Second Grade
Virtual Orientation
English Landing Elementary
2024-2025
Meet the Teachers
Hi, I’m Mrs. Pudenz!
Welcome to 2nd grade! I am Mrs. Pudenz and I am so excited to be your teacher this year. This is my 12th year teaching. My husband and I are Park Hill alumni and call Parkville our home. We have two beautiful kiddos, Bennett (6) and Lucy (4), as well as French Bulldog named Penny. I enjoy spending my free time cooking and being outdoors. I look forward to meeting you and to having an amazing year!
Education Background:
I graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia (Go Tigers!) with three degrees: Bachelor’s in Elem. Ed, Master’s in Curriculum, and Ed Specialist in Learning Technologies.
Hi, I’m Ms. Dewhirst!
Hello! This is my second year at English Landing and my 24th year in education. I am from Maryville, Mo, but I have called Kansas City home for over two decades. I have a puppy, Brooklyn, who keeps me very busy. I LOVE sports especially football (Northwest Bearcats, Missouri Tigers and the Kansas City Chiefs). When I am not teaching, I love traveling to the mountains or the beach.
Education Background:I have a Bachelor’s Degree from Northwest Missouri State in Elementary Education and K-12 Special Education. I have a Master’s Degree in Education from Baker University.
Hi, I’m Mr. Sanders!
Welcome to 2nd grade! I am Mr. Sanders and I am so excited to be your teacher this year. This is my 8th year teaching. My wife and I have both been teaching at English Landing together for the last 8 years. We have two twin kiddos, Annie and Deacon (age 2), as well as two dogs named Louie and Bing, and a cat named Topaz. I enjoy spending my free time playing board games, reading, or golfing. I look forward to meeting you and to having an amazing year!
Education Background:
I graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with my elementary education (1-6) degree, a Masters from Northwest in Educational Leadership, and a Specialists degree in Educational Leadership - Curriculum Director from Arkansas State.
Hi, I’m Mrs. Russell!
Education Background:
Hello! I am Mrs. Russell. I am so excited that I will be your teacher this year! This is technically my first year teaching. Last year I taught kindergarten here at English Landing starting in January. I was just married to my husband, Miller, in March. We are both community helpers here in Parkville! In my free time I like to take care of my plants and sew clothes. I am looking forward to a great school year!
I received my associates degree in teaching from Metropolitan Community College, and my bachelors degree in early childhood education as well as three early childhood certificates from the University of Central Missouri.
Schedule Introduction and Content Areas
Daily Schedule
Morning
Afternoon
Time | Activity |
8:43-9:30 | Morning Routine |
9:30-10:10 | Benchmark |
10:10-11:10 | Reader’s Workshop |
11:10-11:54 | Math |
11:54-12:29 | Lunch/Recess |
12:30-12:55 | Math (cont.) |
12:55-1:05 | Character Strong |
Time | Activity |
1:05-1:40 | Writer’s Workshop |
1:40-2:00 | Recess |
2:00-2:40 | Science/Social Studies |
2:40-2:55 | Read Aloud |
2:55-3:10 | AVID |
3:10-4:00 | Specials |
4:03 | Dismissal |
Reader’s Workshop
Mini-Lesson
A whole class lesson, focusing on skills and strategies to improve reading.
Independent Reading, Conferring, & Invitational Group
Students are engaged in reading text at their instructional level and interests while the teacher conferences with individual students or meets with small groups/cohorts about their reading skills and understanding.
Reflection
Students have conversations about reading processes, struggles and achievements. Students participate in conversations about reading as a class, in small groups, and/or in pairs.
Writer’s Workshop
Mini-Lesson
A whole class lesson, focusing on skills and strategies to improve writing.
Composing/Conferring
Students are engaged in purposeful writing on topics of their choice while the teacher conferences with individual students or meets with small groups or cohorts about their writing. Students will focus on poetry, narratives, opinion, and informational writing.
Reflection
Students have conversations about writing processes, struggles, and achievements. Students participate in conversations about writing as a class, in small groups, and/or in pairs.
Math Workshop
Direct Instruction
A whole class lesson focused on skills and strategies to improve a students’ mathematical understanding.
Independent Application/ Flexible Groups/ Centers
Students are engaged in activities to reinforce learning. Students complete guided and independent practice. Students are also provided opportunities for optional activities such as games, flash cards, enrichment, or reinforcement.
