2nd Grade News
with Ms. Przedpelski
Symbaloo (At Home Resource)
Homeroom App
Another Week in 2nd Grade
We have had another awesome week together! We had our first trip to the media center, our first week using the iPads in our classroom, and we have had a very successful week overall academically! Please read through our newsletter for lots of important information this week.
As always, please email me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Ms. Przedpelski
Important Information and Reminders
1. NO HOMEWORK PACKET THIS WEEK:
Your child will NOT bring home a homework packet this week. Our pumpkin projects are due on Friday, so Ms. Minor and I decided to give you this week to work on these projects... please make sure your child is finishing this and doing a very nice job on the reflection and book report page that go with their pumpkin!
TESTING on THURSDAY!
Your child's spelling/vocab words will be in their agenda on Monday morning, and we will be testing THURSDAY this week due to our field trip. If you would like some extra practice for spelling/reading - please feel free to download the optional homework practice found on FSA Connect under our Reading course. This does not need to be completed or turned in, it is completely optional!
2. Hillcrest Orchards Field Trip is FRIDAY!
We will be going on our field trip this Friday, October 30th!
Please remember to pack your child with their regular lunch and 2 snacks. We will eat a morning snack and have lunch before we leave the school for our trip. We will provide students with 2 snacks while we are on our field trip, and we will eat a snack when we return from the field trip if there is time.
Your child should wear their RED polo shirt, jeans or comfortable pants, and comfortable shoes since we will be in a farm environment. Please also feel free to send your child with a jacket, it may be cold!
We will be leaving the orchard in enough time to return to school by 3:30. However, because this trip is a little ways away we may not return to school until after 3:30pm depending on traffic. If your child usually leaves at 3:30 carpool on Fridays please take this into consideration!
3. Pumpkin Projects:
Your child's pumpkin project is due on Friday! They should have picked a chapter book for this project. I can't wait to see the finished products on Friday morning!
Each class will have a pumpkin contest WINNER! They will receive a free dress down day! :)
4. Reading Logs/Reflections:
Remember.... usually students are required to read and complete 3 reflections. This month... your child's Pumpkin Book Report will count as one of their reading reflections. This report should be for their chapter book. They will only need to complete TWO reflections in class this month for the following:
- 1 Nonfiction Book
- 1 Book of Choice
Our Reading Logs/Reflections will be due on the last day of October (this Friday, October 30th). Please remember that your student should be reading at home every night! If your child reads all three of their books, I will make sure they complete their reflections in class by the end of the month... so please encourage your students to read at home!
5. Tutoring Days:
If your child has lower than an 80% in one of our classes or has a failing test score, they will be scheduled for tutoring. I will email you ahead of time to schedule a day for your child to stay for tutoring.
Each week tutoring will focus on a different subject. You child may be asked to stay for some weeks, and not other. You will be notified which weeks they will need to stay.
6. Prizes:
Students are beginning to fill up their signature sheets and go to the prize box!!!! This makes me one very happy teacher. PLEASE HELP US BY SENDING IN AWESOME PRIZES! We want the students to WANT to go... this helps maintain wonderful behavior! :)
We STILL need non-fiction books!
Our 2nd grade class is in need of non-fiction books! Many of you have expressed interest in helping out with this, but do not know where to start! Here is a link below to help give a better example of what we need!
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/category/national-geographic-readers-series
A giant thank you to Joshua Malcolm and his family for donating some AWESOME nonfiction books for our classroom library this week! :) We appreciate it!
Media Center and Accelerated Reader
This week we took our first trip as a class to our brand new completed library! :)
Your students were so excited to learn how to use our new library and how to find the right books when we visit the library. We will visit the library together as a class every Monday afternoon. Your child will be allowed to check out 2 books at a time. Once a book is returned, they will be able to check out a new one. One of the books they check out is a book of choice, the other book must be on their Accelerated Reader level. Your child has their AR level written on the back of their student ID to help them remember what level books are appropriate. These levels are based on your child's first MAP scores and will most likely increase as the year continues.
Usually, your child must score a passing grade on their AR quiz in order for their book to count on their monthly reading reflection log. I use these AR quizzes to help see that your child is reading and comprehending what they read. I would not want your child to write a reflection on a story they did not understand :)
It has taken a little longer than expected this month for our AR system to be up and running. This month's AR quizzes will be a trial for your students. They will be able to take quizzes on their books they have read during our class time when we have the iPads, or when we visit the Media Center to use the computers. The quiz grades will not count for their reading reflection project for this month. Instead, quizzes this month will help your students learn how to use AR and get familiar with the program before their quiz grade counts towards their reading reflections project.
