Peace Makers

Our classroom is participating in weekly class meeting with Westwoods school social worker, Mrs. Sulecki! We are becoming Peace Makers! This past Thursday was our first group meeting and the students did awesome! Conversation involved what peace means and how to act peaceful in our community. The students were also able to talk about what choices they make in order to make peace. We will do this each Thursday afternoon with Mrs. Sulecki...and the students are already looking forward to our next class meeting! Ask your child about our Peace Makers meetings and see what more they can tell you!

Learning Buddies

Another fantastic day of Learning Buddies! This time around we shared a new, old, or interesting story that we have been reading in the class. Some students even shared a favorite read of their own that has been read in the past. 

Beyond reading the text, students shared in conversation about their text, enjoyed one anothers company, and even expressed a giggle here and there. 

It was a great end to our Thursday!

Parent Volunteers!

I am organizing a new way to get parent volunteers signed up for helping in the classroom. We're using SignUp.com. This is an online coordination tool, to help us organize the parent volunteer schedule. 

You will see for the month of October we are doing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays all from 10:30 - 11:00. This is our read to self/book choice time. Then I will go from there to see where modifications need to be made for November and so on. 

What I would love parents to help me with is our classroom book clubs. Each child is in a book club with other students of the classroom. Your involvement here would be to help with a variety of activities/books the students have been assigned within their book clubs. You would be reading selected books with the clubs while also engaging in conversation connecting to the text. In addition, there will be other activities to do as well some days pertaining to reading.

Please click the link below if you are interested in being a parent helper.

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps: 

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on SignUp.com: http://signup.com/go/cHvR4m 

2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on SignUp.com) 

3. Sign up! Choose your spots - SignUp.com will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy! 

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone.

If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. 

Thank you in advance for your help!

MONDAY

Students are bringing home a thicker than usual Monday communicator. There are a couple items that need your attention and student attention this week. 

 

Scholastic Book Order

There are three magazine coming home. Many students are super stoked about the possibility of NEW book! If you are wanting to make an order, I have directions attached on the front. Online orders are welcome anytime you like, however many times you like. If you are sending in an order for me to place please have these in by Friday, Sept. 30. 

Homework Packet & Spelling

An new homework packet is one its way home! Please remind your child to find time throughout the week to plug away on selected activities. All is review and should be independent activities for students. Word ladder and math page needs to be returned back by Friday.

New spelling words are part of their week to practice. Last week we focused on adding a suffix and changing a root word ending (double the consonant) if it follows the three rules.

1. Root word has one syllable

2. Root word has a short vowel sound

3. Root word has one consonant at the end

ex: sip

double the consonant and add an -ing = sipping

Tricky word is how. Ask your child what makes how a tricky word?

Picture Form

If your child is looking to get school pictures ordered for picture day on Friday, Sept. 30 then please fill out the form sent home with a form of payment included. These can be turned into school Tuesday-Friday. Our class will take pictures that morning, however, I do not know the exact time.

Thank you!

STEM

This past Thursday the students formed small groups for our FIRST STEM activity! It was a bit messy but worth it because of the outcome. 

All groups had 20 uncooked pasta noodles and 3 marshmallows

They worked in groups of four (two second graders and two fourth graders) where they had to construct the tallest tower using only the material given.

This STEM activity was not just a crazy art project, it had all students using a set of thinking and reasoning skills, while developing teamwork to collaborate. They investigated and drew in small bits of ideas from other groups while also creating a set of skills that can be used in future lessons and in the real world. This was our first STEM activity, however, there are MANY more to come.

 

 

 

Reminders...

Students brought their communicators and Friday folders home this weekend. Please remind your child to empty both folders and to please bring both folders back with only information I need back to the classroom. Everything else can stay home! LOTS of hard work came home in their Friday Folders! They will be proud to share all they accomplished this week with you!

Scholastic Donations

If you haven't already and can make a donation towards our classroom subscription to Scholastic Magazine, Science Spin, and Time for Kids, please do so. We are asking for $15 per student. Last week when the note went home, we were asking for this to be done by September, 28. Please letme know if you have any further questions or concerns. Thank you so much for your support!

