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    USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CLASS 

    Snacks

    You should send in a healthy snack and a bottle of water daily. As we do not eat lunch until close to 12:15pm, we will be having snack in the morning. The exact time will vary depending on our schedule for that day.  Please provide your child with a healthy, no/low sugar snack daily. If you will be sending in a drink, it should be PLAIN water, no juice in it. We have our snack at our desks and spilled juice makes a big mess.  We do have a water fountain in the classroom too. You may keep extra snacks and small water bottles in your child's cubby, that won’t go bad.  School policy prevents me from providing any food to your child if a snack is forgotten and there is a no sharing food policy in place as well.  So, get your child involved in the morning snack packing up routine so that your child will have something to eat. 

    Some examples of healthy snacks allowed in the morning are buttered rolls, pretzels, different kinds of chips, fruit, yogurt, cheese/crackers, veggies, few pieces of lunchmeat and crackers, popcorn, humus, no sugar added applesauce, or anything else that doesn’t list sugar high on the ingredient list. (Other treats with sugar can be brought in as part of your child's lunch.)  Sugary cereals, cereal bars and most granola bars with candy in them are NOT permitted.  Chocolate as an ingredient is not permitted. Ms. Quinn is strict with the healthy morning snack rule, so please plan accordingly. This snack is meant to take away the distraction of being hungry so that your child's body and mind can focus on learning.  Big snacks, or those high in sugar, will make your child feel full at lunchtime and often interfere with your child eating their lunch, thus causing them to become hungry in the afternoon.

    Lunch and Recess

    If your child is planning to buy lunch please place the lunch money in an envelope or baggie labeled with your child’s FirST AND LAST name.  The money is sent to the office first thing every morning. You can pay for 1 lunch at a time or pay ahead for a week, or more. Further information will be sent home to you about pricing, lunch tickets and the menu.  Your child will go outside, weather permitting, each day for recess.  Please make sure that he/she is dressed appropriately for outdoor play, including appropriate footwear.

    Homework

    Homework is a way for students to further practice the skills that they have learned.  Homework will be assigned every day – there is usually reading on Fridays.  Your child will learn how to write down their HW assignments in a HW Agenda pad each day and will be taught how to check off the completed jobs. Parents will begin the year signing the HW pads daily. Important information is also listed in these Assignment Pads.  I sometimes will jot a parent note in it and parents can communicate with me via this HW pad as well. Please be sure to check your child’s HW pad every day and assist them in learning how to check off their completed jobs and then pack up their HW and things that have to be brought in to school.  PLEASE DO NOT PACK-UP FOR YOUR CHILD. Your child needs to learn how to be independent with this task. You can guide, monitor, check, follow them around, make them a checklist to follow, etc., but don't actually do the job. I do not pack-up your child in school so children who do not practice this independence at home will be the ones who may struggle with these tasks here in class.  If your child forgets their HW, I will give them an extra day to return it. If the student forgets it a 2nd time, he/she will receive a "late notice reminder" which will serve as a reminder and also alert the parents that something is due back to school.

    Arrival/Dismissal

    You may email or send in notes regarding dismissal changes in advance.  However, if your child needs a change in his/her dismissal schedule during the same school day, please call the office – NOT EMAIL.  Sometimes the technology is down or a substitute is covering me – which means your email won’t be received on time.   EVERY CHILD SHOULD HAVE A NOTE STATING HOW THEY WILL BE GOING HOME DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL. (Please click on the FORMS link on the HOME WEBPAGE to download the dismissal note that you can easily fill out and send in.) I will verify the information you send me with what the office gives me, so that all children return home safely.

    Birthdays

    If you wish, you may send in NONFOOD items on or around your child’s birthday.  Cupcakes and treats are not permitted. Also, we cannot send home birthday invitations unless the whole class is invited. We will celebrate summer birthdays in June.  birthday kids are asked to kindly contribute 1 box of tissues and 1 container of wipes during their birthday month.  Summer birthdays can send theirs in September.

    Parent Volunteers

    We have a wonderful star student program in our classroom. Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles etc. are invited into our classroom to either read a book to the class or engage the students in another interesting way – art project, experiment, share a culture/vacation/adventure/job or another interesting activity.  More information about this program will be sent home as the year begins.  Mill Lake School also has a fabulous P.T.O. and I encourage you to become active in this organization.

     Reading with your child

    We will be doing a lot of reading at school, but reading at home is very important.   It is extremely important that we work together to bring out your child's best reading potential!  Reading to your child or reading along with your child will benefit them unbelievably.    Our class will participate in the BOOK-IT Reading incentive program, sponsored by Pizza Hut, and the READ TO SUCCEED Program, sponsored by Great Adventure.  For these activities, your child must be the person doing the reading.

    Behavior

    Our classroom will “run” on a fun and engaging ticket system that allows children to learn through practical and natural rewards and consequences. The tickets hold the same value as our real coins do, making it an easy transition into our math money unit!  If your child comes home delighted for earning tickets, the behavior modification system is working!  If your child comes home upset for not earning a ticket as a consequence, the behavior modification system is working!  If your child comes home in the first few days/weeks of school and tells you that they didn't earn their weekly tickets, please rest assured that I am in the process of guiding your child to more appropriate 2nd grade behaviors and work habits. Assure your child that everything will work out in time.  More information about our ticket system will be given out at Back-To-School-Night.

     Communication

    I believe that communication and cooperation between home and school is extremely important. Please be sure to check your child’s folder and HW pad daily for notes from school, homework, work samples, notices, etc.  If you would like to ask me a question or contact me for any reason,  send a note in with your child, call and leave a message at Mill Lake School 732-251-5336, or reach me via email dshea@monroe.k12.nj.us. I do check my email often during the summer and several times during the day once school begins.  * Please return the email address form that can be downloaded from the Home Webpage.

    Parent Input

    Because your input is valuable and meaningful to me, I have a parent questionnaire on the HOME WEBPAGE that you can download and fill out. Please return this to me asap please.  I know together we can provide each other with insights to ensure that your child’s second grade experience is productive, exciting and challenging. 

                Sincerely,

                Mrs. Shea

          Email:  dshea@monroe.k12.nj.us