Weekly Update 09/26/14

Important Announcements:

*We had our Dog Jog today, and the kids did a great job!  Your child received a Dog Jog t-shirt today.  Make sure to hold on to the shirt because we will be wearing them throughout the year for certain events (like our field trip).   

*Next week during social studies, we will be studying fire safety.  Not all students are in social studies because of reading learning lab.  However, having a fire safety plan is imperative for every household.  With this in mind, your child will have a homework assignment on Tuesday where you will have to decide as a family on a fire safety plan.  It will need to be completed and turned in on Wednesday.  There will be no math assignment that evening so your child will just have to complete the fire safety plan handout and a reading workbook page. 

*Reminders for parent/teacher conferences will be sent home next week.  I am looking forward to meeting with you and talking about your child’s progress in second grade on either October 8^th or October 9^th. 

*Continue to work on addition and subtraction math facts.  Make sure to use those fact triangles that were sent home last week and today, or you can practice for free online at www.xtramath.org.  Let me know if you need the log-in information sent home again. 

*The Yankee Candle fundraiser is due back by Monday, September 29^th.  Candles will be available for pick up on November 11^th from 12 – 4 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m. and again on November 12^th from 4 – 8 p.m. at Central Office Door #7.  Proceeds from the candle sale benefits the Brownsburg Education Foundation and the money raised go towards teacher and school grants.  I have benefited from this program in years past by writing and receiving grants for my classroom. 

*If anyone is able to come in and volunteer next week, send me an e-mail and let me know what day and time works best for you!  Thanks! 

*I believe in building relationships with the children both inside my classroom and outside the classroom.  If your child participates in any extracurricular activities (sports, dance, theater, etc.), or has any other events that he/she would like to invite me to, please let me know, and I will do my best 

to come! 

*The blog will also be updated with this information as well so if you need to see it again visit http://misswhisman.blogspot.com .

A Look at Next Week:

Science/ Health

Dinosaurs

Spelling

r-controlled vowels

Reading

Story: Scarcity

Skill: Contractions

Math

Times of Day; “What’s My Rule?” with Blocks; Pockets Bar Graph

Social Studies

Fire Safety

English/Writing

Letter Writing

Weekly Update 09-19-14

Important Announcements:

*We had our Dog Jog convocation this afternoon.  Information regarding our school’s largest fundraiser went home today.  Second grade will be participating in the Dog Jog from 10:05 – 10:35.  Our specials schedule will also be changed that day.  We will go to specials from 1:10 – 1:40. 

*Our spelling words next week are contractions.  The apostrophe is a difficult key to navigate on keyboards.  This spelling list may be a good spelling list to practice at home using www.spellingcity.com/awhisman.  You can have your child practice taking the test at home so he/she can get used to typing the apostrophe (without spaces before or after it). 

*Next week is College Go! Week.  This week is really all about encouraging our students to think about college and how we prepare for college with everything that we do at school now.  In honor of this, we will have spirit days every day next week. 

The spirit days are:

Monday: Make Your Dreams Come True - wear pajamas

Tuesday: Education is "tied" to your Future - wear a tie

Wednesday: Lei Out Your Future - Hawaiian day, students may purchase leis for $1.00 for Riley Children’s Hospital

Thursday: Teamwork Pays Off - wear your favorite college attire

Friday: Be Cool, Stay in School - wear your Dog Jog t-shirt (your child will receive his/her t-shirt next week)

*Continue to work on addition and subtraction math facts.  Make sure to use those fact triangles that were sent home last week and today, or you can practice for free online at www.xtramath.org.  Let me know if you need the log-in information sent home again. 

*The Yankee Candle fundraiser is due back by Monday, September 29^th.  Candles will be available for pick up on November 11^th from 12 – 4 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m. and again on November 12^th from 4 – 8 p.m. at Central Office Door #7.  Proceeds from the candle sale benefits the Brownsburg Education Foundation and the money raised go towards teacher and school grants.  I have benefited from this program in years past by writing and receiving grants for my classroom. 

*If anyone is able to come in and volunteer next week, send me an e-mail and let me know what day and time works best for you!  Thanks! 

*I believe in building relationships with the children both inside my classroom and outside the classroom.  If your child participates in any extracurricular activities (sports, dance, theater, etc.), or has any other events that he/she would like to invite me to, please let me know, and I will do my best to come! 

*The blog will also be updated with this information as well so if you need to see it again visit http://misswhisman.blogspot.com .

A Look at Next Week:

Science/ Health

Dinosaur Non-Fiction Articles

Spelling

Contractions

Reading

Story: Abraham Lincoln

Skill: Author’s Purpose

Math

Review for Unit 2 test; Unit 2 test on Tuesday, September 23^rd; Place Value; Price of Objects

Social Studies

Government

English/Writing

Persuasive writing

Weekly Update 09/12/14

Important Announcements:

*This week we read our first novel as a class: Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover.  The students took a Reading Counts quiz on the computer over the book, and they did awesome!  This is a different program than what we normally use so there is not a print out of the scores, but you can check their score in the gradebook.

*We will be back to the reading book and a spelling list next week.  Spelling words are coming home today. 

*We will be finishing our geography unit next week.  Our test over geography will be on Thursday.  We will review for two days in class leading up to the test.

