Mr. Darren MacArthur-Second Grade Teacher
Contact Information: Best contact times at school:
Central Elementary (217) 593-7795 (M-F) 7:30-8:00 A.M. & 3:15-4:15
School e-mail: macarthurd@cusd3.com
Classroom Blog Page: http://dpmacarthur.blogspot.com
District website: www.cusd3.com
Lunch/Recess
Absence- Please notify the school before 9:00 giving the reason for your child’s absence. If you’d like homework sent home, please let the office know. I can send it with another student at CES or it can be picked up in the office.
Dismissal- If dismissal plans are different, please send a note or contact the office before 1:00.
2:40- Golden, High School, and Clayton rural route bus riders
2:50- Walkers/Students being picked up (West side of CES)
2:55- Clayton Shuttle
3:05- Coatsburg, Paloma, Columbus, Camp Point South, and Camp Point rural route bus riders
Medication- If your child will need to take any medication at school; an Administration of Medication form must be filled out and signed by a doctor. Forms are available in the office.
To Be Your Best:
o Be Safe
o Be Responsible
o Be Respectful
o Be Patient
o Be Powerful
Discipline- My management plan has positive student reinforcements for positive behavior and consequences for negative behavior. I use a “flip card” system to help student monitor their own behavior. All cards start the day with “Star Student”. When a negative behavior occurs, a card is flipped. Those students not flipping cards each day receive a ticket. Tickets are traded for items in our classroom store that encourage academic learning and fun. (Bonus reading time, books, free write journals, plastic figures, mini-erasers, pencils, stickers, eat lunch in the room, shoes off in the room etc.) Donations are always welcome. J
o 1st flip- Warnin
o 2nd flip- Lose 5 minutes of recess
o 3rd flip- Lose 10 minutes of recess
o 4th flip- Lose 15 minutes of recess and index card goes home for parent’s signature
Other rewards- tickets given to groups/students caught doing good, whole class rewards (special activities through compliments and behavior)
Grading Scale-
E= Excellent work for grade level
S= Satisfactory work for grade level
P= Progressing but working below grade level
N= Needs improvement/Unsatisfactory
Snacks- The students will have snacks with morning milk each day. When the cereal supply gets low, I will inform you through my newsletter to please send in another box or bag.
If a students snack drink account falls to far behind a letter will be sent home and students will be provided water at snack time.
Other, dry packaged snacks are welcome (Crackers cookies, dried fruit, cereal bars, etc.).
Birthdays- We will celebrate all birthdays at school. If your child’s birthday occurs during the weekend or while we’re not in school, we will celebrate it either the day before the weekend or on the day we come back. For those with summer birthdays, we will celebrate on their ½ birthdays. Your child may bring in special birthday treats, either homemade or store bought.
T-Shirts- We will be decorating the white T-Shirts throughout the school year. In November, we will make one t-shirt into a Native American garment. During our unit on space in the spring, we’ll decorate a shirt involving constellations. The third shirt has been used for our end of the year field trip and as a memory shirt for 2nd grade including a collection of signatures from classmates.
Star Student-Our class has a star student/leader/helper each day. I start at the beginning of the alphabet and continue in that order each day. On the day that your student is the leader, he/she may bring an item from home to show the class.
Weekly Newsletters- My classroom newsletters will come home on the last day of the week. They will inform you about what is going on in the subject areas and other events that are happening in our classroom and at the school.
Homework- In second grade, your child will have nightly reading assignments. This will involve a small guided reading book or a story from our classroom anthology. These reading assignments may be read independently, together with a parent, or by a parent. We will have weekly spelling tests so studying the word list at home is necessary. There will be no homework on weekends unless if reading homework is not done during the week.
Take Home Folders- Every night, your child will bring home their take home folder. Please look through the content daily and return it to school the next day with any necessary papers. The students depend on their folders to keep important notes, lunch money, and papers.
