March 2015

Dear Parents,
Hooray! It is springtime! Lets get back on track in order to make the last 3 months of second grade
successful! Remember, the reading goal for 2nd grade is for your child to be reading on an N level or
higher. The only way to get there, is practice , practice ,practice!
Supplies
It is time to replenish our supplies in order to be prepared for class! Supplies are to be kept in their
pencil cases. Please make sure they have:

At least 3 Sharpened pencils daily

Sharpener that works with a cover
Eraser
Crayons

Parent Teacher Conference Appointments 3/19/15

Please adhere to the appointment times and the appointment will only be kept to a maximum of 10
minutes, the best we can. We will use a timer in order to be fair with everyone. Please be patient as
we have more students than appointment time slots. Times may change slightly. We will cover their
most pertinent academic and behavioral goals. Please have any concerns or questions prepared in
advance. If you need a translator, please bring one or let us know in advance on this sheet, with the
language.
No I do not need a translator.
Yes I need a translator who speaks _______________ Sign ________________________
Homework
Homework is given on a daily basis. We have noticed that a large of students are either not
completing their homework or not completing their homework with care. If your students are in
afterschool, please be diligent and check the homework. In order to foster independence at home and
in the classroom, please work WITH your child when completing homework. Students are expected to
come up with their own writing and to sound out words carefully independently. We are requiring ALL
parents to check and sign each homework now, to ensure that the children are practicing what is
learned in school and will be successful in reaching their academic goals. We need to work together
in order for this to occur.
Reading
At this point students should be able to sit still and focused in their readingreading with stamina
for at least 30 minutes, if not more. Please make sure you build a reading time routine every night
with your child. Take the time to sit or lay down with your child to listen to him/her read. Ask questions
before, during and after and encourage your child to talk about the text as he/she reads. This creates
a strong connection to the text and a better understanding. Remember to complete Pizza Hut reading

logs. Add the minutes correctly with your child, practicing math skills. Then submit the reading log by
the deadline with the total minutes and your signature.
Projects
Projects are opportunities to foster parent-child relationships while still fostering learning. Please
make this an enjoyable experience and do not wait until the last day to complete projects. Projects
are given in advance and, therefore, a higher quality of work is expected. Again, please work WITH
your child. However, the students are expected to come up with their own writing and to sound out
words carefully independently. This is important as this creates ownership and the students will be
confident when presenting their work in front of the classroom. The presentation of knowledge and
ideas is an expectation according the Common Core Standards. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.4 Tell a
story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking
audibly in coherent sentences.

Two Sculptors
I dreamed I stood in a studio
And watched two sculptors there,
The clay they used was a young childs mind
And they fashioned it with care.
One was a teacher:
the tools she used were books and music and art;
One was a parent
With a guiding hand and gentle loving heart.
And when at last their work was done,
They were proud of what they had wrought.
For the things they had worked into the child
Could never be sold or bought!
And each agreed she would have failed
if she had worked alone.
For behind the parent stood the school,
and behind the teacher stood the home!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I have read this letter and will do my best to in order to make my child succeed in 2 nd grade. I will:
Ensure my child has all the appropriate supplies for school on a daily basis
Adhere to my appointment on 3/19/15
Ensure my child completes his/her homework and projects to the best of his/her ability
Childs Name _______________________________

Class ___________________

Sign ______________________________________

Date ____________________

Free Homework and Projects Resources

Class Webpage: mrsreneewilliams.weebly.com

The UFT sponsors a homework help program for elementary and middle school students
called Dial-A-Teacher. Classroom teachers answer homework questions at 212-777-3380, Monday
through Thursday, from 4 to 7 p.m. during the school year. They can also answer parents' questions
and give advice on how you can help your child at home. The staff speaks 12 languages.

Ask Dr.Math http://mathforum.org/dr.math/

Ask Dr. Math is a question and answer service for K-12 math students and their teachers.

Public Library Homework Help Website http://www.nypl.org/

This site is dedicated to providing information on teen use of social networking, how to help teens be
safe in social networking environments, and how to integrate social networking into teaching and
learning

Kid Space http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/

Internet Public Library for Kids features a searchable, subject-categorized directory of authoritative
websites; links to online texts, newspapers, and magazines.

http://www.homeworknyc.org/