June 6-10

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

This Thursday is our field trip to the Wildlife Park!  We, again, apologize for the misunderstanding on the field trip permission slip.  To clarify, students will need to bring $3.50 for the admission fee (please send in money by TOMORROW!) and an extra $3.00 if they would like to buy a drink or an ice cream at the snack shack.  The $3.00 to be spent at the snack shack can be sent with your child on Thursday.

CHAPERONES:  If you are chaperoning the field trip on Thursday, we will also need you to send in $3.50 for your admission fee.  Again, we would like to have this money by tomorrow so we can deposit these funds into the school account from which we will write the check for the park.  

On Thursday, students will need to wear their team jerseys (I’ll be bringing them to school tomorrow.  They look awesome!), a packed lunch, water bottle, and $3.00 to spend at the snack shack.  Please help your child dress appropriately for the weather.  We will be going rain or shine.... within reason of course.

Just as another friendly reminder, there will not be a formal homework packet anymore.  Daily reading and spelling practice will still be encouraged.  Our final spelling test will be on Friday.  This test will cover all remaining spelling test units.

THIS WEEK IN...

ELA:  Our main focus will be on our animal research projects.  Students are beginning to finalize their research and their rough drafts.  These are then turned into the team editor (that’s me!) for the final print copy of the report.  Team Howard will then create colorful and detailed pictures that help their report come alive!  Their final report will also include a table of contents as well as an “about the author” page.

Math:  This week, we will finish up some of our most recent math check-ins.  We’ll also spend some time working with arrays.  Arrays are a group of objects that have been organized into columns and rows.  We can use these columns and rows to write a repeated addition number sentence (i.e. 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12) to help us find the total number of objects in the array.   We’ll also begin some of our work with measurement.  We’ll be using a variety of tools to measure objects in centimeters and inches.  We’ll then compare our measurements to find out which objects are the longest.  Next week, Miss Davis and I have a HUGE surprise lesson planned for our second graders!  This music will give you a quick sneak peak into the theme of the lesson.

Science:  This week, we will use our science time to complete our animal research projects.  The goal is to have our reports finished by the end of the week so we can create our dioramas next week.  All parents will be invited to check out our projects immediately following the cookout.  We hope to see you there!

Read Aloud:  We are learning so much for the main character, Clay Hensley, in the story Trouble-Maker.  We’re beginning to see that change doesn’t happen overnight and sometimes it can be incredibly frustrating.  We are so anxious to find out if Clay can forever change his trouble-making ways!

Enjoy the lovely weather!

May 23-27

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS

There is a mistake on this week’s homework packet.  So sorry about that!  It says to practice units 22 and 23 for spelling.  It should be units 21 and 22.  You can find the words below.

You’ll see lots of paper reminders in your child’s folder today.  First, there is a reminder about shoeboxes.  We’ll need these for our animal projects.  Next, there is a request for a plain white t-shirt in your child’s size.  This is for our team jerseys.  Last, there is a request for plants/donations to help with the entryway to Russell School.  

Next Tuesday is Field Day!  Please plan to send your child to school with an extra set of clothes.  Dry socks and another pair of shoes are definitely helpful!  Water bottles are also welcomed so students can stay hydrated. 

THIS WEEK IN...

Spelling:  We are increasing our spelling expectation for the last few weeks.  Students will be asked to study two units instead of just one.  The second grade teachers have planned to do it this week to help prepare students even more for third grade.  This week, we’ll focus on units 21 and 22.  Next week, we will focus on units 23 and 24.  The first week of June will bring Units 25 and 26.  And our last full week of school with be Unit 27.  Here are the words we are studying this week:  why, different, off, number, help, away, went, put, again, and old.

Phonics:  This week we are working with the dipthong sound /oi/ and /oy/.  Our focus words are:  soil, oil, broil, moist, point, boil, toy, joy, soy, and royal. 

Vocabulary:  Our new vocabulary words are:  gathered, agreed, randomly, jabbing and signal.  We’ll define these words and then search for them in the play called “Why Sun and Moon Live in the Sky.”

Comprehension:  This week, we will focus on problem and solution.  The problem is something the characters want to change, fix, or find out.  The solution is what solves the problem.  We’ll practice this skill while we read the play called “Pushing Up the Sky” by Joseph Bruchac.

