Week Starting January 9, 2017

News for the new year:

ELA: Students continue, on a weekly basis, to study various patterns of spelling in words. They also identify word meanings. When the words come home, please assist your child this way, too. In reading, students are learning more about nonfiction. We are looking at biographies. As a class, we have read about Langston Hughs and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our 4th grade buddies helped the 2nd graders write ideas of how they can be like Martin. More nonfiction writing continues this week.

Math: We are happy to welcome Mr. John Gilboe to our math classroom. He is the new paraprofessional who was previously a teacher and administrator. This week, students will practice measuring in inches while still touching on plane figures, which were covered last week.

Social Studies: Completing our unit on maps will be the goal this week. Students have practiced map skills as a whole class and small groups. This week, I will see what they can do independently.

Thanks for reading!

Week Starting December 12

A peek at our week:

ELA: New words to learn new patterns will be introduced. Students have new ELA partners and will learn how to have many meaningful conversations with them about the books they read. They will also learn about elements of nonfiction writing to write about topics they know a lot about.

Math: Through literature, estimation and experimentation, students will explore measurement. One goal is for them to understand that rulers offer a standard form of measurement where everyone gets the same results. Please keep working on memorization of additon and subtraction facts at home. Children should know facts as automatically as they can spell their first names.

Science: Please see the Announcements page of the web site.

Week of December 5-9

Here's a glance at our upcoming week.

ELA: The children have been excited about learning facts for their Genius Hour research. I am too, as they have taught me new things about their chosen topics! This week, I will help them sift through all these facts by using the table of contents and/or index. In writing, students are completing their final drafts of their pattern stories and the art they started with Mr. Hunter to go with them. We will also continue with various kinds of nonfiction writing. Look for new words coming home on Monday.

Math: This week, students will complete the second review for Unit 2 and take that test. Our third unit is about Measurement and Geometry.

Health: We will review our garden of feelings and engage in some group work. Problem solving skills will be practiced, too.

Thanks for checking in.

Week Beginning November 28, 2016

I am eager to hear Thanksgiving tales from your young ones. I will share mine with them, as well. Then we will cover these items and more.

ELA: Nonfiction reading and writing are on the agenda. We will spend time with our Genius Hour research and more. New words will come home this week. It may be Monday or Tuesday.

Math: A bit more time will be spent on money. Then, we will review Unit 2, which will be followed by an assessment.

SS/Science/Health: Our unit on balance and motion concludes this week. We will then move on to Health, where our topics will be feelings and problem solving.

Thanks for checking in.

Short Week Prior to Thanksgiving

May you all have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving celebration. Mrs. Roney is filling in for me Monday and Tuesday. She is a retired Bingham 2nd grade teacher and is a master of our curriculum. So, I have left my peeps in good hands!

ELA: Students will decipher texts to determine if they are factual or fictional. They will identify details in fictional text. They will also edit their writing so it is ready to be published. Please have your child read at home every day. This should include independent reading and reading aloud.

Math: Your child is to practice math addition and subtraction facts at home on a daily basis. The goal is memorization by the school year's end. We will soon conclude our unit of double digit addition and more. Please remember to have your child practice math at home with Splash Math.

Science: Students are completing activities regarding motion. They are creating tracks to roll marbles. They test their tracks and modify as needed. They continue to work on team skills.

Week Starting November 7

Here are some things scheduled for the week ahead.

ELA: Students started patterned stories last week after learning about authors' crafts. They did a fabulous job. We will continue this week. We will move into nonfiction reading this week. A review of nonfiction text features will take place as well as a text feature hunt in books the children have shopped for recently. The words that come home are for sorting at home. They do not need to be returned to school.

Math: Students will be adding double digit numbers together. They will show their work in a method that is comfortable to them. Last Friday, I sent home a copy of the various methods your child may choose to use. Please support the method s/he finds most useful to her/him. Thanks.

Science: While learning about spinners and zoomers, students learned about rotation and the forces of push and pull. This week we investigate twirlers.

Thanks for reading!

Classroom Happenings

ELA: Students have been reading fiction and nonfiction. They are working on reading smoothly. So when they need to slow down to figure a word or words out, they need to remember to go back and reread. Students practice retelling stories to their ELA partners. They use transition words like first, then and next to retell important events in order. Transition words are also used in writing small moments, or personal narratives. Students will be assessed on this type of writing this week. Then we will move on to pattern books. I will read literature with a pattern and students will write write their own stories with a similar pattern. And patterns are always a part of our word work. Students learn new words and what they mean. The hope is that as the children learn new vocabulary they will begin using it in their writing.

Math: We have completed our first unit. As we move into our next unit on place value, students will maintain problem solving skills during bell time, homework and math time. Students will count by 10s and 100s, starting at any number. Given a number, like 781, students will tell the value of each digit. Given several numbers like 312, 321, 132, and 123, students will circle the numbers with a 2 in the tens place. These are samples of the expectations for the children as they learn about place value.

Science: Overall, the class was very successful on the balance quiz. The children also enjoyed working in teams making and balancing mobiles. They have made and observed spinners in action. We will continue activitities with different type of spinning tops.

Social Studies: While we will typically focus on science or social studies, we are doing both due to our upcoming national election. We held a mock election where students nominated a class mascot. Reasons were given on why the nominated mascots would be good choices. Then we had primaries to narrow the field. Our final election was between a dog and kitten, with the dog coming out on top.  Just like an actual election, there was happiness and disappointment.