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.

Rollerskating to explore Balance and Motion in science

Jayanna won the limbo!

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!