Grammar:  This week we will focus on contractions.  Contractions are when two words are combined to make a shorter word.  We use an apostrophe to take the place of any missing letters in the new word.

Scholastic News:  This week, we will read all about a LEGO mystery.  For years, people have been finding LEGO pieces at the beach.  The story began 19 years ago and we will learn all about it!  Then, we will practice using a map and a chart to answer questions about the text.

Writing:  This week, we are beginning the most important part of our animal projects... the research!  During writer’s workshop, we are really going to dig into our books and learn how to record the most important facts with enough detail for an interesting and informative book.  We will be modeling this process by studying both penguins and bears.  We’ll be learning all about what these animals look like, where they live, what they eat, as well as some other interesting facts.

Math:  This will be the final week for math switcheroo.  Students will finish up their study on adding and subtracting within 100 and 1,000 with a focus on word problems.  The rest of the week, will bring some review around odd and even numbers, time, money, and math facts.

Science:  This week, we will continue our life science studies.  We’ll be studying many different habitats and analyzing the diversity of life found within each habitat.  We’ll also use this time to study more specific penguins with a small group.  The culminating project will be a life-size drawing of the penguin we study.

Social Studies:  This week, we are really reviewing our classroom vision and the behaviors that help it come true.  Team Howard is expected to treat others they would like to be treated, give their best try and never give up, be positive, do their part, and take responsibility.  

We'll also be watching this inspirational video from the Kid President.  I love this kid and the positive energy he exudes!

May 16-20

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

Tonight is the Spring Concert!  I hope to see you all there.  Second graders begin their performance at 6:40 so please try to arrive at the Middle School by 6:30 at the latest.  I heard their rehearsal today.  They sound fabulous!

Tomorrow we will have a guest reader join our class from Hannaford.  We are so excited to see what story Ms. Penny will share with us!

Wednesday is an early release day.  Please plan accordingly.

On Thursday, we will have a presentation from the Children’s Museum.  They will be bringing us a life-size inflatable model of a humpback whale!  We’ll learn all about the life of Istar, a humpback whale who lived in the Atlantic Ocean.   This will be the perfect kickoff to our animal study unit!

Classroom Requests:

We are going to be creating dioramas to go along with our animal projects.  Every student will need to bring a shoebox.  If you could please send at least one shoebox, or more if you happen to have them, it would be greatly appreciated!

I would really like to create team jerseys for Team Howard and I’m thinking that tie-dye shirts would be a lot of fun!  For this, we’ll need three things.  First, we’ll need every student to send in a plain white t-shirt to be tie-dyed.  Next, if there is anyone who would be willing to send in tie-dying supplies, that would be great!  Finally, when the time comes, I will definitely need to have some adult volunteers to help us tie-dye the shirts.  

Paper reminders for the two above requests will also be sent home this week.  Keep an eye out for them!

THIS WEEK IN...

Spelling:  This will be a review/challenge week.  I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to pull your child’s individual list together before the end of the day.  I’ll be sure to get the lists home with your child tomorrow.  They will be given ten words to study and will be assessed on the words on Friday.

Phonics:  We are working with /ow/ and /ou/.  Our focus words are:  clown, growl, howl, brown, crown, round, loud, cloud, house, and sound.

Vocabulary: Our new words are:  lengthy, burrow, ranger, warning, distant, and beyond.  We’ll define these words and then search for them in the short story called “The Coatis of the Sonora Desert” by Nya Taylor.

Comprehension:  This week we’ll focus on identifying author’s purpose.  We can remember author’s purpose with the acronym PIE.  Authors write to Persuade, Inform, or Entertain.  We’ll be searching for clues in the text and the pictures to tell us what the author’s true purpose is.  We’ll practice this skill while we read Dig, Wait, Listen:  A Desert Toad’s Tale by April Pulley Sayre.

Grammar:  This week we will focus on homophones.  Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have a different meaning.

Writing:  This week, we’ll introduce our animal study unit.  We’ll begin by studying penguins as a class.  Next week, we’ll break into small groups to study specific penguins.  We’ll learn more about what they look like, what they eat, where they live, and some other interesting facts.  We’ll also be given time to explore many different animals to help us decide on an animal we would like to learn even more about.  This animal will be the focus of our animal projects.

