I had a very exciting weekend! I was able to go to my first Bears game today! Even though we did not win, it was such a fun day! I hope you all had some fun this weekend as well!
Reading: We read a wonderful story 'The Patchwork Quilt' last week. This story prompted such wonderful conversations all week. As a class we continued to discuss generations and how maybe our grandparents would create a quilt, whereas our generation may just go to the store and buy a quilt. Is either way better? The class also had a great discussion about how quilts tell stories. Last week our focus was learning different genres. We reviewed fantasy as well as the elements of realistic fiction.
Math: We are coming to an end in Unit 4. We continue to work on addition strategies as well as estimating. As a reminder- sometimes estimating is appropriate and students should know how to estimate as well as find an exact answer. If your second grader is ever stuck with estimation please try to help them change one or both numbers to a close but easier to add by. Our rule in class is to change one of the addends to a number that we can count to and reach by 10s.
Social Studies: Everyone has been thrilled to see Social Studies on our schedule. We will be continuing to learn map skills and talk about 'us on the map', our place.
Writing: We learned about quotation marks last week, "Hooray"! We have been turning our fantastic interview with Mrs. Crowley into a quilt. We are making strong connections between reading and writing this week. Each quilt square has included on it the question asked by someone in class with the answer and an illustration. We will be finishing these and creating our quilt next week.
Upcoming Events:
Friday: "Traveling Towards Good Behavior" Party
-Wear your PJ's
- Bring a blanket for our movie
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
For Friday the 14th!
Let's end the week in a fun way!
Wear your PJs to school tomorrow and celebrate a packed week of learning coming to an end!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
December is Here!
Time has really been flying fast! I cannot believe that it is already December! I am excitedly waiting our first snow. I love winter activities! Go onto the blog and tell me about your favorite winter activities!
In Reading...
We are continuing to focus on story elements. We are using the story elements setting, characters, plot events to summarize a story we have read. Last week we also started specifically learning different genres. We no longer say a book is Fiction or Non-Fiction, we are learning the categories that fit under those umbrella terms. We read 'The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down' and discussed what categorizes this story as a fantasy story. All of the second graders are filling out genre snowballs to practice identifying the genre of books they are reading independently.
In Math...
Unit 4 is moving along at a steady pace. Last week we learned estimation and this will loop around later in the unit as well. As a class we discussed that in some situations an exact answer is not necessary. We played a shopping activity to practice this skill. If you only had $100 to spend could you buy an ipod touch for $75 and a CD from itunes for $12?
In Writing...
Our biography interview with Mrs. Crowley went so well. I am so proud of all of our reporters. Everyone asked great questions! Each 'ingredient' group worked in such a focused way and was so excited to be creating these questions. Mrs. Crowley was so impressed with our class and how respectful everyone acted. The Irish jig that she taught us was great fun as well! Her Irish step dancing lessons really showed. :)
In Science...
Our Life Cycles unit is a full year unit. Last week while talking about interviews and biographies, we had an interesting science lesson about generations. We created three generation timelines and discussed the different stages of life.
We have 2 packed weeks of learning left before Winter Break! Keep working hard everyone!
In Reading...
We are continuing to focus on story elements. We are using the story elements setting, characters, plot events to summarize a story we have read. Last week we also started specifically learning different genres. We no longer say a book is Fiction or Non-Fiction, we are learning the categories that fit under those umbrella terms. We read 'The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down' and discussed what categorizes this story as a fantasy story. All of the second graders are filling out genre snowballs to practice identifying the genre of books they are reading independently.
In Math...
Unit 4 is moving along at a steady pace. Last week we learned estimation and this will loop around later in the unit as well. As a class we discussed that in some situations an exact answer is not necessary. We played a shopping activity to practice this skill. If you only had $100 to spend could you buy an ipod touch for $75 and a CD from itunes for $12?
In Writing...
Our biography interview with Mrs. Crowley went so well. I am so proud of all of our reporters. Everyone asked great questions! Each 'ingredient' group worked in such a focused way and was so excited to be creating these questions. Mrs. Crowley was so impressed with our class and how respectful everyone acted. The Irish jig that she taught us was great fun as well! Her Irish step dancing lessons really showed. :)
In Science...
Our Life Cycles unit is a full year unit. Last week while talking about interviews and biographies, we had an interesting science lesson about generations. We created three generation timelines and discussed the different stages of life.
We have 2 packed weeks of learning left before Winter Break! Keep working hard everyone!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Fun with Google Earth!
Yesterday afternoon we had a chance to play around with Google Earth as an engaging way to jump start our new Social Studies-Geography unit!
The kids seemed to really love how the program zooms in from North America (our continent), to Illinois (our state), and further into Arlington Heights (our city). We will be continuing to look at 'our place on a map' throughout this week.
I encourage you to download Google Earth at home and explore some of your favorite places on the map.
