Hello! I hope you all are keeping warm :)
In your child's Home-School folder today should have been a copy of the Moon Phase calendar assignment! This is a month-long assignment for you and your child to work on together. The goal is for your child to observe the moon first hand. Fortunately, this time of year one can observe the moon in the morning or the evening. At the same time, we as a second grade team understand that this is a busy time of year, and often an overcast time of year! This is why the website was included on the letter home. It is also under the HELPFUL LINKS section of the blog, appropriately titled, "Moon Phase Calendar" :) Moon phases are usually included in the weather report in the newspaper, and occassionally on the evening news on TV.
We are beginning our poetry unit in Language Arts! We will be learning the various forms of poetry, topics, and parts of a poem. Students will also be able to learn the various poetic elements - such as alliteration and onomatopoeia. Be on the look out for some poems written by your own little poets :) The books that will be coming home in the book baggies over the course of the next few weeks will be books that the students may keep. Students are permitted to write and make notes in these books.
In continuing our study of Geometry in math, we will be spending some time with Solid Figures this week. Students will be identifying the names of various solid figures, as well as identifying the number of sides, edges and vertices each solid figure has.
Have a wonderful week!! Stay toasty warm! :)
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Hello!
Just a few reminders about parent conferences, and our wacky schedule this week :)
Schools open four hours late this Monday, November 22. Students may begin coming in at 12:15. Students will not be served lunch on this day, so please be sure they are fed prior to coming to school. Dismissal will be at the regular time.
Schools are dismissing three and a half hours early on Tuesday, November 23. Students may come to school at the normal time - 8:15 - however dismissal will begin at 11:00. Students will be served lunch at 10:25 today.
When you come for your conference, there will be a "lounge" area available as soon as you turn the corner to head back to our classroom. I will be coming to get you from this location. I ask that you kindly wait here out of respect for the privacy of the parents who are conferencing before you :)
Finally, I hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Whether traveling near or far, I hope you get to and from safely. Have a great holiday!
:) KM
Just a few reminders about parent conferences, and our wacky schedule this week :)
Schools open four hours late this Monday, November 22. Students may begin coming in at 12:15. Students will not be served lunch on this day, so please be sure they are fed prior to coming to school. Dismissal will be at the regular time.
Schools are dismissing three and a half hours early on Tuesday, November 23. Students may come to school at the normal time - 8:15 - however dismissal will begin at 11:00. Students will be served lunch at 10:25 today.
When you come for your conference, there will be a "lounge" area available as soon as you turn the corner to head back to our classroom. I will be coming to get you from this location. I ask that you kindly wait here out of respect for the privacy of the parents who are conferencing before you :)
Finally, I hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Whether traveling near or far, I hope you get to and from safely. Have a great holiday!
:) KM
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Turkey Researchy :)
Hello Families!
Ever feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day? Or days in the week? Yikes!
Well, because of running over on some assignments last quarter, and running out of time, I've made a few adjustments to cover all the curricular bases.
The students will be conducting a research project of their own. However, this will not be on a country, as originally planned, but rather on an animal. Students will have a list of animals to choose from, which we created based on the characters of the various folktales we've just finished reading. Students will be selecting these animals this week. My goal is to have each student with a different animal.
Before I have the students begin their own research projects, we are conducting a class research project to go through each step of the process together. Are topic of research (since it is November) is the turkey! Be sure to ask your student some of the information he/she has learned - we've found some pretty interesting facts!
We began the process last week, and will continue through this week. Projects will be completed in class.
Students will begin their personal research projects after we return from Thanksgiving break.
On Friday a half sheet of paper came home asking for class directory information on one side, and volunteer availability on the other. Thank you in advance for completing and returning this information. Student pictures were also sent home on Friday, they look great!
Coming home this week will be another half sheet asking what information you are most interested in discussing during our parent-teacher conference. Our time is short, and I want to make sure that you get the most our of our brief time together!
Report cards are also coming home this week, and I must say, I am quite impressed! All students received grades on the O, S, N scale - all students receiving Os and Ss!! Woohoo!! Please remember that the students are graded based on the THIRD grade curriculum.
We will be starting our new unit of study in math this week - GEOMETRY! One of my favorites! SO much fun! Our main focus this week will be on plane shapes - polygons, congruent figures, symmetry, and types of triangles and quadrilaterals. We will be having a quiz at the end of the week on the information learned Monday - Thursday.
The reading books this week will be continuing our theme of research. The books will be non-fiction, and the questions will be asking the students to use their knowledge of text features throughout the books. The pink rubric will continue to be the rubric to follow for their writing responses.
As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your continued support! Have a wonderful week!
Ever feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day? Or days in the week? Yikes!
Well, because of running over on some assignments last quarter, and running out of time, I've made a few adjustments to cover all the curricular bases.
The students will be conducting a research project of their own. However, this will not be on a country, as originally planned, but rather on an animal. Students will have a list of animals to choose from, which we created based on the characters of the various folktales we've just finished reading. Students will be selecting these animals this week. My goal is to have each student with a different animal.
Before I have the students begin their own research projects, we are conducting a class research project to go through each step of the process together. Are topic of research (since it is November) is the turkey! Be sure to ask your student some of the information he/she has learned - we've found some pretty interesting facts!
We began the process last week, and will continue through this week. Projects will be completed in class.
Students will begin their personal research projects after we return from Thanksgiving break.
On Friday a half sheet of paper came home asking for class directory information on one side, and volunteer availability on the other. Thank you in advance for completing and returning this information. Student pictures were also sent home on Friday, they look great!
Coming home this week will be another half sheet asking what information you are most interested in discussing during our parent-teacher conference. Our time is short, and I want to make sure that you get the most our of our brief time together!
Report cards are also coming home this week, and I must say, I am quite impressed! All students received grades on the O, S, N scale - all students receiving Os and Ss!! Woohoo!! Please remember that the students are graded based on the THIRD grade curriculum.
We will be starting our new unit of study in math this week - GEOMETRY! One of my favorites! SO much fun! Our main focus this week will be on plane shapes - polygons, congruent figures, symmetry, and types of triangles and quadrilaterals. We will be having a quiz at the end of the week on the information learned Monday - Thursday.
The reading books this week will be continuing our theme of research. The books will be non-fiction, and the questions will be asking the students to use their knowledge of text features throughout the books. The pink rubric will continue to be the rubric to follow for their writing responses.
As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your continued support! Have a wonderful week!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Fabulously Fantastic Fall Festivities!
Walking tour field trip = success! The students did a wonderful job, as did the parent chaperones! A special thanks to those of you who were able to join us, it means so much to your own children, to the other students, and to us teachers :)
Language Arts this week...
We'll be continuing our study of folktales and fables, continuing to read a folktale out of the Junior Great Books anthology. We'll be moving on to one final sub-genre of folktales, which is fairy tales, as we move into November. We will also be taking a look at how folktales may have many different versions, usually from various cultures. We'll be looking at the tale of the Gingerbread Man and it's many versions!
Taking a look at the various versions of this story will provide a great segway into our future research project on a country...
Math...
Moving on to SUBTRACTION! Students will still be practicing addition and addition with regrouping skills throughout the week. This week is focusing on subtraction processes, moving on to subtraction with regrouping next week.
Fall Festival this Friday!!
Many of you have expressed an interest in attending our fall festival, please come! The snacks and craft are pretty much under control. We do a pumpkin measuring and carving activity as well. The carving is left strictly to the adults, don't worry ;)
It would be great to have some extra hands with set up and clean up, and crowd control throughout the party. Thank you in advance! If any of you have a pumpkin carving kit that you would be willing to bring with you, that would be a huge help!
If you catch any sales this week...we're running dangerously low on disinfecting wipes and tissues (tis the season!). Thank you!
Thank you so much for all your support, have a wonderful week!
Language Arts this week...
We'll be continuing our study of folktales and fables, continuing to read a folktale out of the Junior Great Books anthology. We'll be moving on to one final sub-genre of folktales, which is fairy tales, as we move into November. We will also be taking a look at how folktales may have many different versions, usually from various cultures. We'll be looking at the tale of the Gingerbread Man and it's many versions!
Taking a look at the various versions of this story will provide a great segway into our future research project on a country...
Math...
Moving on to SUBTRACTION! Students will still be practicing addition and addition with regrouping skills throughout the week. This week is focusing on subtraction processes, moving on to subtraction with regrouping next week.
Fall Festival this Friday!!
Many of you have expressed an interest in attending our fall festival, please come! The snacks and craft are pretty much under control. We do a pumpkin measuring and carving activity as well. The carving is left strictly to the adults, don't worry ;)
It would be great to have some extra hands with set up and clean up, and crowd control throughout the party. Thank you in advance! If any of you have a pumpkin carving kit that you would be willing to bring with you, that would be a huge help!
If you catch any sales this week...we're running dangerously low on disinfecting wipes and tissues (tis the season!). Thank you!
Thank you so much for all your support, have a wonderful week!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Hello! I hope you all have been enjoying the lovely, slightly unseasonal weather :)
This week in Language Arts we will be continuing our study of folktale genres. We have focused on traditional folktales, tall tales, and this week we'll be focusing on fables - specifically Aesop's. The reading groups will still be reading folktales out of the Junior Great Books anthologies, and meeting together - Literature Circle style - every day! They've done a really impressive job with this. I've seen some really thought-provoking questions and conversations between the students - way to go kiddos! :)
We are going to be working on persuasive writing over the next week or so. Our first assignment is going to be persuading me to bring in an apple-snack of their choice. (Since we've been so apple-themed lately!) We'll be doing this one together, then moving on to more independent writing as we approach November.
This week we will be focusing on addition and subtraction strategies - mostly addition. We'll get into regrouping next week, as well as further into subtraction.
Social Studies has turned towards communities! Different types of communities (urban, rural, and suburban) as well as communities in the past and present. This unit will tie in very well with our upcoming field trip to Frederick and New Market!
One of our science units in the spring will be Changes and Life Cycles. There is a focus on the life cycle of plants - and we do some seed planting during this time. I hope to have the students plant some bulbs sometime soon so they can see those in the spring as well! Keep an eye on the blog and their agenda books - I'll be sure to send some notification the day before so they don't come to school in their Sunday best to get dirty :)
Our Fall Festival is coming up Friday, October 29th! I have ordered the supplies for a fun little craft for the students to make, and we'll have a really fun pumpkin-carving activity to do in small groups! I'll be sending out some more information this week about volunteering, food/drink/paper product contributions, etc. Looking forward to it! So much fun! Details about times and costumes were in the UES News sent home last Friday, and can also been found by clicking here.
