About Me

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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, January 29, 2016

Week 20

Dear Parents,
           This week seemed to fly by! We continued working with three digit regrouping in addition and subtraction. Your children are becoming more confident and are figuring out word problems and creating two step problems on their own. We finished up our unit in science on bodies of water. We learned a lot about both freshwater and saltwater sources. In social studies we are learning about wants, needs, consumers and producers. They are really interested in the choices they can make as consumers. We used thinking maps to show the benefits of choices then had to make a decision what we would buy. In language we learned about action verbs and wrote an action verb story about what we do in the winter. We continued testing in reading , read some stories, then answered comprehension questions.
          We are continuing our 21 day challenge to be healthy. Please have your child bring a fresh vegetable to school for snack on Monday. We are earning points for participating.
           Please send in your Valentine Letter to your child by Monday, Feb.1. We will be hanging them in the hallway to display your works of art! Your children loved the fact that this was your homework, but reading your words will mean so much to each of them.

           Two important things went home in today’s coyote folder. There is a time line project that is very special. These will be on display during Open House and are keepsakes you will cherish. Most of the class has a food item to bring in by Wednesday next week. We will use these to make our 100th Day snack on Friday.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Second Nine Week's Quality Coyotes



Week 19

Dear Parents,
         It was a quick week, but another wonderful week of learning. We have a few more biography presentations to finish next week, but are working with an app to add one more activity to our research experience. Ask your child about Chatterkid. They are making their biographies come to life! In addition to tour projects we learned how to write a friendly letter. We are writing a letter to a classmate who moved to another LISD school. We can’t wait to hear back from him.
         In math we continued to use our two digit addition problems to check our subtraction answers. We learned two step problems and how to tell if a story problem is addition or subtraction. Please continue to practice both three digit addition and subtraction with and without regrouping. This as well as fasttmath practice could be the math log time.
          During reading this week, we learned about nonfiction text features and created our own books. I am test DRA levels once again at midyear to see the progress that has been made. I sent January’s istation report home in your child’s coyote folder today.
           In Social studies we are learning about wants, needs, consumers and producers. 

*Report cards are available on Skyward. If you requested a paper copy, it is in your child’s coyote folder. A Honor roll and perfect attendance awards also went home today.

*Please sign up to support our school in Jump Rope for Heart with the American Heart Association (envelopes are in the coyote folders)


*The 21 day snack challenge is going on. Please sign up on line. We only need three more families to participate to get 100%! Have your child bring fresh fruit on Monday to earn extra points!

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Week 18

Dear Parents,
         We had another great week of learning. We continued to work on our biography reports. We are still in the process of presenting them, so the research notes are a part of the 2nd nine weeks’ grades; the presentations and final papers/posters will be part of the 3rd nine weeks’ grades. I will be holding onto these projects as they will be displayed at open house along with many more pieces of work that I’ve been collecting.
          In Math we have continued to focus on 3 digit subtraction with regrouping, two step problems and will soon be transitioning back to three digit addition with regrouping. Please continue to reinforce their math facts at home by having your child do fasttmath 2-3 times a week. Remember, you can click on the link at the bottom of this page to go to my blog. Then just click on the fasttmath link under links for learning. User name is your child’s last initial, first initial and his/her student number. Example user name for John Smith: sm12458532 The password is abc123 for all students. Please contact me if you need to know your child’s student number.
            We learned about Martin Luther King Jr. and are writing our dreams for our communities, country and the world. We have some amazing dreams!
             This reading test over the penguin chick was a very difficult one. The children were allowed to use their books to go back to prove the answers to the comprehension questions. Nonfiction texts are more difficult to read, but the answers can always be found within the text.

             I hope you enjoy this three day weekend with your families!

Friday, January 8, 2016

Week 17

Dear Parents,
         It was great to get back to work after the break! I really missed my kiddos. We started our interesting Science unit on rocks! We have been describing them by their physical properties.
         In math we have been working on 2 digit subtraction with borrowing. Ask your child what this means: “ More on top, no need to stop. More on the floor, go next door. Borrow one, give ten." We are getting it! This is a very hard concept for second graders. 
        Researching our famous American has been going very well! The children are learning many interesting facts about his/her chosen person. They are doing a fantastic job. 
         Monday,   I will be sending home the fasttmath print out of your child’s addition facts 0-9. From the looks of the pages, many have not been going on at home to practice these facts. This program is designed to help your child memorize their facts. Please get on fasttmath for math log 2-3 times a week. Remember, you can click on the link at the bottom of this page to go to my blog. Then just click on the fasttmath link under links for learning.User name is your child’s last initial, first initial and his/her student number. Example user name for John Smith: sm12458532 The password is abc123 for all students.



*Please send in a set of 12 pencils for our classroom pencil can. We are completely out! Also I would love a donation of scissors for our classroom. I had 9 pairs that have gone missing. We no longer have a pair of scissors for each of the children in our class. Many of them are in need of new crayons as well. Please ask your child if he/she needs a new box of crayons. Our glue sticks are holding out for now! :) Thank you for your support!

*The information came home about our February Field Trip this past Monday. We will be going to the Dallas Children’s Theater; I will be able to take two Chaperones and you will be riding the bus with us!I have not heard from anyone who would like to come with us. Also please send in $9.00 and the field trip form as soon as you can.