Reflection
Students have conversations about math processes, struggles and achievements. Students participate in mathematical conversations with one another as a class, in small groups, and/or in pairs.
Science
It is a great year to be a second grader at English Landing! We continue to use the district science resource, STEMscopes, to guide our instruction. Over the past few years, we have seen our students highly engaged in inquiry-based, hands-on experiences as scientists and engineers. We will continue to use STEMscopes this year, although we will modify the activities and materials needed.
Second Grade Science Units:
•Life Science
•Earth and Space Science
•Physical Science
Social Studies
We have so many exciting things to cover in Social Studies this year! The social studies curriculum will include instructional topics that provide a foundation for understanding a wide variety of social studies concepts. We will study the following topics throughout the year:
Unit 1: Being a Responsible Citizen in Our Community & Nation
Unit 2: Responsibilities of Government Leaders
Unit 3: Inventions that Changed the Way People Live
Unit 4: Native Americans
Unit 5: Regions
Unit 6: Economic Concepts of Our Community
Word Study Resource!
Last year, primary grades in Park Hill implemented a new program for phonics instruction with great success! This resource is utilized during our word study time, which will work to strengthen students’ phonological and phonemic awareness. In doing this, we will be working to build literacy skills through word recognition, spelling in context, and the manipulation of words/sounds.
Assessments
NWEA Map Assessment:
We will be using the NWEA Map assessment to assess reading comprehension and mathematical understanding. Students will have the opportunity to take this computerized assessment in the fall, winter, and spring. Teachers will use the scores from this adaptive assessment to pinpoint what each child needs in order to learn best.
NWEA MAP Reading Fluency:
Students will be taking a reading assessment at the start of the year that measures their oral reading fluency. This test will give our team a plethora of information about where students are at in their reading journey, which we can then use for instruction.
Specials
Each day your child will visit one Special class with our Special teachers! The rotation allows your child to attend one of his/her Special classes twice in the same week.
Art
Library
Music
PE
Technology
Technology
Park Hill School District is providing each K-12 student with a personal device. This technology will support students in a seamless digital learning experience. Your student will use the laptop throughout the school day for engaging, student-centered and authentic learning experiences. This will allow for deeper understanding of the core content. Please use the link below to access additional important information from the PH Technology Department.
AMI Days
Students in K-2 will use SeeSaw as our primary learning platform for AMI Days. Students will use this as a place to create, submit, and share learning with myself and classmates.
Students will visit with me and communicate virtually during AMI Days using Microsoft Teams. No worries, parents-- students will learn about these programs early in the year to help make this a smooth process for all!
Second Grade Behavior
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Social emotional learning
We care for your child’s social emotional well-being. Please reach out to our EL counselors, Rachel Fullerton if your child is in need of additional skills to deal with anxious feelings related to the “new normal” school.
Rules & Expectations
During the first week of school, we will work together to brainstorm and establish classroom rules and expectations. As second grade Eagles, we commit to the following anti-bullying rules:
Anti-Bullying Rules
1.We will not bully others.
2.We will help students who are bullied.
3.We will include students who are left out.
4.If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult.
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Schoolwide approaches
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Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a proactive systems approach to put strategies in place
for all children. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is an evidence-based three-tiered framework for improving and integrating all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes every day.
PBIS
AVID Schoolwide works through focusing on 4 Key Domains: Instruction, Systems, Leadership, and Culture. When these 4 domains are implemented consistently and with fidelity, the AVID Schoolwide approach results in a number of favorable outcomes. Decades of research have led to AVID’s foundational strategies for helping students succeed: W-writing I-inquiry C-collaboration O-organizaion R-reading to learn
avid
AVID
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English Landing will continue to use the AVID program throughout our daily routines. AVID Elementary focuses on teaching and reinforcing academic behaviors and higher-level thinking and provides educators a structure for teaching students the academic habits they need to be more successful in the future. The strong college-bound culture will be visible to encourage elementary students to begin thinking about their future while embedding these AVID skills of Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading into grade level curriculum.
At EL, we have embedded WICOR into our daily routines. This year, we will continue to refine these skills. Online students will continue to use their AVID Planner, which I will provide you, to organize their learning. Each morning I will post our “I Can…” statements for students to complete in their planner prior to beginning our day. This will allow them to organize their learning and feel in control over their learning.
THANKS!
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