Happy Travels!
Click Here----> Google Earth
The kids seemed to really love how the program zooms in from North America (our continent), to Illinois (our state), and further into Arlington Heights (our city). We will be continuing to look at 'our place on a map' throughout this week.
I encourage you to download Google Earth at home and explore some of your favorite places on the map.
Happy Travels!
Click Here----> Google Earth
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Looking Back!
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! The weather was wonderful and I enjoyed walking around my neighborhood!
I want to take a special moment to thank everyone for how great everyone has been with our two new students! It has been so helpful that I can count on everyone to be so kind and responsible.
Last Week In....
Reading- We read Strega Nona last week and focused on learning story elements. The class continued to discuss the connections between reading and writing. Everyone had good ideas about how learning story elements could help our writing get stronger. We also learned and talked about the Theme of a story. The theme is the lesson the main character learns for the events in the story or it can be a lesson the author wants the reader to gain by reading the book. While reading with your second grader at home, ask them what they think the theme or lesson of their book is.
Math- We continue to work through Unit 4. This week we will be starting to learn some problem solving strategies and continue to practice explain the multiple ways someone can solve a math problem. Last week students learned estimation and how in some situations it is appropriate to use a well thought out guess and an exact answer is not needed. We practiced this skill through shopping activities.
Writing- Hip Hip Hooray!! We voted and we will be interviewing Mrs. Crowley for our class biography. Students have been working hard on generating interview questions based on our
7 Biography ingredients. Everyone is very excited! In the LMC we also begin to research a famous person to gather information to construct a short biography.
-Birth/Childhood
-Education/Career
-Adulthood/Family
-Interesting Facts
-Interests/Hobbies
-Accomplishments
-Death
Next week we will begin some Geography lessons. This is always a fun, meaningful unit because students begin to learn where they live in the world.
Keep focused everyone! You are all doing great!
I want to take a special moment to thank everyone for how great everyone has been with our two new students! It has been so helpful that I can count on everyone to be so kind and responsible.
Last Week In....
Reading- We read Strega Nona last week and focused on learning story elements. The class continued to discuss the connections between reading and writing. Everyone had good ideas about how learning story elements could help our writing get stronger. We also learned and talked about the Theme of a story. The theme is the lesson the main character learns for the events in the story or it can be a lesson the author wants the reader to gain by reading the book. While reading with your second grader at home, ask them what they think the theme or lesson of their book is.
Math- We continue to work through Unit 4. This week we will be starting to learn some problem solving strategies and continue to practice explain the multiple ways someone can solve a math problem. Last week students learned estimation and how in some situations it is appropriate to use a well thought out guess and an exact answer is not needed. We practiced this skill through shopping activities.
Writing- Hip Hip Hooray!! We voted and we will be interviewing Mrs. Crowley for our class biography. Students have been working hard on generating interview questions based on our
7 Biography ingredients. Everyone is very excited! In the LMC we also begin to research a famous person to gather information to construct a short biography.
-Birth/Childhood
-Education/Career
-Adulthood/Family
-Interesting Facts
-Interests/Hobbies
-Accomplishments
-Death
Next week we will begin some Geography lessons. This is always a fun, meaningful unit because students begin to learn where they live in the world.
Keep focused everyone! You are all doing great!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
And We're Back!
Everyone is back in the swing of school after what seems like many fabulous breaks! We have been sharing stories and exciting events that happened while we were away!
So much learning has taken place in this room since the last blog posting. We have finished our Poetry Unit and I believe have created some true poets in the process. I encourage everyone to continue to use 'Work on Writing' time to keep creating poems. Working through poetry has sparked a great interest in this class about word choice. We have been learning many new vocabulary words and are using many of our new words frequently in our daily language as well as in our writing. Beyond our reading vocabulary, I think poetry helped everyone to expand their vocabulary by choosing 'spicy' or descriptive words for their own writing pieces. I am proud of the writers I am seeing come together.
We will continue to learn and use new vocabulary. Many students have become vocabulary detectives and love finding our words in their reading books and sharing those sentences with the class. Keep it up!
In reading, we are continuing to look as how a story is written. We have discussed the different story elements that make up a good story. We will be using these story elements to help organize our writing as well.
In math, we have started Unit 4.The unit is titled: 'Addition and Subtraction". Our first lesson is about Change-to-Whole number stories. We will be looking at problems where we start with a quantity and that starting value changes by adding more to it. The language can be tricky with these problems so we will take some time to discuss what the question is asking us to do and how do we know that.
In other exciting news- we had a new students join our classroom! :) Her name is Haley and she comes to us from Riley Elementary School not to far away. We are so happy to have her in class and we know she will be a great addition to an already fantastic class!!
We will return to our 'Weekly Look Backs' this coming Sunday so be looking forward to those returning!
