About Mrs. Cunniff

 My name is Mrs. Cunniff, or Mrs. C as many of my students prefer to call me. I am excited to meet you and learn together when school begins, although I bet I might see some of you before school starts! I plan to spend a lot of time swimming, fishing, reading and spending time with my family. I hope to get as much outside time as possible.

Important things you should know about our classroom:     

Our classroom is located upstairs in C house -room C210! Our class will be part of a second grade team with Mrs. Dufour and Mrs. King. 

Our school day begins with arrival and breakfast from 8:00-8:20. Learning begins right after morning announcements at 8:35. Our day ends at 2:35 with dismissal beginning at 2:40. Please remember Wednesdays are an early release day, with dismissal at 12:45.

 We do a lot in second grade and will work together to develop your skills. Reading in second grade is my favorite part of our day! We will develop vocabulary words, practice grammar and spelling skills, and look for what connections we can make through reading. We also get to do some pretty awesome art, games and writing  projects too

 Communication:

Red Take Home Folders– goes back and forth from school daily. This is used for at-home work, transportation notes, behavior charts, etc. Look for any communication from the school to be sent home in this folder. I will check these every day for any notes from home!

Seesaw- 

This is an app that is used throughout the school year as another form of communication. I will send all communication through seesaw and email. 

Toys:

Toys are not allowed in our classroom. Please keep personal items at home so they do not get lost or broken. If a toy is brought to school, students must keep it in their backpacks. If the toy becomes a distraction I will hold on to the toy and contact the student’s family.  We will have a couple special days to show and share our toys from home. Please keep an eye out for these special dates.

Parent Square- 

This is an app that is used throughout the school year as another form of communication by the district. Please note this is the app that will be used to schedule parent teacher conferences and send district communications. All other classroom communication will come through seesaw, email or paper communication.

 Academics:

Math – Instruction based on the iReady Math program. Students will receive a whole group, small group, and one on one instruction based on their learning needs. Learning will be done through problem solving and use of manipulatives. Students will receive 60 minutes of math instruction per day.

Reading – Using a workshop model of whole group lesson, guided practice, and debriefing students will receive an hour of reading instruction each day. They will learn through reading aloud, reading groups, writing about reading, and individualized web-based programs. Generally, second grade focuses on retelling and summarizing story elements, how characters change throughout a story, understanding authors’ message, comparing and contrasting texts, and reading non-fiction.

Writing – Following a program called Units of Study, writers will be exposed to informational, narrative, and opinion writing. They will learn, practice, and debrief their writing in a workshop model for a minimum of 45 minutes per day. Students will be encouraged to work with partners, be creative, and revise as they grow as writers.

 Specials:

Each week we will have an opportunity to learn about music and art. We will move our bodies in gym and explore the library. Special schedules will be sent home near the beginning of the school year f

 Classroom Community:

3 B’s – Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Safe – Our classroom expectations were created around our school’s 3 B’s.  

Social Lessons – Each week we will have a social lesson, in addition to monthly guidance lessons. These lessons will help build our classroom community and support individual growth. We will focus on topics like growth mindset, dealing with difficult social situations, goal setting, etc. We will also have daily morning and closing meetings to foster a community of learners in our classroom.

For the Parents 

Volunteer opportunities will pop up throughout the year. The district requires a volunteer application be completed and processed before you are able to volunteer.  Please be mindful that processing applications can take 7-10 business days. Applications are now available online at the RSU 14 website. These applications are required annually.  

 Communication:

Red Take Home Folders– goes back and forth from school daily. This is used for at-home work, transportation notes, behavior charts, etc. Look for any communication from the school to be sent home in this folder. I will check these every day for any notes from home!

Parent Square- 

This is an app that is used throughout the school year as another form of communication by the district. Please note this is the app that will be used to schedule parent teacher conferences and send district communications. All other classroom communication will come through seesaw, email or paper communication.

Recess and Snack:

Daily we will have snack and 2 recesses. Please remember any food consumed in classrooms needs to be nut free! If you are able to, please send students with a snack for this time. 

I encourage all students to have a water bottle with them because they are not able to use the water fountain. If they forget their water bottle, I have cups under my sink that they can use but we do often run out!  

We have  2 recess periods a day. The lunch recess is held by noon monitors that are in charge of the students at this time.   Second recess will be held outdoors when weather allows. This recess is monitored by me or another 2nd grade classroom teacher. 

 Specials:

Each week we will have an opportunity to learn about music and art. We will move our bodies in the gym and explore the library. Special schedules will be sent home near the beginning of the school year for your review. Please ensure children have sneakers for gym days. 

 If a student or parent has any questions or needs to contact me, I can be reached via email, seesaw app, or call the school at: (207) 892-1840.

We are going to have a wonderful year!