New information to aid parents during remote learning will be added to this page as it becomes available. Please check back frequently!
2nd Grade Parent Information
Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! The second grade teachers this year are Mrs. Bolt, Ms. Busquaert, and Ms. Pankotai. We will each have a 'homeroom' of students as usual. However, during remote learning, we will each head a subject area. We will instruct and grade all of the 2nd grade students for that subject area. Teachers in grades K-2 will be using the Seesaw program to send work to your child daily. This program is very user friendly for children, especially completing and submitting work. Live meetings will also be held on Zoom. Should you have a question about a particular assignment, please address it to the teacher instructing that subject area.
The assignments that are placed in Seesaw must be completed daily. Students should try to complete work daily so they do not get behind. This also helps to keep their attendance accurate. (The Seesaw program logs the date work was submitted for grading. Work is supposed to be done the day it is assigned.) We are allowing the weekend and then through the following Tuesday for make up if an extension/more time is needed. The teachers will then clear (archive) the assignments that are past the due date each Wednesday.
Teacher email addresses:
Mrs. Bolt Reading [email protected] 586-461-3966
Ms. Busquaert Math [email protected] 586-461-3968
Ms. Pankotai Writing/Science/Social Studies [email protected] 586-461-3967
Please be sure to read all the information on the tab called Attendance Information! Daily attendance at live Zoom meetings is mandatory this year. Completing all assignments in a timely manner is mandatory this year. These are State of Michigan guidelines, not 2nd grade teacher directives.
The assignments that are placed in Seesaw must be completed daily. Students should try to complete work daily so they do not get behind. This also helps to keep their attendance accurate. (The Seesaw program logs the date work was submitted for grading. Work is supposed to be done the day it is assigned.) We are allowing the weekend and then through the following Tuesday for make up if an extension/more time is needed. The teachers will then clear (archive) the assignments that are past the due date each Wednesday.
Teacher email addresses:
Mrs. Bolt Reading [email protected] 586-461-3966
Ms. Busquaert Math [email protected] 586-461-3968
Ms. Pankotai Writing/Science/Social Studies [email protected] 586-461-3967
Please be sure to read all the information on the tab called Attendance Information! Daily attendance at live Zoom meetings is mandatory this year. Completing all assignments in a timely manner is mandatory this year. These are State of Michigan guidelines, not 2nd grade teacher directives.
For important updates, please sign up for the Remind messaging system for your child's homeroom teacher:
To join Ms. Busquaert's Remind click here
To join Mrs. Bolt's Remind click here
Ms. Pankotai is NOT using Remind. Please send her an email or leave a message on her voicemail.
To join Ms. Busquaert's Remind click here
To join Mrs. Bolt's Remind click here
Ms. Pankotai is NOT using Remind. Please send her an email or leave a message on her voicemail.
Grading Codes:
Parents should start seeing the "grade" listed on their child's Seesaw assignment in the comment section. The codes can be interpreted as:
1 = Above Expectations (way above what the teacher expects at this time in the year)
2 = At Expected Level (right where we would like your second grader to be at this time in the year)
3 = Approaching Level (starting to understand the concept, but not quite there yet)
4 = Not Meeting Expectations (well below the expectations for this point in the year)
P = Practice (assignment was for practice/review and grade was not recorded)
*If your child received their work "sent back" in "draft mode" in Seesaw, it is likely they did not finish the assignment. Please look at the assignment comments in the "journal" tab in Seesaw or under "in progress" to see why the work was returned. Work left in draft form is NOT considered graded. Please submit for a grade!
Parents should start seeing the "grade" listed on their child's Seesaw assignment in the comment section. The codes can be interpreted as:
1 = Above Expectations (way above what the teacher expects at this time in the year)
2 = At Expected Level (right where we would like your second grader to be at this time in the year)
3 = Approaching Level (starting to understand the concept, but not quite there yet)
4 = Not Meeting Expectations (well below the expectations for this point in the year)
P = Practice (assignment was for practice/review and grade was not recorded)
*If your child received their work "sent back" in "draft mode" in Seesaw, it is likely they did not finish the assignment. Please look at the assignment comments in the "journal" tab in Seesaw or under "in progress" to see why the work was returned. Work left in draft form is NOT considered graded. Please submit for a grade!
Getting Started
Welcome Back letter for 2nd Grade: Click here
For Students: 2 minute video: Taking Care of Your Chromebook
Seesaw Parent and Student Presentation Click Here
Website to access Seesaw: Click Here
Seesaw Family App Note: Second grade teachers have NOT yet opened that feature in the program. We will eventually, but we wanted to get the student side of the program mastered prior to opening the parent side. Please watch for updates later in October. Thank you for your patience.
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For Students: Getting Started on IXL Click here
Website to access IXL: Click Here
Clever Parent Information Video Click Here
Did you miss the Chromebook training with Mrs. Voakes or did you misplace your handouts? Please see the files below to replace your copies.
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Frequently Asked Questions
General questions about work/2nd grade
My child needs help with an assignment. How can I contact the teacher?
Email the teacher directly. We do check our email several times a day. This is the best way to inform the teachers of your problem. The email address for each teacher is at the top of the page. We also check our voicemail regularly.
