Saturday, December 4, 2010

We Are Book Reviewers!

Here are some photos from our Author's Celebration on December 3rd. After lots of hard work, we published a book review of one of our favorite books. We got to split up among all three second grades to share our reviews. The second grade teachers were VERY impressed with the quality of all the book reviews. Make sure your child reads you their review (everyone took theirs home on Friday) Please return the reviews to school ASAP so we can showcase them in our classroom. *Sorry about the poor photo quality!

Class Toasts to Our Success
Sharing our book reviews with other second graders


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

November 19-December 10

Hello Families! This my last blog post until I return from maternity leave. My due date is Dec 11. If baby doesn't come early, my last day will be Dec 10. Michelle Schlessler will be my long term substitute; she is absolutely fabulous. I feel very confident leaving our 22 second graders in her hands. She will be shadowing me when we return from Thanksgiving week and we'll have planning time together. She is very excited to come to our class after just finishing a long term position at Dixon. I am excited for everyone to meet her!
*This is our friend Cameron's last week, as his family is moving to Ohio. We are all sad we're losing a classmate, but know we will still keep in touch with our friend. We send our best wishes with Cameron and his family!
*I will see everyone at conferences within the next week. I'm looking forward to talking with everyone!
Here is what we have been doing in the classroom and where we are going:
Reading: We are focusing on thinking as readers. This week we have been making predictions before we read and throughout the book. We will also talk about visualizing, asking questions and making connections in the month of December. I encourage the kids to "Climb into a Good Book"- don't just read the words, but think about the story.
Writing: We are officially published authors. Everyone chose their favorite small moment to publish. Now we have become book reviewers. We have been reading book reviews to help us write our own review based on a favorite book. I have been so excited about the writing I have been reading. We will publish our reviews in a class book that the kids will be able to take home and share. We will begin writing friendly letters in Dec which will lead into Jan. Then we venture into writing research reports. It will be a fun couple of months!
Math: We just started Unit 4: Addition and Subtraction. In this unit, we will be using multiple strategies to add double digit numbers. Please refer to the Family letter in the homelinks to help support your child in adding. Ask your child what strategies they know: use a number grid, open number line, add tens and then the ones (Partial sums algorithm). It is very important for your child to understand place value (one, tens, hundreds) when they add. The strategies listed above help them to develop skills to mentally add numbers quickly.
Social Studies: We started our first unit on Maps and Globes. We will begin reading maps and coordinate grids, identifying continents and oceans, and learning cardinal directions.
Cog-at Testing: In second grade, we give a standardized, fill in the bubble, test. See the letter sent home today for more information. The testing will be the week after Thanksgiving Tues-Thurs in the morning. It is very important that your child come to school on time with full bellies from breakfast to give them energy and stamina for the test.
Other News:
We have a field trip to see My Son Pinocchio at 1st Stage on Dec 21. The permission slip and fee is due back at school on Dec 7.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Thursday, November 4, 2010

