Week of September 30

Sunday Schedule:  Week 2, Day 5

This week's homework:  15 minutes of reading each night

IXL Math for possible extra practice:  A1, A2, A3, A4, A5

Classroom Happenings:
This week students explore strategies for rolling up our sleeves and figuring out the meaning of tricky words in our Reader's Workshop.  Students are practicing strategies like using picture to determine the meaning of unknown words or using what's happening in the story to figure out the meaning of unknown words.  In Writer's Workshop, we've been using Owl Moon by Jane Yolen as a mentor text to study good writing moves.  We've been adding details to our writing by showing, not just telling a story.  One strategy we're working on is including "5 senses details" to our writing.  What did you hear?  What did you see?  What did you feel?  What did you smell?  What did you taste?     

Check your student's backpack for the first Math Newsletter that was sent home!  This newsletter will be a good resource throughout the year as it outlines skills we're working on in class, as well as strategies for how children can show their thinking using models and manipulatives.  Let me know if you didn't get your copy and I can send home another! 

Reminders:
Wednesday, October 3 is a half day. 

If you haven't done so already, please return the blue Child Information Form that came home on Back-to-School night or in your student's backpack.  Be sure to list the email addresses you want the blog post to be sent to on the form.  This is the email address I will use to communicate all classroom happenings.

SeeSaw Access:  SeeSaw Accounts are up and running.  Students are posting weekly to their "newsfeed" with updates about what's happening in school.  Be sure to take a look at the SeeSaw Access Instructions that came home with Back-to-School night so you get an update email each time they post!  As we're getting it set up, I'm approving student posts as they come through.  (So excited to have this communication tool with home!!)

Birthday treats!  Let me know if you'd like to bring in birthday treats for the class!  We have 17 students in the class that are always welcoming of treats.  :)  We will typically have birthday treats at 10:15am with our snack time.  So, if you can drop them off in the morning before snack, we will enjoy them with snack.  If not, let me know so I can plan for another arrangement.  (Note:  We do not have a peanut/treenut allergy in our classroom.)

IXL Login Information

IXL Math login information is coming home this evening.  Students know that they do not have IXL homework for this week, but they are to show you the login information so you can get it set up at home.  Moving forward, I will post weekly IXL practice on the blog that coincides with our current math modules and skills.  This will be extra  practice if you choose to do it.  If IXL is ever a required homework assignment for the week, or review for an assessment, I will put it under the weekly homework assignments section on the blog.  Happy Math'ing!! 

Week of September 23

Sunday Schedule:  Week 1, Day 6

This week's homework:  15 minutes of reading each night

IXL Math:  extra practice will be posted here in the future (this is not required for homework, but is always an extra option; logins and passwords coming next week as we have access to our accounts again!)

Classroom Happenings:
We're off to a great start here in 2AN!  I've really enjoyed getting to know your student these first few weeks of school and we've enjoyed building community in our classroom as we get to know each other! 

Our literacy work is also off to a roarin' start!  We've been doing a lot of work with building stamina with our reading and writing independent minutes, as well as, taking responsibility of our own reading and writing lives.  Students have been practicing strategies to pick just right books for choice reading and are also practicing using stop and jots to help us think more deeply as we read.  We've also been building on our ideas in Writer's Workshop as we move into our first unit in Writer's Workshop, Improving Narrative Writing. 

Here's a sample of our "stop and jot" work in Reader's Workshop.  We're working on realizing that we're always thinking when we're reading and to stop and jot when we have ideas about our reading.  Ask your student about our prediction and question stop and jots!     

Our first Math Module begins with Sums and Difference to 100.  Students are using addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all posotions. 

Reminders:
ASA's begin on Sunday, September 23.  Information about ASA selections was emailed to parents instead of students getting a handout this year. 

Grade 2 will have DRA testing for reading on Sunday, September 23 and Monday, September 24.  This is not an assessment students can study or prepare for, but you can help your student do their best by making sure they are getting enough rest!  There will be a substitute in the classroom on both of these days so also help to remind your student to be helpful to our sub!

If you haven't done so already, please return the blue Child Information Form that came home on Back-to-School night or in your student's backpack.  Be sure to list the email addresses you want the blog post to be sent to on the form.  This is the email address I will use to communicate all classroom happenings. 

SeeSaw Access:  SeeSaw Accounts are up and running.  Students are posting weekly to their "newsfeed" with updates about what's happening in school.  Be sure to take a look at the SeeSaw Access Instructions that came home with Back-to-School night so you get an update email each time they post!  As we're getting it set up, I'm approving student posts as they come through.  (So excited to have this communication tool with home!!)

Birthday treats!  Let me know if you'd like to bring in birthday treats for the class!  We have 17 students in the class that are always welcoming of treats.  :)  We will typically have birthday treats at 10:15am with our snack time.  So, if you can drop them off in the morning before snack, we will enjoy them with snack.  If not, let me know so I can plan for another arrangement.  (Note:  We do not have a peanut/treenut allergy in our classroom.)

Week of September 16

Sunday Schedule:  Week 1, Day 1

IXL Math:  extra practice will be posted here in the future

Upcoming Events and Special Notes:  
Welcome back to another school year!  I'm so happy to have met most of you on Registration Days or on Back-to-School night and am looking forward to a great year together! 

And speaking of Back-to-School night, your child should have come home with three Back-to-School night handouts (Grade 2 Newsletter, SeeSaw access instructions, and a Child Information Form) if you did not attend Back-to-School night.  Please look for these in their backpack if you haven't seen them yet!  I ask that you please try to return the Child Information Form next week and be sure to list the email addresses you want the blog post to be sent to on the form.  This is the email address I will use to communicate all classroom happenings. 

You will also notice books coming home in your student's backpack this weekend.  These are books from our classroom library that your student will be bringing home and can be used as a choice for their required reading minutes for homework.  Students will pick and keep at least 3 books from our library at home at all times.  These books will be at your child's just right level, a level that challenges them appropriately, and that level is assigned by me.  In having these books come home, you have access to books that you know are at their just right level, or you can compare the books they are bringing home with the books they are already reading at home.  You can also ask your student about what they know about checking books for their just right level and have them do their five finger test on books at home. (Current required homework:  15 minutes of reading at home each weekday, other various assignments will come home throughout the year)  

SeeSaw Access:  SeeSaw Accounts are up and running.  Students are posting weekly to their "newsfeed" with updates about what's happening in school.  Be sure to take a look at the SeeSaw Access Instructions that came home with Back-to-School night so you get an update email each time they post!  As we're getting it set up, I'm approving student posts as they come through and your family access requests.  Be patient as these will all be approved and accepted as we move into next week!  (So excited to have this communication tool with home!!)

Birthday treats!  Let me know if you'd like to bring in birthday treats for the class!  We have 17 students in the class that are always welcoming of treats.  :)  We will typically have birthday treats at 10:15am with our snack time.  So, if you can drop them off in the morning before snack, we will enjoy them with snack.  If not, let me know so I can plan for another arrangement.  (Note:  We do not have a peanut/treenut allergy in our classroom.) 

Reminders:
2AN Yearbook Photos will be on Tuesday, September 18.  Students will wear their TAISM polo uniform for photos. 

Welcome to 2AN!

Looking forward to a great year in grade 2!