December 21, 2012

Reading and Language Arts   After break,we will be reading A Trip to the Firehouse. It is a photo essay about a boy named David who visits a firehouse with his class. At the firehouse, they see different fire trucks and even help wash one!

Comprehension Strategies: Topic, Main Idea, and Supporting Details; Question
Vocabulary Words:  chief, dispatch, emergencies, fire engine, firefighters, gear, valves, 
High Frequency Words:  clothes, guess, order
Grammar Skills:  Proper Nouns
Phonics:  Vowel Pairs ai, ay; Compound Words

Reading Logs   Please continue to log minutes with your child for December. December reading logs are due Monday, Jan 7. A reading log for January went home today too!

Math  We took a test on Chapter 11, Probability, today. We will begin Chapter 11, Count Money, when we return from break. Students will find the total value of collections of half dollars, quarter, dimes, nickels and pennies, order coins in a collection by value to find the total value, and they will model the same amount using different combinations of coins.

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. To check memorization of these facts, we are taking timed tests. Once your child passes a set of facts, they will move to the next level.  Look in your child's planner to find out what facts they should be working on at home. Here is a website you can try:  

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/thats_a_fact/english_K_3.html 

Science  We will begin a unit on Living Things. We will begin by describing  characteristics that distinguish living and nonliving things. We will sort objects to determine whether they are living or nonliving things. 

Important Dates & Announcements

Dec 21- Jan 6 - Winter Break
Jan 7 - Jan 12 - Map Testing
Mon, Jan 7 - December Reading Logs are due
Mon, Jan 21 - No School - Martin Luther King's Birthday
Wed, Jan 30 - Early Dismissal - School Improvement Day
Mon, Feb 18 - No School- President's Day
Tues, Feb 26 - Early Dismissal - School Improvement Day


*Thanks to Mrs. Bende, Mrs. Prpa, Mrs. Mertens and Mrs. Ying for planning a wonderful Holiday party.  A special thanks to all our parents, including Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Malatia, Mrs. O'Brien, and Mrs. O'Connell who sent in yummy treats, drinks and supplies for our party.  Fun was had by all! 

*After the holiday break we will be starting a math unit on money. Please send the following coins in a small container or ziploc bag clearly marked with your child's name:

20 pennies
10 nickels
10 dimes
7 quarters

December 14, 2012

Reading and Social Studies  Next week we will be completing a unit on Holidays Around the World. The students will be "traveling" to China, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Poland and Sweden to learn about the holidays and traditions that these countries celebrate around this time of year. 

Reading Logs  Please continue to log minutes with your child for December.

Math  We began Chapter 10, Probability. Students will predict an event as certain or impossible, describe an event as more likely or less likely and record possible outcomes.

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. To check memorization of these facts, we are taking timed tests. Once your child passes a set of facts, they will move to the next level.  Look in your child's planner to find out what facts they should be working on at home. Here is a website you can try:  

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/thats_a_fact/english_K_3.html 


Star Student of the Week  Xander was our star student of the week.  When he is at school he enjoys math. When he is at home he likes to play video games with his brother Dylan. When he grows up he would like to be a football player.  Xander is a star because he is an all star football player. Thanks for sharing Xander!

Important Dates & Reminders

Thurs, Dec 20 - Christmas Caroling at Fairview Village in Downers Grove - Bring a sack lunch and we will eat at school when we return. 
Dec. 21 - Class Holiday Party
Dec. 24 - Jan 6 - Winter Break- No School

*After the holiday break we will be starting a math unit on money. Please send the following coins in a small container or ziploc bag clearly marked with your child's name:

20 pennies
10 nickels
10 dimes
7 quarters

*Please send in your box tops!

*Please consider donating new mittens, gloves, hats or scarves to Ide's Mitten Tree.  The items will be given to needy families in the area. Donations are being collected thru December 19. Thanks to all who have donated!

December 7, 2012

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we will be discussing the meaning of persuasion. We will be reading the book I Wanna Iguana. It is about a boy that tries to convince his mom to let him have an iguana. We will go through the steps of writing a persuasive essay together and then the students' will be writing their own persuasive essays.  

