MRS.

TAGUE’S
ND
2 GRADE

HANDBOOK
2020 - 2021
At OUR school, we treat everyone
with kindness and respect as
we work and learn together.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I’d like to share these quotes with you. I feel like they sum up what public
education and teaching is all about. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

“Every child is gifted. They

just unwrap their
packages at different
times.”
“Children must
learn how to think,
not what to think.”
-Margaret Mead
 Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to 2nd Grade! I am thrilled for our journey to come and to teach 2nd
grade! I have been teaching since 2016. Teaching has become my passion and
a huge part of my life. I absolutely love teaching and learning! I graduated from
Boise State University in 2016 with my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education, as well
as, earned my Master’s in Educational Technology in 2018. I am certified in
multiple subjects K-8 and have an endorsement in literacy. I look forward to
learning new ways to adapt technology into our classroom. I strongly believe
that technology is a groundbreaking tool, that can be used to extend student
learning. I am looking forward to learning about each and every one of my 2nd
graders. It's going to be an amazing year!
I have prepared this packet to provide a brief snapshot of our classroom and
procedures. Please take time to read through all the information and then keep
it in a safe place, in case you need to refer to it later in the school year. I will try
to explain things as short as possible, without going on a tangent. Please feel
free to contact me if you have any questions. I LOVE hearing from you with
questions, comments, or concerns. I encourage open communication and
value your input as we work together to make this a wonderful year for your
child! OKAY! HERE WE GO!

Specials Schedule:
 Mondays: Art
 Tuesdays: P.E./Music
 Wednesdays: Library
 Thursdays: P.E./Music

Specials time vary throughout the week. Art is 12:45-1:30, P.E./Music are 1:45-2:45, and Library is
2:15-2:45.

Recess: 9:30-9:45am and 2:50-3:05pm

Lunch: 11:3012:10pm

*Please remind your child to wear appropriate clothing for P.E. on Tuesdays & Thursdays.
Also, please remind your child to return their library books on Wednesdays each week
to have a chance to check out new books!
Classroom Rules:
We have one classroom rule in our class. It is, “you may remain in the classroom
as long as you do not cause problems.” If you cause a problem, I will ask you to
fix it. If you cannot or you will not fix it, I will do something. What I do depends on
the special person and the special situation.

I strongly believe that every child is different, so there are no “set in stone”
consequences. I will do what is best for your child specifically, but I will first ask
them how they can fix a problem first. I encourage critical thinking and problem
solving. All students have signed an agreement with our classroom rule.

Class Incentives:
We have three incentives as a class:

1. The first incentive is Class Points vs. Mrs. Tague’s Points. As a class, students
can earn extra minutes for recess on Thursdays. If the class has more points
than me by the end of the week, students get extra recess time. If I earn
more points than the class by the end of the week, students will owe me
time. The points are counted by tally marks. At the end of the week, class
tally marks take away Mrs. Tague’s tally marks for the total minutes earned
or lost on Friday afternoon recess.
2. The second incentive is Wolverine Bucks. Wolverine Bucks are a school
wide incentive that encourage students to uphold our values of being
respectful, responsible, committed, and have integrity. If a student is
caught using our values, they will get a Wolverine Buck, and then be put
into a drawing/raffle for an opportunity to win a prize.
3. The third incentive is Tague Tickets. This incentive goes along with our
Wolverine Bucks. If a student is caught being responsible, showing
integrity, committed, or being respectful they will get a Wolverine Buck
AND a Tague Ticket. A Tague Ticket is different than a Wolverine Buck
because it stays in the classroom. Students can use their Tague Tickets to
buy candy or a prize.

Homework:
As Mrs. Young from Texas stated, "Homework will only consist of work that your
student did not finish during the school day. There will be no formally assigned
homework this year. Research has been unable to prove that homework
improves performance. Rather, I ask that you spend your evenings doing things
that are proven to correlate with student success. Eat dinner as a family, read
together, play outside, and get your child to bed early." I 100% agree with Mrs.
Young, however, if you need additional resources or websites for practice I'll be
happy to make recommendations or send home practice pages. With report
card changes, there will be no assigned spelling words this year.

Website:
Our classroom website is a work in progress right now, but it will be up and
running shortly! On the website you will be able to see our class photos,
important information, and what we are learning in our classroom.

Thursday Folders:
Your child’s work and important papers will be sent home every Thursday in a
purple folder labeled “Thursday Folder”. The papers inside are yours to keep, but
I do ask for the Thursday Folder to be signed on the back by a parent or
guardian and returned on Monday. This helps assure that you are receiving all of
your child’s papers. Please add comments if you need to communicate
something to me. Thank you!

Volunteers:
I encourage volunteers as much as possible in our classroom. It is always a
wonderful thing to have family come and help out. The more the merrier! Please
contact me directly to let me know what you’d like to help with and what day
and time works for you, then I will try to work you in.

Grades:
2nd graders will be graded on a 4 point rubric scale. The report card is aligned
with our Idaho Core Standards in English Language Arts (ELA), Math, Social
Studies, Science, Health P.E., and Music. There are new proficiency levels for the
subcategories and characteristics, please see below:

4- Standard Met: I Got This! I have a complete understanding, able to work

independently and can teach it to others.
3- Near Standard (almost meets the standard): I have understanding and can work
independently much of the time.
2- Partially Meets Standard: I have some understanding of the target, can work
independently some of the time. I just need more practice.
1- Support Needed: I am not yet able to work independently, but I can work with
support or intervention.
X: Not Evaluated

Not all papers will be graded! The intent of many assignments is to provide
practice, so a letter grade would not be appropriate. For some assignments, I
will just check for completion. Other assignments will be self-assessed or
checked together in class. So please don’t be concerned if you see things
come home that are not marked or fully completed. Grades will be determined
based off the 4-point rubric.

Attendance:
If your child is out for more than 2 days, please let me know so I can help with
the assignments your child has missed. The less your child has to make-up when
they return, the easier it will be. It is your child’s responsibility to complete and
return the work they missed ASAP! If extended time is needed, we can set that
up.

Flexible Seating:
In our classroom, we have flexible seating. Flexible seating means having a
variety of seating options, instead of the basic chair and desk. Students are not
assigned a specific seat; however, they do have their own cubby and bin to
keep all their items in one spot. I feel strongly about flexible seating because it
gives students the opportunity to be comfortable where they work and allows
them to do their BEST work. Per research, alternative seating can help keep
students engaged, motivated, and develop a sense of community. Students are
able to take ownership of their learning and have more opportunities to build
relationships. Each spot has its' own rules and procedures, but here are the
overall rules for flexible seating:

1. Choose a spot that allows you to do your best work.

2. Stay on task. Don’t distract others.
3. Respect the supplies and seats.
4. If a spot isn’t working for you, move so you can be successful.
5. No arguing over spots.
6. Our teacher reserves the right to move anyone at any time.
WOOOO! THAT’S A WRAP!!! I think I have covered everything, but I’m sure there
are a few things I have missed. If, after reading this, you need clarification or
have additional questions, PLEASE!!! FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. I
absolutely love hearing from you no matter what. I also urge you to let me know
whenever there is something going on in your home or with your child that can
affect him/her at school. I want to be in the “loop” to better deal with issues
here at school and help in any way possible. You can contact me with
suggestions, problems, or concerns. Thank you!!!

Sincerely,

Kayden Tague
Kayden Tague
Email: ktague@gvsd.net
Phone: 208-462-3756