Week Ending 10/23/17

Hello families!
It's been starting to feel a little bit like Fall these days!  I hope you've all had a chance to enjoy some of the wonderful Fall activities such as apple picking, pumpkin picking, and leaf jumping.

Important information:

• Thursday, November 2, is an early release day with dismissal at 12:30.  
• Friday, November 10, there is no school.

3, 2, 1 things you should know about our room...

3 reading strategies we've worked on this week were visualizing, making predictions, and identifying character traits.  *Ask your child which character they chose from the story, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, either Manyara and Nyasha, and which character traits they chose.  

2 math skills we finished up our second math unit and focused on number facts and solving doubles and doubles plus 1 quickly.  

1 writing workshop skill we worked on was using precise words when writing.  For example, instead of using "happy", we brainstormed a list of more exciting words, such as "thrilled".  

Week Ending 10/13/17

Hi Families,
We had a busy week last week in second grade!
Important information:

• Be sure you have signed up for a conference, if you have not done so yet.  
• If you'd like to donate books to the classroom, you can check out our Amazon wish list right here:  Amazon Wish List
• A big thank you to those of you that have donated already...the students are so excited and I very much appreciate it!
• Please remember that Thursday is our library day.  It's really important for books to be returned then, so students can choose new books as well.

3, 2, 1 things happening in Room 250...

3 read aloud we listened to during literacy to practice  making connections were When the Relatives Came, Knuffle Bunny, and Matthew and Tilly.  The more students can make connections to their books, the deeper their comprehension will be. 

*As your child is reading with you, be sure to ask them if they can make a connection to their life or to another book.  

2 math skills we worked on were addition with in 20 and learning an easier way to add 9.  

*Practicing math facts daily (in the car on the way to school, while making dinner, etc) will help your child gain automaticity. 

1 fun activity for the end of the week was with Ben L.'s mom who came in to math puzzles with us!  The students loved in!  Thank you for coming in!

Week Ending 10/6/17

Hello families!
We've started Fall though this week has felt wonderful like late summer.  It's been beautiful out and I love seeing all the students play and enjoy themselves at recess!

Important Information:

• If you have not signed up for conferences yet, please do so.  Here is the Sign Up Genius Link: Conference Sign Up
• Tuesday, October 10th is picture day.  Forms were sent home the same day as Open House.
• Reminder...please have your child keep toys or cards of any kind at home.  They can be a distraction, be lost, or damaged.  For their safety, keep them home.  Thanks!

3, 2, 1 things you should know...

3 math skills we've been working on this week were number combinations to 10 when we played the game Build a Floor, number facts with doubles and doubles +/- 1 when we played Doubles More or Less, and addition number stories.  * Ask your child to share with you an addition number story.  

2 read aloud books we heard this week were Sheila Rae the Brave and When Vera Was Sick to focus on making connections to our own lives.  We think about what happened in the story and what that reminds us of in our own experiences.  * As you read with your child each night, ask them if they've thought of any connections.  This helps to deepen their comprehension of their book.  

1 science concept we learned about was How Seeds Travel.  * Ask your child to tell you 2 ways that seeds travel.  

We also learned about bike safety today during our assembly.  * Ask your child to tell you 1 thing they learned.  

Week Ending 9/22/17

We've had a great week in room 250!  Our routines are getting solidified, students are following expectations, and our learning throughout the day is amazing!  

Important information:

• The conference Sign Up schedule was released earlier this week.  If you have not signed up for a slot yet, please do and remember that it's a time for you and your child to attend. Here is the link: Sign Up Genius
• If your child has a dismissal change, please be sure to let me know.  Also, there is no riding the buses if you are not assigned to that bus so please make other arrangements for play dates.
• Our Flu Clinic is on Tuesday, September 26th...please be sure to return your forms if needed.  
• Wednesday, September 27, is an early release day at 12:30.  
• Wednesday, September 27, is Open House.  This is an adult evening where you will learn from the 2nd grade team what the year will look like and then have an opportunity to visit our classroom.  6-6:40 is grades 3-5, 6:45-7:15 is PTO and our principal, and 7:20-8:00, you will meet with our team.  For the first part, we will meet in the auditorium, and then continue on to classrooms until 8:00.  
•  I have started an Amazon wish list for books for the classroom.  If you would like to help, you can check out the wish list here: Amazon Book Wishlist

3, 2, 1 things you need to know about our week...

