Week 7

  Dear Parents,

         In math this week we began adding two digit numbers using hundreds charts, mental math, ten frames and number lines. We are beginning to learn how to add and regroup on paper as well. This is a very hard concept for second graders at first, but with practice, we will get it! We took our assessment on Friday.

         In writing this week we wrote our BOY narrative about a recess time in which they had lots of fun. I scored the rough draft on our LISD narrative rubric . We spent the week editing, revising and publishing this narrative. Now we will choose topics by ourselves to write our own narratives. I will share them with you during our upcoming conferences in October. I will be sending up a sign up genius in the next few weeks. We will be taking this writing through the writing process. 

         In reading we learned all about constitution Day and how it started. We also learned about our flag and what it represents. It is a symbol of our great country. We learned that the flag has 13 stripes and 50 stars to represent the first thirteen colonies and now our fifty states. We also began researching our American Symbols. 

          In science we have been changing the physical properties of matter as we cut, bent, broke, folded, added heat and removed heat. We planned our steps and documented them in our science notebooks. We did a talk read talk write activity after our investigations. We took smaller pieces and made something that could have a different purpose than the individual pieces. We took a picture of our creations. We had the task to create a bridge as a group! We had to work together and make a plan. Learning can be so much fun!

 

*Important Swim information, a pumpkin project and 6 week progress reports, and Texas State Fair tickets are in the Friday folder. Please look at the papers in the folder, take them out and return the folder on Monday.

 

*A parent shared with me that she hasn’t been getting my e-mails for two weeks. I send one every Friday. If you don’t receive it, please let me know. You can always  go to this link in my signature line to see past letters: http://carpenter2nd.blogspot.com/

Week 6

 Dear Parents,

       In math this week we began adding two digit numbers using hundreds charts, mental math, ten frames and number lines. We are beginning to learn how to add and regroup on paper as well. This is a very hard concept for second graders at first, but with practice, we will get it!

       In writing this week we wrote our BOY narrative about a recess time in which they had lots of fun. I scored this on our LISD narrative rubric and will share it with you during our upcoming conferences in October. I will be sending up a sign up genius in the next few weeks. We will be taking this writing through the writing process. 

       In reading/social studies we learned about Patriots Day and wrote an acrostic Poem about peace. We also learned about Habit 1 of the Leader in Me Program- Be Proactive, I’m in charge of me! We learned about being in charge of our own weather and sometimes changing our thoughts so we can have a better day. We read about friendship, read a friendship poem and made friendship bracelets. We read the Scholastic News The Kindness Challenge and filled out a comprehension page for a grade. On Friday we listened to The Dot  and created are own Dot artwork for International Dot Day!

        In Science we began our new unit on changing matter. We are learning that by adding/taking away heat, cutting, bending, or breaking matter we change some of the physical properties.

         A big thank you to the parents who sponsored our class for popcorn and punch day. We all had popcorn and punch! We had three more donations of snacks for our bins so we are good for now! Thank you for helping me provide for our class.

Week 5

 Dear Parents,

             This week in math we started a unit all about addition strategies. We learned that when adding two numbers together, the order of those numbers does not matter. We learned about adding doubles and near doubles, as well as how to add three numbers by looking for two numbers first, then adding the third. We learned to look for numbers that make a 10. We learned how to use a number line and a hundreds chart to add. We began using our reflex app to practice our facts so that we can memorize them and do them quickly.

            In writing we continued our book writing project and learned about three charts that we can look at to help us spell. We viewed an alphabet chert, a consonant cluster chart and a word wall chart. We are also getting more proficient at using our spelling dictionaries. We learned about the VCe  pattern in words as we studied words with the long o, e, and u sounds. We learned that synonyms are words with the same meaning.

           In reading we read listened to a read aloud, It’s Only Stanley and predicted the end of the story. We read The Great Fuzz Frenzy as a class as we practiced connecting the text and used visuals to help us understand the text. We read the story What’s the Matter? as a connection to our science unit about matter. We sorted matter as solids, liquids, or gases.