Have a wonderful week!! Thank you for your continued support!
:)
KM
This week in Language Arts we will be continuing our study of folktale genres. We have focused on traditional folktales, tall tales, and this week we'll be focusing on fables - specifically Aesop's. The reading groups will still be reading folktales out of the Junior Great Books anthologies, and meeting together - Literature Circle style - every day! They've done a really impressive job with this. I've seen some really thought-provoking questions and conversations between the students - way to go kiddos! :)
We are going to be working on persuasive writing over the next week or so. Our first assignment is going to be persuading me to bring in an apple-snack of their choice. (Since we've been so apple-themed lately!) We'll be doing this one together, then moving on to more independent writing as we approach November.
This week we will be focusing on addition and subtraction strategies - mostly addition. We'll get into regrouping next week, as well as further into subtraction.
Social Studies has turned towards communities! Different types of communities (urban, rural, and suburban) as well as communities in the past and present. This unit will tie in very well with our upcoming field trip to Frederick and New Market!
One of our science units in the spring will be Changes and Life Cycles. There is a focus on the life cycle of plants - and we do some seed planting during this time. I hope to have the students plant some bulbs sometime soon so they can see those in the spring as well! Keep an eye on the blog and their agenda books - I'll be sure to send some notification the day before so they don't come to school in their Sunday best to get dirty :)
Our Fall Festival is coming up Friday, October 29th! I have ordered the supplies for a fun little craft for the students to make, and we'll have a really fun pumpkin-carving activity to do in small groups! I'll be sending out some more information this week about volunteering, food/drink/paper product contributions, etc. Looking forward to it! So much fun! Details about times and costumes were in the UES News sent home last Friday, and can also been found by clicking here.
Have a wonderful week!! Thank you for your continued support!
:)
KM
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Homework Adjustment
Hello all -
I was out sick yesterday. The substitute didn't get to all that I left for her, so today was spent on getting caught up on that, not in preparation for the Pioneer books that were supposed to go home tonight.
So there will NOT be a Pioneer book to be read this evening. I will assign a new question to go with Johnny Appleseed Heads West on Thursday, just no reading of the Pioneer book tonight.
I apologize for the change in plans. Thank you for your flexibility!
I was out sick yesterday. The substitute didn't get to all that I left for her, so today was spent on getting caught up on that, not in preparation for the Pioneer books that were supposed to go home tonight.
So there will NOT be a Pioneer book to be read this evening. I will assign a new question to go with Johnny Appleseed Heads West on Thursday, just no reading of the Pioneer book tonight.
I apologize for the change in plans. Thank you for your flexibility!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Awesome-Autumn-Appleseed!
Hello! I hope you're enjoying your weekend!
This past Wednesday marked the first day of Autumn, as well as our field trip to the Great Frederick Fair! The students did a wonderful job - and what a great opportunity!!
In keeping with the Autumnal theme, we will be reading about Johnny Appleseed this week!
Your child will be coming home with a paper book about Johnny Appleseed, please keep this book in his/her book baggie all week long.
Before I go any further, I would like to bring something to your attention that has become a concern of mine. Please understand that I know not all students are directly involved in any of these situations, but there are enough students for me to bring it to the attention of the entire class. I have received messages, in one form or another (email, notes, verbal) expressing concerns about some unsafe behaviors that are happening between the students in our class. By unsafe I mean anything from running in the hallways, to yelling in one another's face, to bullying (teasing, leaving students out, etc.) on the playground. What concerns me the most is the safety of the students. Second, these behaviors are occurring during times where there is less adult supervision - in the hallways and at recess specifically. I took some time on Thursday to reread a book that we read towards the beginning of the year as a model for the "Respect" pillar of Character Counts. The book, Do Unto Otters, shows examples of the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" or "Treat others the way you want to be treated"
As a class, we reviewed what it means to treat others the way you want to be treated. We reviewed the concept that while you don't need to be best friends with everyone, you do need to be respectful to everyone. We also reviewed the appropriate choices to make if someone is bothering you. For example, tell them to stop in a strong voice, ignore, walk away, if the situation doesn't improve, go tell an adult - all appropriate ways. Finally, we reviewed that just because an adult (teacher, parent, babysitter, etc.) isn't standing right next to them, doesn't give them permission to stop being respectful. I know that all our students usually DO treat others the way they want to be treated. We're all human, we all steer off the path every once in a while. It's just important that we steer back onto it again as quickly as possible :)
I would greatly appreciate it if you could communicate a similar message at home. Thank you so much!!
Moving on :)
We will be using the story of Johnny Appleseed,as well as many other Tall Tales, during our study of Short Stories. The Short Stories unit will focus on story elements (character, setting, problem, solution), genres of Short Stories (Tall Tales, Realistic Fiction, Fables and other Folktales), as well as utilizing their knowledge of the Writing Process and Good Traits of Writing to respond to questions.
Short a words will continue to be our focus for spelling. Students will be bringing home their spelling lists this week. Ten words will be assigned to the whole class, the other ten will be of their choice. The spelling lists will come home on a piece of journal paper, with a typed list of the assigned words glued to it. Please note that students will be expected to write sentences on their next spelling quiz. Students must use five of their spelling words (their choice) and include them in 3-5 sentences. Words must be spelled and used correctly. Each sentence will be worth 4 points - capitalization, punctuation, spelling and usage. The ten assigned words are available on Spelling City for practice!! To search for the list, click on the "Find a List" tab, then type "Mawhinney" into the search window. Surprisingly enough, my name is the only name that comes up :)(Not too many Mawhinneys I suppose!!) Just click on my name and that will take you to the available lists for my class. As of right now, Short A is the only available list. Practicing words on Spelling City ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY counts for a spelling practice activity :)
Math this week will have some multi-digit addition practice, as well as some place value and number line practice. I must say I am really impressed with how ALL the students are progressing with their Mad Minute Quizzes - way to go kiddos!!
We will be finishing up the Drug Awareness Unit this week, with a quiz on Friday. The study guide for the quiz was sent home Thursday in the Home-School Folders. This is just a reference tool for you and your child to use together in preparation for the quiz. This does not need to be returned to school. Thank you!
We will also be beginning our Star of the Week schedule! I have done a Star of the Week - style project in the past, but have recently changed a few things based upon the way Mrs. Brunner does hers. I think this way really allows the student to practice a wider variety of content area skills - in addition to their moment in the spotlight!
Star of the Week is a time for everyone in our class to celebrate the uniqueness of the student being honored. It provides an opportunity to recognize the qualities that make the individual a good friend, a good student, and other ways they display the Character Counts pillars. It is a wonderful occasion for students to share and to be appreciated.
Each student will have the opportunity to be the Star of the Week. A schedule of the Stars of the Week will be coming home this coming week (in addition to being posted towards the bottom of this post). The week before your child's turn to be Star of the Week, a Star of the Week bag will be sent home that will include a personal information sheet, some timeline templates, as well as a set of directions. On the date indicated, your child should return the bag with the completed information sheet, timeline, and a few small items that might help define who they are. The timeline will probably be the most time-consuming activity so you may encourage your child to begin thinking about and planning for it in advance. The purpose of the timeline is to reinforce the sequencing of events and help them understand the passage of time. (It also correlates PERFECTLY with Math - as we're using number lines this week - wooo hoo!)
My favorite part of the Star of the Week is that it encourages a sense of community and increases self-esteem. A wonderful keepsake that each student will receive is a book of friendly letters from all the classmates affirming his/her positive character traits. It's important that all students feel welcome and respected. I am confident that an end result of this project will be that students will feel good about who they are and what they do.
I hope that you will make a note on your calendars as to when it's your child's turn to be Star of the Week.
To model what is expected for the Star of the Week presentations, Johnny Appleseed will be our first star of the week! The rest of the schedule is below:
10/4/10 Diego
10/11/10 Trixy
10/18/10 Connor
10/25/10 Emma
11/8/10 Maegan
11/15/10 A.J.
11/29/10 Jemma
12/6/10 Helen
12/13/10 Sophia
12/20/10 Gabriel
1/3/11 Damien
1/10/11 Nicholas
1/24/11 Kristina
1/31/11 Nikita
2/7/11 Chelsea
2/14/11 Hasita
3/7/11 DeVante
3/14/11 Kevin
3/28/11 Drew
4/4/11 Matthew
4/11/11 Joseph
5/9/11 Thomas
Thank you again for your continued support! As always, please email me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Have a wonderful weekend :)
K.M.
This past Wednesday marked the first day of Autumn, as well as our field trip to the Great Frederick Fair! The students did a wonderful job - and what a great opportunity!!
In keeping with the Autumnal theme, we will be reading about Johnny Appleseed this week!
Your child will be coming home with a paper book about Johnny Appleseed, please keep this book in his/her book baggie all week long.
Before I go any further, I would like to bring something to your attention that has become a concern of mine. Please understand that I know not all students are directly involved in any of these situations, but there are enough students for me to bring it to the attention of the entire class. I have received messages, in one form or another (email, notes, verbal) expressing concerns about some unsafe behaviors that are happening between the students in our class. By unsafe I mean anything from running in the hallways, to yelling in one another's face, to bullying (teasing, leaving students out, etc.) on the playground. What concerns me the most is the safety of the students. Second, these behaviors are occurring during times where there is less adult supervision - in the hallways and at recess specifically. I took some time on Thursday to reread a book that we read towards the beginning of the year as a model for the "Respect" pillar of Character Counts. The book, Do Unto Otters, shows examples of the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" or "Treat others the way you want to be treated"
As a class, we reviewed what it means to treat others the way you want to be treated. We reviewed the concept that while you don't need to be best friends with everyone, you do need to be respectful to everyone. We also reviewed the appropriate choices to make if someone is bothering you. For example, tell them to stop in a strong voice, ignore, walk away, if the situation doesn't improve, go tell an adult - all appropriate ways. Finally, we reviewed that just because an adult (teacher, parent, babysitter, etc.) isn't standing right next to them, doesn't give them permission to stop being respectful. I know that all our students usually DO treat others the way they want to be treated. We're all human, we all steer off the path every once in a while. It's just important that we steer back onto it again as quickly as possible :)
I would greatly appreciate it if you could communicate a similar message at home. Thank you so much!!
