Welcome to Second Grade!

Back to School Night

Kerby Elementary School

2025- 2026

Brooke Farrell

MEET MRS. FARRELL

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• Teaching for 19 years
• Masters Degree in Elementary Education with a

ZA Endorsement in Early Childhood Education

• Lives in GP Farms
• Husband, Keegan
• 2 Children: Grayson ( 6th Grade @ Brownell); Graham (8th Grade @ Brownell)
• My kids and husband love sports and I am their number one spectator:)

COMMUNICATION

• Weekly newsletters will be shared electronically on Fridays

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• Make sure to check your child’s orange folder each night and take a look at their work and graded assessments

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• Sign up for “Remind” for updates and announcements

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• Email me anytime!
• farrellb@gpschools.org

Word Study and Handwriting

Language Arts

CURRICULUM

HD Word is designed to focus on phonics, word study, comprehension, vocabulary, and a new piece this year; handwriting.

This year we have a new language arts program called "Arts and Letters." Our Arts and Letters program helps children grow as confident readers, writers, thinkers, and creators. The curriculum blends literacy, social studies, and the arts so students not only build strong academic skills but also learn to express themselves and connect ideas across subjects.

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SCIENCE (Amplify)

SOCIAL STUDIES (Local Communities)

CURRICULUM

-Plants and Animal Relationships

-Properties of Materials

-Changing Landforms

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-Civics

- Geography

-Economics

-History of G.P.

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MATH

We are piloting two new programs this year and will narrow it down to one that the district will adopt next year. If you would like to learn more about these programs click on the links below.

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Imagine Learning Illustrative

IReady Math

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NWEA

WRITING

Really Great Reading

ASSESSMENT

Computer based adaptive test, measuring growth in both Math and Reading

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GP Writing and writing pretests

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Assesses phonological awareness, fluency and decoding skills

LEARNING SCHEDULE

Specials Schedule

L

A Day - Gym

B Day - Art

C Day - Music

D Day - Library

Homework

• Math practice sheets and fact practice

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• Reading – reading calendar and monthly book reports

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• Family Projects (we have 3 per year)
• * Remember to check your child’s orange take-home folder each night. It should also be returned to school each morning.

Homework Continued

Homework will be assigned on Fridays in the weekly email. All homework is due the following Friday.

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CLEVER

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Logging In:

• Visit Kerby’s Homepage
• Scroll down and click the Clever link
• Log in your student in one of two ways:
• Click “Log in with Active Directory” and type student GPPSS username and password OR
• Click “Clever badge login” and scan your student’s clever badge that I will provide

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What will my child use on Clever?

• Lexia (Literacy)

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• Freckle (Math)

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• Really Great Reading

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FRECKLE

LEXIA

LEXIA & FRECKLE

This is our district provided computer based program that focus on Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies for K-8 that adapts to individual student skills. However, we will be utilizing Freckle for math only.

This is our district provided literacy computer based program that focuses on phonological awareness, phonics, structure analysis, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

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Both programs will be used daily and will first ask students to do a preliminary diagnostic test to assess where they currently are at academically.

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Star of the Week

• Starts next week!

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• Each child will get the chance to be the star this year

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• When your child is chosen they will create a poster that I will provide. They will present it on Monday. Students may want to practice sharing their poster prior to our Monday Morning Meeting.

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• On Friday they will share a show and tell of their choosing.

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All About Me

Birthdays Books

• On or around the day of your child's birthday, please send in an age-appropriate, gift-wrapped book. The book does not need to be new.

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• Please use the birthday book sticker to label the book on the inside cover so we will always remember this special gift from your child to our class!

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• Any summer birthdays may be celebrated on or around your child’s half birthday.

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Thanks for sharing the “gift of reading”!

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Lunch and Snack

Lunch

• If students are buying lunch they will make their choice in the morning.
• Please make sure your child if they are getting school lunch prior to school beginning.

Snack

• Students can bring two healthy snacks to enjoy in the morning and afternoon. Please refrain from packing a snack that requires a spoon or fork.
• Students can also bring a water bottle that has a sports top.

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Field Trips

Students will visit the Cook School House and the Henry Ford Museum. Both venues directly correspond with our history unit.

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Handouts

• “Handle With Care” page
• Remind Instructions
• Note for you to leave for your child
• Information Letter on Math Pilot
• Birthday Book Instructions
• Post-It Note with your child’s name on it - Guess Who Game in hallway :)

WHAT DO I DO FROM HERE?

1. Complete Family Survey

(will be sent in tomorrow’s email)

• Set up Remind Account
• Make sure I have the most up to date contact information
• Consider signing up to be on the PTO or being our classroom Representative
• Sign up to be a party planner
• Write your child a little note of encouragement

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