It is so hard to believe that 2010 is coming to a close! I have really enjoyed working with your children these past 4 and a half months. They are such a respectful and enthusiastic group, and I will be looking forward to seeing them all again in January!
I wanted to let you know what things we will be studying in our class to kick off 2011! In math, we will be beginning a unit on data collection and graphing. Today, students were assessed on 2-digit addition, money, and number sequences. They did an excellent job! I was thrilled to hear that many students remembered to practice their math skills last night at home. Their hard work shows!
In science, 2nd graders will be starting a month-long unit of study on the weather. During this unit we will discuss the water cycle, types of precipitation, storms, wind, and types of clouds. Students will make daily weather obervations and learn about the seasons. Now that we are quickly approaching a Kansas winter, I am sure that we will have some...exciting...weather to observe during this time!
A favorite writing unit is coming up...POETRY! During the month of January, students will learn how to write couplets, shape poems, acrostic poems, cinquains, and free verse poems. We will read and listen to poems by many different authors, and students will have the chance to create their own poetry books about weather! They may even memorize a popular poem or two...stay tuned for more information on that!
Our author study for January will be Tomie dePaola. He is the well-known author of the Strega Nona books, the character "Big Anthony", and many other books...some of which tie into our study of the weather! If your child has any Tomie dePaola books and would like to share, feel free to send them in! In the month of January, we will also be starting a new read-aloud...my favorite children's book of all time, Mr. Popper's Penguins. As we read this book, we will do some fun penguin writing activities. Reading groups will resume the first week after winter break.
During the "word work" portion of our language block, we have been working on many different skills. Since school started, we have taken this time to study parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives), syllabication, compound words, prefixes and suffixes, alphabetical order, plural nouns, and contractions. Next month, we will spend quite a bit of time talking about homophones and homographs, as well as dictionary use. These would all be excellent skills to discuss at home!
This Friday (December 17) will be our winter party. All Langston Hughes students are invited to have a "pajama day" that day.
As always, thank you for all that you do. It has been a wonderful year so far, and I look forward to a great start to 2011! Have a safe and beautiful holiday with your family, and I will see you in the new year!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Marble Party!
Happy Thursday! I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are staying warm on this first week of December! We remain very busy in 2nd grade...here is what we are studying!
In math, students continue to work on place value and two-digit addition (with and without regrouping). Students had the opportunity to design their own strategies, as well as to learn some new ones. Today, we made the connection between money (dollars, dimes, and pennies) and our math drawings (quick hundreds, ten sticks, and ones). We will contine to look at place value, money, rounding, and estimation for another few days.
We take the last three weeks of school before winter break to cover some topics in health. This week, students are studying ways to stay safe in different situations. Next week, we will take a look at how to stay well during the cold and flu season. During the week of December 13, we will discuss the dangers of drugs and practice different ways to "say no". Today, we were excited to have a guest speaker come to our classroom to review what we studied last week and the week before about Native American cultures!
I can't give you much information on our current writing project, as it is a holiday surprise...but, I can tell you that your 2nd graders are working very hard and putting together some great pieces. We continue our author study of Janell Cannon, and will be doing some work with cause and effect in some of her books next week. During our language minilessons, we are working on the use of prefixes and suffixes.
The big news in our classroom as that we have earned our third marble party of the year! After an almost unanimous decision, students will be able to wear pajamas to school tomorrow and bring a (small) stuffed animal to act as a reading buddy. We will celebrate the marble party (and the upcoming winter season!) with hot chocolate and a Janell Cannon video in the afternoon.
Thanks, as always, for all you do!
In math, students continue to work on place value and two-digit addition (with and without regrouping). Students had the opportunity to design their own strategies, as well as to learn some new ones. Today, we made the connection between money (dollars, dimes, and pennies) and our math drawings (quick hundreds, ten sticks, and ones). We will contine to look at place value, money, rounding, and estimation for another few days.
We take the last three weeks of school before winter break to cover some topics in health. This week, students are studying ways to stay safe in different situations. Next week, we will take a look at how to stay well during the cold and flu season. During the week of December 13, we will discuss the dangers of drugs and practice different ways to "say no". Today, we were excited to have a guest speaker come to our classroom to review what we studied last week and the week before about Native American cultures!
I can't give you much information on our current writing project, as it is a holiday surprise...but, I can tell you that your 2nd graders are working very hard and putting together some great pieces. We continue our author study of Janell Cannon, and will be doing some work with cause and effect in some of her books next week. During our language minilessons, we are working on the use of prefixes and suffixes.
The big news in our classroom as that we have earned our third marble party of the year! After an almost unanimous decision, students will be able to wear pajamas to school tomorrow and bring a (small) stuffed animal to act as a reading buddy. We will celebrate the marble party (and the upcoming winter season!) with hot chocolate and a Janell Cannon video in the afternoon.
Thanks, as always, for all you do!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
It has been a wonderful week in 2nd grade! Everyone made it through the one FULL week of school in November! Remember that, next week, we will only have school on Monday and Tuesday.
In math, we continue our unit on place value. Students have done an excellent job working with larger numbers! We continue to practice representing numbers with boxes, sticks, and circles. We have practiced some more challenging story problems, as well as several activites on estimation! We are beginning to incorporate some short time practice activities into our daily routine. Please continue to discuss minutes before and after the hour at home.
It has been fun getting into our Social Studies books this week! As a morning activity, students are doing daily geography practice. In the afternoon, we have been studying Native Americans, Spanish explorers coming to America, and pilgrims. As a writing project this week, we talked about writing from another point of view. Students were asked to write a journal from the point of view of a pilgrim on the Mayflower. It has been wonderful seeing many great and creative ideas in this project!
There will be no reading groups next week, as we will be taking our language block to do different Thanksgiving and reading activities. On Monday, we will begin our "Deck the Halls with 2nd Graders" project. Be sure to visit the pod in December to see the 2nd grade display! On Tuesday, we will make our pumpkin pie in a bag! Thank you SO much to all of you who have sent/are sending ingredients on Monday. This is always a favorite project for our class, and a great chance to have our own class Thanksgiving celebration!
As part of our "Deck the Halls with 2nd Graders" project, we will need hair-colored yarn. I have some yellow, red, black, and brown yarn, but could always use more of these...especially brown and yellow. If you are someone who has spare yarn in your house that could be used and would like to donate some, please e-mail me over the weekend and let me know what colors you are sending. I will plan on doing some yarn-shopping on Sunday or Monday for the colors that we are still low on.
I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving with your family. It was great seeing all of you at conferences last week, and I am truly thankful to have the opportunity to work with your terrific kids this year!
In math, we continue our unit on place value. Students have done an excellent job working with larger numbers! We continue to practice representing numbers with boxes, sticks, and circles. We have practiced some more challenging story problems, as well as several activites on estimation! We are beginning to incorporate some short time practice activities into our daily routine. Please continue to discuss minutes before and after the hour at home.
