Welcome to Team Barr!

Mrs. Janelle BarrSunset Hill Elementary School

Grade 2 - Room 9

• I am looking forward to a wonderful year of growth and learning with your children!

• I believe that classroom routines and organization as well as a positive climate are vital to a well structured education. 

• I work hard  to provide a smooth and consistent classroom in terms of behavior expectations, teaching style and curriculum.   

What we focus on in the morning…

• The students will be working on a variety of literacy activities.

• In reading, we will focus on learning new decoding and comprehension strategies, fluency (reading like we are talking), finding connections with the text we read and learning to choose a "just right" book . 

• During writing workshop, we will begin to help the students find their own voices through their writing as well as learning the six traits of writing and writing mechanics. 

What we focus on in the afternoon…

• We spend everyday in math routines and reflexes as we use the Everyday Mathematics curriculum. This program helps the students to start "thinking" mathematically.

• In Social Studies we focus on local communities and communities of the world as well as learning about the past to understand the future.

• Our science curriculum touches on Balance and Motion, Solids and Liquids, and Insects.

A Typical Day for Team Barr

• Arrival and Morning Work• Morning Meeting and Community Builder• Shared Reading• The Daily 5/CAFÉ • Writing Workshop• Recess and Lunch• Read Aloud • Math• Choice time and snack• Specialist (P.E., media, technology, art, music)• Science, Health or Social Studies• Dismissal

Morning Work

Morning work will consist of some practice with basic literacy skills. Each day students work on grammar skills through Daily Language Review. In this series of five questions, students strengthen language skills as well as promote responsibility for completing this task in a timely manner.

Morning Meeting

Greeting and Agenda We gather together on the carpet to greet each other and set the tone for the day. We go over the Agenda and talk about what we will be doing that

day.

Professional Learning Communities

A new Wayzata initiative is for teachers to collaborate in teams to promote optimal student learning and success. As part of

this initiative your child will be fully aware of each lesson’s learning target in

Language Arts and mathematics.

Shared Reading

We start the day off reading big books, stories and poems together.

The Daily 5

Every morning students will spend time reading to self, reading to someone, listening to reading,

working on writing, and working with words. During this time, students will work

independently, with partners, or in small groups to focus on various literacy strategies based on

their needs.

CAFÉ MenuCAFÉ is an acronym for

Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expand Vocabulary.

While students are working on their Daily 5 tasks, I will be conferring with individual students and meeting with

flexible strategy-based groups by selecting a strategy from the CAFÉ

menu that will best fit the needs of the student(s) I am working with.

Scott Foresman Reading Street

Our reading curriculum offers a variety of texts and genres to students, as well as assists in building vocabulary and many valuable literacy and grammar

skills.

AR Tests

• AR (Accelerated Reader) is a computer-based reading program that helps monitor comprehension.

• After students read a book, they take a quiz to check their understanding of the book.

• Through AR tests, students can set goals and motivate themselves to become better readers.

Spelling

Spelling lists are individualized and focus on high frequency words as well

as concept words relating to the curriculum. Your child will bring home his/her spelling words on Monday and spelling homework is due on Friday.

Writing Workshop

We will spend time working on shared writing activities as a class, small group

focused writing lessons, and independent writing. Our goal is to move students

along the writing continuum in terms of both content and format.

Math

• We use the Everyday Math curriculum to teach mathematics to students. Everyday Math “spirals” by introducing and returning to math concepts several times throughout the year in order for it to become secure.

• Students will work on building their math skills by using the BUILD Site. BUILD is an acronym for Buddy Games, Using the Computer, Independent Work, Learning Number Facts, and Daily Practice. Students will use the BUILD Site to practice math concepts in a variety of ways.

• Your child will have math homework called Home Links to complete on most nights. Home Links are intended as practice and extensions of the lessons covered in class, so all concepts should be familiar.

Math at HomeA couple favors we ask of you…

• Please do NOT teach your student addition or multiplication algorithms.– We will learn several different strategies

that will help your child better understand why numbers work the way they do.

• Please do NOT focus on timed tests until the end of the year.– As the year progresses, students become

more confident with their math facts.

Science and Health

We use Foss Kits for our science curriculum. Foss Kits focus on discovery and inquiry of the subjects. The hands-on kits we will study are:

• Balance and Motion• Solids and Liquids• Insects

We use The Great Body Shop for our health curriculum. Each month has a different focus that students will study, as well as a newsletter that is sent home.

Social StudiesIn Social Studies we focus on these strands:

• Past and Present• Local Communities• Communities Around the World• Citizenship

Planners& Book Bags

• Our planners are 3-ring binder that hold important papers and planners that will have the day’s homework written in it.– Planners should be signed each night after your

child completes his/her homework.

• Book bags may come home with some students and will contain a book that your child should practice reading for homework that night.

• Planners and Book Bags MUST come back to school EVERYDAY!

Homework• This year your child will have homework consisting of:

– Spelling (Monday through Thursday)– 20 Minutes of Reading (daily)– Math (most days)– Writing (weekly)– Miscellaneous (occasionally)

• Spelling words will be sent home on Mondays. Students will have homework choices related to their spelling each night and will be tested on their words on Fridays.

• Weekend journals will go home on Thursdays and are due back on Monday. Students are to write about an experience that they have had over the weekend.

• Math Home Links will be coming home 3-5 times a week. They are to be completed and returned the following morning.

