November 30-December 4

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

Please help your child remember to bring their homework packet back to school every Monday!  When they turn in their homework, they receive 15 minutes of choice time as a reward.  For students who do not turn in their homework, they work on homework during this time instead.

The temperature has dropped quite a bit since the beginning of the year.  Please be sure to send your child to school with their coat, hat, and mittens every day.  Soon, when the snow gets here, they will also need their snow pants and boots.

The Winter Concert will be next Monday evening at GNG Middle School.  Hope to see you there!

This week in...

Spelling:  We are working on unit 6.  The words are:  into, has, more, her, and two.  Our test will be on Friday.

Phonics:  We are working on the long /a/ sound with the spelling patterns ai and ay.  Our focus words are:  main, wait, sail, tail, train, jay, pay, stay, hay, and may.

Vocabulary:  Our new words are:  serious, broken, personal, informs, and heals.  We’ll define these words, build connections to them, and then search for them in two short stories called “A Ride to Help” and “Time for an X-Ray.”

Comprehension:  We’ll continue to focus on identifying the sequence of events as we read A Trip to the Emergency Room.  We’ll look for clue words like first, next, then, and last to help us.  

Grammar:  This week, we will focus on proper nouns.  Proper nouns are words that name a special place, person, or thing.  For example:  Mrs. Howard, Mercy Hospital, and Gray Park are all proper nouns.  Proper nouns always start with a capital letter.  

Writing:  Now that we have built our writing stamina, we are going to focus on some of the nitty gritty parts of writing.  This week we’ll focus on what makes a sentence complete.  We’ll also compare phrases to sentences.  

Math:  This week, we will be concluding our fractions journey and moving onto new topics!  We’ll be unpacking and practicing our time and money standards for second grade.  These standards will be introduced now and practiced throughout the year.

In second grade, students must be able to:

-Tell time to the nearest five minutes and understand the difference between A.M. and P.M.

-Solve word problems involving money where students are asked to add money (coins and dollars) up to $2.00.  Students must use ¢ and $ appropriately.

Social Studies:  Today, we received a mysterious package that had maps all over it, with a note telling us not to open it until after recess.  When we did open it, we received a note from Scott Trot, a friend who decided he wanted to travel the world and learn all about the different holidays!  He left us suitcases and maps to help us keep track of his journey and all of the souvenirs he sends us.  A little birdie told me Scott Trot will be visiting England, France, Italy, and Germany this week to see how they celebrate winter holidays.  It sure is going to be fun!

Science:  We will be wrapping up our unit on landforms this week.  Today, we put some finishing touches on our dream islands and have been working hard to finish up our maps and postcards to Pete and Penelope.  Another little birdie told me they might be coming to Russell School this week to congratulate the team on all of their hard work!  

Words to Think About:  

“Go confident in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined.”

-Henry David Thoreau

November 23-24

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

There is no school Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday this week as we have a teacher’s comp day and as we observe the Thanksgiving holiday.

This week’s homework packet will be a little different.  We like to switch things up during vacation weeks to keep things interesting.  Students will be expected to continue their reading and spelling practice.  Then, they are asked to complete a math and literacy worksheet in the packet.  This packet will be due when we return to school on Monday, November 30th.  Please let me know if you have any questions!

THIS WEEK IN...

Writing:  This week, we will be writing postcards to our pirate friends, Pete and Penelope, from our dream islands!  We’ll include information about the people, the weather, location, special features, and landforms.

Nonfiction Fun:  Turkeys, turkeys, turkeys!  We read all about turkeys and collected facts.  Then, we displayed our facts in a fun turkey design.

Feasting on Inferences:  This week, we’ll practice making inferences with some Thanksgiving flair.  First, we’ll help Sage and Max figure out what their mom needs from the grocery store by using recipe cards and clues from the story.  Then, we’ll practice making inferences after reading some short stories.  When we make inferences we use our schema and clues from the text to help us understand the story.

Thanksgiving Then and Now:  We’ll be reading a Thanksgiving themed article from Scholastic News all about Thanksgiving in the 1620s.  Next, we’ll use the text to answer questions.  Then, we’ll make comparisons between many of the ways our lives are different now compared to the lives of the people living in the 1620s.  

Read Aloud:  This week, we’ll read two short picture books.  First, we’ll read The Story of the Pilgrims  by Katherine Ross.  Then, we’ll read A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Diane de Groat.  

Math:  We continue our work with fractions!  We’ll focus on partitioning circles and rectangles into halves, thirds, and fourths and writing fractions to match the part of the shape that we shade.  We’ll be sure to use correct numerators and denominators.  We’ll also talk about fractions that represent one whole (i.e. 2/2, 3/3, and 4/4).  