It has been fun getting into our Social Studies books this week! As a morning activity, students are doing daily geography practice. In the afternoon, we have been studying Native Americans, Spanish explorers coming to America, and pilgrims. As a writing project this week, we talked about writing from another point of view. Students were asked to write a journal from the point of view of a pilgrim on the Mayflower. It has been wonderful seeing many great and creative ideas in this project!
There will be no reading groups next week, as we will be taking our language block to do different Thanksgiving and reading activities. On Monday, we will begin our "Deck the Halls with 2nd Graders" project. Be sure to visit the pod in December to see the 2nd grade display! On Tuesday, we will make our pumpkin pie in a bag! Thank you SO much to all of you who have sent/are sending ingredients on Monday. This is always a favorite project for our class, and a great chance to have our own class Thanksgiving celebration!
As part of our "Deck the Halls with 2nd Graders" project, we will need hair-colored yarn. I have some yellow, red, black, and brown yarn, but could always use more of these...especially brown and yellow. If you are someone who has spare yarn in your house that could be used and would like to donate some, please e-mail me over the weekend and let me know what colors you are sending. I will plan on doing some yarn-shopping on Sunday or Monday for the colors that we are still low on.
I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving with your family. It was great seeing all of you at conferences last week, and I am truly thankful to have the opportunity to work with your terrific kids this year!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Ingredients Needed!
We will be making pumpkin pie in a bag in our classroom on Monday, November 22. In order to do this fun project, there are some ingredients that we will need. If you would be willing to send in one or more of the following ingredients, please add a comment to this blog post so that everyone can see what is being sent and we can be sure to cover all of the ingredients.
Thanks so much! Please let me know if you have any questions.
* 2 boxes of graham cracker squares
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 small tub of soft butter (there should be extra...I will send it home)
* 5 small boxes of instant vanilla pudding
* 6 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
* 1 gallon of milk (there should be extra...I will send it home)
* 3 cans of pumpkin
Thanks so much! Please let me know if you have any questions.
* 2 boxes of graham cracker squares
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 small tub of soft butter (there should be extra...I will send it home)
* 5 small boxes of instant vanilla pudding
* 6 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
* 1 gallon of milk (there should be extra...I will send it home)
* 3 cans of pumpkin
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
All about the body!
Good afternoon!
I look forward to seeing all of you next week at conferences! Please remember that there will be no school this Friday (teacher recording/reporting day) or next Thursday and Friday due to conferences. I am still missing conference forms from a few of you...please return these as soon as possible to confirm your conference spot. I can't wait to share with you the great things your 2nd graders have been doing in class!
This week, we are wrapping up our study of the human body. We took some time this afternoon to review, and will continue to do so tomorrow. The assessment over this unit will be this Thursday. Tomorrow, students will be bringing home a body system memory game to play. Here are some things you should discuss as you play this game and prepare for the assessment:
* What are some ways to take care of your nervous system, digestive system, and skeletal systems? (for example...wear a helmet while biking to protect your brain, eat healthy foods to promote proper digestion, exercise to keep bones healthy and strong)
* Tell about some of the basic bones of the body (for example...your skull protects your brain, your backbone can also be called your spine and is actually made of many vertebrae.)
* Why are your muscles and bones important? (your bones stand you up and give you shape and your muscles pull on bones to help you move).
* What does your brain do? (helps you remember, think, problem solve, have feelings, etc.)
* What does your respiratory system do? (helps you breathe...oxygen moves into your lungs when you breathe in, and then you breathe out carbon dioxide).
* How does your digestive system work?
* How does your circulatory system work? Why is your heart so important? (it pumps blood all over your body.)
Next week, we will take a couple of days to talk about healthy food choices and the food pyramid. The following week, we will begin a long social studies unit on "Our Past". During this unit, we will compare Native American tribes, learn about the pioneers during a book discussion about "The Josephina Story Quilt", discuss Christopher Columbus, and talk a little bit about the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. As you can see, we will be fitting a lot of information into the month of November!
We are wrapping up our math unit on time. Students will take their time assessment tomorrow, so tonight would be a good time to review telling time, elapsed time, etc. Take a look at the class activity pages from the past week for ideas! On Thursday we will begin our next unit, which is on place value and addition to 200.
In writing, students are currently working on descriptive paragraph writing and the use of the writing process. I look forward to sharing writing portfolios, as well as information on reading levels, at conferences.
Thanks, as always, for all that you do!
I look forward to seeing all of you next week at conferences! Please remember that there will be no school this Friday (teacher recording/reporting day) or next Thursday and Friday due to conferences. I am still missing conference forms from a few of you...please return these as soon as possible to confirm your conference spot. I can't wait to share with you the great things your 2nd graders have been doing in class!
This week, we are wrapping up our study of the human body. We took some time this afternoon to review, and will continue to do so tomorrow. The assessment over this unit will be this Thursday. Tomorrow, students will be bringing home a body system memory game to play. Here are some things you should discuss as you play this game and prepare for the assessment:
* What are some ways to take care of your nervous system, digestive system, and skeletal systems? (for example...wear a helmet while biking to protect your brain, eat healthy foods to promote proper digestion, exercise to keep bones healthy and strong)
* Tell about some of the basic bones of the body (for example...your skull protects your brain, your backbone can also be called your spine and is actually made of many vertebrae.)
* Why are your muscles and bones important? (your bones stand you up and give you shape and your muscles pull on bones to help you move).
* What does your brain do? (helps you remember, think, problem solve, have feelings, etc.)
* What does your respiratory system do? (helps you breathe...oxygen moves into your lungs when you breathe in, and then you breathe out carbon dioxide).
* How does your digestive system work?
* How does your circulatory system work? Why is your heart so important? (it pumps blood all over your body.)
Next week, we will take a couple of days to talk about healthy food choices and the food pyramid. The following week, we will begin a long social studies unit on "Our Past". During this unit, we will compare Native American tribes, learn about the pioneers during a book discussion about "The Josephina Story Quilt", discuss Christopher Columbus, and talk a little bit about the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. As you can see, we will be fitting a lot of information into the month of November!
We are wrapping up our math unit on time. Students will take their time assessment tomorrow, so tonight would be a good time to review telling time, elapsed time, etc. Take a look at the class activity pages from the past week for ideas! On Thursday we will begin our next unit, which is on place value and addition to 200.
In writing, students are currently working on descriptive paragraph writing and the use of the writing process. I look forward to sharing writing portfolios, as well as information on reading levels, at conferences.
Thanks, as always, for all that you do!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Don't forget your blue tomorrow (and every Friday)!
I hope autumn is treating everyone well and that you and your 2nd graders are finding time to enjoy the last of the beautiful weather for the year!
Curriculum for the next few weeks is as follows:
Math - In the third unit of Math Expressions, students continue looking at different types of story problems. I am really impressed with the progress they are making in showing their thought processes for various types of problems! We continue to look at examples of change plus, change minus, comparison, and collection story problems. This week, we have examined story problems that have either too much information or not enough information. Thank you for your continued support with math homework!
