Everything You Need To Know About Room K2
Topics are listed in alphabetical order.
ABSENCES
If your child will be absent please call the school office at 619-860-5500.
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ACCORDION LESSONS
Every Tuesday during lunch (Due to scheduling conflicts and requirements in First Grade, I might not be able to teach music lessons during lunch) all students will receive an accordion lesson. Lessons will be held in Room K2. Students who show an aptitude on the accordion may take additional accordion lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p..m. if I recommend them, there is room in the class, they are enrolled in and attend piano lessons, and their parent would like their child to be in the class. All accordion lessons are free.
After Spring Break Accordion lessons will be open to everyone on Monday and Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. and Tuesday from 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Thursday from 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
If your child's lesson is in the morning, please enter the school from the east parking lot and bring your child to the classroom. If your child's lesson is after school, you do not need to pick up your child until the lesson is over. If your child is in an after school program, please make arrangements to have a representative from that organization come to the classroom to pick up your child when their lesson is over.
Sign up for lessons in the New Student Survey.
I will not be able to talk to parents during accordion lessons, but if you need to talk with me or give me some information please email instructordave@me.com or call the office at 619-860-5500, or call or text me at 858-354-9417 and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
All music lessons will start the second week of school.
ASSIGNMENTS WITHOUT A NAME
Any assignments turned in without a name on it will be put into the lost and found file without being graded. Students may check the lost and found file to find missing assignments and turn them in after putting their name on it. Assignments turned in after the due date will be accepted and graded without penalty.
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BATHROOM
Room K2 has one bathroom that accommodates one person at a time. It locks from the inside. Students are allowed to use the bathroom whenever they need to without asking first. The bathroom door will be kept open when the bathroom is not in use to let students know that it is available. If the bathroom door is closed and another student needs to use the bathroom they should either continue to participate in the activity at that time until the bathroom is available, or if they can not wait to use the bathroom, they should go, again without asking, to Room K1 to use their bathroom. Students are required to wash their hands after using the bathroom.
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BEHAVIOR
Students are expected to follow the class rules and school rules. If a student does not follow a rule, a record is made of the rule that was broken and the student will be told what he/she did wrong, will be counseled on how to avoid the problem in the future, and their seat will be changed for the duration of the classroom activity that was occurring. If a student, twice, does not follow a rule, then that student will be told what he/she did wrong, will be counseled on how to avoid the problem in the future, and will be required to sit in an assigned seat for the rest of the day. If a student again does not follow a rule, the student will have an assigned seat for three days.
Students are only disciplined for behavior that is reasonably expected for the student’s age, development, and abilities, but is not exhibited. For example, I would expect my students to be able to sit down, stop talking, line up, walk around campus, and exhibit other socially expected behaviors of a Kindergartner without a reminder, and the first time I ask them.
I will not discipline students for their academic performance or lack thereof.
Rewards such as stickers, verbal praise, special privileges, etc. will be periodically awarded to students who are behaving or doing work that is reasonably expected from a Kindergartner of their age, development, and ability. Such rewards are not guaranteed.
Periodically, prizes will be given to students who demonstrate academics or behavior that is above what is expected. Receiving a prize is not guaranteed.
Donations to the ‘Prize Area’ are welcomed. If you have small items around the house such as pencils, markers, erasers, stickers, toys, stuffed animals, etc. feel free to bring them into the classroom. We will put them to good use in the ‘Prize Area’.
If all of the students in the class follow the rules during a day, we will have a party to celebrate.
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BIRTHDAY PARTIES
If your child has a birthday during the school year and you would like to celebrate the day in class, contact me ahead of time and I will let you know what time we have available for you to have a party. If your child has a birthday during the summer or during another vacation you may celebrate the birthday during the school year if you wish.
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BREAKFAST
The school serves breakfast in the cafeteria for free every school day from 7:45 a.m. to 7:55 a.m.
For more information, here is a link to the San Diego Unified School District Food and Nutrition Services Department.
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CALENDAR
I will send you an invitation to join my Room K2 Calendar. I use a Apple products but you should be able to view the calendar on any device after creating a free apple account. I will invite you to view the calendar using the email address you give me. You will need to use the same email address when logging into the calendar.
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CLASSROOM LIBRARY
All books in the classroom are available to be checked out and taken home, but must be returned the following school day.
If you have books at your house that you no longer need or want, please bring them into the classroom and we will put them into the classroom library and/or the ‘Prize Area’.
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CLASSROOM RULES
1. Be good.
2. Do your best.
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COLOR GROUPS
On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 1:35 p.m. to 2:25 p.m. the first grade teachers and students participate in what is called Color Groups. This is a time where the students from one class go as a class to another first grade teacher on a rotating basis, visiting one teacher each day. In those classrooms the students will receive instruction in Social Studies, Art, Engineering, Science, Chess, Go, and the use of an Abacus for Math.
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COMMUNICATION
I believe that it is very important that my student’s parents have good communication with me. Please contact me by phone School Office or my Mobile Phone, Text: 858-354-9417, e-mail, note, or visit when you have questions, concerns, suggestions, etc. The best way to contact me is through email or text. I will send periodic emails that include announcements, documents, and information about what is happening in Room K2 and Grant School. I will also post flyers that go home on The K2 Record. You will also have a live link to your child’s academic and behavioral status called The K2 Update and the live link called The K2 Record which will keep you up to date on how your child is doing on attendance, homework, participation, and finishing seat work.
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CONTACTING DAVE
The best way to contact me is through email at instructordave@me.com or text at 858-354-9417.
If it is urgent to talk to me during school hours it is best to stop by the classroom or text me at 858-354-9417. I keep my ringer off during school but will check my phone when I am able. I will see text and email messages appear on my iPad which I use all day in the classroom.
If it is urgent that you need to talk to me after school hours text me on my mobile phone at 858-354-9417.
If you have something to give me and I am teaching, just put it in the black file labeled Turn In File on my desk on the west side of the classroom, and I will look at it as soon as I can.
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COOKING CLASS
I would like to conduct weekly cooking classes with the students. Please contact me if you are interested in helping by providing ingredients, assisting, conducting some of the classes, funding, and/or coordinating this activity.
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CURRICULUM
For a complete list of Content and Performance Standards go to the California Department of Education web site at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp
Other Topics; Piano, drumming, accordion, ukulele, chess, gardening, cooking, theater, dancing, singing, Go, woodworking, electronics, abacus.
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DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF WRITING
Adapted from the work of Richard Gentry and the Conventions of Writing Developmental Scale, The Wright Group
1. Scribbling
Scribbling looks like random assortment of marks on a child's paper. Sometimes the marks are large, circular, and random, and resemble drawing. Although the marks do not resemble print, they are significant because the young writer uses them to show ideas.
2. Letter-like Symbols
Letter-like forms emerge, sometimes randomly placed, and are interspersed with numbers. The children can tell about their own drawings or writings. In this stage, spacing is rarely present.
3. Strings of Letters
In the strings-of-letters phase, children write some legible letters that tell us they know more about writing. Children are developing awareness of the sound-to-symbol relationship, although they are not matching most sounds. Children usually write in capital letters and have not yet begun spacing.
4. Beginning Sounds Emerge
At this stage, children begin to see the differences between a letter and a word, but they may not use spacing between words. Their message makes sense and matches the picture, especially when they choose the topic.
5. Consonants Represent Words
Child begins to leave spaces between their words and may often mix upper- and lowercase letters in their writing. Usually they write sentences that tell ideas.
6. Initial, Middle, and Final Sounds
Children in this phase may spell correctly some sight words, siblings' names, and environmental print, but other words are spelled the way they sound. Their writing is readable.
7. Transitional Phases
This writing is readable and approaches conventional spelling. The writing is interspersed with words that are in standard form and have standard letter patterns.
8. Standard Spelling
Children in this phase can spell most words correctly and are developing an understanding of root words, compound words, and contractions. This understanding helps students spell similar words.
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DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN STUDENTS
Frequently students have disagreements with other students. Usually these are regarding differences of opinion, sharing, and minor problems. The students will often appear to be deeply upset about the situation. In most cases a student is upset because they are not getting their way rather than being upset about an injustice. When these disagreements come up and the student has come to me about it I will ask them what the problem is and what they have done about it. Usually the student has made no effort to solve the problem other than telling the other student what they want and/or acting out physically. I remind the student that my policy for these situations is;
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DRUM LESSONS
Every Wednesday during lunch (Due to scheduling conflicts and requirements in First Grade, I might not be able to teach music lessons during lunch) all students will receive a drum lesson. Lessons will be held in Room K2. Students who show an aptitude for drumming may take additional drum lessons on Tuesdays from and Wednesday after school from 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. if I recommend them, there is room in the class, they are enrolled in and attend piano lessons, and their parent would like their child to be in the class. All drum lessons are free.
