Friday, August 25, 2017

Happy Friday! :)

What a great first FULL week of second grade that I have enjoyed with your kiddo!  We have been working extremely hard on establishing station routines during math and reading.  Also, we continue to talk about expectations on the carpet, as well as expectations during work times..  We have been teaching and reinforcing these expectations throughout the day and students receive stickers for doing their job.  Last week, I wrote  about that the kiddos have sticker charts & once they get a full sticker chart they have a choice of what they want to do.  Below is their choice board.


This week, Maggie chose to read to the class because she filled up a sticker chart.  She read The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  I love it when kiddos choose to read as their choice!! :)



What's Going on in 2nd Grade!

  • Math
    • This week, was the first week of actually starting math stations and establishing routines and expectations.  During math, there are 3 stations that your child will visit each day: teacher station (direct instruction on the objective), independent practice station (student practices the learning objective), and game station (students play a game with a peer that reinforces math topic or play ST Math or other online games on the laptop).  This week our focus was on solving problems using different strategies (number line, picture, tally marks, etc.).
    • Next week, we will be focusing on identifying and counting coins.  Your child should already be able to identify and count pennies by themselves.  On Monday, we will focus on dimes and counting coins that have dimes and pennies.  On Wednesday, we will talk about nickels and count coins that have dimes, pennies, and nickels.  When counting coins we will focus on that sorting the coins and starting to count with the biggest value first.  
  • Writing
    • This week, our focus was continuing to increase our writing stamina.  The students wrote a creative story of "How Mrs. Ross or Ms. Mottaz Spent Her Summer Vacation" and reading the book How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague.  These stories turned out great and we are turning them into a classroom book!  We also started a new routine of writing to our Star Student during the writing rotation during our reading block.  
    • Next week, we will be starting our first unit of writing a small moment story.  A small moment story (personal narrative) is a story where the main character is yourself and lasts no more than two hours.  The students will have a chance to brainstorm 5 different story ideas, share these stories with a writing partner, and choose the BEST story for their small moment.  By the end of next week, we will actually be writing our first process writing piece in 2nd grade!!
  • Reading
    • This week was also the first week of starting reading stations.  There are five reading stations each day: reading, reading skill, writing, science/social studies, and word study (spelling).  At the reading skill station, a teacher is with the group focusing on a reading comprehension skill that is our focus for the week.  At the word study station, on Monday (or first day of the week) a teacher teaches the students the spelling words/pattern for the week and for the rest of the week the students work independently on learning this pattern/skill.  At the science/social studies station, the focus is learning about different science and social studies topics through literacy.
    • Next week, our reading skill focus will be on completing a bookmark independently on a book that was read.  This week, we introduced a fiction and nonfiction book that was completed on books that were read to the class.  On a fiction bookmark the student must identify the problem/solution of the book and on a nonfiction bookmark the student must identify two facts that they learned while reading the book.  Once a bookmark is completed, an adult meets with the student to talk with him/her about the book.  So next week, we will focusing on the students reading to understand and filling out these bookmarks on books that they have read independently from our classroom library.









  • Social Studies
    • This week, we introduced a variety of U.S. symbols and the students read about these symbols, learned a cool fact, and were able to color these symbols.
    • Next week, they will read a book called American Symbols.  After reading the book, the students will identify at least two facts about each symbol.
  • Word Study
    • This week, our focus was on teaching the word study activities.  So the students had four words that they were working on spelling: their first name, last name, Mrs. Ross and Ms. Mottaz.  We talked about that all these words are proper nouns and the importance of capitalizing the first letter.
    • Next week, we are continuing to focus on the students being able to independently complete the word study activities.  These activities include: writing sentences using their spelling words, writing their spelling words in rainbow or ghost words, writing their spelling words in bubble letters, and a spelling graffiti activity.  Next week's practice words are from the trick words that they learned to read in first grade: you, the, his, into, and has.


Library Checkout & Free Read Friday!

