Weekly Update

Writing

The second graders are off to a great start writing persuasive letters. They have the structure pretty much figured out. They write great beginnings and use transition words pretty consistently. Where everyone needs to improve is in volume. They just need to say more to be more persuasive! We will work on adding details and examples next week!

Math

We did so much measuring this week! We measured objects in the room with teacher feet and then with giant feet. We also cut sting to the side of our heads, measured it using tiles and then used it to help estimate the length of things in the room. We will continue to work on both estimating and measuring accurately next week.

Reading

In reading this week we explored ways to figure out the tricky words the second graders will inevitably be coming across as they read harder and harder books. One fun thing we did this week was to coach each other through tricky words. It was awesome to see the second graders reminding each other of the strategies we know to figure out hard words!

Phonics

We have been studying high-frequency words that are longer, homophones, or just more complexly spelled. The second grader can play the game Mind Reader with their word cards and we also learned a game like Guess Who? which focuses on features of the words. Playing games with the "troublemaker" words helps the second grader get more exposure to reading and writing them. This then helps them independently read and write these words.

Social Studies

Last week we studied the word accepted, so this week we worked on rejected. We read Strictly No Elephants and The Day the Crayons quit. The neat thing about these books is that their characters do some problem solving and find ways to feel accepted - by finding a new group of friends and by talking to someone about how they feel. An optional homework page came home on Thursday about rejected.

Holiday Things

Click to find the Sign Up Genius for our last of school before break. Mrs Hills made it for our class, so you will see her name on it, but it really is just for our class. It's pretty short and will help make our last day a little sweeter. I am having a small surgery on the 17th, so my last day before break will be Tuesday, December 16. I am sad that I won't be there for the last day, but we will be doing lots of festive things leading up to till then so I won't miss all the fun with the second graders! Our sub will be Mrs King who taught 2nd grade at Park for many years. She will do a great job sending the students off to break.

Upcoming Dates

December Santa's Shop

December 12 Early release day

December 19 Last day before Break

January 5 Back to school

Weekly Update

Thanks to everyone who helped out with our first service project of the year: pie making! It was a huge success and the second graders felt really great about gifting someone a pie and sparking some joy. We could not have done it without all of your help!

Did you hear that we won the food drive? We are beyond excited to have been the class to bring in the most items, but we know that the food drive is not about winning a contest. The second graders are proud to have been part of a great community project like PES CARES! 

Writing:

Last Tuesday each of the second graders brought home a folder of all of their informational writing. Stapled into that folder is a grade sheet. I met with each student and we reviewed what their grades would be if report cards came out last week. Writing won't be on the semester report card as it is only reported at the end of the year, so I like to make sure I give progress reports as we go. Next week we will be starting our unit on persuasive writing. This is a fun one where the second graders write letters about the books they are reading.

Math:

A math update went home on Tuesday as well. The Unit 3 test, checkpoint and a few work samples were all stapled together with a progress report on top. If you have questions let me know. Even if there is a skill that is highlighted in blue that your child has a 2 on right now, it's not time to panic. We have 5 units still to go!

Reading:

We will be reading books about characters who are trying to be persuasive to support our work in writing. Our next reading unit is about building word-solving muscles. As the second graders gain levels and read harder and harder books they will run into longer and more complex words. We will build on skills they already have and add some new word solving strategies.

Phonics: 

We are starting a unit on troublemaker words. These are high frequency words that are a little trickier to spell. We will be practicing how to spell them all week by learning their sounds and then playing all kinds of games with them. It will be a fun week in phonics!

Upcoming Dates:

December 2: Holiday Music Program

We will take a bus to the church to practice on stage in the morning. Our program starts at 7:30

December 8-10: Santa's Shop

December 12: Early Release

December 19: Last Day Before Break

Weekly Update

Thanks to everyone who made it to conferences last week. It was great to connect and collaborate around your second graders education and school experience this year!

Writing:

All the second graders turned in their last piece of informational writing for the first semester. They have worked so hard on all of their books, I can't wait for you to read all they have written! Next week they will bring home a folder with all of their informational books and we will work on some Thanksgiving writing as well as write a card for the person for whom they are making their pie.

Math:

We took our Unit 3 test this week. We have a few lessons on graphing to do before I can send everything home. We started them last week and I am hoping to finish them and maybe even get the Unit 4 screener done before break. Unit 4 is all about measurement and adding and subtracting double digit numbers.

Phonics:

Next week we will wrap up our study of word endings! The second graders have learned about when to use s and when to use es when making words plural. We studied how to double the consonant after a short vowel before adding -ing. Gus, our class pet Dragon, has been helping us understand word endings by relating them to animals' tails, so we have been learning a lot of cool facts about animals too. Gus even helped us make signs about saving animals. Word endings can be tricky, but the second graders are doing a great job learning them!

Reading:

We managed to do some Study Island sessions around comparing and contrasting and the second graders did a great job! Next week we will read some Thanksgiving themed books and then we will start our unit on opinion and persuasion and read books where the main character wants something and tries to be convincing.

