About Me

My photo
Carrollton, Texas, United States
Welcome to my blog! My name is Beth Carpenter! I am a 2nd grade teacher at Coyote Ridge Elementary. I majored in Early Childhood Education and have taught for 22 years. I have taught grades K- 3 which gives me a unique ability to know where my second graders fit within those grades. Teaching is more than a profession to me, it is a calling. I love to help light the fire of curiosity to help all my students become lifelong learners!

Schedule

Math 8:00-9:30 Brain Break 9:30-9:40 Enrichment 9:40-10:30 Guided Reading 10:30-11:30 Lunch 11:30-12:00 Writer's Workshop 12:00- 1:00 Recess 1:00-1:30 Reading/Social Studies 1:30-2:00 Science 2:00-2:50 Pack/Stack/Dismiss 2:50-3:00

Friday, September 26, 2014

Week 5

Parents,
    We had another great week of learning! I am so impressed with the writing that your children are doing. They are quickly learning writing skills to improve their narratives.  We are editing, revising, and writing our final drafts of “In the Fall”! They have great imaginations! Over all I was impressed with the reading and vocabulary tests. The children took the tests independently and did very well. They are so proud about being second graders and already see a big improvement in all they do. 
      Please continue to have your children practice their math facts with the flashcards sent home in their math log or by playing Fasttmath on the computer. I have taught my class how to access fasttmath from home. The more facts that are memorized, the more successful your child will feel as we delve into harder two and three step problem solving strategies.
     A pumpkin project went home in the coyote folder today. Please help your child decide how to decorate it and return it by Tuesday so that we can add it to our class pumpkin patch. You may decorate them any way you wish and use a variety of materials to create your one of a kind pumpkin! I appreciate all you do!


      I will be sending home times and dates for conferences next week so that you can begin signing up! I look forward to meeting with all of you!

Friday, September 19, 2014

Jiho got her award today!


All of second grade winners who could attend the PTA Meeting


Prideful PAWS

                          De'Andre receiving his Prideful Paw Award at the first PTA meeting!

Week 4

Dear Parents,
   Wow!  My second graders a amazing me with their self directed skills. They are going about their work and day as if they have been in my classroom several months! There are still missing stars on behavior charts here or there, but this is just to reinforce the lessons I am teaching at school. Talking during testing, quiet reading and writing  times are what a few students are still working on. This is a process and I promise we will all get there! If your child comes home without a star, please discuss it and talk about making a better choice the next day. This chart is not meant to be a punishment, rather one of encouragement to do the right thing.
     The other thing that I would like your help with is looking carefully with your child through his/her papers sent home in the Coyote Folder  on Fridays. Please encourage your child to do his/her best work on each assignment as I will continue to encourage him/her here. Homework will start coming home more on a regular basis as soon as our beginning of the year testing is completed. Usually the reading book will go home on Mondays for the story of the week to be reread. The book will come home again on Wednesdays with vocabulary practice that goes along with the story. It is very important to go over these words as the story and vocabulary will be tested each week and are counted as separate grades. Math/ English homework practice will usually go home on Tuesdays.
   Thank you to those who made it to our first PTA meeting! It was great to see you and celebrate our first two Prideful Paw Winners: De’Andre and Jiho! It is not too late to join PTA. We are having a contest to see which classroom can get the most members  … our class would love the chance to duck tape Mrs. Jacobsen to a wall! 




Have a great weekend!

Saturday, September 13, 2014


EEKK ... We are elbow to elbow, knee to knee practicing reading with someone!


                                            Two more friends practicing EEKK!

The Sentence Song

Everyone in the whole class learned the song and received a treasure box item!

