August 2010

Dear Parents,

It is indeed a pleasure to have your child in our classes. To start off the year
right, we are sending you this Parent Survival Handbook that has been
assembled to help you become familiar with information that will enable us to
make this a very positive and rewarding year. We feel open lines of
communication between the parent, student, and teacher are one of the keys
to promoting an educational climate that is conducive to learning. We are
looking forward to working with you and your child. Together we can make a
difference! You can help by sending us well-rested children with full tummies
and a hug and a kiss still fresh on their minds. This sets the stage for a great
day.

Please feel free to contact us at any time if there is a question or situation

you would like to discuss. We look forward to building a relationship with you
and your child and thus providing the best education that we are capable of
giving.

This document is an addendum to the Parent Student Handbook. Please

review that document also.

In Service to the Master Teacher,

Suzanne Braun
Jane Anne Pohl
 Homework
Students will be assigned homework. Please check your child’s OK
Notebook nightly to make sure all assignments are completed.
 Students are expected to read 15 minutes every night.
 If students do not complete daily class work, they will be
expected to finish these assignments as well as assigned
homework.
 Unless specified all homework should be turned in the
following school day.
 The child is expected to complete homework assignments
independently in pencil. After your child has completed the
homework an adult should check the work for accuracy.

Guidelines for Grading

The following guideline is used to evaluate student work in first and
second grade.

E This is reserved for excellence. Student exceeds

expectations. Student shows extra effort and work is always
complete.
S Work is consistently completed on time and done accurately.
Expectations are met.
N Needs improvement. Student shows inconsistent
performance Student needs extra practice at home.
U Needs improvement. Student shows inconsistent
performance Student needs extra practice at home. Little or
no effort is exhibited.
The following guideline is used in second grade for reading, language,
spelling and math. This is intended to be a transition between first and
third grade.

A This is reserved for excellence, a step above everyone else.

The student performs well above average. Works hard and
work is always complete.
B Consistently strong performance. Work is completed.
C Average. Learns new concepts through many repetitions.
Student completes work.
F The student is not accurately completing work. Little or no
effort is exhibited.

The student behavior section in the parent handbook is the basis for the rules
in the first and second grade classrooms.

The following are the rules in the first and second grade classrooms.
1. Listen when others talk.
2. Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself.
3. Respect others and their property.
4. Follow directions and instructions.

Throughout the day the students make choices. As stated above the
students are encouraged to make positive choices and are rewarded when
they do so. The positive choices may be recognized in the following ways:
• Verbal recognition
• Stickers or stamps
• Additional free time
• Notes home
• Special class parties
There is a system in place to deal with choices that do not follow the
classroom rules. When a student chooses to break classroom rules, he/she
receives a consequence.
• Each child begins the day on green.
• 1st time: A verbal warning is given.
• 2nd time: Student moves to yellow and records the reason on their
daily behavior sheet in their OK Notebook. The student misses 5
minutes of recess or free time.
• 3rd time: Student moves to red and records the reason on their
daily behavior sheet in their OK Notebook. The student misses 10
minutes of recess or free time.
• 4th time: The student is removed from his/her classmates and no
longer participates in classroom activities, including recess. The
parents are contacted through letter, e-mail or phone call to discuss
the problem.

The teacher may give an immediate time out and/or contact the parent
depending on the severity of the student’s choice.

With this system in place, the students, teacher and parents know the rules,
rewards, and consequences for behavior choices. This system reflects the
mission statement and discipline policy of St. Paul Lutheran School as it
“nurtures the growth of its students as Christian people.”

Absences and Tardies

Attendance at school is important for every student. Frequent
absences or tardies significantly affect your child’s performance and
success. Please make every effort to have your child present and on
time every day. However we understand that there are times when
children need to be absent due to illness or other family issues.

Please send an e-mail to the teacher if your child is absent and the
reason for the absence. If you know that your child will be tardy please
inform the teacher in advance.

Please refer to the parent handbook regarding specific policies

regarding absences and tardies.
Accelerated Reader
Accelerated Reader gives your child the opportunity to increase their
reading skills by reading books and then taking computerized quizzes
at school on what they have read.

All books included in the Accelerated Reader program have been given
a reading level. At the beginning of the year first graders should
choose books within the .5 to 2.0 range. Second graders should
choose books within the range suggested by their score on the Star
Reading Assessment. Some of these books your child may read
independently and some may be read to your child or somewhere in
between. Periodically, the students will take the Star Reading
assessment to determine their reading level and, if necessary, make
adjustments to the range of books from which they may choose.

