September 5, 2014

Reading This week we have been practicing our first Daily 5 station, Read to Self.  The students have been working hard to build their reading stamina. We reviewed the 3 ways to read a book. We also read aloud Rainbow Fish, by Mark Pfiister. Mrs. Riadi and myself modeled what it looks like to do a close read (looking at a passage in a text for deeper understanding). We focused on identifying unfamiliar words and finding their meaning, and identifying key words to answer a question, using text marking. Next week we will continue to practice Daily 5, learn how to pick a good fit book and begin a unit on comparing and contrasting.

Reading Logs  Please continue to read and help your child record their minutes in their September reading folder. Second graders are expected to read for 20 minutes each night, for a total of 21 days per month. Reading logs should be returned to school at the end of the month after reading for 21 days. Students who read and return their logs after 21 days will be recognized with a special celebration. 

Language Arts Students will identify parts of a sentence.

Spelling  Next week we will begin the spelling program Words Their Way. Words Their Way is a developmental spelling program aligned to the new common core standards.  It is a word study. The goal is not to memorize the words or the spelling "rules"  which have so many exceptions, but to understand or make sense of the words. The students will focus on making sense of words by looking for patterns in spelling and sound in order to categorize words.  All students were given a developmental spelling test. Based on their results they will be given a list (sort) of about 20 words to study over about a 2 week time period. During the week they are given a variety of activities to do with these words. They will be tested on 12 of them. Look for the word sort and activities in your child's green folder on MONDAY. I will discuss this further on Tuesday during Curriculum Night. 

Math  Students began the topic Understanding Addition and Subtraction. By the end of the topic students will be able to describe ways to think about addition and subtraction. Our focus this week was on 

• putting two parts together to make a whole and then showing this by writing an addition and number sentence
• writing addition number sentences to show stories about joining
• solving problems by writing subtraction number sentences.                     

Next week we will focus on:

• writing subtraction sentences to solve stories about separating groups and comparing groups
• writing related addition and subtraction facts
• using counters to model and solve addition and subtraction problems.

Math Facts Math facts should be reviewed daily. The Math flash cards that you purchased should be used to practice math facts as well as the one minute math practice worksheets that are brought home. Weekly timed tests are given. 

Click on the following link to print copies of the math practice worksheets:

http://www.ccsd66.org/wp-content/uploads/Teacher_Pages/Schultz/Math/

Important Dates & Announcement

2nd Grade Curriculum Night is Tuesday, September 9th at 6:00pm. Sign up sheets will be available for holiday parties and copy helpers. Don't forget to bring your calendar so you can volunteer.  This night is for parents only. If you have a concern about your child prior to Tuesday, please don't hesitate to contact me at szurales@ccsd66.org. 

Copy Helpers
If you are interested in copying for our class, please email me. If I get a few more volunteers I will set up a rotating schedule. Thanks in advance!

September Dates to Remember

*Note: OUR MAPS TESTING DATES WERE CHANGED

  9 - MAPS Math
  9 - Curriculum Night - 6:00-7:00pm (PARENTS ONLY)
11 - MAPS Reading
16 - Magazine Drive Kick Off
18 - PTO Book Fair @6:30pm
23 - 1st Magazine Turn In Day
25 - 2nd Magazine Turn In Day
25 - Early Dismissal @12pm - School Improvement Day
30 - Last Magazine Tun In Day

August 29, 2014

It was wonderful meeting many of you at Open House! I am very excited to be your child's teacher this year.

We've had a great start to our first week in 2nd grade. We've been involved in many activities to help us get to know each another. We've also been going over our new routines and procedures.  We jumped right into the PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support) program by reviewing our cool tools that reinforce our school's behavior expectations. Today we completed the PBIS stations and celebrated the great job they did of listening and learning the various school expectations with freeze pops in the classroom. 

It is here that you will find what's happening in our classroom. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.  Education is a partnership between the school, parents, and community. Together we can make your child's educational experience positive, fun and challenging. 

Reading Next week we will begin to revisit and practice the Daily 5 structure which will help fully engage our students in reading and writing. Students will also be assessed in reading so that we can monitor their progress.

Reading Logs  Reading logs went home yesterday. Second graders are expected to read 20 minutes each night, for a total of 21 days per month. Please help your child record their minutes in their September reading folder. Reading logs should be returned to school at the end of the month after reading for 21 days. Students who read and return their logs after 21 days, will be recognized with a special celebration. 

Language Arts Students will review sentence structure.

Math  Students will review addition strategies. We will practice our addition facts. The flash cards that you purchased should be used to practice math facts. Weekly timed tests are given. Students will also be assessed in math as well this week. 