November 5-19


Hello Families! It's November- Wow! Our 1st quarter in second grade is complete today, Fri. Nov 5th. Time really does fly! I am looking forward to meeting with everyone for conferences in the upcoming weeks.
Reading: We have been immersed in story element discussion the past couple of weeks: characters, setting and problem/solution. Ask your child to discuss the story elements of the books they read at home. This study will lead into retelling- a very important skill that is hard for many second graders. To give a good retell, a reader should say who the characters are, what the setting is, what the problem is (if there is one) then tell the events of the story in order (first, next, then, last). I encourage you to have your child retell a story or chapter when they are reading at home.
Writing: We are Author's of Small Moments! We had our Author's Celebration on Tuesday to celebrate all of the hard work we have been doing as writers. Everyone has been working to write a small moment- ask your child: "What is a small moment?"(True story from your life, lots of details, a small moment from your life stretched across the page) We have also worked on writing beginnings that hook the reader and exciting endings. We agreed that "Then I went home" or "Then I went to bed" was not and exciting ending. The piece your child published is coming home today in their reading bag. Please return it to school on Monday.
Spelling: This is just a reminder that the spelling packet sent home on Mondays should be returned on Fridays- except the word sort at the bottom of the green sheet. The word sort should be cut and and completed at home throughout the week.
Math: We started Unit 3 this week: Time, Money and Place Value. Counting money, making change and telling time are tricky concepts for most second graders. Please support your child at home with these skills. Keep the clock your child made for homelink 3-2 in a safe place. Give him/her a time to show you on the clock while you're making dinner, ask him/her to tell you what time it will be in 2 and half hours...Also, practice counting coins at home. If your child is ready for making change, play store..."buy" something from your child the cashier- have him/her give you change for $1, $5, $10...
Science: We have completed our first science unit: Balance and Motion. Our class had fun exploring how things move. I think building roller coasters was a favorite. Ask your child how to make a successful roller coaster (The marble and track need to start high and end low). We will begin a social studies unit on Maps and Globes and then return to science in the New Year with Plants.
Classroom Community: Our class filled the pebble jar again! We earn pebbles for following school rules and working together. This time, we earned lunch in the classroom. It was a big hit. On Wednesday, everyone brought their lunch into the classroom and we enjoyed a nice, calm lunch with our friends!
*We are still working as a class to follow directions the first time and attentively listen to teachers and classmates (bodies facing the speaker, eyes on the speaker, mouth closed)
Other News:
*Our roller skating field trip in next Wed, Nov. 10. Please borrow a helmet for your child if they do not have one already!
*Birthday Treats: Please refer to the list of approved birthday treats/ingredients when planning your child's treat. To be safe for all kids, we need to follow the approved list and bring in the ingredient labels so that I know it can be safely eaten by all kids. If you need another copy of the list, please ask me.
*Our Fall Festival was a success! Thank you all families who donated items and/or time to the party! The kids had a great time!




Thursday, October 21, 2010

October 22- November 5

Hello Families! I am happy to announce that we have found a fabulous long term substitute teacher to fill my shoes while I am on maternity leave. Her name is Michelle Schlesser and she is currently filling a long term sub position in 4th grade in the district. After interviewing her, I knew that she would be the perfect fit to step in and seamlessly transition as the facilitator of your child's continued growth and development in second grade. Michelle will get to know the kids and classroom routines by shadowing me for a couple days before I leave. If you have any questions, please let me know. We can also talk at conferences. FYI I am due Dec 11 and plan to return in early March.
Reading: We are all working on our own personal reading goal in reader's workshop. We have also started talking about Story Elements. This week, we have been discussing character traits and using examples from the book to support our ideas. We will then explore story setting and then problem and solution. We are also working on retelling a story with details, listing events in sequential order.
Writing: We have been writing small moments in writer's workshop. Small Moments are seed stories from our lives stretched across the pages with lots of details. We have been working on organizing our stories, writing beginnings that hook readers, adding feelings and writing exciting endings. We will begin to revise and edit our favorite piece to be published for our Author's Celebration.
*Note: There's a change in the Author's Celebration date- it will now be Tuesday Nov 2
Math: We just took the Unit 2 test in math. We are now moving on to Place Value, Time, Money. Unit 2 focused a lot on adding and subtracting strategies to help students use mental strategies and increase fact power. Please continue to practice math facts at home using the fact triangles and links from the blog to practice websites.
Science: We have been exploring motion in science through spinning and rolling. We learned that objects need a force to be set in motion. Ask your child which type of spinners spun the fastest and which rolling wheels rolled the fastest and furthest (The ones with more mass)
Other News:
*Field Trip Fee and Permission slip is due Tues. Oct 26
*Thank you for all the donations for Mrs. Dahms store. The store will open for the first time next week. Students earn pennies for completing homework on time, having materials ready and making good choices. Students then exchange their pennies for nickels, dimes or quarters to be used at Mrs. Dahms store which opens at the end of every month.
*No School Thursday and Friday

Thursday, October 7, 2010

October 8-October 22





Hello Families! We have been working hard in 2nd grade on following our school rules and classroom social contract. We have agreed as a class that the areas in most need of improvement are Attentive Listening and Following Directions. While we are working on those two areas, we agreed that we do a good job of using polite words, cooperating, keeping hands, feet and body to self and trying our best. We did just fill our pebble jar this week. Our class earned lunch outside. We had a beautiful day on Thursday to sit outside and enjoy being with our classmates!

Reading: We have been working hard to enhance our fluency as readers (reading with a talking voice, reading punctuation, reading with expression and reading dialogue) This week we talked about the strategies reader's use to figure out words (skip and come back, think does it make sense, find chunks you know, use pictures for clues, look through teh whole word- beginning, middle and end). Next week we will start leaving thinking tracks in our books and studying character traits.