So much learning has taken place in this room since the last blog posting. We have finished our Poetry Unit and I believe have created some true poets in the process. I encourage everyone to continue to use 'Work on Writing' time to keep creating poems. Working through poetry has sparked a great interest in this class about word choice. We have been learning many new vocabulary words and are using many of our new words frequently in our daily language as well as in our writing. Beyond our reading vocabulary, I think poetry helped everyone to expand their vocabulary by choosing 'spicy' or descriptive words for their own writing pieces. I am proud of the writers I am seeing come together.
We will continue to learn and use new vocabulary. Many students have become vocabulary detectives and love finding our words in their reading books and sharing those sentences with the class. Keep it up!
In reading, we are continuing to look as how a story is written. We have discussed the different story elements that make up a good story. We will be using these story elements to help organize our writing as well.
In math, we have started Unit 4.The unit is titled: 'Addition and Subtraction". Our first lesson is about Change-to-Whole number stories. We will be looking at problems where we start with a quantity and that starting value changes by adding more to it. The language can be tricky with these problems so we will take some time to discuss what the question is asking us to do and how do we know that.
In other exciting news- we had a new students join our classroom! :) Her name is Haley and she comes to us from Riley Elementary School not to far away. We are so happy to have her in class and we know she will be a great addition to an already fantastic class!!
We will return to our 'Weekly Look Backs' this coming Sunday so be looking forward to those returning!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Oct. 30th in Writing
Today in writing, we learned and practiced creating Cinquain poems. A Cinquain poem has a special pattern. To write this type of poem we needed to review some key parts of grammar- nouns and adjectives. The following School House Rock videos were a fun, quick way to start our review of these important pieces of grammar. Everyone did a wonderful job writing their first Cinquain poem today; I cannot wait to see what comes next!
Enjoy!
Click Here--------> School House Rock!: Nouns Song
Click Here--------> School House Rock!: Unpacking Adjectives
Enjoy!
Click Here--------> School House Rock!: Nouns Song
Click Here--------> School House Rock!: Unpacking Adjectives
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Looking Back
I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! While the Illini lost :( the beautiful Fall weather and colors made for a fun weekend anyway! I am excited for our short week ahead we have a lot to pack in and I know we will have a great week!
Reading- We continued practicing how to make mental images while reading. The students were even able to use this strategy during our read aloud, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We will continue to discuss mental images and how one image can change as we read more in a story.In addition to practicing our mental images, we have also been working on making different connections while reading. We have practiced making text-to-self connections between our books and things we have experienced in our own lives. We have also started text-to-text connections where we connect two different texts we've read to help us understand our books better.
Spelling- We continue to use Words Their Way which is a phonics based curriculum. On Mondays we begin to sort and practice the spelling pattern of their given words. Learning phonics patterns will help with decoding more difficult words. Overall, it seems that our beginning weeks have gone well, please let me know if concerns arise. The spelling routine will remain the same, with the spelling checklist every week and a test on Friday. In class we also have a routine where students are doing similar activities each week and everyday to reenforce the word patterns.
Math- This week we began Unit 2. The focus of this unit is on addition and subtraction facts. We talked about number stories, and the kids did a wonderful job creating their own and sharing them with the class. We then moved into learning patterns and short-cuts that can help while adding. One of the tools we focused on was a fact table.
Everyone is doing a great job with Rocket Math! Our routine is now set up and the kids have done nicely with our beginning of the year rule changes. Keep making and reaching those goals!
Math tests will go home by Tuesday with the unit homework attached! :)
Science: We continue to learn about Rocks and Life Cycles. This past week we sorted the rocks that everyone hunted for by rock properties (shape, texture, color, weight, size). We are all really excited about taking this geologist job on and everyone is enthusiastic to learn more about how rocks are formed throughout next week.
This week we also went back outside to observe our class tree. Our tree is turning into beautiful colors. This week we measured the circumference of the tree trunk and made predictions as to how much the trunk will grow when we measure it in the spring again.
Looking Ahead:
-There is no school Friday
-There will be no school Monday: Columbus Day!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
LMC Today!
Good Afternoon Second Graders,
This afternoon in the LMC we are going to be learning some very important skills on the computer.
Go home tonight and teach someone at home how to log into BookFlix. After logging in- read someone a story or listen to a story of your choice. Make sure to record your reading on your reading log.
Happy computering!
:)
Miss Rosenthal
This afternoon in the LMC we are going to be learning some very important skills on the computer.
Go home tonight and teach someone at home how to log into BookFlix. After logging in- read someone a story or listen to a story of your choice. Make sure to record your reading on your reading log.
Happy computering!
:)
Miss Rosenthal
Monday, September 17, 2012
September 17th-21st
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
Spelling is here! :) I know there will be a learning curve because this different and there will be routines to get into so please feel free to email with any questions. The answer documents will come home Tuesday afternoon in backpack mail to help with the rest of the weeks home assignments.