Reading Logs   Congratulations to all who earned a reward this month. We celebrated our 21 days of reading in November with lunch and a movie in the classroom on Monday. A coupon for a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut was also handed out. Please continue to log minutes with your child for December.

Math  We will continue Chapter 9, Data and Graphs. Students will be learning how to make and read a pictograph, find the range and mode for a set of data, and follow directions to locate points on a grid. There will be a chapter test on Thursday.

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. To check memorization of these facts, we are taking timed tests. Once your child passes a set of facts, they will move to the next level.  Look in your child's planner to find out what facts they should be working on at home. Here is a website you can try:  

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/thats_a_fact/english_K_3.html

Social Studies  We will continue the unit Our Country Long Ago.  Next week we will learn about the expedition Lewis and Clark. They will learn the vocabulary word pioneer and how the pioneers settled the West by traveling the Oregon Trail. They will learn how to read a timeline.


Jr. Achievement  Mrs. Schaal, a volunteer from Junior Achievement, came to our class this week to teach us about Our Community. We learned about unit production and assembly-line production. We learned the four steps of donut production. We all became a team when we made donuts.

Star Student of the Week  Alberta was our star student of the week.   When she is at school she enjoys reading. When she is at home she likes to read books, do math and homework and watch tv. When she grows up she would like to be a doctor.  Alberta is a star because she is excellent at math. Thanks for sharing Alberta!

Important Dates & Reminders

Wed, Dec 12 - Permission slips due for Christmas Caroling

Fri, Dec 14 - Slipper and Movie Day - Wear your slippers to school and we will                                    watch a holiday movie - School Reading Reward Day

Thurs, Dec 20 - Christmas Caroling at Fairview Village in Downers Grove - Bring a sack lunch and we will eat at school when we return. 

Dec. 24 - Jan 6 - Winter Break- No School

*After the holiday break we will be starting a math unit on money. Please send the following coins in a small container or ziploc bag clearly marked with your child's name:

20 pennies
10 nickels
10 dimes
7 quarters

*Please send in your box tops!

*Please consider donating new mittens, gloves, hats or scarves to Ide's Mitten Tree.  The items will be given to needy families in the area. Donations are being collected thru December 19.

November 30, 2012

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we will be reading Big Bushy Mustache.  It is a story about a boy who gets a part in a school play. The mustache he wears in the play makes him look like his father, so he wears it home. Unfortunately, he loses it.

Comprehension Strategies: predict/infer, problem solving
Vocabulary Words:  bushy, disguise, mirror, costume, handsome, mustache
High Frequency Words:  behind, soldier, story
Grammar Skills:   plural nouns
Phonics:  vowel pairs ow, ou & ai, ay

Reading Logs   Please continue to log minutes with your child. November Reading Logs are due Monday, December 3.

Math  We will review and take a test on Chapter 8 on Monday. We will then move on to Chapter 9, Data and Graphs. Students will record the results of a survey in a tally table and frequency table. They will be solving problems by reading tables and bar graphs.

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. To check memorization of these facts, we are taking timed tests. Once your child passes a set of facts, they will move to the next level.  Look in your child's planner to find out what facts they should be working on at home. 

Social Studies  We began the unit Our Country Long Ago.  Next week we will learn about the first European settlements in North America; St. Augustine, Jamestown, and Plymouth. We will also review the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will learn more about Jamestown and Plymouth by reading a history map. We will also learn about the causes and effects of the American Revolution.

Star Student of the Week  Wasfi was our star student of the week.   When he is at school he enjoys reading and gym. When he is at home he likes to play video games and play with his toys. When he grows up he would like to be a doctor.  Wasfi is a star because he is funny and makes people laugh. Thanks for sharing Wasfi!

`Important Dates & Reminders

Mon, Dec. 3 - November Reading Logs are due
Wed, Dec 5 - Santa's Secret Holiday Gift Shopping Day
Fri, Dec 14 - Slipper and Movie Day - School Reading Reward Day
Mon, Dec. 24 - Winder break begins

*Please send in your box tops!

