May 31

 

Please return all library books and computer chargers to school.    

This four-day week will look and feel like a regular week at school for our students.  We are still working on all of our core subjects.  Next week we will have some fun events and a class party.  If you would like to send in juice boxes or a nut-free snack for our party please let me know.  We have 17 students. 

Please consider taking this quick three question survey about the school year.  Linked HERE. 

Math

Your students should be SO proud of the work they have completed this year.  They are mastering addition and subtraction with regrouping to 1,000!  This is no easy feat.  This week and next, we are going to spend time reviewing all 2nd grade math standards that we have been working on this year.     

Reading

We will be talking about making sure students have a plan to keep reading over the summer.  This is imperative.  Starting next year, students will spend time reading to learn.  They are no longer learning to read.  This is a huge leap for our kids.  Students who struggle with reading will think they are not strong in other areas because they won't be able to read directions or content; when in fact they may actually be quite strong in that area.  

Please make sure your child has time to read each day.  

Science

Last week we completed our third experiment called, Why Do Trees Grow So Tall?. Students learned the importance of sunlight to plants, which is collected by their leaves. In the activity, Grass Head, students make a person out of a paper towel and a popsicle stick with grass for hair! Then, students make predictions about the direction that the grass will grow based on the orientation (standing up or lying down) that they place the Grass Head. -Mystery Doug

This week we will complete Should You Water A Cactus?.  Students will learn that plants have different needs in terms of sunlight and water. In the activity, Grass Head Revisited, students will examine the Grass Head they made in the previous lesson. Earlier, they predicted which way the grass would grow. Now they will discuss what happened and why. -Mystery Doug

  

May 24th

Water Bottles

Please remind your child to bring a water bottle.  The fountains are shut off this year.  Students are able to fill bottles though.  They sure do enjoy having water on hot days after recess. 

Student Computers

Students are coming to school with computers that are not charged or forgetting their computer altogether.  If you would like your student to leave their computer at school and no longer take it home that is fine with me.   Please be sure to send in the charger.  

Reading

Our students will continue to explore various styles of writing: advertisements, poetry, emails, songs... Our main focus is to understand the text, including the author's purpose behind the writing. We will work on summarizing these different types of text this week; making sure we are able to pick out the most important parts.

  

Math

We will continue to work with graphs and practice with multi-step word problems with addition and subtraction through 1,000.  Our class will incorporate graphs beyond the basic bar graph: line plots, pie graphs, pictographs, and Venn diagrams...   

Science

We finished the first two lessons in our new unit last week.  Ask your student about them.  They are so much fun!  In the first lesson, Seed Dispersal,  students will learn how seeds must get away from their parent plant in order to survive. In the activity, Fly Your Own Seed, students create a model seed from paper. Then, they release these seeds to model how they disperse and observe if any seeds are able to escape the parent plant’s “Zone of Darkness” and survive. -Mystery Doug

In the second lesson, Water, Sunlight, and Plant Growth, students investigate how plants need water and sunlight to grow. In the two-part activity, Seeds — Light and Dark, students experiment with growing radish seeds in light and dark conditions. They plant them in cups, place half of the cups in sunlight, and put the other half in a dark container. Three to seven days later, students compare the seedlings and then watch what happens when all are placed in sunlight. -Mystery Doug

The Olympics!

  

May 17th

In PE students begin their unit on Olympics.  This is sure to be a great time!  I'm so excited to see our kids enjoying this unit.  Check out Mr. Pfahler's lessons in PE Google Classroom and ask your student about it on Wednesdays.  

Science

Our class will resume science this week, beginning a new unit called Plant Adventures.  This unit develops the idea that plants are truly alive and face challenges every bit as dramatic as those of animals. Students will learn that plants have needs, and will reason from evidence to understand how plants meet their needs. Their attention will be drawn to exciting connections they can observe in their everyday world: why forests are dark, why trees grow so tall, and more.  -Mystery Doug 

Reading

Our students will continue to explore various styles of writing: advertisements, poetry, emails, songs... Our main focus is to understand the text, including the author's purpose behind the writing.  We will work on summarizing these different types of text this week; making sure we are able to pick out the most important parts.    

