will be directly related to the behavior, and the student will have an opportunity to regain it by demonstrating safe and responsible use.
Think Sheets
A Think Sheet may be used when a student does not improve their behavior after warnings and a logical consequence or when a behavior concern requires an additional opportunity for reflection.
When a Think Sheet is needed, the student will take a brief break in one of our neighboring second-grade classrooms to complete it before returning to class. This temporary change of environment gives the student an opportunity to breathe, regulate, and reflect away from the immediate situation.
After completing the Think Sheet, the student will return to our classroom and receive support in reviewing expectations, repairing harm when appropriate, and successfully rejoining the class.
When a Think Sheet is sent home, it must be reviewed, signed by a parent or guardian, and returned to school. Think Sheets are not intended to shame or punish students. They are a tool for reflection, accountability, and communication between school and home.
Every Friday, students will have the opportunity to participate in approximately 25 minutes of Fun Friday at the end of the school day. Fun Friday provides students with something positive to work toward while reinforcing responsibility, consistent effort, and our classroom expectations. At the end of each month, eligible students will participate in a grade-wide Fun Friday with the other second-grade classes.
Throughout the week, students will work toward earning Fun Friday by meeting expectations which may include, but are not limited to:
• Turning in a completed weekly reading log
• Completing required in-class assignments with care
• Consistently upholding the Voyager Vows and classroom expectations
Students who have been absent must complete and return assigned make-up work before Friday to be eligible. Students will be given a reasonable opportunity to complete work following an absence, and individual circumstances will be considered when necessary.
Students who have not met the weekly expectations will spend the Fun Friday period in a designated Study Hall. During this time, they will complete unfinished or missing assignments, correct work that was not completed with care, or receive additional practice and support related to expectations they have not yet met.
Study Hall is not intended to embarrass, shame, or isolate students. It is a predictable and logical consequence that allows students to use this time to fulfill their responsibilities and receive support. Each new week provides every student with a fresh opportunity to meet the expectations and earn the following Fun Friday. The goal is for every student to meet the weekly expectations and fully participate.
Attendance will be taken each day promptly at 8:30. Students who are not in their seats by then will be marked tardy. If your student is absent, please contact the front office by phone or email. Attendance is crucial for your student’s success. Missing 10% or more of school will put your student in jeopardy of falling behind their peers. You will receive a notice when your student is absent for a couple of days. You will also receive a notice from the office when your student has reached, or is approaching, the threshold of chronic absenteeism.
When your student is absent, they will receive their make-up work when they return. Students will have as many days as they were absent to complete and submit missing work.
Birthdays are so much fun, and I am excited to help make each student feel special on their day!
Students may bring a non-allergenic treat or small prize to share with the class on their birthday. There must be enough for each student to receive one.
Summer birthdays will be celebrated on the student’s half-birthday. Birthdays that fall during a school break or over a weekend may be celebrated on the school day before or after.
Please contact me through ParentSquare in advance so we can choose a celebration day and time that works for both of us.
Bringing a treat or prize is completely optional and never required. If your student does not bring anything, we will still celebrate them! I am happy to provide something simple, such as popcorn or another dye-free treat, when appropriate.
Throughout the day, the birthday student will also receive special privileges and choices. My goal is for every student to feel recognized, celebrated, and loved on their special day!
We will have four main classroom parties throughout the year:
• Halloween
• Christmas
• Valentine’s Day
• End of Year
Our room parents will help organize each party and will share opportunities for families to volunteer or contribute supplies as needed. More information about each celebration will be sent to families as the date approaches. Family participation and donations are always appreciated but completely optional.
Phones, smartwatches, and other personal electronic devices must remain silenced and stored according to Odyssey Charter School’s policy during the school day. If a family needs to reach a student during school hours, please contact the school office.
Students are expected to follow Odyssey Charter School’s uniform policy each school day. Please refer to the current schoolwide policy for complete requirements and contact the school office with questions about approved uniform items.