Email the teacher directly. We do check our email several times a day. This is the best way to inform the teachers of your problem. The email address for each teacher is at the top of the page. We also check our voicemail regularly.
Should I be helping my child complete work?
You're more than welcome to show your child how to click on an arrow to move to another page, or locate a website. You are welcome to read and explain the directions. But please DO NOT help them write, spell, fix, or do their work. Since all work is graded this year, we REALLY need to know what your child can do...not you. We also can't help your child improve if you are whispering words in the background, etc. It's okay for your child to not know something. That's why they're in second grade. Let them feel the 'productive struggle' of learning new things so they can also feel the pride of accomplishment. If you feel your child truly doesn't understand a concept, let us know and we will try to reteach this skill or be sure to review it as we advance to another skill.
You're more than welcome to show your child how to click on an arrow to move to another page, or locate a website. You are welcome to read and explain the directions. But please DO NOT help them write, spell, fix, or do their work. Since all work is graded this year, we REALLY need to know what your child can do...not you. We also can't help your child improve if you are whispering words in the background, etc. It's okay for your child to not know something. That's why they're in second grade. Let them feel the 'productive struggle' of learning new things so they can also feel the pride of accomplishment. If you feel your child truly doesn't understand a concept, let us know and we will try to reteach this skill or be sure to review it as we advance to another skill.
My child had work to do on Seesaw and now it's all gone! What happened to the work that was due?
The assignments that are placed in Seesaw must be completed daily. Students should try to complete work daily so they do not get behind. This also helps to keep their attendance accurate. (The Seesaw program logs the date work was submitted for grading. Work is supposed to be done the day it is assigned.) We are allowing the weekend and then through the following Tuesday for make up if an extension/more time is needed. The teachers will then clear (archive) the assignments that are past the due date each Wednesday.
The assignments that are placed in Seesaw must be completed daily. Students should try to complete work daily so they do not get behind. This also helps to keep their attendance accurate. (The Seesaw program logs the date work was submitted for grading. Work is supposed to be done the day it is assigned.) We are allowing the weekend and then through the following Tuesday for make up if an extension/more time is needed. The teachers will then clear (archive) the assignments that are past the due date each Wednesday.
General Technology Questions
The teacher is asking me to send a screenshot of my child's work. How do I do this on a Chromebook?
Click Here for directions
Click Here for directions
IXL Questions
My child is doing an assignment on IXL. What is the Smart Score? CLICK HERE
How do I know how well my child is doing on their IXL work and how can I help them improve? CLICK HERE
Zoom Questions
The teacher would like me to be sure my child's name is listed in Zoom. How do I do this?
If you are logging into Zoom for the first name, please put YOUR CHILD'S name as the display name when prompted. If you've logged into Zoom before, it is very simple to change your display name. Click on "view participants" at the bottom of screen, then you'll see all the participants show up in a panel to the right. Find your name, then click on the "more" button. From there, you'll see the option to rename! Type in your child's name.
If you are logging into Zoom for the first name, please put YOUR CHILD'S name as the display name when prompted. If you've logged into Zoom before, it is very simple to change your display name. Click on "view participants" at the bottom of screen, then you'll see all the participants show up in a panel to the right. Find your name, then click on the "more" button. From there, you'll see the option to rename! Type in your child's name.
Seesaw Questions
My child cannot access the microphone or camera in Seesaw What can I do?
My child is having trouble writing within the space provided on Seesaw activities. What can I do? There are a couple of options.
1. Use the magnifying glass tool to enlarge the writing area (See first video).
2. Use a stylus which can be located at Dollar Tree for $1.00 (See second video).
3. Enable "speech to text" feature so students can just use their voice and the computer will type for them. Please use this as a last resort since we'd like students to work on their writing, spelling, and keyboarding skills! The (third video) video shows how to enable the feature on a Windows 10 device. (push the Window key and H at the same time). It also shows how students would use speech to text. To enable speech to text on a Chromebook CLICK HERE (step 2 Select to speak)
1. Use the magnifying glass tool to enlarge the writing area (See first video).
2. Use a stylus which can be located at Dollar Tree for $1.00 (See second video).
3. Enable "speech to text" feature so students can just use their voice and the computer will type for them. Please use this as a last resort since we'd like students to work on their writing, spelling, and keyboarding skills! The (third video) video shows how to enable the feature on a Windows 10 device. (push the Window key and H at the same time). It also shows how students would use speech to text. To enable speech to text on a Chromebook CLICK HERE (step 2 Select to speak)
Wifi Information
Here is some information regarding access to free WIFI for students and families.
- Xfinity is offering free WiFi hotspots to both customers and non-customers. To find a hotspot location, follow this link: https://wifi.xfinity.com/#find-a-hotspot
- Spectrum (Charter Communications) is offering free WiFi for 60 day to K-12 students. They also have expanded options for free WiFi to low income households. The phone number to enroll in this program is 1-844-488-8395. For more information, follow this link: https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/charter-to-offer-free-access-to-spectrum-broadband-and-wifi-for-60-days-for-new-K12-and-college-student-households-and-more
- Spectrum (Charter Communications) is also offering free WiFi hotspots across Michigan. To find a hotspot location, follow this link: https://www.spectrum.com/free-wifi-hotspots/michigan.