Writing: Our author's Celebration was huge success. We were able to share our favorite favorite writing piece and then toast our success with a glass of juice. We were able to celebrate our first piece as second grade authors. We have now started writing small moments/personal narratives. We are taking a small moment from our loves and stretching it across the pages with lots of details.

Spelling: Another little change for spelling next week: You will get the green sheet with the pattern and high frequency words and the sort on Mondays still. However, now it will be stapled to 2 practice sheets. Please cut out the sort to do at home (this does not need to be returned to school). The rest of the staples packet, including the top part of the green sheet will be due on Fridays. Thank you for being so flexible.

Math: We are in the middle of our 2nd math unit: Addition and Subtraction Facts. We are working very hard on improving our fact power- knowing facts automatically. We have been learning shortcuts like the +9 shortcut (think +10 then take away one), think doubles plus 1 (if you know the double 6+6 then 6+7 is 6 doubled plus one)... We have also started our addition timed tests this week. We will do 3min addition timed tests once a week for the 1st quarter. Then we'll move into subtraction second quarter. You can see your child's 1st timed test along with the second grade expectations for the year in your child's red folder.

Science: As scientists we finished exploring balancing and have moved on to exploring the motion of spinning. We made a version of tops. These helped us discover that everything needs a force to be set in motion. We also learned that the spinners that spun the fastest and the longest had the most mass.

Other News: The October/November Scholastic orders were sent home today. All online orders and checks will due next week Friday.
*Starting Monday, students will start to earn pennies in the classroom that can be saved to exchange for bigger coins to shop at Mrs. Dahms Store. The store will open once a month and the kids will be able shop. If you have any items at home that are not used anymore that you would like to contribute to the store, I would really appreciate it.
*We finished our read alouds Magic Tree House Dark Day in the Deep Sea and Nate the Great and the Haunted House. Ask your child to retell both stories to you.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

September 24-October 1

Hello Families!

Reading: Our reader's workshop is in full swing. We have learned what independent read and buddy should look like and sound like. We've had lots of practice and are able to take full advantage of our reading time. Next week, we will be reading in small groups, conferencing with Mrs. Dahms and choosing a personal reading goal to work towards.

Writing: Next week we will celebrate our writing as 2nd graders with an Author's Celebration. We have been working on Reading Like a Writer- Gathering ideas from books we have read. We will chose a piece to publish, then revise and edit. It will be a wonderful celebration as 2nd grade authors. We will begin a unit writing Small Moments next (take a small moment from our life and turn it into a story using lots of details and voice.)

Math: We are concluding our first math unit: Numbers and Review. The test is on Monday. Everyone should have brought home a review for the test with sample questions. A review will be sent home before every test in 2nd grade. The reviews do not have to be returned to school. It's just for practice. The Homelink book was sent home for the first time this week. Please see the inside cover for a list Homelink procedures. The chart in the back of the book is for me to keep track of completed Homework. Thank you to all families for helping your child return the MRB books and Homelink books to school the next day! The MRB will not be sent home the rest of the year; however there is an interactive online version for all families to access at everydaymathonline.com.

Spelling: Unit 1 will start on Monday. You will see a Spelling sheet come home every Monday with the spelling pattern, a list of high frequency words to be memorized and then a word pattern sort your child should cut and sort at home (this does not need to be sent to school). There will not be list of words to study with the spelling pattern, rather kids should practice and learn the pattern so that he/she can apply it to create any word with the pattern. I will add several websites to the blog that will be great resources for studying the spelling patterns.

Science: We have experimenting with balance. Ask your child how he/she got a pencil to balance on a popsicle stick (tied a wire to pencil and used clothespins as counterweights) Ask your child to draw you a picture. We also created mobiles with paper clips, straws, rubber bands and notecards. It was a challenge to get the mobile to balance.
Social Studies: As a community of learners, we created our social contract. Here are the expectations we all agreed upon:
Attentive Listening (eyes and body on speaker, mouth closed)
Respect all teachers, students and materials
Use kind words: Please, Thank you, I'm sorry, You're welcome
Cooperate
Be Safe: Keep hands and body to yourself
Always try your best
*We all signed the contract and agreed to follow the contract even when nobody is watching!

