Tuesday, Nov. 30

Wow! We accomplished SO much today!! We played a spinner game to help us remember the difference between proper and common nouns, finished writing our legends (we will be typing them in the lab tomorrow!), finished our reading group story (A Trip to the Firehouse), completed our math boxes, and made 3D trees for our ceiling :)  We were full of energy and going from one task to the next!  We will be starting our new writing unit at the end of this week- Fantasy.  We will also be starting a new in-class reading log as well as a new homework reading log that will help us keep track of the different genre of books we are reading.  We have been reading a loooott of legends in the past few weeks so it will be nice to start reading more fantasy and fairytales :)

Reminders: Pancake Dinner on Friday Dec. 10th at 6pm.  Those who attend conferences will be getting a free family photo coupon.

Monday, Nov. 29th

Welcome back! It's time to move on from all the turkey and mayflower stuff and get out the holiday activities! Today we kicked off our new December centers (which include a lot of grammar practice, word family activities, and a focus on writing and spelling) and learned to make snowflakes :)
In math we are starting measurement with inches and centimeters.  Today we used a measuring tape and a ruler to measure things around the classroom like our desks and the door frame.  We are still practicing double digit addition by adding the inches together to find total lengths and widths of objects.

Reminders: Conferences this week! I have 100% of our families confirmed for a conference this week with me :)  Please let me know if you need a reminder of your appointment. See you all then!

Tuesday, Nov. 23rd

Happy Thanksgiving Break! All the kids left today with full bellies! We had our feast and it went very well. Thank you to those who sent in food and helped served.  The kids had great manners and did a GREAT job performing their skits for the K's and 1st graders. They really made me proud :) 
We will be practicing skits and drama little by little all year until Spring- then we will be having a play for parents :)

Unfortunately, my camera died this morning when I got it out to take pictures of their costumes :(  but I did take some video that I will post on the blog over the weekend.

Monday, Nov. 22

One day down, one to go! The kids were on a high today trying to wrap-up all of our Thanksgiving themed reading and writing projects! They worked so hard all day- I am so proud of them! We did get a little break for Ciera's birthday treat in the afternoon so that was a nice reward for all of them.
In math today we started adding dollars instead of just coins (example: 46 dollars plus 31 dollars).  We will be working on this concepts for some time (at least until Christmas break) and will of course review it (and use our skills in this area) for the rest of the year.

Hope everyone has a good night- I think the kids should be tired tonight after such a busy day!  Remember, we have a half day tomorrow.  Be here to pick up at 11:30. Thanks!

Friday, Nov. 19th

Today we began the day in reading groups by taking about main idea.  We are working on sumarizing a story by telling about the main idea instead of telling allllllllllllllllllllllll the details (which I am sure you have heard a retelling from your student before that included EVERYTHING that happened).  Our goal is to be able to tell the main idea of a story without "giving all the other parts" away.
During writing and whole-class reading we working on a poem and reviewed rhyming words that sound alike but are spelling differently (said, bed).  We also practiced our reader's theatre so that we would be ready to show the Kindergarteners our play on Tuesday.
We also had our long-anticipated popcorn part after math time in the afternoon.  We watch the Charlie-Brown version of the pilgrims trip on the Mayflower- very cute!

On Tuesday we will be having a little Thankgiving dinner in the morning before we go home.  We will have a turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cornbread muffins, corn, apple juice and cranberries.  The students will enjoy this after they do their skit for the Kindergarteners.

Also, I want to say THANK YOU to Meghan's friend Mike for helping us with spelling this week, Louis' mom for helping with homework binders, and Clara's mom for helping me with copies and games, etc. for me to use with the kids in the next few weeks.  I appreciate all of you! I know this is a VERY busy time for everyone!

Thursday, Nov. 18th

Today we got read to board the Mayflower by making a suitcase and "filling it" with writing about waht we would pack.  Ask your child what they packed in their suitcase :)

In math we practiced with thermometers again and double digit addition. We also practiced a little with estimating and reviewed counting change.

Reminder: HW due tomorrow!

Wed. Nov. 17th

Today we continued to work on our legends, visited our centers, practiced with thermometers in math, and practiced our Thanksgiving play!
We also had computer lab today and the kids were able to start out their time in the lab by taking some scholastic reading tests.  Each week when the kids should be checking out at least one book from the library that has a scolatic reading test online. The books with tests have stickers on them so the kids kow which ones to get. Please make sure your child is returning their books on time so that they are ablet o check out new test-ready books on Library day. Our next Library day is next Tuesday.

Tues. Nov. 16th

Today was out virtual field trip to Plimouth Village! We watched pilgrims and Native Americans live from their village.  We learned about what they wore, how they talked, and how they lived.  The kids really liked seeing them in action! We made a KWL chart as we watched (this will be coming home next Tuesday so you can read all about it).
We also practiced double digit adding in math by adding change.  This concept is still tricky but we are improving quickly! :)
In solcial studies we are still talking about patriotism and have added a new class job- Pledge Leader.  The students are very serious when it comes to the pledge and we are talking about other was we can show our patriotism.

