Room 101 News
Important Reminders, Highlights, and Exciting News!
Week of November 16, 2015
We are so proud of our amazing Second Grade Teams and their hearts, minds, and applied effort, as they strive to grow each day!
Both classrooms 101 and 102 are working hand and hand to ensure that our content, experiences, and resources are parallel. As educators, this is our heartfelt and dedicated commitment to the students and families we are serving this school year and beyond.
We cannot believe that our first quarter together has come to a close. We are so very proud of our Spectacular Second Graders! Each day, they strive to demonstrate our school's Core Values of Mind, Heart, and Effort each school day and in multiple ways. We celebrate and appreciate all of the growth and progress that has been made, to date. We are very excited about our future and educational journey as it unfolds ahead!
We are grateful for this opportunity to work with all you! Thank you for your interest, support, and enthusiasm for our teaching and learning! We are enjoying a very exciting and magical school year!
This Wednesday, November 18th---No School and Report Card Pick-Up
If you haven’t done so already, you can schedule an appointment for a conference during one of the available times to discuss your child’s progress. You can access the conference schedule at the following website- https://sites.google.com/a/d219.org/edgebrook-conferences/
****Friday, November 20th-Our 50th Day Celebration!! *******
Since the first day of school, we have been conducting a Great State Countdown!! We have been exploring each of the 50 states in the order that they became part of the United States of America.
*****We will be celebrating our 50th state, Hawaii, on Friday, November 20th. Students will be participating in special themed learning centers with their team members from the other Second Grade classroom. If students wish, they may wear dress code appropriate tropical clothing in honor of our Hawaiian celebration!!
Special Thanks...
Thank you so much for your continued support and enthusiasm for our teaching and learning! Thank you so much for your generous supply donations and kindness! We were very appreciative of our parent volunteers who lend a patient hand to us throughout our school year.
Parents' Daily Assignment Book Check
Please remember to sign your child's Assignment Book each night as confirmation of review and receipt of these important deadlines as well as dialogue with your child regarding their Sticker Chart for all of the school days they stay at Green or Higher.
If they have not done so, then their day will indicate the descending color they received. Our progressive behavior incentive system begins each day with all students on Green or "Ready to Learn." The colors are arranged as follows from the top down. Pink "Super Student," Purple, "Great Job," Green, "Ready to Learn," Yellow, "Think About it," Orange, "Teacher’s Choice, and Red, "Parent Contact." The last move would result in a Student Behavior Form being completed in school and signed by the teacher as well as the parent at home. This progress informs our citizenship awards as well as our classroom climate and teamwork.
We have a Hall of Fame for those students who collect five days on Pink and earn special gems symbolizing their amazing progress on their clip. The students are very motivated to try to reach Pink each day. Please join us in celebrating encouraging this progress! Thank you for your continued support and partnership!
Daily Five Update
We are enjoying our Daily Five Literacy Task Learning Cycles. The students have latched onto the routines and are immersing themselves in these literacy tasks! Throughout the past few weeks, we have been reinforcing and practicing our routines and expectations for Word Work, Work on Writing, Read to Self, iPads, and teacher-guided group expectations. The students have latched onto the routines and are immersing themselves in these literacy tasks!
Language Arts
RAZ-KIDS UPDATE-
Please encourage your child to practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays at least each school week. Keep in mind the desired benchmarks and your child's progress to guide the time that will be needed to keep progressing in this content area.
Our year end goal is for each child to be reading at the End of Second Grade Level-P or higher. Please remember that you will be able to access your accounts throughout the summer and should utilize that time to make sure you have attained the goal.
Language Arts/Reading-
Students should read for at least 15 Minutes a day or longer this week. We are suggesting that the students Read Out Loud to an Adult for at least fifteen minutes for homework on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, complete at least one Raz-Kids reading selection and test.
In Second Grade, they will have daily Read to Self opportunities as part of our Daily Five Literacy Tasks. They each have an individualized book bin with "Good Fit" books. They may check out a classroom library book to assist with these journal entries.
Reading Response Journal (RRJ)
On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, your child will be assigned a Reading Response Journal entry on a book of their choice. Please use the classroom modeled example to guide you. They will be collected on Thursdays and credit will be given for their effort.
***Due to the Report Card Pickup on Wednesday, November 18th, entries for Monday and Tuesday of this week will be due this Thursday, November 19th. ***
Please refer to the copy of the Reading Response Journal Prompts stapled to the inside cover of your child's Interactive Language Arts Journal (red spiral notebook). An additional copy is also contained in the Parent Night Information Packet for Reference. We recognize that Active Readers use Thinking Stems. These will deepen our students' interaction and response to their given texts and reading selections.
Spelling
A pretest will be administered on Monday, November 16th. Our Spelling Test will be given on Friday, November 20th. These are High Frequency words that every Second Grader should be able to read and spell by the end of Second Grade.
bring, buy, carry, clean, cold, does, done, draw, drink, eat
Reading
The Elves and the Shoemaker is our current reading selection. Our assessment will be administered on Friday, November 20th.