After Spring Break drum lessons will be open to everyone on Monday and Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
If your child's lesson is in the morning, please enter the school from the east parking lot and bring your child to the classroom. If your child's lesson is after school, you do not need to pick up your child until the lesson is over. If your child is in an after school program, please make arrangements to have a representative from that organization come to the classroom to pick up your child when their lesson is over.
Sign up for lessons in the New Student Survey.
I will not be able to talk to parents during drum lessons, but if you need to talk with me or give me some information please email instructordave@me.com or call the office at 619-293-4420, or call or text me at 858-354-9417 and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
All music lessons will start the second week of school.
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FIELD TRIPS
I would like to go on a field trip each month. In the past we have gone to the San Diego Symphony, JStar Company Youth Theatre, Old Town Guided Tour, San Diego Natural History Museum Class, Science Center Class, Miramar Air Show, Tour of a cargo ship, dance concerts, Model Railroad Museum, agriculture and livestock farms, and many others. If you have ideas for, and/or connections to, an interesting field trip or would like to drive/chaperone on a field trip, please contact me. I will need volunteers to coordinate field trips. This would involve coordinating the parents who are cleared to volunteer at school, their availability to drive and/or chaperone, the availability of the venue, if desired, the availability of a school district bus, ensuring the trip meets the principal's standards, organizing the other Kindergarten classes to go on the field trip, completing all paper work, and getting permission from the principal. I will help with planning the field trips, but I will need the volunteers to coordinate everything.
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SECOND GRADE
Student classroom assignments for second grade will be created in early June but may change during the summer. If you have a request for a specific second grade teacher please email or text 858-354-9417 me your request. I can't make any guarantee that we will be able to honor your request. Classroom assignments will not be made public until the Friday before school starts.
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FOOD AND DRINKS
Students are allowed to eat and drink in the classroom at any time and without asking for permission, as long as it does not interfere with their learning and the completion of their seat work.
Room K2 has a group of very hungry and talented ants and squirrels that love to try to eat the student’s lunches before the students can. Therefore, please be sure to pack lunches in a container that is sealed so the ants can not get in and strong so the squirrels can not rip it open. The squirrels can rip open backpacks.
If your child has a lunch or snack that needs to be kept refrigerated, frozen, or needs to be heated, I have a refrigerator/freezer, a microwave, and oven in the classroom.
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FREE TIME
Students may participate in any of the following activities after all of their Brain Exercises has been checked off. Blocks, dominoes, shapes, bear counters, math games, phonics games, chess, Go, draw, color, free write, eat a snack, talk, help students and/or teacher, water plants, run errands, read, rest, garden, make art, practice handwriting, practice math skills, make books, practice the piano, practice the drums, practice the ukulele, etc.
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GARDEN
I would like to conduct weekly or monthly gardening classes with the students. Please contact me if you would like to help with providing materials, funding, assisting, conducting some of the classes, and/or coordinating this activity. In the past the lessons have included all aspects of plant life, soil, insects, and gardening. Some ideas for the garden are; vegetable garden (use the vegetables to make a salad for the potlucks), a garden with a theme (past themes have been ‘Gardening as Art’ and “Rainbow Garden’), experiment garden, etc.
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GRADES
Student progress will be updated on the first day of each week in The K2 Update. In addition, report cards will be issued three times during the school year. Report Card grades will be determined by how well a student is meeting the grade level expectations at the time the report card is issued. You can find a sample report card here.
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HEAD LICE
Head lice can be a problem in school. Here is some information regarding this topic. SDUSD Policy. Fact Sheet. Resources. Nursing and Wellness Office.
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HOMEWORK - SUMMARY
• Homework is to be done every day that there is school.
• Homework starts on the first day of school and is due on the first day of the second week of school and then the first day of each week for the rest of the school year.
• Homework should last an average of ten minutes each school day.
• Students can work on any subject during homework.
• The student or the person working with the student should write down what was done and how much time was spent on it.
• Turn in the record of what was done and how much time was spent on it on the first day of each week.
• The following are ideas for homework but are not required and are not exhaustive;
Read or be read to for 10 minutes.
Practice writing.
Practice a topic in math.
Go to a museum.
Go to the beach, forest, desert, mountains, etc. and talk about what you see and learn.
Practice playing a sport.
Practice playing an instrument.
Talk about current events.
Do something to help your community.
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HOMEWORK - DETAILED EXPLANATION
Homework consists of addressing any of the content standards and journaling in response to the standard(s) that you and your child worked on together.
Homework is assigned each school day. Homework is intended to take no more than ten minuets to complete each night (50 minutes for a five day school week). You may do homework in any combination of time so long as it works out to ten minutes for each school day for that week. For example you may go to a museum for 45 minutes and journal about it for five minutes. That would be your homework for the week as it took 50 minutes to complete.
The goal of Homework is to spend time with your child pursuing an academic end and for your child to develop the responsibility of bringing the Homework Journal home and back to school when due.
Don’t worry if you lose a Homework Journal. Write the time spent on the homework on a piece of paper. More Homework Journals are available in the classroom.
Here are some detailed instructions on how to do homework.
1. Decide on what Content Standard(s) you would like to work on each school day. The Content Standards can be found at http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp and on The K2 Update.
2. Help your child become better at that standard(s) for ten minutes each day. You may choose to spend more or less time each day working on the standard so long as the total time averages to at least ten minutes for each school day.
3. Record the time spent by writing the date, activity and time spent on the activity. You may include the actual work done and you may write more details of what was learned, but it is not necessary to do so.
4. A parent or guardian needs to sign to verify that the homework was done.
5. Turn the Homework Journal in on the first day of each week. The Homework Journal will be graded and returned to the student that same day. When you fill the Homework Journal, or lose one, more are available in the classroom.
6. Any work on Content Standards that goes beyond the average of ten minutes each school day will be graded as extra credit.
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HOMEWORK DUE DATES AND GRADING
Homework is due on the first day of each week. A parent or guardian signature is required on all homework. The homework will be graded based on the time spent on the homework. Homework will be accepted late.
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HOMEWORK JOURNAL
Each student will have a homework journal. The homework journal is due on the first day of each week. Parents must sign the homework journal each week. Additional homework journals are available in the classroom.
If you want to have your child do their own writing in the Homework Journal, first discuss what the writing will be about. Then let your child write the ideas down using the skills that they have. If they ask for help, then have them make the sounds in the words and let them choose the letter that goes with that sound. If they do not know the letter or their sounds then have them use ‘invented spelling’ where they just write letters and/or symbols to represent their ideas. When they are finished writing, ask your child to read their sentence to you, then you can write their dictation under their sentence. Remember that the purpose of the homework is to spend some time with your child working on improving their academic skills, and turning the journal in every week. See Developmental Stages of Writing for more information.
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HOMEWORK - OPTIONAL
Any work relating to any of the state standards will be accepted.
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K2 UPDATE
The K2 Update is a summary of each student’s class work, behavior, homework, and standards completion. Please review the records with your child and discuss how to improve if necessary. If you believe that any information in The K2 Update is not correct, please let me know as soon as possible.
The Behavior section is a place where I make notes of the behaviors that are not appropriate for the student. I would like to also write all the appropriate behaviors that a student demonstrates, but I do not have enough time to write that much information each day. I will, however, make notes regarding extraordinary behavior and academic work that goes beyond that which is expected.
The ‘Standards Pages’ on The K2 Update is an ongoing record of the standards that your child has met. These standards are what the state of California expects Kindergartners to be able to accomplish by the end of the school year. These pages of The K2 Update will be updated periodically but not necessarily every day.
The TRPL, Takes Responsibility for and Perseveres in Learning section of the Citizenship Summary is based on Homework and Seat Work completion.
Some of the notes in the General Notes section of The K2 Update are mainly for me and therefore may not be understandable to you because I may be using shorthand or terminology that you are not familiar with. It is not critical that you understand all of these notes. Anything that is important for you to know will be written more clearly. My intent is to quickly make some notes for myself, not to hide anything from you. I would be happy to explain any notes that you do not understand.
The K2 Update is a live link, so any changes I make to the records will be immediately changed on your record.
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LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments will be accepted late without penalty. Assignments will not be considered late if a student is absent on the day an assignment is due. The assignment will be due on the day the student returns to school. In the case of long absences, equal time will be given when the student returns to school to make up and turn in any missed assignments.
If a student falls two days behind in their seat work they will sit at a table near me so I can monitor them more closely. Students will lose the privilege to talk while working and to get up when they want. Students will have to ask me before they can get up.
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LITERACY BLOCK
Read Aloud
The Read Aloud introduces students to the joys of reading and the art of listening. Reading aloud provides opportunities to model reading strategies. Through reading aloud students understand that the language of books is different from spoken language, develop understanding of the patterns and structures of written language, learn new words and ideas, and learn about and locate models of particular genres or forms of writing.
