2nd Grade News - Week 1

What an amazing beginning to the 2^nd grade year.  I am very happy to be teaching your child and look forward to a great year with your family.  I thought you may want to know a little about me since your child and I will be spending so much time together.  This is my 20^th year teaching for Portland Public Schools. I began my teaching career at Beach School where I taught K and 1^st for 13 years.  This is my 7^th year at Grout and my 3^rd year teaching 2^nd grade.  When I am not working hard in the classroom I am with my family.  My husband Rob and I have four children: Ian (26), Riley (23), Mia (16), and Delaney (15).  Mia and Delaney both love to dance.  Most of my free time is spent at dance competitions, performances, or driving carpool.

Paperwork:  If you have not sent back the paperwork sent home on the first day of school, please do so as soon as possible.

Specials: Your child will be attending Art on Thursday, Library on Tuesday, and PE on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Please make sure your child wears appropriate clothing and shoes on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday for P.E.

Family Picnic/Back to School Night: This is scheduled for Thursday, September 12th from 5:00 – 7:00 pm.  I look forward to meeting your family at this time and sharing what we have been busy doing the first few weeks of school. 

Homework:  A reading log, a math activity sheet, 2^nd Grade News, and notes will be sent home in student folders on Fridays. Folders and homework need to be returned by the following Wednesday.  Please read with your child daily and help them complete their reading log. 

This week’s homework is a little different then normal.  Each student in our class will have the opportunity to be the, “Star of the Week.”  This is an opportunity for the class to get to learn about your child’s interests, hobbies, and family.  Please help your child complete the All About Me poster included in their take home folder.  Instructions are attached to the poster.  This project will be due by September 12^th.

Snack: The school will be providing a fruit or vegetable snack everyday, beginning Tuesday, October 1^st.  2^nd grade has the last lunch of the day at 11:50 am. This is a long time to go without a little snack. I will be hanging a class snack sign-up outside the classroom door to ensure all students receive a snack each day before school snack begins. Great snack choices are apples, oranges, carrots, pretzels, Goldfish, crackers, granola bars, ect.  All snacks need to be store bought.  Please no treats, chips, or junk food of any kind.  We also have a lactose allergy in our room.  If each family could sign-up to bring snack for 23 students, 1 day it would really help!

Birthdays:  We will be celebrating September birthdays on Friday, September 27^th.  I’ll send more info home a week or so before the party with those students who have September birthdays.  Please do not send treats on the actual day of your child’s birthday.  We do not do individual parties.

Thanks,

Anjanette Hawksford

2nd Grade News - Welcome to Second Grade

Welcome to 2nd grade! My name is Anjanette Hawksford (ahawksford@pps.net) and I will be your child’s 2nd grade teacher. This is my 20th year teaching for Portland Public Schools and my 7th year at Grout Elementary. I’m very excited for the school year to begin. It is going to be a year full of learning and fun! Below I have included some school procedures and information about our classroom to help get the year off to a great start.

Breakfast: Supervised breakfast is served daily from 7:30 am – 7:50 am in the cafeteria. If your child is having breakfast at school please have them eat in the cafeteria during this time. You may enter the classroom between 7:50 - 8:00 am. Classroom learning begins promptly at 8:00 am.

After School Dismissal: Second – Fifth graders are dismissed at 2:15 from the classroom. Children riding the school bus and going to YMCA or SUN School will be dismissed first. Please fill out the attached after school pick-up form so I am able to get your child home safely.  If you need to pick your child up before the end of the school day you must first check them out through the office and then come to get them in the room.

Specials: Your child will be attending Art on Thursday, Library on Tuesday, and PE on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Please make sure your child wears appropriate clothing and shoes on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday for P.E.

Book Orders: Every few months I will be sending home book orders. This is a wonderful way for you to purchase inexpensive books for your child. Make sure that you return the book order or order online by the due date.

Personal Items from Home: Please do not send your child to school with personal items (ie. toys, lip gloss, trading cards, phones, etc.) from home. They are a distraction and often cause conflicts.

Birthdays: We celebrate birthdays on the last Friday of each month. August birthdays will be celebrated with the September birthdays. June and July birthdays will be celebrated the last Friday we have school in June. If your child has a birthday during the month they will receive a prize from the prize box. I will send a sign up sheet home for treats, fruit, and juice with students having a birthday that month. Please do not send treats on your child’s actual birthday.

Back to School Night: This is scheduled for Thursday, September 12th. I look forward to meeting your family at this time and sharing what we have been busy doing the first weeks of school.

Homework: A reading log, a math activity sheet, our class newsletter, and notes will be sent home in student folders on Fridays. Please send a full size backpack to school everyday. Make sure to remove all items from backpacks weekly. Folders and homework need to be returned by the following Wednesday. Please read with your child daily and help them complete their homework.

Paperwork:  Please turn in all of the attached paperwork by Friday. (Student Verification, Afterschool Pick-Up, Walking Field Trip Permission, Dental Sealants, Getting to Know Your Child)

Thanks,   

Mrs. Hawksford