Curriculum Night
Waggoner Elementary
Second Grade
Mrs. Kiefer
Welcome!
• Thank You for coming!
• Enjoy your child’s note to you. Please
Write a note back! Leave it on your
child’s desk.
• Questions? Use the index cards
please and I’ll get back to you asap.
• About me!
• Website info
• Classroom Routine (Schedule)
Language Arts
• Focus on the Common Core Standards
• Major Components of our Reading Program are:
– Print concepts, phonemic awareness, phonics,
– vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension
• Flexible groupings: whole group, small guided reading
groups, partner reading, independent reading
• Adopted Reading Series: Harcourt TROPHIES (Visit
their website: www.harcourtschool.com)
• Ongoing reading assessments
• Grammar skills are integrated each week.
• Goal: We strive to increase student vocabulary,
comprehension, and fluency. Daily practice (both at
school and at home) is essential for reading success.)
Spelling
• Compliments the Harcourt Trophies reading and
language program.
• Basic skills taught: phonics, spelling rules, patterns,
word origins, prefixes/suffixes.
• Spelling is assessed and evaluated on an ongoing basis
through classroom writing samples, daily spelling
lessons, dictated sentences, and tests.
• The true test of spelling mastery is its transfer to and
application in student writing on a daily basis.
• Spelling lists will come home each week.
Writing
• Writer’s Workshop
• Steps in the writing process: prewriting, drafting,
revising, editing, publishing
• Forms of writing: narrative, opinion, informational
• Other forms: Response to literature, poetry,
fiction, thank you notes, friendly letters.
• Adopted Writing Program: Units of Study for
Second Grade by Lucy Calkins.
• Writers notebooks are used for writing homework
each week. Students need to build stamina and
transfer the skills we are teaching them in class.
Handwriting
• Scott Foresman D’Nealian Handwriting
• Emphasis on correct handwriting in all
written work
• Cursive is not taught in 2nd Grade.
Cursive is part of the 3rd Grade
curriculum.
Listening and
Speaking Skills
• Students will be taught to effectively use
listening and speaking skills in a variety
of situations:
– For example: oral reports, Reader’s Theatre,
Writer’s workshop (author’s chair)
Math
• Focus on the Common Core Standards
• Numeration: number sense, counting, place value,
money, fractions, addition, subtraction, multiplication
and division strategies
• Problem Solving/Higher level thinking strategies
• Data Analysis and Probability
• Patterns and Algebra
• Geometry
• Measurement and Time
• Adopted Math Programs: Investigations in Number,
Data, and Space by Scott Foresman and Mathematics
by Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley
• Dreambox Learning
Science
• Major Components of our science program:
– Earth and Space: Weather
– Life Science: Insects, Human Body, Mammals
- Physical Science: Solids, Liquids, Gases
- Hands-on encouraging active learning
- Units involve cooperative skills and learning the
scientific method.
Social Studies
• Major Components of our social studies program:
• Adopted social studies program: Social Studies:
People We Know by Harcourt
• Students will…
…explore the human experience through time and
recognize the relationships of events and people;
…Learn about ideals, rights, and responsibilities of
citizenship
…analyze locations, regions, and spatial connections;
economic reasoning skills
Health
Major components of our Health program:
– Adopted Health Program: Health and Fitness
by Harcourt
– Students will study safety and injury
prevention, nutrition, personal health, hygiene,
and disease prevention.
Library and Technology
• Students will visit the Library weekly to
check out books and learn library/media
skills.
• We visit the Computer Lab every week and
use the 6 classroom laptops to create
multimedia projects, do research using the
Internet, and explore various computer
programs.
Specials
• P.E. is scheduled on Monday with Mr.
Colson.
• Library is scheduled every Tuesday with
Ms. Leopardi.
• Computer lab is on Wednesday.
• Art is every Thursday with Mrs. Pope.
• Music class in on Friday with Mrs.
Weissberg.
Classroom Management
• Based on Love and Logic Strategies. 
- Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be respectful!
• Praise rewarded for positive behaviors.
• PAW-sitive slips, classroom bingo, high fives
• Popcorn pieces - whole class rewards
• Consequences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Verbal reminder
Refocus – fill out think sheet
Time out – in class/pod/another class
Parent e-mail or phone call
Visit to the principal.
» Weekly reports will be sent on Friday.
Homework
Homework Expectations:
– Weekly homework will be assigned on on Monday, due
on Friday. Please look in your child’s Communication
Folder. (Note: If you need an extension over the weekend, just send
a note in on Friday to inform me of the change.)
– Students are to do homework thoroughly. Parents and
students sign the contract.
– Students are to do homework neatly.
– The Harcourt Trophies reading book must be brought
back to school each day. We do not have extras.
-Math practice on Dreambox will support the same
curriculum we are learning at school. Feel free to use
other resources (learning games, paper/pencil,
computer games etc. to practice math skills.
Volunteers
• We appreciate any time you can spend with
us!
• Work with students, workroom, and help
with special projects.
• Sign up each month on SignUp Genius.
Thank you!
School Policies
• Snacks/Class Parties
- Please do not send in any homemade treats. When asked
to donate snacks/party supplies, please send in store
bought items only.
- Please sign up to send in store bought healthy snacks.
• Birthdays
– Please mail all birthday invitations (don’t send them to
school), this helps avoid anyone getting their feelings
hurt. Please do not send in any birthday treats.
– Your child will receive birthday acknowledgment from
administration, morning announcements, and myself.
Miscellaneous
•
•
•
•
Label items (backpack, lunch box, jackets, etc.)
Always send in lunch $ in an envelope with child’s name
Return library books each Tuesday.
Bus passes will only be issued for emergencies and parents
who call the Transportation Department (480-541-1700).
• Please do not call the office after 1:00 to make an
unscheduled after school change unless a true emergency
arises.
• If your child eats breakfast here, please make sure he/she
arrives between 7:15 and 7:30 in order to have time to eat
before school begins.
Stuffed Animal Day is this Friday 
Communication
• Weekly newsletter will be send via email each Friday or Monday.
• Send a note with your child
• Call me at (480) 541-5717
• Email – lkiefe@kyrene.org
• Front office (480) 541-5600
Arrivals and Dismissals
 We have a new procedural change in the front office this year. If
students arrive to school after teachers leave their duty station at
7:40, we are requiring parents to park their car in the parking lot in
order to check their student into the front office. Parents will be
asked to complete a form to indicate why their child was tardy. This
change will allow the front office staff to continue with their daily
work in the morning. Car Pick up is for students being picked up in the
drive through lane. Please use the tagboard signs for your child’s
last name to help speed up the pick up process.
 Ramada Pick Up – Park and meet near the ramada/playground –
have a designated spot.
 If students are not picked up on time after school, you will need to
park your car in the parking lot and sign your student out of the front
office. Thank you for your help with our new procedures.
Thanks for Coming!!
I’m looking forward to a great year!!!