Math

We will continue to work with graphs and practice with multi-step word problems with addition and subtraction through 1,000.  Our class will incorporate graphs beyond the basic bar graph: line plots, pie graphs, pictographs, and Venn diagrams...   

Support at Home

Read, Read, Read!  Students should be reading each day for 20-30 minutes.  Practicing basic math facts is still critical, especially subtraction.  Using IXL, sections  L and R will support our work at school this week.

May 10th

Thank you so much for all the extra love this week!  I was overwhelmed with all of the cards and gifts.  So generous, so kind!  We celebrated your kids too.  After all, if it weren't for your students I could not be a teacher.  And- they truly make my job fabulous.      

2nd grade is planning our end of the year party.  Miss Grimm and I are planning a mini-field afternoon.  If you would like to contribute some items please send in any of the following: bubbles, chalk, pop-cycles, water balloons, or juice boxes.  

NWEA is going really well.  Last week we worked on Reading.  This week we will take the math test.  Please let me know as soon as possible if your child will be out of school this week so that I can adjust our schedule.

Reading

Our students will continue to explore various styles of writing: advertisements, poetry, emails, songs... Our main focus is to understand the text, including the author's purpose behind the writing.  

Math

We will continue to work with graphs and practice with multi-step word problems with addition and subtraction through 1,000. 

Support at Home

Read, Read, Read!  Students should be reading each day for 20-30 minutes.  Practicing basic math facts is still critical, especially subtraction.  Using IXL, sections G, H, I, J and R will support our work at school this week.

May 3

The weather is beautiful outside and our classroom is getting warmer.  I strongly suggest that your student come to school with a water bottle and light sweatshirt.  Students may also bring a towel to use for outside learning.  When the weather is nice I like to take students outside to read.      

NWEA

We will begin testing this week from Wednesday-Friday.  I will reserve 30 minutes each day for testing.  Most students take between 30-60 minutes to finish the 50 question test.  Please let me know if your child will be out of school this week or next so that I can make arrangements for an altered testing schedule for them.  I bring in gum, hard candy, and pop-cycles for the kids during testing.  If your child has braces, allergies, or you aren't a fan of the snacks please email me a snack type that you approve of or send an alternative for your child in their backpack.             

Math

We will work with graphs and continue our work with multi step word problems with addition and subtraction through 1,000.  From the work we have begun with story problems I've noticed that students are able to figure out the math just fine.  The struggle is in understanding the story to do the correct equation.  Now that there are multiple steps our kids really have to stop and think about the meaning of the text.  Here are two examples:

At the arcade, Glen won 25 tickets playing a basketball game.  Martina won 48 tickets playing a bowling game.  They combined their winnings to get a soccer ball that costs 56 tickets.  How many tickets did Glen and Martina have left?  -Most students add all three numbers together or disregard their purchase and just add the total number of thickets won.

Mia read 12 books.  Pauline read half as many books.  How many books did Mia and Pauline read altogether? - Most students answer 6.  

The mistakes are kids are making are perfect.  They can read and they can do the math; we just need to focus on the details by slowing down a little bit.  They are loving working with "big numbers" and have enjoyed our sidebar conversations about multiplication and division.  This group of students confidently approaches a challenge and works together to make sure everyone is understanding.  I just adore your kids.  Thank you for sharing them with me!        

Reading

Our students will begin to explore various styles of writing: advertisements, poetry, emails, songs... Our main focus is to understand the text, including the author's purpose behind the writing.  

Support at Home

Read, Read, Read!  Students should be reading each day for 20-30 minutes.  Practicing basic math facts is still critical, especially subtraction.  Using IXL, sections G, H, I, J and R will support our work at school this week.