Happy Holidays 2015

Happy Holidays 2015

December 11th

Dear Families,

Here is an update on what's happening in our 2nd grade team:

Reminders:

·  Thursday, December 17th    Holiday Party 10-10:45 am

·  Friday, December 18th           Polar Express day for 2nd grade—more info to come!

·  Monday, December 21^st          Winter Break Begins

·  Monday, January 4^th               School Resumes

Language Arts:

Reading Workshop, This week the students learned how to infer what traits a character has, based on what they read.  Students were asked to read four passages about different elves and decide on a character trait for each elf, while having to cite evidence from the text for why they think that elf has portrayed that particular character trait.  We will start reciprocal teaching after the holiday break in preparation for book clubs.  Next week, we will review decoding strategies.

Word Work: For the entire month of December, we will be focusing on "R controlled vowels" in words, in particular "ar" "er" "ir" "or" and "ur".  These types of words are tricky to master! It is very helpful to point these types of words out to your child when reading with him/her at home.  Practice spelling some words with these patterns.  Here are some examples: harp, farm, perch, germ, third, bird, born, torn, turn, churn 

Writing Workshop: This week we focused using what we have learned so far this year and putting it in a final personal narrative piece on holiday traditions.  We will continue with this paper next week by revising, editing and publishing. 

Math

This past week, we continued with unit 4.  We practiced making exchanges using base-10 blocks, writing numbers in expanded notation and measuring elves to the nearest in.  Please refer to the home links (previously sent home) to support your child directly with what we are working on each day.  We completed lesson 4.5-4.9 this past week in following along with the home links. Next week, we will be having our unit 4 test on Wednesday, December 16th.

Science and Social Studies

This week students finished researching their land form and worked on completing a project to present to the class.  We had fun learning about the different types of land forms throughout the research process and will present on Monday/Tuesday of next week.

Homework

*Math Home links

*IXL Skills: have your child practice in any area they need to review and subtraction

*When reading with your child, make predictions, summarize the story or text, monitor and clarify tricky parts, and ask questions throughout the text

*Practice math 10-15 minutes a night and reading for 10-15 minutes a night. Please complete this in any way that works best for you and your family.

Have a wonderful weekend!

December 4th

Dear Families,

Thank you so much for participating in our Multicultural Feast. Everyone enjoyed all the different dishes that were sent in to share. We learned about favorite family dishes and the children enjoyed sharing their favorite cultural meals.

Here is an update on what's happening in our 2nd grade team:

Reminders:

·         Wednesday, December 9^th     Holiday Shop 5:00 – 8:00 pm

·         Thursday, December 10^th       Holiday Shop 5:00 – 8:00 pm

·         Monday, December 21^st         Winter Break Begins

·         Monday, January 4^th               School Resumes

Language Arts:

Reading Workshop, This week the students learned various reading strategies in which he/she will use during our upcoming book clubs.  The strategies we focused on include: questioning, predicting, and summarizing.  We will start reciprocal teaching after the holiday break in preparation for book clubs.  Next week, we will do a fun activity with Elf  inferences!

Word Work: For the entire month of December, we will be focusing on "R controlled vowels" in words, in particular "ar" "er" "ir" "or" and "ur".  These types of words are tricky to master! It is very helpful to point these types of words out to your child when reading with him/her at home.  Practice spelling some words with these patterns.  Here are some examples: harp, farm, perch, germ, third, bird, born, torn, turn, churn 

Writing Workshop: This week we focused on learning how to correctly write dialogue in our stories. Ask your child what a speech tag is and where you can find them in dialogue. We also learned about similes and how authors use them in order to help create movies in their readers' minds.

Math

This past week, we began unit 4.  This unit focuses on measurement.  Please be sure to practice telling time with your child, in particular telling time to the hour and half hour. We also worked on place value and comparing numbers using place value.  Please refer to the homelinks (previously sent home) to support your child directly with what we are working on each day.  We completed lesson 4.1-4.4 this past week in following along with the homelinks. We'll continue to work on place value next week and measuring to the nearest foot and inch. The pictures below show students exploring pattern blocks and building numbers with base ten blocks.

Science and Social Studies

This week students continued to research their land forms. Next week, we will create our presentations.

Homework: Practicing Skills at Home

*Math Home links

*IXL Skills: have your child practice in any area they need to review and subtraction. 
*Xtra Math
*Blog! 
*Raz Kids: Great Practice for online testing. 
*Read a some great books!

Second Grade Reading Buddies with First Grade Friends

*When reading with your child, make predictions, summarize the story or text, monitor and clarify tricky parts, and ask questions throughout the text.

*Practice math 10-15 minutes a night and reading for 10-15 minutes a night. Please complete this in any way that works best for you and your family.