Please make sure you help your second grader check off the homework as you complete it together. Then Thursday night sign the bottom sheet to be returned for the test on Friday.
More to come for our exciting week ahead!
Spelling is here! :) I know there will be a learning curve because this different and there will be routines to get into so please feel free to email with any questions. The answer documents will come home Tuesday afternoon in backpack mail to help with the rest of the weeks home assignments.
Please make sure you help your second grader check off the homework as you complete it together. Then Thursday night sign the bottom sheet to be returned for the test on Friday.
More to come for our exciting week ahead!
Monday, September 10, 2012
September 10th-14th
Everyone's smiles were shining today for picture day!
We came back from the weekend really ready to learn. We had a packed day and it went really well. As a class we set a goal for ourselves to work on our transitions. When we move from activity to activity or subject to subject, that is a transition. As a team we decided we wanted this part of our day to go quicker and quieter. Everyone has been working really hard to improve in this area. I have seen great improvement already! Keep it up!
Looking further into the week:
Reading: This week we will continue to work on the reading strategies we were introduced to last week- 'Check for Undestanding' and "Backup and Re-Read'. When we stop and 'Check for Understand' every four pages or so, we ask ourselves WHO and WHAT is happening in the story. We are learning that is we do not understand a part of the book we should not read on. Instead we have been practicing how to back up a page or two and re-read from that point to see if the story becomes more clear.
Along with these two important strategies we continue to practice our first Daily Five activity 'Read to Self'. This week we will also add 'Work on Writing' and 'Word Work'.
Math: We are continuing to review past material. Today we looked at number grids, explored number patterns and talked about what it looks like to work in small groups. We will continue to play money games as well as addition games to strengthen some of our basic math skills.
Writing: We are finishing up with our Friendly Letter writing unit and moving into some poetry this week. Today we read a silly poem from one of my favorite poets- Shel Silverstein.
Science: At the end of last week we began our science unit. Our first unit has the kids learning about life cycles. We will be looking at Plants, Trees, and Family through generations. On Thursday of last week the students worked in groups to create a question they wanted to answer (ie: will crayons color if they are dipped in water first). After formulating a question, it was up to the group to design an experiment they think would get them the results they were looking for.
This was such a great opportunity to see the students problem solve and work as a team- it was very impressive!
*** Spelling will begin this week!*** There will be more information to come about how spelling program works and the spelling homework assignments.
Thank you!
We came back from the weekend really ready to learn. We had a packed day and it went really well. As a class we set a goal for ourselves to work on our transitions. When we move from activity to activity or subject to subject, that is a transition. As a team we decided we wanted this part of our day to go quicker and quieter. Everyone has been working really hard to improve in this area. I have seen great improvement already! Keep it up!
Looking further into the week:
Reading: This week we will continue to work on the reading strategies we were introduced to last week- 'Check for Undestanding' and "Backup and Re-Read'. When we stop and 'Check for Understand' every four pages or so, we ask ourselves WHO and WHAT is happening in the story. We are learning that is we do not understand a part of the book we should not read on. Instead we have been practicing how to back up a page or two and re-read from that point to see if the story becomes more clear.
Along with these two important strategies we continue to practice our first Daily Five activity 'Read to Self'. This week we will also add 'Work on Writing' and 'Word Work'.
Math: We are continuing to review past material. Today we looked at number grids, explored number patterns and talked about what it looks like to work in small groups. We will continue to play money games as well as addition games to strengthen some of our basic math skills.
Writing: We are finishing up with our Friendly Letter writing unit and moving into some poetry this week. Today we read a silly poem from one of my favorite poets- Shel Silverstein.
Science: At the end of last week we began our science unit. Our first unit has the kids learning about life cycles. We will be looking at Plants, Trees, and Family through generations. On Thursday of last week the students worked in groups to create a question they wanted to answer (ie: will crayons color if they are dipped in water first). After formulating a question, it was up to the group to design an experiment they think would get them the results they were looking for.
This was such a great opportunity to see the students problem solve and work as a team- it was very impressive!
*** Spelling will begin this week!*** There will be more information to come about how spelling program works and the spelling homework assignments.
Thank you!
Monday, September 3, 2012
Weekly Update September 2nd-5th
I hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend!
Our first full week together went wonderfully! There is always quite a lot to pack into those first days and we have accomplished a great amount! We will continue to work on our classroom routines throughout this short week as well.
This week in...
Reading- We will continue to build our stamina by practicing 'Reading to Self', the first of our Daily Five activities. Tomorrow we will model what 'Reading to Self' looks like, sounds like and feels like. Through the rest of the week we will add the second Daily Five activity, 'Work on Writing'. Our class is filled with really excited readers and writers. It was actually wonderful to hear all the moans and groans when I had to call our time to stop reading. This is a great sign that we have second graders who already are able to sustain their reading for longer times.