Moving on :)
We will be using the story of Johnny Appleseed,as well as many other Tall Tales, during our study of Short Stories. The Short Stories unit will focus on story elements (character, setting, problem, solution), genres of Short Stories (Tall Tales, Realistic Fiction, Fables and other Folktales), as well as utilizing their knowledge of the Writing Process and Good Traits of Writing to respond to questions.
Short a words will continue to be our focus for spelling. Students will be bringing home their spelling lists this week. Ten words will be assigned to the whole class, the other ten will be of their choice. The spelling lists will come home on a piece of journal paper, with a typed list of the assigned words glued to it. Please note that students will be expected to write sentences on their next spelling quiz. Students must use five of their spelling words (their choice) and include them in 3-5 sentences. Words must be spelled and used correctly. Each sentence will be worth 4 points - capitalization, punctuation, spelling and usage. The ten assigned words are available on Spelling City for practice!! To search for the list, click on the "Find a List" tab, then type "Mawhinney" into the search window. Surprisingly enough, my name is the only name that comes up :)(Not too many Mawhinneys I suppose!!) Just click on my name and that will take you to the available lists for my class. As of right now, Short A is the only available list. Practicing words on Spelling City ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY counts for a spelling practice activity :)
Math this week will have some multi-digit addition practice, as well as some place value and number line practice. I must say I am really impressed with how ALL the students are progressing with their Mad Minute Quizzes - way to go kiddos!!
We will be finishing up the Drug Awareness Unit this week, with a quiz on Friday. The study guide for the quiz was sent home Thursday in the Home-School Folders. This is just a reference tool for you and your child to use together in preparation for the quiz. This does not need to be returned to school. Thank you!
We will also be beginning our Star of the Week schedule! I have done a Star of the Week - style project in the past, but have recently changed a few things based upon the way Mrs. Brunner does hers. I think this way really allows the student to practice a wider variety of content area skills - in addition to their moment in the spotlight!
Star of the Week is a time for everyone in our class to celebrate the uniqueness of the student being honored. It provides an opportunity to recognize the qualities that make the individual a good friend, a good student, and other ways they display the Character Counts pillars. It is a wonderful occasion for students to share and to be appreciated.
Each student will have the opportunity to be the Star of the Week. A schedule of the Stars of the Week will be coming home this coming week (in addition to being posted towards the bottom of this post). The week before your child's turn to be Star of the Week, a Star of the Week bag will be sent home that will include a personal information sheet, some timeline templates, as well as a set of directions. On the date indicated, your child should return the bag with the completed information sheet, timeline, and a few small items that might help define who they are. The timeline will probably be the most time-consuming activity so you may encourage your child to begin thinking about and planning for it in advance. The purpose of the timeline is to reinforce the sequencing of events and help them understand the passage of time. (It also correlates PERFECTLY with Math - as we're using number lines this week - wooo hoo!)
My favorite part of the Star of the Week is that it encourages a sense of community and increases self-esteem. A wonderful keepsake that each student will receive is a book of friendly letters from all the classmates affirming his/her positive character traits. It's important that all students feel welcome and respected. I am confident that an end result of this project will be that students will feel good about who they are and what they do.
I hope that you will make a note on your calendars as to when it's your child's turn to be Star of the Week.
To model what is expected for the Star of the Week presentations, Johnny Appleseed will be our first star of the week! The rest of the schedule is below:
10/4/10 Diego
10/11/10 Trixy
10/18/10 Connor
10/25/10 Emma
11/8/10 Maegan
11/15/10 A.J.
11/29/10 Jemma
12/6/10 Helen
12/13/10 Sophia
12/20/10 Gabriel
1/3/11 Damien
1/10/11 Nicholas
1/24/11 Kristina
1/31/11 Nikita
2/7/11 Chelsea
2/14/11 Hasita
3/7/11 DeVante
3/14/11 Kevin
3/28/11 Drew
4/4/11 Matthew
4/11/11 Joseph
5/9/11 Thomas
Thank you again for your continued support! As always, please email me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Have a wonderful weekend :)
K.M.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Hello, hello!
Upcoming this week...
FIELD TRIP!! Looking forward to the Great Frederick Fair! Please be sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather and for WALKING - because we'll be doing LOTS of it :) Water bottles, hats and sunglasses are permitted, but please remind your child that he/she is responsible for them. Please be sure your child's name is written on his/her disposable lunch bag. The majority of this field trip will be spent outside, so please apply any sunscreen/bug spray before sending your child to school. Thank you!
We did not begin the drug education unit last week as originally planned, but we are starting it this week! There will be a small quiz on the information presented in the drug education unit on Friday, October 1st. A study guide will be sent home this week.
We will be finishing up the Velveteen Rabbit this week! On Thursday, students may bring in their favorite stuffed animal/toy to show to the class. This will also be the subject of a letter that they will be writing to the Velveteen Rabbit. I ask that students refrain from bringing in any toys that make noise, or any toys that are too large for them to carry. Thank you!!
In math we are taking the skills we've learning with patterns and place value and applying them to addition and subtraction. This is also referred to as "Composing" and "Decomposing" numbers. Students will also be using what they've learned about place value to create a class "I'm thinking of a number..." book!! Each student will create a page in this book that will contain clues about the 3-5 digit number they are thinking of. We (Mr. Kidd's class and ours) hope to present these books to the first grade!
Thank you so much for your continued support and communication! Be on the lookout for information about Wednesday's field trip to come home tomorrow and Tuesday.
Have a wonderful Sunday!
:) K.M.
Upcoming this week...
FIELD TRIP!! Looking forward to the Great Frederick Fair! Please be sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather and for WALKING - because we'll be doing LOTS of it :) Water bottles, hats and sunglasses are permitted, but please remind your child that he/she is responsible for them. Please be sure your child's name is written on his/her disposable lunch bag. The majority of this field trip will be spent outside, so please apply any sunscreen/bug spray before sending your child to school. Thank you!
We did not begin the drug education unit last week as originally planned, but we are starting it this week! There will be a small quiz on the information presented in the drug education unit on Friday, October 1st. A study guide will be sent home this week.
We will be finishing up the Velveteen Rabbit this week! On Thursday, students may bring in their favorite stuffed animal/toy to show to the class. This will also be the subject of a letter that they will be writing to the Velveteen Rabbit. I ask that students refrain from bringing in any toys that make noise, or any toys that are too large for them to carry. Thank you!!
In math we are taking the skills we've learning with patterns and place value and applying them to addition and subtraction. This is also referred to as "Composing" and "Decomposing" numbers. Students will also be using what they've learned about place value to create a class "I'm thinking of a number..." book!! Each student will create a page in this book that will contain clues about the 3-5 digit number they are thinking of. We (Mr. Kidd's class and ours) hope to present these books to the first grade!
Thank you so much for your continued support and communication! Be on the lookout for information about Wednesday's field trip to come home tomorrow and Tuesday.
Have a wonderful Sunday!
:) K.M.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Addendum :)
Hello again!
One of the excellent questions asked at Back to School Night was in reference to Frederick County's expectations for basic facts acquisition. It was mentioned that MCPS expects a student to recall 1 basic fact/3 seconds. FCPS curriculum states the following: MA.200.60.26c Demonstrate quick recall of number combinations for addition & subtraction (6.C.1.a)(Second Grade); and MA.300.60.26c Maintain quick recall of number combinations for addition & subtraction (Third Grade). The State curriculum states: Demonstrate proficiency with addition and subtraction basic facts using a variety of strategies (Second Grade). So that doesn't quite answer the question!
Ultimately, as I was saying, the goal of the Mad Minute is to beef up those basic facts. The students' lives will be that much easier down the mathematical road as their basic facts acquisition and recall skills strengthen.
Also, you may notice as more papers are coming home that you will see some papers with actually grades/percentages, and others with smiley faces. The smiley-faced papers indicate activities that we did together as a class, or as a practice activity after a lesson. If your child brings home a paper with a "Please Complete" or "Please Finish" message written on it, please have him/her complete/finish the work and turn it back into me again. I use the :) papers to determine the learning skills grades - so let's make sure they're getting credit when credit is due!
Thank you again! Have a wonderful weekend!
One of the excellent questions asked at Back to School Night was in reference to Frederick County's expectations for basic facts acquisition. It was mentioned that MCPS expects a student to recall 1 basic fact/3 seconds. FCPS curriculum states the following: MA.200.60.26c Demonstrate quick recall of number combinations for addition & subtraction (6.C.1.a)(Second Grade); and MA.300.60.26c Maintain quick recall of number combinations for addition & subtraction (Third Grade). The State curriculum states: Demonstrate proficiency with addition and subtraction basic facts using a variety of strategies (Second Grade). So that doesn't quite answer the question!
Ultimately, as I was saying, the goal of the Mad Minute is to beef up those basic facts. The students' lives will be that much easier down the mathematical road as their basic facts acquisition and recall skills strengthen.
Also, you may notice as more papers are coming home that you will see some papers with actually grades/percentages, and others with smiley faces. The smiley-faced papers indicate activities that we did together as a class, or as a practice activity after a lesson. If your child brings home a paper with a "Please Complete" or "Please Finish" message written on it, please have him/her complete/finish the work and turn it back into me again. I use the :) papers to determine the learning skills grades - so let's make sure they're getting credit when credit is due!
Thank you again! Have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Buzz Buzz!
Worky work! Busy bees!!
This week in Language Arts we have continued comparing fiction to non-fiction texts, utilizing before, during, and after reading strategies, as well as using those strategies to make predictions.
One book we practiced making predictions with is The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein. This is the Caldecott Award-Winning story of Phillipe Petit - the man who walked a tight rope between the World Trade Center Towers in August of 1974. If any of you are familiar with the book or independent film Man on a Wire - this is the same guy.
I've been sharing this book with students on or around 9/11 for the past four years. I think it's a wonderful way to associate a positive memory with the towers, and it has also served as a springboard for students to ask questions about what happened on that day. There weren't any questions or connections vocalized by the students today.
Beginning next week, we will be reading The Velveteen Rabbit as a whole class. I choose to read this book with the students for multiple reasons. First, it ties in with Character Counts – showing examples of so many different pillars of character! Second, I like to start with a smaller chapter book to begin the discourse model for reading groups. This model is great to use with the Gifted and Talented program as it really harnesses the higher level comprehension and questioning skills. I will be alternating back and forth between the discourse model, and the Literature Circle model throughout the year.