Move A Thon

October 7th

Make sure to set up an account on our Online Donation Portal

www.thegetmovincrew.com

This is an easy way to reach out to friends and family over social media and email. This website will track your child's progress to their goal and will also track class goals and school ranking.

Please also encourage your child to continue getting pledges! Collection dates for all cash and checks are September 30th, October 7th, and October 14th. Please make sure all donations are in an envelope labeled with your child's name and teacher.

THANK YOU!

Picture Day

Friday, September 30th

Picture packets will be coming home this Monday in your child's communicator.

WW Grill Out

Students will have the option of Louie's hot dogs or a PB&J sandwich, along with potato salad, baked beans, fresh fruit, and an icy treat

Library HELP!

The Westwoods library is looking for volunteers and would love any help from our community. Please contact Mrs. Swartz at swartzer@tcaps.net if you are able and willing to donate some of your time. Thank you!

HOPE EVERYONE HAD AN AWESOME WEEKEND!

Book Choice

Students have been shopping these last few weeks...for new books. They have been introduced to new series and found some old ones they still enjoy! Book choice involves more than just walking up to a book and selecting the one with a fancy cover. We talk and continually reinforce how to find the "just right" book for ourselves. This way, instead of finding a story that is too easy or too hard, student are choosing a text that is right for their own pace. This helps to then use their reading strategies to increase fluency, and to have fluency to then comprehend what they are reading. This in the end will make better readers to get to all the amazing books that are out there waiting for each student to crack open.

We compare this idea to riding a bike.

 Too EASY

 Too HARD

JUST RIGHT!

Students should be able to do this at home as well for books they are choosing. Ask your child how they know what books are right for them?

We are creating a reading environment in our classroom that students are going to enjoy, stay engaged and continue to learn from!

 

 

Tall Tales

We are coming to the end of our Fairy Tales and Tall Tale stories. The last few stories we read introduced the students to the different variations of tall tales, including all the exaggerations and larger than life fictional characters. The tall tales they were hearing and learning from were

Paul Bunyan

Pecos Bill

John Henry

Casey Jones

All stories introduced the students to the setting of the American Frontier and some of the occupations settlers had during that time. Many of the characters from our stories were heading west on their adventures. This will also prepare us for future stories, continuing our conversation on the american frontier, with the Westward Expansion.

Coming home on Friday you will see a few different items connected to the tall tales your child has been actively involved in at school. 

1. Parent letter

This can give extra extension ideas to do at home to continue learning in different ways. 

2. Tall Tale chart

After each tall tale was read, the students filled in the different details learned from each story connecting to the exaggerated lives of each fictional character. Please take the time to sit with your child and ask questions about each tall tale. We had a lot of fun and laughed a lot while hearing about all the amazing adventures, crazy behaviors, and total exaggerated lifestyles of each story. I know the experience would love to be shared!

3. Writing Piece

Students in the end were able to share what their favorite tall tale or fairy tale was. Along with what exaggerations they thought were the best. They are engaged in writing when they have something of interest to write about. All students were able to dive into this activity without a redirection to stay on task! They were ready to write about their reading and then share their thoughts.

Spelling

Coming home with your child is their first spelling list. Please read through the family letter to receive extra ideas of how to practice your child's spelling list each night. We will be reviewing the spelling words in class through: 

Different activities in Language Arts

Readers involving a variety of stories

Vocabulary lessons

Writing

Each Monday, students will receive a new list of spelling words. 

The following Monday all students will be given an assessment on their spelling words.

Homework

The students first homework packet is coming home! Each Monday they will receive a homework packet that also contains a schedule to help follow each day of the week. I know with extra activities after school and especially family time each evening that homework is not done every day. This will help the students to be responsible and find time for their school work in addition to other scheduled events.

All homework is due by Friday with the exception of Spelling Tests that are the following Monday.