Today was our first library checkout day and the kiddos were so excited!!!  They discovered that as second graders they are able to checkout books from anywhere in the library.  We had a discussion about making good choices of books that they choose.  After library checkout the kiddos were able to free read throughout the classroom - I have never seen such happy kiddos to get to curl up with a good book and read (which just made my heart happy)!!! :)





















Special Reader...Mrs. Neale!

On Thursday, Mrs. Neale (our new assistant principal) came in and read to us two of her favorite beginning of the year books.  Since she was a music teacher previously they were both books that included music.  She read Pete the Cat Rocking in His School Shoes and The Remarkable Adventures of Farkle McBride.  It was so much fun to have Mrs. Neale as a visitor and to hear the kids sing along with her as she read.  We have already had a request for her to come back in with more "music books."







I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!

Monday, August 21, 2017

Eclipse Day - August 21, 2017

The eclipse was super amazing.  The students learned a lot and it definitely was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to experience with all their friends at RBE!

This morning we had eclipse stations.  There were three stations that helped us learn and prepare for the eclipse.  At one station, the kids decorated paper plates to use with their eclipse glasses.  At the second station, the students made a hole punch design to be able to see the different shadows made by the eclipse (unfortunately this did not work out as we were expecting).  They had a fun eclipse snack also!  The students assimilated an eclipse by using a Vanilla Wafer (sun) and an Oreo (moon).  They moved the "moon" in front of the "sun" to represent totality and continued to move it across to show the progression of the eclipse.

We started to make a list of what we learned - we will continue to add to it tomorrow!  Mrs. Eskridge came in and talked with us a little about what will happen during the eclipse.

Our list before Mrs. Eskridge came.

Mrs. Eskridge talking to us about the eclipse.

We spent approximately and hour and half this afternoon outside.  We experienced the beginning of the eclipse through totality during this time.  Throughout the day, we kept track of the time, temperature and what the sun looked like through our solar eclipse glasses.  We discovered that the temperature really did go down during the eclipse!  It was 89 degrees before the eclipse stared and during totality it was 80 degrees!

It was definitely a fun and exciting day!  You can check out pictures here.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Happy Friday! :)

We have had an great first week of 2nd grade!  We are continuing to focus on learning our expectations and classroom routines.  The kiddos have done any AMAZING job transitioning back to school!

Solar Eclipse


A solar eclipse will be happening on Monday (August 21).  Due to this being a very special day our classroom schedule will look a little different.   Our day will be filled with learning about what an eclipse is and other activities.  We will be outside from 12:25-1:30 (this is the time that the totality of the eclipse will be occurring) so please apply sunscreen to your child in the morning.  Also, our recess/lunch schedule will be different.  Please send your child with a towel for your child to sit on.  If you would like to send your child with a hat on Monday since we will be outside that would be great!

Today we practiced wearing our Solar Eclipse outside.  The kiddos were so excited to wear these glasses and look at the sun.  We are looking forward to a fun and memorable event!








Friday Folder


Your child is coming home with a Friday Folder in his/her backpack.  This Friday Folder is an additional communication tool between school and home.  In the left inside pocket (which is the "Return to School" side), you will find a yellow piece of paper which has your child's Friday Folder Checklist on the front and on the back is a place for comments.  Please initial the front that you have reviewed your child's work habits and the comments (which will be written every other week).  This week we have been focusing on establishing routines and classroom expectations - please review the Friday Folder checklist and the expectations taught this week.  Now that we are in the routine of school, it is our expectation these expectations to be met with fewer reminders.  On the right you will find a "Keep at Home" pocket - inside this pocket will be papers that your child completed at school or other correspondence from the school.

RBE 3

At RBE, we have three expectations that are called the RBE 3.  These expectations are that we are safe, respectful learners.  On Wednesday, we read How Dinosaurs Stay Safe and brainstormed a list of expectations of how to be safe.  On Thursday, we read Chrysanthemum and established a list of expectations of how to be respectful at school.  Then today, we made a list of list of how to be a learner after we read Steve Raised by Wolves.  The kiddos made a dinosaur, a flower and a book with these expectations and they are posted in our classroom.  The next time you are at school, make sure to check them out!

