Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Wednesday, Feb. 29th

Today in class we ALL finished our biographies!! The class (and I!) are soooo happy to have completed this big task :)  We also played the fractions version of 'connect 4' during math today.  The kids practiced naming, drawing, and comparing different fractions.  We also did a little probability activity with an 'Abe Lincoln' toss.  Ask your child what secret we found out about the penny today!

**I know I posted this a few days back, but now we are REALLY all set for volunteers for the field trip.  Each class only has 5 parent tickets and the show is totally sold out.  I gave a couple of my extra volunteers to the other 2nd grade classes (because they still needed volunteers) but now we are ALL set!! Thank you so much for all your willingness to help! I feel so lucky to have a class of parents who loved helping out and are able to volunteer to spend this extra time with the 2nd grade children :)  I am still keeping a list of those of you who would like to come with us so that if anyone cancels, I will be able to call you for back-up!

**Conference form due Friday! Lots of students have already turned their forms in, so many of the 'prime' times already been taken.  If you sign up for time that has been taken, I will send you a note back letting you know what times are left.  If you sign up for a time and it is available, I will send you a note back letting you know that you are confirmed for that time.  No matter what, expect a note from me! If you don't see one, ask your child where it is (Ive been letting the kids know how important it is that the notes get to you during this busy time) :)

**Please looks for the 'Secret Envelope' in your child's take home folder from the other week.  I am hoping to get one of these returned for each child--- it is important!!  I guarantee that having you respond to this will make your child's MONTH! This 'secret' activity always puts a HUGE smile on the kids faces :)

** READING WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS AT POUPARD TOMORROW!!!! 6-8pm.  Dinner provided to parents who attend.  Babysitting provided.  Please come if you can :) Bring your Poupard-parents friends!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Tuesday, Feb. 28th

Important!!  Monday, March 5th school starts at 8:20.    It is NOT a late start Monday.  It is also a half day.  Pic k your child up at 11:30. Thanks!

Today in class we worked REALLY hard to finsih up our biographies.  Some children are doing Presidents and some are doing Black Americans.  Ask your child who they picked and ask them to tell you about what they have learned during their 'research' :)

In math we did some fractions and division.  This concepts is tricky but the kdis did great with it and we took it slow.  We will be contining to divide groups of items into smaller groups and writing fractions this week.  Next week we will focus more on equivalent fractions.

We need volunteers for the 4th grade disability workshop. We are REALLY short on volunteers and REALLY need the help!  The jobs are EASY and fun for the kids.  PLEASE let me know if you can help out with this.  You don't have to come to the training just to the workshop on March 8th. There are tons of different time slots so whatever time on that day works for you would be great. Let me know if you are willing to lend a hand let me know and I will send you the flier! Thanks!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Monday, Feb. 27th

Happy Monday! It was so good to have the kids back in the classroom! :)

THIS WEEK ON THURSDAY THERE IS AN IMPORTANT READING MEETING FOR PARENTS AT 6pm!! There will be FREE babysitting and FREE pizza provided!! Please come to learn about some ways you can help your child in reading, learn about the reading program here at Poupard, and learn about reading for the whole family.  I know this is short notice but we really hope that this could be the start of a wonderful new reading tradition at our school! Please come and spread the word to other parents!!

Field Trip Info:  **The Trip costs $2 for STUDENTS.  Please send $2 with your permission slip! I got a number of slips back today without the $.  This is due by Friday. Thanks!!

Thank you to everyone who volunteered for the field trip!! I already have enough drivers for our class!! However, if you would still like to come and have not yet signed up, there are still students who need rides from the other 2nd grade classes so we may still need your help :) Let me know if you are interested in that.

Here are our drivers:
Keegans Mom
Carson's Dad
Quintez's Mom
Cassady's Mom
Robyn's Mom

If something changes and you can't come, let me know ASAP so I can fill your space! Thanks!!

Conferences: Slips are due back on Friday.  Anyone who sent theirs in today got a confirmation back from me in the backpack this afternoon.  Please look for it! My late times are filling up fast!

Today in class Keegan's dad came and helped us make Fraction Dice for math.  We rolled the dice and recorded the fraction as a picture and a numeral.  We also did a LOT of writing today and did some new fraction-focused centers.  Ask your child to draw a representation of a fraction and label it on their little white board tonight!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Happy Break :)

I hope all my families are having a wonderful break!! I wanted to share a few pictures from Friday at our school-wide PBS (behavior management system) reward with you.  We made paper airplanes and had a distance and design competition!  Now, the planes all looked so amazing that I just couldn't pick a winner so we all tied for first place in design :)







designing their airplanes

Carson flying his plane

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Thursday, Feb. 16th

Today in math we worked with Fraction and cutting shapes into equal shares.  We alread practiced writing fractions based on a picture.
In reading we read a great book called "Boycott Blues" about Rosa Parks.  The kids loved it and it was also a good sneak-peek into poetry.  Ask your child about Rosa Parks and the word Boycott tonight :)