Pies:

The second graders have been busy measuring ingredients! Thanks to everyone who sent in supplies! Each second grader will need to bring in peeled and sliced apples on Tuesday so we can mix all the ingredients and assemble pies. If you are able to bring in extra apples please let me know - there's always a chance someone will forget theirs : ) If you haven't signed up to help you can do that here: Pie Sign Up link or shoot me an email. Don't forget that everyone coming in to volunteer has to have a background check completed for this school year! Can't wait to see you there!

Upcoming Dates:

November 25: Pie Day!

November 26-28: Thanksgiving Break

December 2: Holiday Music Program

December 8-10: Santa's Shop

December 12: Early Release

December 19: Last Day Before Break

Weekly Update

Writing

The second graders have been working so hard on their informational books. Everyone turned in a book on Friday to be scored. This will help with setting goals and focus areas as the second graders write one more book next week.

Phonics

Our digraph safari was so much fun! We worked hard all week to be ready to spot those sneaky digraphs out in the wild. The lessons move fast and we went through a lot of information in one week, so we will for sure revisit some of the trickier ones. Next week we head into the last bend in this unit which is all about word endings.

Math

It is hard to believe but we are looking at taking our unit test at the end of next week! The second graders took a checkpoint this week which was a lot like the homework from last weekend. As a class we are still building consistency in using number lines and taking apart tens and ones as addition and subtraction strategies. We won't use the traditional borrowing and carrying algorithms this year because we want the second graders to build a solid understanding of what is happening when numbers are combined or taken apart. We are going to spend a lot of time building number sense and studying ways to represent numbers this year. There is no homework this week since many haven't finished last week's page. 

Reading

We had some technical difficulties, so we only did one compare and contrast activity using informational text on our laptops. We used some of our reading time instead to study the digraphs we were learning about in phonics. Next week we will try again to use laptops in a group setting to read and answer compare and contrast questions about informational text.

Other Information

Weather related: Thanks to everyone who was able to send their second grader with boots and hats and gloves last week! That first cold snap always takes me by surprise and I have to scramble to find the winter gear. Thankfully next week doesn't look quite as cold and I haven't seen snow in the forecast! My rule is if the "feels like" temperature is below 40 the second graders must take their coat and gear with them when they go outside for recess. 

Pie related: Thanks to everyone who has signed up and sent in pie supplies! If you signed up to send in pie crusts THANK YOU, and you can send them any time. We won't need the crusts until the day we assemble the pies (11-25), but all dry ingredients are needed ASAP because we will start measuring next week! If you haven't signed up to help you can do that here: Pie Sign Up link or shoot me an email. Please also make sure you have filled out the volunteer background check! Last, each second grader will need to bring in 5-6 peeled and sliced apples for their pie on the big day!

No new homework this week! Thanks for filling out the parent input sheet for parent teacher conferences! It is so helpful!

Weekly Update

We have loved having these two football players come and volunteer in our classroom on Fridays. They listened to the second graders read, helped with projects, and played on the playground. As their regular season wraps up we will miss them, but wish them the best in their matchup with East Kentwood on Nov 14 in the regional playoffs. It's at Eagle Stadium if you are interested in going!

Writing:

The second graders are still working on writing nonfiction books! Everyone turned in a book on Friday and some have two done already. They have been choosing topics they already know a lot about, or ones they are interested in learning more about. Everyone is in a different stage in the writing process and moving at their own pace. It is exciting seeing how much each student has grown as a writer just this Fall!  Ask your child what he/she is writing about.

Math:

The second graders are learning to use number lines to help them solve addition and subtraction problems.  This week's homework sheet practices this skill. If your student finds it confusing you can send the page back and I can help them figure it out at school. It is still a new-ish skill, but they seem to be catching on quickly!

Reading:

We are still talking about informational features and ways to read informational books at reading time. Many of the second graders use their reading time to find information about their writing topic. Next week we will shift our focus slightly and do some Study Island sessions to compare and contrast informational texts.

Phonics:

               

We have been studying animals to learn how they overcome challenges and using those strategies to tackle challenging words! Darwin's Bark Spider works methodically and Leaf Cutter Ants chop leaves into smaller, more manageable pieces. Those are great strategies for second graders trying to spell and sound out words!

SEL:

We have been exploring the word 'peaceful' during SEL time. We learned thought and action strategies to can help us feel peaceful when we may not be feeling the best.

Homework:

The homework page is due by November 14 (Early Release Day). There is a page for parents to fill out for parent teacher conferences as well. If you could fill it out and send it back by Friday it will help me prepare for Parent Teacher conferences so we can get the most out of our 15 minutes together!

