Our Classroom
A Little About Mrs. ScalesTop of Page
Hello! I am Mrs. Scales. This is the beginning of my 27th year in the Rescue School District. I have taught kindergarten for 20 years. I have also taught first grade, and a couple years ago I tried my hand at 6th grade. It was an adventure, but I am so happy to be back at Rescue. Prior to teaching in Rescue, I taught preschool for three years, and kindergarten for a year in Brookings, OR. I received my bachelor degree from Cal Poly Humboldt. I earned my Montessori credential for teaching 3-6 year olds when Rescue piloted a Montessori program. You may see some of those Montessori materials in my classroom, still. I have been trained in GLAD and recently attended Love & Logic training, as well.
My home is in Placerville, where I live with my husband of 30+ years, Bill, and three daughters. My oldest, Nicole, 22, is attending Folsom Lake College and she is a paraeducator here at Rescue. My other two, Shannon and Lindsay, both 19, are also attending college. Shannon is also at Folsom and Lindsay attends Oregon State Univerisity. Go Beavs! When I am not at school, I am the club leader for the Shingle Springers 4-H club. We joined when Shannon and Lindsay were in 2nd grade and it has been one of the best things! We have 2 pet cats, Satie and Frankie. A few summers ago, we did a major remodel of our backyard, so now we like to spend a lot of time just hanging out, reading a book, and enjoying the garden and our new patio.
Classroom Rules & ExpectationsTop of Page
It is important that we follow our school's Big 3:
1. Be respectful.
2. Make good choices.
3. Solve problems.
In addition, we have 5 more concrete classroom rules:
1. Follow directions quickly
2. Raise your hand for permisssion to speak
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat
4. Make smart choices
5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
In second grade, we understand that children are learning the boundaries of their bodies and they are still learning the social skills of how to get along with others. They are not always aware of where their body ends and the next child's body begins. We don't expect children to be perfect, just pretty good most of the time.
We believe in logical, natural consequences. We take care of problems when we see them occur or when children let us know about them. While we try to keep a tight reign on problems, sometimes things happen without us knowing. Please let me know if your child is having a problem. It is important for all children to feel safe at school.
Classroom NewsTop of Page
In second grade, Language Arts and Math are a part of every day. Language Arts includes reading stories, phonics, sight words (also known as high frequency words), writing, and comprehension. We are focusing on building fluency in reading and writing. Taking tests frequently in Accelereated Reader is a great way to build the fluency and stamina needed for 3rd grade! Our math focuses on numbers to 1,000, 2-digit addition and subtraction, with or without regrouping, fluency with math facts (+/-) to 20, and word problems with multiple steps. We include social studies, science, and art, throughout the curriculum.
Volunteers are an integral part of our program. To become a classroom volunteer, you will need to have a LiveScan fingerprint done and complete the volunteer application that is available in the office. If helping in the classroom is not your thing, but you are interested in helping, some typical jobs that can be done at home are collating papers, stapling book orders, cutting, gluing, etc.
We also try to have PE every day. Our day is very full. You may notice that your child is tired, especially as we get closer to the end of the week. Getting lots of rest, eating healthy meals, and having a regular routine will make the year go smoother.