Picture retake day is tomorrow!! If you want your child to get picture retakes, please send the entire original package to school tomorrow so that we can return it and get the new picture taken. Thanks!

Monday, Nov. 15th

Today in class we started planning out our Legend writing pieces.  We all started with a question about nature. Some of the questions the kids came up with were: Why do dogs bark? Why is the grass green?  Why are the clouds in the sky? Where did butterflies come from?  Our next task is to answer our question by telling a story as the Native Americans did in the books we have been reading.  The characters are either Native Americans, animals, or spirits (as those are the character types in the Native American legends we are modeling after).  Ask you child what their question is for their legend.
In reading we started examining a play about the first Thanksgiving.  We will be practicing it all week and then performing it for the 1st and K's next Tuesday.  We will be using paper grocery bags to make pilgrim and Native American outfits for the play and will be eating a Thanksgiving Dinner after we have performed our play.  I got the bags already from the grocery but I do still need feathers and someone who is skilled at making Pilgrim hats :)  I have a template for this but mine always turn out a bit funny looking.  Let me know if you are willing to help or if you are able to send anything Thanksgiving-ish in for our Dinner (which will be taking place in next Tuesday morning!)

In math we examined lbs. and in. by looking at the measurements of different fish.  We also used our balance to compare dry and wet goods to see which were heavier.  Finally, we began looking at the concept of algebra (in a very simple form) by posing questions such as: If the fish weighed 5lbs and later he weighed 12lbs, how much did he gain in between the two weigh-ins?  5 + ? = 12 The kids were great at this! I am so glad to be moving to the double digit addition and subtraction unit this week in math.  This concept comes up a lot in the work they do and it will benefit them all to explore it deeper & gain a better understanding of the process in the upcoming weeks.

Friday, Nov. 12th

Happy Friday! Thank you for sedning in HW binders today- and THANK YOU to Louis' mom for filling them up for us!  Also, THANK YOU to Molly's mom for coming in at the last minute to do spelling tests!! Lastly, thanks to Clara's mom for helping me with some paperwork.coping today and this week. I appreciate your help!!

 

Today in class we learned about the Mayflower and the lives of Pilgrams and Native Americans.  We did a webquest on our smart board and were able to click on different parts of the vessel to see what was kept inside.  The website we used was http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/ it's a graet site.  Some of the content is more aimed toward upper grades but there are a few things that the 2nd graders can learn from and enjoy. Have you child play around on it at home! They LOVE it.

 

Thursday, Nov. 11th

Happy Veterans Day! I hope all of you remembered to be thankful to our armed forces this Thanksgiving season.  My brother-in-law just returned from a year long tour in Iraq this summer and we are SO greatful to have him back :)
The kids had an assembly today in which they discussed Veteran's Day and also read a book in class about the holiday.  They brought home a little book that they colored and read with a partner today as well- have them to read this to you tonight! :)
I sent home conference reminder/sign-up sheets today for Dec. conferences.  Please return them to school asap so that I can confirm your attendence. Report cards will go home on Dec. 10th but I will be giving you a sneak-peek at conferences on the 1st and 2nd so that we can discuss your child's progress.  I also sent home a little questionairre for you to fill out before conferences to help us both plan for our meeting. 

I had a meeting today at school with the other 2nd grade teachers and was not in the classroom for most of the day.  The sub left a GREAT report (yaye!!) .  I was also able to talk with the sub this morning to give her directions and see some of the kids during the day to make sure things were going well.  Everyone seemed happy :)
Don't forget- tomorrow is Friday so send in that Homework binder!  Also, keep sending in the canned food- we have gotten a lot of generous donations for our Poupard families already :) Thanks!!

Thanksgiving

I am so very sad that my camera died during our Thanksgiving feast- I didn't even get to take a picture of the 15 lb. turkey that I made in the teacher's lounge oven!! I also missed out on getting pictures of the kids in their pilgrim and Indian attire as they performed their scripts for the Kinders :(  I did, however, have my video camera with me and got a a few quick clips of "What I am Thankful for" from all of the kids.

Wednesday, Nov. 10th

Today in class we read "The Legend of Michigan."  This explained the Native American legend of how Michigan got to have 4 seasons and why Michigan is shaped like a mitten.  We followed up by pointing out what makes this story a legend (because it answers a question about nature "Why is Michigan shaped like a Mitten?") and then made a story map of the characters, beginning, middle, and end.  The kids did great with this! when we were finished I showed them a map of Michigan and we pointed out some of the cities we had heard of/ went to.  We looked at Harper Woods and Detroit, Lansing, Traverse City, etc.  One boy raised his hand and asked me to point out where "Out of Town" is because his dad is always having to go there. Haha :)
In math we played our game and then had an assembly.  Ask your child tonight to share with you what we saw from the presenters!