           We finished up our unit on matter this week as we looked at many objects and classified them by their physical properties. We sorted objects by different properties and wrote about it in our science notebook. We read articles about matter and discussed the vocabulary: temperature, flexibility, texture, solid and liquid. We took our assessment on Thursday.

 

* We are flying through snacks. If you’d like to donate the individual packages of goldfish for our snack bin, it would be appreciated. I have had one donation and am very appreciative to Mrs. Walker! Please send a snack and water bottle every day. I know we all run out sometimes, and that is what our snack tub is for.

 * Tutoring starts this Monday- tutoring students all brought their forms back! We will start Sept. 11^th. Please be here at 3:45 to pick up your child.

 

*See the attached popcorn and punch flyer from the PTA. The forms and money are due next Wednesday, no change will be made. They are $1.00 each or $5.00 to sponsor a whole classroom.

 

*Important Lunch time information: If your child buys their lunch, they are also allowed to buy snacks/ ice-cream. The lunch ladies by law are not allowed to tell your child no when they purchase multiple snacks and/or ice- creams. You may block snacks or put in a weekly dollar amount that your child may spend each week. This could prevent you from getting a large lunch charge. Please talk to your child about not buying snacks or ice-cream and giving it to friends. We do have a life threatening allergy in our class. Food is not to be shared in the cafeteria. Thank you for your help with this. 😊

Week 4

 Dear Parents,

          This week in math we have been practicing many skills: counting a group of coins, then figuring out how many more cents are needed to make a dollar, time to the hour and half hour(Chant: minute, long word long hand, hour short word, short hand), using a hundred’s chart to add number strings and using a number line to compare numbers.

           In writing we focused on being authors by looking at what real authors do in their books. We can write large words (to show shouting), small words ( to show quiet talking), write words at the top, middle or bottom of a page, put only pictures on a page and use speech bubbles. We can’t forget that our story needs to have a beginning, middle and end. We are excited about being authors of our own books!

           In reading our focus was on characters. We learned more about how to look for external and internal traits as we read the story Picture Day Perfection. We discussed several higher questions as this story took a surprising twist at the end. We took a comprehension check over this story. We also learned about Labor Day and why Monday is a holiday. 

           Science has been so much fun this week as we went on a scavenger hunt in our room to look for objects with certain properties. We observed frozen/ unfrozen gummy worms, frozen/ unfrozen popsicles and blown up/ not blown up balloons to compare their properties. Did the size, shape, mass, color or texture change? Did the state of matter ( solid/ liquid) change? We maybe even got to eat the unfrozen gummy worm! We classified matter as flexible/ not flexible, hotter or colder, heavier/lighter, solid/liquid, its shape and texture.

 

*The first three weeks’ grades can be found now on Skyward. I start off the year giving a lot of support, directions and chances to do things the correct way. You may notice that grades are very high. I feel as an experienced teacher that to grow successful students, they must first feel successful. Once work habits are established I give less and less support until your child is working independently on all graded papers. Many of the children have very high grades this three weeks. As a group, they are great direction followers. Thank you for partnering with me this year to help your child learn and grow in his/her independence.

          * We are flying through snacks. If you’d like to donate the individual packages of goldfish for our snack bin, it would be appreciated.

 

Week 3

 Dear Parents,

       This week in math we continued our lessons with money, students were assessed if they recognized, knew the name and the value of each coin, and began lessons on base ten numbers. We are currently working on two digit numbers. We put them in a t/o box to show how many tens and how many ones a number has. We learned tens can be called towers and ones can be called left overs. Then we built these numbers with blocks! When we put check plus done together at the top of a page it means we solved each problem as a class. We do this quite a lot when learning a new math skill.

        In writing we are learning that we can start a story by drawing pictures, then add the words. We think, picture it and put it on paper. We need to be sure that our story has a beginning, middle and end. The class is doing a good job of using their personal dictionaries to help them spell difficult words.