Continue working on your READ-O game boards. As a reminder, those are not due until the first day of school in October- October 1st. Please make sure you are signing or putting your initials into the box that your student completes.
Math- We continue to work our way through Unit One. So far we have reviewed calendar math, number lines, skip counting and patterns, as well as time and money. If you have not please be sure to send your second grader with their money bag for future lessons throughout the year. Thank you!
We also continue Rocket Math. We had a needed 'rule change' last week. Each time your student takes the Rocket Math test for a minute they have a goal to try and reach. This goal comes from their previous Rocket Math try. For example, say yesterday I took test B and completed 32 problems correctly- today when I attempt B for the second time my goal is 32 problems correct. If I am able to get 32 problems or more- I move onto C the next time we do Rocket Math.
At home please make sure your student practices the top for 3 minutes and takes the test (the portion on the bottom) only for one minute.
Writing- We will continue our Friendly Letter Writing unit. The kids last week loved starting to write letters. This week they will have an opportunity to write anyone in school or to anyone at home. We will also write a letter to our class Desk Fairy. The Desk Fairy comes to our room at random times throughout the year to check in and make sure we are keeping our desks clean and tidy. If she feels that you have done a nice job keeping your work space tidy, she will leave a ticket. If a student collects 5 tickets, they can trade them in for a prize.
Other Reminders:
- Please make sure you send your Second Grader with their reading log tomorrow.
- Please make sure you send your Second Grader with their Behavior Reflection form tomorrow, signed.
It is a shorter week, but we have a lot to do! We will continue to get to know each other through some more summer fun activities! I know it will be a busy week, but I also know we will have a great week!
Our first full week together went wonderfully! There is always quite a lot to pack into those first days and we have accomplished a great amount! We will continue to work on our classroom routines throughout this short week as well.
This week in...
Reading- We will continue to build our stamina by practicing 'Reading to Self', the first of our Daily Five activities. Tomorrow we will model what 'Reading to Self' looks like, sounds like and feels like. Through the rest of the week we will add the second Daily Five activity, 'Work on Writing'. Our class is filled with really excited readers and writers. It was actually wonderful to hear all the moans and groans when I had to call our time to stop reading. This is a great sign that we have second graders who already are able to sustain their reading for longer times.
Continue working on your READ-O game boards. As a reminder, those are not due until the first day of school in October- October 1st. Please make sure you are signing or putting your initials into the box that your student completes.
Math- We continue to work our way through Unit One. So far we have reviewed calendar math, number lines, skip counting and patterns, as well as time and money. If you have not please be sure to send your second grader with their money bag for future lessons throughout the year. Thank you!
We also continue Rocket Math. We had a needed 'rule change' last week. Each time your student takes the Rocket Math test for a minute they have a goal to try and reach. This goal comes from their previous Rocket Math try. For example, say yesterday I took test B and completed 32 problems correctly- today when I attempt B for the second time my goal is 32 problems correct. If I am able to get 32 problems or more- I move onto C the next time we do Rocket Math.
At home please make sure your student practices the top for 3 minutes and takes the test (the portion on the bottom) only for one minute.
Writing- We will continue our Friendly Letter Writing unit. The kids last week loved starting to write letters. This week they will have an opportunity to write anyone in school or to anyone at home. We will also write a letter to our class Desk Fairy. The Desk Fairy comes to our room at random times throughout the year to check in and make sure we are keeping our desks clean and tidy. If she feels that you have done a nice job keeping your work space tidy, she will leave a ticket. If a student collects 5 tickets, they can trade them in for a prize.
Other Reminders:
- Please make sure you send your Second Grader with their reading log tomorrow.
- Please make sure you send your Second Grader with their Behavior Reflection form tomorrow, signed.
It is a shorter week, but we have a lot to do! We will continue to get to know each other through some more summer fun activities! I know it will be a busy week, but I also know we will have a great week!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Announcements for the new year!
We have had a wonderful start to our new school year! We are int he middle of learning all of our new routines and I would say we are running pretty smoothly already! I am so excited to have all of you in my class! I know we are going to learn a lot together and have great fun while doing so!
I have been so impressed to see such strong team work so early on in the year. We have many new things to experience as Second Graders! One of those new experiences are our lockers. Everyone is doing a fantastic job taking turns and getting what they need from their locker first thing in the morning. Keep it up!
Our first reading log went home today so I wanted to send a virtual reminder (although daily reminders will be given in class and written on our assignment sheet). I would love to see you all read everyday but to practice getting back into the school spirit, I ask you read at least 5 days a week- 15 minutes per day. Please be sure to record what you're reading onto your log. Your reading log is always due back the Monday after it is given. This first log is due back to school on September 4th because of the Labor Day weekend.
