January News

Dear Families,       Now that the holidays are behind us and winter is here, things are really gearing up in second grade! The curriculum will start to accelerate as we progress into the third quarter.   In reading, your child will be focusing on non-fiction books that deal with how animals survive in the winter and at the poles of the Earth.Our writing will shift to non-fiction as well, and we will begin researching and writing about polar people and animals.   Fundations continues to include more and more new skills. We are learning new syllable types and working with multisyllabic words. Extra trick work practice with the homework packet is very helpful. If your child does not earn 80% or higher on their Fundations test, they will get extra practice in school with Mrs. Faubert and will have the chance to retake the unit test.   In Math we are learning to add and subtract 2 digit numbers. We do not learn the traditional algorithm in second grade where we stack the numbers and add the ones and carry the tens to add, or borrow and cross out the tens to subtract. I ask that you not work with your child using these strategies YET! They will learn the “old school” way in years to come, but for now, they will show you how we are learning to do these problems in school. Soon I will send home a handy “cheat sheet” for you to follow once the children have learned all the strategies and can explain them to you:)   We will be taking the winter sessions of the NWEA test on Tuesday January 24, and Tuesday January 31. On these days it is very helpful if your child comes to school well rested. Thank you!   We are also earning time each day to play math games on the computer. The class loves learning and playing on the Sumdog website. Please encourage your child to play these games at home as well.   A big thank you to all of the parents who sent in supplies and/or came to school to help create our awesome gingerbread houses. The children loved creati

Greetings from Second Grade!

Hello Families! The first quarter of the year has come and gone and we are busy in Room 211. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays upon us, the energy level in school is growing daily! In reading, we have spent a good amount of time learning about retelling a story, finding the main idea and details of text, determining the author's purpose for writing text, making connections, predicting, asking questions about what we read, and making inferences. The upcoming weeks will feature folk tales and the many versions of the Gingerbread Man. If it sounds like a lot, it is! Second grade is hard work!  In math we are learning to use many strategies to add and subtract numbers and have begun to work with adding two 2-digit numbers. We will also be starting a unit on measurement. Of course we work on problem solving all through the school year. At home, please work with your second grader to practice telling time and work with adding  money using coins and dollars. In science we have done many activities for our Solids and Liquids unit. We have compared the properties and behaviors of these 2 kinds of matter. The children enjoy the hands-on activities and are learning and having fun at the same time! In writing, we are discovering the many ways that writers get their writing ideas. The students are working with a partner to share their work, give and gain feedback, and reflect.  A few items to remember: The gold forms for dismissal must be filled out for any changes in your child's dismissal schedule. If you are out of forms, please let me know and I will send more home in the STAR binder. Lost Reading Logs can be printed from this web page. Please find the file on the bottom of this page. Also, all Fundations homework can be printed if needed from the link on this page.  All math homework and reading logs are due on Fridays. Fundations homework will be due on the date on the cover page of the packet.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not

News From Room 211

Hello Families, October is here and thankfully the temperatures have felt more like fall than tropical! We are getting into a nice routine and learning more about second grade.  In reading we are gaining stamina and our Reading Workshop is underway. We have spent time reading fiction and non-fiction texts about apples. We are working on retelling what we read as well as asking and answering questions, and making connections to text. In writing we are learning various ways that authors get ideas for writing. We are also learning to make our work come alive through the use of adjectives. In Fundations we have begun Unit 2 and will focus on bonus letters. There will be a continuous review of blends and digraphs. In science we are learning so much about solids! We have learned the properties of solid materials and are using what we have learned to describe solids and use them to construct towers. We will look for solids outside in the world around us. In math we are focusing on odd and even numbers, fact families and addition and subtraction strategies. Please work with your child on math facts, counting money and on clocks with time to the hour and half hour. This will help support their learning at school.  It was great to see many of you at Open House. The children were excited to share their classroom and learning with you! Mrs.…

We are off and running!

Dear Families, We are off and running in our second grade classroom! It has been a challenge to shift from beach time to school time with the hot weather we have had, but slowly and surely we are getting into a routine. Our class is spending time focusing on the parts of our daily reading workshop. Children are working on building stamina reading "just right" books and learning to select these books at their instructional level. In math we are reviewing place value and reading and writing 2 digit numbers. Practice at home of math facts to 20 will help your child in their daily math lessons at school.  The first unit on Fundations will focus on digraphs.  Homework will start the week of September 19. Please be on the lookout for an upcoming notice in your child's STAR binder that explains homework procedures for the year.  I look forward to seeing all of you at Open House on Thursday, September 22! Mrs.…

Homework

Your child will receive math and reading homework each Monday. The assignments are due that Friday. Fundations unit homework packets will come home on different days of the week depending on when we begin the unit. The due date for the Fundations homework will be written on the top of the packet. Please have your second grader complete their homework in pencil only, and write their own name on the assignment. Thank…

September 2016

Dear Families, School bells are ringing and a new school year begins! This year will be a productive and exciting one for your child. Second graders will see old friends, meet new ones, and will learn and grow as they move through the year. The first six weeks of school will focus on learning about each other as we build our classroom community. Students will focus on adjusting to a new teacher and different classmates as well as learning new routines and procedures. Academics will begin gradually and there will be a review of some first grade concepts.  In addition, we will spend time making friends and learning what makes a good friend and learning partner. I am looking forward to a wonderful year! Mrs.…

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