Other News:
*Thank you to all volunteers- I really appreciate anything you are able to do for our classroom!
*Our class filled the pebble jar last week (Pebbles are added when the class meets challenges, collectively follows directions or when students are "caught" using kind words or being good friends. The class earned the reward of snack outside. We had fun eating snack and reading the next chapter in The Magic Tree House book: Dark Day in the Deep Sea

Thursday, September 9, 2010

September 10-24

Welcome Back to School! We have had a great couple of weeks in second grade. Thank you to everyone for signing and returning all the papers that have come your way. Please continue to sign/initial your child's assignment notebook every night and return Red Friday Folders every Monday. Thank you also for helping your child gather items they read to bring to school as well as their favorite book (Books should have been brought home today) As we settle into new routines and expectations, we have jumped into Unit 1 of Everday Math, started our new science unit: Balance and Motion and have begun Reader's and Writer's Workshops. Here is what we have been up to:
Reading: We have been talking about what we need to be successful readers- quiet, no interruptions, just right books. We discussed why everybody has different needs and books that are just right. We also practiced taking care of books and choosing our own just right books. Here is how we chose a book (you can use this acronym at home): I PICK
I chose a book
P urpose- why am I reading this book (to learn, for fun...)
I interest- does this book interest me
C omprehension- do I understand what I am reading
K now- can I read most of the words

* Look for your child to bring home a book in a book bag next week. This book and bag will need to be returned to school everyday.
Writing: We have started our work as 2nd grade authors. This month we will be talking about how writers get ideas and noticing how authors use details in illustrations and words to make thier stories come to life. The kids will be writing any type of story they choose this month. Our workshop has been filled with thoughtful planning, busy pencils and lots of excitement. I look forward to watching the kids grow and develop as writers.
Math: We have begun our 1st math unit. So far we have practiced routines, started to fill our math tool kits and worked with number patterns, time and counting coins. Please check the inside cover of your child's assignment notebook for their username and password to access the Everyday Math Online games and other resources. (See link to the right)
Science: We completed our first experiment in our Balance and Motion Unit. We explored balancing paper crayfish in multiple ways. We discovered that using counterweights (clothespins) helped balance the crayfish. Ask your child if the counterweights should be placed above or below the balance point.
Other News: We met our 4th grade buddies today. Once every month we will get together with Mrs. Kluck's 4th grade class to share in learning and fun. Timothy was our 1st Star of the Week (It was his birthday on Sunday). We used our 5 new school rules to develop our class social contract. Ask your child what the school rules are.
Reminders:
*Please turn in your family contact info card (it's orange)
*Scholastic Book Orders are due Thurs (optional)- you can order with a check sent to school or online (see link to the right). Every dollar spent earns our classroom points to buy more books.
*Writing collage is due on Monday
*Picture Day is on Friday September 17

Have a fabulous weekend!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Last Blog of the Year!

Hello Families!
I just want to take this opportunity to tell you what a wonderful year I have had (thus far!) teaching your second graders. It was a delightful class that I will always remember. I did tell a few of them that when they see me in the halls next year, or come to Pod A to visit their first grade buddies, they will have to say hello to me- not pretend they don't me (It happens every year- so sad!). I will truly miss everyone!
If you did not hear the news, I am expecting baby #2 in December. I did promise that I would bring Baby Dahms in to see them in third grade.
Thank you to ALL parents for your support this year! It has been my honor and privilege to be partners will you in your child's education! Have a wonderful summer!

Here is how we will finish the school year:
Math: We will take our final test on Thursday June 3rd. It was a unit review chapter, but there were some new, more challenging concepts.
Reading/Writing: We will finish our study of Fairy Tales and Fables next week. The kids have planned out all the elements for their own fairy tales. We will finally begin to write our first drafts next week.
Spelling: Next week will be our last spelling test. It will be a review of all the second grade high frequency words each child missed this year. If your child didn't miss many/ any, then they will be able to create their own list of words, with my help, that they want to know how to spell.
Science: We will finish science with a study of wind. We'll make pin wheels, weather vanes and anemometers to measure wind speed and direction.
Social Studies: The communities turned out great! It was fun to see all the different buildings come together to create 3 different communities. I hope you got a chance to see the projects at the Fine Arts Fair. Thank you to parents for helping your child create their building.
Other News: We did have our Human Growth and Development talk today. We talked about male and female anatomy and functions as well as good touch vs bad touch. Please follow up with your child about this lesson.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