*Next Friday, we will be having a convocation about Delaware Trail’s biggest fundraiser – Dog Jog.  More information will be coming home after the convocation.  Dog Jog will take place on Friday, September 26^th. 

*Thank you to everyone that has sent in Box Tops for the Box Tops competition.  The competition will end on Friday, September 19^th.  The winning classroom will get to participate in the Homecoming parade on Friday, September 26^th.  Even after this contest you can still send in Box Tops.  Make sure that you label them with my last name so that we earn Box Tops towards our next competition. 

*Continue to work on addition and subtraction math facts.  Make sure to use those fact triangles that were sent home this week, or you can practice for free online at www.xtramath.org.  Let me know if you need the log-in information sent home again. 

*If I do not have a parent / teacher conference scheduled for you, I will be contacting you next week to get one scheduled.  Reminders will be sent home about your conference time in the upcoming weeks. 

*We took the SRI test again this week.  Students that improved their scores were given a star on the Super Improver Wall in the classroom.  I will be sending reports home with your child’s most recent score as soon as they are printed.  I will be having some students retake it over the next couple of weeks with our Connection Pointe volunteer Mr. Kehr. 

*Your child is bringing home a Yankee Candle Sale Fundraiser today.  This fundraiser starts today and is due back by Monday, September 29^th.  Candles will be available for pick up on November 11^th from 12 – 4 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m. and again on November 12^th from 4 – 8 p.m. at Central Office Door #7.  Proceeds from the candle sale benefits the Brownsburg Education Foundation and the money raised go towards teacher and school grants.  I have benefited from this program in years past by writing and receiving grants for my classroom. 

*If anyone is able to come in and volunteer next week, send me an e-mail and let me know what day and time works best for you!  Thanks! 

*I believe in building relationships with the children both inside my classroom and outside the classroom.  If your child participates in any extracurricular activities (sports, dance, theater, etc.), or has any other events that he/she would like to invite me to, please let me know, and I will do my best to come! 

*The blog will also be updated with this information as well so if you need to see it again visit 

http://misswhisman.blogspot.com .

A Look at Next Week:

Science/ Health

Life Cycles

Spelling

Words with vowel controlled r

Reading

Story: Tara and Tiree

Skill: cause and effect

Math

Frames-and-Arrows Problems; What’s My Rule?; Subtraction Facts; Addition/Subtraction Facts

Social Studies

Geography; Geography test on Thursday, September 18^th

English/Writing

Persuasive writing

Weekly Update 09/05/14

Important Announcements:

*Today we went to the computer lab to take our reading and spelling tests.  Wow!  The kids did a great job!  The majority of students scored very well on their reading tests by taking it only on the computer.  The few students that I thought could have done better were also given the test on paper.  I will continue this until the end of the first nine weeks.  After that, we will only take the reading test on the computer. 

*We have been working on geography during social studies, and it became very clear that many of the students do not know their own home addresses.  It is very important that your child know his/her home address and telephone numbers. 

*Where are the spelling words for next week?  Great question!  There are NO spelling words for next week!  Enjoy the week off of studying spelling words! 

*Next week we are going to read Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover.  This is not in the reading book.  Your child will not have any reading homework next week.  This would be a great week to read at home for FUN and to practice math facts! 

*Next week we are reviewing the reading skills taught in Unit 1.  Your child will have the opportunity to travel to the different second grade classrooms for a mini-lesson on one of the skills.  This is a great way for your child to get used to different teaching styles and for the second grade teachers to get to know all of the students! 

*Next week is the anniversary of September 11^th.  I do plan on talking about it with your child at an age-appropriate level during social studies.  I will begin the discussion on Wednesday morning because I will be in professional development Thursday morning.  I will be asking the substitute to stick with the plans I have written and keep the discussion to a minimum by having the students save any questions for you or for me when I return in the afternoon.  We will also wrap up our discussion on the topic on Friday. 

*Thank you to those who have already sent in pictures of your child out and about in Brownsburg.  We have been studying geography during social studies.  We are going to be talking about the geography of Brownsburg.  As you are out and about in town, if you do not mind taking your child’s picture in front of businesses, neighborhoods, parks, etc. and sending it to me, I would greatly appreciate it!  Taking a picture on your cell phone and e-mailing it to me electronically is fine!  This will become part of our geography display.  Thanks for your help with this!

*If anyone is able to come in and volunteer next week, send me an e-mail and let me know what day and time works best for you!  Thanks! 

*I believe in building relationships with the children both inside my classroom and outside the classroom.  If your child participates in any extracurricular activities (sports, dance, theater, etc.), or has any other events that he/she would like to invite me to, please let me know, and I will do my best to come! 

*The blog will also be updated with this information as well so if you need to see it again visit http://misswhisman.blogspot.com .

A Look at Next Week:

Science/ Health

Life Cycles

Spelling

No spelling!  Enjoy!

Reading

Story: Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover

Skill: Review of Unit 1 skills (character and setting / main ideas and details)

Math

Domino Facts; Fact Triangles; Weighing Things; Name-Collection Boxes

Social Studies

Geography / September 11^th

English/Writing

Introduce the writing traits of Word Choice, Voice, and Presentation