Writing - Students have been working on different paragraph writing activities. We touched on descriptive paragraphs about autumn (be sure to check out the 2nd grade display in the pod!), research paragraphs, and are currently working on paragraphs about memories. During "Work on Writing" time during Daily 5, students are choosing to work on more paragraphs, stories, friendly letters, research projects, and many other types of writing. I absolutely love reading their ideas!
Spelling - As spelling lists and pattern sorts become more challenging, it is so important that students continue to practice at home. Please help your child remember that some sort of spelling homework is due at least once a week...this can be anything from an art project using spelling words to words written out on a sheet of paper to a sticky note from you saying he or she wrote words with sidewalk chalk. As we get further into the school year, many students are forgetting to study at home, and I'm afraid it's showing a bit. Please let me know if you and your child are in need of more spelling practice ideas...I would be more than happy to pass some on.
Health - This afternoon, students were assessed on our unit on taking care of the body, eyes, and ears. Next week, we will begin to study the different body systems, starting with the skeletal system and the muscular system. Thanks to those of you who have sent in books, X-Rays, and posters...if you work in the medical field and would be interested in speaking to our class about the body, let me know! We love guest speakers!
Reading - Students continue to work hard in their guided reading groups! Don't forget that reading group books that come home can be used on daily reading logs! Our author of the month is Mem Fox, and we are also currently reading the book "Class Clown" as a class.
I will be out of town next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Kari Sullivan will be the guest teacher for our class, and I know the students are going to have a great time learning with her! There will be no school next Friday, October 22.
If you missed the title of the blog above...don't forget that Fridays this year are spirit blue days! Our class hasn't had 100% blue yet...let's try to make that a goal! We will count blue shirts as well as all Langston Hughes shirts.
Thanks, as always, for all of your support! We continue to have a great year!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Welcome to fall!
It's hard to believe that the autumn weather is beginning! It will soon be time for Halloween, pumpkins, and colorful leaves! We continue to have a great year in our classroom and are remaining extremely busy. I am very proud of our class for earning their first marble party...a "PJ'S and Parfaits" celebration...yesterday.
Students will finish their assessment on butterflies and moths tomorrow. I look forward to seeing all of the things they have learned during this first science unit. Believe it or not, some of our Monarch caterpillars are STILL snacking on milkweed! Most have gone into their chrysalises...we hope to see some adult butterflies emerging in a few days!
On Friday, we will begin a health unit of study on the body. For the first few days, we will talk about taking care of our skin, hair, nails, etc. Next week, we will talk about the parts of the eyes and ears, as well as how to take care of them. Next Wednesday, an ophthalmologist will visit our class to talk further about proper eye care. As we get further into October, students will begin to study the body systems, starting with the skeletal system! I will be taking the butterfly items off of our science wall...if you have posters, pictures, books, X-Rays, etc. that would tie in well with this study of the human body, we would love to borrow them for a few weeks!
Reading groups got off to a wonderful start last week! I have had great reports from other teachers who have students from our class in their groups, and have really enjoyed working with my groups as well. Some reading skills that students will be working on with fiction books this year are summarizing, making inferences, making text-t0-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections, and many other things! Within non-fiction texts, students should be working on locating and using text features (glossary, index, diagrams, etc.), as well as identifying main ideas and defining new vocabulary words. If you have questions about skills you would like to work on at home, let me know and I will send some resources your way!
During our language block, we will be beginning a new author study later this week on Mem Fox. We are also working on identifying synonyms and antonyms, writing contractions properly, and alphabetizing groups of words. Please look over the DLR (Daily Language Review) pages that are coming home to get an idea of what editing skills we are working on as well. These are the half-sheet pages that have the day of the week at the top of them and include sentence writing skills, compound words, spelling questions, etc.
In math, students are currently studying measurement and shapes. New terms introduced have been centimeter, square corners, right angles, vertical, horizontal, and perimeter. This is a short unit and will be assessed later this week. Next week, we will begin an in-depth study of story problems.
The 2nd graders have shown a lot of enthusiasm for our current study in Writer's Workshop...paragraph writing! They have done a fantastic job staying on topic and using supporting details. Next week, they will choose one of their memories from the memory box to write a paragraph about. Late last week, we sent out the friendly letters for which you provided addresses and stamps. If any of the recipients write back to your children here at school, I will send those letters home for you to enjoy!
Next Wednesday, October 6 will be "Walk to School Day". If you live close enough and the weather permits, please plan to walk to school with your child if possible. Teachers will also be joining groups of students walking to school, and there will be a snack at the end of the walk! Hope to see you all then! We are crossing our fingers for another beautiful fall day.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Students will finish their assessment on butterflies and moths tomorrow. I look forward to seeing all of the things they have learned during this first science unit. Believe it or not, some of our Monarch caterpillars are STILL snacking on milkweed! Most have gone into their chrysalises...we hope to see some adult butterflies emerging in a few days!
On Friday, we will begin a health unit of study on the body. For the first few days, we will talk about taking care of our skin, hair, nails, etc. Next week, we will talk about the parts of the eyes and ears, as well as how to take care of them. Next Wednesday, an ophthalmologist will visit our class to talk further about proper eye care. As we get further into October, students will begin to study the body systems, starting with the skeletal system! I will be taking the butterfly items off of our science wall...if you have posters, pictures, books, X-Rays, etc. that would tie in well with this study of the human body, we would love to borrow them for a few weeks!
Reading groups got off to a wonderful start last week! I have had great reports from other teachers who have students from our class in their groups, and have really enjoyed working with my groups as well. Some reading skills that students will be working on with fiction books this year are summarizing, making inferences, making text-t0-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections, and many other things! Within non-fiction texts, students should be working on locating and using text features (glossary, index, diagrams, etc.), as well as identifying main ideas and defining new vocabulary words. If you have questions about skills you would like to work on at home, let me know and I will send some resources your way!
During our language block, we will be beginning a new author study later this week on Mem Fox. We are also working on identifying synonyms and antonyms, writing contractions properly, and alphabetizing groups of words. Please look over the DLR (Daily Language Review) pages that are coming home to get an idea of what editing skills we are working on as well. These are the half-sheet pages that have the day of the week at the top of them and include sentence writing skills, compound words, spelling questions, etc.
In math, students are currently studying measurement and shapes. New terms introduced have been centimeter, square corners, right angles, vertical, horizontal, and perimeter. This is a short unit and will be assessed later this week. Next week, we will begin an in-depth study of story problems.
The 2nd graders have shown a lot of enthusiasm for our current study in Writer's Workshop...paragraph writing! They have done a fantastic job staying on topic and using supporting details. Next week, they will choose one of their memories from the memory box to write a paragraph about. Late last week, we sent out the friendly letters for which you provided addresses and stamps. If any of the recipients write back to your children here at school, I will send those letters home for you to enjoy!
