Every morning, the students bring in their B.E.E. Binder, with BEE standing for "Bring Everything Everyday" It's our central communication station, all in one neat package!
In the front are a series of page protector sheets with different pages of information for the parents to use. Please read and keep these pages in the binder to look back to, as the year goes on. The first page explains what a B.E.E. is.
In the second sleeve is a pull out explanation about how things can work smoothly with parents and teachers working together in the best way for the success of our little ones. Please take it out and read, but return it so that if you need to look at it again, it's right there at your fingertips.
The next page explains about 'brag tags' which will be given to the students for many reasons, increasing their excitement about learning, honouring their accomplishments, reminding them about important days of the year and recognizing their growth in character.
There are a number of pages about our home reading program and why it is so important.
It is the fifth part of our Daily Five program which is "Read to Someone."
It is important that the students take pride in their written work. Doing their best means that they work to be tidy so others can read their ideas. Making the letters correctly will help.
Here's a page to assist in those all important after school talks. Since coming to school is each students' job, they may not see the day as new and exciting, thus the answer to "What did you do at school today?" is often "Nothing!" So not true!! Try asking more specific questions and the answers will change! This page may help get those important conversations started.
This year the students will be using an agenda. Just a quick note that on our classroom blog, I work hard to keep the identity of my students private. That means that I will try my very, very best to ensure that their names do not appear. That's why the little green paper is hiding the name of the student who's binder this is.
Depending on the type of binder you purchased, there will be one of two different types of tabs to allow the students to quickly find the page that is for the week that we are currently in. Please keep the tabs in the agenda. I only get enough for the current class so I cannot replace any that are lost.
It would be sooooooo very helpful if each and every parent reads the day's note and signs that they have read it. Remember that I have all those binders to look at so I might not sign that I have read the note, but I do try to do so each morning. If you have a note for me to see, please let your child know. I ask each and every morning. Most of the time, your child will be writing in the agenda. This week, I made sticky labels for the important events for the first week of school.
At the back, I have included a plastic pouch for your convenience to return sheets that need to be signed, envelopes of money and information that I would like to share. Again, I purchased these so please recognize that I will not be able to replace them if your little one tears off the tab to close the pouch. I am encouraging them to be gentle.
Most weeks on Friday, I will be sending home a folder.
The folder is the one with the two pockets.
Pages that can be kept at home will be on the LEFT hand side of the folder. The work will help you see what we are doing in the classroom and will act as a way to guage your child's progress. The pages are also great discussion starters. For example, if you notice that 3 out of the 4 pages are not complete, the conversation might be about why the student was not able to finish their work.
On the RIGHT hand side of the folder will be pages that I would appreciate having back in the classroom on the next school day.
Hope this helps as you get used to a new way of doing things in Grade Two!
