Mrs. McKinney's Weekly News
May 29-June 2
A note of thanks....
This is the final weekly newsletter of the year ( I know you are ALL upset about this! LOL) and I just wanted to take this opportunity to tell you all thank you!
Thank you for supporting me this year.
Thank you for supporting your child this year.
Thank you for helping your child come to school prepared.
Thank you for trusting me with your child's learning for the past 180 days.
Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for believing in your child.
Thank you for volunteering as room parents and chaperones.
Thank you for donating any supplies needed throughout the year.
Thank you for raising such an AWESOME child!
This group of students is very special to me. We have had a VERY good year with lots of learning and memories being made. That wouldn't have been possible without YOU! I am REALLY going to miss each and every student from this class. The good news though is that I will be able to keep in touch and follow them through the grades, as my daughter is also part of this bunch!
I hope you ALL have a fun and relaxing summer. Please know that just because they are not physically in my classroom anymore, I am still able and willing to help them out however I can.
Best wishes!!!
Mrs. McKinney :)
Teacher Report Card
We are off to Lemon Lake!!!
Our field trip to Lemon Lake on Thursday, June 1st will be here before we know it! A reminder note will be going home next week, but here are some details to keep in mind:
*We will be leaving at approximately 10:00 and be back around 1:30.
*Chaperones, please arrive no later than 9:45, so that we can get organized and take bathroom breaks.
*Please have your child dress appropriately. We will be outside, so gym shoes are a must. Your child is welcome to wear a hat and/or sunglasses, but please note that THEY will be responsible for keeping track of these items.
*Please apply sunscreen to your child and do so at home.
*EVERYONE needs to bring a disposable sack lunch with a drink. We won't have any place to keep lunch boxes.
*Be prepared to have some fun!
Upcoming Dates to remember:
5/29 Memorial Day NO SCHOOL!
5/30 Last PAWS redemption
6/1 Lemon Lake Field Trip
6/2 Last Day of School!!! "Beach Day" in 2nd grade!!!
Beach Day in 2nd grade is coming!!!!
This week's agenda....
Monday: 5/29 Memorial Day-no school!
Tuesday: 5/30: Leading Leopard Celebration, PAWS redemption
Wednesday: 5/31:
Thursday: 6/1: Field Trip to Lemon Lake-don't forget your sack lunch with drink!
Friday: 6/2: Last Day of School! "Beach Day" in 2nd grade! Moving Up Ceremony
The learning goes on....
Well, that is a wrap on Second Grade! But just because school is out, doesn't mean that the learning should stop. To keep your child's "summer slide" to a minimum, here are some ideas for you. Plus, they may come in handy when your child complains that they are bored on June 5th! LOL Check these out:
Language Arts/Reading:
Visit the Library! I cannot stress this simple idea enough! There are SO MANY cool programs at the Cedar Lake & St. John libraries this summer. You can also encourage your child to find out what they are interested in and find some books to further develop their knowledge! Plus, on those steamy, hot afternoons, the library is the perfect place to cool off FOR FREE!
Have them check out a book and THEN see the movie. Discuss with them if they liked the book or movie better, what was different/same between the 2. Would they recommend it to a friend?
Write a letter to a favorite author, sports hero, music star, or a family member. They will be able to practice the letter writing skills they learned this year in a fun way! And who knows, they may just get a reply back!
Math:
Practicing math skills can be more than just pulling out flashcards. There are many real life opportunities for kids to reinforce math concepts:
Count the change after a purchase at the store.
Set up a lemonade & cookie stand and earn some $-they can also learn how to give change back.
Have them practice telling time by looking at an analog clock-cover ALL digital clocks for a day!
Practice figuring out elapsed time. For example, if they are going over to a friends house and need to be back at a certain time, have them figure out how many hours (or minutes) they will have to play.
Have them review fractions and measurement by baking/cooking.
If they have a collection of something, have them count how many items are in the collection and add up the total.
Pull out the flashcards and see how fast they can go through the stack-give them a stop watch and time them and record the time to try and beat it.
Play with LEGOS!
Writer's Workshop:
Writing letters to friends, relatives, favorite 2nd grade teachers (LOL).
Keep a summer journal about what they do each day-the entries don't have to be long and it will end up being a fun keepsake of their summer.
Or a vacation journal.
The students LOVED creating books this year and all you need is some blank copy paper and some construction paper to make one.
Science:
Next time you visit the zoo or an aquarium, READ about the animals you are viewing with your child to learn more about life science.
Plant a garden.
Keep a nature scrapbook/journal and record things you see and find in it.
Do some of the experiments in their Science book.
Keep track of the weather and graph it for the month.
Start a rock collection.
Collect bugs.
Check out a book on the planets and constellations and look for some on a clear night.
Visit a planetarium.
Social Studies:
Read up on the history of the Summer holidays: Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.
Have your child choose a famous American and read about them.
Research about a country they are interested in. Find books about it in the library and learn about the customs, foods, geography, etc. particular to their chosen country.
Play the "License Plate" game on a road trip. Write down the license plates from different states they see, and record them on a map of the U.S.
Have them use a map on your next road trip and follow your route as you are cruising along the highway.
If you are taking a trip, have your child do some research ahead of time about the area, state, city, or country you will be visiting. Maybe they can play "tour guide" as they tell you all about the destination.