*Please consider donating new mittens, gloves, hats or scarves to decorate our Mitten Tree in the library.

November 20, 2012

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we will begin a new theme called Around Town. We will be reading a story called Chinatown. It is about a boy from Chinatown and everything that happens in Chinatown-a very busy place. We will learn something about Chinese culture, kung fu, and tai chi.

Comprehension Strategies: Summarizing and story structure
Vocabulary Words:  apartment, delivery, handcart, markets, celebrations
High Frequency Words:  winter, heard, lion, during
Grammar Skills:   naming nouns and plurals
Phonics:  Diagraphs:  th, wh, sh, ch

Reading Logs   Please continue to log minutes with your child. November Reading Logs are due Monday, December 3.

Math  We will continue Chapter 8, 2-Digit Subtraction. We will practice 2-digit subtraction and learn how to use addition to check our answers. We will also be estimating differences.

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. To check memorization of these facts, we are taking timed tests. Once your child passes a set of facts, they will move to the next level.  Look in your child's planner to find out what facts they should be working on at home. 

Social Studies  We will begin the unit Our Country Long Ago.  We will learn about the beginnings and growth of our country. They will be introduced to the Native American groups, early settlers who came from Europe, and explorers who led the way for westward expansion. Next week we will be learning about the ways  of life of three Native American groups.
Important Dates & Reminders

Wed/Thurs/Fri, - Nov. 21-23 - No School - Thanksgiving Holiday
Mon, Dec. 3 - November Reading Logs are due
Mon, Dec. 24 - Winter break begins

*Please send in your box tops!

November 16, 2012

The Dinostars

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we will discussing "The First Thanksgiving".  Our focus will be on understanding the hardships encountered by the Pilgrims on their voyage to the New World and in establishing a new settlement. We will also learn about how the first Thanksgiving came about.

Reading Logs   Please continue to log minutes with your child.  November Reading Logs are due Monday, December 3rd.

Math  We will begin Chapter 8, 2-Digit Subtraction. We will practice 2-digit subtraction and rewrite 2 digit subtraction problems.


Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. To check memorization of these facts, we are taking timed tests. Once your child passes a set of facts, they will move to the next level.  Look in your child's planner to find out what facts they should be working on at home. 

Science  We are learning how to make different sounds. We will be identifying the loudness and pitch of sounds, and learn how they can be changed. 

Star Student of the Week  Alexis was our star student of the week.  When she is at school she enjoys gym, art, music and math. When she is at home she likes to play with her sister. When she grows up she would like to be a professional soccer player.  Alexis is a star because she is nice to others. Thanks for sharing Alexis!

Important Dates & Reminders

What an amazing job your children did in the Dinostars performance! I am so proud of them!

Tues, Nov. 20 - Last Day to order a copy of the Dinostars concert
Wed/Thurs/Fri, - Nov. 21-23 - No School - Thanksgiving Holiday
Mon, Dec. 3 - November Reading Logs are due
Mon, Dec. 24 - Winder break begins

*Please send in your box tops!

November 9, 2012

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we will be reading fables. We will be comparing two versions of the same story, Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Comprehension Strategies: Understanding Fables; Compare and Contrast; Predict/Infer
Vocabulary Words:  fable, lesson, moral
High Frequency Words:  hear, laugh, little, enough, hungry, people, water, idea, more, learn
Grammar Skills:  Writing complete sentences
Phonics:  Words with Final k and ck; VCV Pattern

Reading Logs   Please continue to log minutes with your child.

Math  We will continue with Chapter 7, Explore 2-Digit Subtraction. Students will solving problems by using the strategy make a model and model and record subtraction of 1-digit and 2-digit numbers from  2-digit numbers.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition and subtraction facts with their flash cards.  Weekly facts tests are given.

Science  We are learning about how sound is made. We will be making our own kazoos. We will also be discussing how sound travels.

Jr. Achievement  Mrs. Schaal, a volunteer from Junior Achievement, came to our class this week to teach us about Our Community.  Mrs. Schaal is an employee of  Turtle Wax. Students will be discovering a variety of jobs, developing awareness of how  businesses operate and increasing their understanding of how citizens must be responsible for the well being of their community. This unit supplements our social studies curriculum. Mrs. Schaal will meet with our class once a week for the next 4 weeks.