Students will be expected to read one chapter per night, twice. Please do not let the students go ahead in the book – our discussion relies on all the students being at the same point in the book. Each day we will meet in our groups to discuss new vocabulary, answer any questions the students may have about the book, as well as answer questions in response to the book. These small group discussions will build up to the whole group discussion that we will have at the end of the week.
The book will be kept in the baggie with the Reading Response Journal (RRJ). The pages in the journal will be used as note taking pages, and response pages. The pages will be clearly marked as such: each chapter will have a page labeled for note taking, and a page labeled for responding. The note taking pages will be for listing unknown or interesting words, questions students have about what has happened in the story, and/or an area to prepare their responses.
I have seen such a great amount of success with this model in the past. The quality of discussion is like that of a book club – for adults!
As always, should you have any questions about this model please contact me as soon as possible. Kelly.Phelps@fcps.org
This coming week in math we will be wrapping up place value skills while continuing to practice patterns skills. We will be picking up where we left off with the Mad Minute next week, finishing up with a quiz on Friday.
Our next Social Studies Unit is a drug education program entitled "Here's Looking at You". In this unit students will be able to: identify themselves as unique individuals, discuss the qualities of good friends/friendships, describe the physiological and behavioral effects of nicotine, identify drinks that contain alcohol, describe the behavioral effects of alcohol, identify and describe the functions of the brain, heart, liver and lungs, describe the effects of nicotine and alcohol on the body, and identify drugs as "any substances except food that affects the way the mind or body works." This program was developed by teh Educational Service District No. 121 under grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This program extends from Kindergarten through 12th grade. The overall goal of this program is to help young people make responsible decisions concerning drugs. As always, should you have any questions about this unit please contact me as soon as possible. Kelly.Phelps@fcps.org
In the students' Home-School folders today was the permission slip for our first field trip!! We will be going to the Great Frederick Fair on Wednesday, September 22! This trip is not for rides and games, but for the agricultural and economical lessons that can be learned from a fair. Chaperones are welcome to attend. If you wish to ride the bus, please be advised that the cost is $2.00. If you wish to attend but are willing/able/would rather drive that is perfectly fine as well, without the $2.00 fee. Chaperones must be present at the school before we leave for the field trip, and follow or ride the busses to the Great Frederick Fairgrounds. SO EXCITED!!
Thank you to all of you who signed up to volunteer! I will be putting together a volunteer calendar to begin the week of October 4th. I'll be in touch - thank you again!
Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy this great, autumnal weather!
:) KM
This week in Language Arts we have continued comparing fiction to non-fiction texts, utilizing before, during, and after reading strategies, as well as using those strategies to make predictions.
One book we practiced making predictions with is The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein. This is the Caldecott Award-Winning story of Phillipe Petit - the man who walked a tight rope between the World Trade Center Towers in August of 1974. If any of you are familiar with the book or independent film Man on a Wire - this is the same guy.
I've been sharing this book with students on or around 9/11 for the past four years. I think it's a wonderful way to associate a positive memory with the towers, and it has also served as a springboard for students to ask questions about what happened on that day. There weren't any questions or connections vocalized by the students today.
Beginning next week, we will be reading The Velveteen Rabbit as a whole class. I choose to read this book with the students for multiple reasons. First, it ties in with Character Counts – showing examples of so many different pillars of character! Second, I like to start with a smaller chapter book to begin the discourse model for reading groups. This model is great to use with the Gifted and Talented program as it really harnesses the higher level comprehension and questioning skills. I will be alternating back and forth between the discourse model, and the Literature Circle model throughout the year.
Students will be expected to read one chapter per night, twice. Please do not let the students go ahead in the book – our discussion relies on all the students being at the same point in the book. Each day we will meet in our groups to discuss new vocabulary, answer any questions the students may have about the book, as well as answer questions in response to the book. These small group discussions will build up to the whole group discussion that we will have at the end of the week.
The book will be kept in the baggie with the Reading Response Journal (RRJ). The pages in the journal will be used as note taking pages, and response pages. The pages will be clearly marked as such: each chapter will have a page labeled for note taking, and a page labeled for responding. The note taking pages will be for listing unknown or interesting words, questions students have about what has happened in the story, and/or an area to prepare their responses.
I have seen such a great amount of success with this model in the past. The quality of discussion is like that of a book club – for adults!
As always, should you have any questions about this model please contact me as soon as possible. Kelly.Phelps@fcps.org
This coming week in math we will be wrapping up place value skills while continuing to practice patterns skills. We will be picking up where we left off with the Mad Minute next week, finishing up with a quiz on Friday.
Our next Social Studies Unit is a drug education program entitled "Here's Looking at You". In this unit students will be able to: identify themselves as unique individuals, discuss the qualities of good friends/friendships, describe the physiological and behavioral effects of nicotine, identify drinks that contain alcohol, describe the behavioral effects of alcohol, identify and describe the functions of the brain, heart, liver and lungs, describe the effects of nicotine and alcohol on the body, and identify drugs as "any substances except food that affects the way the mind or body works." This program was developed by teh Educational Service District No. 121 under grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This program extends from Kindergarten through 12th grade. The overall goal of this program is to help young people make responsible decisions concerning drugs. As always, should you have any questions about this unit please contact me as soon as possible. Kelly.Phelps@fcps.org
In the students' Home-School folders today was the permission slip for our first field trip!! We will be going to the Great Frederick Fair on Wednesday, September 22! This trip is not for rides and games, but for the agricultural and economical lessons that can be learned from a fair. Chaperones are welcome to attend. If you wish to ride the bus, please be advised that the cost is $2.00. If you wish to attend but are willing/able/would rather drive that is perfectly fine as well, without the $2.00 fee. Chaperones must be present at the school before we leave for the field trip, and follow or ride the busses to the Great Frederick Fairgrounds. SO EXCITED!!
Thank you to all of you who signed up to volunteer! I will be putting together a volunteer calendar to begin the week of October 4th. I'll be in touch - thank you again!
Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy this great, autumnal weather!
:) KM
Friday, September 3, 2010
Have a Wonderful Three Day Weekend!!
Hats off to another spectacular week!
This week in Language Arts we have been working on comparing fiction and non-fiction texts, identifying and describing text features, and using graphic organizers to prepare our writing. Next week we will be continuing to practice identifying and describing text features, in addition to inference and identifying the main idea.
The past two weeks in Social Studies have been concentrated on the Six Character Counts Pillars: Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Trustworthiness, Citizenship, and Fairness. We have been making text-to-self and text-to-world connections as we read various stories, and describe how they show examples of the various Pillars. Two books we've read so far are Do Unto Otters and The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room.
We've focused primarily on patterns this week in Math. We will continue this focus as a practice point, as we move on to place value.
Even though it's September - it's still WICKED hot!! Our classroom is in an oddly-placed space in the building - as in not close to ANY water fountains. Please send in a water bottle with your child with his/her name written on it in permanent marker. This will allow your child to have water whenever he/she needs it, and eliminate the travel time it takes to go to and from the water fountains. We have a super-short day!! Let's do everything we can to make the most of our time! :)
I hope you all have a wonderful three day weekend with your families and friends. Thank you again for your continued support and communication ~
See you Tuesday!
K.M. :)
This week in Language Arts we have been working on comparing fiction and non-fiction texts, identifying and describing text features, and using graphic organizers to prepare our writing. Next week we will be continuing to practice identifying and describing text features, in addition to inference and identifying the main idea.
The past two weeks in Social Studies have been concentrated on the Six Character Counts Pillars: Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Trustworthiness, Citizenship, and Fairness. We have been making text-to-self and text-to-world connections as we read various stories, and describe how they show examples of the various Pillars. Two books we've read so far are Do Unto Otters and The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room.
We've focused primarily on patterns this week in Math. We will continue this focus as a practice point, as we move on to place value.
Even though it's September - it's still WICKED hot!! Our classroom is in an oddly-placed space in the building - as in not close to ANY water fountains. Please send in a water bottle with your child with his/her name written on it in permanent marker. This will allow your child to have water whenever he/she needs it, and eliminate the travel time it takes to go to and from the water fountains. We have a super-short day!! Let's do everything we can to make the most of our time! :)
I hope you all have a wonderful three day weekend with your families and friends. Thank you again for your continued support and communication ~
See you Tuesday!
K.M. :)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The blog ate my homework!!
GRRRRRR :(
The majority of the wonderful, well-detailed post disappeared into cyberspace!!
The abbreviated version of the lost post until I find the lost, wonderful details:
Homework is assigned at the beginning of the week, please hang on to it until it is due at the end of the week.
Please sign the bottom of the Agenda Book Page by the end of the week.
Please time your students on their Mad Minute for 1 minute, circle where he/she stopped at 1 minute, then have them complete what's left for additional practice.f
First spelling pattern is Long A - first spelling quiz is Friday, September 17th. Please have students complete at least 3 Spelling Practice Activities per week.
Please have your student read for 20 minutes every night. This could be independent reading, reading with/to a sibling or friend, or reading with/to a parent/guardian.
Book Baggies with Reading Response Journals (RRJs) and books need to come to and from home and school everyday.
Behavior calendars will be attached to the Home-School folders this week. Green = Great Behavior!! Yellow = needed some (3)reminders of how to make good choices. Red = Needed three more reminders of good choices to make, and a Think Sheet will be sent home to be signed.
Thank you so much for your support! Please email me with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have :)
Looking forward to seeing you on Back to School Night! Tuesday, September 17th, 2010 @ 7:00
:)
The majority of the wonderful, well-detailed post disappeared into cyberspace!!
The abbreviated version of the lost post until I find the lost, wonderful details:
Homework is assigned at the beginning of the week, please hang on to it until it is due at the end of the week.
Please sign the bottom of the Agenda Book Page by the end of the week.
Please time your students on their Mad Minute for 1 minute, circle where he/she stopped at 1 minute, then have them complete what's left for additional practice.f
First spelling pattern is Long A - first spelling quiz is Friday, September 17th. Please have students complete at least 3 Spelling Practice Activities per week.
Please have your student read for 20 minutes every night. This could be independent reading, reading with/to a sibling or friend, or reading with/to a parent/guardian.