Next Wednesday, October 6 will be "Walk to School Day". If you live close enough and the weather permits, please plan to walk to school with your child if possible. Teachers will also be joining groups of students walking to school, and there will be a snack at the end of the walk! Hope to see you all then! We are crossing our fingers for another beautiful fall day.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Monarchs!
I hope that your 2nd grader has come home and told you all about the new visitors in our classroom...24 Monarch larvae! Students have been amazed at how quickly these larvae have gone from barely-visible caterpillars to HUGE caterpillars that will soon be going into their chrysalis stage! We will spend the rest of this week, as well as next week, continuing our study of butterflies and moths. Next week, I will e-mail out a study guide to help as you guide your child in reviewing for the test on Tuesday, September 28.
I am excited to hear that several students were able to make it to the Monarch Watch open house last weekend! Here is a link to another opportunity...the Monarch tagging event at Baker Wetlands this Saturday:
http://www.monarchwatch.org/wetlands/
In math, we continue to discuss strategies and write story problems. This week, students were introduced to story problems that involve a missing number at the beginning of the equation. Students are quickly discovering that it is very challenging to write a story problem to go with equations like this! Here is an example of what this type of story problem would look like:
Equation: ___-4=11
I had SOME pretzels. I ate 4 of them. Now, I have eleven pretzels. How many did I start with? I started with 15 pretzels.
Several homework assignments now have had a question involving students in writing their own versions of various types of story problems. Please double check your child's homework to be sure that he or she is grasping this concept!
I am happy to report that we will be starting reading groups next Monday! Be on the lookout for a laminated manila folder coming home in the first few days of reading groups containing reading homework. Students will have reading homework frequently. Books are always due back the following day. One change in 2nd grade is that students will sometimes have WRITTEN homework assignments to go with reading group books. Please help your child be responsible for written assignments, as well as assigned reading.
Last week in writing, students worked with partners on their first research project of the year! I was extremely impressed with the great research students did on assigned butterflies and moths, and cannot wait to share these with you at conferences in the fall! This week, students have been reviewing parts of speech (nouns, verbs, and adjectives) and practicing some more personal narrative and non-fiction writing. Next week, we will continue looking at the writing process. Students will begin to be more involved in their own editing and revising. Next week we will also be sending out friendly letters, so please remember to send in an envelope, a stamp, and an address of someone your child knows if you have not already done so.
As always, thank you for ALL you do! It continues to be a fantastic year!
I am excited to hear that several students were able to make it to the Monarch Watch open house last weekend! Here is a link to another opportunity...the Monarch tagging event at Baker Wetlands this Saturday:
http://www.monarchwatch.org/wetlands/
In math, we continue to discuss strategies and write story problems. This week, students were introduced to story problems that involve a missing number at the beginning of the equation. Students are quickly discovering that it is very challenging to write a story problem to go with equations like this! Here is an example of what this type of story problem would look like:
Equation: ___-4=11
I had SOME pretzels. I ate 4 of them. Now, I have eleven pretzels. How many did I start with? I started with 15 pretzels.
Several homework assignments now have had a question involving students in writing their own versions of various types of story problems. Please double check your child's homework to be sure that he or she is grasping this concept!
I am happy to report that we will be starting reading groups next Monday! Be on the lookout for a laminated manila folder coming home in the first few days of reading groups containing reading homework. Students will have reading homework frequently. Books are always due back the following day. One change in 2nd grade is that students will sometimes have WRITTEN homework assignments to go with reading group books. Please help your child be responsible for written assignments, as well as assigned reading.
Last week in writing, students worked with partners on their first research project of the year! I was extremely impressed with the great research students did on assigned butterflies and moths, and cannot wait to share these with you at conferences in the fall! This week, students have been reviewing parts of speech (nouns, verbs, and adjectives) and practicing some more personal narrative and non-fiction writing. Next week, we will continue looking at the writing process. Students will begin to be more involved in their own editing and revising. Next week we will also be sending out friendly letters, so please remember to send in an envelope, a stamp, and an address of someone your child knows if you have not already done so.
As always, thank you for ALL you do! It continues to be a fantastic year!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Getting into the swing of things!
It is hard to believe that today marked the 15th day of school! We have been so busy here in 2nd grade! I have really enjoyed getting to know your children these few weeks.
In Language Arts, we continue our author study of Kevin Henkes. We are also doing some reading comprehension and writing activities with fairy tales. During Writer's Workshop students are working on the elements of sentences, as well as how to use question words like "who", "what", "when", "where", "how", and "why" to make good sentences into home run sentences. Later this week, we will talk about subject and predicate and what makes a sentence a complete idea.
In science, students are getting prepared for the arrival of our Monarch caterpillars next week! We have studied some different life cycles, as well as what makes an insect an insect. Today, we looked at the parts of a caterpillar and discussed the word "metamorphosis". When our larvae arrive, we will begin to make written scientific observations and learn about butterflies!
In Math Expressions unit 1, we continue to look at story problems, money, and addition/subraction strategies. Students have been practicing making "proof pictures" to show their math strategies. I will soon be sending home login information so that you can get into the Math Expressions website and do some exploring. Thank you for your diligence in helping your children complete math homework each night! So many students have already filled up at least one homework punch card.
Students will take a spelling test and receive new spelling words tomorrow. Please remember that some form of spelling homework is due between new spelling words being given on Wednesday and the following Tuesday. Even a note from you saying your child practiced spelling at home that work is fine and earns a punch on a homework punch card!
Two forms came home today for you to fill out. The first is a blanket authorization form to participate in field trips inside the Lawrence area. This will need to be on file for students to go to the Lied Center this winter for a production, so please send it back as soon as possible. The other form is information about our school celebration of Grandparent's Day! Students are inviting their grandparents to our school on September 10 at 3:00 for refreshments and reading. We will meet in our classroom. If grandparents are unable to attend, students are welcome to invite a parent, great-aunt, uncle, etc. to take their place! This should be a fun afternoon, and we are all really looking forward to it!
If you did not have a chance to stop in and sign up for a conference on either November 10 or 11, please contact me as soon as possible to set up a time. If you have any questions or concerns and would like to set up a short meeting before then, let me know!
Have a great week!
In Language Arts, we continue our author study of Kevin Henkes. We are also doing some reading comprehension and writing activities with fairy tales. During Writer's Workshop students are working on the elements of sentences, as well as how to use question words like "who", "what", "when", "where", "how", and "why" to make good sentences into home run sentences. Later this week, we will talk about subject and predicate and what makes a sentence a complete idea.
In science, students are getting prepared for the arrival of our Monarch caterpillars next week! We have studied some different life cycles, as well as what makes an insect an insect. Today, we looked at the parts of a caterpillar and discussed the word "metamorphosis". When our larvae arrive, we will begin to make written scientific observations and learn about butterflies!