Important Dates & Reminders

Mon, Nov. 12 - No School - Veteran's Day
Thurs, Nov. 15 - 2nd Grade Dinostars Concert at 7pm, at Lakeview. Students should arrive at 6:45pm and report to the gym
Tues, Nov. 20 - Last Day to order a copy of the Dinostars concert
Wed/Thurs/Fri, - Nov. 21-23 - No School - Thanksgiving Holiday

*Please send in your box tops!

November 2, 2012

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we will be comparing and contrasting two stories.  The first story, Owl Moon, is realistic fiction.  We will see what happens when a girl and her father look for owls on a cold winter night. The second story, Owls, is nonfiction. We will learn more about what owls look like, where they live, and how they hunt for food.

Comprehension Strategies: Compare/Contrast; Monitor/Clarify; Classify/Categorize; Fact and Opinion
Vocabulary Words:  owling, shadows, furry, clearing, echo, threading, meadow, pumped, rarely, active, blend, outlined, curved, swoops 
Grammar Skills:  Telling Sentences and Questions; Commands; Exclamations
Phonics:  Long vowels CVCe: o, u, e, 

Reading Logs   November Reading logs went home Thursday. Please continue to log minutes with your child.

Math  We finished Chapter 6 and will begin Chapter 7, Explore 2-Digit Subtraction. Students will count back by tens to subtract multiples of ten and model subtracting 1 and 2 digit numbers from 2-digit numbers.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition and subtraction facts with their flash cards.  Weekly facts tests are given.

Science  We finished Chapter 11, Light and Heat. Next week we will begin Chapter 12, Sound.  We will discuss what causes sound.


Star Student of the Week  Jake was our star student of the week.  Jake lives in Darien. When he is at school he enjoys recess, gym and math. When he is at home he likes to play his PS3 and with his trains. When he grows up he would like to be in the Army.  Jake is a star because he is learning another language and plays sports. Thanks for sharing Jake!

Important Dates & Reminders

Thanks to Mrs. Bende, Mrs. Lawrence, Mrs. Malatia and Mrs. O'Connell for planning a fabulous Halloween party.  A special thanks to all our parents, including Mrs. Adams, Mrs. O'Brien and Mrs. Zwart, who sent in yummy treats, drinks and supplies for our party.  The children had a blast!

Mon, Nov. 5 - No School - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Tues, Nov. 6 - No School - Teacher Institute
Mon, Nov. 12 - No School - Veteran's Day
Thurs, Nov. 15 - 2nd Grade Dinostars Concert at 6:45, Lakeview Gym
Tues, Nov. 20 - Last Day to order a copy of the Dinostars concert
Wed/Thurs/Fri, - Nov. 21-23 - No School - Thanksgiving Holiday

*Please send in your box tops!

October 26, 2012

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we will be reading Around the Pond:  Who's Been Here? It is a realistic story about a brother and sister, William and Cammy, who go blueberry picking around a pond with their dog Sam. They see many different plants and animals. 

Comprehension Strategies: Categorize and Classify; Monitor/Clarify
Vocabulary Words:  edge, splash, shallow, fish, duck, bank, path, crater, moss 
High Frequency Words: across, brother, great, stand; homonyms
Grammar Skills:  exclamations
Phonics:  Double Consonants; VCV Pattern
Reading Logs   Please help your child record their minutes in their October reading log.  Reading Logs are due November 1st.

Math  We  will continue Chapter 6, Two Digit Addition. Students will use rounding to estimate sums of 2-digit numbers, practice 2-digit addition with and without regrouping, solve problems by using the skill use a table and use mental math to add 2-digit numbers.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition and subtraction facts with their flash cards.  Weekly facts tests are given.

Science  We will continue learning about heat.  Students will identify heat sources and explain the transfer of heat and how heat is measured. 