Independent Reading
Independent reading by students gives them opportunities to practice the strategies they have learned in shared reading, guided reading, read aloud, and word study. Teachers provide guidance with book choices, tailor teaching to meet individual needs, and meet with individuals to monitor progress. Books from a range of levels are available in the classroom. Students become proficient at selecting books that match their interests and reading level.
Word Study
Word study provides students with the opportunity to become aware of sounds in words and how they relate to symbols in written language. Word study prepares students to become familiar with both the visual aspects of letters and words and the phonological pattern of words. Beginning readers are taught the alphabet, the relationship between sounds and letters, blending of sound-letter links, high frequency words as well as regular patterns.
Shared Reading
The purpose of Shared Reading is for a whole class or a group of learners to see a piece of text and to observe an expert (in most cases, the teacher) reading with fluency and expression. Students read silently or join in while the expert models what reading looks and sounds like and what good readers do.
Guided Reading
Guided reading provides an opportunity for students to practice reading strategies and take responsibility for their reading. Students practice for themselves the strategies that have been introduced in shared reading. The text that is selected must match the needs of the group of readers. Teachers using this approach must be able to identify the supports and challenges in the reading material. With some guidance, students read for themselves within the group setting. Teachers listen in and make decisions on the instructional needs of each student.
Writer’s Workshop
Writer’s Workshop has three components; The Mini-lesson, Independent Writing, and the Share Session. The Mini-lesson is a short whole-class lesson on writing. The Independent Writing gives students opportunities to practice the strategies they have learned in the Mini-lesson. The teacher provides guidance, tailors the teaching to meet individual needs and meets with individuals to monitor progress. The Share Session is a time for students to read their writing out loud to the class for the purpose of affirmation of their work.
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LUNCH
(All students can have a school lunch for free this year so the following information does not apply) Each student will have a lunch number. This number is to be used if your child is buying a school lunch and/or drink, using a debit account, or buying a reduced price or free lunch. At the end of the lunch line there will be a number keypad similar to one found on a computer keyboard. Your child will be asked to enter his/her number using the keypad. Then they may take their lunch. You will be receiving your child’s lunch number soon. Please make sure that your child memorizes this number. Have your child practice entering their lunch number using a computer keypad. If your child forgets their number they can go to the office to get their number or they can tell the cashier their name and their teacher’s name and the cashier will look up your child’s lunch number and enter it on the keypad.
(Due to scheduling conflicts and requirements of teaching first grade, it might not be possible to implement the next paragraph) Students will be eating lunch in the classroom for most school days. While they are eating I will teach them proper eating etiquette. I will also teach the students to play the drums, accordion, and ukulele during their lunch by pulling one student at a time and giving them a five minute or less private lesson.
Students will eat lunch with their classmates and have 20 minutes for lunch followed by a 20 minute recess.
Here is a link to the San Diego Unified School District Food and Nutrition Services Department.
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MORNING MEETING PROCEDURES
When your child arrives at school in the morning please have them put their things in the classroom and do a quiet activity so as to not disturb the piano, accordion, ukulele, or drum lessons.
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PARENT INVOLVEMENT
I do not have an assistant in the classroom so your help is greatly appreciated. I would love to have volunteers in the classroom or working from home. There are many varied opportunities for you to help. The New Student Survey has many of them listed. Please click here to get information about volunteering.
Feel free to stop by the classroom at any time to help, observe, or just to just say “Hi.”.
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PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
What is the Teacher?
What is the Teacher?
A guide, not a guard.
What is learning?
A journey, not a destination.
What is discovery?
Questioning the answers, not answering the questions.
What is the process?
Discovering ideas, not covering content.
What is the goal?
Open minds, not closed issues.
What is the test?
Being and becoming, not remembering and reviewing.
What is school?
Whatever we choose to make it.
Alan A. Glatthorn
I feel that the best way to learn is through experience. In addition to providing for the learning styles of auditory, and visual learners, I want to provide a kinesthetic learning experience. Think about how you learn, what you remember, and see if you agree with the following.
I have been told that people remember;
10% of what they read
20% of what they hear
30% of what they see
50% of what they hear & see
70% of what they say & write
90% of what they do.
A Chinese proverb says;
I hear, and I forget
I see, and I remember
I do, and I understand.
If you are like me, you probably learn best, and remember the most from things that you have actually done rather than things you have only read or heard about. Therefore, I want to allow my students many opportunities to try things on their own and learn from their experience. This does not mean that students in my class may do anything they wish. Of course, there will be rules, which will be strictly enforced, but at the same time, I do provide students the opportunities to grow and learn through trial and error.
These poems accurately reflect my philosophy of education.
Children Learn What They Live
If a child lives with criticism
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame
He learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement
He learns to be confident.
If a child lives with praise
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance
and friendship,
He learns to find love
in the world.
Dorothy Law Nolte
The Little Boy
Once a little boy went to school
He was quite a little boy
And it was quite a big school
But when the little boy
Found that he could go in his room
By walking right in from the door outside,
He was quite happy
And the school did not seem
Quite so big any more.
One morning
When the little boy had been in school awhile,
The teacher said,
“Today we are going to make a picture.”
“Good” thought the little boy.
He liked to make all kinds.
Lions and tigers,
Chickens and cows,
Trains and boats,
And he took out his box of crayons
And began to draw.
But the teacher said,
“Wait, it is not time to begin!”
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
“Now,” said the teacher,
“We are going to make flowers.”
“Good” thought the little boy.
He liked to make flowers.
And he began to make beautiful ones.
With pink and orange and blue crayons.
But the teacher said,
“Wait and I will show you how.”
And it was red with a green stem.
“There,” said the teacher,
“Now you may begin.”
The little boy looked at the teacher’s flower,
He looked at his own flower
He liked his flower better than his teacher’s
But he did not say this
He just turned his paper over
And made a flower like the teacher’s.
It was red, red with a green stem.
On another day,
When the little boy had opened
The door from the outside all by himself,
The teacher said,
“Today we are going to make something with clay.”
“Good” thought the little boy
He liked clay.
He could make all kinds of things with clay,
Snakes and snowmen,
Elephants and mice,
Cars and trucks-
And he began to pull and pinch
His ball of clay
But the teacher said,
“Wait! It is not time to begin.”
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
“Now,” said the teacher
“We are going to make a dish.”
“Good” thought the little boy.
He liked to make dishes.
And he began to make some
That were all shapes and sizes.
But the teacher said,
“Wait, and I will show you how.”
And she showed everyone how to make
One deep dish.
“There,” said the teacher,
“Now you may begin.”
The little boy looked at the teacher’s dish
Then he looked at his own.
He liked his dishes better than the teacher’s
But he did not say this
He just rolled his clay into a big ball
And made a dish like the teacher’s.
It was a deep dish.
And pretty soon
The little boy learned to wait
And to watch
And to make things like a teacher
And pretty soon
He didn’t make things of his own anymore.
Then it happened
The little boy and his family
Moved to another house.
In another city
And the little boy
Had to go to another school.
This school was even bigger
Than the other one.
And there was no door from the
Outside into the room.
He had to go up some big steps
And walk down a long hall
To get to his room.
And the very first day
He was there
The teacher said,
“Today we are going to make a picture.”
“Good” thought the little boy
And he waited for the teacher
To tell him what to do
But the teacher didn’t say anything
She just walked around the room.
When she came to the little boy
She said, “Don’t you want to make a picture?”
“Yes.” Said the little boy. “What are we going to make?”
“I don’t know until you make it.” Said the teacher.
“How shall I make it?” Asked the little boy.
“Why, anyway you like.” Said the teacher.
“If everyone made the same picture And used the same color,
How would I know who made what,
And which is which?”
“I don’t know.” Said the little boy
And he began to make a red flower
With a green stem.
by Helen B. Buckley
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PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO
I photograph my students throughout the year and use the photos to make a yearbook at the end of the year. You will receive a copy of the yearbook and all of the pictures that I take of all of the students at the end of the year. In addition, I video tape the students answering various questions about the curriculum twice during the year as part of their two concerts which also involve singing, playing the piano, playing the drums, playing the accordion, playing the ukulele, acting, dancing, making books, painting on canvas, and costume making. You will receive a copy of the video which will include all of the students. You will have access to all of the photos and videos through my password protected web gallery. Neither the photos nor the video will be made public.
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PIANO LESSONS
I offer free piano lessons before and after school for all of my students. Lessons will be held in Room K2. If your child's lesson is in the morning, please enter the school from the east parking lot and bring your child to the classroom. If your lesson is after school, you do not need to pick up your child until the lesson is over. If your child is in an after school program, please make arrangements to have a representative from that organization come to the classroom to pick up your child when their lesson is over.
