Week of 10/8- 10/12

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Spelling
We have a spelling test this week.
Here are our words:
man
know
then
there
have
to
too (also)
called
could
same
write
day
any
that

Reading
Our focus is still on nonfiction text. This week we will be learning and researching about bats. We will also write a nonfiction passage about bats.

Math
Our focus this week will be trying to find the missing addend.
Ex. 5+_=11
6-_=3

Reminders
October 19th- Student Holiday, Teacher work day
October 22nd-26th- Red Ribbon Week (a note will go home later with dress up days)

Week of 10/1- 10/5

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Spelling
No Spelling Test this week

Phonics
This week in phonics our focus will be the Long a vowel sound. I always tell my students that long vowel sounds are when a vowel says its name. These are the long a spelling rules we will be focusing on this week.
CVCE words ex. late, bake, shake; eigh words ex. eight, sleigh, weigh
ay words ex. play, way, stay; ai words ex. air, mail, rain

Reading
Our focus this week is Non Fiction and the attributes of a non fiction text. We will also compare Fiction vs. Non Fiction.
Attributes of a Non Fiction Text:
Real & Factual Information
Photographs
Charts & Graphs
Labels & Captions
Table of Contents
Index & Glossary

Math
Our focus this week is Odd and Even Numbers. We will learn what numbers are odd: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and what numbers are even: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8

Reminders & Upcoming Events
Buckets for Belle– Just a reminder that all this week students are encouraged to donate money for Belle’s family to help with medical expenses. A note was sent home last week explaining what all the donations will be used for and to introduce Belle. Please consider making a donation and would also be a great lesson in showing compassion for others.
Homecoming Week- A friendly reminder that this is homecoming week. There are a lot of things going on this week. Students will be allowed to wear mums and garters to school on Friday. They will need to take them off when they are going to lunch, recess and peripheral classes.
Friday is early release at 1:15 so that students can go with family to the pep rally at the stadium. NO Boys & Girls Club
Saturday is the 5K and Fun Run as well as Roughneck Day activities.

Week of 9/24-9/28

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Spelling
We have a spelling test this week. Here are our words:
1. as
2. they
3. when
4. their
5. two
6. like
7. people
8. use
9. words
10. good
11. new
12. write
13. our
14. me

Reading
Our focus this week is telling and writing a story in sequential order: First, Next, Then, and Finally

Math
Our focus this week is Number Strings- adding 3 or more numbers together to get the sum. We have been asking ourselves this question before answering the problem. Do we see double number fact or a way to make ten?
Ex. 6+3+6=
2+6+8=
5+8+5=
First add the double numbers or the ways to make ten numbers and then add the third number.

Reminders
September 26th (Wednesday) is a half day. We will be dismissed at 11:30. Remember, there will be NO Boys and Girls Club so if your child goes to B & G Club then you will need to make other arrangements.

Week of 9/17-9/21

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Spelling
We do not have a spelling test this week. Graded spelling tests from last week went home today. If you have any questions about their test, please let me know. All spelling words are posted on the Word Wall in the classroom, however I try to encourage them to learn how to spell the words and not rely on the Word Wall. It is there as a reference if they really need help spelling a word but after 2nd grade they will not have Word Walls posted in the classroom to refer back to and so I strongly encourage them to practice and memorize their words. The only part of their test that is not on the Word Wall is the Skill Test section.

Phonics
Our focus this week in Phonics are blends. Today we talked about “L” blends such as “bl”, “gl”, “pl”, “fl” and “sl”. Other blends we will be learning about this week are “R” blends “gr”, “fr”, “tr”, “pr”, “br” and “cr”. As well as “sp”, “st”, “sk” and “sw”.

Reading
Our focus this week is retelling a story in sequential order using only important details from beginning to end. The formula we will be using is SWBST– Somebody…Wanted…But…So…Then. Tomorrow we will be reading the story Cosmo Zooms and retelling the story using SWBST.

Math
We are continuing our counting a collection of coins up to $1.00. This week we are focusing on quarters and how to skip count starting with quarters, then dimes, nickels and pennies. If your child doesn’t know how to skip count by 5’s or 10’s please practice with them at home. They really need to learn how to go from a quarter to dimes or go from a quarter to nickels. This is where some really struggle when counting coins, it is tough sometimes to start with 25 and then start counting by 10’s (dimes) so I just encourage you to practice as much as you are able to. One thing I do tell my students is if they have one quarter and a nickel it is always 30 and then it is much easier to go to dimes because it is an even number.

Reminders
September 20- Picture Day
September 21- Scholastic Book Orders and Money are due if your child plans to order
September 26- Half Day-Early Release, due to teacher training

Week of 9/10-9/14

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Spelling/Phonics– We have our first spelling test this week. Here are our words:
1. they
2. have
3. what
4. there
5. which
6. been
7. now
8. little
9. called
10. get
11. through
12. back
13. much
14. go

Reading– This week in reading we are learning about Inferencing and what it means to infer. We use what we know and clues from the story to make an inference. Our focus will be on inferring about character traits.

Math– We are continuing our unit on coins, their attributes and being able to count a collection of coins up to $1.00. Please practice with your child at home counting a collection of coins. We start with the highest value of coins to the lowest. (Quarter, Dimes, Nickels and then Pennies.)