Star Student of the Week  Sydney was our star student of the week.  Sydney lives in Downers Grove. When she is at school she enjoys recess and gym. When she is at home she likes to watch tv. When she grows up she would like to be a bird trainer. Sydney is a star because she plays with her friends when they are sad. Thanks for sharing Sydney!

Important Dates & Reminders

Halloween Activities:  Our Halloween parade is Wednesday, October 31 at 1:40 (weather permitting).  Please come and watch.  The students should bring their costumes to school in a bag on Wednesday.  No make-up will be applied at school and no toy weapons are allowed!  Please do not send in any treat bags with candy or food.  We have to be careful of food allergies. Thank you!

Tues, Oct. 30 - Report Cards go home
Wed, Oct. 31 - Class Halloween Party 2pm/Parade 1:40
Thurs, Nov 1 - October Reading Logs are due
Mon, Nov. 5 - No School - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Tues, Nov. 6 - No School - Teacher Institute
Mon, Nov. 12 - No School - Veteran's Day
Thurs, Nov. 15 - 2nd Grade Music Concert

*Please send in your box tops!

October 19, 2012

     

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we will be reading Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett.  This is a story about a real park ranger from New York City and the things that he does each day as part of his job, such as keeping the parks clean and planting trees.

Comprehension Strategies:   Fact and Opinion; Evaluate
Vocabulary Words:   exploring, protect, tours, habitat, ranger, urban chipmunks, gathering, floating; Antonyms
High Frequency Words: busy, important, later, touch, young
Grammar Skills:  Commands
Phonics:  Consonant Clusters r, l, s; Two sounds for c

Reading Logs  Second graders are expected to read for 20 minutes each night. Please help your child record their minutes in their October reading log.


Math  We will finish Chapter 5, Explore 2-Digit Addition. Our review and test will be next week. We will begin Chapter 6, Two Digit Addition. Students will add 2-digit numbers with and without regrouping.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition and subtraction facts with their flash cards.  Weekly facts tests are given.

Science  We will continue learning about how light can pass through some objects and not others. Students will do an investigation using flash lights and mirrors. We will then move on to our next lesson:  What is Heat?

Star Student of the Week  Joshua was our star student of the week.  Joshua lives in the United States with his mom, dad and little sister. When he is at school he enjoys recess. When he is at home he likes to play on the computer. When he grows up he would like to be a money maker. Joshua is a star because he loves Skylanders and is a great reader. Thanks for sharing Joshua!

Important Dates & Reminders

*Please send in one paper towel roll.

Miss Wyse introduced the fall musical to second grade entitled, DINOSTARS!  This year the music to practice for the show can be found on the following website:

www.ccsd66music.com/PVChorus.htm

Thurs, Oct 25 - Early Dismissal - Noon
Fri, Oct. 26 - Spooky Story Day - Wear black and orange and 
                   bring a  Halloween book from home to share
Fri, Oct. 26 - PTO Halloween Party
Tues, Oct. 30 - Report Cards go home
Wed, Oct. 31 - Class Halloween Party/Parade 1:40
Thurs, Nov 1 - October Reading Logs are due
Mon, Nov. 5 - No School - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Tues, Nov. 6 - No School - Teacher Institute
Mon, Nov. 12 - No School - Veteran's Day
Thurs, Nov. 15 - 2nd Grade Music Concert

*Please send in your box tops!

October 12, 2012

                   

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we will be reading Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night.  It is a fictional story about a boy named Henry who goes camping with his parents and his dog Mudge. Each one of them enjoys camping, but not for the same reasons. 
Comprehension Strategies:  Compare and Contrast; Question
Vocabulary Words:  backpack, campfire, camping, hike, lanterns, tent, guitar, doe, fawn, sappy, snuggled
High Frequency Words: quiet, even, straight beautiful, year
Grammar Skills:  Telling Sentences and Questions
Phonics:  Long Vowels CVCe, o, u, e; Sounds for g

Reading Logs  Second graders are expected to read for 20 minutes each night. Please help your child record their minutes in their October reading log.


Math  We will begin Chapter 5, Explore 2-Digit Addition. We will be using mental math to add on multiples of 10 and regrouping for addition.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition and subtraction facts with their flash cards.  Weekly facts tests are given.

