Please read and discuss our classroom

handbook with your child. Once you have

done so, sign and return this front page to
Mrs. Speakman by Thursday, September 1st.
Please keep the handbook for your reference
during the year.

__________________________
Parents Signature

_____________________
Date

__________________________
Students Signature

_____________________
Date

ABCs of our
Classroom
Mrs. Speakmans Classroom Handbook
Attendance
It is very important that your child is here every day. A lot of learning
happens every single day in our classroom and I would hate for your child to
miss out! If your child needs to be absent due to an illness, appointments, or
family reasons please notify the school.
Birthdays
We celebrate student birthdays and birthdays during snack time in our
classroom. Your child may bring a treat to share with the class if he/she
wants to, but he/she does NOT have to. We will still celebrate!
Book Orders
Each month I will send home Scholastic Book Orders. There are multiple
catalogues to meet the reading needs and interests of all students. Every
dollar spent earns rewards for our classroom to get new books. Books can be
purchased online or an order form and payment can be brought back to me
by the deadline. More information will be sent home with the first order.
Bus Passes
If your childs transportation from school is different for any reason, the
school needs to be notified so we can write your student a bus pass. Notes,
emails, or phone calls are all acceptable ways of notification. Please make
sure Jordan in the office is included on any emails sent directly to me. If we
do not get proper notification of transportation changes, your child will be
sent home how they normally do.
Communication
Effective school/home communication is critical to a students learning. It is
my goal this year to have regular communication with parents about what is
going on in our classroom as much as I can. I plan to do this through Dojo
updates, newsletters, emails, and phone calls. I encourage you to

communicate with me as well. Together we can help your child have a

tremendous year in 2nd grade!

Conferences
Conferences are a great time to meet with me to discuss your students
progress. Our all school conference dates are October 27th and November
3rd. However, I am always happy to set something up anytime if you have
questions or concerns about your child.
Dojo
Im very excited to start using Classroom Dojo this year. This will be my first
year using it as a classroom management tool, so Im still learning about all
of the wonderful things we can do with it! Students will be rewarded points
for doing good things, and points will be deducted for undesirable behavior.
At the end of the week, students will be able to get prizes with their points.
Parents have the ability to connect to our classroom using the Classroom
Dojo App to see how their childs behavior is during the day.
Email
Email is the best way to get a hold of me throughout the day. I do my best to
try and check it a few times a day, but sometimes things come up and I dont
get a chance. I will do my best to respond to all emails within 24 hours.
Field Trips
We will be going on a few field trips throughout the year. More information
will be provided once they are scheduled.
Grades
Second grade will be using Standard Based Grading practices. Student work
will be graded using the scale below:
1 Student has not yet demonstrated this skill independently
2 Student demonstrates skill some of the time
3 Student demonstrates skill most of the time
4 Student demonstrates skill consistently
You will see a score of a 1, 2, 3, of 4 on the top of all graded assignments.
Please note that not all work will receive a grade. You can see your childs
grades on JMC. I do my best to update it regularly.
Homework

Students will be allowed enough time in school to complete all graded

assignments. I dont like to assign a lot of work outside of school because
the students work hard while they are here. I believe they need some time
at home to just be kids. However, I do expect that students are practicing
spelling words and reading at home. Reading logs will be sent home
monthly, while spelling will be sent home weekly. I understand some families
like to establish a homework routine and work with their child on skills at
home, which is wonderful! I will send home a weekly homework packet with
a few pages that cover topics we are learning about in school. These
homework packets are optional as they will NOT be graded.
However, I will look over them. Students will be rewarded through Dojo
points for returned homework, but they will not be penalized for not
returning or doing the homework. Homework can be turned in anytime
throughout the week, but is due by Friday.
Illness
If your child is ill, please do not send them to school. Please let the office
know if your child will be out sick. It is also helpful if you let us know your
students symptoms.
Junk
I know second graders have lots of fun junk or treasures that they like to
bring to school to play with. These toys and knickknacks are fine to have out
at recess, but I do not let students bring it into class or keep it in their desks.
This junk can be very distracting for students during class. If I catch
students with junk in class, I will take it and return it at the end of the day.
If it becomes a continuous problem, parents will be contacted and that
student will be asked to leave all junk at home.
Knightly Shields
Knightly shields will be awarded to students who are displaying behaviors
that show they are respectful, thoughtful, and responsible Noble Knights.
Knightly shields can be awarded to students by any staff member. On Friday
knightly shield award winners will be drawn from our grades bucket.
Winners will get a certificate, prize, and picture in the school Friday Folder.
Library
Students will be able to check out books from our school library once a week.
Students must return their old library books in order to check out new ones.
Our library time is not yet scheduled, but I will let you know as soon as it is.