Sign up for lessons in the New Student Survey.
I will not be able to talk to parents during piano lessons, but if you need to talk with me or give me some information please email instructordave@me.com or call the office at 619-293-4420, or call or text me at 858-354-9417 and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Piano lessons are free.
All music lessons will start the second week of school.
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PIZZA PROJECT
On most Fridays, Room K2 will make a 14" pizza for delivery at the school. Students, Staff Members, and Parents at the school can order their pizza using this link. We do not charge for the pizzas, but we will accept donations and tips. We make pizzas for the experience, not as a fund raiser. I want the students to gain the experience, skills, and responsibility of making and delivering a pizza. If you would like to help with this project please contact me.
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POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
I use the following items to create a positive environment and to encourage students to be good and try their best. Students may sit wherever desired, change seats at will, go to the bathroom at will, get a drink at will, have a snack at will, talk quietly while working, and may receive stickers and verbal praise. I also may notify parents, choose the student first for various activities, and/or give the student a prize.
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POTLUCKS
On the last Thursday of each month or around holidays, if parents are interested and able to attend, I would like to have a potluck breakfast or lunch. It will be a time when parents can get to know each other, eat with their child, their child’s friends, and to see the growth that their child has made during the past month. Please contact me if you would like to organize the potlucks.
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PROBLEM SOLVING
Inevitably, problems occur between students. When they do, I expect students to follow the procedures outlined below until a solution is reached.
1. Protect yourself from injury.
2. Stay calm/calm down.
3. Ignore the problem if possible.
4. Stay away from the problem.
5. Say, “I am feeling ___________ because you are __________. I would like you to ________.
6. Discuss the problem and find a compromise.
7. Get help from an adult.
Remember, every action is a choice that comes with positive or negative consequences.
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READING
Reading is taught at the student's pace in small homogeneous groups based on the skill (standard) the student needs to learn. When the student masters the skill (standard) the student moves from that group and into another group to work on the next reading skill.
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REPORT CARDS
Student progress will be updated on the first day of each week in The K2 Update. In addition, report cards will be issued three times during the school year. Report Card grades will be determined by how well a student is meeting the grade level expectations at the time the report card is issued. You can find a sample report card here.
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REVERSALS
It is very common and normal for some students to write numbers, letters, even whole sentences backwards. For many students, school is the first time directionality has mattered. For example objects such as toy cars, crayons, parents, and apples are always toy cars, crayons, parents, and apples regardless of the position they are in and the angle at which they are viewed. Therefore it is understandable for a student to think that a ‘b’ is still a ‘b’ even if we change the direction to ‘d’. I will teach students about directionality and will help them to practice making their letters and numbers in the correct direction. Students are usually able to correct these directionality errors by the end of second grade.
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SEAT WORK
I call Seat Work "Brain Exercises". Students will have one to three assignments to do each day at their seat. Each assignment will take about 15 - 30 minutes to complete. Students will be given one to three hours to complete the work. Part of each assignment is to write their name and copy the date off of the board. Work is considered finished based on individual student ability. Brain Exercises are due each day by the end of the day. If a student does not finish their Brain Exercises by the end of the day they will keep it at school and finish it the next day. If a student falls two days behind in their Brain Exercises I will have them sit near me so I can monitor them and give them the supports they need to complete their work. Absent students do not need to do missed Brain Exercises.
One type of Brain Exercise is to practice writing sentences. Each student is to write, depending on the time of year, one or two sentences, illustrate it (them), write their name and the date. Students are taught how to do the work before they begin. Students get lined paper with a blank area on top for the illustration, a pencil, & crayons. Students do not have access to erasers. If a mistake is made, the student is to cross it off with a slash and try again.
Another type of Brain Exercise is to practice handwriting. Each student is to write one letter of the alphabet correctly ten times and put their name and the date on paper. Students are taught how to do the work correctly. Students get a sample of the letter, lined paper, & pencil. Students do not have access to erasers. If a letter is made incorrectly, the student is to cross it off with a slash and try to make the letter again.
When all Brain Exercises are finished it is to go in the "Check File". Students read when all seat work is in "Check File". I will confer with student regarding their work. Brain Exercises will be "checked off" if it is complete and the quality is up to the student's ability. Brain Exercises will be returned to the student if it needs significant correction, revision, completion and/or improvement. When all Brain Exercises are "checked off", the student has "Free Time" where the student can read, write, draw, use a manipulative such as blocks, play chess, practice the piano, among many other activities.
I will provide you with a live link to your student’s progress on classwork called The K2 Record. The file will show all the students by their number, the work assigned, the date it was assigned, and the date it was completed. The K2 Record file is a live link, so any changes I make to the records will be immediately changed on your record. The K2 Record live link is meant to inform you about how well your child is completing seat work on time.
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SHARING
Students will have an opportunity to share during the year when it is their turn for the “Student Spotlight”. A notice will go home explaining how to prepare for the ‘Student Spotlight”. In addition, students, at their discretion, may occasionally bring items to school to share with the class.
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SIGN OUT
(Not applicable to First Grade) At the end of each school day be sure to sign your child out. There will be a clipboard on the sink counter of the classroom. Get my attention to let me know you are signing your child out and then complete the items on the clipboard. If your child goes to Prime Time, Kids Corner, Thursday Kids Club, Open Minds, any other after school program, or takes the bus, the program that they are involved with will send a representative to sign your child out. If someone other than the regular parent or guardian will pick up your child please text or email me in advance so I will know that the action is approved by you.
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SNACKS
Students can have a snack or drink at any time without asking for permission so long as they continue to participate in the activity in the classroom that is occurring at that time. Room K2 has a refrigerator, freezer, microwave, and convection oven for student use.
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SUPPLIES
Students will be supplied with paper, pencils, pens, glues, crayons, journals, and other basic supplies. Supplies will be replenished periodically. All personal supplies, (jackets, folders, lunches, etc.) should be labeled to avoid lost and unclaimed items.
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TALKING
Students may talk at anytime without asking or raising their hand so long as know one else is talking in the group they are in. For example, if all of the students are in a group at the front of the classroom with the teacher, anyone may speak at any time without raising their hand first so long as no one else is speaking. If students are working at their tables, then anyone at each of the tables may speak at any time without raising their hand first so long as no one else at their table is speaking.
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THEFT
Occasionally, students steal from each other. I will do everything I can to monitor the students to avoid theft. To help reduce the temptation for a student to steal, please do not have your child bring items to school that are valuable, rare, sentimental, fragile, or interesting enough for a student to want to steal. Students can bring anything into the classroom that they fear might be stolen so they can watch over it during school.
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THINGS YOU SHOULD TEACH YOUR CHILD(REN)
Your child(ren) should know;
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UKULELE LESSONS
Every Thursday during lunch (Due to scheduling conflicts and requirements in First Grade, I might not be able to teach music lessons during lunch) all students will receive a ukulele lesson. Lessons will be held in Room K2. Students who show an aptitude for ukulele may take additional ukulele lessons on Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. if I recommend them, there is room in the class, they are enrolled in and attend piano lessons, and their parent would like their child to be in the class. All ukulele lessons are free.
After Spring Break ukulele lessons will be on Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m..
If your child's lesson is in the morning, please enter the school from the east parking lot and bring your child to the classroom. If your child's lesson is after school, you do not need to pick up your child until the lesson is over. If your child is in an after school program, please make arrangements to have a representative from that organization come to the classroom to pick up your child when their lesson is over.
Sign up for lessons in the New Student Survey.
I will not be able to talk to parents during drum lessons, but if you need to talk with me or give me some information please email instructordave@me.com or call the office at 619-293-4420, or call or text me at 858-354-9417 and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
All music lessons will start the second week of school.
VOLUNTEERING
I do not have an assistant in the classroom so your help is greatly appreciated. I would love to have volunteers in the classroom or working from home. There are many varied opportunities for you to help. The New Student Survey has many of them listed. Please click here to get information about volunteering.
Feel free to stop by the classroom at any time to help, observe, or just to just say “Hi.”.
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WOODWORKING CLASS
I would like to conduct weekly or monthly woodworking classes with the students. Please contact me if you would like to help with providing materials, funding, helping with or conducting some of the classes, and/or coordinating this activity.
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WORD LISTS
Dolch Words
The Dolch words are the 220 most frequently found words in books that children read. These words are usually learned in first and second grade; students who learn these words have a good base for beginning reading. Many of these words cannot be sounded out because they do not follow decoding rules, so they must be learned as sight words. You can find Dolch word lists and many other word lists online.
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ABSENCES
If your child will be absent please call the school office at 619-860-5500.
