This is the place for parents to come to talk about their questions they may have about upcoming topics that are going on within the classroom and/or school. Please feel free to contact the school or email the teachers with any questions you may have.
School Trips
Here at St. John's Elementary we feel that trips are a great way to motivate and interest students in learning. Students are motivated and interested about a topic being taught when teachers plan an educational trip regarding what was taught in class. All letters regarding school trips will be sent home. Parents are asked to read over the trip information and sign the slip with the fee that is asked to give by the due date. Chaperones are encouraged to attend!
School Fundraising
Fundraising is an important part in keeping our school alive. We will have different school fundraisers throughout the school year in order to reach our goals. We work with http://www.school-fundraisers.com/custom-fundraiser/index.html in order to make our school fundraising successful. Please feel free to visit this site in order to become familiar with these events.
Grading Policy Your second graders are being graded on their homework, classwork, class participation, quizzes, projects, and tests. Although you may feel at times your child is having difficulty with a project or homework, if for some reason they are unable to complete the task on their own, or mostly by themselves, please email or call one of the teachers so that we can help your child with that assignment and possibly re-instruct the base lesson. Homework...10% Classwork...10% Class Participation...10% Quizzes...20% Projects...25% Tests....25%
Total 100%
Test Schedule
Students are required to take the New York State Examination Tests. All the information regarding examination schedules can be found on these websites: State AssessmentExamination ScheduleNYS English as a Second Language TestsNew York State Alternate Assessment In class tests are given after a unit of study is completed. However, every week students will take a spelling test in which words will be given every Monday for students to learn the spelling and the definition of each word for Friday's test.
Parent-teacher conference sign-up
Parent-teacher conferences have historically been a scheduled annual event, where parent meets with a teacher and the teacher informs the parent of the child's progress. More recently, research has shown that parent involvement has a significant influence on student performance. The new focus is toward promoting a partnership between parents and teachers, where there is a cooperative relationship between the two parties working together to help the child achieve success.
There will be two parent teacher conferences which will be held in November and April. Information will be sent home prior to that date to sign up.
Homework assignments Please check students homeowork pad when they arrive home. Students will be told to write down their homework in their homework pad everyday. If you notice your child is not writing down any homework please email their teachers in regards to this.
Here are general Homework Tips for Parents
Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework.
Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.
Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary, are available.
Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.
Help your child with time management.
Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.
Be positive about homework.
Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.
When your child does homework, you do homework.
Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you do as an adult. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook.
When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers.
Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her.
When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it.
Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher.
If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away.
Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong skills.
Stay informed.
Talk with your child's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child's class rules are.
Help your child figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework.
Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in.
Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration.
Let your child take a short break if she is having trouble keeping her mind on an assignment.
Reward progress in homework.
If your child has been successful in homework completion and is working hard, celebrate that success with a special event (e.g., pizza, a walk, a trip to the park) to reinforce the positive effort.
St. John's Elementary Parent Page
This is the place for parents to come to talk about their questions they may have about upcoming topics that are going on within the classroom and/or school. Please feel free to contact the school or email the teachers with any questions you may have.
School Trips
Here at St. John's Elementary we feel that trips are a great way to motivate and interest students in learning. Students are motivated and interested about a topic being taught when teachers plan an educational trip regarding what was taught in class. All letters regarding school trips will be sent home. Parents are asked to read over the trip information and sign the slip with the fee that is asked to give by the due date. Chaperones are encouraged to attend!
School Fundraising
Fundraising is an important part in keeping our school alive. We will have different school fundraisers throughout the school year in order to reach our goals. We work with http://www.school-fundraisers.com/custom-fundraiser/index.html in order to make our school fundraising successful. Please feel free to visit this site in order to become familiar with these events.
Grading Policy
Your second graders are being graded on their homework, classwork, class participation, quizzes, projects, and tests. Although you may feel at times your child is having difficulty with a project or homework, if for some reason they are unable to complete the task on their own, or mostly by themselves, please email or call one of the teachers so that we can help your child with that assignment and possibly re-instruct the base lesson.
Homework...10%
Classwork...10%
Class Participation...10%
Quizzes...20%
Projects...25%
Tests....25%
Total 100%
Test Schedule
Students are required to take the New York State Examination Tests. All the information regarding examination schedules can be found on these websites: State Assessment Examination Schedule NYS English as a Second Language Tests New York State Alternate AssessmentIn class tests are given after a unit of study is completed. However, every week students will take a spelling test in which words will be given every Monday for students to learn the spelling and the definition of each word for Friday's test.
Parent-teacher conference sign-up
Parent-teacher conferences have historically been a scheduled annual event, where parent meets with a teacher and the teacher informs the parent of the child's progress. More recently, research has shown that parent involvement has a significant influence on student performance. The new focus is toward promoting a partnership between parents and teachers, where there is a cooperative relationship between the two parties working together to help the child achieve success.
There will be two parent teacher conferences which will be held in November and April. Information will be sent home prior to that date to sign up.
Homework assignmentsPlease check students homeowork pad when they arrive home. Students will be told to write down their homework in their homework pad everyday. If you notice your child is not writing down any homework please email their teachers in regards to this.
Here are general Homework Tips for Parents
Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.
Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.
Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.
Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.
Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you do as an adult. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook.
Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her.
Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher.
Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong skills.
Talk with your child's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child's class rules are.
Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in.
Let your child take a short break if she is having trouble keeping her mind on an assignment.
If your child has been successful in homework completion and is working hard, celebrate that success with a special event (e.g., pizza, a walk, a trip to the park) to reinforce the positive effort.