3 books we read this week were Going on a Book Hunt (to talk about choosing just right books), Chrysanthemum (as part of our Bulletproof lessons), and Slowly, Slowly, Slowly Said the Sloth (to talk about how to sound out words).  *Ask you child one way they can sound out a difficult word.  

2 math skills we worked on completing hundreds charts with a team and using <, >,  and = signs to compare numbers.  Ask your child to compare two numbers, such as "Which is larger?  343 or 123?"

1 writing activity we completed for writing was the narrative writing prompt. Students worked hard and though it was difficult for some...that information lets me know where they are in their writing and how to move forward with what they need to know and build on what they already know how to do.  

Week ending 9/15/17

We've had our first full week of school!  The class has been getting along really well, learning about each other, expectations, and the classroom.  We've also started some real work and I've been getting to know them a little bit more each day about their academic strengths.

Important Information:

• Next Thursday, September 21, there is no school.
• Tuesday, the 26th, is the flu shot clinic.
• Wednesday, the 27th, is an early release day at 12:30.  
• Please keep in mind there is no climbing on the large tree outside the art room.  
• If you'd like to send in extra clothes in a zip-loc bag for your child, you may and it will stay in their lockers.  Sometimes extra clothes are needed due to spills, mud at recess, etc.  
• I will be setting up a conference schedule over the weekend and will post in Monday morning.  Conferences are held the end of October during the time given to us by the district.  I will be posting it early so you have to time to adjust schedules if needed.  This will be a time for you and your child to discuss work and behavior.  
• Our AD and OO buses are full, so there is no riding another bus or going on a play date with a student who takes the bus.  If you have a play date with students who ride the bus, please make other arrangements for pick up.  Thanks!

3, 2, 1 things happening in room 250...

3 math skills we worked on this week were counting the value of coins, counting the value of bills, and learning to play Top-It and Number Squeeze.  

*Ask your child at home to play number squeeze with you!

2 books we read during reading workshop were Wild About Books and Mrs. Brooks Loves Books.  We are spending this time setting up reading workshop routines, talking about choosing just right books, and starting to begin reading groups.  

1 Responsive Classroom activity we completed were writing our hopes and dreams for the school year.  

First Week of School!

Hello families!
We have a had a great first week of school!  It's been wonderful to get to know your children and I look forward to learning more and more about them as the year goes on.  Almost each week, I write a short blog so you can see what we've been working on and use it as a start to a discussion about your child's day and week.

Important Information:

• Please follow this blog by entering your email address in the "Follow" section on the right of your screen.  That way, you should receive updates automatically. 
• Please continue to send in yummy and healthy snacks each day.  We have lunch at 11 so on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, we will have snack in the afternoon.  On Tuesdays it will be in the morning.  
• Specials: Monday is PE and music, no special on Tuesday, Wednesday is PE, Thursday is library, and Friday is art.

3, 2, 1 things you should know about room 250 this week...

3 morning meeting activities we did were the clap game, hula hoop around the group, and the game 4 Corners.  It's so important your child is here on time so they will able to join our morning meeting.  It's a time to check in with each other, share and learn about each other, and play a cooperative game to begin working as a community.  

2 read aloud we heard this week were First Day Jitters and Wemberly Worried.  We talked about how many of us were really excited about school to begin...but also a little nervous as well.  

1 closing circle activity we shared was "What was something you felt proud of yourself for this week?".  Ask your child what they said.

Also, I need your help!  I would like to do one big Scholastic book order just for September and then I won't ask again!  When families order books, not only do their children receive books, but as the classroom teacher I receive points based on how many books were sold.  Those points...I then use to shop for books to add to our classroom library!  It's a fabulous way to put new and fun books in the students' hands to read and enjoy all year.  I also may be looking at doing a book raffle at the end of each month but still need to think about the details!  :)

The shopping link is right here and it will stay open till Friday, the 22nd, then I will send it all in.  

Ordering link: https://orders.scholastic.com/H6JBB

Week ending 6/16/17

Can you believe it!  In one week from today we'll be out of school!  We hit 175 days today and I can assure you that that's ALOT of tally marks to make the number of the day sheet!

Important information:

• Please be sure to check at home for any library books that need to be returned.
• We are having a book swap as a school on Monday and Tuesday so if you have any books at home you'd like to donate...please send them in!  Students are able to drop off books they have already read and are able to choose new books (new to them) for the summer.  It's a great way to get the summer reading buzz going! 
• Friday, June 21 is our LAST day.  If your child will be leaving us early, please be sure to let us know so we can send home anything that needs to go.  