Beginning in November, your child must score a passing grade on their AR quiz in order for a book to count for their monthly reading reflection log. These quizzes will only be taken in class. They will have 2 opportunities every week when we have the set of iPads in our classroom to take an AR quiz during class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
RED RIBBON WEEK IS NEXT WEEK
Red Ribbon Week®, the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the nation, is your opportunity to get the ongoing conversation started. This year’s theme is
Respect Yourself. Be Drug Free.®
We will be having activities during this week to remind, educate, and encourage our students that being healthy and drug free will help them reach their goals. There will be contests and special clothing days for the kids to enjoy. We will also have the school decked out to show our support and commitment to the Red Ribbon Campaign. Don't forget to come by during Red Ribbon Week and see all the art pieces the kids have done in the first floor hallway leading to the gym. The kids have also been discussing topics on health and wellness and how to be drug free during this month. We will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week on October 26-30. Here is the line-up for the week:
Monday - “Sock It To Drugs” - Wear your craziest socks and show them off
Tuesday - “We're Too Super To Do Drugs” - Wear a superhero cape or t-shirt
Wednesday - “We Support Red Ribbon Week” - Wear your red FSAPS shirt
Thursday - “We're Too BRIGHT For Drugs” - Wear your neon accessories (hats, belts, headbands, hair bows, ties, jewelry, etc), There will also be a drawing for a prize at the end of the day
Friday - “We Don't Horse Around With Drugs” - Wear your spirit wear shirts (Students in 1st-3rd grade must wear Red FSAPS polo because of field trip)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact skersey22@gmail.com
Shelley Kersey, PVO Secretary
Scholastic Flyers went home last week!
With Scholastic Reading Club:
- Every book you buy earns FREE books for our classroom library
- You can choose from handpicked, grade and reading level specific books for your child
- You'll find the best values in a variety of formats
Each month, your child will bring home Reading Club flyers. Together you can choose from books and order them online! This is not mandatory, so do not feel like you have to purchase any books. I want to encourage reading at home as well as in school, so this is simply a way for you to pick from great books for your child if you wish to purchase some of your own!
If you are interested.. take a look at the flyer I sent home last week:
- Visit scholastic.com/readingclub
- Enter the one-time class activation code on your flyer
- Shop for some great books
- Submit your order and earn FREE books for our classroom
- All book orders will be shipped to our classroom and I will send them home with your child when they arrive!
Home Visits
At FSAPS we do home visits. It is a wonderful opportunity for teachers and families to get to know one another. If you are interested in scheduling a home visit, please send an e-mail to our home visit coordinator, Mrs. Unal at junal@fultonscienceacademy.org and give us three available dates for your child's home visit program. We will get back to you and confirm a date. Depending on our teacher’s availability, at least two teachers will be together to visit our students and parents at their homes.
Important Dates to Remember:
October 23: Mothers' Night Out at FSA Cafeteria
October 24: Fathers Sport Night at FSA Gym
October 26-30: Red Ribbon Week
October 30: Hillcrest Orchards Field Trip 1-3 grade
October 30: Pumpkin Book Report and Reading Logs and Reflections DUE!
October 31: Fathers Sport Night at FSA Gym
November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break
December 1-4: Map Testing K-8
December 10: Fernbank Museum field trip (K-2) more info to come later!
December 13: Open House for Prospective Families
December 18: Last day of 1st Semester
Curriculum Corner
Reading/Language Arts:
We are continuing with Unit 2 of our Reading Street curriculum this week. We will be reading a story called The Bremen Town Musicians. This story is a drama/fairy tale about working together. Students will spend the week practicing reading with expression, practicing fact and opinion, and practicing cause and effect. We will also be focusing on plurals with -s, -es, and -ies. In writing, we will be putting the finishing touches on the final draft of our autobiographies. We have a busy week ahead of us!
Ms. P's Math Class:
Ms. P's class will be moving on to Chapter 5 - Multiplication! Your students are very excited about this. We will spend a bit of time on this chapter. We will slowly be moving into multiplying numbers. This week we will discuss 'groups of' numbers and work towards multiplying numbers. We will be using illustrations and manipulatives this week.
Ms. Minor's Math Class:
Ms. Minor's class is officially beginning multiplication! This week, students will be practice representing multiplication problems using manipulatives and illustrations representing "groups of" and "how many in each". We are all very excited! Get ready to hear some multiplication songs at home!
Science:
This week we will be jumping ahead to Chapter 7. We want to save our plants and animals study for the spring time when we will be able to observe plant and animal life cycles! In this chapter we will be learning all about this weather. This week we will begin by focusing on the water cycle.
Social Studies:
We will continue to work on reading maps this week during our Social Studies lessons. This week we will be practicing reading a variety of maps. We might also go on a hunt around the school to find something exciting (if we can follow our Map and directions!)
Character Education: This week we will continue to practice and work together on focusing attention and learning different and specific ways to be good listeners. A big part of this Character Education topic will be practicing listening and following directions. This is a great skill for us to work on for 2nd grade! We will also be discussing empathy and writing letters to service men and women of our country.
Ms. Corinne Przedpelski
Email: cprzedpelski@fultonscienceacademy.org
Website: www.fultonscienceacademy.org
Location: 3035 Fanfare Way, Alpharetta, GA, United States
Phone: (678) 366-2555