Please help your child to remember to take their time. Homework is not due until the end of the week, so they have time to do the different activities in separate chunks throughout the week. 

I do expect and hope reading is done each night, but will not be monitoring home reading. Reading can be done with a partner where they are reading or the partner is reading. They came up with great examples of where to read, read to their pets, or even have books in the bathroom :) 

Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you for your help and support on this!

Library

Library started last week! Even though we loved Mrs. Kubesh and wish her well at TC Central High School, we in turn have another wonderful new librarian this year, Mrs. Swartz! We are very excited about her addition to our school community!

Our scheduled library time is Wednesday morning at 9:35

With a new librarian comes a few new procedures. Students checked out one book last week. Mrs. Swartz will bump that up to two for second graders as time goes on. The library is also asking for all library books to be returned from students the day before their assigned library day. This will ensure all books get checked back in and all renewals are placed before our library time. Which means, all books your child checked out from the Westwoods Library last week need to be returned back to school by Tuesday, September 20th. 

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Happy Reading!

Reminders & Updates!

What a fantastic first couple weeks of school! I wanted to update you with a couple reminders and new information.

General Information

One of the tabs on our blog page is general information. On this page you will find the basic information for our classroom. Newly updated to that page is our specials schedule. Please take a look when you have a minute. All information that was given to you on open house night is also pasted there as well in addition to a couple small details.

Specials

Please make sure your child has a pair of PE shoes to keep at school. We have PE on Tuesdays and Thursdays after lunch on both days.

Your child will also be creating some beautiful art, and I would not want any of what is suppose to be on their papers to land on their nice school clothes. If you can send in an old shirt to use as an art shirt for this time please do. It can stay in their locker for the year.

Water Bottles

Students are allowed to bring water bottles to school. However, we do have two drinking fountains in our classroom so it is not needed but optional. If they do bring water bottles it does stay over by the counter do to avoiding small ponds all over their desks, floor, and one another. Since desks open in second grade whatever is on it while opening takes an unfortunate spill :)

Snacks

PLEASE help your child to remember a health snack for the school day. Students can bring one or two snacks to school. We have one snack in the morning and one snack in the afternoon.

Communication

Students are doing an AWESOME job remember their communicators and Friday Folders! Thank you for helping your child develop this routine each day! Please note that their first homework packet will be coming home Monday, September 19th, in their communicators. More information will be posted on the blog Monday for homework and spelling.

POPCORN

Last Friday was our FIRST popcorn Friday This year all popcorn will be handed out at the end of each Friday to take home and enjoy! Last week all students enjoyed plain and/or pizza flavor. Next week they will have the option of Dill and/or plain. I know they are still looking for volunteers to sign up to help pop the corn and deliver to classrooms. Here is the link to do that

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F094AA8A92BA6FE3-popcorn

I hope everyone had a nice and relaxing weekend! We will be ready to dig in and exhaust ourselves by Friday, while having tons of fun, again this week! See you MONDAY!!

Reading Resources!

Scholastic News, Scholastic Science Spin and Time Magazine for Kids are a few new resources to our classroom! These will be offered weekly for your child to use, enjoy and to learn from! 

Last week we already accessed our first magazine from Scholastic News. It was called Fuzzy Friends. We learned about a cheetah and dog growing up together as friends. It connected to our discussion on friends and how we help one another in many ways. In addition to reading through the magazine together, there was a connected video to our text, as well as vocabulary exposure and a fun game to test your comprehension. When we were done, we wrote about it using a web connecting details to the main idea and to also take it to real world situations on how to be a friend at all times. 

Not only will be looking at the resources as a whole, students will also have independent computer access to this on their own in the classroom and to continue learning  and sharing at home!

All three web magazines were purchased by our Westwoods PTO. However, we are asking for a donation from you to payback the cost of this great learning opportunity. Friday your child brought home a small note with an envelope attached. We are asking each family to donate $15 for the school year that goes toward Scholastic Magazine, Science Spin, and Time Magazine for Kids. 

Please have all donations in by Sept. 28th. Thank you so much!