3, 2, 1 things you should know about our room this week...

3 poems we've written are I Remember, I wish, and Color poems.  It's fantastic seeing the students' creativity come out!  

2 math activities we've finished up were pre-requisite skills for multiplication and wrapping up Unit 11.  

1 fabulous activity this week was...Color Day!  I must say the students were fantastic!  There was lots of cheering for their own team, for other teams, for those doing well, and for those that found a particular activity challenging for them.  I was very impressed and the sportsmanship I saw can not be beat!  

Here's two pics below...

Week Ending 5/26/17

Hello families!  19 days after today...4 more weeks of school!  Can you believe it?  It has gone by so quickly and we still have so much to do!  The China projects are going great!  We all enjoy seeing and hearing the work from the students...very impressive!

Important Information:

• Tuesday, June 6, is Color Day and more info will be sent home next week.
• Wednesday, June 7, is our field trip to the Children's Museum with Ms. Patteson's class.  More info will be sent home next week.  
• Save the Date!  Friday, June 9, at 8:45-9:30 will be an end of the year celebration!  Come see some of our finished writing pieces and more!  

3, 2, 1 things that have been happening in our room...

3 math activities we've been working on are to continue developing our sense of place value by building houses/buildings with a team and determining how much it is worth, practicing making numbers and writing using place 10 blocks, and drawing tens and ones to add to find the total. 

2 reading activities we've started is understanding the different between poetry and prose and finding poetry lines that speak to them.  

1 presentation we had was from Joe and Vida from Ghana last Friday.  They do a fabulous presentation and the students loved it!

Here's a few pics of letting our butterflies, Base 10 building and the Ghana presentation...

Flying to Ghana

 Checking out some Ghana products

 Learning  a dance

Praising the King

How much is the house worth?

Bye, bye butterflies

Week ending 5/12/17

Hello families!
I see next week is really going to look and feel like May and I can't wait!  Have you seen the new blue table on the playground?  It's fantastic!

Important information:

• China projects are due on THURSDAY, May 18th.  Please be sure that both the project and the written information is here on that day.  We will start sharing them to teach each other what we learned while researching.  

3, 2, 1 things you should know about our week...

3 pourquoi stories we heard were How Zebras Got Their Stripes, How Grandmother Spider Got the Sun, and Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears.  

* Ask your child to tell you why we hear mosquitoes buzzing in our ears!  

2 math activities we worked on were solving measurement story problems and solving the problem, How many skittles were in the light bulb?  It was a good activity!  We had lots of information to solve it but it was a good time to really focus on the details of our addition strategies and practice sharing out thinking and solving skills.  They each solved it a little bit different so it was really informative for them to hear other ways.  

1 writing activity we began was writing book awards!  The students love this!  They choose a book they enjoy and write an award for it.  The awards are varied and I don't think many are the same so it'll be very interesting!  

* Ask you child which book and award they are writing about.  

Week Ending 5/5/17

Hello families!
We've had a busy and productive week here in room 250!  We enjoyed getting out with the beautiful weather and can't wait for more time as the year continues on!

Important information:

• The information regarding the China project was sent home on Thursday on a yellow sheet of paper.  Please read it over and assist your child in what they may need, for example printing pictures off the internet or gathering materials.  This is a project they can do on their own with just a little help from you so please keep that in mind as they are working.  Thank you!
• Next Thursday, May 11, is an early release day with dismissal at 12:30.  

3, 2, 1 things you should know about our week...

3 math activities we concentrated on were measuring with meters and centimeters ( and the relationship between the two units of measurement), measuring various items of choice in the classroom using a variety of measuring tools, and stretching our mind with an activity called "The Race" where we needed to ask questions, focus on our work and showing the work in a logical way, and talking through our thinking...not just getting the right answer.  This was a challenging one for us but overall they did a great job!

2 strategies we worked on in reading were determine the why in a pourqoui story (such as Why is the sun and moon in the sky?) and determine the lesson of a short play we participated in.  The groups worked very well together on this play and I'm impressed with how much their fluency and speaking aloud has grown over the year.  Check out a few pics below!

1 new activity we have started recently is "Stump Mr. DeKing"!  We call Mr. DeKing and ask him a question related to our curriculum work for the week and see if he can answer.  Today we asked him, How many inches are in a meter?...do you know the answer?  Ask your child for the answer.  Today he even asked them a question!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. DeKing