Welcome to The 2/3 Combo Class

More and more schools are grouping students from two grades in one classroom to balance class size across the school and to keep the number of students in primary classes as low as possible.  Combined grade classes are not new - they have always been a common part of the school experience.  Given the recent cutbacks to education they will become more widely used again.  

There is no doubt that teaching students in a combined grade class presents considerable challenges to teachers and students.  First, and foremost, we will build a sense of community and foster productive interpersonal relationships.  With careful planning, units of study will be coordinated so that both grades will work together for the majority of each learning period throughout the day.  Not unlike a single grade classroom, a variety of strategies (whole group, small group, and one-on-one) will be used to balance the learning needs of both grade levels.  Most of the time, the key subject areas of Reading, Math, and Language Arts will be taught separately to ensure a solid foundation for specific grade level skills.  Science, Social Studies, and Art are not as grade-level focused and most of the time will be taught as whole group activities/subjects.

Most importantly, your child will receive the same amount of individual attention from me as I would give in a single-grade class.  The number of students in a class, not the grade structure, determines the amount of time a teacher has to spend with each individual student.

I am excited to take on this endeavor.  I have 25 years of teaching experience and have taught all grade levels from early kindergarten through fourth grade.  Along with your support, I am looking forward to another successful school year!  Arizona State Standards

Mrs. Julie Dunn
Room 11
480-472-3711

Suggested supply list: Backpack or book-bag, small school supply box, 2 black dry erase markers, 1 zipper pouch for the 3-ring binder (binder supplied by Mrs. Dunn), Yellow #2 pencils, 3 jumbo glue sticks ( Elmer's only please), crayons ( no more than 24),  Fiskar child-size pointed scissors, 2 pocket folders, spiral notebook, water-based markers to share with the class, 1 large box of tissues to share with the class,  a light sweater or jacket to leave at school (PUT YOUR CHILD'S NAME IN IT!!), a daily water bottle with a lid.