         In reading we took our first comprehension assessment of Clark the Shark. We read the story, discussed each page and then listened to a recording of the story. We went over a graphic organizer and all the questions that were on the assessment. The children could use their reading books and spelling dictionaries to complete the test. Since it was a test, it could be retaken for a 70% if it was not passed the first time. I support the children quite a bit at the beginning of the year as they learn and grow. I read each question to clarify and gave them time to answer. As they become more independent, I let them work more independently. We also read our first Scholastic News article. We will use these as  reading grades in the future as there are comprehension pages that go with each article. 

          In science we finished up our first unit on science safety. We began our new unit on matter. We will be learning about the properties of matter.

We chose items around the room and described them using their properties. We looked at a slideshow and watched a discovery education short movie.

 

*Common Sense Media Agreement – This agreement is in your child’s Friday Folder. Please fill it out with your child. We had lessons during science and met with our librarian through Webex to learn all the rules we should follow while we are online. Your child can earn 3 stars for his/her  responsibility chart if he/she brings it back on Monday. I have also attached this agreement to my e-mail.

 

*Picture Day Flier- This is also in your child’s Friday Folder. Picture Day is Aug. 29^th. You can buy the pictures online or send the money in the envelope back to school before the 29^th.

 

* Please take all of. The papers out of the Friday folders each week and send them back to school on Mondays.

 

*A note from Coach Ray:

 

PE is off to a great start this year.  2^nd-5^th grades are in their volleyball unit and the younger students are practicing throwing and catching.  I have a few reminders to help your student be successful in PE.

 

• Please try to remember to send your students in tennis shoes on their PE days.  Flip flops are not allowed per LISD dress code and slides, crocs, sandals, etc are not safe for PE.  
• Students wearing dresses should wear shorts under their dresses as we sit and stretch every PE class.
• Please make every effort to begin teaching your student how to tie their own shoes!  This is a really important motor skill for ALL STUDENTS to learn.  Coach Ray will be doing a lesson with kindergarten and first grade students on how to tie.  However, that is not happening until October.  Students need lots of practice to achieve this skill; not just the 15 minute lesson in PE.  It takes patience and determination from the student (and parent) but they CAN do it eventually! 😊

Week 2

 Dear Parents,

       This week in Math we focused on counting coins.  We learned the names of the coins and their value. We learned to line them up from greatest value to the least value (putting the value on or above the coin), then we wrote how much money we had as we counted each coin. (25, 50, 60, 65) We can’t forget to put that cent sign! Please practice counting money! We will continue working on this skill next week.I will send a 100s chart home in their blue folder. It is easier to count up using the chart. I have taught them that a quick way to add a dime, or 10 cents to another coin value is to go down 1 row. They put their finger on 25 and hop one box below and land on 35. To add numbers 1-9 they need to go to the right and count their hops. If they get to the end of a row, they must go to the beginning of the next row down to continue counting.

       In writing we used books as inspiration for our writing notebook entries. We began conferring and learning to write on the lines using complete sentences. I loved reading their entries so far!

        In reading we learned that we read wherever we go. We learned how to make connections- text to text, text to self, and text to world. We began using our reading stamina and graphing our progress. We learned the three ways we can read a book and how to pick a just right book. We are learning the expectations during guided reading. Soon I will be working with reading groups and they must work independently.

        In science we learned what scientists do as we went to each second grade class to meet a different scientist. We learned that there are many kinds of scientists and discussed what they do. The children picked a scientist they might like to be when they grow up and wrote about what they study, where you might find them, the tools they use and what they think is cool about that scientist.

 

   * Home work clarification:  We usually will send 2 math homework pages, and one reading homework page home each week. Additionally your child needs to fill out their reading log, Monday- Thursday each week. I will check their blue folder each Friday. Spell checks will be on Fridays. Please help them study a little each night. On Monday your child’s list of 12 words go home. They will be spelling those words in groups 2 and 3. Group 1 is sorting cards right now. There are also 2-3 sentences that will be a separate spelling and language grade. This helps them understand how to write sentences and reinforces correct spelling in context.  The sight words are read on Fridays. I put three weeks of words together as 1 reading grade every 3 weeks. Homework should never take more than 30 minutes a night. If it takes longer, you may turn in what was done in that amount of time. I will send it back home in the Friday folder in case you would like your child to have more practice. I do not want to frustrate you or your child. The goal is to practice harder math skills at home and to support more reading.    

