Welcome to 2ndgrade!!
My name is Mrs. Jennifer Berry and I will be your child’s 2nd grade teacher at Levi Milton Elementary for the 2022-2023 school year!! I am 46 years old, married to my husband Rick for 23 years, and a proud mom to three LSU students- Parker (21), Peyton (20) and Paxton (18). I graduated from LSU with a Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 1998 and was certified to teach elementary grades Pre-K thru 5th at Louisiana Resource Center for Educators in 2007. I then earned my Masters in Education specializing in Education Leadership from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2017. This will be my 16th year to teach. I taught 15 years in 1st grade and this is my first year to teach 2nd grade. I feel like I have a very good understanding of where our 1st graders ended last year, so I will be very familiar with their abilities starting their 2nd grade year. Some other interesting tidbits of info about me… I enjoy traveling, reading, and spending time with my family. I also love to go to the movies! I grew up in Walker, graduated from Walker High School, and attend Revival Temple church.
I am very excited to have your child in my class this year!!! You will be amazed by the academic growth you will observe throughout the year. There are so many wonderful things to learn in 2nd grade. It’s a big job for the student, the parent(s), and the teacher. Together, we will all learn so much. I look forward to working with you as a team to make your child successful in second grade.
The following information may be helpful to you regarding our class and its routines.
****You may put a bottle of WATER in your child’s book sack for hydration.
****You may also put a light jacket in their book sack due to the A/C (I keep it pretty cold…especially those sitting close to the unit)
Daily Schedule
Attached in this packet!!
School Fees and Supplies
Second grade fees are $40.00. This fee pays for workbooks, art and school supplies, and includes a 2nd Grade t-shirt that will be ordered soon. All school fees are now paid online. No cash or checks will be accepted. Contact the office for instructions. ALL of the supply fee must be paid to participate in the first field trip and to purchase other items such as smoothies and free dress days.
Folders
A RED homework folder will be sent home every day, along with a YELLOW folder with completed work. Every Monday, a newsletter will be placed in the left side of the red folder. This newsletter will let you know what we are doing in each subject for the week. It will also contain announcements about events that are happening at school and the skills for the week, as well as the spelling words. The right side of the folder will contain any important notes or things that must be signed. I will begin sending Math practice home once or twice per week. It will be placed in the red folder as well and should be completed that week to reinforce the skill being taught. It is not necessary to send it back. You may complete any homework pages sent home at your own pace. I will communicate when assessments will be given in each subject.
On Wednesdays, or Thursdays, every week, your child will bring home his/her GREEN, graded papers folder. This folder will contain all the grades from the tests that were taken in class the previous week. Please look over these papers with your child and keep these papers at home. The left pocket of the folder has a form for you to sign letting me know that you have received your child’s graded papers. You may also write comments if you so please. Be sure to return the folder the next school day.
Discipline Plan/Behavior Notes
Our classroom behavior plan is based on a color system. A thorough explanation of the discipline plan for my classroom is attached to this note. Communication regarding your child’s (negative OR positive) behavior will be recorded in a student planner. Your child will be responsible for coloring his/her behavior for the day –(White=Wonderful Wildcat), (Green=Ready to Learn/Great Day ), (Yellow= Slow Down/First Warning), (Blue= Think About It/Second Warning), (Orange= Recess is Lost for the day), (Pink=A second day of recess is lost ), and (Red= office visit/Parent Conference by phone or in person). No news is good news! If your child does not receive a behavior note, all was well! Sometimes the students forget to color their behavior if they stay on green! Everyone will start on green every day. Your child will have the chance to move up the behavior ladder to white. This means that your child has gone above and beyond on his/her behavior! This will merit a reward such as Kitty Bucks, Treasure Chest prizes and free computer time.
Absences
Please read the section on Attendance in the school handbook. Most tests are given on Friday, so please make every effort for your child to attend school on these days unless there is an illness. Make up tests are sometimes difficult to schedule and give in a timely manner.
Class Parties
A letter will be sent home approximately two weeks before the party. You will be given an opportunity to sign up to help at the party and donate refreshments.
Library
Second graders visit the school library one time each week. They will check out a single book each week at their designated time. Encourage your child to share his/her books with you. Please help your child remember to return his/her library books as they will not be allowed to check out a book if their original book has not been returned.
Field Trips
Normally, we take two field trips in second grade (fall and spring). A note will be sent home four to six weeks before the trip. All school fees must be paid in full for a child to attend a field trip.
Snacks
You are welcomed to send a snack with your child each day to be enjoyed at recess. We only have 15 minutes for recess so the snack should only be enough to be able to be consumed in a short period of time.
You are also welcome to send snacks for the whole class if you would like to share!!! Things such as cheese crackers, animal crackers, fruit snacks, etc. Please send enough for 26 students. All snacks MUST BE store bought now. We cannot accept homemade snacks any longer. Due to many allergies, we must be able to read the label from the store for the protection of all students.
In Conclusion…
I look forward to working with you and your child this year. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me at school
(664-9711) to leave a message. You can also email me at [email protected]. Communication is key!
Lastly, PLEASE sign up for the REMIND app on your smartphone to receive class texts. We will be able to communicate back and forth on this app and all of our conversations will be documented. This is a GREAT, easy, and quick way to get up to date announcements. See details in this packet.
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to get to know your child this school year!
Your child’s 2nd grade teacher,
Mrs. Berry