11/27/2017 0 Comments Weekly Update...11/27/17Greeting families,
I hope that you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving Break! Now that we are back at school, it is time to hit the ground running. Beginning on Thursday of this week our class will begin MAP testing at 8:30a. Due to MAP testing, students will not have assigned homework this week and Monday of next week. However, your child should still read each evening and possibly login to Compass Learning (remember these are the skills that MAP suggest your child is ready to develop). Please make sure your child gets proper rest the night before and a healthy breakfast the morning of to maximize their ability to focus and think during testing and throughout the day. Also remind your child of the importance in taking their time and using the tools provided to them when taking their test each day. We are continuing to become experts on the stars, moon, and sun. Students are working in expert groups to draft and create a website to teach other children about these three entities. Second grade will be ready to share all that they've learned with you during our Celebration of Learning on Wednesday, December 20th @ 8:30a. You will need to obtain a visitor's pass from the front office before heading to the auditorium. We will begin the COL in the auditorium and then disperse to our classrooms (more information to come). This week in reading we are focusing on author's purpose and in math we are beginning to subtract within 100 with and without regrouping. We will also have a Winter Celebration (Date/Time-TBD, but leaning towards Thursday, Dec. 21st). More information to come from our room parents :) Have a great week!
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11/13/2017 0 Comments Weekly Update...11/13/17Good morning families,
A huge thank you to the families who have volunteered their time to mystery read to our crew, run math centers during Pumpkin Math, and/or donated clay for our models of sun layers. You're appreciated greatly :) This week we will focus on developing independent SMART goals. The crew and I came up with the following learning target to guide our learning objective for goal setting: I can establish (make, create, and set) a habit of scholarship goal (collaboration, craftsmanship, and perseverance) and academic (reading and math) goals for myself as a second grader to show progress. This week talk with your child about what their goals for themselves might be and how they might obtain those goals. Each student will choose one habit of scholarship to work on for the rest of the school year. Goals for reading and math will be set with me using STAR (reading level), DIBELS (wpm), MAP, and addition and subtraction data. WE's book fair will begin the week that we return from Thanksgiving Break. Students are encouraged to dress up as their favorite book character on Friday, Dec. 1st. Below you will find what we will be working on in reading, math, science, and math this week: Reading: Main idea and supporting details Math: Addition within 100 with regrouping (using the place value strategies from last week's posts. Please refrain from allowing your child to use the traditional algorithm. We will get to it, but for now we need to make sure they have deeper understanding of place value). Science: Expedition case study about the sun (shadows, seasons, layers of the sun) Writing: Informational Writing (choosing a topic, gathering information, creating a table of contents, and drafting chapters for our website about the sun, moon, and stars) A few weeks ago we became book buddies with Mrs. Querubin's 1st graders. The students have been amazing with reading to their book buddy and listening to their book buddy read to them. Have a great week and relaxing Thanksgiving Break next week :) 11/6/2017 0 Comments Weekly Update...11/6/17Hello all!
This week's weekly update is full of important information, so please make sure to read it throughly. In reading we are continuing to learn strategies that help us to read and understand tricky words that we bump into within informational text. This week we are learning about prefixes and how they change a root word's meaning and how to use a dictionary. During math we are learning how to add within 100 without regrouping using a variety of strategies related to place value. We will not be using the traditional algorithm. Please refrain from teaching your child this method for now. In science we are wrapping up our case study about the moon and beginning our case study about the sun. An astrochemist from Emory University will visit us on Wednesday. Ericka VanHousser (dance instructor) will begin teaching us movements related to the sun, moon, and stars. In writing we are publishing (typing) our small moment narratives and beginning our informational writing unit. On Friday, your child may bring in an informational text (article or book) about a topic he/she would like to use during their pre-test (On Demand) for informational writing. Report cards will be sent home in your child's blue communication folder this Thursday. Because report cards are standards based you only see the over arching standards and not all of the elements the standard entails. Therefore, many children will receive 2s on their report cards as every element within each standard has not been taught and is scheduled to be assessed during a later term. I say all of this so that you are not alarmed if you see 2s on your child's report card. Some standards have been taught in their entirety and you may notice 2s, 3s, or 4s in these areas. Please read the report card comments as they entail your child's strengths and areas for growth (in addition to what we've discussed during fall conferences). Friendly reminder: Weekly homework should be completed and turned in on Friday of each week. An adult should sign for each day homework is assigned and completed. A few students continue to turn in homework that is not completed for the whole week or not signed by an adult without any explanation. Going forward, please ensure that these two things are done weekly. Incomplete homework or homework not being completed fully on Friday without an written explanation from an adult will result in your child not being able to participate in lunch and a movie with the teacher that week. Thank you for your support in helping your children become responsible citizens of the classroom. Math may become a little tricky for us adults who were taught the traditional algorithm for adding and subtracting. Below I have included videos from Khanacademy.org that I hope you find helpful in understanding the different strategies being taught. Base Ten Model Addition Open Number Line Break Apart Lastly, students have no school on Tuesday, November 7th. |