 

*2nd  Parent Orientation was last night. If you were unable to make it, an orientation packet is in your child’s Friday Folder. You can use this link below to access the PowerPoint. There are many useful links that you may need throughout the presentation. If you have any questions at all, please contact me.

 

Link to slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wKFtts4trTMJE92549kVpYfX0o82ZAkw0vXoZ0PMp08/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

*As part of their back-to-school program, the Denco Area 911 District has provided lanyards so that each student may receive one for the start of the school year.  Dnco is the agency responsible for the operation of the 911 system, and their goal with this initiative is to help educate students on the purpose of 911 and the system's text-to-9-1-1 capability.  Denco has more educational resources available at denco.org/public-education.  For questions, please email PubEd@denco.org

 

 

Hello CRE families!  Our 2023-2024 Yearbook store is now open!  You can now pre-order the yearbook and if you choose to personalize it, Jostens is giving you 4 free icons to add to your personalization!  Visit our store by clicking the link below or scanning the QR code!

 

Yearbook store:  https://bit.ly/CREYB

 

 

Mrs. Clements and Mrs. Hernandez

Yearbook Advisors

 

*Student Dress  Code:

https://www.lisd.net/studenthandbook

 

With continued hot temps, we know your child needs to be cool and comfortable. As a reminder, the following district expectations will be monitored and addressed as needed by campus staff and administration. Thank you for your support. 

Week 1

 Dear Parents,

        What a great first week we had.  I absolutely adore your children. It is going to be a fantastic year. I look forward to partnering with you to help your child be well prepared for third grade. Please make sure your child brings a snack and a water bottle to school every day. If they forget a snack I do have a bin where they can get Goldfish or Cheezits. I will be asking for donations when I run out of snacks. I bought over 100 snacks so they should last a while.

         In math we set up our notebooks and learned about intentional problem solving. We talked about what questions we ask each other as well as how to figure out what the problem is asking. We learned about our math boxes and the manipulatives we can use to help us solve problems. We also learned about using number lines, part/part/whole boxes and number sentences. Next week’s math is going to focus on counting groups of coins. Please practice with your child at home this weekend and all next week as that will be our math focus. This can be a difficult5 skill for second graders.

         In writing we compared the writing process to creating a playdo sculpture with brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. We set up our writer’s notebook and wrote about our first day of school. We also brainstormed ideas that are close to our heart that we could use as topics for other writings. We copied a poem to show our handwriting at the beginning of the year. They grow so much in this area. And , yes- after winter break we learn cursive.

          In reading/social studies we learned about our gathering spot, how to turn and talk with a partner as well as good listening expectations. We created a class treatment agreement about how we as a class should treat one another. We talked about good manners and completed a matching sheet. We took our first istation test so that I could see what level your child is reading. We worked on our reading stamina and quiet independent reading while staying focused on our book. On Monday we will begin our reading log. The students are to read 15 minutes every night , Monday-Thursday and mark it on the sheet found in their blue folder, behind their sticker chart. I check them each Friday.

        In science  we learned about what scientists do. We set up our notebook and had our first challenge. Ask your child- did they and their partner save Sammy?

      

* There is a digital copy of our second grade newsletter attached to my weekly e-mail to you. Additionally this week there is another attachment that has 3 papers in it. All you need to do is scroll down. There is are two sign ups from PTA as well as the free lunch sign up.

 

*Kindness Week is just around the corner. If you would like to buy a kindness shirt please purchase by August 18th to ensure you receive your shirt in time. LINK TO ORDER: https://lewisville.revtrak.net/hs/lewisville-hs/lhs-kindness-shirts/

 

* Our school is doing a school wide Class Dojo rewards system for behavior. Our class will start next week. Each child will get 1 point from me each day if they have a star on their behavior chart in their blue folder. They may receive more points from other second grade teachers or the enrichment team. I also do a sticker chart in my room for extra rewards. I found this works best with my second graders as it is a constant visual of their good choices.