In Math Expressions unit 1, we continue to look at story problems, money, and addition/subraction strategies. Students have been practicing making "proof pictures" to show their math strategies. I will soon be sending home login information so that you can get into the Math Expressions website and do some exploring. Thank you for your diligence in helping your children complete math homework each night! So many students have already filled up at least one homework punch card.
Students will take a spelling test and receive new spelling words tomorrow. Please remember that some form of spelling homework is due between new spelling words being given on Wednesday and the following Tuesday. Even a note from you saying your child practiced spelling at home that work is fine and earns a punch on a homework punch card!
Two forms came home today for you to fill out. The first is a blanket authorization form to participate in field trips inside the Lawrence area. This will need to be on file for students to go to the Lied Center this winter for a production, so please send it back as soon as possible. The other form is information about our school celebration of Grandparent's Day! Students are inviting their grandparents to our school on September 10 at 3:00 for refreshments and reading. We will meet in our classroom. If grandparents are unable to attend, students are welcome to invite a parent, great-aunt, uncle, etc. to take their place! This should be a fun afternoon, and we are all really looking forward to it!
If you did not have a chance to stop in and sign up for a conference on either November 10 or 11, please contact me as soon as possible to set up a time. If you have any questions or concerns and would like to set up a short meeting before then, let me know!
Have a great week!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Welcome back!
I am so excited to be starting a new school year! It has been great getting to know your 2nd graders the past few days. Rather than sending home a paper newsletter this year, I will be posting important class information on this blog. When there is an update, I will send out an e-mail. I plan to update at least every other week. I encourage you to check in often. To the right, there are several links that will be helpful to you and your 2nd grade student this year! These links will change periodically to tie in with our curriculum.
Don't forget that the 2nd grade curriculum night is this Thursday, August 19, at 6:00 in our classroom. I hope to see all of you then!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Happy Summer!!!
It is so hard to believe that I am sitting down to write our last blog post of the year! Tomorrow marks the last day of school. I want to thank all of you for a great year filled with too many fun memories to count. I have been very fortunate to be a part of your child's life this year. Have a wonderful summer, and be sure to stop in to say "hello" in the fall!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Approaching the end of 2nd grade!
As we coast into the end of the year, there are just a few announcements I want you to be aware of. Here they are!
1. Today was the last official spelling test of the year. For the next week, students will be working with frequently mis-spelled words, such as "usually", "think", "a lot", "supposed", "almost", and "until". Rather than taking a test on these words, students will practice using these common words in their everyday writing. I am not sending a complete list home...if you would like it, please let me know.
2. Our field trip to the Kansas City Zoo is scheduled for next Tuesday, May 11. Students, again, will need to bring a sack lunch with only disposable items and shoes appropriate for walking. Let's all cross our fingers for a much better day, weather-wise! We leave the school at 9:00 and return at 2:45.
3. 2nd graders brought home a letter last Friday regarding our upcoming "Teach the Class" project. The week of May 17th, each student will have a chance to teach his or her classmates how to do something. In the past, students have done small craft projects, sports, snacks, drawing lessons, etc. Please return the bottom portion of the form you received this week so that I can start putting a schedule together. I'm looking forward to seeing what your children come up with!
4. In math right now, we are working with point of origin and measuring distances. This would be a perfect time to sit down and look at a road map with your child! Good topics of discussion would be directions, following a map scale, and exact measurements.
5. We have been lucky these past few days to have a volunteer from the bank visiting our classroom to talk about needs and wants, the government, voting, and communities. Next week, we will take a few days during our science/social studies time to talk about animal adaptations.
6. I hope you got a chance to read your child's animal research book! I was impressed with all of the great information and writing presented. We are currently working on a descriptive writing project.
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding end-of-the-year activities, dates, etc. Have a great week!
1. Today was the last official spelling test of the year. For the next week, students will be working with frequently mis-spelled words, such as "usually", "think", "a lot", "supposed", "almost", and "until". Rather than taking a test on these words, students will practice using these common words in their everyday writing. I am not sending a complete list home...if you would like it, please let me know.
2. Our field trip to the Kansas City Zoo is scheduled for next Tuesday, May 11. Students, again, will need to bring a sack lunch with only disposable items and shoes appropriate for walking. Let's all cross our fingers for a much better day, weather-wise! We leave the school at 9:00 and return at 2:45.
3. 2nd graders brought home a letter last Friday regarding our upcoming "Teach the Class" project. The week of May 17th, each student will have a chance to teach his or her classmates how to do something. In the past, students have done small craft projects, sports, snacks, drawing lessons, etc. Please return the bottom portion of the form you received this week so that I can start putting a schedule together. I'm looking forward to seeing what your children come up with!
4. In math right now, we are working with point of origin and measuring distances. This would be a perfect time to sit down and look at a road map with your child! Good topics of discussion would be directions, following a map scale, and exact measurements.
5. We have been lucky these past few days to have a volunteer from the bank visiting our classroom to talk about needs and wants, the government, voting, and communities. Next week, we will take a few days during our science/social studies time to talk about animal adaptations.
6. I hope you got a chance to read your child's animal research book! I was impressed with all of the great information and writing presented. We are currently working on a descriptive writing project.
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding end-of-the-year activities, dates, etc. Have a great week!
Friday, April 30, 2010
The Williams "Cool it Down!" Smoothie
It has been a great Wellness Week here at Langston Hughes! As part of the festivities, each class in the school wrote and tested an original smoothie recipe to be submitted to a panel of judges. The first place prize went to Mrs. King's 5th grade class, but the students and I thought our smoothie was pretty fantastic as well. They asked me to share the recipe with you...so here it is!
Side note - Our field trip to the zoo has been tentatively re-scheduled for Tuesday, May 11. I will let you know when this date becomes official. We will be in need of one, possibly two, new parent volunteers due to scheduling, so let me know if you are interested and we will attempt to fill those spots. Admission cost is $6 for adult sponsors.
The Williams "Cool it Down!" Smoothie
By 2W
Ingredients:
3/4 cup pineapple juice
3/4 cup vanilla soymilk
3/4 cup 100% carrot juice
2 ice cubes
1 banana
1 cup frozen mango chunks
5 frozen strawberries
2 cups frozen raspberries
1. Combine liquids in a cup and pour into blender.
2. Add ice and fruits.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Serve with a raspberry garnish.
5. Enjoy!
Side note - Our field trip to the zoo has been tentatively re-scheduled for Tuesday, May 11. I will let you know when this date becomes official. We will be in need of one, possibly two, new parent volunteers due to scheduling, so let me know if you are interested and we will attempt to fill those spots. Admission cost is $6 for adult sponsors.
