2020-2021
Mrs. Hyde’s 2nd Grade Classroom Disclosure
Dear Second Grade Families,
WELCOME! I am so happy to welcome your child into second grade! I have been very busy preparing for the 2020-2021 school year and I am looking forward to being your son or daughter’s literacy teacher. My name is Mrs. Hyde. This is my fourth-year teaching at WPA, but my 10th year of teaching! Going into a decade of teaching sounds so crazy!! Mrs. Brooks and I will be job sharing again this year. I will be teaching literacy in the mornings and she'll be teaching math, science and social studies in the afternoon. I understand that the beginning of this year is going to look much different than years past due to COVID-19. I will do my best to reach the needs of each child. I assume there will be a time period of review and we will all spend time practicing safe routines.
A little bit about me! After graduating from the University of Utah in 2011, I taught first grade for six years in Draper. I live in North Salt Lake with my husband Ashton and our two mini goldendoodles who are absolutely spoiled rotten! I am very dedicated and passionate about teaching! My goal is for all students to feel loved, cared for, respected and safe at school. Students will know that when they come to my class it will be a place where they are free to be themselves, and grow as a person cognitively, emotionally, socially, and physically. I want your child to come out of my classroom more aware of the world around them and of who they are as an individual. One of the main reasons I wanted to become a teacher was so that I could be a positive role model in my students’ lives. I want to instill in my students a love of learning. I will teach them that they can accomplish anything they put their mind to through hard work! I want them to feel as though I am their biggest cheerleader and that their success is extremely important to me. To make our school year fun and productive, I would like to share some schedule details and policies with you:
Contact Information
Communication is extremely important to me. You may e-mail me at [email protected] anytime to ask questions or address concerns. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. You may also set a time to meet with me one-on-one.
My website can be accessed at www.hydeshighlights.weebly.com or on the school website. It will be updated on Monday's by 5:00 with classroom info, updates and homework. Please remember to check your child's grade often and have contact information for all your child’s teachers. They may have up to 3 different teachers for homeroom, literacy, or math.
Distance Learning
If your child will be doing distance learning or if your child is absent and needs to do work at home, the work will be a mixture of uploaded assignments on google classroom and take-home packets. I will be live streaming/recording zoom whole group lessons and they can choose to log in at the time of the lesson or watch later. When the class is in centers, I will do my best to provide assignments that match for the online portion. Please be patient with this process as things may look different sometimes. I will e-mail with any changes. Assignments are expected to be done on time and will be graded just as if they were present in the classroom. Materials can be picked up and dropped off on Thursdays at 10 am.
The website is https://classroom.google.com/u/0/c/MTE5MTE2NjY2OTY3. The class code is nkejdib.
Attendance & Tardy Policy
This year there will be staggered drop off: (A-E 7:50-7:55, F-O 7:55-8:00 and P-Z 8:00-8:05 and 8:10 is when the tardy bell rings.) If your child is sick, please let me know at the beginning of the day and send someone to get his/her missed work for the day if possible. I will send home anything that can be made up at home. Please help us instill responsible attendance habits early! If your child is more than 5 minutes late, they will need to stop at the office for a tardy slip. Five or more tardies in one term will give your child a "U" for Unsatisfactory in their literacy class citizenship grade.
Classroom Management/Discipline
As a whole school, we will be following 5 happy class rules. They are NICE WORDS, CALM BODY, FOLLOW DIRECTIONS, NICE HANDS, and FINISH WORK. I will be using Class Dojo points as a positive and negative behavior management plan. You can download the Class Dojo app to see your child’s points. For every 25 points they get, they will earn a prize! We will work as a team to come up with whole class incentives too!
Supplies/Donations and Volunteer Hours
A supply and donation list has been added on the school website. Please look and donate what you can for the beginning of the year. Students have been asked to supply their own pencil box with supplies and headphones to limit the transfer of germs.
As for volunteer hours, this year is a bit different. Due to new restrictions we are asking parents to do volunteer time at home or donate money/supplies needed for their time. Supplying a classroom with fun and engaging learning tools is something I love to do but can be hard on my own! You can find two links on my class website under the “How can I help” tab. One is at home volunteer ideas and the other is supplies needed. I update it frequently, so please look throughout the year! For every $10 donated, you get 1 hour of volunteer time.
Homework
Homework is a link between school and home. It is an opportunity for you to see what we are learning and to observe how well your child is grasping new concepts and skills. Your student will have a B.E.E. Book (Bring Everything Everyday). This will serve as your child’s homework folder and a record of communication between school and home.