Science:  We are working on completing our dream islands!  This week, we’ll complete our maps (including a compass rose and key) and paint our islands in life-like colors.  We’ll also finish labeling the landforms we included on our islands.  

Have a great week and a happy Thanksgiving!

November 16-20

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

We need ALL names and addresses for our flat kid exchange by TOMORROW!  We will be writing our letters on Wednesday.  If I have not received a name from your family yet, I’ve sent home another copy of the address request form with your child today.  You can fill the paper out or email me with the name and address of someone who would like to participate.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Wednesday is an early release day.  Please plan accordingly.  It is also a school spirit day!  This month it is Wacky Wednesday!  Students are invited to dress in mismatched and/or backwards clothes to celebrate.

THIS WEEK IN...

Spelling:  We are working on unit 5.  The words are:  some, so, these, would, and other.   We’ll practice spelling these words and also how to use them correctly in a sentence.  Our spelling test will be this Friday.

Phonics:  This week we are working on consonant blends.  We’ll practice sl, dr, sk, st, and sp.  Our focus words will be:  slide, slips, dress, drop, skin, task, still, must, crisp, and spell.  

Vocabulary:  Our new words are:  rescued, mammal, young, hunger, examines, and normal.  We’ll define these words and build connections with them.  Then, we’ll search for them in the short story called “A Whale is Saved!” by Elizabeth Baker.

Comprehension:  This week, we’ll practice identifying the sequence of events.  That means, we’ll be looking at the order of events in the story.  We’ll look for key words like first, next, then, and last to help us.  When we practice this, it helps us understand the story better.  We’ll practice this skill while we read A Harbor Seal Pup Grows Up by Joan Hewett.

Grammar:  This week, we’ll practice plural nouns.  A plural noun names more than one person, place, or thing.  We add -s to form the plural of most nouns.  We’ll do several examples together and then the team will have an opportunity for independent practice.  

Writing:  This week, we will complete our turkey in disguise projects.  These will be on display in the hallway so if you’re ever at Russell School, come on down and check them out!  We’ll also work on some procedural writing.  After reading A Plump and Perky Turkey we will write all about how to catch a turkey.  These pieces are so much fun to read when they are complete!  Finally, we’ll work on our flat kid letters.  We’ll make a flat version of ourselves and then we will write a friendly letter to our friends and family members who are participating.  We’ll be sure to have all of the letter parts as well as good spelling and neat handwriting.  Our letters will share a little bit about our days at school, the weather, and also ask some friendly questions.  The goal is to have these letters out before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Later this week, we’ll also have the opportunity to show off all of our writing skills in a writing prompt.  We’ll be writing OUCH! stories where we tell about a time that we got hurt.  I’ll be looking for how each student communicates their ideas with others, how they organize their ideas, and how they demonstrate correct conventions.  

Read Aloud:  This week, we will complete Stanley, Flat Again!  We’ve been loving all of Stanley’s flat adventures.

Math:  We have completed our geometry journey.  You should see your child’s goal sleeve with their checklist inside.  The checklist shows the parts your child knows and is able to do.  The goal sleeve contains evidence of their progress.  Some of this work is graded and some is not.  Some work is complete and some is not.  This is because your child got choice in how they practiced each day.  Some days they may have chosen to do worksheets or activities with recording sheets.  Other days they may have chosen to practice on IXL or play a game with a friend.  Any unfinished pages in their goal sleeve can be used for extra practice at home.

Today, we began unpacking our fractions standard.  Here it is:

Partition circles and rectangles into two, three, and four equal shares and describe those shares as halves, thirds, or fourths.  Describe the whole as two halves, three thirds, or four fourths.  Recognize that the same share of a whole does not need to have the same shape.

We used our ninja chopping skills to “air partition” circles and rectangles into equal shares and our best ninja voices to describe those shares as halves, thirds, or fourths.  

The rest of the week will bring a check-in to see where each student will begin their fractions journey, some fun activities to learn the parts of a fraction, and our fun menu choices for how we can practice our individual goals.  

Science:  This is a BIG week in science!  Today, we had an erosion lab!  We made predictions and observed how waves, rain, and wind affected our landform (soil mountain).  We then talked about some ways to prevent erosion should that be something we don’t want.  We learned all about how plants are one of the best ways to prevent wind and water erosion.  More on soil preventions strategies next month.  We also created our very own glacier!  We’ll place the glacier on a dirt mound tomorrow morning and observe it in the afternoon to see how it affected the mountain.  