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ACCORDION LESSONS
Every Tuesday during lunch (Due to scheduling conflicts and requirements in First Grade, I might not be able to teach music lessons during lunch) all students will receive an accordion lesson. Lessons will be held in Room K2. Students who show an aptitude on the accordion may take additional accordion lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p..m. if I recommend them, there is room in the class, they are enrolled in and attend piano lessons, and their parent would like their child to be in the class. All accordion lessons are free.
After Spring Break Accordion lessons will be open to everyone on Monday and Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. and Tuesday from 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Thursday from 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
If your child's lesson is in the morning, please enter the school from the east parking lot and bring your child to the classroom. If your child's lesson is after school, you do not need to pick up your child until the lesson is over. If your child is in an after school program, please make arrangements to have a representative from that organization come to the classroom to pick up your child when their lesson is over.
Sign up for lessons in the New Student Survey.
I will not be able to talk to parents during accordion lessons, but if you need to talk with me or give me some information please email instructordave@me.com or call the office at 619-860-5500, or call or text me at 858-354-9417 and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
All music lessons will start the second week of school.
ASSIGNMENTS WITHOUT A NAME
Any assignments turned in without a name on it will be put into the lost and found file without being graded. Students may check the lost and found file to find missing assignments and turn them in after putting their name on it. Assignments turned in after the due date will be accepted and graded without penalty.
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BATHROOM
Room K2 has one bathroom that accommodates one person at a time. It locks from the inside. Students are allowed to use the bathroom whenever they need to without asking first. The bathroom door will be kept open when the bathroom is not in use to let students know that it is available. If the bathroom door is closed and another student needs to use the bathroom they should either continue to participate in the activity at that time until the bathroom is available, or if they can not wait to use the bathroom, they should go, again without asking, to Room K1 to use their bathroom. Students are required to wash their hands after using the bathroom.
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BEHAVIOR
Students are expected to follow the class rules and school rules. If a student does not follow a rule, a record is made of the rule that was broken and the student will be told what he/she did wrong, will be counseled on how to avoid the problem in the future, and their seat will be changed for the duration of the classroom activity that was occurring. If a student, twice, does not follow a rule, then that student will be told what he/she did wrong, will be counseled on how to avoid the problem in the future, and will be required to sit in an assigned seat for the rest of the day. If a student again does not follow a rule, the student will have an assigned seat for three days.
Students are only disciplined for behavior that is reasonably expected for the student’s age, development, and abilities, but is not exhibited. For example, I would expect my students to be able to sit down, stop talking, line up, walk around campus, and exhibit other socially expected behaviors of a Kindergartner without a reminder, and the first time I ask them.
I will not discipline students for their academic performance or lack thereof.
Rewards such as stickers, verbal praise, special privileges, etc. will be periodically awarded to students who are behaving or doing work that is reasonably expected from a Kindergartner of their age, development, and ability. Such rewards are not guaranteed.
Periodically, prizes will be given to students who demonstrate academics or behavior that is above what is expected. Receiving a prize is not guaranteed.
Donations to the ‘Prize Area’ are welcomed. If you have small items around the house such as pencils, markers, erasers, stickers, toys, stuffed animals, etc. feel free to bring them into the classroom. We will put them to good use in the ‘Prize Area’.
If all of the students in the class follow the rules during a day, we will have a party to celebrate.
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BIRTHDAY PARTIES
If your child has a birthday during the school year and you would like to celebrate the day in class, contact me ahead of time and I will let you know what time we have available for you to have a party. If your child has a birthday during the summer or during another vacation you may celebrate the birthday during the school year if you wish.
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BREAKFAST
The school serves breakfast in the cafeteria for free every school day from 7:45 a.m. to 7:55 a.m.
For more information, here is a link to the San Diego Unified School District Food and Nutrition Services Department.
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CALENDAR
I will send you an invitation to join my Room K2 Calendar. I use a Apple products but you should be able to view the calendar on any device after creating a free apple account. I will invite you to view the calendar using the email address you give me. You will need to use the same email address when logging into the calendar.
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CLASSROOM LIBRARY
All books in the classroom are available to be checked out and taken home, but must be returned the following school day.
If you have books at your house that you no longer need or want, please bring them into the classroom and we will put them into the classroom library and/or the ‘Prize Area’.
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CLASSROOM RULES
1. Be good.
2. Do your best.
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COLOR GROUPS
On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 1:35 p.m. to 2:25 p.m. the first grade teachers and students participate in what is called Color Groups. This is a time where the students from one class go as a class to another first grade teacher on a rotating basis, visiting one teacher each day. In those classrooms the students will receive instruction in Social Studies, Art, Engineering, Science, Chess, Go, and the use of an Abacus for Math.
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COMMUNICATION
I believe that it is very important that my student’s parents have good communication with me. Please contact me by phone School Office or my Mobile Phone, Text: 858-354-9417, e-mail, note, or visit when you have questions, concerns, suggestions, etc. The best way to contact me is through email or text. I will send periodic emails that include announcements, documents, and information about what is happening in Room K2 and Grant School. I will also post flyers that go home on The K2 Record. You will also have a live link to your child’s academic and behavioral status called The K2 Update and the live link called The K2 Record which will keep you up to date on how your child is doing on attendance, homework, participation, and finishing seat work.
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CONTACTING DAVE
The best way to contact me is through email at instructordave@me.com or text at 858-354-9417.
If it is urgent to talk to me during school hours it is best to stop by the classroom or text me at 858-354-9417. I keep my ringer off during school but will check my phone when I am able. I will see text and email messages appear on my iPad which I use all day in the classroom.
If it is urgent that you need to talk to me after school hours text me on my mobile phone at 858-354-9417.
If you have something to give me and I am teaching, just put it in the black file labeled Turn In File on my desk on the west side of the classroom, and I will look at it as soon as I can.
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COOKING CLASS
I would like to conduct weekly cooking classes with the students. Please contact me if you are interested in helping by providing ingredients, assisting, conducting some of the classes, funding, and/or coordinating this activity.
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CURRICULUM
For a complete list of Content and Performance Standards go to the California Department of Education web site at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp
Other Topics; Piano, drumming, accordion, ukulele, chess, gardening, cooking, theater, dancing, singing, Go, woodworking, electronics, abacus.
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DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF WRITING
Adapted from the work of Richard Gentry and the Conventions of Writing Developmental Scale, The Wright Group
1. Scribbling
Scribbling looks like random assortment of marks on a child's paper. Sometimes the marks are large, circular, and random, and resemble drawing. Although the marks do not resemble print, they are significant because the young writer uses them to show ideas.
2. Letter-like Symbols
Letter-like forms emerge, sometimes randomly placed, and are interspersed with numbers. The children can tell about their own drawings or writings. In this stage, spacing is rarely present.
3. Strings of Letters
In the strings-of-letters phase, children write some legible letters that tell us they know more about writing. Children are developing awareness of the sound-to-symbol relationship, although they are not matching most sounds. Children usually write in capital letters and have not yet begun spacing.
4. Beginning Sounds Emerge
At this stage, children begin to see the differences between a letter and a word, but they may not use spacing between words. Their message makes sense and matches the picture, especially when they choose the topic.
5. Consonants Represent Words
Child begins to leave spaces between their words and may often mix upper- and lowercase letters in their writing. Usually they write sentences that tell ideas.
6. Initial, Middle, and Final Sounds
Children in this phase may spell correctly some sight words, siblings' names, and environmental print, but other words are spelled the way they sound. Their writing is readable.
7. Transitional Phases
This writing is readable and approaches conventional spelling. The writing is interspersed with words that are in standard form and have standard letter patterns.
8. Standard Spelling
Children in this phase can spell most words correctly and are developing an understanding of root words, compound words, and contractions. This understanding helps students spell similar words.
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DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN STUDENTS
Frequently students have disagreements with other students. Usually these are regarding differences of opinion, sharing, and minor problems. The students will often appear to be deeply upset about the situation. In most cases a student is upset because they are not getting their way rather than being upset about an injustice. When these disagreements come up and the student has come to me about it I will ask them what the problem is and what they have done about it. Usually the student has made no effort to solve the problem other than telling the other student what they want and/or acting out physically. I remind the student that my policy for these situations is;
- They should first try to ignore the problem.
- If this is not possible or appropriate students are to stay away from the other student.
- If this is also not possible or appropriate students are to talk to the other student to find a solution.
- If the previous strategies have been tried but have failed, then I will help to solve the problem.
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DRUM LESSONS
Every Wednesday during lunch (Due to scheduling conflicts and requirements in First Grade, I might not be able to teach music lessons during lunch) all students will receive a drum lesson. Lessons will be held in Room K2. Students who show an aptitude for drumming may take additional drum lessons on Tuesdays from and Wednesday after school from 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. if I recommend them, there is room in the class, they are enrolled in and attend piano lessons, and their parent would like their child to be in the class. All drum lessons are free.