Book Baggies with Reading Response Journals (RRJs) and books need to come to and from home and school everyday.
Behavior calendars will be attached to the Home-School folders this week. Green = Great Behavior!! Yellow = needed some (3)reminders of how to make good choices. Red = Needed three more reminders of good choices to make, and a Think Sheet will be sent home to be signed.
Thank you so much for your support! Please email me with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have :)
Looking forward to seeing you on Back to School Night! Tuesday, September 17th, 2010 @ 7:00
:)
It's Just Procedure :)
Hello all! Allow me to begin by congratulating our students on a wonderful first week of school! Great job!
I apologize for the delayed posting of this, but below you will see the procedures for homework assignments, behavior, etc. As always, should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me :) Thank you so much for your support!
Homework:
~The Agenda Book: Since most assignments are given at the beginning of the week, and not due until the end of the week, I only have the students record their assignments one time - at the beginning of every week. Please keep in mind that assignments may be added or changed throughout the week, so please continue to check the book everyday. I ask that the bottom of the page be signed by the end of the week to signify that you have been checking their agenda books.
I apologize for the delayed posting of this, but below you will see the procedures for homework assignments, behavior, etc. As always, should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me :) Thank you so much for your support!
Homework:
~The Agenda Book: Since most assignments are given at the beginning of the week, and not due until the end of the week, I only have the students record their assignments one time - at the beginning of every week. Please keep in mind that assignments may be added or changed throughout the week, so please continue to check the book everyday. I ask that the bottom of the page be signed by the end of the week to signify that you have been checking their agenda books.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Welcome Back!!
Hello! Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year! I am so excited to be working together with you!
I look forward to learning much about you, so here’s a little information about me!
I grew up in Rockville, MD with my mother, father, younger brother, Dennis, and two dogs – Casey and Nipper. I went to Frostburg State University for my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, graduating in the winter of 2004. My first teaching job was in second grade at Goshen Elementary School in Montgomery County. I continued teaching there for two more years – one in second grade and one in first grade. I came to Frederick County Public Schools two years ago and taught one of the first grade Gifted and Talented classes. I LOVE teaching the Gifted and Talented Program, and was thrilled to learn that I was going to be teaching second grade again this year!
This past July I married my husband, Matt, in downtown Frederick. We now live in New Market, with our chocolate lab, Koa.
I look forward to meeting you at our Open House this Friday, August 20th, from 3:00 – 4:00. There will be ice cream at 3:45 – YUMMY ! Please feel free to bring in your supplies if you’d like.
The first day of school is Monday, August 23. The arrival time for magnet students is between 8:15-8:30. Instruction begins promptly at 8:30. The magnet program dismissal is at 2:30. Parents, please mark your calendar for the UES Back to School Night which will be at the school on Tuesday, September 7, from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
I’m really looking forward to meeting and working with you all this year – we have SO much to look forward to!
I look forward to learning much about you, so here’s a little information about me!
I grew up in Rockville, MD with my mother, father, younger brother, Dennis, and two dogs – Casey and Nipper. I went to Frostburg State University for my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, graduating in the winter of 2004. My first teaching job was in second grade at Goshen Elementary School in Montgomery County. I continued teaching there for two more years – one in second grade and one in first grade. I came to Frederick County Public Schools two years ago and taught one of the first grade Gifted and Talented classes. I LOVE teaching the Gifted and Talented Program, and was thrilled to learn that I was going to be teaching second grade again this year!
This past July I married my husband, Matt, in downtown Frederick. We now live in New Market, with our chocolate lab, Koa.
I look forward to meeting you at our Open House this Friday, August 20th, from 3:00 – 4:00. There will be ice cream at 3:45 – YUMMY ! Please feel free to bring in your supplies if you’d like.
The first day of school is Monday, August 23. The arrival time for magnet students is between 8:15-8:30. Instruction begins promptly at 8:30. The magnet program dismissal is at 2:30. Parents, please mark your calendar for the UES Back to School Night which will be at the school on Tuesday, September 7, from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
I’m really looking forward to meeting and working with you all this year – we have SO much to look forward to!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
HOLY JUNE!! Can you believe we're here already?!? Though our time left is brief, we have MUCH do to!
June 2nd is Field Day!! As of today (Saturday) the weather is predicted to be mostly sunny with a high of 89 degrees. PLEASE make sure your child is sent to school wearing sunscreen, bug spray, and comfortable shoes. Please send a water bottle in as well - preferably with his/her name written on it somewhere in permanent marker. Hats and sunglasses are allowed and highly recommended for this event. There will be games involving water, so please send in a towel and a change of clothes for your child in a plastic grocery bag (to put the wet clothes in afterwards). Mr. Wiles and Mrs. Schmidt have done a great job planning this event - we're looking forward to it!
Friday, June 4th, will be our Author's Tea! The students are SO excited to share their writing anthologies! They have so much to be proud of, I am HIGHLY impressed with how far they've come. :)
As you can see, the homework for the remainder of the school year has been posted! The last spelling quiz will be this Friday, June 4th, as well as the last Mad Minute Quiz :)
Thank you so much for your continued support - hope to see you Friday!!
June 2nd is Field Day!! As of today (Saturday) the weather is predicted to be mostly sunny with a high of 89 degrees. PLEASE make sure your child is sent to school wearing sunscreen, bug spray, and comfortable shoes. Please send a water bottle in as well - preferably with his/her name written on it somewhere in permanent marker. Hats and sunglasses are allowed and highly recommended for this event. There will be games involving water, so please send in a towel and a change of clothes for your child in a plastic grocery bag (to put the wet clothes in afterwards). Mr. Wiles and Mrs. Schmidt have done a great job planning this event - we're looking forward to it!
Friday, June 4th, will be our Author's Tea! The students are SO excited to share their writing anthologies! They have so much to be proud of, I am HIGHLY impressed with how far they've come. :)
As you can see, the homework for the remainder of the school year has been posted! The last spelling quiz will be this Friday, June 4th, as well as the last Mad Minute Quiz :)
Thank you so much for your continued support - hope to see you Friday!!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Thank you so much for the birthday card and DELICIOUS strawberry bread!
So, I'm sure you've heard by now, but next week is FINALLY our turn for the Morning Announcements! The kids are super-stoked! They will be on the announcements in groups of 3-4. The script is typically as follows: (this is posted on cue cards for them, no memorizing involved!)
ALL: Good morning, Urbana! We come to you today from Miss Phelps' class.
Students introduce themselves individually
Student: Today is (Day of the week), May (date), 2010.
Student: The weather today is _________, with a high of ________ degrees Fahrenheit. The current temperature is _________ degrees Fahrenheit.
Student: For lunch today we are having (student reads today's lunch menu).
Additional announcements are added in as needed.
ALL: Have a great day, Urbana!!
The schedule for the morning announments:
Monday, 5/24: Jude, Sydney, Akshaya, and Alex
Tuesday, 5/25: Aakanksh, Sneh, Ashley, Christopher P.
Wednesday, 5/26: Julia, Sophie, Caitlin, Christopher W.
Thursday, 5/27: Dante, Jackson, Sarah
Friday, 5/28: Jamie, Andrew, Soujanya.
I hope everyone has/had a great time at the Strawberry Festival, and a wonderful weekend!
So, I'm sure you've heard by now, but next week is FINALLY our turn for the Morning Announcements! The kids are super-stoked! They will be on the announcements in groups of 3-4. The script is typically as follows: (this is posted on cue cards for them, no memorizing involved!)
ALL: Good morning, Urbana! We come to you today from Miss Phelps' class.
Students introduce themselves individually
Student: Today is (Day of the week), May (date), 2010.
Student: The weather today is _________, with a high of ________ degrees Fahrenheit. The current temperature is _________ degrees Fahrenheit.
Student: For lunch today we are having (student reads today's lunch menu).
Additional announcements are added in as needed.
ALL: Have a great day, Urbana!!
The schedule for the morning announments:
Monday, 5/24: Jude, Sydney, Akshaya, and Alex
Tuesday, 5/25: Aakanksh, Sneh, Ashley, Christopher P.
Wednesday, 5/26: Julia, Sophie, Caitlin, Christopher W.
Thursday, 5/27: Dante, Jackson, Sarah
Friday, 5/28: Jamie, Andrew, Soujanya.
I hope everyone has/had a great time at the Strawberry Festival, and a wonderful weekend!
Friday, May 14, 2010
A Very Berry Bummer :(
Well, better safe than sorry! The Strawberry Festival has been postponed to NEXT Friday, May 21st. I still have all the permission slips indicating the dismissal preferences. I will assume that these will apply to your child for next week as well. If the case is different - please let me know - if it's the same, then we're good to go! Thank you!
We finished up division this week and will be moving on to lines and angles next week. The extent of this includes: perpendicular lines, parallel lines, right angles, obtuse angles, acute angles, intersecting lines, and points. If you have a protractor at home that your child could bring in that would be greatly appreciated! This is by no means a requirement, but just an opportunity for extension! Thank you!
Have a great weekend!!
We finished up division this week and will be moving on to lines and angles next week. The extent of this includes: perpendicular lines, parallel lines, right angles, obtuse angles, acute angles, intersecting lines, and points. If you have a protractor at home that your child could bring in that would be greatly appreciated! This is by no means a requirement, but just an opportunity for extension! Thank you!
Have a great weekend!!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Oh WOW, Pow Wow :)
What a wonderful day we had!!! The students had such a great day - and behaved SO well - at the Great Heron Wetlands 10th Anniversary Celebration. Thank goodness the weather held up as well - what a gorgeous day! Thank you all for sending your children in with sunscreen and a snack. (I think they would've had a tough time if they had to go without the snack until 12:15 today) The students spent the first part of the day traveling about to seven different learning stations. They learned about the drainage and flow of water to and from the wetlands, composting, the various fossils on the fossil wall, the observed organisms under microscopes, snakes, frogs, butterflies, bees, and learned how solar energy works. This was all before lunch!
After lunch we watched the Native American performers dance - complete with regalia! Some of the students were able to participate in the Snake Dance, and all of us participated in the circle dance at the end of the presentation. Students were given the opportunity to ask the performers various questions, as well as travel about to displays of Native American artwork, craftsmanship, even a REAL tee pee! What a great experience!