Later this week, Pete and Penelope might (wink wink) leave us another letter asking us about our very own dream islands!  The team will be given salt dough to create their very own island complete with five different (and labeled) landforms!  Then, we’ll paint our islands, create a map, and write a friendly postcard to Pete and Penelope from our dream islands.  This is definitely going to be a fun project!  

November 9-13

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

There is no school on Wednesday as we observe Veterans Day.  I, for one, will be spending the day thanking my sister (navy), uncle (marine corps), and grandad (navy) for their service!

I will have a substitute teacher in the classroom on Thursday.  I will be involved in a school tour for several teachers from Scarborough and Biddeford, showing them all of the great things we do here at Russell School!  If you have any notes regarding your child’s dismissal plans for the day, please send either a hand-written note or be sure to send an email to Connie Holland at cholland@sad15.org notifying the school of the change.  While I will still be in the school on Thursday, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to check my email throughout the day.

Mrs. Thibodeau will be visiting with us on Friday!  

Very soon this week, you will be receiving a paper from me requesting the name and address of someone out of state who would be willing to participate in our flat kid exchange.  Please send the paper back ASAP!  We will be mailing our letters and flat kids before Thanksgiving.

This week in...

Spelling:  This is our challenge/review week.  Any words your child missed on last week’s summative spelling test automatically become words to practice for this week’s spelling test.  This week, students will practice a total of 10 words.  So, any remaining spaces after their words to review were filled by challenge words from the third grade priority word list.  Each student will be assessed on all 10 words on Friday.

Phonics:  We are working with the long and short /u/ sound.  Our focus words are:  sun, bud, duck, bump, cup rude, rude, fume, dude, and cube.

Vocabulary:  Our new focus words are:  drowns, drifts, desert, gently, burst, and neighbor.  We’ll define these words and build connections to them.  Then, we’ll search for them in the short story called “Plant Power!” by Bradley Roberts.

Comprehension:  This week we will work on drawing conclusions.  When we draw conclusions we think about what we know, clues in the story, and picture clues.  This helps us better understand the story.  We’ll practice this skill while we read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.

Grammar:  This week, we will work on adjectives.  Adjectives are words that describe a noun.  We’ll practice identifying the adjectives in a sentence as well as brainstorming adjectives for items found around the classroom.

Writing:  Continuing on our letter writing journey, we’ll read the story called The Day the Crayons Came Home.  This week, we’ll be writing woeful postcards as the crayons that were lost by Duncan.  We’ll tell him where we are and ask him kindly to come get us!  

For some added festive fun, we’ll also be reading the book called Turkey Trouble where poor Turkey knows what is going to happen soon so he tries to dress like other animals to throw the farmer off his trail.  To go along with the book, we’ll be creating our very own turkeys in disguise and writing all about how we are not, in fact, turkeys.  Instead, we might be ninjas or pirates, or ballerinas!  Anything but a turkey.  

Read Aloud:  This week, we join Stanley again in Stanley, Flat Again!  Poor Stanley is flat again but he is sure to go on some wonderful adventures!  

Math:  We are continuing to learn about the wonderful world of geometry.  Lessons this week will focus mainly on counting sides, angles, and faces.  We’ll also work on naming some 3D shapes.  As students show that they are ready to meet their goals, they will be given our final check-in.  Once they pass that check-in, they’ll participate in some geometry challenges.  Most of our challenge work will be with 3D shapes.  A popular choice is building a tower out of geoblocks and creating a 3D drawing of our creation.  

Scholastic News:  We’ll be reading an article this week called “My Mom, the Veteran”.  We’ll meet Kayla who is a mom who served in the armed forces.  We’ll read about her life as a solider and also as a veteran.  Then, we’ll use a diagram of a Humvee to answer questions.  

Science:  This week, we’ll be using “Shape It Up” to help us make inferences about how a landform could have changed over time.  We’ll have to use our schema to help us decide what caused the change and how long the change may have taken.  Want to check it out?  Here is the link:

http://sciencenetlinks.com/media/filer/2011/10/07/forces.swf

We’ll also be watching the episode of The Magic School Bus all about volcanoes!  In this episode, the class is trying to put together a giant globe of the world.  However, there is an island so new that it hasn’t been discovered yet!  The class will dive under the ocean’s surface and explore an underwater volcano.

November 2-5

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

Thank you so much to all of you who were able to donate items for our Monster Mash on Friday!  Team Howard had a blast!  We played a lot of fun games and had some delicious snacks to eat.  It was a day for the memory books!

