• You are welcome to sign up for the parent volunteer opportunities on the back table.

• Please sign the e-mail permission slip on your child’s desk and return to the back table.

• Also, please fill out the Parent Questionnaire sheet and return at your earliest convenience.

• We will start the presentation shortly.

Back-To-School-NightBack-To-School-Night

Mrs. Nancy TietgenMrs. Nancy Tietgen

Manchester Park ElementaryManchester Park Elementary

As you all know, I am Mrs. Nancy Tietgen. This is my 5th year teaching second grade at Manchester Park Elementary. Before coming to MPE, I taught 12 years in Lincoln, NE and 10 years at Prairie Center in Olathe.

My husband and I have 2 children and 4 grandchildren. We are neighbors to many of you as we live in Falcon Ridge Villas.

I am starting to get to know your children, and I think that this will be a great year. I am looking forward to all the new learning that will be happening for all of us. Second grade is an exciting year where we cover lots of different topics.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call and leave a message at the school, write me a note, or e-mail me at ntietgenmp@olatheschools.com I will respond to you as quickly as possible.

Welcome

• My goal is to create a fun, positive, flexible, risk-free, and safe learning environment. I want my students to gain as much knowledge as possible.

• Students will expand their knowledge as we delve into longer and more challenging texts.

• Students will participate in small reading groups as well as class instruction through our Harcourt Reading series.

• Through our Harcourt reading stories, students will be taking an open book reading test every Thursday.

• Some of the reading components we will focus on in second grade are:• Making predictions• Summarizing• Reading with fluency• Vocabulary development• Identifying story elements (main idea,

characters, setting, problem, solution, etc...)• Information skills

• Drop Everything and Read or DEAR will happen everyday.

• This is where students can read books of their choosing.

• Cyclic Review• Mental Math Games• Problem Solving (Problem of the Day)• Focus Lessons

– Addition & Subtraction with and without regrouping

– Counting Money – Shapes– Measurement (including time)– Fractions– Estimation– Patterns and Functions– Number Sense– Introduction to Multiplication and

Division

• Students will study:• Communities• Maps and Globes• American Symbols• Economics• Famous People • Early Settlements

– Weather– Nutrition and Dental

Health– Seeds and Plants– Matter– Birds– Sound– Soil, Rocks, and Fossils

• Spelling tests will include 18 words and 2 dictation sentences.

• Pre-Tests will be on Friday. If students miss 2 or less words on the pretest they will receive 5 challenge words for the posttest.

• Spelling Posttests will be on Thursday.• Spellingcity.com is a great resource to use for

practicing those spelling words. Just log on to my name and students can practice the list words.

• Besides spelling test grades, I will look for words being used in their everyday writing. The high frequency words need to be written correctly each time your student write.

• Correct form of letters in writing is expected.

• Writer’s Workshop– The Writing Process– Mini-Lessons– Six-traits– Teacher/Peer Conferencing– Publishing– Sharing

Handwriting

We will be using the Zaner Bloser style of writing in second grade this year. In September we will begin cursive.Students are expected to form all letters correctly using the Zaner Bloser style in their writing.

• Students will have jobs in the classroom.

• Conversation logs will be sent home every evening and should be initialed and returned the next morning.

• Homework slips will be sent home every Monday. These need to be checked, signed, and returned the following Monday.

Responsibilities

• Homework is usually limited to 20 minutes of reading a night, studying spelling words, and studying math facts. These are district-wide adopted guidelines.

• Occasionally, work may be sent with your child to complete at home. • Students will also be completing 2-3 book projects this year. With each project

the student will take on more and more responsibility. Information regarding book projects will be sent home as the time for completing them gets closer.

• All homework will be review or practice and needs to be completed by the student!

I use a “Positive Reinforcement” system to encourage students to make good decisions.

There will be times that a student needs some encouragement to make better decisions, while I normally use verbal reminders to get that student back on track, I will also use “Timberwolves on Track” sheets. These sheets are designed to help the students process the behavior they are choosing and the consequences of that behavior. These sheets can also be used for good behavior as well.

Parent Communication is another key component in my classroom management. I will do my best to keep you informed of how things are going in the classroom!!

Classroom Management

We have come up with 3 Class Agreements to live by in our room. They are:Be RespectfulBe Responsible Be Safe

Five Steps• Ignore

• Move Away• Ask to Stop

• Stand by and Adult• Tell an Adult

We have practice these steps to help us when someone

bothers us.

I feel that students should have skills to

cope with their peers.

When someone interferes with their learning they can

take charge and work through it.

• I use Cooperative Learning in my classroom because:– It promotes intrinsic motivation.– It increases academic awareness.– It enhances self-esteem among students– It focuses on teamwork instead of competition.– It prepares students for the real world where they learn

about individual differences.– It decreases dependency on the teacher.– It’s Fun!

Cooperative Learning

• There will be a meeting every other week.• During class meetings, students give

compliments, issue complaints, and give recommendations for how to solve the situation. We will also talk about upcoming events.

• Class meetings help to build a class community that is much more willing to be a team. It also teaches students to problem solve some of their “everyday issues” here in the classroom.

• Students may bring a fresh fruit or vegetable for snack.

• This will be eaten in the afternoon.• Students may also bring in water bottles

when used in a responsible manner.

• Birthday celebrations are fun for the students, but please e-mail me a few days in advance what you will be sending in. If you are bringing in treats, we usually have them sometime in the afternoon. Parents in 2nd grade don’t attend.

• If you send in anything that needs to be cut, please provide a knife or have it cut already. (THANKS)!

Plastic baggies (gallon,quart, sandwich, and snack size)

Small paper platesLysol Spray

Colored Xerox Paper (red, blue, purple, pastels, etc.)Hand SanitizerPost-It Notes

Colored File Folders

Needs for the Classroom

Mrs. Tietgen’s Class Website

https://teachers.olatheschools.com/ntietgenmp/

•Don’t forget to return the email permission slip and parent

questionnaire.

• ANY QUESTIONS?????