May 14-28

Hello Families! I hope all moms enjoyed Mother's Day- especially the gift and card your child made you! Our school days are flying by! There are only 4 short weeks left in the school year. I am starting to get a little sentimental- the end of the year is always bittersweet. Summer is wonderful, but that means letting my second graders go on to third grade!
Here is what we have been up to and what we have planned through the end of the year:
Important Dates:
Volunteer Breakfast-Fri. May 20 in cafeteria before school
Camp Minikani- Tues May 25- bag lunch
Human Growth and Development- Fri May 28th
Elm Grove City Hall- Tues June 1st 9:00-11:00
Field Day Fri June 4- AM
Reader's Theatre- Fri June 4 2:45 Families welcome
Math: We are finishing Unit 11- Multiplication and Division. Our test in on Monday May 17. We then start our final unit which is a review of all the concepts we learned, plus some more challenging problems.
Reading/Writing: As we ended our poetry unit, we dove right into Fairy Tales. We are immersed in fairy tales- reading them in the morning and then writing our own in the afternoon. It has been a fun unit so far!
Spelling: We took our spelling test on the two sounds c, g and th make today, ending our 2 week study of those words. We only have 3 more weeks of spelling left.
Science/SS: We have been watching WeatherBug.com everyday for the weather forecast. Our class meteorologist then charts the temperature high of the day and the weather condition. We have talked about the 3 types of clouds: cumulus, cirrus and stratus. In social studies, we have continued to talk about types of communities and their characteristics. It was fun for us to leave a suburban community and head to rural when we went to the Ye Olde Schoolhouse, then to an urban community when we went to First Stage.
*Our Poetry Cafe was a great success. Thank you to all parents who helped bring in treats and everyone who was able to come
*Our field trip to see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day was great. The kids enjoyed comparing the book to the play.
*2nd grade teachers will present the district's Human Growth and Development curriculum on Fri. May 28. This lesson includes vocabulary instruction related to male and female body parts. Boys and girls will be separated during this teaching. Curriculum materials are available to review at our school library, the public library and at the Central Administrative offices. If you have any further questions about the content or the opt-out process, please contact me

Thursday, April 29, 2010

April 30-May14

Reading/Writing: We have been working hard reading poems through an author's eyes and then writing our own poems in writer's workshop. Poem in My pocket was a great success. The kids practiced their favorite poem and then read them with great fluency to anyone who asked (teachers, 5th graders, other 2nd graders)
Math: We finished our unit on money and place value- our toughest yet. The tests went home on Thursday. We have started Unit 11 - we are revisiting and solidifying double digit subtraction. Please refer to the 11-3 Home link family for an example on how to do Everyday Math Trade First Subtraction. Your child may be able to teach you too!
Science: We have had fun experimenting with air. We have seen that air takes up space, air resistance slows down objects when falling and air pressure can cause pop ups and make water fountains. Ask your child about the water fountain, tug of war and parachutes.
Social Studies: We continue to study communities- types (urban, suburban, rural), needs and wants, goods and services, community workers. We finished our study of communities with the Junior Achievement program Mrs. Chase led. Thank you to her for all her hard work-we learned a lot and fun!
Upcoming Events:
Poetry Cafe- Fri May 7 2:45
Camp Minikani-Tues May 11
First Stage-Wed May 12
Black Light Show/Fine Arts Fair- After School Thurs May 27
Elm Grove Village Hall- Tues June 1st

Friday, April 16, 2010

Thursday, April 15, 2010

April 16-April 30

Hello Families! I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break! We are in the final stretch of the school year: quarter 4. We are working hard to learn everything a second grader needs to know. We are even talking about what it is like to be third graders- good listeners, read the directions very carefully, double check our own work, edit, being more responsible.

