Newsletter: January 27

UPCOMING EVENTS:

February 3: Early Release-Dismissal at 12:15

                      Students should be at 25% of their SRC goal

February 6: No School-Winter Break

February 14: Valentine's Day Party 9:30-10:30

March 3: Students should be at 50% of their SRC goal

March 31: Students should be at 75% of their SRC goal

May 5: Students should be at 100% of their SRC goal

READING:

Today you will find a new Book-it form for the month of February.  However, it looks completely different than the previous forms so please don’t miss it.  The Book-it form is connected to a new homework initiative that we are encouraging all Bauer families to complete.  In your child’s Friday folder you will find a note explaining the new “non-academic” homework.  Attached to the letter you will find a board with 16 ideas to complete throughout the month of February.  All of the activities are easy to complete and are a lot of fun!!!   This is completely OPTIONAL.  However, I highly recommend it.  Research shows that developing fine and gross motor skills, building imaginative thinking skills, and fostering a sense of creativity are critically important skills for young learns. You will start to see these calendars coming home each month.  On the back of each monthly calendar, you will find a reading log to keep track of your child’s reading for the month.  This is the new form that we will use for Book-It.  I am really excited to hear about all of the after-school adventures you will have with your second grader.  Please feel free to send me pictures of your fun or even send in any creations you make as a family.  Again, this is optional, but a great opportunity to enjoy some family fun!

WRITING:

Today students had time to celebrate their realistic fiction writing with the other 2nd grade classroom.  Students were able to read multiple stories written by second graders in both classrooms.  They were very excited to share all of the great writing strategies they noticed in their friends’ writing.  Next week we will begin writing poetry.  We will start by thinking about where poets get their ideas and begin writing our own poems.  

MATH:

We have been working diligently in class to subtract from 200 and any given number less than 200.  Students are learning how important it is to ask, “Can I subtract?” before they begin.  At this point, we are still using a proof drawing to help us fully understand the process of ungrouping (breaking apart something in order to subtract).  Next week we will continue to practice these skills.  3-digit subtraction is a very difficult task, but with time and effort we will get it!

OTHER NEWS:

Today I have sent home a class list for your child to use to address their Valentines.  Our classroom party will be on Tuesday, February 14 from 9:30-10:30.  We would love for you to join us for the fun!

Also, we are in need of a few classroom supplies for an upcoming project.  We will need brown paper bags and sandwich size ziplock bag.  Any donations would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

Newsletter: January 20

UPCOMING EVENTS:

February 3: Early Release-Dismissal at 12:15

                      Students should be at 25% of their SRC goal

February 6: No School-Winter Break

February 14: Valentine's Day Party

March 3: Students should be at 50% of their SRC goal

March 31: Students should be at 75% of their SRC goal

May 5: Students should be at 100% of their SRC goal

READING:

Thank you for consistently filling out your child’s SRC home reading log.  It is extremely helpful to see how often they are reading at home.  Also, thanks for completing a word study activity with your child using their word sort cards.  The second graders were very excited to tell me what activity they did at home.  I heard that a few of you were able to sort a bit faster than your child.  I can tell they loved the competition!

Next week we will continue to read books within a series.  It will be our goal to stop periodically throughout our reading to jot down our thinking about the book.  Students will learn important places to stop and think while reading.  We will jot down places where the character learned an important lesson, places where the character acted in a way we didn’t expect, places where something was repeated, and places that created a picture in our minds.

WRITING:

Next week we will wrap up our realistic fiction writing.  We will make sure we have an ending that wraps up the story with a lesson, a hope, a feeling, or a wish.  We will also spend time editing and revising our stories in preparation for a small writing celebration with the other 2nd grade classroom on Friday. 

MATH:

Please continue to have your child practice Xtramath at home.  This week another student completed all of her addition facts.  Congratulations, Kylee!  Keep up the great work!!!

Today you will find a very important family letter in your child’s Friday folder.  This family letter explains the two strategies we will use to subtract 2-digit numbers.  You will learn all about the Expanded Method and the Ungroup First Method.  You will most likely recognize the Ungroup First Method.  It looks a lot like the traditional method of borrowing.  However, in class we call this process ungrouping.  We spent many days making sure students knew what it meant to ungroup.  Ask your child to explain it at home.  They should know that to ungroup means to break apart a group in order to subtract.  We will spend the next few days practicing 2-digit subtraction in class.  We will often refer to three basic rules to help us solve each problem.  Your child will know these rules very well.  We even have motions to match!

More on the TOP

No need to STOP!

More on the FLOOR

Go next DOOR

and get 10 more!

