Reader's Workshop

This quarter we added some new components to our Reader's Workshop block. Your child has an abundance of choices each day to further his/her reading.

Here are a few pictures to get an idea of what our Reader's Workshop looks like:

They can practice their Letterland sounds during their reading block. 

They love wordle.net! This website is free and helps them brainstorm adjectives about books or characters. 

We have timers to practice fluency passages or books!

We use this chart for unknown words or for words we just learned in the stories that we read. 

Items in Need

Hi 2nd Grade Families!  I hope everyone made it safely home on Friday. The weather says it is suppose to be 70 on Tuesday and Wednesday! This is why I love North Carolina. 

Our class needs the following items:

A Jar: 
Glass or plastic
Must have a lid
Big or small

We also need Kleenex (aka facial tissues)

Clorox wipes too!

That is all! 

We are learning about coins for another week. The best thing you can do for your child is pull out some coins and keep practicing. I also sent home flash cards with them before track out. We will practice at school but it should also be practiced at home too!

Reading

I received this image from Perry Public Schools site. It does look like this study is a bit dated (1987) but definitely something to think about. 

Early Release 1-25-13

Due to inclement weather we will dismiss 3 hours early on Friday, January 25th at 12:45 p.m. Please drive safely. : ) 

Don't forget to study for your spelling test tomorrow. The list is stapled to the pink homework sheet. 

Quarter 3, Week 1

Welcome Back!

I have missed my 2nd graders so much! I am grateful for such an amazing group of children. Can't wait to see you tomorrow!

Thank You!

Thank you to all of who thought of me during Christmas. I  enjoyed every card, gift, homemade pictures and treats! It was very kind of all of you to think of me! 

In-House Fieldtrip:

The second installment for the In-House fieldtrip is due Friday, Feb. 1st. If you paid the full amount in September, this does not apply to you. If you broke your payment into two, the second amount owed is $17. Our next visit, "Everything Matters," is scheduled for March 5th.

Letterland:

We have decided as a second grade team to begin administering weekly Spelling Test. Each week your child will receive a word list which will include words that focus on the Letterland story logic being studied as well as High Frequency Words (HWF.) The tests will be given on Fridays.


Each night your child will have Letterland homework. You will see it tomorrow on the PINK homework sheet.

Dinner Guest:

This week our featured text is Lilly's Big Day by Kevin Henkes. Our targeted words for each day are:

- Tuesday - "assistant"
- Wednesday - "proudly"
- Thursday -  "ceremony"
- Friday - "motioned" and "exhausted"

Upcoming Events:

Track-In Day (first day back to school) Jan. 22 Fieldtrip Money Due (2nd installment) Feb. 1 Early Release (dismissal at 1:15) Feb. 8 Spring Pictures Feb. 19 Early Release (dismissal at 1:15) Mar. 1 Everything Matters In-House Fieldtrip Mar. 5 Jan. 21st - Jan. 25th: This week, we will cover the following in each subject...and much, much more! Math Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using dollar and cent symbols appropriately (Ex: If you have 2 dimes and 3 pennies, how much money do you have?) Explain why addition and subtraction strategies work, using place value and the properties of operations Language Arts Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (Ex: "The boy watched the movie." changed to "The little boy watched the movie" or "The action movie was watched by the little boy." Explain how specific images (Ex. a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (Ex: gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion) Write opinion pieces in which the topic is introduced, opinion is stated, reasons are supplied, linking words are used to connect opinion and reasons, and concluding statement is provided With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing Research Understand the structure and properties of matter before and after they undergo a change Compare solids, liquids, and gases based on their basic properties

Polar Express!

We are watching the Polar Express tomorrow. My beloved Netfix account has been blocked from our school. Does anyone have the movie that we could borrow? Please comment on here or email me @ lchatterton@wcpss.net.

Also, I already sent a note home explaining the day. Just to clarify, your child can bring in a peanut-free snack to share with the class, a blanket and a stuff animal to snuggle with during the movie.

Quarter 2, Week 8

Case 21 Testing

Next week all second graders will be participating in Case 21 testing. More information is forthcoming! This test will not be used in any way to determine your child's report card. This will be used for data purposes to determine what the second grade class needs to work on and what we already understand. I will be going over test taking strategies tomorrow during our research time. 

Pictures:

In research on Tuesday, I taught the concept of timelines. I shared pictures of myself from birth to now and we documented it on a timeline. My students were very eager to share their own personal timeline. If you would like to bring in pictures documenting your child's growth through the years, please do. These pictures will not be cut or glued, just shared during our morning meeting time. 

Math

• Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between additon and subtraction
• Explain why addition and subtraction strategies work, using place value and the properties of operations
• Use 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 positions (ex: by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.)
• Tell and write time from analog and digital clocks to the nearest five minutes, using a.m. and p.m.

Language Arts

• Know and use various text features (ex: captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently
• Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (ex: toss, throw, hurl)
• Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support opinion, use linking words (ex: because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section

Research

• Understand how various sources provide information about the past
• Understand how various cultures influence communities
• Understand the purpose of timelines and why we need them