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Classroom Information
Names, Please!
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Please label your child's personal belongings (backpack, lunch box, coat, gloves, hat, etc.) with his/her name. This will help eliminate misplaced items.  Also, please be sure your child dresses appropriately for outdoor recess, especially in the winter. Hats, gloves, snowpants, and boots are needed.
Agenda
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Your child will receive an agenda in which to record homework assignments as well as other important information. Parent and teacher notes can also be recorded in the agenda. Your child will bring his/her agenda home nightly and should return it the next day. Please initial your child's agenda nightly so I can be sure you've seen it. Your child is welcome to do any of the fun activities in the agenda at home.
Homework
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Your child will have some homework during the week in different areas of the curriculum.  I expect your child to read at home for at least 15 minutes a night. Your child can read books of his/her choice. This nightly at-home reading can also count towards Birch Grove's Reading at Home program. Math practice sheets that reinforce the skills taught in class will at times be sent home during the week. I believe that the children benefit from this extra practice and it also gives me another chance to see their comprehension of the material. Children are expected to practice their addition and subtraction facts through 20 (6+14=20, 20-9=11) at home throughout the year to become automatic with them. Throughout the year, as part of our different units of study, there will be some fun and educational at-home projects.
Home-School Folder
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Your child has a home-school folder that he/she will use to bring assignments home and return them back to school.  The pocket on the right of the folder is labeled "return to school."  Work put in this pocket includes homework that needs to be completed and brought back to school the next day in the home-school folder. Other notices that need to be returned to school will also be sent home on this side of the folder.  The left pocket is labeled "leave at home."  Completed and corrected work, as well as notices from school that do not have to be returned, will be carried home in this pocket of the folder. This completed work should be left at home.  Please be sure to have your child bring his/her home-school folder back to school each day.
Reading at Home
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Your child will have a reading log which is kept in his/her home-school folder. Your child should aim to read for at least 15 minutes/night during the week. Your child should read as much as he/she can to become the best reader he/she can be!  Reading that you do with or to your child can also count towards minutes read. 
Newsletter
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At the beginning of each month, I will send home a newsletter outlining important information about classroom events and activities.
Snack
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We will have a snack break each morning around 10:30 a.m.  Children are strongly encouraged to bring in a healthy snack.
Birthdays
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Birthdays are important to the children at Birch Grove School. Children are not allowed to bring in cupcakes or other food items to school on their birthdays. However, I would still like to recognize your child's special day. Your child is welcome to donate a book or game to our classroom in honor of his/her birthday. Some parents choose to send in non-food items such as pencils, erasers, or stickers for their child's classmates. This is optional and you do not need to send in anything.  As a class we sing "Happy Birthday" to every child.
Book Club
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Monthly Scholastic Book Club Orders will be sent home. Many reasonable, appropriate leveled books are offered. For each book order placed, I earn points that I can then use to receive free books for our classroom library. If you choose to order books, only checks made out to the book company will be accepted. You can also place orders online using our class activation code.
Field Trips
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A separate letter will be sent home regarding individual field trips including the cost for each one. At this time, all of our grade 2 field trips are held here at Birch Grove.
   

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