(ungroup)

Numbers the same

Zero is your game!

Newsletter: January 13

UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 20: Spirit Day-Wear Your Favorite Sports Apparel

February 3: Early Release-Dismissal at 12:15

READING:

Please check out your child’s SRC report to find out how many quizzes he/she has taken this week.  Remember their goals are now based on points.  To stay on track, students should be taking 3-4 quizzes a week.  Please let me know if you have any questions about SRC.  

In class, we are reading books in a series.  Each day students read a book in that particular series and then meet in a book club with other students that are reading the same series.  This gives students a chance to discuss the characters, patterns they are noticing, tricky words, and much more.  Your child knows what group they are in so make sure to ask them.  

WRITING:

This week we set many goals for ourselves as writers.  Our main focus as second grade writers is to continue to add sufficient details for the reader to picture our stories.  To do this, next week we will work on adding the internal thinking of our characters and begin to bring our characters to life.  I am excited to share many examples with the class for them to hear how powerful these strategies can be for the reader.

MATH:

Today I have sent home your child’s Unit 3 math assessment.  They did a GREAT job on this test.  I can tell they have a solid understanding of measurement, line plots, and shapes.  Please look over this assessment with your child and celebrate all they have learned!  This week we began Unit 4: Subtract 2-Digit Numbers.  At this point, we have only completed the first few lessons dealing with money.  Students can now count coins including QUARTERS!  This would be a great concept to practice at home.  Students should be able to count a variety of different coins and write the amount with a cent sign and a dollar sign.  Next week we will begin learning the steps to solve 2-digit subtraction problems.  

OTHER NEWS:

Today I have sent home a new reading log.  Please continue to have your child read 5 nights a week for 20 minutes each night starting today.  All reading logs are due next Friday.  You will notice I added a new column for you (or your child) to indicate how many nights they read and how many quizzes they took that week.  I am hoping this will help us stay on start with their SRC goals.  Also, you will find an additional line to jot down the ONE word study activity your child completed with your word sort cards at home.  On the back of today’s reading log, you will find a variety of fun activities your child can do to practice their words.  Thanks for your help with their reading homework!

Reminders

Happy snow/ice day! I hope you enjoy the day at home.

 I just wanted to send out a few reminders for tomorrow, Friday January 13.

• Students will be dismissed at 12:15 tomorrow.  Food service is offering a sack lunch option for all students.  The sack lunch consists of turkey and cheese on a bun, carrots, apple, and a snack item for $2.25 (free and reduced pricing will apply).  Please remind your child if they need to order a sack lunch.
• Please have your child wear his/her gray "You were made to be AWESOME" t-shirt tomorrow.  Thanks!  

January 6: Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 13: Early Release-Dismissal at 12:15

                      Wear Bauer Leader Shirt for a school wide picture

January 20: Spirit Day-Wear Your Favorite Sports Apparel

February 3: Early Release-Dismissal at 12:15

READING:

Students received their new SRC goals this week. The goals are much higher than last time because they have a larger amount of time to accomplish their goal and we are now experts at taking quizzes.  Also, students may take as many quizzes as they need to in a week.  They will also be able to visit the library throughout the week to get new books when needed.  That means your child should have a book at home every night to read.  If this is not happening, please let me know and I will remind them to sign up for open library.  Students will need to read and pass roughly 2-4 quizzes a week to accomplish their goal.  Students will have 15 weeks to complete their goals.  That means this session of SRC will end on May 5.  Please encourage your child to read each night and take quizzes on every book they read.  Students will now be earning a point value for each quiz that they pass.  Most picture books are worth 1-2 points.  Chapter books are usually 2+ points.  You can look on the inside cover of your child’s library book to see how many points their book is worth.  Next week you can also see how many points your child has earned on their SRC report.  Just make sure you look in the “points” column this time rather than “books read” column.  

Today I have sent home two new Scholastic book orders.  If you are interesting in ordering a few new books for your 2nd grader to read, please complete the online order by Monday, January 16.  Remember our classroom code is HM67V.  

WRITING:

We have had a great start to writing realistic fiction stories.  This week students learned that realistic stories are based on something that really could happen and include a believable problem and solution.  Next week we will take time to thoroughly plan our stories, work on building tension as we develop the problem and solution, and add in clear transition words. 

MATH:

Our unit three math test will be on Tuesday, January 10.  Please look for the unit review sent home today.  It will be helpful to go over it with your child in preparation for the test.  This assessment will cover measurement using centimeters and inches, line plots, two dimensional shapes, and three dimensional shapes.