The Williams "Cool it Down!" Smoothie
By 2W
Ingredients:
3/4 cup pineapple juice
3/4 cup vanilla soymilk
3/4 cup 100% carrot juice
2 ice cubes
1 banana
1 cup frozen mango chunks
5 frozen strawberries
2 cups frozen raspberries
1. Combine liquids in a cup and pour into blender.
2. Add ice and fruits.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Serve with a raspberry garnish.
5. Enjoy!
Important...Zoo Trip Postponed
Due to weather conditions today, our field trip to the Kansas City Zoo is being rescheduled for next Friday, May 7. More details will be posted when we have them regarding times, etc. Thanks so much for your understanding!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Reptile and Amphibian Study Guide
Tomorrow, students will be assessed on the knowledge they have acquired during the past few weeks on herps (reptiles and amphibians). We spent some time reviewing in class today, but it would be great if you could help your son or daughter study at home tonight as well! It has been great to see so much interest in these animals in our classroom...we may have a few future herpatologists in 2nd grade!
Students will need to know the following information:
Differences and similarities of reptiles and amphibians. They will need to know how both types of animals breathe and move, as well as where they live, where they lay their eggs, and what they eat. Students should be able to sort animals into like groups, as well as describe the differences in their skin, appearance, etc. Please see the links to the side titled "reptile information" and "amphibian information" for ideas.
The life cycle of a frog (please see the link to the side).
Similarities and differences of crocodiles and alligators (please see the crocodile/alligator link to the side).
Students should also be able to tell additional information of their choice that they have learned in written form...some ideas would be the differences between frogs and toads, information about a specific reptile or amphibian, or habitat information.
Please see the e-mail I sent out this afternoon for reminders about our zoo field trip and upcoming math unit. Have a great week!
Students will need to know the following information:
Differences and similarities of reptiles and amphibians. They will need to know how both types of animals breathe and move, as well as where they live, where they lay their eggs, and what they eat. Students should be able to sort animals into like groups, as well as describe the differences in their skin, appearance, etc. Please see the links to the side titled "reptile information" and "amphibian information" for ideas.
The life cycle of a frog (please see the link to the side).
Similarities and differences of crocodiles and alligators (please see the crocodile/alligator link to the side).
Students should also be able to tell additional information of their choice that they have learned in written form...some ideas would be the differences between frogs and toads, information about a specific reptile or amphibian, or habitat information.
Please see the e-mail I sent out this afternoon for reminders about our zoo field trip and upcoming math unit. Have a great week!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Wetlands Reminder
Please remember that students will be visiting the Baker Wetlands next Monday, April 19. We will leave the school at 12:00 and arrive back at Langston around 2:45. Students need to wear long pants and shoes appropriate for walking (no flip flops, sandals, etc.) If you would like for your child to wear bug spray, it must be applied before school. If you would like for your child to wear sunscreen, he or she may bring it to school and apply it before we leave.
Also, the 2nd grade music program will be on Tuesday the 20th. Students should report to their classrooms at 7:15. The program begins at 7:30. Please see my e-mail from earlier this week about what students should plan to wear.
It has continued being a great April in our classroom! Students have shown a lot of interest in reptiles and amphibians, and continue to work hard on their animal research projects. Many students are beginning to work on their glossaries and indexes. You are going to love reading through these fantastic books in just a couple of weeks!
In math, we are now studying 3-D shapes. Please discuss the propterties of the following shapes with your child:
cube
rectangular prism
triangular prism
cylinder
cone
sphere
rectangular pyramid
triangular pyramid
Have a great weekend!
Also, the 2nd grade music program will be on Tuesday the 20th. Students should report to their classrooms at 7:15. The program begins at 7:30. Please see my e-mail from earlier this week about what students should plan to wear.
It has continued being a great April in our classroom! Students have shown a lot of interest in reptiles and amphibians, and continue to work hard on their animal research projects. Many students are beginning to work on their glossaries and indexes. You are going to love reading through these fantastic books in just a couple of weeks!
In math, we are now studying 3-D shapes. Please discuss the propterties of the following shapes with your child:
cube
rectangular prism
triangular prism
cylinder
cone
sphere
rectangular pyramid
triangular pyramid
Have a great weekend!
Friday, April 2, 2010
2nd Grade Herpetologists!
Well, it looks like April has gotten off to a wet start here in Lawrence! I think that everyone is excited to see that spring has sprung...even with the rain!
This week, 2nd graders wrapped up their world travels and were assessed on their knowledge of maps, landforms, and the 7 continents. Everyone did an awesome job! Thank you so much for helping your 2nd grader study and learn at home. It was great to see so much enthusiasm as we journeyed the world! In science, we are now moving into a month-long study of amphibians and reptiles. Yesterday and today, students compared and contrasted these two types of animals and did some sorting. Next week, we will jump right in (haha!) with a study of frogs! I will look for some fun website links about amphibians and reptiles to post on our blog this weekend, so stay tuned!
This week we also completed our math unit on geometry. Today we took a break for a problem-solving math Easter egg hunt, and we will begin our study of area on Monday.
I hope that your child has been keeping you informed about our latest writing project....a non-fiction research book on animals! Each child has been assigned a partner and is working hard on researching an animal of his or her choice. This week, we completed the note-taking process. Next week will be spent with a review of paragraphs, an overview of the 6-trait writing model, and putting together of rough drafts. Students are doing a great job...I think we are going to have some animal experts in our room when this project is complete!
Please remember that our class will be attending the Baker Wetlands on April 19 and the Kansas City Zoo on April 30. Information will be coming home about the Baker Wetlands next week. If you have not sent in a permission slip or $6 admission with your child for the zoo trip, please do so on Monday. We are still missing several, and need to get the admission money sent in. Volunteers for the 2 trips are as follows:
Baker Wetlands - Colleen Evans, Amanda Carlson, Julee Goeser, Eve Loos, Gail O'Conner
Kansas City Zoo - Marcie Martinez, Rodney Eklund, Colleen Evans, Shannon Corcoran, Julee Goeser
If you see your name on this list and are not able to attend the field trip listed, please let me know as soon as possible. If you are volunteering for the zoo field trip, please remember to send your $6 admission along with your child's. Thanks, and I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!
This week, 2nd graders wrapped up their world travels and were assessed on their knowledge of maps, landforms, and the 7 continents. Everyone did an awesome job! Thank you so much for helping your 2nd grader study and learn at home. It was great to see so much enthusiasm as we journeyed the world! In science, we are now moving into a month-long study of amphibians and reptiles. Yesterday and today, students compared and contrasted these two types of animals and did some sorting. Next week, we will jump right in (haha!) with a study of frogs! I will look for some fun website links about amphibians and reptiles to post on our blog this weekend, so stay tuned!
This week we also completed our math unit on geometry. Today we took a break for a problem-solving math Easter egg hunt, and we will begin our study of area on Monday.
I hope that your child has been keeping you informed about our latest writing project....a non-fiction research book on animals! Each child has been assigned a partner and is working hard on researching an animal of his or her choice. This week, we completed the note-taking process. Next week will be spent with a review of paragraphs, an overview of the 6-trait writing model, and putting together of rough drafts. Students are doing a great job...I think we are going to have some animal experts in our room when this project is complete!