Click on the following link to print copies of the math facts worksheets:

http://www.ccsd66.org/wp-content/uploads/Teacher_Pages/Schultz/Math/

Important Dates & Announcement

Our Schedule

Gym - Every day - Please make sure your child wears or has a pair of gym 

                          shoes to change into every day.

Art - Mondays

Library - Tuesdays

Computer Lab - Wednesday

Music - Thursdays

SNACK TIME
All students are encouraged to bring a healthy snack from home to eat mid-morning. The following foods may be eaten at snack time: fruits, vegetables, cheese, and fruit juice. Please no junk food. Pretzels and crackers, like Goldfish are also allowed. Food should be ready for consumption and not require peeling, washing, slicing, etc. There is only a limited time for snacks. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Help us to keep snack time healthy!

Copy Helpers
If you are interested in copying for our class, please email me. If I get a few more volunteers I will set up a rotating schedule. Thanks in advance!

Scholastic Books

A Scholastic Book order was sent home today. This is a wonderful opportunity to order books at reasonable prices. Ordering is optional. Book orders are usually sent home monthly. Every book you buy earns FREE books for our classroom library. There are two ways to order:

*Register at scholastic.com/readingclub

*Enter our Class Activation Code LD48H

*Choose from thousands of books

                  or
*Return your order form and payment, checks only, payable to Scholastic 
  Books

All orders are due by Thursday, September 4th.

September Dates to Remember

  1 - Labor Day - No School
  3 - Aimsweb Testing
  4 - Scholastic Book order due
  8 - MAPS Math
10 - MAPS Reading
  9 - Curriculum Night - 6:00-7:00pm
25 - Early Dismissal @12pm - School Improvement Day

I am looking forward to a great year in 2nd Grade!

June 6, 2014

I can't believe next week is our last week of school. We will participate in the school picnic, field days, and an assembly about strangers. 

Math  We will be working with multiplication concepts. We will skip count equal groups and connect addition to multiplication.

Flash Cards  Keep practicing addition and subtraction facts over the summer.

Important Dates & Announcements

This was an exciting week for us. We celebrated 21 days of reading with lunch in the classroom, A Magic School Bus Movie about Bees and popsicles. We also went to Prairieview. Miss Millbrandt gave us a tour. We spent time getting to know our pen pals and asking them questions about 3rd grade. We even got to play on the playground with our new friends. 

June Dates to Remember

 9 - All school picnic- Olympic Theme - Wear red, white and blue
11 - All school assembly - Theme: Strangers
12- Last day of school - Report Cards; 12pm dismissal

May 30, 2014

Reading and Language Arts We will be reviewing using using our comprehension strategies and skills and doing end of the year activities.

Reading Logs Please continue to read with your child. Reading logs are due Monday, June 2nd.

Spelling  Look for your child's word sort to come home on Monday. Students should choose a different activity from the Weekly Spelling Activity Card to complete each night to help them master their spelling words. Please help them complete an activity, fill out the spelling homework sheet, and initial it. This will help them prepare for the assessment on Friday.

Math  We will identify the place value of digits in 3 digit numbers and compare and order greater numbers.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition facts with their flash cards and Rocket Math fact sheets. Weekly timed tests are given.

Click on the following link to print copies of the math facts worksheets:
http://www.ccsd66.org/wp-content/uploads/Teacher_Pages/Schultz/Math/

Nutrition  Next week we will take a closer look at the the Fruit and Grain food groups. Students will identify foods that belong to each of these groups. We will discuss the health benefits of eating food from these groups.

Important Dates & Announcements

June Dates to Remember

 2 - May Reading Log due
 6 - Field Trip to Prairieview to meet our 3rd Grade Pen Pals
 9 - All school picnic- Olympic Theme - Wear red, white and blue
11 - All school assembly - Theme: Strangers
12- Last day of school - 12pm dismissal

May 16, 2014

Reading  Next week we will be reading Moses Goes to a Concert. It is a realistic story about a deaf boy named Moses, who goes to a concert. The deaf percussionist helps Moses and his classmates realize they can be anything they want. Our comprehension strategy and skills will focus on noting details and summarizing.

Reading Logs Please continue to read with your child. Remind them to log their minutes in their May reading journal.

Language Arts Next week we will continue working with adjectives.

Spelling  Look for your child's word sort to come home on Monday. Students should choose a different activity from the Weekly Spelling Activity Card to complete each night to help them master their spelling words. Please help them complete an activity, fill out the spelling homework sheet, and initial it. This will help them prepare for the assessment.

Math  Students will measure length and problem solve using centimeters and meters, measure the perimeter of a plane figure, and measure area in square units. A chapter review and test will be given. Check your child's assignment notebook next week for the exact date.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition facts with their flash cards and Rocket Math fact sheets. Weekly timed tests are given.