This coming week we will be continuing our study of plays/drama. Students had their first round of mini-performances this week and they did SUCH a great job!! Their expression and intonation in their voices was on point. Volume and speed are still a minor concern, but will come with practice and time. Students expressed an interest in performing for their parents, so please be on the lookout for an invitation!
We are in fact going to be continuing division through this week, and have the division post test on Friday, May 14th. We will be moving on to angles and lines afterwards. Thank you!
Thank you again for all your continued support (and appreciation!!!) I hope you and your families have a great weekend!
:)
After lunch we watched the Native American performers dance - complete with regalia! Some of the students were able to participate in the Snake Dance, and all of us participated in the circle dance at the end of the presentation. Students were given the opportunity to ask the performers various questions, as well as travel about to displays of Native American artwork, craftsmanship, even a REAL tee pee! What a great experience!
This coming week we will be continuing our study of plays/drama. Students had their first round of mini-performances this week and they did SUCH a great job!! Their expression and intonation in their voices was on point. Volume and speed are still a minor concern, but will come with practice and time. Students expressed an interest in performing for their parents, so please be on the lookout for an invitation!
We are in fact going to be continuing division through this week, and have the division post test on Friday, May 14th. We will be moving on to angles and lines afterwards. Thank you!
Thank you again for all your continued support (and appreciation!!!) I hope you and your families have a great weekend!
:)
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Thank You
I am blessed to have you, and your children, in my life. I have been so fortunate over the past two years to be a part of a reciprocal learning environment. Just as your students have learned from me, I have learned SO much from them. I am amazed, on a daily basis, by their levels of intellect, enthusiasm for learning, and appetite for success. I am equally amazed by their consideration for others - they are as kind as they are brilliant! Thank you so much for supporting your children in all that you do - it makes my job that much easier :)
Speaking of "Thank you"...
Thank you so much for the surprise shower you threw for me and Matt!! Thank you for the food, the laughs, the gifts, and the time and effort you put into keeping it a secret. I LOVE the binder full of marriage advice - not only hilarious, but very practical, wise advice! Just when I thought this year couldn't be any more unforgettable... :) Thank you.
Whew! Now that I've gone through half of a box of tissues...let's get down to business! :)
We will be continuing our Drama/Plays unit this week. The students have REALLY gotten into this!! They've expressed an interest in learning about SHAKESPEARE - so we will be having a small lesson on him this week. We will also be focusing on the elements of plays (cast of characters, narrator, scenery, dialogue, monologue, props, costumes, stage directions, etc.). There will be a new center introduced this week - the Rehearsal Center. Students will be able to practice the lines of their plays with their group members. The primary goal of this center is to give the students a chance to practice, thus giving them experience with dialogue and fluency!
We'll be having our spelling quiz this Friday - this is the Free Choice Spelling list the students created. Next week we will be studying PALINDROMES!!! Palindromes are words and phrases that have the same sequence of letters when reading from right to left, and left to right. Some examples include - Wow, Mom, race car, Madam I'm Adam, etc. I will be providing students with a list of words that are considered palindromes to select their words from. After palindromes, students will have one more set of Free Choice spelling words - and that will be the last of spelling for the year!! WOW! :)
We are continuing our study of division solving skills this week. Students will be taking the division post test on Friday, May 7th before the Wetland Celebration. Please check out some of the new division practice links that have been added to the "Helpful Links" section of the blog - they're really fun! Our next unit will be studying angles and lines, and then finishing up with a review of the whole year!!
The Wetlands Celebration is essentially an all day affair. Please be sure your son/daughter is wearing sunscreen, sneakers with socks, and has a water bottle to carry around with him/her. We will begin the day in the classroom until 10:30. The rest of the day is Wetlands stuff!! Lunch will not be until 12:15 that day - so please send in a small snack for your child. We will take the time to eat before we go outside. The celebration goes until 3:25. It is my understanding that there are some forms that are being created for parents to fill out to allow their child to stay through to that time. Please understand that if this is what you plan to do, the shuttle buses will not be available for transportation at 3:25 - only at 2:30/3:15 as usual. I'll be in touch as I am informed as to what exactly the plan is here :) Thank you!!
Thank you again for all your support! Have a wonderful weekend!
Speaking of "Thank you"...
Thank you so much for the surprise shower you threw for me and Matt!! Thank you for the food, the laughs, the gifts, and the time and effort you put into keeping it a secret. I LOVE the binder full of marriage advice - not only hilarious, but very practical, wise advice! Just when I thought this year couldn't be any more unforgettable... :) Thank you.
Whew! Now that I've gone through half of a box of tissues...let's get down to business! :)
We will be continuing our Drama/Plays unit this week. The students have REALLY gotten into this!! They've expressed an interest in learning about SHAKESPEARE - so we will be having a small lesson on him this week. We will also be focusing on the elements of plays (cast of characters, narrator, scenery, dialogue, monologue, props, costumes, stage directions, etc.). There will be a new center introduced this week - the Rehearsal Center. Students will be able to practice the lines of their plays with their group members. The primary goal of this center is to give the students a chance to practice, thus giving them experience with dialogue and fluency!
We'll be having our spelling quiz this Friday - this is the Free Choice Spelling list the students created. Next week we will be studying PALINDROMES!!! Palindromes are words and phrases that have the same sequence of letters when reading from right to left, and left to right. Some examples include - Wow, Mom, race car, Madam I'm Adam, etc. I will be providing students with a list of words that are considered palindromes to select their words from. After palindromes, students will have one more set of Free Choice spelling words - and that will be the last of spelling for the year!! WOW! :)
We are continuing our study of division solving skills this week. Students will be taking the division post test on Friday, May 7th before the Wetland Celebration. Please check out some of the new division practice links that have been added to the "Helpful Links" section of the blog - they're really fun! Our next unit will be studying angles and lines, and then finishing up with a review of the whole year!!
The Wetlands Celebration is essentially an all day affair. Please be sure your son/daughter is wearing sunscreen, sneakers with socks, and has a water bottle to carry around with him/her. We will begin the day in the classroom until 10:30. The rest of the day is Wetlands stuff!! Lunch will not be until 12:15 that day - so please send in a small snack for your child. We will take the time to eat before we go outside. The celebration goes until 3:25. It is my understanding that there are some forms that are being created for parents to fill out to allow their child to stay through to that time. Please understand that if this is what you plan to do, the shuttle buses will not be available for transportation at 3:25 - only at 2:30/3:15 as usual. I'll be in touch as I am informed as to what exactly the plan is here :) Thank you!!
Thank you again for all your support! Have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, April 23, 2010
WOW what a week!
Thank you so much to everyone who was able to come to Math Night! Great turnout, great fun!
We are in a bit of a transitional state at this point in the year with Language Arts....
We're finishing up What Are You Figuring Now? by Wednesday of this coming week. We will be moving into our Plays and Drama unit next! I'm super excited. The students will be learning the elements of theater, as well as comparing and contrasting plays to stories. Students will be bringing home plays in their Guided Reading Baggies. Please be on the look out for questions in the Reading Response Journals! Students will be able to perform mini-productions of these plays they are reading to their classmates. Super fun!
In math we will be moving on to division! As you can see for the homework next week, we will be starting division Mad Minutes as well!
The Study Hall center has been a success with the students. I'm really pleased to see them use their time wisely.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you so much to everyone who was able to come to Math Night! Great turnout, great fun!
We are in a bit of a transitional state at this point in the year with Language Arts....
We're finishing up What Are You Figuring Now? by Wednesday of this coming week. We will be moving into our Plays and Drama unit next! I'm super excited. The students will be learning the elements of theater, as well as comparing and contrasting plays to stories. Students will be bringing home plays in their Guided Reading Baggies. Please be on the look out for questions in the Reading Response Journals! Students will be able to perform mini-productions of these plays they are reading to their classmates. Super fun!
In math we will be moving on to division! As you can see for the homework next week, we will be starting division Mad Minutes as well!
The Study Hall center has been a success with the students. I'm really pleased to see them use their time wisely.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Monday, April 19, 2010
I will be out sick today. Report cards should be sent home today by the sub - please let me know if they don't make it home, and I'll be sure to send them tomorrow. Please also be advised that there is a packet from the G&T office in the envelope as well. This form needs to be completed and returned by Friday,
April 23rd. Mad Minutes have been cancelled for this week :)
Thank you for understanding!
April 23rd. Mad Minutes have been cancelled for this week :)
Thank you for understanding!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Hello and happy Friday! Congratulations to the students for earning their 250th Soaring With Pride Stickers!! We were able to celebrate today with extra recess at the blue playground - whohoo!!
Thank you for sending in the different examples of currency!! It was so interesting to see coins and bills from around the world! The class came to the conclusion that the United States needs to come up with some more interesting designs :)
Next week in math we will be focusing on time. We will begin by reviewing how to tell time to the hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour using an analog clock. We will then move forward to solving elapsed-time word problems. Check out the new link for "Time Games!" in the "Helpful Links" section of the blog. Elapsed time can prove to be a rather challenging topic, so if there is any difficulty at home, please encourage your child to ask for help in class!
Speaking of time, I am going to be introducing a new center to our selection of Literacy Centers. This will be a "Study Hall" center, each student will have this center twice a week. Some might have it Monday and Wednesday, others might have it Tuesday and Thursday. This will depend upon the center rotation for the week. I understand that with the nicer weather, and increase in extra-curricular activities, that homework has traveled down the priority list. I will allow students to work on homework, unfinished classwork, or read independently during this time. I hope that this not only will provide an opportunity for students exercise some time-management skills, but alleviate the work-load at home. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Our Flat Stanleys have started to come in! So far we've received Stanleys from Maine, Arizona, and Pennsylvania!
Please note in the "We Could Always Use..." section that we are still in a rather desperate need for disinfecting wipes, pencils, and glue sticks. Anything that you could send in would be greatly appreciated.
As always, thank you so much for your support! Please let me know if you should have any questions or concerns!
Have a great weekend :)
Thank you for sending in the different examples of currency!! It was so interesting to see coins and bills from around the world! The class came to the conclusion that the United States needs to come up with some more interesting designs :)
Next week in math we will be focusing on time. We will begin by reviewing how to tell time to the hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour using an analog clock. We will then move forward to solving elapsed-time word problems. Check out the new link for "Time Games!" in the "Helpful Links" section of the blog. Elapsed time can prove to be a rather challenging topic, so if there is any difficulty at home, please encourage your child to ask for help in class!