Make-Up Work
If a student is absent, I will do my best to help catch them up upon their
return. All graded work that is missed will need to be completed in class.
There may be additional practice or non-graded work that gets sent home to
do. Please make sure your child does this work and it is returned in a timely
manner.
Music
Students will be going to music with Mr. Peterson 25 minutes every day. Mr.
Peterson plans 2 concerts a year; one in the winter and one in the spring.
Newsletters
I will be sending home classroom newsletters on Mondays every 1-2 weeks,
depending on what is going on in school. Please read these to see what we
will be learning about each week. I will also include important dates and
other news in these newsletters.
Office
The office is grand central station at RTR Elementary. Office hours are 8:004:00. The phone number is 507-658-3301.
PE (Gym)
Students will have gym with Mr. Maranell every day for 25 minutes. Please
make sure your child has tennis shoes to wear during gym. It may be helpful
to have a pair of shoes that stay in school during the winter months when
students wear boots to school.
Questions
If you ever have any questions, big or small, please contact me. Im happy
to answer any questions you have throughout the year.
Recess
Students will have a 25 minute recess every day. Please make sure your
child is appropriately dressed for recess, especially in the winter months.
Students may bring small toys or games to play at recess, but please do not
send electronics for students to use at recess. The school is not responsible
for any electronics that are lost or broken.
Snack

We will have a 15 minute snack break in the afternoons. Students will need
to bring their own snack if they wish to have one. Please remember snack is
only 15 minutes long, so students will not have enough time to eat large
snacks or snacks that require microwaving such as popcorn. If your child
would like popcorn, please pop it ahead of time at home. Students are
allowed to get a milk to have with their snack. This milk will be charged on
your childs lunch account.
Spelling
Spelling words will change weekly unless otherwise communicated. Students
will get their word list on Monday and test on Friday. Generally our spelling
words follow a particular phonics pattern that we are learning about in
Language Arts. Pease make sure your child is studying at home. I will be
sending home a list of creative and fun ways to practice spelling, so keep
your eyes open for this!
Star of the Week
Each week a student will be chosen to be the Star of the Week and featured
on our bulletin board! A note will go home with the Star of the Week on
Friday explaining what is needed for our bulletin board. Please send the
appropriate materials on Monday. Items will be returned on Friday after your
child does his/her Star of the Week Presentation.
Take Home Folders
The PTSA will be donating folders to our class. Each student will have his/her
own folder. I expect that students bring this folder to and from school every
day. Please check your students folder every day as there may be important
information coming home from school. Also, please clean out any old work
from your childs folder. This will help keep the folders organized and in good
shape.
Unacceptable Behaviors
Bullying of any sort will not be tolerated in our classroom. This consists of
physical, verbal, and social bullying. If I hear of or catch a student bullying
others, they will be talked to and dojo points will be taken away. The school
principal may also meet with students. Parents will also be notified of the
situation.
Volunteers

Parents and volunteers are always welcome into our classroom! If you would
ever like to come in and volunteer in our room, we can always use an extra
set of hands! This can be a one-time experience on a day off or a regular
occurrence. Whatever works best for you is fine with me. Let me know if you
are interested!
Water Bottles
Students may bring a water bottle to have during class. Water bottles are
kept in a designated area and can be used during free/work time. Children
are discouraged from getting up during instruction to get a drink from their
water bottle. If your child has an illness that requires them to have lots of
fluids, let me know and I will allow him/her to have a water bottle at his/her
desk. Please make sure the water bottle is labeled with your childs name.

Website
Im excited to announce that we have a classroom webpage! This is my first
classroom webpage, so it is a working progress. You can view the website at
the following link: http://speakman2.weebly.com/. Students can use this
website to play educational games and access some of the online learning
resources we use in school. The website also has great resources for
parents. Please check it out!
eXpectations
Below are the following classroom rules or expectations I have for students.
1. Respect yourself, others, and our school.
2. Raise your hand if you would like to speak.
3. Listen to your teacher and follow directions.
4. Be honest and always tell the truth.
5. Try your best at everything you do.
You (Parents)
I cannot stress enough just how important you, the parents, are in your
childs life. Even though your child spends most of their waking hours here
at school, the role you play in their education is critical. There are so many
things you can do to help your child grow academically at home. Reading
with your child, practicing new concepts, and even asking your child about
school shows them that you care about their education. Please do not ever
underestimate how important you are!

Zzzz (Sleep)
Getting enough sleep is so important for us all, especially kids. Sleep helps
prepare their brains for all the learning we do. It also helps set the kids up to
have a great day here at school! Please make sure your child is getting an
adequate amount of sleep each night.