Math:  We continue our math switcheroo groups.  All students are working towards being able to fluently add and subtract within 100 and 1,000, add up to four two-digit numbers, and to add or subtract 10 or 100 mentally from any number.  We also continue our individual practice in time, money, and math facts.  

Science:  We’ll finish up The Wings of Life tomorrow afternoon.  Then, we’ll have the chance to research specific habitats.  We’ll be looking at the diversity of life within the desert, rain forest, ocean, and also at the pond.  

Read Aloud:  We have started a new book that was generously donated to the classroom by a student.  It’s called Trouble-Maker by Andrew Clements.  It’s the story about a boy named Clay and his journey in understanding the difference between good-humored mischief and serious trouble.  So far, we know that Clay has trouble respecting his teachers and his principal.  Today, in art class, Clay drew a picture of the school principal like a donkey!

Words to Think About:  Don’t let what you can’t do, stop you from doing what you can do.

May 9-13

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

Miss Gilmour's time with us has come to an end.  She is now ready to graduate and head on into the world of teaching.  Good luck, Miss Gilmour!

I will not be as school on Friday.  This is a planned absence but I told the students it would remain a surprise!  While I am gone, they will be asked to write a newspaper article titled Teacher:  Gone Missing!  They will become detectives and try to answer questions like:  Who is Mrs. Howard with?  What is she doing?  When will she return?  Where is Mrs. Howard?  How do you think she is feeling about not being at school?

Since I will not be at school on Friday, please be sure to send any notes about transportation directly to Connie or written on paper.  Thank you!

Next Monday is the Spring Concert at GNG Middle School.  Hope to see you there!

THIS WEEK IN...

Spelling:  We are working on Unit 20.  The words are:  place, such, well, here, and take.

Phonics:  We are working with the patterns:  /oo/, /ue/, /ui/, /ew/, and /oe/.  Our focus words are:  root, boot, fruit, suit, flew, new, canoe, shoe, clue, and glue.

Vocabulary:  We will learn violent, beware, prevent, uprooted, destroy, and grasslands.  We'll define these words and build connections to them.  Then, we'll search for them in the short story called "Wild Weather Hits Florida" by Lisa O'Neil.

Comprehension:  We will work on making and confirming predictions.  When we make a prediction, we use the text, pictures, and what we already know to make a good guess about what will happen in the story.  When we confirm a prediction, we read on to find out if our prediction was correct.  We'll practice this skill as we read Super Storms by Seymour Simon.

Grammar:  We will work on irregular verbs.  Come and run are irregular verbs because they have a special form in the past tense.  

Scholastic News:  We will read the article called "Thank you, Cockatoo!"  This article is the perfect connection to science this week.  It's all about how animals help to pollinate different plants.  When we are finished reading the article, we will use a chart to help us answer questions.

Writing:  This week, we will finish up our animal friendship stories that Miss Gilmour began last week.  All of our stories tell the tale of two unlikely animals who end up being friends.  For example, a cat and a mouse or a shark and a minnow.  The moral of the story is that it's ok to be different from your friends.  Team Howard is really getting into sharing great details in their stories!

Math:  We continue Mission Possible as we complete top secret missions about time and money.  We also continue our Math Switcheroo work where students are working on using strategies to help them add and subtract within 100 and 1,000. 

Science:  We will watch the fabulous DisneyNature documentary "Wings of Life."  This beautiful movie shows the amazing relationships between plants and animals that we have been focusing on.  We will break the movie into smaller parts to allow for questions and discussion. 

Read Aloud:  We will finish our adventure with Dodger and Will this week and begin a new adventure next week!  Stay tuned for more information! 

Words to Think About:  The final words have been revealed and they are some of my favorites.  This month, we will focus on... "Don't let what you can't do stop you from doing what you can do."  Perfection!

Have a great week and enjoy the amazing weather!

May 2-6

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

Next Tuesday will be Miss Gilmour’s last day with us.  We will be having a small celebration to give her a proper send-off into the world of teaching.  If you would like to donate some healthy snacks (i.e. fruit, veggies and dip, crackers and cheese) and some drinks, it would be greatly appreciated!  We wish Miss Gilmour the best of luck!

Regular homework packets have begun again.  Please help your child practice their goals at home and return their homework packet the following Monday.  Thank you!

THIS WEEK IN...

Spelling:  We are working on unit 19.  The words are:  must, because, does, part, and even.  Our spelling test will be on Friday.