Please remember that our class will be attending the Baker Wetlands on April 19 and the Kansas City Zoo on April 30. Information will be coming home about the Baker Wetlands next week. If you have not sent in a permission slip or $6 admission with your child for the zoo trip, please do so on Monday. We are still missing several, and need to get the admission money sent in. Volunteers for the 2 trips are as follows:
Baker Wetlands - Colleen Evans, Amanda Carlson, Julee Goeser, Eve Loos, Gail O'Conner
Kansas City Zoo - Marcie Martinez, Rodney Eklund, Colleen Evans, Shannon Corcoran, Julee Goeser
If you see your name on this list and are not able to attend the field trip listed, please let me know as soon as possible. If you are volunteering for the zoo field trip, please remember to send your $6 admission along with your child's. Thanks, and I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Have a fantastic spring break!
I hope that your 2nd grader has been telling you about our exciting class "vacation" this week! I thought you might like a copy of the itinerary of our world trip.
March 9 - Antarctica
March 10 - Australia
March 11&12 - Europe
March 22&23 - Asia
March 24 - South America
March 25 - Africa
March 26 - Mexico and Canada
March 29 - Back to the United States!
As you can see, we have a busy few days ahead of us! Students have enjoyed learning about climate, landforms, languages, exports, and especially food in the continents we have studied! Please remember that if you have any souvenirs, books, etc. from another continent, we would love to see them! Just let me know if you would like to send something in for your child to share.
In math this week, we have continued our studies of fractions. Students have practiced dividing objects into fractions, comparing fractions, and playing many fraction games. The week after spring break, we will begin unit 15 which is a study of the properties of different geometric shapes.
No new spelling words were given today, so there won't be a spelling test the Wednesday after spring break. During our normal spelling time, students will be sorting, illustrating, and defining a list of geography words. They were given the names of the seven continents, landforms such as plateau, tundra, and valley, and mapping words like compass. Please continue to discuss geography related vocabulary with your child at home as we continue our unit of study!
Several exciting opportunities will be coming up in the month of April! Our school was chosen by the Lied Center to be one of the recipients of a grant for a field trip to extend our viewing of "Stellaluna" this Friday. 2nd graders at Langston Hughes will be visited by the puppeteer Priscilla Howe two times in April. She will be teaching puppet-related lessons on various life cycles. As a culmination to this study, our 2nd graders will be taking a trip out to the Baker Wetlands! I do not have information yet on a specific date, as the trip is being planned by the great people at the Lied Center. It will be in mid-late April. When that time comes, we will need 5 parent volunteers from our class to go to the Wetlands with us. Please let me know if you are interested in going on this half day trip with us! I know it's difficult to commit without a specific date, but let me know if you think you MIGHT be interested and I will contact you when I have more information.
In addition to our trip to the Baker Wetlands, our 2nd grade field trip to the Kansas City Zoo is scheduled for Friday, April 30. This is a full day trip that also requires five parent volunteers to ride the bus and tour the zoo with a small group of students (4-5 students in each group). I would like to start lining up volunteers for this trip as soon as possible, so please contact me if you would like to go on this fun trip with us! It's always a favorite of the kids. The cost for adult entry to the zoo is $6. Permission slips for students, as well as information regarding cost, times, etc. will be coming home on Monday, March 22, so please keep an eye out for these items.
If you have interest in attending one, or even both, of our field trips, please contact me by e-mail or phone. My extension at the school is 2247. I look forward to hearing from you, and will give more information on both of these trips soon!
We are in need of about a dozen plastic break-apart Easter eggs for a math scavenger hunt activity in April. If you have any of these that you would like to donate, I'd love to have them!
Have a wonderful spring break! Let's all cross our fingers for beautiful weather!
Monday, March 1, 2010
March is here!
It was so great seeing all of you at conferences last week! I really enjoyed sharing your 2nd graders' accomplishments with you!
Today, we began our unit or study on fractions. For the next two weeks, students will be learning to write, identify, and compare fractions. We will look at fractional parts of one whole, as well as fractional parts of a group.
During the month of March, 2nd graders will be studying geography in Social Studies. This week we are looking at different kinds of communities and how to use a map. Next week and the week after spring break, our classes will be "visiting" the 7 continents! During this time, students will learn about the cultures, languages, exports, etc. of the different continents. At the conclusion of this unit, your child will be bringing home many projects and lots of information! If you have lived in or visited another country and have something that your child would like to share, feel free to send it in! Please label each item letting me know whether you would like it back right away or if we can hang on to it for a couple of weeks.
Stamped, addressed envelopes for our Flat Stanley project are due tomorrow, March 2. I am looking forward to seeing the interesting projects that will be coming to us from all over the country next month!
There will be no spelling test this Wednesday. Our next spelling test will be on March 10.
Next Friday, March 12, 2nd graders will be attending a production of "Stellaluna" at the Lied Center. What a great opportunity to review our author study of Janell Canon earlier this year!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Happy Kansas Day!
What a busy week we have had in 2nd grade! Can you believe that Wednesday marked the 100th day of school? Students studied the value of the number "100" in several different contexts. Tomorrow, we will celebrate Kansas Day! During the morning, first and second grade will participate in 6 different Kansas related activities. Our class will take some time in the afternoon to research Kansas state symbols. I have posted a link to a website with some great information about these symbols to the right! Enjoy!
In math this week, we have continued our study of 2-digit subtraction. Students will spend next week reviewing and practicing the different strategies that we have covered. The following week, 2nd grade will begin studying fractions! Now would be a great time to discuss halves, fourths, and thirds with your child. Lots of foods naturally come in fractions, and groups of people and time on a clock are also great ways to think about fractions. Be creative!
Students continue to write various types of poetry in our class. Next week, we will wrap up poetry with a study of the life and works of Shel Silverstein. Students will also write a final book to teach you all about couplets, list poems, shape poems, acrostics, cinquains, and free verse poetry. I have really enjoyed working with so many poetic second graders! After we have wrapped up our study of poetry, students will spend several weeks developing their writing skills in personal narratives and descriptive writing. We will also begin to get deeper into the writing process and the Six Trait writing model.
We will end our study of the weather next week with a bang! 2nd graders will learn about tornadoes, lightning, and hurricanes. The weather assessment will be on Monday, February 8. After that, we will spend a couple of weeks studying influential African Americans. During this time, our class will also read The Drinking Gourd and discuss and write about the historical significance of the Underground Railroad.
I will not be sending home a book order for the month of February, as I'm sure many of you will be attending the Scholastic Book Fair at our school in 2 weeks! Look for another book order in March.
I hope that your 2nd grader enjoys the long weekend! Thanks, as always, for all that you do!
In math this week, we have continued our study of 2-digit subtraction. Students will spend next week reviewing and practicing the different strategies that we have covered. The following week, 2nd grade will begin studying fractions! Now would be a great time to discuss halves, fourths, and thirds with your child. Lots of foods naturally come in fractions, and groups of people and time on a clock are also great ways to think about fractions. Be creative!