I believe that homework should only be assigned if it truly enhances understanding. Educational research consistently shows homework does not have a very large effect on learning in elementary school settings and rather can become a source of major discord at home. Students will be expected to complete homework as they transition to junior high, etc. Consequently, I assign some homework, but only when necessary and always less than 30 minutes a night.
Homework may include:
Reading instruction will primarily be taught from the Wonders Reading Program. We will have daily literacy lessons including grammar, reading comprehension, spelling, fluency, and vocabulary.
As a supplement, I use Reading A-Z. Students will be tested for their independent reading level and can read books on that level using the raz-kids app or website. A log in card will be sent home to allow access at home. (They may also use raz-kids to complete the 20 min of reading too!)
WPA received a technology grant where students will access a website each week called Imagine Learning during center time. Every student is required to use it 45 min a week for fidelity. They may access this website as home as well. Stay tuned for log-in information.
Grading
Grades are earned, not given. All grades in class are based off student assignments, homework and tests.
The grading scale is as follows:
M= Mastery (above) Reading Logs 10%
P= Proficiency (grade level) Assignments 25%
R= Review (below) Literacy Tests 35%
P= Participation/ Passing Spelling & Vocab 20%
I= Incomplete Writing 10%
Morning Snack Time, Recess & Lunch
Students may eat a morning snack or get 2nd chance breakfast every day at 9 am during brain break. Please make sure that you send only healthy snacks, low in sugar (i.e. no cookies, donuts, or gummy fruit snacks). Appropriate snacks could be: fruit slices, crackers, cheese, vegetable sticks, cereal bar, or some type of protein. If students choose to eat school lunch, there will always be a hot option or salad bar. Please help your child memorize their lunch number too! (Recess is before lunch!)
Birthdays
I think birthdays are a big deal, so I will celebrate my literacy class birthdays! No child will be allowed to hand out party invitations in class. If you would like to send your child's favorite picture book to class that day, I will read it aloud!
I am excited to meet all of you! If you have any questions/concerns/comments, feel free to contact me ([email protected])
Thank you!! Mrs. Hyde
WELCOME! I am so happy to welcome your child into second grade! I have been very busy preparing for the 2020-2021 school year and I am looking forward to being your son or daughter’s literacy teacher. My name is Mrs. Hyde. This is my fourth-year teaching at WPA, but my 10th year of teaching! Going into a decade of teaching sounds so crazy!! Mrs. Brooks and I will be job sharing again this year. I will be teaching literacy in the mornings and she'll be teaching math, science and social studies in the afternoon. I understand that the beginning of this year is going to look much different than years past due to COVID-19. I will do my best to reach the needs of each child. I assume there will be a time period of review and we will all spend time practicing safe routines.
A little bit about me! After graduating from the University of Utah in 2011, I taught first grade for six years in Draper. I live in North Salt Lake with my husband Ashton and our two mini goldendoodles who are absolutely spoiled rotten! I am very dedicated and passionate about teaching! My goal is for all students to feel loved, cared for, respected and safe at school. Students will know that when they come to my class it will be a place where they are free to be themselves, and grow as a person cognitively, emotionally, socially, and physically. I want your child to come out of my classroom more aware of the world around them and of who they are as an individual. One of the main reasons I wanted to become a teacher was so that I could be a positive role model in my students’ lives. I want to instill in my students a love of learning. I will teach them that they can accomplish anything they put their mind to through hard work! I want them to feel as though I am their biggest cheerleader and that their success is extremely important to me. To make our school year fun and productive, I would like to share some schedule details and policies with you:
Contact Information
Communication is extremely important to me. You may e-mail me at [email protected] anytime to ask questions or address concerns. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. You may also set a time to meet with me one-on-one.
My website can be accessed at www.hydeshighlights.weebly.com or on the school website. It will be updated on Monday's by 5:00 with classroom info, updates and homework. Please remember to check your child's grade often and have contact information for all your child’s teachers. They may have up to 3 different teachers for homeroom, literacy, or math.
Distance Learning
If your child will be doing distance learning or if your child is absent and needs to do work at home, the work will be a mixture of uploaded assignments on google classroom and take-home packets. I will be live streaming/recording zoom whole group lessons and they can choose to log in at the time of the lesson or watch later. When the class is in centers, I will do my best to provide assignments that match for the online portion. Please be patient with this process as things may look different sometimes. I will e-mail with any changes. Assignments are expected to be done on time and will be graded just as if they were present in the classroom. Materials can be picked up and dropped off on Thursdays at 10 am.
The website is https://classroom.google.com/u/0/c/MTE5MTE2NjY2OTY3. The class code is nkejdib.