Reading: We started exploring poetry in reading. We are learning how to read poems using the author's clues like line breaks and bold words. Poetry is a outlet to practice good fluency-expression, rate, intonation. This past week we also made inferences about poems- what is happening in the poem that the text and pictures only hint at. The kids have been reading a lot of poems. Next week they will choose their favorite and practice...practice...ppractice for an upcoming school day 2nd grade calls Poem in My Pocket Day. The students will have their well practiced favorite poem in their pocket and teachers and other students will ask them to read their poem. It is a great way to practice fluency and speaking skills.
Writing: We have started our Poetry Unit (Mrs. Dahms' favorite writing unit because she is always amazed at how creative and imaginative the poems are that her second graders write!)We have started to look at the world through a poet's eyes-observing details and seeings things a different way. I continue to encourage the kids to bring their memo pads home and back to school so that they can jot down any notes for poems.
Math: We are finishing up Unit 10 this coming week: Place Value and Money. We have been doing a lot of shopping and making change in math. We've also learned how to represent money in dollar and cent notation- anything under 10 cents is still a little tricky- $0.05.
Science: We just started our Air and Weather unit. We explored air and discovered that it takes up space, we can feel it and it can move objects. We also learned that it is one of the three forms of matter: gas. Ask your child how he/she experimented with air.
Social Studies: We continue to study communities. Our field trip to the Ye Olde School House was so fun! We noticed the change from suburban to rural on the way to West Bend. I think the kids were taken aback when the teacher scolded them right when they got off the bus. Each child got a name tag with the name of a real student who attended the school a long time ago. This was their name the rest of the day. Ask your child what their name was and what was their favorite part of the trip.
Other News:
  • Conferences will be next week Monday and Wednesday.
  • The Book fair will be open Mon-Thurs of next week.
  • Poetry Cafe will be Fri May 5th at 2:45- Families are welcome

Friday, March 19, 2010

March 19-Spring Break

Hello Families! We have been busy in second grade. Here is what we have been up to and where we are going:
Reading: We have been working very hard thinking about the books we are reading. We have been inferring unknown words, the author's message and predicting events. We have just begun character book clubs on Friday. Every kid has a character they will about and infer character traits based on what they read. Ask your child which character they are studying.
Writing: We will be finishing our Author's as Mentors study and publishing stories right before spring break. We have studied authors like Angela Johnson, Donald Crews, Ezra Jack Keats and Cynthia Rylant. We have learned many ways to make our own writing better: using ellipses, comeback lines, lots of details, the time of day and sound words. I have been so excited about the amazing stories I have been reading this month!
Math: We are finishing up our measurement unit. The test is on Monday. We will jump right into Unit 10- studying money and place value. Keep working on facts at home. I have some good improvement over the last couple of weeks. As a reminder, proficiency is a score of 54 on both the addition and subtraction tests. *If anyone happens to have an old bath scale (non digital) that they are not using, please consider donating it to our classroom. We need it for some measurement and upcoming lessons. Thanks!
Social Studies: We began our final unit:Communities. We have started discussing needs vs wants and goods/services. We'll start discussing the three types of communities: urban, suburban, and rural. After spring break, your child will be asked to build a small building that would fit one of the communities. Look for a more detailed letter after spring break.
Other News:
*Our field trip to the Ye Olde School House is Mon. April 12- the first day after spring break. We will have a phone reminder sent to that everyone can remember their lunch and special attire.
*Mr. Saunders has been a joining our class for a half hour on Tuesdays to talk with us about friendship and peer interaction. This week he talked about what to do in times of conflict: walk away, reason, ignore. I have seen the kids applying the techniques at recess.
*We are short pencils- if anyone would like to donate plain yellow pencils to our classroom, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

March 5- March 19

Hello Families! We had a wonderful couple of weeks. Last week, we had our Author's Celebration for our How To Book unit. Everyone published their How To books as a slideshow on the computer. I will make them available to view on the class website before spring break. We went to the Domes on Thursday. We also made our biography presentations last Friday. Enjoy all the pictures!
Reading: We finished our biography unit. It was very interesting to learn new facts about people like Abraham Lincoln, Houdini, Hank Aaron, Harriett Tubman, George Washington, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. We have now moved back into fiction. We are talking about making inferences while we read (using clues from the author, both pictures and words, to draw conclusions). We read Where the Wild Things Are and made lots of inferences. Ask your child to share some inferences we made.
Math: We took our Unit 8 test on Fractions this week. Please review, sign and return the test to school. This was the hardest test we have taken in second grade. We will continue to study fractions and have an opportunity to master the skills. We will be starting a new unit on Measurement. We continue to work on double digit subtraction-trade first.
Science/SS: We took our Plant unit test this week. It was a fun unit. Ask your child to share own of their favorite planting experiences. Look for the Plant Unit test to come home.
Spelling: The past few spelling lists have been very tough. I just want to remind you that the spelling pattern words are meant to expose kids to patterns and give me information for further teaching and are not expected to be mastered. The 5 high frequency words are expected to be mastered every week.
Writing: Everyone received a mini notepad to use to jot ideas from other authors, from our own lives and make plans to use to grow into stories. The kids are allowed to bring them home and write ideas down. Please help your child remember to return the notepads to school. We will be using the notepads for our Poetry unit in April as well.
Other News:
*We will be going on a wonderful field trip to the Ye Olde School House in April. It will compliment our Social Studies unit on Communities. It is recommended that the kids wear traditional school clothes and carry their lunch in a bucket/basket. We will be going on the field trip the day we return from spring break: Monday April
*Captain Question has retired- I am just having a hard time keeping up with it. I encourage you and your child to use the sites on the blog to play learning games together.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Thursday, February 18, 2010

