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

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.

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

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!

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!

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