January

1. Since the week of January 7-11 is a short week we will have our spelling test on Thursday the 10th. The spelling book will not need to be returned to school to be checked on Fridays anymore; however, students should continue to complete at least the first 4 pages in each Unit as homework. These pages are great practice for the graded page that we do each week in class. During the first semester I have been going over each section of these pages, but now students will be responsible for reading the directions themselves. The pages in the book help prepare for this page. It is also an excellent way to review the words. You will notice beginning with week 19 the words are written in cursive as well as printed. We will not officially start cursive until March, but this gives the kids an opportunity to start seeing cursive writing.

3. We will take our Math Benchmark on Wednesday January 9th. We will grade it together then I will go back over it and check for accuracy and send you a score. This will be the first time our students will be expected to transfer their answers from the booklets to a scantron sheet. We will be emphasizing accuracy in this so that their scored sheets reflect what they truly marked.

5. Starting Monday January 14th, 5 points will be deducted from anything turned in with out a name on it. During the next few months you will notice the work getting harder and more of the responsibility shifting to the students. Third grade is a big jump and we want all students to be as prepared as possible.

6. Wednesday the 16th. we will have a student teacher join our classroom. Her name is Lindsey Whitty, and she will be in the classroom for about 6 weeks. We are looking forward to her new ideas, a fresh face and an extra pair of hands in the room, as well as helping her as she finishes up her college requirements.

7. On the day Miss Whitty comes we will take the science benchmark. Both benchmark test are things the student have been working on through the year so you should not worry about trying to prepare for them. The score should be true reflections of what the kids have mastered and what some still need to work on.

8. Just a reminder for birthdays, this year they are celebrated only in the classroom. If your child wishes to bring treats on their special day they may bring them in the morning and decide when we have them, or you can come in first thing and we can have them then, after recess at 1:25, or at the end of the day around 2:30.

9. A color piece of construction paper is coming home today. Students are to cut out colored pictures that are the same color as their sheet and mkae a collage. This is due back on January 15th.

This month all of second grade will be reading Follow the Drinking Gourd by F.N. Monjo. This is story about a family that helps escaped slaves reach safety using the stars as a guide. Students will also learn about real Americans, like Harriet Tubman, who helped free many enslaved African Americans by establishing the Underground Railroad. A website to visit with your child relating to this unit of study is: www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/This unit will also tie in with our study of Martin Luther King, Jr. We will also read; What Makes Day and Night and Post Cards from Pluto. All three of these stories go hand in hand with our science unit.

We will begin the new year reviewing subtraction with regrouping. This skill is one of the most difficult students will learn this year and will require extra practice at home. Please continue to work with your child with the subtraction facts since mastery of these is crucial for success with regrouping as well as many skill taught in third grade. We will continue to reinforce addition with regrouping throughout the year as well. We will work with 3 digit number to 999. Then will come time. This is a great time to consider purchasing your child a watch with hands so he/she can practice telling time to the minute anytime!

Math Olympics are just around the corner on February 29th. Skills students have learned throughout the year will be practiced and reinforced in fun games set up in each second grade classroom. Students will spend this morning rotating through each classroom and participating in the math activity set up there. What fun!

In February we will dive into our biography unit. Each child will choose a famous American to read about and research. Students will then use the information learned to write a speech that he/she will recite while dressed like the famous American during our “Living Museum.” This is a wonderful culminating activity that you will enjoy coming to. It will be in the morning on March 12th. More information regarding our “Living Museum” will be come home with your child as February gets closer.

We will start with exploring the Night Sky . During this unit we will cover the sun and moonand then explore various types of weather : the water cycle, & clouds, and then natural resources.