2011-2012

Dear Parents,

Welcome to second grade! My name is Amanda Bartruff. I am very excited to be your child’s teacher and know this year will be a wonderful time.

September is a “settling in month”. It takes time to adjust to everything. Here are a few pieces of information to help the school year go smoothly.

SCHOOL HOURS: 9:15 a.m. -3:30 p.m.
Students can enter the classroom at 9:00 and are dismissed at 3:30. Breakfast is served in the cafeteria starting at 8:45.

BIRTHDAYS: If you would like to bring a snack to celebrate a birthday, please give me a few days notice so that I can allot the time for the celebration. Please remember that we are not
allowed to serve homemade food.

RECESS/P.E.: Appropriate clothing attire and shoes is necessary for your children to participate and avoid injury. When the weather is nice, I understand the wish to wear “flip
flops” and other sandals. Please keep in mind that movement occurs daily and proper attire is key for comfort and safety.

DISCIPLINE: Every child is at a different social maturity level. Therefore, I try to deal individually with behavior issues. The management of my classroom follows the “Cummings Way” which is to be respectful, be safe and be a learner. When a child does make an inappropriate choice about behavior, he or she will be asked to fill out a “Think Sheet”. This “Think Sheet” will be completed by the child. The idea is to have each child think about their behavior and come up with a solution to address the problem. There may be consequences linked with the think sheet (e.g. loss of recess) if needed. If the problem continues, the
next step is to notify you by phone OR a “Notice of Concern”. This is a way of communicating to you about situations that are interfering in your child’s learning. The final step is a “referral” which is a team approach with Mrs. Sundseth, principal, and she will meet with the student to discuss the problem. Sometimes the school counselor is involved in helping the child make better choices. As a class, we create a warm and friendly environment that your child will enjoy being a part of.

VOLUNTEERS: All volunteers, including chaperones for field trips, must have a Criminal Background Form completed before working in any Salem-Keizer Schools. Volunteers in my classroom will begin in October. Please contact me if you are interested.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS: Most months I will send home Scholastic Book Order form(s). It is your choice to order books through these book clubs. If you do choose to order, each dollar will help raise points for our class to use towards purchasing books for our classroom library. Please send the money to school or order online. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Thank you so much for sharing your child with me this year! I’m looking forward to another great year at Cummings Elementary.

Contact Information:
Email: bartruff_amanda@salkeiz.k12.or.us
Phone: 503-399-3141

Sincerely,
Amanda Bartruff