Arrival and Dismissal• Second graders arriving before 7:40 a.m. must wait in the cafeteria

or assigned room.

• Teachers will meet the students in the cafeteria to walk them to their classrooms.

• Students are tardy after 7:50 a.m.

• Students are dismissed at 2:50 p.m.– Please make sure to have your child’s car tag displayed when picking-up

in the dismissal line. This will help us get your child to you as quickly as possible.

• PLEASE SEND A NOTE OR CALL THE OFFICE IF THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE DISMISSAL PLAN IN PLACE FOR YOUR CHILD!– There is no guarantee teachers will be able to check phones

messages/email during the school day, so please call the office if dismissal plans change.

• Please go to the office to sign out and pick up your child before 2:50.– Please try to avoid checking out your child early too often, because they

are missing critical learning time.

Buses• The district has very strict guidelines about bus transportation.  When a

student needs to ride a different bus than usual, the parent must send an email or write a note.  Ms. Davis must approve the change in bus transportation but will only give approval in emergency situations.  If the change is not an emergency, the parents will be called to make other transportation arrangements that day.  Students who are not eligible for bus transportation will not be allowed to ride the bus at any time.  

• When students are seriously disruptive on the bus, or in the bus line at dismissal, they are at risk of losing bus transportation privileges. (For examples of serious disruptions on the bus, parents may refer to pages 37 and 38 in the Elementary Student Handbook accessible online)   After three infractions, a student  will be referred to the Robertson Discipline Committee.  A possible consequence for such behavior may be suspension from riding the bus for a semester.  After a total of 4 infractions, the student may lose bus privileges for the rest of the year.   

 

Attendance and Tardies• Parents should call the office if their child is going to be

absent.  If they don’t,  the school will call them.  We must have the reason for the absence in writing no matter what.  The parent can email Ms. Charles (charlemi@friscoisd.org) that day, or send a note when the child returns to school. – If you email Ms. Charles, please copy the classroom teachers as well,

and vice versa.

• A written notice must be provided upon student’s return or within three school days. The phone call is just to let us know that the child is absent and is not sufficient to excuse the absence. 

• Tardies are never excused.    

Attendance Issues• We will send two letters when there are attendance issues: 

one goes home with the student, the other is mailed to the home.

– Parents will receive attendance letters/phone calls notifying  when their child has accumulated 5 tardies, unexcused absences, or a combination of both. 

– After 8 and 10, Mrs. Davis will call the parent and send them letters. 

– After 10, students will be placed on an attendance contract.  The contract will require that all future absences be accompanied by a verified doctor’s note or the student must be evaluated by Robertson’s school nurse and sent home by her. Parental notes will no longer be accepted by the campus. This is the last intervention prior to filing truancy charges.

90% Attendance Rule• Senate Bill 25.092 states that in order for a child to be

promoted to the next grade, the student must attend at least 90% of the days that school is in session. School is in session 176 days, so 18 days of combined excused and unexcused absences is the limit before the policy below is implemented.

• If your child misses more than 10% of the school year (18 days), Robertson Elementary will convene an Attendance Committee, comprised of the principal or his/her designee, the counselor, and your child’s teacher to review your child’s progress this year and determine grade placement for him/her the next year. The principal will inform you in writing of the Committee’s determination within five working days of the meeting.

Recess/Lunch• Recess will be in-doors if the air temperature is above 94 degrees (F) or the heat index is at/or above 100 degrees (F). We will also stay inside on days when the ozone level is designated as red by the weather service.

• Prepay for school meals on-line www.friscoisd.org

• Second Grade lunch time is 11:20 – 11:50

• We do ask that visitors please follow the request of the teachers doing cafeteria duty while eating lunch with your child. We need to keep student voice levels manageable.– There are tables labeled in the cafeteria for students to sit with their guest.

• Guests may bring food in for their own child, but they cannot bring food for another child or allow their child to share food with any other child (this is a federal law).

• Please make sure not to sit/place food down on our Peanut Free Table, as this is reserved for students with peanut allergies.

• Treats must be left in the front office – they may not be brought down to the room before 2:00.

• Treats need to be store-bought due to federal food regulations we must follow.

• Due to our schedule, the time allowed for birthday celebrations is very short, so it’s a quick celebration not a big party.

• If you’d rather not send cupcakes, you can send stickers, pencils, cookies, etc. for your child to hand out instead.

• Students may only handout party invitations at school if every child in the classroom is invited.

PartiesParties• We will have three parties

throughout the year.–Winter– Valentine’s Day– End of Year

• This year, we will be asking for $5 for each party.

Homework• Homework will consist of Spelling Homework and Reading

each night. As we learn new skills, we may send home other assignments such as math, handwriting, science, etc.

