Weekly Update

We had a great first week back! The weather looks a little crazy for next week so please, please help your second grader remember to wear boots and pack shoes and snowpants. Remember you can always have your second grader leave shoes for PE at school - that's especially helpful on days they forget to pack shoes : ) The January specials calendar is on the flip side of the December one that is already in your child's yellow folder. It is also linked here: January Specials

Writing:

We did some resolution writing for the new year. The second graders brainstormed things they would like to get better at or a healthy habit they want to work on this year. Then we wrote a how or a why statement and made a yeti to go with it. They are all so "yeti" for the new year : ) Next week we will start the second half of our persuasive unit which is review writing. The second graders wrote a "review" of winter that we will be scoring with the checklist. This will give them an idea of areas to work on. Then we will start writing a movie review. 

Phonics:

We have been working on our application to BLC to join their team of Word Builders. They have a list of qualifications that we are working on in class. We can write every sound we hear efficiently and we know that every syllable has a vowel, so we are off to a good start!

Math:

The second graders finished their assessments this week. These will go home early next week. As you look them over with your second grader remember that only the standards highlighted in blue on the scoring sheet are tested to mastery for this assessment. The other standards are still in progress. Additionally if your child does end up with a 1 or 2 on their report card there will be a chance for additional instruction and reassessment.

Reading:

This unit is all about supportive partnerships and the second graders are off to a great start. Reading partners are not reading together, but reading near each other so that if one of them runs into trouble in their book they can check in with their partner. So we have been working on reading strategies to conquer the most common problems second graders run into while reading: word-solving and comprehension.

Homework:

It involves measuring so the second graders' inchworm rulers came home in Friday's mail along with the homework. The ruler does not need to come back, but the two-sided math page is due Jan 16.

Extras:

January 13: Skating Party at Tarry Hall at 6:15

January 16: Early Release

January 22: Our class goes bowling with Mr Beimers! We will leave for Hudsonville Lanes at 12 and have a Park Parents' Club sponsored pizza lunch! We will be back to school by 2:00!

February 14: Valentines Day

I know it seems far away, but I want to let you know that you do not need to buy Valentine's cards this year. In second grade we write our own! It is a fantastic authentic writing exercise and we get to practice the friendly letter format. So each second grader will be writing a card with three sentences, a greeting, and a closing for every classmate. It's a great community-building project and hopefully alleviates some of the stress around Valentines at home. We will need supplies though and stickers a second graders' favorites. So if you see some at the store and want to grab them for us that would be great! Just make sure you and your second grader decide if they are for your child's cards or for everyone. Amazon has some great rolls of fun stickers too : )

February 27: VIP Bowling