Science  We will be learning what light is and how it moves.

Star Student of the Week  Natasa was our star student of the week.  Natasa lives in Woodridge with her mom and cat. When she is at school she enjoys playing outside. When she is at home she likes to play with her cat. Some really cool facts about Natasa are:  she once did 20 flips in the water really fast, she did 30 math cards fast and she played on a volleyball team that won. When she grows up she would like to be a volleyball player. Natasa is a star because she is nice to other people. Thanks for sharing Natasa!

Important Dates & Reminders

Last week Miss Wyse introduced the fall musical to second grade entitled, DINOSTARS!  This year the music to practice for the show can be found on the following website:

www.ccsd66music.com/PVChorus.htm

 Thurs, Oct 25 - Early Dismissal - Noon
Fri, Oct. 26 - Spooky Story Day - Wear black and orange and 
                   bring a  Halloween book from home to share
Fri, Oct. 26 - PTO Halloween Party
Mon, Oct. 29 - Conferences
Tues, Oct. 30 - Conferences
Tues, Oct. 30 - Report Cards go home
Wed, Oct. 31 - Class Halloween Party/Parade 1:40
Mon, Nov. 5 - No School - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Tues, Nov. 6 - No School - Teacher Institute
Mon, Nov. 12 - No School - Veteran's Day
Thurs, Nov. 15 - 2nd Grade Music Concert

*Please send in your box tops!

October 5, 2012

                      

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we will be reading two stories to compare fantasy and nonfiction.  George and Martha, Round and Round is our fantasy story about two hippos.  Hippos is our nonfiction story from the magazine Ranger Rick.  Our comprehension strategy is connecting and comparing.  Our phonics lesson will review short vowels and the VCCV pattern.  The vocabulary words are cross, observed, thoroughly, unmoved, wicked, herds, mammal, moisture, nostrils, and relatives. Our high frequency words are bought, front, kitchen, until and roll. Our grammar lesson will review the naming and action part of a sentence.

Reading Logs  Second graders are expected to read for 20 minutes each night. Please help your child record their minutes in their October reading log.


Math  We will continue with Chapter 4, Number Concepts and Patterns. We will be identifying patterns on a hundred chart, solving problems by using the find a pattern strategy and skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s, starting from different numbers. We will have our chapter test by the end of the week.


Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition and subtraction facts with their flash cards.

Science  We are learning about light and heat energy.

Star Student of the Week  Ryan was our star student of the week.  Ryan lives in Darien with her mom and dad. When he is at school he enjoys gym and reading. When he is at home he likes to build with Legos and play games. Some really cool facts about Ryan are:  he caught a 4 foot, 80 pound shark in Florida, his uncle is a fire chief, he went on the field of the Sox and he is  a Lego architect. When he grows up he would like to be a professional baseball player. Ryan is a star because he is a good friend. Thanks for sharing Ryan!

Important Dates & Reminders

Mon, Oct. 8 - Columbus Day - No School
Fri, Oct. 26 - Spooky Story Day - Wear black and orange and 
                   bring a  Halloween book from home to share
Fri, Oct. 26 - PTO Halloween Party
Mon, Oct. 29 - Conferences
Tues, Oct. 30 - Conferences
Tues, Oct. 30 - Report Cards go home
Wed, Oct. 31 - Class Halloween Party

*Please send in your box tops!

September 28, 2012

Reading and Language Arts  Next week we we will be reading Mrs. Brown Went to Town.  It is about a woman whose farm animals move into her house while she is away. We'll look for rhyming words as we read. The comprehension strategy we will be working on is predicting outcomes. The phonics skills are long vowels CVCe: a,i. Our grammar lesson will be on the action part of a sentence.  The high frequency words are:  move, different, floor, poor, word and letter. Our vocabulary will focus on multiple meaning words such as ball, fair, and match. The spelling words for this week will be Vowel-Consonant-e words.

Reading Logs  Please help your child record their minutes in their September reading folder. Reading logs are due Monday, October 1. We will have lunch and a movie in the room next week for those who have met their goal of reading for 21 days.

