November 19

Parents,

We’re continuing to plug away here in second grade.  This is our last full week before Thanksgiving break.  Next week we’ll take a bit of a break from the norm to delve into a Thanksgiving unit that tends to be fun for the kids.  This will include a break from fluency folders and other regular homework items such as math time tests, workbook pages, and grammar packs.  The break will be good for us all!

Social self control and decreasing impulsivity continue to be at the forefront of our behavioral teaching lessons.  Learning appropriate times to be involved in partner work and personal discussions, decreasing the amount of outbursts during class, and reminders for appropriate hallway and recess behaviors top our list of “must-do’s”.  Please continue to practice the importance of these times at home as well.  When your child interrupts a conversation at home, point it out to him/her.  Many times, simply being called out when it’s happening will go a long way toward improving the skill.  This marks a tough age where learning social etiquette is necessary, but is still a bit of an out of the box thinking skill.

Some of the parents have asked for ways to contribute to the classroom when volunteering times are not an option with your work schedule.  Here is a list of possible donation items for you.  Thank you in advance for your help with these items.  And thank you for your willingness to volunteer.  Every piece helps to build the strongest puzzle!

·         Mini 1oz. Play doh tubs (20 packets are needed, various colors accepted)

·         A Roll of perforated tickets (We use these for AR prizes.  Color of the tickets does not matter.)

·         A jumbo tub of hand sanitizer (sits by the Kleenexes for obvious reasons)

·         Kleenex (We’ve already started making a solid dent in our stash from the beginning of the year.  Please consider soft tissues as cold/flu season is just starting and little red sore noses are distracting during learning.)

In LA this week we’re taking a look at author’s purpose (Why did an author write the text?) and are finding at this reading level they eat one of three pieces of PIE- persuade, inform, or entertain.  Continue practicing digraphs (th, ch, sh) patterns in words, and breaking words into syllables.  Last week’s theme tests were pretty solid.  Grading sheets are in mailboxes to be sent home this week. 

Continue practicing counting coins in math.  Students should be able to put coins in order from greatest value to least, count appropriately, find multiple ways to show the same amount of change, and find groups of coins that equal exactly $1.00.  We will test on Friday.  The online version and study packet will be sent later this week.

Science has us studying the parts of a plant and their jobs this week.  We build flip books to use for studying these important jobs later toward testing time.  We’re in the midst of an experiment to see what will happen to a plant that is in a dark closet away from the light.  Ask your child to sing one of two awesome plant songs from school.  Better yet, race him/her on the plant parts song (sung to the tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes).  Watch out!  If you get too carried away, it is absolutely possible to pull a hamstring (don’t ask me how I know.)

We will test over communities, and our location in the world (students need to know our city, state, country, and continent) along with problem solving techniques, the reasons behind voting, and the reasons for laws tomorrow in Social Studies.  Study packets will come home in today’s Badger folders.    

Enjoy the rest of the week.  Cheers!