Click on the following link to print copies of the math facts worksheets:
http://www.ccsd66.org/wp-content/uploads/Teacher_Pages/Schultz/Math/

Science  Students will describe the causes and effects of pollution and identify ways resources are wasted.

Next week in our nutrition unit, we will learn about the Meat Group and then the Vegetable Group.  Students will identify foods that belong to these groups. We will discuss the health benefits of eating food from these groups.

Important Dates & Announcements

Please send in all box tops!

May Dates to Remember

21 - DuPage Children's Museum Field Trip-Make sure to bring a sack lunch. We
      will eat in the classroom when we return.
23 - Wear red, white and blue in honor of Memorial Day
26 - Memorial Day - No School

June Dates to Remember

 6 - Field Trip to Prairieview to meet our 3rd Grade Pen Pals
 9 - All school picnic

12- Last Day of School - 12pm dismissal

May 9, 2014

Reading Next week we will continue reading and writing poems. Students will be writing a simile poem and a rhyming poem. Our grammar lesson will focus on adjectives. 

Reading Logs Please continue to read with your child. Remind them to log their minutes in their May reading journal.

Spelling  This week in spelling the students were introduced to spelling activities. Next week your child will continue practicing the same words as last week, but the activities in class will focus on vocabulary. Students should choose a different activity from the Weekly Spelling Activity Card to complete each night to help them master their spelling words. An assessment will be given on Friday, May 16th. 

Math We will begin the chapter on length, perimeter and area next week. Student will measure to the nearest inch and solve problems using the strategy making reasonable estimates.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition facts with their flash cards and Rocket Math fact sheets. Weekly timed tests are given.

Click on the following link to print copies of the math facts worksheets:
http://www.ccsd66.org/wp-content/uploads/Teacher_Pages/Schultz/Math/

Science  The weather was finally warm enough to let our butterflies go.

In science, students will read and learn about how people can harm natural resources.

Next week in our nutrition unit, we will look at the Milk Group. Students will identify foods that belong to this group. We will discuss the health benefits of eating food from the Milk Group.

Important Dates & Announcements

THANK YOU for the wonderful week full of notes, sweets, and flowers. Also, I would like to thank our PTO for providing a delicious week of lunches. As much as I love and appreciate the "things", it's your children that make my job rewarding. Thanks for sharing them with me. 

We will be celebrating summer birthdays in May. If your child would like to celebrate their birthday at school, please send me an email with the date.

Please send in your money and permission slip for the field trip to the DuPage Children's Museum if you have not yet done so.

May Dates to Remember

  9 - Gym Night 6:30-8pm
15 - PV Parent Meeting 6-7pm
16 - Early Dismissal @12pm
21 - DuPage Children's Museum Field Trip
23 - Wear red, white and blue in honor of Memorial Day
26 - Memorial Day - No School

June Dates to Remember

 6 - Field Trip to Prairieview to meet our 3rd Grade Pen Pals
12- Last Day of School - 12pm dismissal

May 2, 2014

Reading Next week we will be reading several different poems. Students will learn about some elements of poetry and write a couple of their own. 

Congratulations to those students who read for 21 days during the month of April. We celebrated with lunch in the classroom, freeze pops and The Magic School Bus Get Ants in the Pants Movie.


Reading Logs May logs sheets went home this week. Please continue to log minutes with your child.

Language Arts Next week we will learn about the 5 parts of a friendly letter. Miss Millbrandt's class at Prairieview wrote us letters telling us about 3rd grade. We will be writing a letter back to our new 3rd grade pen pals. 

Spelling  Look for your child's word sort to come home on Monday. Students should choose a different activity from the Weekly Spelling Activity Card to complete each night to help them master their spelling words. Please help them complete an activity, fill out the spelling homework sheet, and initial it. This will help them prepare for the assessment.

Math We will continue learning about plane figures. Students will combine and separate plane figures, use logical reasoning to problem solve and transform figures using slides, flips and turns.

Flash Cards  Students should be practicing their addition facts with their flash cards and Rocket Math fact sheets. Weekly timed tests are given.

Click on the following link to print copies of the math facts worksheets:
http://www.ccsd66.org/wp-content/uploads/Teacher_Pages/Schultz/Math/

Science  Students will identify natural resources and investigate to find out about some of the ways people use water. 

We are learning about nutrition. This week students met the Royal Food Family. They are learning that in order to grow up healthy, they need food from the Five Food Groups and physical activity.

Important Dates & Announcements

May Dates to Remember

  5 - Maps Testing
  7 - Maps Testing
  9 - Gym Night 6:30-8pm
15 - PV Parent Meeting 6-7pm
16 - Early Dismissal @12pm
21 - DuPage Children's Museum Field Trip
23 - Wear red, white and blue in honor of Memorial Day
26 - Memorial Day - No School

June Dates to Remember

12- Last Day of School - 12pm dismissal