Speaking of time, I am going to be introducing a new center to our selection of Literacy Centers. This will be a "Study Hall" center, each student will have this center twice a week. Some might have it Monday and Wednesday, others might have it Tuesday and Thursday. This will depend upon the center rotation for the week. I understand that with the nicer weather, and increase in extra-curricular activities, that homework has traveled down the priority list. I will allow students to work on homework, unfinished classwork, or read independently during this time. I hope that this not only will provide an opportunity for students exercise some time-management skills, but alleviate the work-load at home. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Our Flat Stanleys have started to come in! So far we've received Stanleys from Maine, Arizona, and Pennsylvania!
Please note in the "We Could Always Use..." section that we are still in a rather desperate need for disinfecting wipes, pencils, and glue sticks. Anything that you could send in would be greatly appreciated.
As always, thank you so much for your support! Please let me know if you should have any questions or concerns!
Have a great weekend :)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Hello! Congratulations to the students for successfully completing the SAT10!! They all did a GREAT job - everyone worked very dilligently, raised their hands if they had questions, used their repertoir of various strategies to solve problems, and really took the time to double - even triple check their work! Thank you students for all your hard work, and thank you parents for your support, as always!
We will be going back to our typical homework assignments this week. Students will be coming home with their new spelling lists on Monday, April 12th. Our last unit of study was comparing consonant digraphs and blends. Students discovered that the word "digraph" has the digraph /ph/, the word "blend" has the blends /bl/ and /nd/! Digraphs can be made up of either vowels or consonants - and are made up of two letters creating one sound - such as the "f" sound with "ph". Blends are also made up of at least two letters, however you can hear the sound each individual letter makes. For example, with the /bl/ blend, you can hear the "b" and the "l" separately. We are going to take this knowledge we've gained about digraphs and blends and SLIDE it on over to diphthongs!
Diphthongs and digraphs are VERY similar - in fact so similar I needed to refresh MY memory on the difference between the two! Both are made of two letters, both create one sound. There are two major differences that make a diphthong different from a digraph: first, diphthongs are only a combination of two VOWELS - no consonants here; second, a diphthong is created by the tongue SLIDING from one sound to the other. The word "audience" is a great example of a word with both a digraph and diphthong. First, the /au/ is a vowel digraph - creating the "aw" sound. The /ie/ is a diphthong - say "audience" slowly, notice how you "SLIDE" from the i, to the e, and finally to the rest of the word? That's what makes it a diphthong!
Common diphthongs include, but are not limited to: /ie/, /oi/ as in "boil", /oy/ as in "boy". /ea/ as in "created", and /io/ as in "Pinocchio". We will be focusing on these - but be on the lookout for any others!
In math we will be beginnning a combination unit focusing on money, time, and temperature. We will begin the unit with money! We will review how to add and subtract money, as well as make change using the least amount of coins. In an effort to make a connection to our last Social Studies unit (Economics) I was hoping to be able to show the students different examples of currency. If you are willing/able to send in any examples of foreign currrency with your child to share with the class it would be most greatly appreciated! The currency will be sent back home the same day :)
Finally, your child will be recieving an invitation in the mail within the next few days. This will be addressed to him/her "and family." Since the students were a part of our engagement, I would be honored if they (and parents) could join us for our wedding ceremony as well. The ceremony is Saturday, July 17th, 3:30 in the afternoon, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church - located at 35 East Church Street in Downtown Frederick. I have made arrangements with our photographer to plan for a group picture with us immediately following the ceremony. We will send a copy of the picture to you once we get them :) No gifts, please, your attendance will be gift enough!
Thank you so much! I hope you have a wonderful week!
We will be going back to our typical homework assignments this week. Students will be coming home with their new spelling lists on Monday, April 12th. Our last unit of study was comparing consonant digraphs and blends. Students discovered that the word "digraph" has the digraph /ph/, the word "blend" has the blends /bl/ and /nd/! Digraphs can be made up of either vowels or consonants - and are made up of two letters creating one sound - such as the "f" sound with "ph". Blends are also made up of at least two letters, however you can hear the sound each individual letter makes. For example, with the /bl/ blend, you can hear the "b" and the "l" separately. We are going to take this knowledge we've gained about digraphs and blends and SLIDE it on over to diphthongs!
Diphthongs and digraphs are VERY similar - in fact so similar I needed to refresh MY memory on the difference between the two! Both are made of two letters, both create one sound. There are two major differences that make a diphthong different from a digraph: first, diphthongs are only a combination of two VOWELS - no consonants here; second, a diphthong is created by the tongue SLIDING from one sound to the other. The word "audience" is a great example of a word with both a digraph and diphthong. First, the /au/ is a vowel digraph - creating the "aw" sound. The /ie/ is a diphthong - say "audience" slowly, notice how you "SLIDE" from the i, to the e, and finally to the rest of the word? That's what makes it a diphthong!
Common diphthongs include, but are not limited to: /ie/, /oi/ as in "boil", /oy/ as in "boy". /ea/ as in "created", and /io/ as in "Pinocchio". We will be focusing on these - but be on the lookout for any others!
In math we will be beginnning a combination unit focusing on money, time, and temperature. We will begin the unit with money! We will review how to add and subtract money, as well as make change using the least amount of coins. In an effort to make a connection to our last Social Studies unit (Economics) I was hoping to be able to show the students different examples of currency. If you are willing/able to send in any examples of foreign currrency with your child to share with the class it would be most greatly appreciated! The currency will be sent back home the same day :)
Finally, your child will be recieving an invitation in the mail within the next few days. This will be addressed to him/her "and family." Since the students were a part of our engagement, I would be honored if they (and parents) could join us for our wedding ceremony as well. The ceremony is Saturday, July 17th, 3:30 in the afternoon, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church - located at 35 East Church Street in Downtown Frederick. I have made arrangements with our photographer to plan for a group picture with us immediately following the ceremony. We will send a copy of the picture to you once we get them :) No gifts, please, your attendance will be gift enough!
Thank you so much! I hope you have a wonderful week!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Happy Spring Break!
Hello! Hope everyone had a great Spring Break! Wasn't the weather just GORGEOUS?!
We have a slightly wacky week ahead of us -
I will be assigning minimal homework this week in honor of the SAT 10 assessments. It's most important to me that the students are as well-rested as possible for these tests. I have every bit of confidence that the students will do VERY well! However, the greatest culprit for incorrect answers for these assessments is careless mistakes. The majority of these tests are given orally, so students MUST be alert and attentive to the directions being given. A good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast are essential to everyday success, they are especially important for Wednesday and Thursday! :)
We will continue spelling, hand writing, Mad Minutes, and Math packets next week.
Thank you for your support! Have a wonderful week!
:) Miss Phelps
We have a slightly wacky week ahead of us -
I will be assigning minimal homework this week in honor of the SAT 10 assessments. It's most important to me that the students are as well-rested as possible for these tests. I have every bit of confidence that the students will do VERY well! However, the greatest culprit for incorrect answers for these assessments is careless mistakes. The majority of these tests are given orally, so students MUST be alert and attentive to the directions being given. A good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast are essential to everyday success, they are especially important for Wednesday and Thursday! :)
We will continue spelling, hand writing, Mad Minutes, and Math packets next week.
Thank you for your support! Have a wonderful week!
:) Miss Phelps
Monday, March 29, 2010
SAT 10
Hello! As you may have seen on the school calendar, the SAT 10 assessment will be the Wednesday and Thursday after Spring Break.
The purpose of the SAT 10 is more so for educators and administrators to guide curricular decisions, as opposed to determining student grades. This does not mean that the test is unimportant!
The way I have explained standardized tests to second grade students in the past is that it is an opportunity for them to show off! They will be asssessed on reading comprehension, cause and effect, main idea, math operations, geometry and estimation to name a few subject areas. These are all areas that they have been studying and mastering for the past three years (at least!).
These tests will take place in the morning, please make especially sure that your son/daughter is at school on time on these days.
The best advice I can give for success on these tests are a good night's sleep the night before, and a healthy breakfast the morning of!
Thank you very much for your support! Have a great week!
The purpose of the SAT 10 is more so for educators and administrators to guide curricular decisions, as opposed to determining student grades. This does not mean that the test is unimportant!
The way I have explained standardized tests to second grade students in the past is that it is an opportunity for them to show off! They will be asssessed on reading comprehension, cause and effect, main idea, math operations, geometry and estimation to name a few subject areas. These are all areas that they have been studying and mastering for the past three years (at least!).
These tests will take place in the morning, please make especially sure that your son/daughter is at school on time on these days.
The best advice I can give for success on these tests are a good night's sleep the night before, and a healthy breakfast the morning of!
Thank you very much for your support! Have a great week!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
New Helpful Links
Hi there! Please check out the Helpful Links section of the blog for links to the Economics Poster Contest rules, and a visualization of writing elaboration! This is really NEAT! Just click on each word that's highlighted, and observe a simple sentence develop into an elaborate paragraph!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
Hello! Long time no blog! (I do apologize) Here's what's happening in our neck of the woods:
Language Arts
We are continuing our study of novels by adding Literature Circles to our Literacy Centers! Literature Circles are a great way to give the students some more responsibility for what they're learning, and providing the opportunity for student-led discussion. Students will be assigned a different role (or two) each night, and will be expected to complete that role by the next day. These roles are different, and give students the chance to practice and identify their various strengths and needs as a learner! Students will be, if they haven't already, be coming home with a Literature Circle packet in their Guided Reading Baggies. Their assignment will be written on the front of the packet. Each assignment needs to be initialed by a parent/guardian in order for the student to get their Smiley Face on their baggie.
While we are studying novels, we are focusing on story elements (character, setting, problem, and solution) and connections. There are three types of connections that the students will be identifying - text to text ("This chapter reminds me of this book..."), text to self ("This reminds me of the time when I..."), and text to world ("This reminds me of what I heard on the news...").
Social Studies
We are finishing up our economics unit this week! Our assessment will be this Friday, March 19th. Students were sent home with a page of notes they took on what to be prepared for on the test. If this page is missing, please let me know and I can send that information to you. As a culminating activity, I am also entering our class in the Maryland Council for Economic Education's "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" poster contest! This is optional, however I do strongly recommend that the students participate for the experience! Here's some information:
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS: 2009-2010 Poster Contest
Annual Economics Poster Contest for Maryland Students in Grades 1 through 8
Brought to you by the Maryland Council on Economic Education with generous assistance from the Baltimore Branch of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank, the Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Maryland & Delaware (CCCS), and Towson University.