Tomorrow I will be sneding home a field trip form in the HW binder and an invition for parents to come in and read to us in the month of march in an envelope.  I am also sending a conference sign-up sheet.  Please look for these 3 items tomorrow!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Tuesday, Feb. 14th

Happy Valentine's Day!! Thank you to those who came to help, sent in items, and worked on cards & a box this week! It was a great day :)











We read the "Paper Crane" in reading before Keegan's dad came to teach us how to make origami paper cranes & "love birds" :)




Thank you to Nylah's mom for helping to scoop ice cream and serve everyone! :)


Robyn and her paper crane :)

Valentine addition and subtraction bingo

Monday, February 13, 2012

Monday, Feb. 13th

Today in class we started doing some fractions.  We have been writing 1/2 but now we are starting to identify other fractions and drawing our own representations of fractions (such as 3/5 or 2/9)  soon we will start comparing fractions.

Tomorrow we will be having our Valentine party from 1:15-2:15.  We will actually be starting by making paper cranes (love birds) that go along with the book we read in reading group! Around 1:30 we will pass out cards and have ice cream.  Afterwards we will be playing Valentine Bingo with addition and subtraction facts :) Thank you to all of you who volunteered to bring in items for the Ice cream!





Friday, February 10, 2012

Friday, Feb. 10th

New HW went home with everyone today along with all the Friday paperwork :)

**The daddy daughter dance is tonight at 6pm in the gym.

Today in class we made cards for Seniors at the Nursing home.  Ask you child what they wrote and drew on their card/picture. We also practiced some place value today in math as a review activity.  We practiced expanded forms, standard form, and word form. We also did monster measuring using centimeters. In reading we practice identifying compound words. Ask you child to tell you an example of a compound word this weekend :)

Next week: Citizenship breakfast on Tuesday at 8am, Valentine Party Tuesday from 1:15-2:15 (We have all the supplies--including Ice Cream--accounted for now. Thank you!!!) Don't forget to bring your Valentine Box on Tuesday!!, Town hall meeting Wednesday.




Wednesday, February 08, 2012

pictures :)

Working on Fiction stories


Peer editing :)

Working hard



Making notes about our comprehension during Reading Group 

Measuring "inch worms" during math

Sorting nouns, verbs, and adjectives at center time

Henry and Mudge book Club Project (only students in the Henry and Mudge book club made this project)

wednesday Feb. 8th

Thank you to all those who have returned the Valentine's party slip.  We have all the supplies we need EXCEPT the vanilla ice cream! So if you have not returned you slip yet and are wonder what to bring, please bring ice cream :)  You can just send it in the morning with your child and I will put it in the freezer. Thanks!

Today we had book exchange and lots of people got great new books on their level to read :) Thank you those of you who participated.

In class we finished a fun Abe Lincoln project and read a new Abe Lincoln book.  Ask your child to tell you a new fact about Abe tonight :)

In math we continued our *bonus* measurement lessons and did some work with perimeter.  The students had to measure each side of a item and then add the sides together.  The sum is the Perimeter.

Reminders:
SPRING CONCERT FOR KINDERGARTEN, FIRST AND SECOND GRADES IS THURSDAY, APRIL 26TH AT 7 P.M., PARCELLS AUDITORIUM.
Valentine party from 1:30-2:30 on the 14th ****DONT FORGET TO BRING YOUR VALENTINE BOX!!

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Tuesday, Feb. 7th

SPRING CONCERT FOR KINDERGARTEN, FIRST AND SECOND GRADES IS THURSDAY, APRIL 26TH AT 7 P.M., PARCELLS AUDITORIUM.

Monday, February 06, 2012

Monday, Feb. 6th

Wednesday is book Exchange! Bring a book from home if you want to trade it for something new to read.

Today in class we took a break from our Everyday Math book and did some extra work with measurement.  The kids need to be able to identify between inches and centimeters using a ruler and be abel to apply their knowledge while working (ie.  when the paper says to use cm they should know to use centimeters and be able to measure in centimeters independently without and adult telling them which part of the ruler to use) They are only required to measure to the nearest 1/2 inch (or 1/2 Centimeter) so if something is between 13 and 14 centimeters they should write 13 and 1/2.  We are going to continue to practice this skill all week in class with some fun bonus activities before we continue on with our regular book work :)  I want to see all the kids master this skill before we start the next unit because it is an important life skill.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Thursday, Feb 2nd

**Valentine's Party informational flier went home today!

Homework due tomorrow :)

Today in class we learned some real facts about Groundhogs and practiced telling time using a Groundhog themed book.  I have seen a lot of students wearing watches lately and I can tell that they are getting a lot of practice telling time :)  Ask you child tonight to read an analog clock for you.

We also did our NWEA Computerized math test today!  As usual, all the kids tried SUPER hard and did their very best.  I am proud of them :)

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Wednesday, Feb. 1

Wear Red Wings clothing tomorrow for the assembly (or just red and white!)