December Happenings

I hope that you all had a wonderful Fall Break with your families!  Students have done a great job of getting right back to work and are really challenging themselves here at school, even though they know that Winter Break is right around the corner.  These three weeks can be tough, but we do have a lot going on in our classroom! 

Unit 4 in math has gotten off to a good start.  We opened up the unit with a review of coins.  Students are now learning to count amounts that go over a dollar, and continue practicing writing money amounts using the correct label.  Yesterday, your 2nd grader brought home a small bag with directions about bringing in some coins to use in the classroom for extra money practice.  If you are able, please send this back by Monday.  It's so helpful to have real coins to use for practice.  Coins will be returned at the end of the school year.  During this unit, we will also begin looking at methods for subtracting 2-digit numbers.  Students will learn how to ungroup to make new tens as needed.  At home, please take some time to work with your child on basic subtraction facts.  Speed and efficiency with these facts will really help as the numbers being subtracted become larger! 

We are having a lot of fun writing personal narratives.  Students are learning important writing skills from master writers and are gaining confidence with practicing some of these craft moves in their own writing.  This week, we are discussing the different things that master writers do and why they do them.  We've had some good conversations about the tricks that make readers feel part of a story.  I love seeing 2nd graders getting so involved with the writing process!  They are showing real pride with their work, and I can't wait to share some of their pieces with you at our next conference.  We are also working on a super-secret writing project in our spare time...look forward to seeing those in just a couple of weeks!

This week's spelling work is a study of homophones.  As you work on these words with your 2nd grader, please be sure to take some time to discuss not only the correct spelling of the words, but also what the words mean and why they are homophones (they sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings). 

For the next few weeks, students will be looking at the historical significance of the "wild west".  This week, we have looked at a variety of tall tales.  We have talked about the importance of story-telling during a time when TV and computers weren't available.  Students are learning the traits of tall tales and comparing various versions of similar stories.  See if your child can tell you about how tall tales are stories about normal people who are "bigger than life" in some way, and how the tales have been passed down and exaggerated over many years.  Next week, we will be digging into some fairy tales that have been re-set in the west! 

Please make note of the following dates.  The next few weeks are going to be pretty jam-packed!  Thanks, as always, for all that you do.  If you have any questions about current curriculum or your child's progress, feel free to call, e-mail, or drop by at any time.  Have a great weekend! 

December 17 - Birthday Breakfast - Happy birthday, Sydney and Parker!

December 19 - Winter Parties

December 13/14 - Winter Celebration with Mrs. D and Mrs. W - Forms due December 9

December 22 - January 2 - No School

January 19 - No School - MLK Day




 

November Events

It has been wonderful meeting with all of you during conferences these past couple of days.  Your 2nd graders have been working so hard, and I have really enjoyed sharing their achievements with you.  Here's what's going on in our  classroom this month!

We will be wrapping up our third math unit next week.  During this unit, students have worked with estimation, measurement, and shapes.  We will have our unit 3 test before Fall Break, and plan to begin unit 4 right after the break.  Unit 4 deals with subtracting 2-digit numbers.  This would be a great time to help your child brush up on his or her basic addition and subtraction facts!  To the right of this post, you can find a few interactive math games to help with this.  Let me know if you would like additional resources. 

2nd graders have successfully completed their first major unit of Writer's Workshop!  We will now be shifting gears from informative writing to narrative writing.  During this unit, students will learn skills to write about "small moments" they have experienced.  We will be digging into the books Owl Moon and The Leaving Morning to discover how experienced authors compose meaningful personal narratives.  At home during the course of this unit, please encourage your child to talk with you about meaningful life moments he or she would like to write about in class. 

It has been so much fun studying about the human body during the past few weeks!  We've looked at some great books and websites, and I really enjoyed hearing the presentations the student's put together.  I couldn't believe how motivated and creative they were!  All students did a great job showing teamwork and using advanced research skills to learn new information.  We will now be taking a break from science and health for several weeks in order to begin our first big Social Studies unit!  Students will spend time comparing life in America long ago to life in America now.  They will learn about immigration and what it means to be a pilgrim.  We will then spend a few weeks learning about the wild west!  Students will see what happens when popular fairy tales are re-written to be set in the wild west, and will learn what it was like to be a Pony Express rider.  Be sure to check in with your child periodically to see what fun projects are happening in 2nd grade! 

Thanks again for taking time to meet with me this week.  I enjoy each and every one of my students, and I am so thankful for support they receive from such great families.  As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you have about upcoming curriculum.  Please note the following dates.  Have a great weekend! 

