THE SEASON HAS BEGUN...

The holiday season is upon us.  We have begun to prepare in second grade while continuing with our learning.

As a fun addition to our classroom, we elicited our classroom helper (and artist), Mrs. Moran to help us out in creating our classroom door.

This week we focused a lot on our writing skills.  The students were shown some writing samples of some graders and then we analyzed them to see what the good qualities were and the bad qualities were.  Then the students were given some prompts to try on their own.
 
In math, we have been practicing adding bigger numbers mentally.  We have done this by shopping and playing games.  This is a difficult skill for second graders, so any time you can practice this home would be a big help.  Next week, we will be learning how to add 2 and 3 digit numbers. 

We had some fun this week in science experimenting once again with motion.  The students were given a marble and some "runways".  They had to work together to complete given challenges.

Keep in mind that next Friday, December 7 is a half day.  Have a nice weekend!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I would like to start by wishing all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you take the time to enjoy your family and give thanks.

Of the many things I am thankful for, one of the most important are my students and their families.  It was a pleasure to meet with all of you at conferences.  We have a great community with supportive parents!!

This week in celebration of the holiday we read a couple of books, like The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving and A Turkey for Thanksgiving.  We then did a fun writing activity about how to help a turkey escape a Thanksgiving dinner.

Of course the best part of this week was our assembly celebrating our accomplishment of raising money for JDRF.  What a great time we had watching the Spongebob dance starring Mr. D and teachers, the gangnam dance starring Mr. Banas and teachers and the wobble (or gobble as we interpreted it) featuring yours truly.

There was a sad note this week as we said goodbye to our longtime secretary and friend, Mrs. Ferrell.  The entire school bid her farewell this morning with a red carpet arrival. What a nice tribute to someone very special to our school.

Have a great holiday!!!

Walk for a Cure

This week the entire school participated in the JDRF walk.  What a great time we had walking and what a great cause.  There is still more fun to come.  Next week, during a special assembly several staff members, including myself, will be performing special dances.  Stay tuned...  For more information about JDRF go to www.jdrf.org .

This week in Math, we another unit assessment.  You will begin to see that the assessments will be  getting more difficult as the year progresses.  If ever you have a question, feel free to contact me.

In Reading, we have begun to discuss the "Asking Questions" strategy.  This is a skill that can be easily practiced at home and will help the students become better at comprehension.  When reading a story with your child, ask them if they have any questions as they read.

We have completed our map unit in Social Studies and have begun to learn about geography.  In Science, we are still working on motion and have experimented with using different objects such as cups and discs to roll down a ramp.

Of course, this week was the distribution of report cards and the start of conferences.  I have enjoyed seeing many of you and speaking about the students.  Please know that I am available anytime you would like to discuss a concern.  The best way to reach me is through email.  Please note that if you would like to call me, my extension is 204.

Have a great weekend...

Hurricane Sandy...

What an incredible week this has been.  I am sure that many of you are feeling as lucky as I am to know that our area faired well in the wake of the storm.  My heart goes out to the people that suffered such devastating loss. 

With the short week, we were still able to accomplish a lot in the classroom.  As you are aware, the students were given a reading test this week and once again, they did very well.  Today, in celebration of Halloween, some books were read to the class while the students made connections to these books.  Look for the connection worksheet in their Friday folders.

We are coming to the end of another unit in Math.  This unit has focused on time and money.  Remember, you can always practice these at home with your child.

In writing, the students wrote reports on How to Make a Witches Brew.  There were definitely some interesting ingredients...

Next week our school will be holding a mock election for President.  We discussed the election and the candidates.  Some of the students had definite opinions about who should be our next President. 

This was our last week of Footprints.  Mr. P brought a special guest this week and also a special treat for the class.  The students really enjoyed this program.  Listen for your children using I messages, or talking about coping skills or using a situation stop light...

We had a special assembly this week from the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).  We will again be participating in a school walk-a-thon.  You should have received your envelope with the sneakers to help with donations.  This year many of our staff (myself included) have volunteered to do a special dance if our jars get filled.  There will be jars in the cafeteria that the students can fill with spare change.  I better start practicing!!!

Keep in mind that next week is a short week.  You will soon be receiving your scheduled conference time.  Conferences are 11/15, 11/16, 11/19, and 11/20.  If you have a conflict with your scheduled time, please let me know and I will try to resolve it the best I can.  Report cards will be going home on Wednesday, 11/14. 

Trick or Treat safely!!!