Week 5

Dear Parents,

                 This week in Math we finished up our beginning of the year learning on coins and their values. We continue practicing counting coins all year with our Money Mondays. Please  continue to practice counting coins at home to support your child in this skill. We started talking about comparing numbers on a number line. We found missing numbers on a number line and placed numbers on an open number line. We also compared two and three digit numbers as greater than, less than or equal to each other.

                 In writing we learned about a sound wall and put that page in our reading folder to help us decode words. We reviewed our dictionary skills and learned about synonyms and antonyms. We ended our week learning about Patriots Day, drafting and publishing an acrostic poem about PEACE.

                In reading/social studies, we read the story The Great Fuzz Frenzy and took a comprehension check. We read two passages as a class, then answered comprehension questions as I modeled my thinking and strategies for finding or writing the best answer. We ended the week by learning about Texas Symbols and creating a book.

               In science we began our unit on changing and combining matter. We reviewed our vocabulary, planned an investigation, created a chart to record our observations and began changing matter as a class. Next week we will explore changing matter on our own.

Week 4

 Dear Parents,

                 This week in math we took our beginning of the year iready assessment for math. It assessed their learning needs and will provide lessons to strengthen their math skills. We will be on iready 30-50 minutes per week doing these lessons. We also continued learning the value of the coins. I will attach a picture of the easiest way for your child to learn to count coins. We first write the coins in order from greatest amount to smallest amount. 50 cent pieces would be first, pennies , last. If there is a quarter 3 dimes and a penny, above the coins we write 25, 10, 10, 10, 1. Below we would write 25, 35, 45, 55, 56. I will start sending Math homework home. This is for practice. Doing this homework with your child will help support them in math. These papers are valuable learning tools, but are not a grade. I do check them. Your child will be rewarded with dojos and stars if they are turned in.

                  In writing we are learning many important skills to become independent writers. We continue being fearless spellers, using our alphabet chart, and a word wall chart. We have been writing simple beginning, middle end stories using three complete sentences and some have started their own books using 3 different authors as mentors.

                   In reading and social studies we have read a Scholastic News called The Kindness Challenge, then completed a reading checkpoint. We read the story Picture Day Perfection in our reading book and took a comprehension check. We listened to the story, It’s Only Stanley and learned about making predictions.   

                     In science we observed a tray of items and divided them up by their physical properties, flexible, not flexible, cool, warm, soft, rough, squishy or soft. We made a circle map about all the physical properties we could think of. We saw a movie about solids, liquids and gases and played a game with our partner testing what we learned. We also did a states of matter sort. We did a talk, read talk, write and we reviewed our vocabulary. On Friday, we took our unit 2 assessment.

Week 3

 Dear Parents,

         This week in math we went over our weekly routines of counting money, telling time, representing a number in many ways, and writing our own word problem. On Fridays we fill out our number grid. We are doing these together, but soon your child will be doing them independently. One or two of these grids may be part of a nine weeks’ grading period as grades. We continued learning about base Ten to 120. We used a 100 chart and a 200 chart to add 1 or 10 and to take away 1 or 10.

           In writing we wrote simple narratives with beginnings, middles, and ends. We then learned that authors can decide where the words go on a page. They can have single pages or a two page spread. They can show emotions or actions in their pictures. We looked at 3 authors as mentors and are beginning to write our own books. We are using or spelling dictionaries to help us write our words, but are also learning to sound out our words and be brave spellers.

           In reading and social studies we read about Good Citizenship and did a good citizen sort. We also read a passage about how good citizens are responsible and help  their communities. We read the story Violet the Piolet and learned about Character Traits.

We read a scholastic News article together, but independently answered comprehension questions for a grade. We also learned about the upcoming holiday, Labor Day!

            In science we reviewed unit 1, and took our first science assessment. We set up our new unit, then followed a PowerPoint to begin our new unit on Properties of Matter.

Week 2

 Dear Parents,

            This week in second grade we enrolled a few more students. We are now a class of 21! We have 11 girls and 10 boys. We had a fantastic second week of school.

             In math this week we continued learning our routines as we learned about money Mondays, Time Tuesdays, Write a word problem Wednesdays, Marvelous Magical Number Thursdays ( where we represent a number in as many ways as we can think of), and on Fridays we fill out a number grid. We start with 2 digit numbers and by the end of the year we will represent numbers to 1.200. We learn how to draw a model with place value blocks, write expanded form, word form and add or subtract from the number to get a new number. We also solve word problems every day. We start off doing it together and then they begin doing it independently. We always check the work together.

              In writing we are learning how to write complete thoughts, making sure we begin with a who or what and then say what they did. We each got a picture and had to write 3 complete thoughts about it. We learned what we can do when we think we’re done. We learned that we are never done. We can go back to old writings and add to the pictures and words or begin a new writing. We’ve learned to brainstorm ideas and make a draft. We are reading words that have a CVC pattern, with short a and i.