After Spring Break drum lessons will be open to everyone on Monday and Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
If your child's lesson is in the morning, please enter the school from the east parking lot and bring your child to the classroom. If your child's lesson is after school, you do not need to pick up your child until the lesson is over. If your child is in an after school program, please make arrangements to have a representative from that organization come to the classroom to pick up your child when their lesson is over.
Sign up for lessons in the New Student Survey.
I will not be able to talk to parents during drum lessons, but if you need to talk with me or give me some information please email instructordave@me.com or call the office at 619-293-4420, or call or text me at 858-354-9417 and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
All music lessons will start the second week of school.
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FIELD TRIPS
I would like to go on a field trip each month. In the past we have gone to the San Diego Symphony, JStar Company Youth Theatre, Old Town Guided Tour, San Diego Natural History Museum Class, Science Center Class, Miramar Air Show, Tour of a cargo ship, dance concerts, Model Railroad Museum, agriculture and livestock farms, and many others. If you have ideas for, and/or connections to, an interesting field trip or would like to drive/chaperone on a field trip, please contact me. I will need volunteers to coordinate field trips. This would involve coordinating the parents who are cleared to volunteer at school, their availability to drive and/or chaperone, the availability of the venue, if desired, the availability of a school district bus, ensuring the trip meets the principal's standards, organizing the other Kindergarten classes to go on the field trip, completing all paper work, and getting permission from the principal. I will help with planning the field trips, but I will need the volunteers to coordinate everything.
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SECOND GRADE
Student classroom assignments for second grade will be created in early June but may change during the summer. If you have a request for a specific second grade teacher please email or text 858-354-9417 me your request. I can't make any guarantee that we will be able to honor your request. Classroom assignments will not be made public until the Friday before school starts.
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FOOD AND DRINKS
Students are allowed to eat and drink in the classroom at any time and without asking for permission, as long as it does not interfere with their learning and the completion of their seat work.
Room K2 has a group of very hungry and talented ants and squirrels that love to try to eat the student’s lunches before the students can. Therefore, please be sure to pack lunches in a container that is sealed so the ants can not get in and strong so the squirrels can not rip it open. The squirrels can rip open backpacks.
If your child has a lunch or snack that needs to be kept refrigerated, frozen, or needs to be heated, I have a refrigerator/freezer, a microwave, and oven in the classroom.
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FREE TIME
Students may participate in any of the following activities after all of their Brain Exercises has been checked off. Blocks, dominoes, shapes, bear counters, math games, phonics games, chess, Go, draw, color, free write, eat a snack, talk, help students and/or teacher, water plants, run errands, read, rest, garden, make art, practice handwriting, practice math skills, make books, practice the piano, practice the drums, practice the ukulele, etc.
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GARDEN
I would like to conduct weekly or monthly gardening classes with the students. Please contact me if you would like to help with providing materials, funding, assisting, conducting some of the classes, and/or coordinating this activity. In the past the lessons have included all aspects of plant life, soil, insects, and gardening. Some ideas for the garden are; vegetable garden (use the vegetables to make a salad for the potlucks), a garden with a theme (past themes have been ‘Gardening as Art’ and “Rainbow Garden’), experiment garden, etc.
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GRADES
Student progress will be updated on the first day of each week in The K2 Update. In addition, report cards will be issued three times during the school year. Report Card grades will be determined by how well a student is meeting the grade level expectations at the time the report card is issued. You can find a sample report card here.
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HEAD LICE
Head lice can be a problem in school. Here is some information regarding this topic. SDUSD Policy. Fact Sheet. Resources. Nursing and Wellness Office.
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HOMEWORK - SUMMARY
• Homework is to be done every day that there is school.
• Homework starts on the first day of school and is due on the first day of the second week of school and then the first day of each week for the rest of the school year.
• Homework should last an average of ten minutes each school day.
• Students can work on any subject during homework.
• The student or the person working with the student should write down what was done and how much time was spent on it.
• Turn in the record of what was done and how much time was spent on it on the first day of each week.
• The following are ideas for homework but are not required and are not exhaustive;
Read or be read to for 10 minutes.
Practice writing.
Practice a topic in math.
Go to a museum.
Go to the beach, forest, desert, mountains, etc. and talk about what you see and learn.
Practice playing a sport.
Practice playing an instrument.
Talk about current events.
Do something to help your community.
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HOMEWORK - DETAILED EXPLANATION
Homework consists of addressing any of the content standards and journaling in response to the standard(s) that you and your child worked on together.
Homework is assigned each school day. Homework is intended to take no more than ten minuets to complete each night (50 minutes for a five day school week). You may do homework in any combination of time so long as it works out to ten minutes for each school day for that week. For example you may go to a museum for 45 minutes and journal about it for five minutes. That would be your homework for the week as it took 50 minutes to complete.
The goal of Homework is to spend time with your child pursuing an academic end and for your child to develop the responsibility of bringing the Homework Journal home and back to school when due.
Don’t worry if you lose a Homework Journal. Write the time spent on the homework on a piece of paper. More Homework Journals are available in the classroom.
Here are some detailed instructions on how to do homework.
1. Decide on what Content Standard(s) you would like to work on each school day. The Content Standards can be found at http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp and on The K2 Update.
2. Help your child become better at that standard(s) for ten minutes each day. You may choose to spend more or less time each day working on the standard so long as the total time averages to at least ten minutes for each school day.
3. Record the time spent by writing the date, activity and time spent on the activity. You may include the actual work done and you may write more details of what was learned, but it is not necessary to do so.
4. A parent or guardian needs to sign to verify that the homework was done.
5. Turn the Homework Journal in on the first day of each week. The Homework Journal will be graded and returned to the student that same day. When you fill the Homework Journal, or lose one, more are available in the classroom.
6. Any work on Content Standards that goes beyond the average of ten minutes each school day will be graded as extra credit.
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HOMEWORK DUE DATES AND GRADING
Homework is due on the first day of each week. A parent or guardian signature is required on all homework. The homework will be graded based on the time spent on the homework. Homework will be accepted late.
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HOMEWORK JOURNAL
Each student will have a homework journal. The homework journal is due on the first day of each week. Parents must sign the homework journal each week. Additional homework journals are available in the classroom.
If you want to have your child do their own writing in the Homework Journal, first discuss what the writing will be about. Then let your child write the ideas down using the skills that they have. If they ask for help, then have them make the sounds in the words and let them choose the letter that goes with that sound. If they do not know the letter or their sounds then have them use ‘invented spelling’ where they just write letters and/or symbols to represent their ideas. When they are finished writing, ask your child to read their sentence to you, then you can write their dictation under their sentence. Remember that the purpose of the homework is to spend some time with your child working on improving their academic skills, and turning the journal in every week. See Developmental Stages of Writing for more information.
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HOMEWORK - OPTIONAL
Any work relating to any of the state standards will be accepted.
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K2 UPDATE
The K2 Update is a summary of each student’s class work, behavior, homework, and standards completion. Please review the records with your child and discuss how to improve if necessary. If you believe that any information in The K2 Update is not correct, please let me know as soon as possible.
The Behavior section is a place where I make notes of the behaviors that are not appropriate for the student. I would like to also write all the appropriate behaviors that a student demonstrates, but I do not have enough time to write that much information each day. I will, however, make notes regarding extraordinary behavior and academic work that goes beyond that which is expected.
The ‘Standards Pages’ on The K2 Update is an ongoing record of the standards that your child has met. These standards are what the state of California expects Kindergartners to be able to accomplish by the end of the school year. These pages of The K2 Update will be updated periodically but not necessarily every day.
The TRPL, Takes Responsibility for and Perseveres in Learning section of the Citizenship Summary is based on Homework and Seat Work completion.
Some of the notes in the General Notes section of The K2 Update are mainly for me and therefore may not be understandable to you because I may be using shorthand or terminology that you are not familiar with. It is not critical that you understand all of these notes. Anything that is important for you to know will be written more clearly. My intent is to quickly make some notes for myself, not to hide anything from you. I would be happy to explain any notes that you do not understand.
The K2 Update is a live link, so any changes I make to the records will be immediately changed on your record.
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LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments will be accepted late without penalty. Assignments will not be considered late if a student is absent on the day an assignment is due. The assignment will be due on the day the student returns to school. In the case of long absences, equal time will be given when the student returns to school to make up and turn in any missed assignments.
If a student falls two days behind in their seat work they will sit at a table near me so I can monitor them more closely. Students will lose the privilege to talk while working and to get up when they want. Students will have to ask me before they can get up.
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LITERACY BLOCK
Read Aloud
The Read Aloud introduces students to the joys of reading and the art of listening. Reading aloud provides opportunities to model reading strategies. Through reading aloud students understand that the language of books is different from spoken language, develop understanding of the patterns and structures of written language, learn new words and ideas, and learn about and locate models of particular genres or forms of writing.