Along with the reading log, a game called READ-O came home in backpack mail today. I have changed the instructions just slightly and will go over this change tomorrow. But for a prize students should complete all the boxes on the game board. Everyone has the rest of August and all of September to complete the boxes. A box is marked off with a parent signature after it is completed.
Keep an eye out for more updates! I am so enjoying all of the letters everyone is sending in about their second grader. Please keep those coming, I am learning a lot about what great people we have on our team this year!
Thank you!
I have been so impressed to see such strong team work so early on in the year. We have many new things to experience as Second Graders! One of those new experiences are our lockers. Everyone is doing a fantastic job taking turns and getting what they need from their locker first thing in the morning. Keep it up!
Our first reading log went home today so I wanted to send a virtual reminder (although daily reminders will be given in class and written on our assignment sheet). I would love to see you all read everyday but to practice getting back into the school spirit, I ask you read at least 5 days a week- 15 minutes per day. Please be sure to record what you're reading onto your log. Your reading log is always due back the Monday after it is given. This first log is due back to school on September 4th because of the Labor Day weekend.
Along with the reading log, a game called READ-O came home in backpack mail today. I have changed the instructions just slightly and will go over this change tomorrow. But for a prize students should complete all the boxes on the game board. Everyone has the rest of August and all of September to complete the boxes. A box is marked off with a parent signature after it is completed.
Keep an eye out for more updates! I am so enjoying all of the letters everyone is sending in about their second grader. Please keep those coming, I am learning a lot about what great people we have on our team this year!
Thank you!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
It is almost our last day together! And almost your last day of being a Second Grader!
This year has truly been a joy! I have had so much fun teaching all of you!
Tomorrow the Room Mother's have gracious bought us an end of the year treat- Oreos- so we can end our year on a sweet note!
Please let me know if you'd rather your second grader have another snack!
Thank you! See you in the morning!
This year has truly been a joy! I have had so much fun teaching all of you!
Tomorrow the Room Mother's have gracious bought us an end of the year treat- Oreos- so we can end our year on a sweet note!
Please let me know if you'd rather your second grader have another snack!
Thank you! See you in the morning!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Camelot Picnic!!
I hope everyone is just as excited as I am to go on our picnic tomorrow!
** You can bring almost any sporting equipment that you want. Know though that it is at your own risk. As a second grader you are responsible for keeping track of your gear - to and from the park.
I am still going to ask that you keep any hard baseball bats and/or baseballs at home!
It should be a sunny cool day! Get ready to have some fun!
** You can bring almost any sporting equipment that you want. Know though that it is at your own risk. As a second grader you are responsible for keeping track of your gear - to and from the park.
I am still going to ask that you keep any hard baseball bats and/or baseballs at home!
It should be a sunny cool day! Get ready to have some fun!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Come Readers One and All
The fifth graders are hosting a used book sale tomorrow and Wednesday in the commons. Our class will be going down as a group on Wednesday afternoon.
Books will be between $0.50 and $1.00
The fifth graders are working to raise money to go towards their annual trip to Camp Edwards. So feel free to bring any change you find under your couch cushions to purchase some gently used books on Wednesday.
Books will be between $0.50 and $1.00
The fifth graders are working to raise money to go towards their annual trip to Camp Edwards. So feel free to bring any change you find under your couch cushions to purchase some gently used books on Wednesday.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
We are Back!!
The end is so quickly approaching! We in class 152 are working very hard until the end and enjoying ourselves greatly as we go!
On Friday we were greeted by one of our painted lady butterflies. We are looking forward to the rest of our chrysalises to hatch. Last week we read a couple books about butterflies- the kids loved the books particularly 'Clara Caterpillar'. We had a great time finding all the spicy 'c' words the author used to describe the different characters.
In reading last week we worked on synthesizing and began to learn how questioning helps us become stronger readers. We read 'The Stranger' by Chris Van Allsburg and the kids did a fantastic job recording their questions before and during their reading. This book prompted some interesting discussion.
In Math, we continue to work with money. The class took a special interest in discussing prices from the past compared to prices of the same items currently. The ideas brought up were thoughtful and rather advanced. We will continue to work with money, creating change and working with decimals.
Ms. Jessi will come join our class one more time this week to continue our Metropolis lessons. The performance is fast approaching on May 23rd.
On Friday we were greeted by one of our painted lady butterflies. We are looking forward to the rest of our chrysalises to hatch. Last week we read a couple books about butterflies- the kids loved the books particularly 'Clara Caterpillar'. We had a great time finding all the spicy 'c' words the author used to describe the different characters.
In reading last week we worked on synthesizing and began to learn how questioning helps us become stronger readers. We read 'The Stranger' by Chris Van Allsburg and the kids did a fantastic job recording their questions before and during their reading. This book prompted some interesting discussion.
