January 28 - February 1

What an exciting end to the day on Friday.  One moment I was in a parent meeting and the next moment it was announced that the children were to leave in five minutes!  The storm certainly moved in quickly.  I truly hope everyone stayed safe.  My boys were thrilled with the ice and made improvised sleds out of plastic bin tops.  They had a hoot sliding down the hill.  It wasn't snow, but it was fun!  (Better yet - it melted in a day!

This week's happenings. . .

MATH:

I am excited to say that all students passed the three digit addition with regrouping test.  Way to go!  Now we are on to a bit trickier concept - BORROWING!!!

This week we will learn how to borrow from the tens if needed.  Often students get mixed up and carry or they borrow when it is not even necessary.  I use this lingo:

BIGGER NUMBER BOTTOM BORROW

If you see your child confused - try to remind them of this lingo - and remind them that they are borrowing a ten!

Quiz on Friday!

READING:

This week we will revisit our basil readers and read a fun fiction story about a science fair.  It's title is PEARL AND WAGNER.  I think the students are ready to read something a bit more light.  

We will also learn more about AUTHOR'S PURPOSE as well as move into looking at VERBS for grammar.

**Next week we will begin our study of various African Americans as we celebrate Black History Month.

Small Groups:

This week we will bring our SOUND UNIT to a closure.  There will not be a large test.  I will simply grade the students nightly work (questions sent home) as well as grade the EAR DIAGRAM project which is due Monday, February 4th.  Mrs. Sheppard from the finance office will be coming into our room Friday to teach us some sign language skills as a closure to our SOUND unit.

We will also be viewing

 a movie about Helen Keller on Monday.

SPELLING:

Unless a student is really eager to take last weeks test, we will move on to the next sort.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

This week we will begin a unit on studying the past and exploring how things have changed.  This unit will last a few weeks.  It will tie in nicely with our study of time lines and our wax museum which will be in March.  Encourage your child to look at old family photos if you have them at home.  Living in the past is never a good idea, but learning from the past is important.  

FINAL NOTES::

Awards day is this Friday, February 1st.  The time has not been posted, but I think our time will be 11:00 AM.  As last time, you are welcome to take your child home.  I have "learned from my past" experience and know not to plan a large test etc.  So you are free to make the choice whether or not to take your child or let the stay with me.

MATTER FIELD TRIP:

The $8.50 is due this week!  Please don't forget to send it in.  The field trip is February 14th in the morning.  It promises to be a great day since we will have a small Valentine's Day celebration in the afternoon.

I thinks that sums up our week.

NOTE:  If you would like to meet with me concerning your child's academics, please indicate on the report card envelope that you return on Monday.

January 22- January 25

What a great weekend!  The weather was fabulous.  I guess we deserve a few cold days after the past few days of warmth.  I hope some of you were able to tune in to the inauguration of President Obama.  Every inauguration is such a historical moment in all our lives.  We are blessed to live in a nation that can disagree, but without a coup or uprising of mobs in the street.  Our nation is becoming rare in our world of turmoil.  Let's pray we can continue to keep a democracy of diversity in our nation.

THIS WEEK IN OUR CLASS!

MATH:
We will continue addition with regrouping but add the hundreds into the mix.  Homework will come in the form of worksheets that practice this academic concept.  We will have a quiz on Friday.  If your child struggled regrouping with two digits, please keep a watchful eye on him/her as we go one step deeper.


READING:
This week we will not concentrate on a story, but will use our time to investigate Main Idea.  We will also expand our knowledge of grammar to include pronouns.  So far we have covered Nouns, Adjectives, and now we will add Pronouns.  Next week we will venture into Verbs.

Small Groups:
We will continue to use our Sound Science Reader.  This non-fiction text has proved difficult, but I do think the students have learned as they have been forced to read difficult scientific words.  Thank you for working with them at home.  We will continue to read about Sound this week and conclude next week.  Please don't forget the

  EAR DIAGRAM PROJECT IS DUE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd.

SPELLING:
Words Their Way.
Please make certain your child is familiar with the words.  I noticed that the grades on this week's test were not as high as usual.  Words Their Way also likes to throw in homophones.  This is why it is necessary that you and your child look over and study the words.  Last week one sort had both
ROAD and RODE.  Some of the children knew the difference, but many did not.

  BEWARE of THE HOMOPHONES!

SOCIAL STUDIES:

We have officially completed our study of the government.  I think the students were introduced to various vocabulary and items that they had been unfamiliar with prior.  That's what it is about!  Now when they do an in depth study of government later on, they will be familiar with many of the ideas of our government.  That is certainly exciting as we both educate our children to be responsible citizens of our nation.  This week we will use SCHOLASTIC NEWS to discuss the inauguration of President Obama.  What a perfect conclusion!

Next week we will begin to look into historic heroes and timelines.

(Sneak Peek - In March we will be having a Famous American Wax Museum as is tradition of the 2nd grade at Neuse Charter.  When I learn more about the details - I will let you know.  Just FYI)

LAST DETAILS:

Please don't forget to bring in the $8.50 for the MATTER SCIENCE IN HOUSE FIELD TRIP.  It is due by the end of the week.  We will dive into the theme of Matter next month.

Almost forgot. . .  Report cards go home this Thursday.  Some students grades fell a bit - mainly in writing.  Just remember - "N" means Needs to Improve.  If I am not seeing grade level products in writing, I must give an "N".  We have five more months to improve.  That is a lot of time if the student is motivated to improve.
FINALLY - Awards day will be Friday, February 1st.  Watch the website for specific times.