Week of 8/27-8/31

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Spelling/Phonics– We are still reviewing our first 100 “No Excuse” words

Reading– This week we are comparing and discussing “Real Readers vs. Fake Readers”, “What does a real reader look like?” and “Good readers ask questions”.

Math– We are reviewing and working on our doubles (4+4, 5+5), doubles +1 (4+5, 6+7), and doubles -1 (4+3, 6+5). We really want them to learn and memorize their doubles facts because it will help them add their other math facts quicker, especially their doubles +1 and doubles -1.

Homework– Thank you for reading with your child every night and signing their reading logs. It makes a huge difference in your child’s reading if you do read with them at least 20 minutes every night. I am sure you have noticed by now that they have a math homework sheet for this week. Again, thank you to those who have already completed and worked on these with your child. Remember, you do not have to complete all of it on Monday night but it is okay if you did. You have all week to complete it, just make sure that it is complete by Friday morning.

Reminders
*Pep rallies begin this Friday. They are typically held on Friday afternoons at 3:00 in the high school gym. Teachers will not be taking students to the pep rally but you may check your child out to attend one. Just remember that you must send a note to your child’s teacher each week if you plan to check them out. You may send a note or write a note in their planner. Only students who have a note will be sent to the cafeteria at 2:30 for pick up. Adults will enter through the main doors beside the gym (intermediate doors) and sign their student out in the cafeteria. Students must be accompanied by an adult at the pep rally.
*Monday, September 3rd is Labor Day holiday, there will be no school on that day.

Have a great week and hopefully we will get some rain tomorrow!

Week of 8/20-8/24

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Hello Parents, welcome to my blog. This is my way of communicating with you about what we are doing in class every week. I will try to post on Monday what we will be doing for the entire week. Sometimes I get busy and may not get to it until Tuesday but I will do my best to post it on Monday.

Homework
Reading-For homework in my classroom your child will need to read a book and have their reading log signed every night. For these first few weeks your child will be reading a book of their choice. If may be a book from home or a book from my classroom. I tried to make sure that they picked a book that they were able to read from my classroom today. Since I have not started my assessment for reading yet, I’m not going to be able to know exactly what reading level your child is on. Please be patient with me as I conduct all my reading assessments. As soon as I am done with them then I will begin my Guided Reading groups and then your child will have a required and assigned reading book for them on their level.

Math– Beginning next week your child will have a math homework sheet that they will receive on Monday and will need to be completed and turned in by Friday. I know that we all have busy schedules and my not be able to do math every single night, that is why I pass the homework sheet out on Monday. This way you can choose what nights your child will be able to do their math homework. I do not care if it is all done on Monday night, a little bit every night or do it all on Thursday night, as long as is it completed and turned in by Friday morning. I have provided a laminate Math Strategies sheet and an expo marker for your child if they need it to help them with their homework. I am slowly introducing these Math Strategies to your child in class for the next few weeks.

Our Focus for the Week- Lessons
Spelling/Phonics– I sent home with your child a note explaining how we do spelling in 2nd grade. On the back of that note is a list of 100 no excuse words that your child should already know how to read and spell. Please review and practice those words with your child for the next couple of weeks. There will be no spelling test for at least 3 weeks. When we get into our routine we will alternate spelling and a phonics skill every other week. When we do start our spelling we will write our spelling words for the week in our planners.

Reading– This week we are reading several different books together focusing on our feelings and CHAMPS behavior. For example, today we read “My Mouth is a Volcano”. The focus of this story is to learn how to wait our turn to talk and to not interrupt others. We need to learn how to keep our important words to ourselves and not “erupt” until the appropriate time. Other books we will be reading this week are: Spaghetti on a Hot Dog Bun, Molly Lou Melon, Do Unto Otters, What If Everybody Did That?, How to Lose All Your Friends and Have You Filled a Bucket Today?.

Math- We are learning about Math procedures for class, examples: Intentional Problem Solving, using our math journal and Number Talks. We are also learning about subitizing and how we can write a number in many different ways. This will help us add and subtract faster.

Week of 5/14-5/18

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*We are done with homework for the year. That includes math papers and reading logs. Parents, please have your child check their rooms, backpacks or anywhere you think there may be a book that belongs to the school.

*Throughout the week we will be sending things home from our desk and classroom.

*We have also sent home our last set of graded papers.

*Friday we will have bounce houses during our peripherals time. Please make sure that your child wears or brings socks on that day.

FIELD TRIP INFO
Wednesday, May 16th is our field trip to the Planetarium. Remember, due to limited seating parents will not be able to go to the Planetarium but will be able to meet us at Bergfeld Park in Tyler for lunch. Please make sure that your child brings a sack lunch and drink with their name on it, unless you indicated on their slip for a sack lunch from the cafeteria. You may also sign your child out from the park with their teacher.

Field Trip

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Just a reminder if you haven’t sent your $3.00 for the field trip please send it by Wednesday. The field trip is next week. Due to the fire code and limited seating parents will not be allowed to come to the Planetarium but can meet us at Bergfeld Parkin Tyler around 11:45.