*** If homework is not completed, your child will have to communicate with you why it is not done. He/she will have to

do unfinished homework during recess or break time. ***

Reading HomeworkThe more time spent reading, the better reader

students will become!

•Students are expected to be reading at least 20 minutes every day (including weekend days!) for a total of 140 minutes each week.

– Most of the time students should be the readers, but being read to can also be counted towards time spent reading!

•To track time spent reading, a monthly reading log will be place in your student’s planner. The logs should be filled out nightly and turned in at the end of the month.

– I understand that life can get busy and occasionally reading might get missed. Please add missed reading time to other days within the week to make up for a missed day.

Reading Rewards

• Book It!– This is Pizza Hut’s incentive for students to

spend more time reading. A certificate for a personal pan pizza is rewarded to students that read 140 minutes per week. If your child does not meet this standard, they will not receive the certificate.

• Reading Party– February is “I Love to Read” month and there

will be an AWESOME party held after school by invite only.

– Invites are given to students who have met the weekly reading goals and turned in ALL of their monthly reading logs.

Lunch and Recess• Culinary Express uses a prepayment system

for lunch payment. Students must have funds in their accounts in order to purchase a lunch or ala-carte items.– Students with insufficient funds will be given a

peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a carton of milk daily until their account is brought back to a positive balance.

• Students have 20 minutes of recess after lunch every day.– Make sure to dress your child accordingly to the

weather.

Lunch Accounts

• There are several ways to check the amount of funds available in your student's account.

– Watch for a red stamp on their hand (usually a smiley face). This is done when they have three lunches or approximately $6 left in their account.

– Call the district Community Ed/Culinary Express payment hotline at 763-449-6000 or directly to Culinary Express at 763-449-6003. You will need to enter the student's six-digit ID number and their keypad/PIN. If you need to make a payment, you can continue on the system by following the prompts.

– Internet payment at PayPams.com 

– Call the manager at the school site to ask what your student's balance is. Our number at Sunset Hill is 763-745-5900.

Snack

• We have snack every afternoon. Please send a HEALTHY snack to keep your child focused for the afternoon.– Healthy Snack Examples: fruit, veggies,

crackers, string cheese, granola bars, etc.– Water is the only drink allowed in the

classroom. We have a drinking fountain in the room, but feel free to send a water bottle with your child.

Weekly Newsletter• Look for a weekly newsletter on Thursdays in your

student’s binder.

• You can also find the newsletter on my website http://www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/Janelle.Barr.

• I am still learning the new website’s capabilities and I am hoping to send out an “e-alert” to my website subscribers when newsletters are posted.

Web Page

Please take a minute to visit Wayzata’s new website at

www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/sunsethill/On it, you will find:• Important school information• A link to my website

– Class pictures– Weekly Newsletter

Classroom CommunityHave You Filled a Bucket Today?:• This book we be our character education

model. The book shares that when you are kind you fill others’ buckets and your own. When you are unkind you dip others’ buckets as well as yours too.

Behavior Management:• We will be using a clip chart to recognize

desired behaviors as well as to help reduce negative behaviors. Students will start every day on “Ready to Learn” and will move their clip according to their behavior.

Think it Out Loud

A “Think it Out Loud” slip is a behavioral reflection about the choices students make and how they can focus on making better choices.

If your child brings one home…* Please discuss it with your child*Sign it*Send it back to school the NEXT day

All-Star of the Week

As the All-Star of the Week, your child will be sharing information about him/herself for us to get to know him/her better.•Monday – Star of the Week poster•Tuesday – favorite picture book•Wednesday – special talent•Thursday – 2-3 pictures•Friday – Compli”mat” from classmates

Birthdays

We have 22 kids in our classroom. If you choose to share birthday treats, they must be store bought. Please feel free to come in and celebrate or just send the snack in with your child. Please arrange your student’s birthday celebration with me ahead of time.

VolunteersWe LOVE and NEED volunteers in the classroom. This is a team effort! Please contact us if you want to help out in any way. I also encourage popping in if you find that you have some spare time to help.

Some ways you can help out are:• Be a hallway reader in the morning• Be a spelling assistant• Be a Book Nook reader in the afternoon• Be a room parent and help to coordinate class

parties • Be a volunteer for one of our class parties• Be a Partners in Art volunteer• Be a math flash card helper• Help to chaperone a field trip

Field Trips

We will be taking 2 field trips this year.

• The Plymouth Historical Society • The Minnesota Zoo

Both trips are a lot of fun and we encourage parents to join in the learning with us!

Conference ChangesConferences have been changed:– Dates:

•October 11th, 13th, 18th from 4:00-8:20pm

•February 23rd, 28th, and March 1st from 4:00-8:20pm

– Scheduling:•Online scheduling will take effect this year. See website for more details!

Information Update

Did you receive a “Call Out” on Monday night?

Have you registered on the new website?

Have you registered with our classroom for e-alerts?

Call 763-745-5100 to inquire about receiving a website account number if you have not received

one.

Communication

Please don't hesitate to call if you have any questions or concerns.  Open communication is the key to a great educational experience for parents,

teachers and most importantly KIDS. 

You can reach me by email at:janelle.barr@wayzata.k12.mn.us

I can be reached by phone at:763-745-5966

THANK YOU for taking the time to learn about what is happening in room 9! I’m looking forward to a

great year! I hope to see you at school!

Janelle Barr