Weekly Update 03/22/13

Important Announcements:

*This week has been very busy for us!  We had a great time at Micronauts on Wednesday, March 20^th.  I would like to thank Mrs. Carmin, Mrs. Cookerly, Ms. Harris, and Mr. Sylva for chaperoning and making our field trip a success! 

*We did our Kids Against Hunger food pack today.  The kids did a fantastic job packing food, and we are very excited to be able to benefit an orphanage in Haiti! 

*I am doing a reading incentive in the classroom that ends TODAY!  The sticker charts will be updated the Monday we get back from spring break, and I will be inviting the kids that earned the pizza party sometime after break. 

*Yesterday I sent home a paper about a reading incentive from Mrs. Greene.  Please encourage your child to read for 20 minutes 10 days over break.  If your child completes this and returns it to school, he/she will be invited to a special luncheon with Mrs. Greene. 

*Report cards are available starting today.  This was the first week of the fourth nine weeks grading period.  This school year seems to be flying by! 

*Have a happy spring break!  I will be staying near home and working on some projects.  I hope that whatever you do, you are able to relax, enjoy, and keep safe!  See you April 8^th! 

A Look at Next Week:

Science/ Health:

Keeping Your Teeth Healthy

Spelling:

words with suffixes –er and -est

Reading:

Story: Chinatown

Skill: details

Math

Estimation to the Nearest 10₵, Making Change, Area, Place Value

Social Studies

History

English

Has, Have, Had

Writing

RAP strategy to respond to literature

Weekly Update 03/15/13

Important Announcements:

*The Penny War was a huge success!  Thank you so much to each of you for participating.  We will use the money raised to purchase the food for the food pack.  Also, CertaPro painters has generously agreed to match what we made so we will have double the amount of food to send and benefit an orphanage in Haiti.   We will need parent volunteers for the food pack on Friday, March 22nd so let me know immediately if you are interested in helping out! 

*Permission slips for our field trips to Micronauts and McCloud Nature Park were sent home yesterday.  The permission slip and $1 needed to be returned TODAY. 

*We will be going to Micronauts on Wednesday, March 20^th.  We will be leaving school around 8:45 a.m. and returning to school by 11:30.  Your child will still be able to eat lunch here at school.  If you are volunteering, I will be sending you a letter so you know what to expect! 

*I am doing a reading incentive in the classroom that ends Friday, March 22^nd.  Your child has a sticker chart with 26 spaces on it.  When he/she reads a book and passes a reading counts quiz over the book, he/she can earn stickers for the chart.  Each book has a point value.  Most books are worth one point, but some of the books are worth two and three points.  A sticker will be awarded for each point of the book so a book worth two points will receive two stickers.  The first time your child fills the chart, he/she will earn a reward.  The second time a chart is filled, he/she will be invited to a pizza party with me.  The kids are really excited about this, and the goal is to encourage them to read as much as possible! 

*The March Book-It calendar was sent home on Monday, March 4^th.  Your child will need to complete the reading and return the calendar on Friday, March 22nd.  Happy reading!    

*The end of the third nine weeks is quickly approaching!  The end of the nine weeks is Friday, March 15^th.  Report cards will be posted on Friday, March 22^nd. 

A Look at Next Week:

Science/ Health:

Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Spelling:

words with –gh and -ph

Reading:

Story: Anthony Reynoso: Born to Rope

Skill: summarize / restate

Math

How much?; Coin Values; Calculators and Money; Estimation to the Nearest 10₵

Social Studies

Learning about Haiti and preparing for food pack

English

Am, Is, Are, Was, Were

Writing

Letter writing

Weekly Update 03/08/13

Important Announcements:

*You have received information about the second grade penny war to benefit Kids against Hunger.  The penny war will take place next week and the winning class will earn a reward.  However, the real reward will come on Friday, March 22^nd when the second grade comes together to do the food pack to benefit an orphanage in Haiti.  We will need parent volunteers for this so mark your calendar if you are interested in helping out! 