Attendance & Tardy Policy
This year there will be staggered drop off: (A-E 7:50-7:55, F-O 7:55-8:00 and P-Z 8:00-8:05 and 8:10 is when the tardy bell rings.) If your child is sick, please let me know at the beginning of the day and send someone to get his/her missed work for the day if possible. I will send home anything that can be made up at home. Please help us instill responsible attendance habits early! If your child is more than 5 minutes late, they will need to stop at the office for a tardy slip. Five or more tardies in one term will give your child a "U" for Unsatisfactory in their literacy class citizenship grade.
Classroom Management/Discipline
As a whole school, we will be following 5 happy class rules. They are NICE WORDS, CALM BODY, FOLLOW DIRECTIONS, NICE HANDS, and FINISH WORK. I will be using Class Dojo points as a positive and negative behavior management plan. You can download the Class Dojo app to see your child’s points. For every 25 points they get, they will earn a prize! We will work as a team to come up with whole class incentives too!
Supplies/Donations and Volunteer Hours
A supply and donation list has been added on the school website. Please look and donate what you can for the beginning of the year. Students have been asked to supply their own pencil box with supplies and headphones to limit the transfer of germs.
As for volunteer hours, this year is a bit different. Due to new restrictions we are asking parents to do volunteer time at home or donate money/supplies needed for their time. Supplying a classroom with fun and engaging learning tools is something I love to do but can be hard on my own! You can find two links on my class website under the “How can I help” tab. One is at home volunteer ideas and the other is supplies needed. I update it frequently, so please look throughout the year! For every $10 donated, you get 1 hour of volunteer time.
Homework
Homework is a link between school and home. It is an opportunity for you to see what we are learning and to observe how well your child is grasping new concepts and skills. Your student will have a B.E.E. Book (Bring Everything Everyday). This will serve as your child’s homework folder and a record of communication between school and home.
I believe that homework should only be assigned if it truly enhances understanding. Educational research consistently shows homework does not have a very large effect on learning in elementary school settings and rather can become a source of major discord at home. Students will be expected to complete homework as they transition to junior high, etc. Consequently, I assign some homework, but only when necessary and always less than 30 minutes a night.
Homework may include:
- Reading 20 minutes a night is EXPECTED. A reading log will be sent home every Monday to fill out and return the next Monday with at least 5 days of reading. Please have your child fill this out. It’s not your homework 🙂 (Reading at home helps gain a larger vocabulary, understand story structure, and know that reading is valued. I encourage you to read with your child and have kids read out-loud to practice reading fluency.)
- Any UNFINISHED work will go home if the student was off task.
- Spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension tests will be given each Thursday before distance learning takes place on Fridays. If your child consistently has a lower than 80% score, then I will require nightly spelling practice.
- Book reports
- At home projects
Reading instruction will primarily be taught from the Wonders Reading Program. We will have daily literacy lessons including grammar, reading comprehension, spelling, fluency, and vocabulary.
As a supplement, I use Reading A-Z. Students will be tested for their independent reading level and can read books on that level using the raz-kids app or website. A log in card will be sent home to allow access at home. (They may also use raz-kids to complete the 20 min of reading too!)
WPA received a technology grant where students will access a website each week called Imagine Learning during center time. Every student is required to use it 45 min a week for fidelity. They may access this website as home as well. Stay tuned for log-in information.
Grading
Grades are earned, not given. All grades in class are based off student assignments, homework and tests.
The grading scale is as follows:
M= Mastery (above) Reading Logs 10%
P= Proficiency (grade level) Assignments 25%
R= Review (below) Literacy Tests 35%
P= Participation/ Passing Spelling & Vocab 20%
I= Incomplete Writing 10%
Morning Snack Time, Recess & Lunch
Students may eat a morning snack or get 2nd chance breakfast every day at 9 am during brain break. Please make sure that you send only healthy snacks, low in sugar (i.e. no cookies, donuts, or gummy fruit snacks). Appropriate snacks could be: fruit slices, crackers, cheese, vegetable sticks, cereal bar, or some type of protein. If students choose to eat school lunch, there will always be a hot option or salad bar. Please help your child memorize their lunch number too! (Recess is before lunch!)
Birthdays
I think birthdays are a big deal, so I will celebrate my literacy class birthdays! No child will be allowed to hand out party invitations in class. If you would like to send your child's favorite picture book to class that day, I will read it aloud!
I am excited to meet all of you! If you have any questions/concerns/comments, feel free to contact me ([email protected])
Thank you!! Mrs. Hyde