Phonics:  We are working with the variant vowel sound with the spelling patterns oo and ou.  Our focus words will be:  shook, hook, crook, soot, should, stood, brook, foot, could, and would.  

Vocabulary:  Our new words are:  conservation, remains, trouble, extinct, and hardest.  We’ll define these words and build connections to them.  Then we’ll search for them as we read the short stories called “Prairie Problem” and “Be Careful!  We’re Almost Gone!”

Comprehension:  We will practice understanding text structure.  This week, we will be reading a description.  A description describes what something is like.  Authors use words like “to begin” and “here is how” to describe things in their writing.  We’ll practice this while we read A Way to Help Planet Earth.

Grammar:  We continue to focus on homonyms and contractions in our morning message.  We also practice identifying ending punctuation.

Writing:  This week, we will be writing some very special poems for our moms.  We hope you think they are a special as we do!  We’ll also do some fun writing to help us get ready for our animal research projects.  This week, we’ll read the book What If You Had Animal Feet?.  Then, we’ll decide what kind of animal feet we like best.  We’ll use those feet to collect information about the color, size, and amount of feet we have.  Creativity will come into play with our illustrations.  We’ll also look at how our feet help us adapt to our environment.  It’s sure to be a fun project!

Read Aloud:  We continue on our reading adventure, Dodger and Me.

Math:  Mission Possible continues on Mondays and Fridays.  Team Howard turns into secret spies for an hour and complete top secret missions around time and money.  If we are successful in our missions, we get to earn a fingerprint in our packets.  We can take as much or as little time as we need with the missions.  Team Howard is seriously dedicated to this project! 

We also continue with our math switcheroo groups.  In these groups, student needs are being met through targeted instruction and practice.  All groups are working on adding and subtracting within 100 using strategies.  

Science:  Miss Gilmour’s project about our very own animals will be completed and displayed in the hallway by the end of the week.  We’ll also be doing some lessons about meeting animal needs in a habitat through games and other activities.  On Friday, students will be invited to a beak lab where they will be testing different kinds of beaks for different kinds of food.  

Have a great week!

April 25-29

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

Welcome back to school!  I hope everyone enjoyed the vacation.  Fingers crossed for a smooth transition back to school routines!

Tomorrow is a camp out day!  Team Howard earned their reward and will be invited to wear comfy clothes, bring blankets, stuffed animals, and flashlights.  They will be given time to create tents and then we’ll have some quiet reading time.

This week is the book fair.  Come by the Russell School library and pick up some new and exciting books!

Mrs. Thibodeau will be visiting us on Wednesday.  I was mistaken about her previous visit.  I had mentioned that, during her last visit, she would be showing the good touch/bad touch video.  Instead, that will be the focus of Wednesday’s guidance session.  If you have any questions about the video, you can contact Mrs. Thibodeau.

Today, we had a wonderful author come to visit us!  Her name is Sharalyn Morrison Andrews.  She shared her new book Brave Nellie with us and even gave us an autographed copy for our classroom!

THIS WEEK IN...

Spelling:  We are working on unit 18.  The new words are:  another, came, come, work, and three.

Phonics:  We are working with the bossy r sound.  The patterns we will be working with are /ur/, /er/, and /ir/.  Our focus words are:  clerk, term, herd, skirt, sir, stir, churn, burst, turn, and hurt.

Vocabulary:  Our new words are:  saddest, balance, deserted, freezes, and imagine.  We’ll define these words and build connections to them.  Then, we’ll search for the words in the short story called “Bill Helps Geese Survive” by Anthony Estes.

Comprehension:  This week, we will focus on identifying the cause and effect in a story.  The cause is why something happened and the effect is what happened.  We’ll practice this skill while we read Goose’s Story by Cari Best.

Grammar:  This week’s message will focus on homophones and contractions.  Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently.  Contractions are two words that are combined to make a new word.  An apostrophe takes the place of any missing letters.  Some examples of contractions are:  can’t, don’t, we’re, you’re, etc.

Writing:   This week, we will be working on completing a personal narrative that will be shared with our third grade teachers.  We will begin this week by using a mentor text (Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee) so we know what good writing looks like.  Then, we’ll have some time to practice our writing with teacher support.  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be dedicated to giving students time to independently finish the writing piece that will be shared with third grade teachers.