January 14 - 17

WHAT AN AWESOME WEEKEND!
Can you believe it is January?  I am fully content with the weather.  My only hope is that it will stay - which is wishful thinking.  I hope the weekend was restful as your family enjoyed the outdoors.

This week is short.  Friday will be off for students since the teachers have a workday to finish up our grades.  We also have Monday off to celebrate one of our great American Heroes - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  We will return to school Tuesday, January 22.
Report cards will go home that week as well.

This week in. . .
SPELLING:
We will have our second week back for Word Their Way.  I was very pleased with the students' homework last week.  ALL of the sentences written on Thursday were written neatly and most were quite interesting to read.  GREAT JOB!
Despite our shortened week, we will have a spelling test on Thursday.


READING:
This week I set aside time to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  We will read about his life and create a timeline sequencing his achievements.  I also plan to educate the children about the changes he helped our nation make.  This will include video segments in addition to the reading.  It will be a great week to discuss positive character traits that such people as MLK possessed.
There will not be a test this Friday in reading.

VOCABULARY WORDS THIS WEEK:

Civil Rights     Segregation     African American     Character     Non-Violent Protest     Speech

MATH:

This week we will do a combination of story problems as well as addition with regrouping.  Homework will reflect these academic topics.  There will be a short quiz on Thursday covering two digit addition with regrouping.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

We will be completing our unit on Government this week.  It has been fun and very educational!  Thanks for sending in the receipts.  I think the students learned a bit more last week about how taxes "should" work.

SCIENCE: 

This week in small groups we will read about the Highs and Lows of Sound ie. - PITCH.  Monday/Tuesday the students will be asked to make a "homemade" instrument.  This is NOT a project - just a simple experiment for the students to explore sound vibrations and pitch.  Wednesday/Thursday we will explore how oscilloscopes creates images of sound vibrations.  

That about sums up our week.  

Final Notes:

The bi-weekly report will be sent home Monday.  Please review your child's report, sign, and send it back in.

Thanks!

January 7 - 11

We had a successful first week back in 2013.  Our newest news is that Jaedyn Teachey is now a big brother.  His baby brother was born January 1st, 2013.  Both mom and baby are healthy.  Congratulations Teachey Family!

  Baby Garrett is here!

We should be back in full swing this week as far as academics are concerned.  This is what is happening:

MATH:

We will continue our review for our 2nd semester math test.  Again, problems on this test will include the following:

Story Problems

Money

Time

Adding two digit place value blocks

Pictographs/Bar Graphs  

I think most of the students have this under control.  If you see your child struggling with the homework squares sent home last week and this week - PLEASE REVIEW THE TROUBLESOME CONCEPTS.

Thanks for your help.  

We will take the test on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

SPELLING:  WORDS THEIR WAY!
We are back to Words Their Way.  I am sending home a new look for the spelling folders.  I have laminated a simple folder in which I will place the weekly spelling sort as well as a couple of black sheets of paper on which to do the assigned nightly work.  (I've also included a small envelope that the students should store their word sorts within.)The nightly homework is the same as last time. . .

MONDAY:  Cut and sort the words, identifying the norms.  COPY THE WORD SORT ONTO A PIECE OF PAPER. DO NOT GLUE THE WORD SORT!  Simply store the cut words in the envelope I have provided.   Don't forget to write your name on the top of the paper.

TUESDAY:  Ask parent to help you verbally sort the words.  See the example in folder.  Please help your child identify the homophones such as break/brake.  

Once finished please sign that you and your child did this exercise - below Monday's copied word sort.  You may also copy the sort again if this helps.

WEDNESDAY:  Choose TEN words and write TEN sentences NEATLY!  Pleas check over your child's sentences.  If your child misspells word it defeats the purpose.  Help them correct the spelling.

When finished with this exercise, please sign that you have checked over your child's work.

THURSDAY:  PRETEST!  Give a test and see where your child struggles.  Practice these words.

FRIDAY:   TEST!

NOTE:

This time please cut the word sorts and store in the small envelope I provided in the laminated folder.  They will use these words occasionally in class.

READING:

This week we will read our final Patricia Polacco book, WHEN LIGHTNING COMES IN A JAR.

This is a delightful story Polacco writes about her annual family reunion.  I'm certain the students will enjoy this text.  We will also be finishing working on adjectives as well as touching on sequencing.

SCIENCE:

SMALL GROUPS - For the month of January we will be using our small group time to explore SOUND.  The field trip served as a great introduction and now we will use some non-fiction literature to dive a bit deeper into this science theme. 

 Be watching for the text that should come home twice a week for the students to read and respond to some homework questions.  

Once we finish our SOUND study at the end of the month the students will be required to make an ear diagram labeling the various parts of the ear.  Help your child brainstorm the medium he/she would like to use as you both discuss the weekly homework.  This project is not due until the first week in February.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

We will be continuing our study of government.  This week we will focus mainly on state government.  Make certain your child chooses a state and records the required information to use on Friday!

FINAL NOTES:

There will be another science field trip coming up in February.  It will be another SCIENCE MADE FUN exploration.  These trips cost $8.50.  I will be sending home the permission slip as well as the details this week.  The theme will be Matter (the study of solids/liquids and gasses)