Students continue to write various types of poetry in our class. Next week, we will wrap up poetry with a study of the life and works of Shel Silverstein. Students will also write a final book to teach you all about couplets, list poems, shape poems, acrostics, cinquains, and free verse poetry. I have really enjoyed working with so many poetic second graders! After we have wrapped up our study of poetry, students will spend several weeks developing their writing skills in personal narratives and descriptive writing. We will also begin to get deeper into the writing process and the Six Trait writing model.
We will end our study of the weather next week with a bang! 2nd graders will learn about tornadoes, lightning, and hurricanes. The weather assessment will be on Monday, February 8. After that, we will spend a couple of weeks studying influential African Americans. During this time, our class will also read The Drinking Gourd and discuss and write about the historical significance of the Underground Railroad.
I will not be sending home a book order for the month of February, as I'm sure many of you will be attending the Scholastic Book Fair at our school in 2 weeks! Look for another book order in March.
I hope that your 2nd grader enjoys the long weekend! Thanks, as always, for all that you do!
Friday, January 15, 2010
All kinds of WEATHER!
2010 in 2nd grade has gotten off to a fun and busy start! I hope that your 2nd graders have been telling you all about the implementaion of the Daily 5 language structure in our classroom. It has been going so well, and I think your children have really enjoyed the new freedom and choice that they have been experiencing during our language block! It has been so awesome to look around the classroom and see 22 students who are engaged in what they are doing and truly enjoying reading and writing! We will spend next week wrapping up the introduction of the Daily 5 and will be starting regular guided reading groups again on Monday, January 25. This had to be pushed back a few days due to the school that was missed last week due to weather...I know that we are ALL enjoying much more pleasurable temperatures this week!
In math, we have wrapped up our study of volume and the use of graduated cylinders, and will begin Unit 11 next week. In this unit, students will explore ways of subracting larger numbers.
Our current writing unit is on poetry, and I have really enjoyed reading so many creative and poetic pieces! So far, students have learned about and practiced couplets, shape poems, and list poems. Next week, we will jump into cinquains and acrostics. I am so glad to hear that several students have enjoyed exploring the new shape poem links to the right at home!
In science, students continue to explore the different components of weather...we have really been able to observe many kinds of weather over the past two weeks! We will spend approximately another week and a half studying types of clouds, precipitation, the water cycle, the use of the Beaufort Scale to rate the strength of the wind, and types of storms. At the conclusion of this science unit, students will begin a short study of Kansas history and symbols as we prepare for Kansas Day on January 29. If you would like to be a volunteer in our classroom the morning of January 29, we would love to have you! Please let me know if you are interested.
Today, 2nd graders learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the impact that he had on civil rights in America. Be sure to ask your 2nd grader about what he or she learned about this important man on his birthday!
I hope that you all have a wonderful long weekend!
In math, we have wrapped up our study of volume and the use of graduated cylinders, and will begin Unit 11 next week. In this unit, students will explore ways of subracting larger numbers.
Our current writing unit is on poetry, and I have really enjoyed reading so many creative and poetic pieces! So far, students have learned about and practiced couplets, shape poems, and list poems. Next week, we will jump into cinquains and acrostics. I am so glad to hear that several students have enjoyed exploring the new shape poem links to the right at home!
In science, students continue to explore the different components of weather...we have really been able to observe many kinds of weather over the past two weeks! We will spend approximately another week and a half studying types of clouds, precipitation, the water cycle, the use of the Beaufort Scale to rate the strength of the wind, and types of storms. At the conclusion of this science unit, students will begin a short study of Kansas history and symbols as we prepare for Kansas Day on January 29. If you would like to be a volunteer in our classroom the morning of January 29, we would love to have you! Please let me know if you are interested.
Today, 2nd graders learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the impact that he had on civil rights in America. Be sure to ask your 2nd grader about what he or she learned about this important man on his birthday!
I hope that you all have a wonderful long weekend!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Exciting changes for 2010!
I hope that you all had a wonderful winter break and stayed safe in all the snow and ice! I'm excited to get 2010 off to a great start in 2nd grade!
There are going to be some very exciting changes going on in the first and second grade pod starting January 4! As a building, Langston Hughes staff members have been studying the book "The Daily Five", by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. In the weeks to come, you will be hearing your 2nd graders talk about our use of the Daily Five framework in our classroom! The Daily Five is a way of structuring our reading block so that every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research based tasks are ones that will have the biggest impact on student reading achievement, as well as help foster children who love to read. Students receive explicit instruction and then are given independent practice time to read independently while receiving focused instruction in regular guided reading groups. When the Daily Five is up and running smoothly, students will be engaged in the following five components:
1. Read to Self
2. Read to Someone
3. Listen to Someone Read
4. Writing Practice
5. Word Work
There are very specific behavior expectations that go with each Daily Five component. We will spend the next two weeks taking a break from regular guided reading groups in order to work intensely on building reading and writing stamina, learning behaviors for the Daily Five, and building our classroom community.
One thing that you will notice that will be a change for you is a decrease in the number of worksheets your child brings home. Instead, your child will be taught to select "Good Fit" books (books they are able to read and understand, as well as are interested in). They will spend most of their time actually reading and writing, which research supports as the most effective way to to improve reading and writing success.
The first and second grade team is excited to give your child the opportunity to be involved in a structure that will have such a positive effect on his or her education. Please let me know if you have any questions as we begin this new adventure at Langston Hughes!
There are going to be some very exciting changes going on in the first and second grade pod starting January 4! As a building, Langston Hughes staff members have been studying the book "The Daily Five", by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. In the weeks to come, you will be hearing your 2nd graders talk about our use of the Daily Five framework in our classroom! The Daily Five is a way of structuring our reading block so that every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research based tasks are ones that will have the biggest impact on student reading achievement, as well as help foster children who love to read. Students receive explicit instruction and then are given independent practice time to read independently while receiving focused instruction in regular guided reading groups. When the Daily Five is up and running smoothly, students will be engaged in the following five components:
1. Read to Self
2. Read to Someone
3. Listen to Someone Read
4. Writing Practice
5. Word Work
There are very specific behavior expectations that go with each Daily Five component. We will spend the next two weeks taking a break from regular guided reading groups in order to work intensely on building reading and writing stamina, learning behaviors for the Daily Five, and building our classroom community.
One thing that you will notice that will be a change for you is a decrease in the number of worksheets your child brings home. Instead, your child will be taught to select "Good Fit" books (books they are able to read and understand, as well as are interested in). They will spend most of their time actually reading and writing, which research supports as the most effective way to to improve reading and writing success.
The first and second grade team is excited to give your child the opportunity to be involved in a structure that will have such a positive effect on his or her education. Please let me know if you have any questions as we begin this new adventure at Langston Hughes!
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