Have a wonderful weekend!

November 22nd

Dear Families,

Thank you for coming in for conferences last week. I enjoyed talking with all of you and sharing your child's successes!

 

Reminders:

November 23: Thanksgiving Multicultural Feast  (See note for more details)

November 25-29: No school for Thanksgiving Break

 

Language Arts:

Reading Workshop, This week we continued to read carefully in order to notice character changes through their emotions throughout the text. Next week we will start to learn the reading strategies we will use to talk in book clubs!

 

Word Work: In word work, we worked on the long /u/ sound including words with ui, u_e  and oo .  It is very helpful to point these types of words out to your child when reading with him/her at home.  Practice spelling some words with these patterns. 

 

Writing Workshop: This week we read mentor texts to help us see craft in writing.  Students continued the revision process and chose a piece of writing to edit and publish.

 

Math

This past week, we finished up Unit 3, Subtraction Strategies. When we get back from break, we will begin Unit 4 Place Value and Measurement. 

 

Science and Social Studies

This week students started learning about landforms.  They started researching to become experts on landforms. We'll start researching specific landforms and begin to work on presentations.

 

Remember that we only have school Monday and Tuesday of this week, then we're off for Thanksgiving break. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

November 15th

Dear Families,

This week on our team:

Reminders:

November 12-20: Book Fair

November 13: report cards sent home

November 17: Picture Retakes

November 19: half day of school with a 12:30 dismissal and Conferences from 1-4 and 5-7

November 23: Thanksgiving Feast  (See note that was sent home on Thursday)

November 25-29: No school for Thanksgiving Break

Language Arts: This week in Reading Workshop, we continued to work on identifying character traits and  focusing on using adjectives to describe characters. We read carefully in order to notice character changes throughout the text. Also, we analyzed characters so that we noticed the differences between traits and emotions. We read and reread some great books to discuss and write about some very interesting characters.
 

Word Work: In word work, we worked on the long /o/ sound including words with oa, and o-e  and ow .  It is very helpful to point these types of words out to your child when reading with him/her at home.  Practice spelling some words with these patterns. Next week, we’ll work on words with the long /u/ sound.

Writing Workshop: This week, we continued to work on personal narratives while studying author’s craft. We read the books Rollercoaster and Whistling to find author's craft to try in our own writing.  We’ve been working on taking our pieces through the writing process by revising and editing. Next week, we’ll continue writing personal narratives and studying mentor texts. Also, students have been doing lots of blogging and lots of writing from home! Everyone is having fun commenting and starting conversations with one another through our blogs!

Math: This past week, we continued to work on subtraction strategies, learning which strategies to use with different subtraction problems.  Children were asked to figure out the best or most efficient way to solve a subtraction math problem. Some of the strategies included Counting Up, Counting Back, using Fact Families, Minus 0 and Minus 1, and Think Addition. Please work on any of the subtraction activities on IXL.

Science and Social Studies: This weekwe continued to work at our Maker Spaces. Mr. F. stopped by and worked with another group. We need small boxes for our next Maker project (think jewelry boxes and small shoe boxes or any small box). We also continued to learn about working together in teams. We did a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) activity in teams and finished building chairs for a small stuffed animal. This chair had to be free standing and able to hold the animal without tipping over. Next week, we'll begin learning about Landforms and start to answer some of our wonderings by researching with our teams.
 

 

 

Homework:

*Use any of the websites that are on your password sheet to practice skills.

*Math Home links

 

*Blogging at home: Kidblog

*IXL Skills: have your child practice in any area they need to review and subtraction

*When reading aloud to your child, stop and discuss the character. Have your child describe the traits of that character.

*Practice math 10-15 minutes a night and reading for 10-15 minutes a night. Please complete this in any way that works best for you and your family.

Have a great weekend!

November 8th

Dear Families,

 

Here’s an update on what’s happening in our team:

 

Reminders:

November 6^th: end of first card marking

November 12/13: Special Person Breakfast,7:45-9:00a.m.

November 12-20:  Book Fair

November 19^th: half day of school with a 12:30 dismissal and Conferences from 1-4 and 5-7  (if you haven't signed up yet, please go to my Signup Genius page)

November 25-29: No school for Thanksgiving Break

 

Language Arts: This week in Reading Workshop, we continued to work on oral and written nonfiction retellings.  Your child practiced retelling a nonfiction article on November and then answered questions based on the article.  We practiced how to find text evidence and how to properly answer a question (close reading).  Next week, we will begin our second reading unit.  This unit focuses on characters.  We will learn to identify character traits and discuss how character traits can change throughout a story.

