Mrs. Johnson's Newsletter
October 22nd
Happy Weekend!
Hello Second Grade Families!
Thank you for your patience with the newsletter. It has been a busy few weeks to say the least!
Thank you also to everyone who met with me for conferences. It was great to be able to discuss your child and their progress in second grade.
Finally, thank you to everyone who made my final week so special. From flowers, to cards, to art work for my new office, I am truly humbled by your generosity and appreciative of the your support as I make this transition. I am so thankful for the time we have had together and blessed to have had the privilege of teaching your children. Thank you!
Have a great weekend!
RosaLeigh Johnson
Transition Plan
Halloween Party
During the party, students will be able to freely float from one center to the next. There will be games, snacks, crafts and a story station. I do already know that the substitute, Mrs. Virgin, will not be in our classroom on this day due to a different obligation. Therefore, there will be a different sub in the room. I am so thankful we have such great parent support to allow the party to run smoothly, regardless of what teacher is the room. Parents, Aprille Edgar and Heather Hamilton, know the details of the party and will serve as the point people during the party.
One other important thing to know is that students should not wear their costumes to school, but instead bring them. Immediately following lunch, they will change and prepare for the parade at 1:30. This only allows 15 minutes to get ready. If there are parents that would like to come right after lunch (1:15) to help students get in their costumes, that would be greatly appreciated. Most costumes should be able to go right over their clothes to allow for a quick change right in the classroom.
You will be able to sign your student out in the classroom and take them home immediately following the party if you want. Please just be sure to sign out!
Thank you everyone for your help making the party a blast for the kids! :)
Class Dojo
I will discuss Class Dojo with the new teacher and she will let you know if this is something she plans to continue.
Math
Students have continued to learn how to add 3-digit numbers. For the past few weeks, they have been adding numbers that require regrouping (borrowing/trading for a ten or hundred) in either the ones or tens place. This has been a tricky concept! This week, students will practice solving problems that require regrouping in the ones and tens. As your child practices this skill at home, please remind them to show their work. Many students are trying to solve addition problems horizontally
(ex. 456 + 389 = ), instead of rewriting them vertically using a place value chart.
Ex. (The example should have a plus sign-I am struggling to include it in this program for some reason).
H T O
4 5 6
3 8 9
I have explained to students that showing work is so important because it allows them to check their work, see mistakes, and know if they have completed all of the correct steps. It is also an important way for someone else (teacher, parent, etc.) to see their thinking.
Students will be tested on Wednesday, November 2nd. An addition review will be sent for homework this week. The next unit of study will be measurement!
Reading
This week, students learned all about author's purpose. They learned that identifying the author's purpose (reason for writing the text) is as easy as P.I.E. I drew a pie and divided it into 3 sections writing the letters P.I.E. Students learned that the P stands for persuade, the I stands for inform and the E stands for entertain. Students then learned the difference in all three of these purposes by taking a closer look at several texts.
For example: when the purpose of a text is to inform-the text was written to teach us facts or information. Non-fiction books are written with the purpose of informing the reader. When the purpose of a text is to persuade-the text was written to try to convince the reader of something. It usually includes the author's opinion. We talked about how a lot of magazine adds and commercials are written with the purpose of persuasion. Finally, when the purpose is to entertain-the text was written for the reader to enjoy. These are often fictional stories that cause some sort of emotion as the reader reads it. Students also learned that when the author's purpose is to entertain, they still often include a theme or message. Students learned about various themes last week (ex. friendship, honesty, perseverance, always be kind to others, working together, acceptance, responsibility, etc.)
As students are reading this week, it would be great for them to practice identifying the author's purpose. If the purpose is to entertain, they should also identify the theme or message.
Writing
Spelling
Spelling List: Unit 7 (al/all sound)
1. fall
2. wall
3. ball
4. small
5. tall
6. call
7. all
8. chalk
9. talk
10. walk
Review Words
11. am
12. bad
13. fast
Challenge Words
14. almost
15. crawl
16. crosswalk
Spelling List: Unit 8 (Consonant Blends)
1. flat
2. glass
3. plant
4. dress
5. front
6. bring
7. grass
8. glad
9. clap
10. class
11. broom
12. cluck
13. frog
Challenge Words
14. cliff
15. grand
16. platter
Upcoming Dates
10/28 Halloween Parade (1:30-2:30) and Halloween Party (2:30-3:30)
10/28 No Popcorn Sale
10/28 Reading Log Due
10/31 Troubadours Musical Group visit Hyatt (1:30-2:30)
11/2 Math Test (Unit 2: Addition)
11/4 Last day for Annual Coat Drive Donations
11/16 Delayed Start
11/8 Cranbrook Bat Visit
11/10 Picture Retakes (9:00-10:30)
11/18 Scholastic Book Orders Due
11/18 Our Popcorn Sale (1/2 the proceeds go to our classroom) If there are any parents from our room who are able to volunteer for this sale, it would be greatly appreciated!
11/24 and 11/25 No School
12/8 Follies