Accelerated Reader is used in two ways. First, your child will be

encouraged to choose an AR book to read at home and, when ready,
take an “AR quiz” at school. Secondly, there will be times that they
read an AR book at school and take a quiz.

The student collects points as they read books and take quizzes.
Students will be recognized for their achievements as they reach
significant point levels.

Each quarter the students will get a grade on their report card for the
AR tests they have taken. The grading scale will be as follows:
E reads 5 or more books each week and passes the tests
S+ reads 3 to 4 books each week and passes the tests
S reads 2 books each week and passes the tests
S- reads 1 book each week and pass the test
N reads less than 1 book each week

Your child may find AR books in a variety of locations: school or

classroom library, home collection, or the public library. If there is a
special book that your child wants to read and cannot find it, I will be
happy to help them locate it. Use the following website –
www.arbookfind.com - to search AR books.

Birthdays
A parent may provide a birthday treat for the entire class. A parent
may bring a treat from home. Please be aware of allergies that
children may have. These treats must be precut and ready to serve. If
you are going to send treats please send them with your child in the
morning.

Please do not send drinks. Water is available at school.

Also, simply singing “Happy Birthday” can recognize a student’s

birthday. No food is necessary.

Book Orders
Book Orders will be sent home about once a month. If you wish to
place an
order, please return the order form or complete your order online by
the date indicated. Please do not send cash. Checks should be
made out to Scholastic Book Clubs and enclose it and the order in an
envelope with the student’s name printed on the outside.

These programs are not mandatory but are greatly encouraged

because they provide an excellent opportunity for your child to get
good books to read at affordable prices.

Change in Transportation
If your child is to go home a different way than usual, please send a
note indicating the change in arrangements.

Early Pick-up
We are very busy all day in our class. Please try to arrange
doctor/dentist appointments outside of school hours because anytime
your child comes in late or leaves early they miss valuable instruction.
However, if you must check your child in or out during the day, please
send a note and your child will be at the office at the appropriate time.
If your child is not at the office please ask the office staff to call for
your child to come to meet you at the office.

Communication
Communication between home and school is very important. Please do
not hesitate to e-mail or call the teacher if you have any questions or
concerns.

Other forms of communication may include weekly newsletters, blogs

and information posted on RenWeb.
 Dropping Off/ Pick Up
When the school day begins please say “good-bye” to your child in the
cafeteria or in your car. It is not necessary to walk your child to the
classroom and come into the classroom with them.

At the end of the day the children will be taken to the porch or child
care if necessary. Parents may meet the children in the lobby or pick
the up in the pick up line.

Forgotten Items
Items forgotten by your child may be dropped off in the office. The
office staff will bring the items to the classroom.

OK Notebook
The purpose of the O.K. Notebook (Organized Kids Notebook) is twofold.
First, it is a way to help organize the papers your child brings home from
school. Second, it is a communication tool between the teacher and the
parents. Entries and changes will be made regularly so be sure to check
each section each day.

The OK Notebook includes the daily behavior page, weekly assignment

sheet, memory work and spelling words in addition to other appropriate
information.

The OK Notebook comes home with your child each day. Parents should
review the notebook and sign the daily behavior sheet. The child is
responsible for bringing the OK Notebook back to school the next day.

Party Invitations
If you are having a birthday party for your child outside of school,
school is not the best place to pass out invitations unless every child in
class is being invited.

Your child needs to bring all invitations directly to the teacher to be

distributed discretely, including invitations to students in other classes.
 Parent Volunteers
Each class has room parents. These parents will help organize parties
(Christmas and Valentine’s Day), special projects and events, etc.
Occasionally you will receive a note or a call from us for help.

Parents may also volunteer in the classroom. The classroom teacher

will send home a volunteer signup sheet indicating where help is
needed.

Snacks
Each class has a snack time at morning recess. Please make sure that
this is a small, simple, nutritious snack. Some suggestions for a
healthy snack include: dry cereal, crackers, popcorn, apples, carrots
and raisins. Please do not send drinks or any items that are overly
messy.

Candy, cupcakes, donuts and other sweet treats are not appropriate
for snack time.

I have read the Parent Survival

Handbook and discussed the
necessary content with my child.

Parent’s/Guardian’s Signature
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Child’s Signature

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Date
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Comments
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