*Permission slips for our field trips to Micronauts and McCloud Nature Park were sent home yesterday.  The permission slip and $1 need to be returned by Friday, March 15^th. 

*This next week the Student Council will be collecting items for “Loving Care Pack-ages” for Riley Hospital. Each child who donates any of the following items will receive a Riley Hospital for Kids bracelet.

Items to donate: bottled water, healthy snacks, journals with pens, small hand lotion or hand sanitizer, lip balm, and tissues.

*I am doing a reading incentive in the classroom that started on Monday and will continue through Friday, March 22^nd.  Your child has a sticker chart with 26 spaces on it.  When he/she reads a book and passes a reading counts quiz over the book, he/she can earn stickers for the chart.  Each book has a point value.  Most books are worth one point, but some of the books are worth two and three points.  A sticker will be awarded for each point of the book so a book worth two points will receive two stickers.  The first time your child fills the chart, he/she will earn a reward.  The second time a chart is filled, he/she will be invited to a pizza party with me.  The kids are really excited about this, and the goal is to encourage them to read as much as possible!  

*The March Book-It calendar was sent home on Monday, March 4^th.  Your child will need to complete the reading and return the calendar on Friday, March 22nd.  Happy reading!    

*The end of the third nine weeks is quickly approaching!  The end of the nine weeks is Friday, March 15^th.  Report cards will be posted on Friday, March 22^nd. 

A Look at Next Week:

Science/ Health:

Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Spelling:

words with ew and ui

Reading:

Story: Max Found Two Sticks

Skill: multiple meaning words

Math

Capacity; Weight; Review for Unit 9 test; Unit 9 test; Coin Combinations

Social Studies

Economics Unit

English

past-tense verbs

Writing

Letter writing

Weekly Update 03/01/13

Important Announcements:

*Next week is ISTEP+ testing for grades 3 – 5.  Because of the testing, our specials time will be switched on Monday and Thursday of next week.  We will be having specials from 10:20 - 11:05 on Monday and Thursday ONLY.  As second graders, we will try very hard to not be disruptive in the hallways and encourage our intermediate grades to do their best! 

*I am doing a reading incentive in the classroom that started on Monday and will continue through Friday, March 22^nd.  Your child has a sticker chart with 26 spaces on it.  When he/she reads a book and passes a reading counts quiz over the book, he/she can earn stickers for the chart.  Each book has a point value.  Most books are worth one point, but some of the books are worth two and three points.  A sticker will be awarded for each point of the book so a book worth two points will receive two stickers.  The first time your child fills the chart, he/she will earn a reward.  The second time a chart is filled, he/she will be invited to a pizza party with Miss Whisman.  The kids are really excited about this, and the goal is to encourage them to read as much as possible! 

*You have received information about the second grade penny war to benefit Kids against Hunger.  The penny war will take place the week of March 11^th and the winning class will earn a reward.  However, the real reward will come on Friday, March 22^nd when the second grade comes together to do the food pack to benefit hungry families all around the world.  We will need parent volunteers for this so mark your calendar if you are interested in helping out! 

*The March Book-It calendar will be sent home on Monday, March 4^th.  Your child will need to complete the reading and return the calendar on Friday, March 22nd.  Happy reading!    

*The end of the third nine weeks is quickly approaching!  The end of the nine weeks is Friday, March 15^th.  Report cards will be posted on Friday, March 22^nd. 

*Mark your calendars now!  Our class will be participating in the Micronauts program at the Challenger Learning Center on Wednesday, March 20, 2013. We will leave school at 9:00 a.m. and return at 11:30 a.m. For this mission, we will need at least 8 parent volunteers.  More information will be coming!

A Look at Next Week:

Science/ Health:

Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Spelling:

contractions

Reading:

Story: Good-Bye, Curtis

Skill: compare and contrast

Math

Perimeter, travel interview, capacity and area, area and perimeter

Social Studies

Economics Unit

English

subject – verb agreement

Writing

Letter writing