Week Three

Dear Parents,
       During  the third week of school I have seen so much growth! The students are beginning to independently manage their time and learning opportunities in the classroom. I have been individually assessing children as they happily go about their work. We have been discussing good work habits and responsibility.  The students are getting better returning their reading and math logs completed on Fridays. Please help your child remember to keep these important folders in their backpacks. When they tell me “mom or dad took it out” I remind them that it is their responsibility to put it back in each night. As far as I know I do not have any moms or dads in my second grade class! They laugh and promise to remember. As well as these logs there are other papers that come home weekly for math that must be completed and returned the next day. The reading book comes home when we have a story that week for them to read twice a week. (Once on Monday and then the night before their comprehension test.) The vocabulary words that are from the story are included on the test. It is important that the vocabulary homework be completed as well. 
        If there is any parent who would like to be my room mom or dad, please let me know as soon as possible. I would really appreciate your help! An added bonus is that our first field trip will be Dec. 12. I may take one parent. The room mom/dad could join us on this field trip as long as her/his background check has been completed! The information  for the field trip went home in the Coyote Ridge Folder on Friday.
          Lastly I’d like to encourage you all to become members of the PTA at Coyote Ridge! Together we can do amazing things. I have joined and hope to see you this Thursday night at 6:30 in the  CRE gym.



* Please complete the forms that were sent home last week in the Coyote Ridge Folder and return

*Please send $5.00 cash or  check written to Beth Carpenter for Scholastic News (I have used a credit card to pay for the class) Thank One more to get in! :)

*Thank you to Helen and her family for sending in more treasure box items. My class is quickly earning red tickets to purchase from our treasure box

Please contact me at any time for questions! I am always available to you!


Have a wonderful weekend!

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Week Two

Dear Parents,
         I had another amazing week of learning with my class! I am commending each of you on your child's behavior and eagerness to learn. If a star was missing from your child’s behavior chart, remember that this is a time of making friends, learning routines, and getting to know the classroom rules. I have not had to do more than speak to a child to remind him/her of the rules. Everyone in my class wants to do what is right! I am so proud of them.
          Please remember to leave the reading and math logs in your child’s backpack. That way they are home each night ( Monday-Thursday) to be filled out and also in the backpack ready to be turned in each Friday morning. Please help your child fill out these charts. This teaches responsibility and is an important part of his/her learning. 
          The daily folder is our daily communication to each other. Please check it each night, removing papers and returning it to school the next day. Any papers you wish for me to receive, please send back in this folder. I check them each morning. The Coyote Ridge Elementary folder goes home only on Fridays. In this folder you will find the next week’s newsletter, graded papers from the week, as well as important flyers and notices from the school. Please remove all papers and return the folder to school on Mondays. Both folders went home this evening and are in your child’s backpack. 
           I have not posted any photographs or videos on our blog as of yet. I am waiting to hear which students have opted out of having pictures or videos taken. See the attached newsletter to see what we will be learning next week.



* Please complete the forms in the Coyote Ridge Folder and return

*Please send $5.00 cash or  check written to Beth Carpenter for Scholastic News (I have used a credit card to pay for the class)

*Thank you to Helen, Malik, Daniel, Ishan and their families for sending in wish list items for our classroom

Please contact me at any time for questions! I am always available to you!


Have a wonderful weekend!

First Week

Dear Parents,
         We had a fantastic first week of school! My second graders are so well behaved and ready to learn each day. With excitement and behavior like that, we will go far in our learning this year! Today we presented the Me bag project.
         Now a few reminders: If your child forgot to bring his/her bag, please send it next Tuesday. Next week spelling lists will go home on Tuesday. Please help your child study these words throughout the week as the spell check will be eachFriday. On the attached newsletter you will find a sight word list. Each week your child will be responsible for learning to quickly read these sight words. I will check them each Friday and a record will go home. Don’t forget to help your child fill out his/her reading and math log each night. Keep the old flash cards in a separate baggie to continue to practice. A timed test will be given each Friday only over that week’s math facts. Next week we will be learning doubles. 
         I am sending a super hero poster home in the Coyote Folder to be completed and turned in by Sept. 8th. Each week a star student will be picked to present his/her poster to the class. Each child in the class will then write a page about your child. This will be made into a special book to take home. We love learning about our classmates! I am looking forward to a wonderful year!

IMPORTANT DATES:
Sept 1 No school
Sept 3 PE wear gym shoes
Sept. 4 Cub Scout meeting 6:30 in the CRE gym
Sept. 5 Please send $5.00 cash or check written to Beth Carpenter for Scholastic News (I prepaid for all the magazines with a credit card)

Sept. 10 Picture Day