Ms.

Bushong
2
nd
Grade at Edison
Welcome to Room 214
Dear Families,
Welcome to Second Grade! I am beyond excited to embark on this journey with you and
your child. I consider our classroom to be a community of learners and teachers workin
toether to achie!e reatness throuh ex"loration and a commitment to work hard. #ach of us
has an im"ortant $job$ in our community and so it is essential that we all contribute our uni%ue
talents and work collaborati!ely to become life&lon learners. 'oether, we will row to new
heihts!
Classroom Expectations
I ho"e for my class to be a safe "lace where my students can ha!e a ood time and learn.
I tell my students that my ho"e for them is to hel" them become inde"endent learners and
thinkers. (n orani)ed s"ace is conduci!e to learnin so I ex"ect cubbies, lockers and class
work to also be orani)ed and clean. We will work as a team to hold each other accountable. I
like to set !ery clear ex"ectations and routines durin the beinnin of the school year so that
our classroom can run effecti!ely and we can s"end most of our time learnin.
The students will e expected to practice the school!wide Character Education "rogram#
C * +ommunity ,inded
$ * (ware of your surroundins and what you are doin
R * -es"onsible and -es"ectful for your actions and learnin
E * #m"athetic toward others
% * (lways be Safe
.ut we will also de!elo" our own classroom rules.
Curriculum
/ur school follows the district curriculum uidelines. /ur s"ellin "roram comes from
0ouhton ,ifflin focusin on word study and s"ellin "atterns. We will ha!e weekly s"ellin
assessments. In -eadin we use 0ouhton ,ifflin (ntholoies which are a collection of stories
under different themes. #!ery week the focus chanes from one com"rehension stratey to
another. We will continue usin Writin (li!e for our writin curriculum. Science will consist of
three units from the 'racks +urriculum1 2lants, Sound Systems3,otion and #arth ,aterials,
alon with the scientific "rocess. (s a rade le!el we will incor"orate more writin and "rojects
to increase the rior of these units. Social studies will start with an anti&bullyin unit mo!in
into Geora"hy of +ommunities and #conomics. We continue to backwards desin all of our units
in an effort to interate the new +ommon +ore Standards into our daily lessons.
&olunteers '''''(EW &)*+(TEER $""*,C$T,)( -)R $**''''''
4isitors and "arent hel"ers 5includin rand"arents or family members6 are always
welcomed in my classroom. .ut in order to set u" classroom routines and ex"ectations I will not
ask for many !olunteers until the middle of Se"tember. -emember that for security reasons we
need all !isitors and !olunteers to sin in at the main office. If you come to school at any time
durin the day, you need to come throuh the front doors. 2lease use the !olunteer sin u"
sheet if you would like to hel" in the classroom 5by the front reen table6. I will contact
"arents as needed. If you are not able to !olunteer on a reular basis don7t worry, just come
!isit us whene!er you can. .ut remember that you need to reister with the district before you
can !olunteer and this year 589:;&89:<6 e!eryone needs to fill out a new a""lication.
Contact ,n.ormation
2lease fill out the contact information sheet as soon as "ossible and return it to me.
2lease check the box if you don7t ha!e email or if you would rather et a hardco"y of the
newsletter. /therwise, the newsletter will be sent home weekly by email. (lso, don7t foret to
check the box for "ermission to "ost class "ictures on our class website.
Boo/ )rders0Box Tops
Durin !arious times of the year book orders from Scholastic will be sent home. 'hrouh
those orders classroom teachers recei!e bonus "oints which then can be used to re"lace and
add books to the classroom library. .ook orders can be done online once the flyers ha!e been
sent home. ( note will o home with your "arent lo in and the date to order by. (lso,
remember to sa!e .ox 'o"s from General ,ill "roducts. 'his is another source of classroom
re!enue.