Vocabulary cards will be completed and submitted for credit on the day of the test. Please help your child to make sure these are completed and can be used as a study tool in anticipation of the upcoming test. Vocabulary cards will be attached at the time of test collection for credit.
Genre-A fairy tale is a story that involves imaginary creatures with magical powers, mysterious adventures or occurrences, and a happy ending.
Comprehension Strategy~Sequence
As you read, pay attention to the order in which the events in the story take place.
Vocabulary -
A vocabulary study card will be completed for each of these key vocabulary words. Our procedure will be modeled and time will be given in class to complete these. They will be submitted for credit on the day of the assessment.
elves, shoemaker, flash, leather, finest
Vocabulary Strategy
A definition is sometimes provided in the text right next to or near the word it is defining. Use apposition to find the meaning.
Grammar Focus and Emphasis~Helping Verbs and Linking Verbs
A linking verb joins or connects the parts of a sentence to make it complete.
i.e.: There is a beautiful shell on the beach.
A helping verb help s the main verb in a sentence tell when something will happen, has happened, or is happening,
i.e.: We are planning to look for shells tomorrow.
Writing
We will be reinforcing our Daily 5 Literacy Tasks and learning cycles as well as developing our very own stories during Work on Writing and Writing Workshop. We will be integrating our knowledge and understanding of Fairy Tales and their literary elements. Students will be creating their very own fairy tales using their knowledge and understanding.
Differentiated Math Centers
Our Math Centers have been an exciting addition to our math lessons!
In addition to IXL practice and enrichment, we have been working on MARS Tasks, Problems of the Month, Hands-On Math Games to build our Math Fluency and Scavenger Hunts and Scoot Games. The students love these opportunities to extend and enrich their learning!
Math Chapter Three
In Math, our emphasis is Adding Two-Digit Numbers. Our Essential Question is "How can I add two-digit numbers?" We will be utilizing hands-on manipulatives such as counters, unifix cubes, playing cards, and IXL to enhance our knowledge and understanding mathematical problem-solving strategies! We will be assessing this chapter on Tuesday, November 19th.
Please study your math facts each day for at least 15 minutes. Please utilize the addition and subtraction timed test contained in the Summer Learning Packet sent home on the last day of school. Our Summer Math Fluency Goal was to earn 50% accuracy, and our First Quarter's goal will be to advance to 60% or higher in the allotted time. Additional Master Copies of these were contained in your Parent Night Curriculum Packet.
*****Please note that tomorrow we will be administering Chapter 3 Math Test. Due to a technical difficulty, we will be combining the Practice Test and Post Test tomorrow in class. Please log into IXL for at least 15 minutes tonight. Study your addition and subtraction facts daily (15 minutes). We will be administering a 7 Minute Addition Timed Test Wednesday, December 2nd and an 8 Minute Subtraction Timed Test on Thursday, December 3rd.* Delay due to students' days off from school. Please login to IXL as much as possible each day to enrich and extend your learning.
Science
In Science, we are moving onto Air and Weather this Second Quarter!!
Social Studies
My Community is our focus for this Quarter in Social Studies. We are enjoying discussing and analyzing this exciting unit in our community of learners! We drafted Classroom Promises and aligned them to our school's Core Values of Mind, Heart, and Effort. In addition, using a supplemental and informative Social Studies Weekly Publication, the students were able to apply a close reading strategy entitled Three Reads to enhance and enrich of key vocabulary, main ideas and supporting details related to this unit.
Our Inquiry Project and Investigation Log Journals!!
"Ideas come from curiosity." ~Walt Disney
This school year our students are so very fortunate to have a dedicated journal to record their observations, research as they create inquiry projects as a source for enrichment! The students are very excited and have already been researching student-selected and student-centered topics of their choice. Please refer to the additional reference information found below for additional specifics and guidelines for presentation ideas. Extra credit will be awarded for mind, heart and effort invested in their special work!
Inquiry Projects/Independent Learning Project
In the past, many Second Grade students have enjoyed preparing an Inquiry Project of their own selection for enrichment and extra credit. They have worked individually or in small groups. Please know that as sources of enrichment, these projects are student-selected and are optional. They will have a chance to share their project with the class, when finished.
In addition, some students have used poster board to showcase their work, and others have opted to purchase the tri-fold version or create dioramas, or models to illustrate their knowledge and understanding. Again, that is purely option. Throughout the school year, we will dedicate some classroom time to collaborate with their peers to aid their research efforts. Upon completion, students will be able to share, and present their projects to the class.
Please remember...
Visit our school's website at and select the Classes/Homework page regularly in order to facilitate our Home-School partnership as well as your child's progress this school year. Please also note that you child has a personal Assignment Book that will contain "Real Time" updates regarding daily Homework assignments and expectations. Please check your child's assignment book each night to monitor any additions or revisions to our schedule. We will utilize their performances to inform and shape the pace of our lessons.
***Please remember to review and sign your child's Assignment Book daily for updates, as well as our classroom webpages, so they will be able to perform their personal best and beyond. We appreciate your interest and support!!
We feel so honored to be with you all on our educational journey this school year! Your children have inspired us and touched our hearts with their kindness and enthusiasm for learning!