October 14, 2016

Dear Families,

Important dates:

* October 14: Fun Run, Thank you to all who participated!

*October 31st: Halloween Parade and parties, Parade 9:20, Party 10:20-11:20

*November 1st , sign up Genius for conferences

*November 4th: end of first marking period

*November 8, Election Day- no school

* November 15th, half day, morning only for students, PM conferences

We had a great time at our Fun Run! Thanks to all who participated!

If you're interested in seeing the Mastodon Dig this weekend, it is going to be open to the public again. Please see the pictures on the previous post  on this blog and the article below.

                                                             Mastodon Information

I went last weekend and it was really interesting. The University of Michigan Museum is there with a small booth to teach about mastodons and the information that they have about the one that they are digging. It's a chance of a lifetime, so I dragged my husband and daughters and it was really interesting! There was an area that they had mapped out where they think they may have a skull! Last weekend they were unearthing the pelvis. Email me if you plan on going. I just may have to make a run out there again this weekend. The drive is about an hour and a half. 

This week, we had our second School Buddy Get Together. Our classes met with our buddies and learned about the tragic flooding in Louisiana. We wrote letters to students at a school that lost everything in the flood.  Our buddies, the kindergartners, were able to explain a lot of information about the floods to the second graders!

Language Arts:

This week we focused on Decoding Beanie Baby Strategies. We learned about or reviewed Chunky Monkey, Lips the Fish and Skippy the Frog.  We’re trying to get in the habit of using them when we come to a word we don’t know. Ask your child to explain what these Beanies help us to remember to do!

In Writing, we worked on Neighborhood maps to help us tell  personal narrative stories from our neighborhood adventures. We worked on the writing process, revising, editing, and trying to create interesting leads and endings. We used the mentor text, “Shortcut,” by Donald Crews in order to see some of the craft that he uses in his books.

Math: In math, we began learning about addition strategies. We learned about  doubles and  Make a ten. Knowing your doubles can help  you with fact power, as well as knowing how to make a ten. Ask your child about them and see if they can draw a model of a Double Ten Frame and explain in writing the process of making a ten. We also practiced writing our own addition story problems.

Social Studies: This week we worked on our Community Maps with our PBL Groups. The Groups did some brainstorming with the thinking routine “Chalk talk” and listed basic needs and places  in our community that help us to meet our basic needs. The Groups then began to create their own community maps, creating  large maps with all of the important  goods, services, human and natural characteristics of our community.

Character Trait of the Month: Self Control. Please remember to have your child work on his/her self control map/calendar.  We’re seeing some improvement in blurting and interrupting. We hope you’re seeing the same thing at home.

Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy the beautiful colors!

The Second Grade Teachers