 

Word Work: In word work, we worked on the long /i/ sound including words with ie, igh, and i_e.  It is very helpful to point these types of words out to your child when reading or spelling with him/her at home.  We will move on to long /o/ words next week, which have the patterns oa, o-e, and ow.

 

Writing Workshop: This week, we worked on writing a personal narratives using different writer's craft.  We read some mentor texts to see what we could notice about a specific writer's work. We used the text "Rollercoaster," by Marla Frazee. We borrowed some of the craft that we noticed in her book to make our writing more interesting.  (ie. onomatopoeia, ellipses, word choice, etc.). Next week, we will continue to work on adding craft to our personal narratives.

 

Math: This past week, we did lesson 3.2, 3.3, and will do 3.4 on Monday. The Unit three review was sent home on Friday as well as the Unit two test for you to sign and return. If you notice that there is an area that your child may need to practice, please review that skill for homework this week.   Next week, we will be working on 3.4, 3.5, 3.8, and 3.9 . These lessons all teach students different subtraction strategies, so if you are using IXL at home, working on any of the subtractions skills will be beneficial.

 

Science and Social Studies: Last week we worked on collaboration skills and learned how to talk to one another, to listen to one another and how to agree and disagree (think win,win!). We began working on a team project,  "Building a Chair," so we could practice these team work strategies. This week, we'll finish up our chairs and begin to study landforms, using some aspects of Project Based Learning such as inquiry, team work, and research.

 

 

 

Homework:  We've really been working on using strategies to help to solve addition problems. Knowing your doubles facts really helps with fact power. Have your child practice doubles facts (1+1, 2+2, 3+3, 4+4,5+5, 6+6, 7+7, 8+8, 9+9, 10+10) if he/she doesn't have them memorized.

*Math Homelinks

*IXL Skills: have your child practice in any area they need help in

*Have your child retell a story he/she is reading at home (characters, setting, problem, solution).

*Practice math 10-15 minutes a night and reading for 10-15 minutes a night. Please complete this in any way that works best for you and your family.

 

Have a great week!

 

October 31

Dear Families,

Here’s an update on what’s happening in our team:

 

October Animoto

Reminders:

November 3^rd: Election Day, no school for students

November 6^th: end of first card marking

November 12/13: Special Person Breakfast, 7:45- 9:00a.m.

November 12-20:  Book Fair

November 19^th: half day of school with a 12:30 dismissal and Conferences from 1-4 and 5-7, more info to come!

November 25-29: No school for Thanksgiving Break

Halloween Party: Thank you to our Party Planners and volunteers. The party was a lot of fun and the kids had a great time! After seeing all of those fun costumes, I’m sure your child will have a fabulous weekend trick-or-treating!

 

Halloween Animoto

Language Arts: This week in Reading Workshop, we focused on oral and written nonfiction retellings.  Your child practiced retelling a nonfiction article on jack-o-lanterns and then answered questions based on the article.  We learned how to find text evidence and how to properly answer a question. We will continue with nonfiction retelling next week by reading an article about the month of November.

Word Work: In word work, we worked on the long /e/ sound including words with ee and e_e and ea.  It is very helpful to point these types of words out to your child when reading with him/her at home.  We will move on to long /i/ words next week.

Writing Workshop: This week, we worked on revising our personal narratives. We'll continue to work on revision and will work on writing amazing leads and closings. Our focus will be on studying Mentor texts to help us with identifying authors' craft.

Math: This past week, we did lesson 2.8, 2.9, and 2.12 if you are following along with the home links.  We had our Unit 2 test Thursday with an in-class review on Wednesday.  We will be taking our quarterly test on Monday.  This will cover material from the first two units.  We will be taking one of these tests each quarter to see how the students have retained the previously learned information. On Wednesday of next week, we will be starting Unit 3 with a pretest.  The results of that test will come home, along with a study guide for the unit.  This review does not need to be returned to class.

Science and Social Studies: 

We've been working on our Map unit, finishing up our "Me on the Map" flip book. We are also learning about ordinary people who have changed the world. We've read about Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, and Amelia Earhart. We've also practiced writing questions using the prompt: Ordinary People can change the world. We'll use this as our theme for Project Based Learning this year, incorporating this into our Science and Social Studies Units. 

Our Maker Space!

Click on link above to read an article on Maker spaces!

 

Several students worked on a Makey Makey with Mr. Fry this week. They'll teach others next week!

Homework:

*Math Homelinks Unit 3 (attached to email)

*IXL Skills: have your child practice in any area they need to review

*Have your child retell a story he/she is reading at home.

*Practice math 10-15 minutes a night and reading for 10-15 minutes a night. Please complete this in any way that works best for you and your family.

Have a great weekend!