I also wanted to remind everyone that students are allowed to bring water bottles to school with them.  We fill them up in the morning and at snack time.  It helps us stay hydrated throughout the day.  So if you have a water bottle at home, please feel free to send it in to school with your child.

Friendly Reminder:  Please do not send in any snacks that contain peanuts or tree nuts as we do have life threatening allergies in the classroom.  Pretzels, cheese and crackers, low sugar cereals, fresh fruit and/or veggies, and yogurts all make great, healthy snacks to help keep your child energized.  I appreciate your help in keeping our classroom safe for all students.

Spelling Tests:  Apologies for not getting your child's spelling test back today.  With all of the festivities on Friday, we didn't get a chance to take our spelling test.  You'll get their spelling test back tomorrow, instead.  Thank you for your patience!

Class Wishlist:  We are a class that LOVES to engineer things... often!  That usually includes using a lot of tape.  If you would like to donate some tape to our classroom, it would be greatly appreciated!

THIS WEEK IN:

Phonics:  We are working with the long and short "o" sound.  Our focus words are:  box, fox, lock, pot, dog, cone, hope, rose, poke, and rope.  

Spelling:  We are working on unit 4 words.  The words are:  out, them, she, many, and then.  This week's spelling test will be the last one before our summative spelling test and the first four units.  Any words that are missed on the summative test will be added to your child's individual spelling review list for next week.  Each student will practice a total of 10 words.  If they missed fewer than 10 words or received 100%, they will be able to pick words from the third grade priority word list to practice.  

Vocabulary:  Our focus words are:  settled, wrinkled, practiced, cuddle, favorite, and patient.  We'll define these words, build connections to them, and then search for them in the short story called "My New Home" by Miguel Vasquez.

Comprehension:  This week we will practice making and confirming predictions.  A prediction is a reasonable guess about what will happen in a story.  We use the pictures, words, and our schema to help us make predictions.  When we confirm a prediction, we read on in the story to find out whether the prediction was correct or not.  We'll practice this skill while we read My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits.

Grammar:  This week, we will practice combining sentences that have the same predicate using the word "and."  For example, we could take "Nina came from Mexico" and "Marcos came from Mexico" and combine them to say "Nina and Marcos came from Mexico."

Scholastic News:  To continue our study on bats, we'll read an article titled "Bats in Blankets" that is all about special hospitals that help bats when they are in trouble.  Then, we'll use a diagram of a flying fox to answer questions.

Read Aloud:  We finished Chocolate Fever and our now learning all about Flat Stanley!  Today, we learned that he was flattened by a bulletin board.  We are so excited to learn more about his flat adventures.

Writing:  This week, we'll introduce the parts of a friendly letter.  This is a precursor to our Flat Stanley projects that we will be beginning shortly.  Here are the parts below:

We'll read Messages in the Mailbox: How to Write a Letter by Loreen Leedy to help us get started.  The book tells us all about the parts of a letter, different reasons for writing a letter, who we might write letters to, and also gives us some examples.  Then, Team Howard will have some practice writing a letter of their very own.  They'll be asked to write a short letter to me telling me something about themselves that I don't already know.  I'm excited to see what they say!

We'll also read The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt.  This story is a collection of friendly letters from the crayons explaining why they quit.  Some feel like they are bored, some feel like they are used too often or too little.  Then, the team will get the chance to take on the point of view of one of the crayons and also write a friendly letter explaining their point of view.

Math:  This week, we will be spending a lot of time working on our individual goals with the use of menus.  Students will have some voice and choice in how they practice their goals.  Their choices are:  worksheets, activities, games, or IXL.  They'll use their checklists to see what they still need to work on and what they already know.  For students who have already mastered the standard, they will be completing various challenge activities.

We also spent some time today practicing different strategies for being able to add or subtract 1 or 2 from a number in a snap.  Then, we put those skills to the test after we learning how to play +/- 1 or 2 bingo!  We also had some mixed review practice on Xtra Math today to keep our skills fresh.

Science:  This week, I have a feeling Pete and Penelope are going to be writing us another letter.  A little birdie (probably a parrot) told me that they have made a troubling discovery on one of the islands they have found.  The island is not looking the same and they want to know why.  I'll be challenging Team Howard in a few investigations next week, but first we'll do some research.  We'll be reading a book called Cracking Up:  A Story About Erosion and watching fun videos like the one below:

From these resources, students should gather that Earth's surface changes slowly and quickly.  Rain, wind, ice, and sun all cause slow changes to Earth's surface.  Floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes all cause quick changes to Earth's surface.


That's it for this week!  Have a fantastic week!