Independent Reading
Independent reading by students gives them opportunities to practice the strategies they have learned in shared reading, guided reading, read aloud, and word study. Teachers provide guidance with book choices, tailor teaching to meet individual needs, and meet with individuals to monitor progress. Books from a range of levels are available in the classroom. Students become proficient at selecting books that match their interests and reading level.
Word Study
Word study provides students with the opportunity to become aware of sounds in words and how they relate to symbols in written language. Word study prepares students to become familiar with both the visual aspects of letters and words and the phonological pattern of words. Beginning readers are taught the alphabet, the relationship between sounds and letters, blending of sound-letter links, high frequency words as well as regular patterns.
Shared Reading
The purpose of Shared Reading is for a whole class or a group of learners to see a piece of text and to observe an expert (in most cases, the teacher) reading with fluency and expression. Students read silently or join in while the expert models what reading looks and sounds like and what good readers do.
Guided Reading
Guided reading provides an opportunity for students to practice reading strategies and take responsibility for their reading. Students practice for themselves the strategies that have been introduced in shared reading. The text that is selected must match the needs of the group of readers. Teachers using this approach must be able to identify the supports and challenges in the reading material. With some guidance, students read for themselves within the group setting. Teachers listen in and make decisions on the instructional needs of each student.
Writer’s Workshop
Writer’s Workshop has three components; The Mini-lesson, Independent Writing, and the Share Session. The Mini-lesson is a short whole-class lesson on writing. The Independent Writing gives students opportunities to practice the strategies they have learned in the Mini-lesson. The teacher provides guidance, tailors the teaching to meet individual needs and meets with individuals to monitor progress. The Share Session is a time for students to read their writing out loud to the class for the purpose of affirmation of their work.
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LUNCH
(All students can have a school lunch for free this year so the following information does not apply) Each student will have a lunch number. This number is to be used if your child is buying a school lunch and/or drink, using a debit account, or buying a reduced price or free lunch. At the end of the lunch line there will be a number keypad similar to one found on a computer keyboard. Your child will be asked to enter his/her number using the keypad. Then they may take their lunch. You will be receiving your child’s lunch number soon. Please make sure that your child memorizes this number. Have your child practice entering their lunch number using a computer keypad. If your child forgets their number they can go to the office to get their number or they can tell the cashier their name and their teacher’s name and the cashier will look up your child’s lunch number and enter it on the keypad.
(Due to scheduling conflicts and requirements of teaching first grade, it might not be possible to implement the next paragraph) Students will be eating lunch in the classroom for most school days. While they are eating I will teach them proper eating etiquette. I will also teach the students to play the drums, accordion, and ukulele during their lunch by pulling one student at a time and giving them a five minute or less private lesson.
Students will eat lunch with their classmates and have 20 minutes for lunch followed by a 20 minute recess.
Here is a link to the San Diego Unified School District Food and Nutrition Services Department.
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MORNING MEETING PROCEDURES
When your child arrives at school in the morning please have them put their things in the classroom and do a quiet activity so as to not disturb the piano, accordion, ukulele, or drum lessons.
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PARENT INVOLVEMENT
I do not have an assistant in the classroom so your help is greatly appreciated. I would love to have volunteers in the classroom or working from home. There are many varied opportunities for you to help. The New Student Survey has many of them listed. Please click here to get information about volunteering.
Feel free to stop by the classroom at any time to help, observe, or just to just say “Hi.”.
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PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
What is the Teacher?
What is the Teacher?
A guide, not a guard.
What is learning?
A journey, not a destination.
What is discovery?
Questioning the answers, not answering the questions.
What is the process?
Discovering ideas, not covering content.
What is the goal?
Open minds, not closed issues.
What is the test?
Being and becoming, not remembering and reviewing.
What is school?
Whatever we choose to make it.
Alan A. Glatthorn
I feel that the best way to learn is through experience. In addition to providing for the learning styles of auditory, and visual learners, I want to provide a kinesthetic learning experience. Think about how you learn, what you remember, and see if you agree with the following.
I have been told that people remember;
10% of what they read
20% of what they hear
30% of what they see
50% of what they hear & see
70% of what they say & write
90% of what they do.
A Chinese proverb says;
I hear, and I forget
I see, and I remember
I do, and I understand.
If you are like me, you probably learn best, and remember the most from things that you have actually done rather than things you have only read or heard about. Therefore, I want to allow my students many opportunities to try things on their own and learn from their experience. This does not mean that students in my class may do anything they wish. Of course, there will be rules, which will be strictly enforced, but at the same time, I do provide students the opportunities to grow and learn through trial and error.
These poems accurately reflect my philosophy of education.
Children Learn What They Live
If a child lives with criticism
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame
He learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement
He learns to be confident.
If a child lives with praise
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance
and friendship,
He learns to find love
in the world.
Dorothy Law Nolte
The Little Boy
Once a little boy went to school
He was quite a little boy
And it was quite a big school
But when the little boy
Found that he could go in his room
By walking right in from the door outside,
He was quite happy
And the school did not seem
Quite so big any more.
One morning
When the little boy had been in school awhile,
The teacher said,
“Today we are going to make a picture.”
“Good” thought the little boy.
He liked to make all kinds.
Lions and tigers,
Chickens and cows,
Trains and boats,
And he took out his box of crayons
And began to draw.
But the teacher said,
“Wait, it is not time to begin!”
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
“Now,” said the teacher,
“We are going to make flowers.”
“Good” thought the little boy.
He liked to make flowers.
And he began to make beautiful ones.
With pink and orange and blue crayons.
But the teacher said,
“Wait and I will show you how.”
And it was red with a green stem.
“There,” said the teacher,
“Now you may begin.”
The little boy looked at the teacher’s flower,
He looked at his own flower
He liked his flower better than his teacher’s
But he did not say this
He just turned his paper over
And made a flower like the teacher’s.
It was red, red with a green stem.
On another day,
When the little boy had opened
The door from the outside all by himself,
The teacher said,
“Today we are going to make something with clay.”
“Good” thought the little boy
He liked clay.
He could make all kinds of things with clay,
Snakes and snowmen,
Elephants and mice,
Cars and trucks-
And he began to pull and pinch
His ball of clay
But the teacher said,
“Wait! It is not time to begin.”
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
“Now,” said the teacher
“We are going to make a dish.”
“Good” thought the little boy.
He liked to make dishes.
And he began to make some
That were all shapes and sizes.
But the teacher said,
“Wait, and I will show you how.”
And she showed everyone how to make
One deep dish.
“There,” said the teacher,
“Now you may begin.”
The little boy looked at the teacher’s dish
Then he looked at his own.
He liked his dishes better than the teacher’s
But he did not say this
He just rolled his clay into a big ball
And made a dish like the teacher’s.
It was a deep dish.
And pretty soon
The little boy learned to wait
And to watch
And to make things like a teacher
And pretty soon
He didn’t make things of his own anymore.
Then it happened
The little boy and his family
Moved to another house.
In another city
And the little boy
Had to go to another school.
This school was even bigger
Than the other one.
And there was no door from the
Outside into the room.
He had to go up some big steps
And walk down a long hall
To get to his room.
And the very first day
He was there
The teacher said,
“Today we are going to make a picture.”
“Good” thought the little boy
And he waited for the teacher
To tell him what to do
But the teacher didn’t say anything
She just walked around the room.
When she came to the little boy
She said, “Don’t you want to make a picture?”
“Yes.” Said the little boy. “What are we going to make?”
“I don’t know until you make it.” Said the teacher.
“How shall I make it?” Asked the little boy.
“Why, anyway you like.” Said the teacher.
“If everyone made the same picture And used the same color,
How would I know who made what,
And which is which?”
“I don’t know.” Said the little boy
And he began to make a red flower
With a green stem.
by Helen B. Buckley
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PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO
I photograph my students throughout the year and use the photos to make a yearbook at the end of the year. You will receive a copy of the yearbook and all of the pictures that I take of all of the students at the end of the year. In addition, I video tape the students answering various questions about the curriculum twice during the year as part of their two concerts which also involve singing, playing the piano, playing the drums, playing the accordion, playing the ukulele, acting, dancing, making books, painting on canvas, and costume making. You will receive a copy of the video which will include all of the students. You will have access to all of the photos and videos through my password protected web gallery. Neither the photos nor the video will be made public.
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PIANO LESSONS
I offer free piano lessons before and after school for all of my students. Lessons will be held in Room K2. If your child's lesson is in the morning, please enter the school from the east parking lot and bring your child to the classroom. If your lesson is after school, you do not need to pick up your child until the lesson is over. If your child is in an after school program, please make arrangements to have a representative from that organization come to the classroom to pick up your child when their lesson is over.