Math  We will begin Chapter 4, Number Concepts and Patterns. The students will use ordinal numbers to tell the position of a number or object, compare 2 digit numbers using <, >, or =, order 2 digit numbers, and round numbers to the nearest 10.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition and subtraction facts with their flash cards.

Science  We are beginning the unit on Exploring Matter.  Students will learn that everything in our universe is made of matter. Students will use their senses to learn about matter. We will begin to discuss the properties of matter and identify the three forms of matter:  solid, liquid and gas.

Star Student of the Week  Julia was our star student of the week. Julia lives in Darien with her mom and dad. Her favorite color is purple. Her favorite animal is a cat. When she is at school she enjoys gym and the computer lab. When she is at home she likes coloring and reading books. Some really cool facts about Julia are:  she plays the piano, she attends dance class and she goes to polish school. When she grows up she would like to be a movie star and a singer. Julia is a star because she is a good dancer and singer. Thanks for sharing with us Julia!

Important Dates & Reminders

*Please send in your box tops!

Mon, Oct. 1 - Reading Logs are due
Mon, Oct. 8 - Columbus Day - No School
Fri, Oct. 26 - Spooky Story Day - Wear black and orange and 
                   bring a  Halloween book from home to share
Mon, Oct. 29 - Conference Week begins- more info will be coming soon
Tues, Oct. 30 - Report Cards go home

September 21, 2012

Reading  Next week we will focus on Poetry. The comprehension strategies we will be working on are understanding poetry and monitor and clarify. The phonics skills we will be working on are short vowel sounds and VCCV patterns. Our grammar lesson will be on run-on sentences.

Reading Logs  Please help your child record their minutes in their September reading folder. Reading folders should be returned to school on October 1, after reading at least 21 days.

Math  We began Chapter 3, Place Value to 100. Next week, students will model and identify tens and ones, use place value to describe the value of digits in numbers and understand the meaning of the digits in numbers.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition and subtraction facts with their flash cards. They are taking weekly math facts tests.

Start Student of the Week  Nicky was our Star Student of the Week. Nicky lives in Darien with his Dad, Mom and two brothers. His favorite color is yellow. His favorite animal is a bunny. When he is at school he enjoys gym and lunch. When he is at home he likes to play Wii and Mario. Some really cool facts about Nicky are:  he is good at reading, he has two cool dogs and he is a good Wii player.  When he grows up he wants to be a daddy and a life guard. Nicky is a star because he is a good learner.

Important Dates & Reminders
Tues, Sept. 25 - Magazine Drive Turn in Day
Thurs, Sept. 27 - Picture Day and last Magazine Drive Turn in Day
Fri, Sept. 28 - Early Dismissal - 12pm
Mon, Oct. 1 - Reading Logs are due

Mon, Oct. 8 - Columbus Day - No School

September 14, 2012

Reading  Next week our story is Julius. We'll read about Maya's pig, Julius. Julius and Maya learn a lot from each other. Julius teaches Maya fun activities like trying on hats and dancing to jazz, and Maya teaches Julius how to be polite.  The comprehension strategies and skills that we will focus on are monitor, clarify, how to scan for information, and fantasy/realism.

Reading Logs  Second graders are expected to read for 20 minutes each night. Please help your child record their minutes in their September reading folder. Reading folders should be returned to school at the end of the month after reading for at least 21 days.

Spelling  In addition to the 12 word spelling test, we had a dictated spelling sentence test which included some of our spelling words from this week. Each week your child will be taking this dictation spelling test along with their 12 word spelling test. Your child will earn the following points on this test:  2 points for each spelling word spelled correctly(these can be from previous spelling lists), 1 point for each capital letter, 1 point for each end mark and 1 point for all the other words in the sentence. This will be a part of their language arts grade. Next week, we will focus on short e, o and u words. The children will have a pre-test on the week's spelling words on Monday.  They need to study the highlighted words during the week and be ready for a spellilng test on Friday.