As students are showing us that they are safe, respectful learners they are able to earn stickers.  Each kiddo has their own sticker chart and when the sticker chart is full they are able to earn a small celebration.  Many students have filled up their sticker chart and are bring them home.  On the back we have wrote what celebration they have chosen.  For example, some kiddos are choosing a pajama day, wear a hat during the day, show and tell, read a book to the class, or bring a stuffed animal to school.  If your child brings home a filled sticker chart with a celebration on the back they can have their celebration the next school day.  With Eclipse Day on Monday and being a special day, we discussed that if your child would like to not have his/her celebration until Tuesday that would be fine!


What has your child been doing in school?


  • In Math:
    • On Wednesday, we took our first "Math Wizard" check-in.  Every Wednesday your child will take this check-in.  The purpose of this check-in is focusing on your child knowing his/her math facts quick and fast.  As your child grows as a mathematician it is helpful for the student to know their math facts - knowing these facts will help your child as we start learning how to add/subtract two & three digit math problems.  For your child to "pass" this check-in s/he will need to get 46 out of 50 problems correct in 3 minutes.  This week we went over different ways to practice facts (playing math fact games together or individually using a computer or tablet, orally practicing facts in the car, practicing the math wizard test, etc.).  Your child's first Math Wizard check-in was just a practice and it will remain at school for us to see progress.  Please help your child find time to practice these facts.
    • Today we took a beginning of the year assessment.  This assessment allows us to know what your child already knows and lets us begin to guide our instruction.
    • Next week, we will be starting our first math unit on numbers and their patterns.  In this unit we will be establishing math routines, learning about different math tools, and number patterns.
  • In Reading: 
    • This week, we perused the huge classroom libraries that we have in our classroom and the students selected the first books that they will read as second graders.  We discussed that one of the benefits of having such a huge classroom is that there double the books to be able to read throughout the school year! :)  One of the ways we will keep track of what your child reads is for him/her to fill out a bookmark on a completed book.  We have a fiction and nonfiction book.  An adult will meet with your child when a book is finished to talk with him/her about what was read.
    • Next week, we will start to implement reading stations and focus on establishing these strong reading routines.
  • In Writing:
    • This week, the students made a free write notebook and we talked about the expectations of writing in this notebook.  They had the opportunity to be able to begin to write in this notebook.
    • Next week, we have some fun writing prompts to get the kiddos excited about writing and establishing our writing routines.  The following week, we will begin our first unit on writing a personal narrative (small moment story).

Star Students

Every week a different student will be coming home with a Star Student pocket.  Inside this pocket is instructions with what to write on the note-cards provided to help us learn more about the Star Student.  On Monday, please help your child return the note-cards and any pictures that s/he would like to share inside the pocket.  

This week's Star Students are Ace & Kaitlyn!

Class "Pets"

We do not have actual class pets in our classroom, but we do have book characters stuffed animals that act like our class pets.  This year our book characters are from a variety of Mo Willems' books.  We have Piggie & Elephant, Pigeon, and Knuffle Bunny.  Each animal has a notebook where students are able to write down the adventures that they have with our class pets.  Each weekend two students will get to select a class "pet" to bring home.  Their job is to enjoy spending time with the pet all weekend long, keep the stuffed animal dry, clean, write about his/her adventures, and bring the "pet" and the notebook back on Monday to share.

This weekend Elephant is going home with Brooklyn & Piggie is going home with Caden!

Birthdays

This week was full of birthdays!  On Tuesday is was Thaida's birthday and then on Wednesday it was Bradyn's.  We celebrated by singing "Happy Birthday" and then on Wednesday we ate  cupcakes to celebrate Bradyn's birthday! :)







Some Other Pictures :)

Here are a few pictures of kiddos sharing Me Bags, an I Spy Around the Classroom and inside recess.




























I hope that you have you have a wonderful weekend!