In Math, we continue to work with money. The class took a special interest in discussing prices from the past compared to prices of the same items currently. The ideas brought up were thoughtful and rather advanced. We will continue to work with money, creating change and working with decimals.
Ms. Jessi will come join our class one more time this week to continue our Metropolis lessons. The performance is fast approaching on May 23rd.
In Other News:
Ivy Hill’s Student Council will be opening the first Ivy Hill School store Wednesday, May 9th during lunch. Students will be able to purchase items (school supplies & other small items) ranging in price from $0.10 to $2.50. The store will be open in the Commons each day during both lunch periods from May 9th-16th.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Happy Tuesday Evening!!
I just now realized that I did not send a paper copy of the 6 inch or 15cm ruler home to help with the homework.
For this reason HL 9.3 will not be due in class until Thursday. The paper rulers will come home tomorrow- so hold off on completing the math homework tonight, or if you have done it- check it over with your paper rulers tomorrow evening.
I apologize for the confusion!
I just now realized that I did not send a paper copy of the 6 inch or 15cm ruler home to help with the homework.
For this reason HL 9.3 will not be due in class until Thursday. The paper rulers will come home tomorrow- so hold off on completing the math homework tonight, or if you have done it- check it over with your paper rulers tomorrow evening.
I apologize for the confusion!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Weekly Update for Feb. 27th-March 2nd
Our first full week in a little while felt great! The week started off on such a wonderful note. We added a new member to Team 152, Raj. Raj joins us from Denver and shared with us that he has also lived in England and India, we can not wait to hear more about his adventures. Everyone is so excited that you came to Ivy Hill!
Last week...
In reading, we read a story called 'Montezuma's Revenge'. This story was about a dog who was sad that his owners left him at home while they were on vacation to the beach. Montezuma had a plan that he thought would make his owners appreciate him more. Ask your second grader how this story ended. We focused in on our different story element pieces (character, setting, problem and solution). The guided reading groups have also been focusing on these pieces with their own books.Towards the middle of the week many students had their All About Book complete, so I challenged them to create a story map first then write the story to see how their writing becomes more organized after thinking the elements through first. Next week we will focus on the skills of identifying cause and effect relationships, as well as learning the difference between facts and opinions.
In writing, we finished our all about books, hooray! They all look wonderful and will be a great addition to our classroom library. I know I cannot wait to learn about all of the topics that were chosen. We have some real budding authors in our classroom. Nice work!
In math, we are nearing the end of unit 7. This week we learned about frequency tables, as well as how to take a closer look at data. From a list of heights, for example, we learned what the maximum and minimum numbers mean. We also learned how to find the median number or middle number in a data set. We will have our test on Tuesday of this coming week with a review day on Monday,
Our second grade UBD project is moving right along. We have sorted all three topics facts and ranked them in order of importance to help our incoming students. The class is now starting to research and think about what happens in the United States and how their countries facts are similar or different to what happens here.
Stay tuned for more classroom news! I know we will continue our hard work!
Last week...
In reading, we read a story called 'Montezuma's Revenge'. This story was about a dog who was sad that his owners left him at home while they were on vacation to the beach. Montezuma had a plan that he thought would make his owners appreciate him more. Ask your second grader how this story ended. We focused in on our different story element pieces (character, setting, problem and solution). The guided reading groups have also been focusing on these pieces with their own books.Towards the middle of the week many students had their All About Book complete, so I challenged them to create a story map first then write the story to see how their writing becomes more organized after thinking the elements through first. Next week we will focus on the skills of identifying cause and effect relationships, as well as learning the difference between facts and opinions.
In writing, we finished our all about books, hooray! They all look wonderful and will be a great addition to our classroom library. I know I cannot wait to learn about all of the topics that were chosen. We have some real budding authors in our classroom. Nice work!
In math, we are nearing the end of unit 7. This week we learned about frequency tables, as well as how to take a closer look at data. From a list of heights, for example, we learned what the maximum and minimum numbers mean. We also learned how to find the median number or middle number in a data set. We will have our test on Tuesday of this coming week with a review day on Monday,
Our second grade UBD project is moving right along. We have sorted all three topics facts and ranked them in order of importance to help our incoming students. The class is now starting to research and think about what happens in the United States and how their countries facts are similar or different to what happens here.
Stay tuned for more classroom news! I know we will continue our hard work!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Weekly Update for Feb. 21st-Feb. 24th
What an exciting week last week! I was so very impressed with each of you in the show. You all made the perfect little woodland creatures! My Mom really enjoyed meeting all of you!
This coming week is Character Counts week. Each day we will talk about a different pillar and what it means to uphold those traits throughout our life. Each day if you would like, we will be wearing certain colors to represent the pillars. The colors will be listed on your assignment sheet as well as on the Eagle Eye.