%nac/s0Water Bottles
'he students are welcomed to brin a snack for the class. Some suestions for snack
include1 animal crackers, "ret)els, ourts, strin cheese, or anythin fun excluding peanut
products. 'he students always enjoy this time of day and they continue to work while
munchin. Ma/e sure that 1our child rings a water ottle to school .or use in the
classroom.
Class 2onation
If you are willin and able, "lease donate to our classroom fund. With this money I buy
emerency snack for students who may ha!e forotten them at home, crafts su""lies for the
holidays, and rewards for hard work. (ny amount will be reatly a""reciated!
Thursda1 -olders0(ewsletter
It is im"ortant to o throuh 'hursday Folders the niht they are recei!ed. /ur
newsletter, reminders, school information and homework for the week are inside. 2lease read
it! -olders should e returned empt1 on -rida1 mornings. $n1 notes3 mone13 etc. .or the
teacher or e4en rec1cling should e handed in not put inside the Thursda1 -olders.
5omewor/
0omework is "ractice of the skills we ha!e learned in class.
0omework "ackets will be sent home on 'hursdays and students ha!e until the followin
'hursday to com"lete. 2ackets include1 %pelling Words3 Reading3 6 math 5ome *in/s
/ccasionally, we will send home a "roject for students to com"lete.
Reading *ogs
(nother im"ortant "iece of our homework "acket is readin los. Students are re%uired
to read at least between :< to 89 minutes a niht and record their readin on the los. *ogs
are due on the last Thursda1 o. each month.
Beha4ior
I will be usin a tool called +lassDojo this year. It also ca"tures and enerates data on
beha!ior that I can share with you. 'his tool reinforces a "ositi!e en!ironment, better
learnin beha!iors, and smoother lessons
Class Wesite
'he class has a website throuh Weebly sites.
http#00splendi.erous!second.weel1.com0
I will "ost "ictures and !ideos from our class. It will contain a section on useful websites and
the calendar. I will also "ost the newsletter and the homework co!er "ae. =ou can access the
website throuh the district 2arent 2ortal site or the #dison Website under 'eachers3under
my name.
"arent "ortal0"T$ Communication
:. 2lease let me know if you need hel" loin into your 2arent 2ortal. #!ery family should
ha!e an account. 0ere you will find useful information reardin student rades, beha!ior
and district testin.
8. 'he 2'( has created 2arent3Guardian Info forms to su""ort communication, creation of
a rade le!el directory, and 2'( !olunteerin& lo into http#00it.l10+1*,52
"lease com"lete the form online.

"ic/ +p and 2ismissal
Students will be "icked u" and dismissed on the blackto" riht next to the library.
Students will not be dismissed until I ha!e made eye contact with the "arents. If your child is
oin home with someone other than yourself "lease let me know. /n rainy or snowy days we will
kee" the students either in the hallway or the classroom. If by any chance you are runnin late
check in with me before oin to the office&we miht still be in the classroom waitin.
Communication
'he best way to communicate is throuh email but don7t hesitate to call, es"ecially if it is
an emerency. >ust be aware that calls made directly to the classroom between ?199 am and
@1@9 "m o straiht to !oice mail. 'he !oice messaes will also show u" in my inbox. .ut if you
need to s"eak with me call the school and ask to be transferred. ,y email is1
brookeAbushonBd"sk:8.or
%chedule
?1;9 2ick C"
?1;< * D199 ,ornin ,eetin
D199 * :9199 Guided -eadin E Inde"endent -eadin 5(-6
:9199 * :91@9 -eadin Skills
:91@9 & ::199 -eadin +ore
::199 & :8199 Grammar E Writin
:8199&:8189 Funch
:8189&:81;< -ecess
:81;<* 8199 ,ath
8199 * 81;< Science 3 Social Studies
81;< * @189 S"ecials 5(rt, 2#, ,usic, or 'echnoloy6
@1@9 Dismissal
I am lookin forward to a reat year.
,s. .ushon