November 19 - Birthday Breakfast - Happy birthday, Banks and Ben!

November 26-28 - Fall Recess - No School

December 17- Birthday Breakfast - Happy birthday, Sydney and Parker! 

December 19 - Winter Parties

December 22-January 2 - No School

January 19 - No School - MLK Day

Fall Happenings

Great news...our blog is up and running again!  I'm not sure what the technical issue was, but it appears to be fixed now . I hope that the e-mails over the past few weeks have given you the information you needed.

We have been staying very busy in room 139.  It's hard to believe that the end of the first trimester is just a few short weeks away! Here's what's going on in 2nd grade this month:

Math -
In Unit 2, students are learning how to work with place value.  We have worked on number words, representing 100s, 10s, and 1s in multiple ways, using expanded form (246 = 200+40+6), and adding two and three digit numbers that involve making a new ten or hundred.  This week, students are learning about counting mixed groups of coins.  My understanding is that counting money is no longer a big part of first grade math standards, so this would be a great time to work with your child at home on basic money counting skills! 

Reading -
Reading groups are well underway!  It's been wonderful settling into a routine.  At conferences next month, I'll have a lot of information to share with you about reading levels and progress.  If you have questions before then, feel free to shoot me an e-mail.  Our current read aloud is Happy Birthday, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.  Students are enjoying this classic collection of short stories.  If you visit a bookstore or the library (or even Amazon.com!), you might want to check out other books by Betty MacDonald.

Writer's Workshop -
We are continuing to work through our informational writing unit.  Students have worked with lab reports, science booklets, and technical (how-to) writing.  Later this week, they will begin their final information writing project: a research paper on a body system.  Be sure to ask your child what body system he or she has chosen to research!  If you have kid-friendly books or other resources at home that pertain to the body systems, feel free to send them in!  I am providing our health text book, a couple of websites, a few books, and an article for each student. 

Science -
In addition to writing about the human body systems, 2nd graders are also studying other aspects of the human body.  This week, we are learning about proper nutrition and diving into the book Good Enough to Eat.  Over the next couple of weeks, students will continue to learn about meal planning and why a variety of nutrients are important to good health. 

Please mark the following dates on your calendars.  Thank you, as always, for all you do to support learning in our classroom!  I look forward to seeing you all at conferences soon!

Upcoming Dates:

October 27-31 - Red Ribbon Week

October 29 - Birthday Breakfast - Happy birthday, Abby and Loukas!

October 31 - Costume Parade and Class Parties

November 7 - No School

November 12-13 - Parent/Teacher Conferences

November 13-14 - No School

November 19 - Birthday Breakfast - Happy birthday, Banks and Ben!

November 26-28 - Fall Break - Happy Thanksgiving!

Homework Information and Upcoming Dates

It's been another busy week in our class!  I continue to be impressed...this class is full of hard workers and great listeners!  We continued our study of unlikely friendships, worked with addition fact strategies in math, and launched our Writer's Workshop.  We also had our first Bobcat Buck class party!  Students enjoyed lunch in the classroom, complete with a fun video.  On Tuesday, the class will vote on which incentive we are working to earn next.

 This week in Writer's Workshop, we studied the parts of a friendly letter and created some visuals for our wall of student and teacher expectations for the year.  Next week, we will begin our first major writing unit.  During this unit, students will learn how to write like scientists and will create several expository booklets.  On Tuesday, your child will be taking a pre-unit writing assessment.  Students will be asked to create a short writing piece about a scientific concept that they choose.  Students are invited to bring in a science book from home to use as a resource, if they would like.  This is not a requirement, as I have plenty of non-fiction books available in the classroom.  I just want to give students the option in case they have something specific in mind and have a good book at home.

At Information Night, we talked about homework and how it is used in our classroom.  Students have done an excellent job this week of completing assignments!  Here are some things to keep in mind when completing homework:
* When your child completes blog homework on Tuesday nights, he or she is welcome to answer the posted question by simply commenting on my post containing the question, or by going to the menu at the top and selecting "new post".  While either option is acceptable, blog posts will only appear on your child's individual blog if "new post" is selected.  In addition, other students will only be able to comment when "new post" is clicked.
* Every single student in our class returned math homework yesterday.  Thank you so much for your support at home!  On mornings when math homework is due, students will do a "mix, pair, share" activity during which they will meet with a partner or small group and compare assignments.  In doing this, I feel that students are more likely to learn from their mistakes and practice their communication skills.  It was so wonderful yesterday morning, observing students re-solving tricky problems and helping their peers build understanding!  We'll plan to continue using math homework in this way, as a valuable learning tool.
* Please look for your child's first spelling list to come home next Wednesday.  Remember that Monday nights are for practicing spelling words in a fun way!  Spellingcity.com is a good place to start...check it out!