Last week…
Even with our crazy schedule last week, we managed to do a lot of learning.
In Reading- We reviewed our vocabulary from ‘Princess and the Pizza’ and ‘Grandpa’s Teeth’. We used our vocabulary as passwords to move around the classroom as well as to leave the classroom. We played vocabulary BINGO with our words from both weeks. Once we made our BINGO cards the game was a lot of fun. This week we also had vocabulary flashcards posted on the blog page for extra practice. Everyone seemed to enjoy this new way to study. The class worked hard to use all of our vocabulary words and managed to get 4 words up to our word windows.
Math- We continue to move through Unit 7. This week our most fun lesson was our Wubbles lessons. In this lesson we continue to look at multiplication but in a different way. A Wubble is a creature who doubles every day. You were only allowed to bring one friend home for Spring Vacation, yet by the end of the trip you were left with 128 Wubbles. What are you going to do? You’re probably going to get in trouble with your mother if she finds out! Ask your second grader and see if they remember our solution to this odd problem.
We also began to look at measurement with a special look at length of jumping and arm span. We will continue to look into measurement in our upcoming days.
Writing- We are so very close to finishing out All About Books. I think we are all going to learn a lot about the interests of our class. If you would like to learn to swim, play basketball or baseball, learn about rocks, fish or gymnastics we will have a book for you.
Spelling- While we did not have spelling last week, due to our short week, we will continue with our spelling sorts this coming week.
Social Studies (UBD)- Everyone is doing such a fantastic job taking notes that are focused and really covering your country topics. We have finished our note taking on all three of our chosen topics. We will move onto sorting our notes and start to learn how to determine which facts are most important in what would help a new student the most when coming to Arlington Heights and Ivy Hill.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
February 13th-17th
We have an exciting, yet busy 4 day week in our forecast! Valentine's Day is this Tuesday. We will be having a party in class beginning at 2:30pm. I know our Room Representatives have been working very hard on the planning. Please have your second grader bring/make a bag or box on Tuesday to collect all their Valentines.
The Second Grade Show is quickly approaching. We have two performance times: Wednesday Feb. 22nd at 9:45am as well as another performance on Thursday Feb. 23rd at 2:15pm. The kids have started to have some additional practice times and are really working hard to make it a great show.
Is it that time of year to start thinking of some summer fun? The answer is yes! The Six Flags Read to Succeed program is back. When your student records 6 hours of reading by February 27th, they will earn a free ticket to the Great America. To find out more information about this motivating opportunity, look online at the Friday Packet.
In other exciting news, last week we began our Second Grade UBD project. Students have already chosen a country that they are interested in learning more about, as well as started to generate questions about their country that they are wondering about. This week we will review note-taking strategies and begin to research.
In Reading, we will continue to learn about cause and effect relationships. We will also continue to work with the vocabulary we learned last week when we read 'The Princess and the Pizza'.
We wrapped up Unit 6 at the end of last week in Math. This week we will begin Unit 7 "Patterns and Rules".
Second Graders overall we had a wonderful week last week together. Continue working hard!
The Second Grade Show is quickly approaching. We have two performance times: Wednesday Feb. 22nd at 9:45am as well as another performance on Thursday Feb. 23rd at 2:15pm. The kids have started to have some additional practice times and are really working hard to make it a great show.
Is it that time of year to start thinking of some summer fun? The answer is yes! The Six Flags Read to Succeed program is back. When your student records 6 hours of reading by February 27th, they will earn a free ticket to the Great America. To find out more information about this motivating opportunity, look online at the Friday Packet.
In other exciting news, last week we began our Second Grade UBD project. Students have already chosen a country that they are interested in learning more about, as well as started to generate questions about their country that they are wondering about. This week we will review note-taking strategies and begin to research.
In Reading, we will continue to learn about cause and effect relationships. We will also continue to work with the vocabulary we learned last week when we read 'The Princess and the Pizza'.
We wrapped up Unit 6 at the end of last week in Math. This week we will begin Unit 7 "Patterns and Rules".
Second Graders overall we had a wonderful week last week together. Continue working hard!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The snow has arrived!!
Everyone is excited that there is finally some snow to play in. As our snow falls accumulate, please send your second grader with boots, snow pants, a hat and mittens so they can play in the snowy fields. Extra socks might be a good idea as well just incase snow finds its way into their boots.
Everyone is excited that there is finally some snow to play in. As our snow falls accumulate, please send your second grader with boots, snow pants, a hat and mittens so they can play in the snowy fields. Extra socks might be a good idea as well just incase snow finds its way into their boots.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Welcome Back!
It sounded like everyone had a wonderful winter break. I was so excited to come back and see all those smiling faces this morning.
We are going to have a busy week getting back into the routine of second grade.
We are going to have a busy week getting back into the routine of second grade.
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