Back to School Night

1. Before We Begin
• Go around your table and find out who your child sits with and introduce yourselves.Remember Volunteer Sign ups,
Hopes and Fears Conference to be passed around tonight & $100 for class parties collection
• Look for your child’s Portrait on the wall and read your letter from your child
Any orange papers sent from the school must be filled out and returned.

2. Typhoons
When signal is issued before school
starts
• Typhoon 1: all classes
are in session
• Typhoon 3 R1 classes
canceled.
• Typhoon 8 All schools
are closed.
Rainstorms
When signal is issued before school
starts
• Amber Rainstorm- all
classes are in session.
• Red Rainstorm-All
schools are closed
• Black Rainstorm: All
schools are closed
Please stay informed of weather conditions at www.weather.org.hk
. Or check our website at www.hkis.edu.hk for school closing
information.

3. Health Update

4. Late Arrivals and Early
Dismissals

5. 5

6. 6

7. Welcome to 608

8. Communication
608 blog updated every week to two weeks with things that
are happening in our classroom including important dates,
announcements and curriculum
soranson608blogspot.hk
Student work will be sent home periodically to give you the
opportunity to discuss what we do in class with your child.
This work will need to be returned to school as most of it
will go in your child’s portfolio.
ssoranson@hkis.edu.hk
Any orange papers sent from the school must be filled out
and returned.

9. All About Homework
Homework is 20 minutes per night for math and reading.
Chinese is in addition to classroom homework.
Reading book and math home link will go home daily in zip
pouch, Monday-Thursday.
Zip pouch comes back to school daily.
Students will check their homework at school on Friday
mornings and discuss misconceptions
Reading journals will reflect some home reading books

10. Snacks and Lunches
Please remember to send in a healthy nut-free
snack, healthy lunch, and a water bottle every day.
Please make sure all food containers and the bottle
are labeled with your child’s name.

11. Birthdays
You are welcome to bring in a nut-free treat for your child’s
birthday.
Please email me so that we can arrange a time for you to
come and celebrate this time with your child
If your child is inviting the whole class to their birthday party
at home, they are welcome to pass out invitations at school. If
they aren’t inviting the whole class, please think of a different
way to deliver the invitations.

12. Volunteer Opportunities
Math Games (Monthly)
Mystery Reader (every fortnight)
Lunch Bunch (rotating day each month)
Field Trip Chaperones

13. Grade Two at HKIS
Curriculum

14. Morning Meeting
Greeting
Sharing
Group Activity
News and Announcements

15. Workshop Model
HKIS uses a workshop model based on the Teachers’
College of Columbia University Reading and Writing Project
Allows teachers to differentiate instruction so students can
work at their just right level
Teachers confer with students one-on-one and in small
groups

16. Readers Workshop
Mini Lesson
Independent Reading
Partner Reading
Read Aloud
End of Workshop Reflection

17. Readers Workshop
Units of Study
Readers Build Good Habits
Story Elements
Readers Think & Talk about Books
Navigating Non-Fiction Reading
Readers Meet in Clubs
Storytelling/Readers Theater
Poetry
Holding Onto Meaning

18. Writers Workshop
Mini Lesson
Independent Writing
Partner Writing
Word work/Handwriting
End of Workshop Reflection

19. Writers Workshop
Units of Study:
Launching the Writers’ Workshop
Authors as Mentors
All About Books (writing non-fiction)
Small Moments (personal narrative)
Fiction
Poetry
Writing with a Purpose
Each unit includes work with planning, drafting, revising, editing,
publishing, and celebrating student work.

20. Authors’ Celebrations
A time to celebrate work
in our writing units and
new techniques we’ve
adopted as writers.
Not at time to correct
spelling or grammar.

21. Word Study and Handwriting
Words Their Way is an activity-based word study program.
Student learning is based on the appropriate developmental
level of the student. In groups, students do word study,
spelling, vocabulary and phonics activities in developmental
sequence.
Handwriting Without Tears printing and cursive programs
draw from years of innovation and research to provide
developmentally appropriate, multisensory tools and
strategies for the classroom. Research shows that children
learn more effectively by actively doing, with materials that
address all styles of learning.
http://www.hwtears.com/hwt/parents

22. Mathematics
The Everyday Math program works as a spiral though
the following math content strands:
Number and Numeration
Operations and Computation
Data and Chance
Measurement and
Reference Frames
• Geometry
Patterns, Functions and Algebra

23. Everyday Math Online
Log-Ins
Resources
everydaymathonline.com

24. Social Studies
Our units of study are
Communities - how and why do we belong?
I can Make a Difference to the Environment
Economics - I can Make a Difference in the Lives of
Others - Grade 2 Economics Fair

25. Science
The inquiry cycle of learning is used to explore science
Lives in the Balance/Habits with a focus and a field trip
on Hoi Ha Wan
Energy - hands on investigations with a field trip to the
Science Museum

26. Religion
Units are ongoing reading and responding to
the Christian Bible stories.
Teachers encourage conversations about
spiritual and religious concepts
Our world religion is Judaism

27. Outdoor
Time

28. Specials in 6 day cycle
Music – 2 x 30 minutes/cycle - Laura Lorentzen
Art – 1x 50 minutes/cycle- Katie Flowers and Claire Kirk
PE – 3 x 30 minutes/cycle- Brad Connors
Mandarin – 5 x 30 minutes/cycle -
Guidance – 1 x 30 minutes/cycle - Erin Wright
Library – Kids can go as needed during lunch and during LA
rotations.

29. Checklist for tonight…
Any questions?
$100 party money in envelope
Collect information packet
Write note to your child.
Sign up to volunteer if you are able
Sign up for Hopes and Fears Conferences