Second Grade-Where You'll Watch Your Child Grow!
Congratulations! You are the parent of a second-grader here at Hawthorn School! You will be amazed at just how much your child will grow this year. Most likely, your child has had the seeds of reading and writing planted, and during first grade, those seeds will grow and blossom, making your child an accomplished reader and writer! You will see changes in your child's thinking, as he/she becomes familiar with abstract concepts and symbols. The change will be dramatic -- just compare a tiny seed with a full-grown sunflower! That's the kind of growth you'll see this year!
The loveliest flowers usually have the best gardener -- and that's you! Staying involved in your child's education is the key to a successful year. Engage your child in conversation about his/her day, but know that children won't always give out much information. I will send home a weekly newsletter called the "Mrs. Sager Speaks" detailing our activities for the week. You can use this as a springboard for discussion; instead of saying "What did you do at school today?" (the answer is often "nothing!"), you can say, "Oh, I see you're learning about....what did you find out?" Some parents save these newsletters as a special remembrance of their child's second grade year.
Another way
to stay involved is to check your child's Moose Book EVERY day. You'll
usually find it PACKED with school and homework, projects, flyers, notices from
the office, as well as notes from me. As daunting as it may be, try to sort
through them, and read each one; they often contain important information and
reminders. Your child should come to school the next day with a fairly empty
Moose Book -- just homework or notes to me!
To help keep things growing "weed-free", it helps to remember our class procedures. If you are picking your child up from school, or if someone else is, please send in a SIGNED, DATED note with your child's FULL NAME written on it. A note each time is TRULY appreciated!
Your child
will need his/her backpack EVERY day, and the name needs to be written in LARGE
letters on the outside! Put names in all clothes and on all supplies -- even
pencils and glue! It makes it so much easier to return them to their rightful
owner!
Please check and SIGN your child's homework, and make sure that it is
placed in the backpack to be returned to school the next day. Each week you will
see an "Words to Know" sheet. This sheet will have the story to
be read, vocabulary words to read and learn the definitions at the top, and a
list of spelling words to study for the test on Friday. The bottom portion is to
be signed and returned as a reading note. Also you will see homework pages
each night.
In addition to our four report cards, midterms, and our conferences, I am always available to meet or speak with you. If it is not urgent, please jot a note and I will respond as soon as possible. You may call the school or e-mail me as well. In return, I will contact you by note or telephone.
I look forward to working with you and your child,
Lea Ann Sager