Extra Information:

November 14- Early Release Day

November 14- Safari Day- during Phonics we have been learning from a lot of different animals.  We are going to celebrate our learning by having a "Safari Day" for our Early Release Day.  Please brainstorm with your child how a person on safari person might dress (think binoculars, khakis, hat).  Please DO NOT buy anything for this! Sometimes people on safari just wear dark colors : )

November 17 and 19- Parent Teacher Conferences Link .  I can't wait to talk to you all about your awesome kiddos! Please fill out and return the parent page that went home Friday!

November 25- Second Grade Apple Pie Day!  

The second grade classes invite you to come and help your child assemble a yummy apple pie to give to a special someone! If you plan to join us please fill out the background check link if you haven't already, and also fill out our RSVP.  We still need a few more pie crusts, so please click on this link if you are able to donate.

Each child will also need to bring in 5-6 apples already peeled and sliced (in a ziplock bag is great) the day of the event. Please let me know if you won't be able to do that, and I'll make sure to get apples for your child.

Pie Day RSVP

Weekly Update

We had a great Halloween celebration day! The parade was lots of fun! The second graders loved showing off their costumes and seeing the people who came out to cheer them on. Thanks too for sending in prizes and treats. The kids had a great time!

Writing:

The second graders had a lot of fun with some creative writing themed around Halloween. They wrote "Scaredy Cat" stories with spooky settings. They also wrote about what they would do if they had a Frankenbuddy! In between the creative writing projects the second graders worked on their informational books. We will pick those back up next week!

Math:

The second graders are learning how to add two digit numbers by taking apart the tens and the ones, adding them up separately, and then putting them back together. We counted an enormous amount of popsicle sticks, but because we made groups of ones, tens, and hundreds it was very manageable! Similarly, breaking numbers into tens and ones to add them makes combining bigger numbers easier. We also started to use number lines to add and will be doing more of that next week too.

Reading:

The second graders listened to some "creepy" stories (Creepy Carrots, The Creepy Crayon, and Creepy Underwear) and did some crafts to match them. They also read lots of Fall and Halloween-themed books. Next week we will continue to learn about informational books.

Phonics:

We had fun playing Boggle and Connections in class this week. Click the links and have your second grader explain how to play!

Homework:

No homework!  Have a safe Halloween, and keep reading each night for 20 minutes!

Extra Information:

In our class, two of our friends use an AAC device to help share ideas and communicate. The device uses pictures and names of familiar objects as well as staff and classmates to make it easier for those students to connect with friends during the day.

If you’re comfortable, we’d love to include your child’s name and picture on the device to help with communication and social interactions.

Please let me know if you’d prefer not to have your child’s photo included. Thank you so much for your support in helping all of our students connect and learn together!

November 17 & 19 - Parent Teacher Conferences- more information will come to sign up for times.

November 25 - Pie Day is coming! We would love for every second grader to have a grown up there to help them assemble their pie. If you could email me and let me know who will be able to come and help I would appreciate it. Please make sure they have a background check filled out! If there isn't an adult available to help your second grader there are many adults at school who would be willing to fill in. Just let me know!

We have all of our ingredients signed up for, but we still need some pie crusts. If you can help and send in a few we would appreciate it! Click on the sign-up genius link and scroll down to pie crusts. Thanks so much! We couldn't do any of it without you!

Weekly Update

Writing: The second graders are busy writing their informational books! Some of the students are finished with their first mini-book and are planning their second while some are putting finishing touches on their first. This week we talked about how to add in quotes from classmates, how to do a survey and add an informational graph, and how even captions can have expert facts. Next week we will continue to work on mini books, but we will also take a break and do a little fun spooky writing.

Looking for patterns
during Number Corner.

Reading: We have been continuing to work our way through informational reading as well. The second graders have been paying special attention to features, and looking for the features we highlighted at writing time in their independent reading books. We have found diagrams, maps, expert facts, and more. Sometimes the second graders have found these features in fiction books! It has been fun exploring how authors use text features no matter the genre!

Math: We spent time this week exploring doubles, even numbers, and looking for patterns. The second graders practiced skip counting by 5s and 10s on random numbers. They are all great at counting by 5s starting at 5, but starting at 2 or 7 is much trickier. They have found that finding the patterns is a big help, and a major theme in math overall! We have started unit 3 which is all about addition and subtraction within 100. For a look at the family letter for Bridges Unit 3 click here.

Playing rhyme tennis

Phonics: The second graders looked for rhymes, read poems, wrote poems, and learned to play Word Tennis this past week! We will be doing some listening activities, playing word games, and updating assessments in phonics in the coming short week.

Social Studies: We spent time during our morning meetings this week using the RULER method to explore emotions. RULER stands for Recognize, Understand, Label, Express, and Regulate. We watched a clip of the Toy Story movie and analyzed the emotions of Buzz and Woody. We will do a little more of that work next week as well.

Extra Information: 

October 30: Halloween parade starting at 9:30. Your child is welcome to come to school in costume - a change of clothing may be a good idea because we will still be doing school after the parade : )

October 31: No School - Teacher professional development

November 1: Annual PES Cares Food Drive begins