News from Mrs. Drudy's Class
"We exist so children can excel."
The Week at a Glance
Weekly Concept: Families Around the World
Essential Question: How are families around the world the same and different?
Next week our class will be focusing on families around the world. We will look at how families in different places have many things in common.
Spelling List: short e, o, u
Next week's spelling words have a focus on the short e, short o, and short u medial sound. I was very impressed by how many students were able to pass all of the words during the Wednesday pretest last week. That tells me students are studying at home. Thank you for making your child's education a priority in your home. Don't forget Spelling City as a fun way for your child to practice these spelling patterns. Click here for the upcoming week's words. Remember to click Grade 2 Unit 1 Week 2.
Phonics Words
1. went
2. tell
3. pet
4. job
5. fog
6. not
7. tug
8. hut
9. tub
10. bun
11. fix
12. has
13. one
14. or
15. see
Challenge Words:
16. telling
17. tugged
18. bathtub
Where Are the Worksheets?
If you are searching your child's backpacks for worksheets, then I must tell you this: There aren't many at all. We are busy, busy, busy learning the way brain research tells us the human body learns: through doing. This great quote sums it up: "If they can do the worksheet, they don't need it. If they can’t, it won't help them." (Marilyn Adams)
Please understand that the lack of worksheets is a good thing. Instead, your child has been actively engaged in hands on learning experiences that are driven by the Indiana Academic Standards. Surely you've witnessed how exhausted your child is at the end of every day. Most certainly his/her teacher is!!!!
Box Tops for Education
Our school is able to offer many additional experiences to our student body due to your participation in the Box Tops for Education program. You would be amazed by just how much funding is raised simply by submitting these Box Tops. No more clipping, though! No more sending Box Tops to school! All you need is your phone. Download the ALL-NEW Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit your school's Box Tops earnings online.
Twice a year, our school will receive a check and can use that cash to buy whatever it needs! How easy is that? For more information click here.
Library
Your child brought home a library book on Wednesday and is permitted to borrow the book for one week. Of course, if (s)he is in need of a renewal, Mrs. Grissom will gladly do that for him/her. I am really hoping all students will demonstrate the LifeSkill of responsibility and get those books back in each week. Please understand that, if a book becomes lost or damaged beyond repair, it is the family's responsibility to pay for the book.
Math: Addition and Subtraction Strategies
In math we are learning various strategies to help us become fluent with our math facts. One such strategy is number bonds. Number bonds help students see that numbers can be “broken” into pieces to make computation easier. With number bonds, students recognize the relationships between numbers through a written model that shows how the numbers are related. Be sure to check out some of the photos below of our human number bonds. We are taking advantage of this beautiful weather and using our body smarts to understand math in a better way. With this fun activity we are meeting the following Indiana Academic Math Standard:
- "Solve real-world problems involving addition and subtraction within 100 in situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all parts of the addition or subtraction problem (e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem). Use estimation to decide whether answers are reasonable in addition problems."
For a comprehensive listing of all of the academic standards that your child will be learning this year please click here. The Indiana Department of Education is a wonderful resource for understanding those things children are learning in their schools.
Mastering the Math Facts
As most of you already know, LES has an incentive program that awards students a license plate upon mastering the math facts expectation for their particular grade level. For second grade, it is expected that students be able to effectively answer 50 addition, subtraction, and mixed ( + and -) within a 2 1/2 minute window. Can you believe that two of our students passed the addition portion on the first try?!?!?!?! We practice every day, but for most students this simply is not enough. We need your help at home. Please see that your student is practicing these facts on a regular basis until they are mastered. For a fun website for practicing these facts click here.
Anti-Bullying Education
Our school system is committed to providing a safe place in which to learn. Bullying may affect a student physically, mentally, or emotionally, and create an unsafe, uncaring environment in which to learn. I am very intentional about helping students to understand this. As a result, we've read several books, watched short video clips, and have even conducted a readers theatre on the topic. We are in the midst of a timeless classic chapter book, The Hundred Dresses, which is an excellent teaching tool to use when discussing how we should treat those that may be different from us. Be sure to ask your child about the main characters Wanda, Peggy, and Maddie.
Next Week's Share Topic:
Summer Fun: Tell about some of the things you did this summer. You can use pictures, make a book, etc.
It is critical that students take responsibility for their weekly share topics. There are many academic standards that are focused on speaking and listening in second grade, and these oral presentations are a great way to address them. Remember, it is best for students to bring along some type of "prop" that will make their presentations more interesting to their audience. Thank you for helping your child remember this weekly homework before his or her share day.
The Corner Market
The Corner Market will be open on September 11th from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. at Union County High School. This community food pantry is open to all students in our school corporation K-12 and their immediate household. There are no financial requirements and everyone is welcome. Please bring and ID. One visit per family. Please enter through Door 21. Should you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Brannon or. Cindy Toschlog at 458-5136
Coming Up