February 19-March 5

Hello Families! We have had a great couple of weeks. Here is what we have been up to:
Biographies: We have been reading lots of biographies and have started our biography reports. As a reminder, the rough draft is due next Wednesday and the final copy along with the presentation dressed as the famous person will be next Friday. Your child may need some time at home next week to write their final copy (the rough draft will be edited in class and ready to be published) They will only need to copy the edited draft in nice handwriting. A blank final copy will be sent home Monday. The kids have been working hard and are excited about the report! I can't wait to see the presentations!
Writing: We are almost done publishing our How To books. We created a slideshow in KidPix. We created 6 pages of text and illustrations then put them into a slideshow. We will have our Author's Celebration next Friday
Math: We just had our Unit 7 test. You should see the test in your child's red folder. We continue to work on double digit subtraction. Ask your child to show you how he/she learned in class. We just started a new unit on fractions. The kids are doing well with the new concept. We continue to take math facts tests twice a week. This quarter we take addition tests on Tuesdays and subtraction on Thursdays. I encourage the kids to take the tests home and complete the rest of the problems. It's a great way to practice. If your child is having a hard time with facts, try flash cards, orally quiz your child in the car, while making dinner or have your child practice facts online (see the links to right).
Science: We got to see our amaryllis bloom into three flowers last week. This week we learned that plant cuttings can be used to start a new plant. So we put the cuttings in water, making sure at least one node on the stem was under water. We are now carefully observing to see if the cuttings start growing into a new plant. Ask your child what he/she would need to observe to know that the cutting is growing into a new plant (roots and leaves).
Keyboarding: We have been typing for a couple weeks now. The kids are doing well. It is a hard skill to learn, as the kids have to break their old habits. You can support your child at home by encouraging them to use the correct hand positions when typing at home.
Reminders:
Domes field trip next week Thurs Feb 25. We will leave at 9am and return at 12. The kids will eat lunch at school (bag lunches are not necessary).

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Valentine's Party

Friday, February 5, 2010

February 8-12

Cooperation-The human chair
We filled our winter caring tree

*Important Note: 2nd Grade is taking a standardized text next week M, W and Th (see the note in your child's home folder today)It is a national test. We will test right away in the morning so please be sure your child is well rested, has eaten breakfast and is on time. Thank you!
Reading: We started a 2 week unit on Biographies. We will read lots of Biographies of people from the present and past. Then we will create a mini report on a person to share with the class.
Math: Double Digit subtraction is off to a good start. We are slowly practicing the trade first algorithm as well as using other strategies like base ten blocks and the number grid.
Science: We have now planted brassica seeds, grass and wheat seeds. We got to mow our lawn last week and plant wheat this week.
Other News: Our Valentine party is next week Friday. Look in your child's home folder for a class list to use when making Valentines.
*Nature Center Field Trip is Tuesday-please dress your child in winter gear- especially boots!
*Our trip to the Domes is coming up. Please turn in permission slip and fee this week.
Have a great weekend!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

January 22- February 5

Hello Families! Checkout the new addition to the blog to the right. O am now posting the units we are currently studying in each subject area. If you have any ideas for the blog, please send them my way!

Reading:
We have just begun focusing on fiction books again. I am encouraging kids to "Climb Into Books"- to really escape and feel like they are really in a new place with the characters. We have also been taking about story plot and events. We are using words like first, next, then and last to retell story events.