              In reading we learned that setting is time and place. We read Clark the Shark  together and looked at the various settings as we answered questions. We took our comprehension test on Wednesday. We finished the week by creating a “ Our Class is a Family “ book that will be hanging on our bulletin board.

              In science we learned about our digital citizenship and how to be responsible on our ipads! I want to thank you all for filling out your AUP forms! Now our class can begin using our ipads. We went to the library as a grade level and Mrs. Hernandez gave us more information about our digital citizenship. We learned what scientists do and what engineers do. We had a guest engineer come talk to the second grade on Friday.

Week 1

 Dear Parents,

                  What an amazing first week of second grade I have had with your children! We have been getting to know each other and are already showing signs of leadership! Our marble jar, sticker charts and dojo points are adding up. I had several students take my challenge and memorize the poem “First Day of School” and they got to go to treasure box. Our snack bin has gone down quite a bit as we all get used to getting ourselves back to school. It is important that everyone has a snack and a water bottle every day. I bought three large boxes of individually wrapped snacks to start us out, but then I rely on donations. I’ll let you know when we are running low. Everyone loves goldfish!

                  In math this week we started our problem solving unit. We learned how to break up the problem into a beginning/middle/end. We then make a number sentence and a part/part/whole box. We are learning that there are many ways to solve a problem. We can draw pictures, use a number line, do mental math, use counters and place value blocks. Mental math works too! We did a numbers and me activity that will be hanging in our hallway, then kept for our open house pockets.

                    In writing we learned how to use our writer’s notebook and write on the lines. We filled a heart full of ideas we could write about and wrote about our first day of school. We also did an I like project which will hang in our classroom and then be kept for open house. We are reviewing that sentences start with a capital letter and end with punctuation. They have a subject and a predicate. I gave them spelling dictionaries that they can use to help them write.

                     In social studies and reading we discussed what a good citizen is, read a story about a land with no rules, and set up the rules for our classroom in a treatment agreement form. That allows us to know how to treat each other and our classroom throughout the year. We will revisit it every week and discuss if we need to make any changes. I want everyone to be happy, feel safe and love school. We also discussed 3 ways to read a book, and how to use our classroom library. We know what good listeners do as we gather on the rug.

                       In science we set up our notebooks, learned about what scientists do, what they wear, where they work and what tools they use. We also discussed our science safety rules. I am sending a form for you and your child to read together. They sign on the front, and you sign on the back. Please return this form on Monday so your child can earn his/her science safety badge. On Friday we had a fun activity called saving Sammy in which we got to practice our safety rules and work with another student as a team.

                       Next week our Spelling program will begin. Lists come home on Mondays and tests are on Fridays. Please practice throughout the week. There is a list of sight words that go home on Mondays. These are read only words. (3 lists are put together to become a reading grade.) Your child just reads the words to me on Friday.

Welcome

 Dear Students and Parents, 

     Welcome to Second Grade!  I am so excited to have you in my class this year. Please join me for Meet the Teacher on Friday, August 8^th from 4:30-5:30. You may bring your supplies to drop off in the classroom.  A copy of the supply list is attached.  Please respond to this email with acknowledgement of receipt. Include with your email, the following information:

- Your child’s name or what he/she would like to be called – I only have the official enrollment name

-How your child is getting home on the first day of school AND all the other days after that.  Please use the Bus Locater 25-26 to find your bus number.

Make sure you have your back to school forms complete in your Skyward Family Access account for the new year.  Students cannot use their iPads until the AUP is signed. Right now we still have 7 AUPs that need to be signed for our class.

I look forward to meeting you. 

See you soon! 

Love,

Beth Carpenter

Week 36

 

Dear Parents, 

           It is hard to believe this is my last e-mail to you! This week in math we worked on personal finance. We talked about spending/ saving and lending and giving. We did addition and subtraction problems based on these concepts. We learned we have decisions to make about how we save and spend money. We also learned about what a budget is and that we need to pay our bills, save and spend money.

           In writing we finished up our Great White Shark research paper and began working on our second grade memory book. There are lots of fun pages where they show their class, tell about our year together and even write a letter to their future self. I also included a letter to them from me.

            In reading we learned about two American animals and created booklets as we answered comprehension questions. We looked at poetry  about animals and spotted the elements of poetry that we learned about earlier in the year. We also created a booklet that showed where we live on the map!

            In science we learned about behaviors that help animals defend, obtain, and cope in the wild to survive. We talked about a school of fish, a pack of wolves and a pod of killer whales. We took our assessment on Friday.

            It seems like it was just yesterday that I saw your child’s shy, smiling face at the door and now it is time to let them go. They have each grown in many ways. I feel they are ready for the challenges of third grade. We have built relationships that will last beyond my classroom. I am always interested to see the accomplishments of my students in the future. Please keep me updated. I love celebrating them! Always remember- once in my classroom, forever in my heart!

 

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