Sign up for lessons in the New Student Survey.
I will not be able to talk to parents during piano lessons, but if you need to talk with me or give me some information please email instructordave@me.com or call the office at 619-293-4420, or call or text me at 858-354-9417 and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Piano lessons are free.
All music lessons will start the second week of school.
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PIZZA PROJECT
On most Fridays, Room K2 will make a 14" pizza for delivery at the school. Students, Staff Members, and Parents at the school can order their pizza using this link. We do not charge for the pizzas, but we will accept donations and tips. We make pizzas for the experience, not as a fund raiser. I want the students to gain the experience, skills, and responsibility of making and delivering a pizza. If you would like to help with this project please contact me.
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POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
I use the following items to create a positive environment and to encourage students to be good and try their best. Students may sit wherever desired, change seats at will, go to the bathroom at will, get a drink at will, have a snack at will, talk quietly while working, and may receive stickers and verbal praise. I also may notify parents, choose the student first for various activities, and/or give the student a prize.
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POTLUCKS
On the last Thursday of each month or around holidays, if parents are interested and able to attend, I would like to have a potluck breakfast or lunch. It will be a time when parents can get to know each other, eat with their child, their child’s friends, and to see the growth that their child has made during the past month. Please contact me if you would like to organize the potlucks.
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PROBLEM SOLVING
Inevitably, problems occur between students. When they do, I expect students to follow the procedures outlined below until a solution is reached.
1. Protect yourself from injury.
2. Stay calm/calm down.
3. Ignore the problem if possible.
4. Stay away from the problem.
5. Say, “I am feeling ___________ because you are __________. I would like you to ________.
6. Discuss the problem and find a compromise.
7. Get help from an adult.
Remember, every action is a choice that comes with positive or negative consequences.
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READING
Reading is taught at the student's pace in small homogeneous groups based on the skill (standard) the student needs to learn. When the student masters the skill (standard) the student moves from that group and into another group to work on the next reading skill.
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REPORT CARDS
Student progress will be updated on the first day of each week in The K2 Update. In addition, report cards will be issued three times during the school year. Report Card grades will be determined by how well a student is meeting the grade level expectations at the time the report card is issued. You can find a sample report card here.
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REVERSALS
It is very common and normal for some students to write numbers, letters, even whole sentences backwards. For many students, school is the first time directionality has mattered. For example objects such as toy cars, crayons, parents, and apples are always toy cars, crayons, parents, and apples regardless of the position they are in and the angle at which they are viewed. Therefore it is understandable for a student to think that a ‘b’ is still a ‘b’ even if we change the direction to ‘d’. I will teach students about directionality and will help them to practice making their letters and numbers in the correct direction. Students are usually able to correct these directionality errors by the end of second grade.
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SEAT WORK
I call Seat Work "Brain Exercises". Students will have one to three assignments to do each day at their seat. Each assignment will take about 15 - 30 minutes to complete. Students will be given one to three hours to complete the work. Part of each assignment is to write their name and copy the date off of the board. Work is considered finished based on individual student ability. Brain Exercises are due each day by the end of the day. If a student does not finish their Brain Exercises by the end of the day they will keep it at school and finish it the next day. If a student falls two days behind in their Brain Exercises I will have them sit near me so I can monitor them and give them the supports they need to complete their work. Absent students do not need to do missed Brain Exercises.
One type of Brain Exercise is to practice writing sentences. Each student is to write, depending on the time of year, one or two sentences, illustrate it (them), write their name and the date. Students are taught how to do the work before they begin. Students get lined paper with a blank area on top for the illustration, a pencil, & crayons. Students do not have access to erasers. If a mistake is made, the student is to cross it off with a slash and try again.
Another type of Brain Exercise is to practice handwriting. Each student is to write one letter of the alphabet correctly ten times and put their name and the date on paper. Students are taught how to do the work correctly. Students get a sample of the letter, lined paper, & pencil. Students do not have access to erasers. If a letter is made incorrectly, the student is to cross it off with a slash and try to make the letter again.
When all Brain Exercises are finished it is to go in the "Check File". Students read when all seat work is in "Check File". I will confer with student regarding their work. Brain Exercises will be "checked off" if it is complete and the quality is up to the student's ability. Brain Exercises will be returned to the student if it needs significant correction, revision, completion and/or improvement. When all Brain Exercises are "checked off", the student has "Free Time" where the student can read, write, draw, use a manipulative such as blocks, play chess, practice the piano, among many other activities.
I will provide you with a live link to your student’s progress on classwork called The K2 Record. The file will show all the students by their number, the work assigned, the date it was assigned, and the date it was completed. The K2 Record file is a live link, so any changes I make to the records will be immediately changed on your record. The K2 Record live link is meant to inform you about how well your child is completing seat work on time.
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SHARING
Students will have an opportunity to share during the year when it is their turn for the “Student Spotlight”. A notice will go home explaining how to prepare for the ‘Student Spotlight”. In addition, students, at their discretion, may occasionally bring items to school to share with the class.
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SIGN OUT
(Not applicable to First Grade) At the end of each school day be sure to sign your child out. There will be a clipboard on the sink counter of the classroom. Get my attention to let me know you are signing your child out and then complete the items on the clipboard. If your child goes to Prime Time, Kids Corner, Thursday Kids Club, Open Minds, any other after school program, or takes the bus, the program that they are involved with will send a representative to sign your child out. If someone other than the regular parent or guardian will pick up your child please text or email me in advance so I will know that the action is approved by you.
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SNACKS
Students can have a snack or drink at any time without asking for permission so long as they continue to participate in the activity in the classroom that is occurring at that time. Room K2 has a refrigerator, freezer, microwave, and convection oven for student use.
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SUPPLIES
Students will be supplied with paper, pencils, pens, glues, crayons, journals, and other basic supplies. Supplies will be replenished periodically. All personal supplies, (jackets, folders, lunches, etc.) should be labeled to avoid lost and unclaimed items.
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TALKING
Students may talk at anytime without asking or raising their hand so long as know one else is talking in the group they are in. For example, if all of the students are in a group at the front of the classroom with the teacher, anyone may speak at any time without raising their hand first so long as no one else is speaking. If students are working at their tables, then anyone at each of the tables may speak at any time without raising their hand first so long as no one else at their table is speaking.
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THEFT
Occasionally, students steal from each other. I will do everything I can to monitor the students to avoid theft. To help reduce the temptation for a student to steal, please do not have your child bring items to school that are valuable, rare, sentimental, fragile, or interesting enough for a student to want to steal. Students can bring anything into the classroom that they fear might be stolen so they can watch over it during school.
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THINGS YOU SHOULD TEACH YOUR CHILD(REN)
Your child(ren) should know;
- Their full legal name
- Their Nic name(s)
- Their birthday
- Their address
- Their parent's or guardians's full names
- Their parent's or guardian's phone number(s)
- How to call 911 and what to do and say when calling
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UKULELE LESSONS
Every Thursday during lunch (Due to scheduling conflicts and requirements in First Grade, I might not be able to teach music lessons during lunch) all students will receive a ukulele lesson. Lessons will be held in Room K2. Students who show an aptitude for ukulele may take additional ukulele lessons on Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. if I recommend them, there is room in the class, they are enrolled in and attend piano lessons, and their parent would like their child to be in the class. All ukulele lessons are free.
After Spring Break ukulele lessons will be on Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m..
If your child's lesson is in the morning, please enter the school from the east parking lot and bring your child to the classroom. If your child's lesson is after school, you do not need to pick up your child until the lesson is over. If your child is in an after school program, please make arrangements to have a representative from that organization come to the classroom to pick up your child when their lesson is over.
Sign up for lessons in the New Student Survey.
I will not be able to talk to parents during drum lessons, but if you need to talk with me or give me some information please email instructordave@me.com or call the office at 619-293-4420, or call or text me at 858-354-9417 and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
All music lessons will start the second week of school.
VOLUNTEERING
I do not have an assistant in the classroom so your help is greatly appreciated. I would love to have volunteers in the classroom or working from home. There are many varied opportunities for you to help. The New Student Survey has many of them listed. Please click here to get information about volunteering.
Feel free to stop by the classroom at any time to help, observe, or just to just say “Hi.”.
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WOODWORKING CLASS
I would like to conduct weekly or monthly woodworking classes with the students. Please contact me if you would like to help with providing materials, funding, helping with or conducting some of the classes, and/or coordinating this activity.
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WORD LISTS
Dolch Words
The Dolch words are the 220 most frequently found words in books that children read. These words are usually learned in first and second grade; students who learn these words have a good base for beginning reading. Many of these words cannot be sounded out because they do not follow decoding rules, so they must be learned as sight words. You can find Dolch word lists and many other word lists online.
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