Tuesday, Nov. 9th

Today in class we read "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush"  we made a strory map to summarize what happened and why the book was written.  We will be making a story map of the next 3 legends we read and then we will be making our OWN story map for our OWN legends!  They kids are getting familiar with how to plan out a "good story" so that they will be ready on Monday to start their own stories.
In math tomorrow we will be playing a game that helped us learn more about giving change for a dollar.  Some students will be playing a more advanced version of this game with other amounts that were a bit more tricky.  Some students who have mastered this skill already got to go to the enrichment group with Mrs. Mouton today!  She will be visiting us every Tuesday and Thursday for enrichment for those who have mastered certain skills.  She will also be helping us on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday by working with students who need re-teaching or extra time to learn a concept.  The kids LOVE going with Mrs. Mouton- they get so excited when they find out who gets to go that day :)
In Social Studies we added two new words to our Vocab book: Life and Justice.

Monday, Nov. 8th

Today in class we started our new November centers.  Centers are a great way to get every kid active in learning at thier own level.  We have 16 centers and they are assigned to each kid depending on their needs.  Some of the centers are visited by every student, such as the fast math computer center and the Turkey Tales writing center.  Other centers are created to support or challenge students at their level, such as the Coin Card War game and the double or signle digit dice addition game.  The kids love centers because they are fun; I love centers because they reinforce what we've learned in reading, writing, and math in a way that is motivating and encourages independence.

We also learned the core democratic value Common Good.  The kids lovvvved coming up with silly rules and laws that would NOT be for the common good (New class rule: You have to give all your Halloween Candy to Louis!) but then we got serious and discussed some real laws and how they help all of us be safe and happy.  They are making a Core Democratic Vocab. picture book to help remember all the new terms and what they mean in our lives.

Friday, Nov. 5

Today we took our spelling test (thanks so Sania's mom and Molly's mom!!), got our homework bindrs (thanks to Louis' mom!)  and had a birthday to celebrate (thanks to Darrielle's Grandma for the cupcakes!).

We also found time to read another legend and come to the conclusion that all legends teach us something about nature.  We also noticed that the stories can sometimes be emotional.  We will start writing our own legends next week.
In math we worked with making change and counting up to find the difference between what we paid and how much the item cost (ie- if you paid a dollar and the item cost 89 cents, count up from 89 untill you get to 100 to find the difference).  The homework this week will be on our new Unit.  Please pace the math homework over the week as there are a couple concepts that we won't be learning until Monday & Tuesday and I don't want the kids working on those pages over the weekend and get frustruated.
In Social Studies we learned the vocab. words "Core Democratic Values,"  and "Liberty."  Next week we will be learning "Life."

Reminders: Canned food drive starts next week and ends Nov. 19th.  Please send in what you can :)

PS- Sorry I didn't post yesterday! I had a sub in the PM and do not have internet access from home at the moment.  I did get a great report from the sub and the kids told me she was "nice" :)

Wed. Nov. 3rd

Today in class we read a Native American legend about Lady Slipper flowers.  We also talked about Native American culture as well as elements of a legend.  In my reading group we practiced visualizing a story as we read.
In math we worked on making change with coins.  It was challanging for many students but we will continue to work hard on this.  Lots of kids are starting to master counting change so making change will be a new challenge.  After math we had computer lab and were able to do fast math and earobics!

**FROM TODAY ON, students will NOT be allowed to go out to recess unless they have a real coat (a sweatshirt is not a real coat).  It is too cold to be outside for such a long time without a coat.**

Tuesday, Nov. 2

Hope you all enjoyed your day off (from bringing the kids to school)!
I added some links to the blog today (they are in the menu under the header).  I hope that you will be able to use these links at home to practice the skills we are learning in the classroom.  You can also navigate around on the sites to find additional things that you may find useful.  I wrote up a little something for most of the sites to let you know what I like about it and what it is best for.  I will be adding more as we learn more in the classroom. Hope you are able to have your child enjoy these sites on the next rainy day. :)

Monday, Nov. 1

THANK YOU to all the parents that made our Halloween Party a success!! Also, thank you to those who came early to help with spelling tests and homework binders! The day went so smoothly because of all of you! Thanks!

Today in class we started learning about Legends in my reading group.  We are also learning about legends in writing and will be reading and writing some Native American legends (along with some other types of traditional legends) all month. 
In math we worked more with coins and counting various amounts of coins.  We also explored some bar graphs. 

Book exchange will be Thursday Nov. 24th. Please send a book that you have read in order to switch it for a new book to read! (all the students got a book last month from book exchange that they can bring back to trade)

**FYI: I took the graph out of the HW binder this week.  I will not be adding it back in. I may add in something else to do with graphs but I will not be adding the HW graph back in.

Also, I got my PB Jars that I was needing last week :) Thanks!