Sometime next week, I will be e-mailing with information about volunteering and a list of supplies we will need for our bridge building projects.  Thanks, as always, for all you do!  Enjoy the long weekend!

Upcoming Dates...Mark Your Calendars!
September 1 - Labor Day - No School

September 5 - Grandparents' Day

September 15 - No School

First full week!

I really enjoyed seeing all of you last night at our Parent Information Night!  I hope you found the presentation helpful and that I answered all your questions.  As things come up during the year, feel free to e-mail me or stop in.  It's always a pleasure to hear from you!  I appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with you all this year as we navigate 2nd grade together.  

This week, we continued our study of unlikely friendships.  We read the story of Owen and Mzee.  I'm sure your child would love to tell you this true story of a baby hippo that befriended an elderly tortoise in Africa!  Today, students watched several video clips of other unlikely animal friendships (if you click on the first link under the Language Arts tab on the right side of this page, you can watch the videos, too!)  On Monday, students will work in pairs to illustrate and write about one of the unlikely friendships.  We will also continue studying vocabulary from the story of Owen and Mzee.  We are working together to practice dictionary use, think about the context of words in books, and to put definitions into our own words. 

Next week, we will read through some of the stories in the popular "George and Martha" series.   We will have a discussion about different book genres with similar themes (Like "Owen and Mzee", the "George and Martha" books are about friendship and include hippos...but they are made up stories, unlike "Owen and Mzee" which is a true story). During this book study, we will look at how authors often use their writing to teach life lessons.  As a class, we will try to figure out what lessons about friendship James Marshall teaches in his writing.  We will also continue to practice looking at the context of unknown words to determine what the words mean.  

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to start our Writer's Workshop on Monday!  Before we jump into the four units I told you about last night, we are going to take a week to establish procedures.  At this time, we will also work on composing friendly letters.  This will tie in to a brief pen pal activity we are starting.  I have connected with a friend who teaches writing at a junior high school in Tennessee, and our class is going to be e-mailing one of her classes as a part of our "Building Bridges with Unlikely Friends" unit.  We will work on finding things we have in common with this faraway class.  We are excited to receive some friendly letters back from our new buddies!    

This week in math, we reviewed math mountains and  fact strategies.  We will continue this unit on basic addition and subtraction next week.  Since we haven't yet sorted students for our break-out math groups, we will also be taking some time in the afternoons to incorporate technology into our math lessons.  If you look under the math menu to the right of this post, there are some  great interactive math games and activities.  I will be sharing these with students in class, but you are also free to explore them at home!  

Our 2nd grade homework schedule will start next week.  Your child now has a copy of the schedule tucked into the back pocket of his or her home folder.  We won't start spelling for another week or two, so there will be no homework on Monday (if you want to start establishing the full schedule before then, this would be a GREAT time to look over the district's 2nd grade word list...let me know if you want a copy).  Our first blog question will be posted Tuesday, math homework will come home Wednesday, and I will have reading logs in each child's home folder on Thursday.  Please remember that your child is not expected to work on homework for more than 20 minutes on one night.  If he or she hits a point of frustration, particularly on math nights, please e-mail me or send me a note so that I can help support your child in class with the assignment.  

Let me know if you have any questions about upcoming activities.  As always, thanks for all you do to support learning in our classroom!  Have a great weekend!  

Welcome to 2nd Grade!

Good afternoon!

I can't believe it is already the end of the first week of school!  It has been such a joy getting to know your 2nd grade students these past few days.  They have been working really hard and have been so helpful and flexible as we have adjusted to a new building and a new school year.  Be sure to give your child a big hug and a "job well done!" 

This week, we have been working on some team building.  We have reviewed the "3 R's" of Bobcat behavior (readiness, respect, responsibility) and have worked together to come up with classroom policies.  On Monday, our school will have an assembly to kick off our new behavior system.  I'm sure your 2nd grade student has been telling you all about our Bobcat Bucks!  I will have information for you about this system at Back to School night on August 21.  