• Guided reading assignments should be completed each night as directed by your child’s teacher. Please ask your child if they have a "Baggie Book" reading assignment each night. – ‘Baggie Book” reading assignments may count towards your child’s

nightly reading time.– Students may choose a book of their choice to read if they don’t have or

already completed their “baggie Book” assignment.

• Students should practice addition and subtraction facts regularly to build their math fact fluency.

Thursday Folders• Folders will be sent home on

Thursdays.

• Please take out the work/papers and keep them at home.– This year, if you have more than one student in the school, you

will only receive district/school notes in the folder belonging to your youngest child.

– Any grade level notes will be sent home with all students.

• Please return the folders on Friday.

Planners• Planners will be sent home every night.

– Students will be writing important notes and reminders in their planners.

– Teachers will be using planners to communicate with parents.

• Please initial the planner each night in the space beside signature.

• We will also be recording reading minutes on the calendar pages at the front of the planner. So be sure to sign in both places.

• Students are expected to bring their planners back and forth from school to home each day!

The Workshop Framework• Reading, Writing and Math will be

taught this year using The Workshop Framework.

• Mini-Lesson• Independent Work–Teacher Table Time–Station Work

• Share Time

• Narrative and informational texts

• Guided Reading– Children will be reading books based on their own

levels.– This level is based on on-going assessments.

• Comprehension is our focus– In First Grade, your child was still learning to read.– In Second Grade, they transition to reading to

learn.

Language Arts• Includes Spelling, Writing, and Grammar

– Spelling words will come home Monday• Pre-test given on Monday (Tuesday if school is not in session on Monday) and test on Friday

– If a student scores a 100% on the pre-test, they will be given challenge words for their Friday test.– If a student misses one word on the pre-test, they will be given the challenge words as well as the word they missed for their Friday test.– The first 6 words on each list are high-frequency words that students are expected to know how to spell at the end of Second Grade and will be reviewed/assessed throughout the year.

– Writer’s Workshop• Writing process• Six Traits of Writing• Write From the Beginning

Handwriting• This year students will learn a new form

of handwriting using the program “Handwriting without Tears.”

– This developmentally appropriate program uses hands-on, multisensory techniques to teach letter formation, legibility, and proper sentence spacing. Automaticity (fluency) in handwriting is critically important. Just as fluency in reading positively impacts reading comprehension, fluency in writing positively impacts writing composition. (Steve Graham, Vanderbilt University,1996)

Social StudiesSocial Studies• Themes for the year– Our Local Community (Past to Present)– Government and Citizenship– Our Countries History– Working Together– Our Environment

• Social Studies will be integrated into the Reading block.

• A manipulative based math program

• Calendar math

• Problem solving

• Math Differentiation– Small group instruction

• Hands on activities

• Developing research and reporting skills

• Science Journals

Thinking Maps• Eight Visual

patterns based on a fundamental thinking process

• Can be used individually and in combination across grade levels and curriculum areas

Grades• This is the first year in elementary school that your

child will receive numbered grades– 100-90 A– 89-80 B– 79-70 C

• Below 70 is failing– When a student receives a 70 or below on a daily assignment, they will receive

additional instruction on the concept covered, and given one chance to correct their mistakes.• The maximum grade on a corrected assignment is a 70. • The corrections will be done at school.

• Report Cards come out every nine weeks– Progress Reports are sent home halfway through each nine weeks grading

period.

Behavior Expectations• Robertson Elementary School Wide Rules

– Respect Yourself– Respect Others– Respect Robertson

• Teachers will communicate with parents any difficulty with behavior and/or work skills through the use of the student planners, emails, and phone calls.

Classroom Consequences• Positive

Consequences– Note/call to parents– Fun Friday– Positive Office Referrals – Recognition at

Robertson Roundup– Treasure box– Extra privileges as

decided by each teacher

• Negative Consequences– Warnings– Think Track– Planner signing– Logical consequences as

decided by each teacher– Note/Phones call to parents– Redirection– Office Referral– Study Hall

• Will be used in academic situations only – missing assignments/work not turned in

Communication• School Phone Number

– 469-633-3680

• Email– Mrs. Cummings: CummingK@friscoisd.org – Miss Cizdziel: CizdzieJ@friscoisd.org – Ms. Giesbrecht: GiesbreJ@friscoisd.org– Ms. Lovett: LovettL@friscoisd.org– Ms. Matt: MattC@friscoisd.org – Ms. Smith: SmithTe@friscoisd.org– Ms. Charles (Attendance Clerk): charlemi@friscoisd.org

• Websites– www.friscoisd.org– http://www.friscoisd.org/schools/elementary/robertson/– http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/

Robertson_2nd/

October 10 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

by appointment