Math:  New things are beginning in math!  Today, we received an urgent message from the MGB (Math Goal Bureau).  We were given a series of top secret missions to help us meet our time and money goals.  Students were given top clearance levels as new secret agents.  They were also given finger lasers for some added fun!  Ask your child all about “Mission Possible” today!

We’re also beginning new math switcheroo groups.  These groups are based on what students need.  Everyone’s goal is to be able to fluently add and subtract within 100 and 1,000 using strategies based on place value.  These are the strategies that were shared with you at parent-teacher conferences in March.

Science:  We’re continuing in our life science units.  Lessons this week will focus on habitats.  We’ll learn about different kinds of habitats and the diversity of life within each habitat.

Read Aloud:  We continue to read the hilarious Dodger and Me book.

Words to Think About:  Whatever you do, be all about it!

Have a great week!

April 11-14

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

WE ARE PUBLISHING A BOOK!  Today, you will find an order sheet in your child’s backpack.  This is for you to choose whether or not you would like to order a copy of the class book we will be writing and illustrating this week.  You DO NOT have to purchase a book if you don’t want to.  However, if you choose not to purchase a book, please check the “NO” box at the bottom of the page and sign and return the paper.  The envelope requests that you return the paper and payment by tomorrow.  This is best!  However, if you need a little more time, you may turn in all papers by Thursday, April 14th.  We need all papers signed and returned (whether you want to buy a copy or not) to allow us to order a copy of our book for our classroom library.  Please let me know if you have any questions. 

This Wednesday is Literacy Night!  I hope you all can make it!  I’ll be dressed as Miss Frizzle and Miss Davis will be my lovely sidekick, Liz!  The evening will be a fun celebration of all things literacy.  

This Wednesday is also an early release day.  Please plan accordingly.

A new homework packet went home today.  This homework packet is for the next two weeks.  With this packet, you and your child can turn your spring break into a STEAM break!  Inside the packet you’ll find all kinds of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) projects to do this week and also over vacation.  Have fun!

There is no school on Friday!  Enjoy your vacation!

Your child’s biography project also went home with them today.  They worked incredibly hard on this project and I’m so excited for them to share it with you.

THIS WEEK IN...

Spelling:  We will be working with Unit 17.  The words are:  right, look, think, also, and around.  Since there is no school on Friday, our test will be on THURSDAY instead.

Writing:  We’ll be doing a lot with writing this week!  First, we’ll be reviewing what small moments are and how they make a great personal narrative.  For example, if we wanted to write about going to the beach, a small moment story would be about jumping the waves or building a sandcastle.  This week, students will pick a topic, brainstorm a story, and write a draft.  Then, we’ll use a mentor text to help us learn how to make our stories better.  We’ll be reading Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee.  She uses so many tools to make the story exciting!  Team Howard will be encouraged to use similar tools to improve their small moments story.  Finally, we’ll use the second grade writing rubric to assess Marla’s book.  This is done primarily to show the students what is expected of them and how to demonstrate that in their writing.  All of the skills practiced this week will be assessed the week after vacation.  Team Howard will be given an on the spot writing prompt.  They’ll be given 90 minutes in total to write a personal narrative that demonstrates where they are as writers.  This writing piece will be shared with their future third grade teachers.

Scholastic News:  This week, we’ll read an article about mysterious blue honey.  When we finish reading the article, we’ll answer questions about how bees actually make honey.  We’ll continue our nonfiction reading skills with a text-feature hunt.  

Publishing Our Book:  This early release day, we will be writing and illustrating our very own book.  We’ll be using The Secret Life of Squirrels by Nancy Rose to inspire our very own animal story.  We’ll be using our very best handwriting and illustrating skills to create this special book.  I’m so excited to see how it all turns out!  Remember, you are also invited to purchase a copy of this book as a keepsake if you’d like!

Science:  This week, our mini-lessons will focus on habitats.  A habitat is a place for an animal to live.  An animal needs a habitat to provide space, food, water, and shelter.  We’ll turn to the great Miss Frizzle to help us learn more!

Read Aloud:  We are loving the book Dodger and Me!  This blue chimpanzee is one entertaining character!

Math:  We’ll continue our focused lessons around telling time and money.  We’ll also have a meet and greet time with our new math switcheroo groups.  These new groups will focus on using strategies to help us solve addition and subtraction problems within 100 and 1,000.