Writing: Our Flat Stanley's have been mailed. We are all spread around the United States, one of us even went to Thailand! We anxiously await the return of all our Flat Selves to hear about our adventures! We did finish our letter writing unit with a fun celebration. We have now started writing How To books. This unit compliments our Nonfiction Study in reading. We are enjoying teaching our readers how to do something. We are learning that it is very helpful to have a partner act out the steps in order to find areas where we need more detail to clear up any confusion. We will turn these books into slideshow presentations in KidPix in a couple weeks.



Math: We are close to finishing Unit 6. The test will be next Thursday (January 28). The kids are doing a great job with multiplication! Some were skeptical and afraid of the term, but when they found out it was simply repeated addition of equal groups, they thought it was simple! Looking to the near future, your kids will have home links with double digit subtraction- please do not teach them the borrowing algorithm yet. I will send home a reference to show you some of the strategies we have been learning in class.

Science: We have now planted brassica seeds and rye seeds which will grow into grass. It has been fun to observe the plant life cycle so far: seed-seedling-buds-flower. We will begin discussing how seeds travel: wind, animal, human. It has been an exciting unit so far.
Brassica Plants
Grass and Brassica under the growing lamp
SS: We are finishing up our unit on Mapping. We studied the continents and oceans, landmasses vs water, the equator, reading a map, map key and map grids.

Other News:
  • No School Monday for kids
  • The quarter officially ends today. Report cards will be sent home next week Friday
  • 2nd Grade has raised almost $200 for The Milwaukee Rescue Mission by donating pennies and other change!
  • We will be starting to learn keyboarding next week. Using small keyboards, called Alpha Smarts, the kids will practice correct typing skills.
  • We are in need of glue sticks and pencils. If you are willing to donate extras for our class, that would be wonderful!
  • Have a great weekend!


Thursday, January 7, 2010

January 8-22

Hello Families!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday and New Year. It's 2010 already- yikes! The kids came back to school with a variety of emotions: excitement, fatigue, a little grumpiness...but as the day went on I think everybody was genuinely glad to be back at school with their friends. Now that the new year has begun, the end of quarter 2 is upon us and our first semester of second grade is nearly complete. We have a lot to do in the next couple of weeks (Quarter 2 ends Jan 22). Here is what we have been up to and where we are headed:

Reading: We are immersed in our Nonfiction Study. It has been so wonderful to see kids be excited about what they are reading and share their new learning with the class. We did complete a Nonfiction book club where kids were placed in small groups to study one topic and discuss. Now, the kids have choosen a new club to participate in. Ask your child what book club he/she is a part of and also ask what are some feautures of nonfiction.

Math: We just took our Unit 5 Test this week. You will see those in home folders on Monday- a couple of kids still need to finish. This was a harder test than other units. Remember, the white areas on the scoring sheet are expected to be mastered, while the gray areas are more guiding inofrmation for future learning. We are moving on to adding larger numbers, more than two numbers, Just a reminder: The Family Letter in the front of your child's home link packet, contains the answers to the home links. Recalling math facts is a standard on the reprot card. This quarter that score will reflect the subtraction facts tests. Second grade proficiancy is a 54 on the test.

Writing: Before winter break, we were able to celebrate as writer's the hard work we did in our letter writing unit. We had our Author's Celebration where every kid shared their favorite letter he/she published. It was a great success! We are officially ending our Letter writing unit with the Flat Stanley project. A note was sent home Wednesday asking parents to help your child find an address of a family member or friend who lives out of state. Along with the address, please send 1 stamp to school. We will be addressing envelopes and sending out Flat selves away on vacation. The project is inspired by The Flat Stanley book series.

SS and Science: We will be finsihing up or mapping unit before the end of the quarter. We did a lot of fun work in the computer lab with coordinate grids and cardinal directions. Ask your child what 4 directions are on a compass rose. In science, we just started our New Plants unit. We planted or first seeds: brassica. These seeds are specially designed to have a quick life cycle so school and students like us can observe all stages in a short amount of time. They are pretty cool. Ask your child what a plant needs to grow. Also, ask what types of everyday thinsg come from plants (We learned lots like gum, t-shirts, coffee...)

HELP:
We are in need of pencils and glue sticks. If you are willing to donate some to our classroom, that would be great! Thank you!

Reminders:
No School for kids Mon Jan 18 or Mon Jan 25
Flat Stanley address and 1 postage stamp by Monday