We are opening up our school year with a study of the author Kevin Henkes.  This week, we have been looking at his book Wemberly Worried and sharing ideas and strategies for dealing with worry.  On Monday, we will read Chrysanthemum and take some time celebrating our names.  On Monday night, please look for a homework assignment in your child's backpack!  He or she will be interviewing you to learn more about the story behind his or her name.

This year, we will be doing six major language arts units that also tie in with our science and social studies standards  During our first unit, "Building Bridges with Unlikely Friends", students will study the difference between literal and figurative language.  They will learn the importance of making connections with unlikely friends, and will also be doing some engineer work as we look at the structures of different types of bridges.  This unit will will begin on Tuesday.

Early next week, students will be taking a beginning-of-the-year math test so that I can see what they remember from first grade.  We will then be jumping into our Math Expressions curriculum with a study of math mountains and basic fact strategies.

I will keep you posted in a few weeks when we start leveled reading and math groups.  

Next week, I am leaving my schedule open after school.  I will be in the classroom on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 4:00 until 4:45.  If you would like to pick an afternoon to stop in for five minutes for a quick visit, let me know.  This would be a good chance to share any information about your child that you think I should know right away.  I will address general questions (birthday celebrations, behavior management, curriculum, etc.) on Thursday at Back to School night.  If you would like to pop in next week between 4:00 and 4:45 on one of those days, just e-mail me and let me know what day you plan to stop by. If you are unable to stop in during that time but have things you would like to share with me, feel free to shoot me an e-mail.  I'd be happy to arrange an evening phone conference with you from my home.

Please make note of the following dates on your calendars.  Thank you in advance for your help and support.  I am looking forward to a wonderful school year!

Upcoming Dates

August 18, 19, 20 - Mrs. Williams available after school 

August 21 - 2nd Grade Back to School night - 6:00

September 1 - No school - Labor Day

We're up and running again!

It seems that, after several months of technical difficulties, our class blog is ready to let me update it!  It was so great meeting with all of you at conferences last week.  It's hard to believe that we are in the last trimester of the school year!  It's going to be a busy three months, and I'm excited to see the progress that your 2nd graders make as they prepare to become 3rd graders.

Today was our Unit 5 test in math.  Unit 5 covered the use of clocks as well as organizing and interpreting data in a variety of ways.  I've been so impressed to see how the problem solving skills of students have matured this year!  Not only have they been answering complicated 2-step (and even 3-step!) story problems while analyzing data on a graph, but have even been able to write and solve some of their own.  On Monday, we will pre-test Unit 6.  This unit builds on the subtraction we did in the last unit by including larger numbers.  Now would be a good time to review basic subtraction facts and strategies for subtracting 2-digit numbers.

We began our new reading group rotations this week.  Students were definitely glad to be back into a regular schedule!  If you are looking for reading comprehension activities to work on at home that tie in with the standards we are working on, let me know.  I'd be happy to pass along some resources.  This week we also began a short research project in celebration of Presidents' Day.  Each student has been assigned a president and is working to write a paragraph that follows the pattern as the Important Book project we did in December.  Be sure to ask your 2nd grader about his or her president!  It's been fun having some of them teach me things from their research that I didn't know before.  On Monday, we will jump into our new writing program.  The unit we are piloting focuses on opinion writing.  Kids have lots of opinions, so I know that they will really enjoy this unit!  As we get deeper into the unit, I will pass on to you some of the writing techniques we are practicing.

It was SO fun listening to weather presentations this week!  All of the groups did a great job of displaying their information, planning out what they wanted to say, and bringing in extra visual aids and props to support their research.  I hope to try another similar activity later this year when we study habitats.  I will keep you posted!

Our next big social studies unit begins on Monday and is titled "A Journey to Freedom".  During this unit, students will study influential African Americans like Hariett Tubman, Henry Brown, and Langston Hughes. To kick off he unit, we will take a close look at the presidency of Abraham Lincoln and the significance of the Civil War.  Each week, we will delve into important literature to deepen understanding.

As always, thank you for all you do to support our classroom.  You continue to be a wonderful group of parents to work with, and I truly enjoy the time that I spend with your children.  Please jot down the dates below and contact me with any questions.  Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

February 24-26 - Book Fair (Pancake feed on February 25)

February 26 - Birthday Breakfast (June birthdays)

March 3 - Read Across America Day - Happy Birthday, Dr. Suess!

March 17-21 - Spring Break

April 1 - Fitness Fair (6:00-7:30)

April 5 - Family Fun Run

April 17 - Possible date for Kansas City Zoo field trip

May 22 - Last day of school!