The Maryland Council on Economic Educations annual economics poster contest for Maryland students in grades 1 through 8 was developed to help teachers stimulate interest in learning basic economic concepts by giving students an opportunity to creatively demonstrate their understanding of one of the following concepts: scarcity; natural, human and capital resources; opportunity cost; specialization and interdependence; producers and consumers; or goods and services.
Sixteen state winners will each receive a $50 Series EE- savings bond and recognized at the Maryland Council's annual awards program in May, 2010.
Winning posters will be made into a September, 2010-December, 2011 calendar printed and distributed through the generosity of the Baltimore Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of MD and DE.
The deadline for entries is April 15, 2010.
Below is the link for the contest rules :)
If you are in need of any supplies, including a sheet of paper with the 1/2 inch border, please let me know and I'll be more than happy to supply those for you!
Math
This week brings us to probability! Students will be able to learn about the likelihood of various events, how to calculate possible outcomes, as well as determining theoretical probability. For example, the probability of landing on "heads" when flipping a coin is 1/2 - 1 favorable outcome, for two possible outcomes. Similarly, the probability for rolling a "4" on a die is 1/6 - 1 favorable outcome, for six possible outcomes. The post assessment for this unit will be Monday, March 22.
Our next unit will be fractions! Students will be taking the preassessment for this unit on Friday, March 19th. We will begin studying this unit on Tuesday, March 23.
We are continuing to practice our multiplication facts. Students will receive a weekly practice packet - and be quizzed at the end of the week. Please time students for one minute, circle or underline where they reached at one minute, and then allow them to finish the practice sheet. This will provide additional fact practice.
Congratulations to our students for earning over 200 Soaring With Pride Stickers! Since this was such an awesome milestone, we are having an extra celebration this Friday, March 19th. We will be having lunch at the picnic tables at the Wetlands, then enjoying a few extra minutes of recess. Parents are more than welcome to attend! We will be at the Wetlands at 11:15, and recess will be immediately afterwards. Way to go kiddos! Keep up the great work!
Finally, I'm looking forward to seeing so many of you at the Multicultural Fair this Friday, March 19th, from 6:00 - 8:00! I know many of you will be presenting at the fair and I can't wait to see!
Thank you for all your support! Have a great day!
:)
Language Arts
We are continuing our study of novels by adding Literature Circles to our Literacy Centers! Literature Circles are a great way to give the students some more responsibility for what they're learning, and providing the opportunity for student-led discussion. Students will be assigned a different role (or two) each night, and will be expected to complete that role by the next day. These roles are different, and give students the chance to practice and identify their various strengths and needs as a learner! Students will be, if they haven't already, be coming home with a Literature Circle packet in their Guided Reading Baggies. Their assignment will be written on the front of the packet. Each assignment needs to be initialed by a parent/guardian in order for the student to get their Smiley Face on their baggie.
While we are studying novels, we are focusing on story elements (character, setting, problem, and solution) and connections. There are three types of connections that the students will be identifying - text to text ("This chapter reminds me of this book..."), text to self ("This reminds me of the time when I..."), and text to world ("This reminds me of what I heard on the news...").
Social Studies
We are finishing up our economics unit this week! Our assessment will be this Friday, March 19th. Students were sent home with a page of notes they took on what to be prepared for on the test. If this page is missing, please let me know and I can send that information to you. As a culminating activity, I am also entering our class in the Maryland Council for Economic Education's "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" poster contest! This is optional, however I do strongly recommend that the students participate for the experience! Here's some information:
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS: 2009-2010 Poster Contest
Annual Economics Poster Contest for Maryland Students in Grades 1 through 8
Brought to you by the Maryland Council on Economic Education with generous assistance from the Baltimore Branch of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank, the Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Maryland & Delaware (CCCS), and Towson University.
The Maryland Council on Economic Educations annual economics poster contest for Maryland students in grades 1 through 8 was developed to help teachers stimulate interest in learning basic economic concepts by giving students an opportunity to creatively demonstrate their understanding of one of the following concepts: scarcity; natural, human and capital resources; opportunity cost; specialization and interdependence; producers and consumers; or goods and services.
Sixteen state winners will each receive a $50 Series EE- savings bond and recognized at the Maryland Council's annual awards program in May, 2010.
Winning posters will be made into a September, 2010-December, 2011 calendar printed and distributed through the generosity of the Baltimore Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of MD and DE.
The deadline for entries is April 15, 2010.
Below is the link for the contest rules :)
If you are in need of any supplies, including a sheet of paper with the 1/2 inch border, please let me know and I'll be more than happy to supply those for you!
Math
This week brings us to probability! Students will be able to learn about the likelihood of various events, how to calculate possible outcomes, as well as determining theoretical probability. For example, the probability of landing on "heads" when flipping a coin is 1/2 - 1 favorable outcome, for two possible outcomes. Similarly, the probability for rolling a "4" on a die is 1/6 - 1 favorable outcome, for six possible outcomes. The post assessment for this unit will be Monday, March 22.
Our next unit will be fractions! Students will be taking the preassessment for this unit on Friday, March 19th. We will begin studying this unit on Tuesday, March 23.
We are continuing to practice our multiplication facts. Students will receive a weekly practice packet - and be quizzed at the end of the week. Please time students for one minute, circle or underline where they reached at one minute, and then allow them to finish the practice sheet. This will provide additional fact practice.
Congratulations to our students for earning over 200 Soaring With Pride Stickers! Since this was such an awesome milestone, we are having an extra celebration this Friday, March 19th. We will be having lunch at the picnic tables at the Wetlands, then enjoying a few extra minutes of recess. Parents are more than welcome to attend! We will be at the Wetlands at 11:15, and recess will be immediately afterwards. Way to go kiddos! Keep up the great work!
Finally, I'm looking forward to seeing so many of you at the Multicultural Fair this Friday, March 19th, from 6:00 - 8:00! I know many of you will be presenting at the fair and I can't wait to see!
Thank you for all your support! Have a great day!
:)
Friday, January 15, 2010
Goodbye First Semester!
Thank you so much for being a part of our special day! I was so surprised, and so touched that the students were able to be a part of this! I will never forget this day :) The video of the event is at the bottom of this post - enjoy!
Today was the official last day of the second quarter! The students have been working very hard on making sure they have all their work done by today. Report cards will be sent home on February 2nd. (Happy Groundhog Day!)
First of all, congratulations on earning over 175 Soaring With Pride Stickers! The students celebrated this morning with a some free time in the gym. Students were able to play basketball, catch, and do some gymnastics on the tumbling mats! I think this was by far their best celebratory idea thus far!
Secondly, congratulations to the entire class for achieving 100% accuracy on the mid-year DIBELS assessment!
Math
We have finished up our Data Collection unit! The students were able to interpret and create bar graphs, scaled pictographs, and tally tables. They conducted surveys of their classmates and displayed their findings using "Create a Graph" software. Finally, we were even able to dabble into stem and leaf plots! The links for "Create a Graph" and the Stem and Leaf Plotter are available on the "Helpful Links" section of the blog - enjoy! They're lotso fun! :)
After the break, we will be beginning our unit on multiplication! A great way to practice facts is to use flash cards or go online to Multiplication.com (also available in the "Helpful Links" section)
Language Arts/Science
We have finished up our Science Texts Unit and Observing the Sky Units! The field trip to the ESSL was a HUGE hit! They have planetarium shows almost every Tuesday evening - I highly recommend it! The students behaved greatly and learned SO much while they were there.
Our next Language Arts unit will be on Poetry - and I am SOOOO excited! Students will be able to read and write poetry, as well as identify elements of poetry such as personification, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and rhyme. If you have any poetry anthologies at home that you would be willing to share with us, we'd love to have them! Please be sure to put yours, or your child's name in the book. Thank you!
Social Studies
We will be switching back to Social Studies in the third quarter. This unit is actually still a mystery to us, as we will be receiving it at our training on one of the teacher work days! I will let you know what it is just as soon as I do!
Handwriting
We will be beginning cursive! At the beginning of each week your child will receive a handwriting practice packet. This packet will be due at the end of the week. I am going to be sending home a cursive reference sheet to keep at home as well. Thank you!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Today was the official last day of the second quarter! The students have been working very hard on making sure they have all their work done by today. Report cards will be sent home on February 2nd. (Happy Groundhog Day!)
First of all, congratulations on earning over 175 Soaring With Pride Stickers! The students celebrated this morning with a some free time in the gym. Students were able to play basketball, catch, and do some gymnastics on the tumbling mats! I think this was by far their best celebratory idea thus far!
Secondly, congratulations to the entire class for achieving 100% accuracy on the mid-year DIBELS assessment!
Math
We have finished up our Data Collection unit! The students were able to interpret and create bar graphs, scaled pictographs, and tally tables. They conducted surveys of their classmates and displayed their findings using "Create a Graph" software. Finally, we were even able to dabble into stem and leaf plots! The links for "Create a Graph" and the Stem and Leaf Plotter are available on the "Helpful Links" section of the blog - enjoy! They're lotso fun! :)
After the break, we will be beginning our unit on multiplication! A great way to practice facts is to use flash cards or go online to Multiplication.com (also available in the "Helpful Links" section)
Language Arts/Science
We have finished up our Science Texts Unit and Observing the Sky Units! The field trip to the ESSL was a HUGE hit! They have planetarium shows almost every Tuesday evening - I highly recommend it! The students behaved greatly and learned SO much while they were there.
Our next Language Arts unit will be on Poetry - and I am SOOOO excited! Students will be able to read and write poetry, as well as identify elements of poetry such as personification, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and rhyme. If you have any poetry anthologies at home that you would be willing to share with us, we'd love to have them! Please be sure to put yours, or your child's name in the book. Thank you!
Social Studies
We will be switching back to Social Studies in the third quarter. This unit is actually still a mystery to us, as we will be receiving it at our training on one of the teacher work days! I will let you know what it is just as soon as I do!
Handwriting
We will be beginning cursive! At the beginning of each week your child will receive a handwriting practice packet. This packet will be due at the end of the week. I am going to be sending home a cursive reference sheet to keep at home as well. Thank you!
Have a wonderful weekend!
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