Math We will finish up Chapter 2 on subtraction. Students will use addition and subtraction to identify missing addends and solve problems by using the skill choose the operation. The test will be Wednesday.  We will begin Chapter 3, Place Value to 100.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition and subtraction facts with their flash cards. They will be taking weekly math facts tests.

Social Studies  We are locating communities, states and countries on a map. Next week we will finish Unit 1, Where We Live, and take a test. 

Important Dates & Reminders

Tues, Sept. 18 - 1st Magazine Drive Turn in Day
Tues, Sept. 25 - 2nd Magazine Drive Turn in Day

Thurs, Sept. 27 - Picture Day and last Magazine Drive Turn in Day

Fri, Sept. 28 - Early Dismissal - 12pm
Mon, Oct. 1 - Reading Logs are due
Mon, Oct. 8 - Columbus - No School

Happy Birthday

Timmy - September 15

Book Fair   It was nice seeing many of you at the Book Fair/Icecream Social last night. Thank you to all the students who gave our class gift certificates to purchase books. We will enjoy reading them. It was very thoughtful!

Star Student of the Week  Alice was our star student of the week. Alice lives in Darien with her Mom, Dad and brother. Her favorite color is pink. Her favorite animal is a dog. When she is at school she enjoys math and reading. When she is at home she enjoys playing games, playing chess and reading. Some really cool facts about Alice are: she is American born, Chinese, she plays the piano and has really pretty fish. When she grows up she would like to be an art teacher. Alice is a star because she listens to other people.

September 7, 2012

Reading  Next week we will be following the five steps of the writing process to write a story. We will be choosing a topic, exploring and planning our story, and organizing details to include a beginning, middle and end. We will be concentrating on writing complete sentences and proofreading our story to make corrections and revisions.
Reading Logs  Second graders are expected to read 20 minutes each night. Please help your child record their minutes in their September reading folder. Reading log folders should be returned to school at the end of the  month after reading for at least 21 days.

Spelling  We will focus on sight words. The children will have a pre-test on the week's spelling words on Monday. They need to study the highlighted words during the week and be ready for a spelling test on Friday.

Math  We will review and take the chapter test, Addition Facts and Strategies. We will begin Chapter 2, Subtraction Facts and Strategies. Students will use the strategy counting back to determine differences. They will use fact families to find sums and differences.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition and subtract facts with their flash cards that were sent home.  They will be taking weekly math facts tests.

Social Studies  We will be learning about communities.  They will be comparing rural, urban and suburban communities.  We will learn how to read a city map and be able to locate communities, states and countries on maps.

Important Dates & Reminders

Thurs, Sept. 13, 6:30-8pm - Fall Book Fair & Ice Cream Social

Thurs, Sept. 27 - Picture Day

Fri, Sept. 28 - Early Dismissal - 12pm

Snack  Please do not send snacks with peanuts. Our classroom is peanut free.

Start Student of the Week  We will be starting Star Student of the Week on Monday. The children are chosen randomly to be our "Star Student of The Week". When it is your child's turn please make sure their poster is returned on Monday.  You are invited to be a guest reader in our classroom and read one of your child's favorite books on either Wednesday or Thursday at 2:45 of that week. If those times do not work with your schedule, please let me know and I will try and arrange a better time for you to read to the class.

August 31, 2012

Reading Next week we'll be reading Dragon Gets By.  Dragon, who has no food in his cupboard, goes shopping and buys more food than he can fit in his car!  We will talk about food groups and what makes a balanced diet.

Math We will be reviewing addition strategies such as using doubles, near doubles and making ten to find the sum. The students will use addition strategies to find the sum of 3 addends. 

Social Studies We will begin Unit 1, Where We Live. The vocabulary words are law, vote, community, history, rural, suburb, urban and capital.

 



Important Dates 

Thurs, Sept. 6 @ 7pm - Curriculum Night-Parents Only

Fri, Sept. 7 - Scholastic Book Orders due

Box Tops Remember to send in your Box Tops.

Happy Birthday

Nicky- September 2

Snack When sending in a healthy snack for your child, please do not send anything with peanuts. Our classroom is peanut free.

Homework Reminders
*Read 20 minutes and complete reading log
*Practice math facts