February 10: Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS:

February 14 - Valentine's Day Party - Wear Red/Pink

Classroom party 9:30-10:30:  All are welcome to join us!!!

February 14 - Sucker/Pencil Sale (see photo below)

February 24 - Spirit Day - Wear your favorite hat

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

March 10 - Early Release - Dismissal at 12:15

March 15 & 16 - Parent/Teacher Conference (details soon)

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - Wear Green  

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

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

OTHER NEWS:

This week we kicked off a community service project.  We are partnering with Kid’s Food Basket to raise items off of their current wish list.  The donated items will be used to fill sack suppers.  The kids who receive sack suppers are at schools were 90% or more of the students live in poverty.  At school they receive federally funded breakfast and lunch, but often go home and do not have dinner.  The sack supper fills a gap that families often cannot afford to meet.  Your child was able to decorate sack supper bags this week too.  Please see the corresponding note in your child’s Friday folder that further explains our project.  Let’s see how quickly we can make our goal of 120 items!  It is very exciting to see kids helping other kids in need.  In fact, an employee at Kid’s Food Basket spoke to the class this week and told us that 33% of volunteers at their agency are kids!!!  He also told us that over 7,000 sack suppers are made every day!  I can’t wait to see how many items we can collect to fill up those bags!!!!

Today we read a book given to us from Kid’s Food Basket.  It was a book about two friends, Tony and Julia.  The book focused on kids helping kids.  The class loved this book.  In fact, a few of the students were cheering when there was a happy ending.  

A note from Kid’s Food Basket as a follow-up from the book:

Just like Tony and Julia, you have the power to make a BIG difference in your school and in the lives of others.  It doesn’t take much-just a kind word or action.  You can think of it as planting a small seed.  When you plant a small seed of kindness or caring, it can make a big tree of difference and change.  Even if you have been a bully, like Tony, or are bullied, like Julia, you have the power to help others.  Kid’s Food Basket believes that KIDS are the key to ending childhood hunger.  When kids help other kids, bigger things can happen.  

I am so proud and impressed with the second graders and their dedication to this project!!!

READING:

Thank you for completing a few of the non-academic homework activities with your child.  Many of the second graders come in each day excited to share an activity they did at home.  We have heard countless stories about a cloud, a rock, and a very tiny chicken.  Check out the pictures below of some of the other activities families have done this month.  

Autumn as her favorite animal.

Fun family nicknames

Favorite item in the house...a pencil box 

Stories about clouds, rocks, and very tiny chicken

Next week we will be working in nonfiction reading clubs.  Our main focus will be to read and monitor our understanding in nonfiction texts related to one chosen topic.  Students will also come prepared to talk in a reading club about the many facts they learned while reading.   

WRITING:

Next week we will begin a new writing unit.  We will start writing to persuade.  Our goal will be to try to make the reader do something, believe something, or buy something by giving opinions.  Students will learn that opinion writing allows them to express their point of view.  An opinion is a belief, a point of view, a result of an emotion or strong feeling, and can be stronger when supported by evidence, facts, and details.  We will begin by stating our opinions about a variety of different hershey kisses flavors.  Also, we will write opinions about spiders and include facts and details to support our points of view.  

MATH:

We just keep plugging away with our strategies to solve 2-digit & 3-digit addition and subtraction.  This would be a GREAT thing to continue to practice at home.  Overall, most students have a solid understanding of these concepts.  However, I still see errors in their work as they are developing more consistency.  The more your child can explain the strategy they use the better!  If they are stuck on a problem, drawing a picture of the hundreds, tens, and ones is very helpful.  

WORD OF THE WEEK: 

Summarize: to sum up clearly in fewer words