Week of May 7, 2012

Upcoming Dates:
    May 8-10:  Mock CRCT testing
    May 15: Awards ceremony 8:30am
    May 17:  2nd Grade party 1:00-2:00pm
    May 18:  Last day of school

What are we learning?
Math:  review of skills
Reading:  Class novel and comprehension discussion, Socks
Language Arts:  plurals, punctuation, dictionary and thesaurus skills
Writing: Story diorama
Science:  Life cycles

Week of April 30, 2012

Upcoming Dates:
    May 2:  Field Day 8:00-11:00am
    May 4:  Art auction and picnic 5:30pm
    May 8-10:  Mock CRCT testing
    May 16: Awards ceremony 8:30am
    May 17:  2nd Grade party 1:00-2:00pm
    May 18:  Last day of school

This week...
    Math: review of skills
    Reading: summarizing
    Language Arts: homophones and multiple meaning words
    Writing: Story diorama
    Science: Life cycles, test on Friday

Week of April 23rd

Hello all....we have lots of projects coming up and will be sending a letter home on Monday about donations.

Upcoming events:
April 26th: Authors and Arts Night 6:30-7:30pm
April 27th: Lunch with Dad

What are we learning???
Math:  Finish geometry, test on Friday
Reading:  Main idea and summarizing
Language Arts: homophones and multiple meaning words
Writing:  creative stories
Science: plant and animal life cycles

Spelling Words (this is our last week)
Group 1: south, count, shout, cloud, found, clown, town, frown, owl, crown
Group 2: south, count, shout, cloud, found, clown, town, frown, owl, crown,
               tough, rough, grown, touch, ground
Group3: south, count, shout, cloud, found, clown, town, frown, owl, crown,
               tough, rough, grown, touch, ground, drought, prowl, scowl, foul, stout

Week of April 9, 2012

April 2-6:  Spring Break, have fun!!!

What are we learning???
Math:  Plane shapes
Reading:  Cause and Effect
Language Arts:  Inflections
Writing: Response to Literature
Social Studies:  Human Rights and Jimmy Carter

Homework: Read 20 minutes and study spelling daily
Monday: ELA worksheet
Tuesday: Geometry worksheet
Wednesday: ELA worksheet
Thursday: Geometry worksheet

Spelling Words:
Group 1: nook, hook, hood, foot, wool, fool, spoon, root, tool, noon
Group 2: nook, hook, hood, foot, wool, fool, spoon, root, tool, noon,
              crook, stood, brook, spool, troop
Group 3: nook, hook, hood, foot, wool, fool, spoon, root, tool, noon,
              would, could, should, droop, spool, snoop, brood, shook,
              groom, brook

Week of March 26, 2012

Upcoming Events:
      Spring Break April 2-6

What are we learning???
Math:  Fractions---Test on Friday
Reading:  Theme (the message the author wants us to know)
Language Arts: Inflections
Writing:  Super sentences and paragraphs
Social Studies:  Human Rights

Homework: Read 20 minutes and study spelling words daily
Monday:  Fractions review
Tuesday: Reading worksheet
Wednesday:  Study for Math
Thursday:  Reading worksheet, Study for Math

Spelling Words
Group 1:  oil, foil, join, soil, coin, soy, joy, ploy, toy, enjoy
Group 2: oil, foil, join, soil, coin, soy, joy, ploy, toy, enjoy,
        moist, broil, spoil, annoy, decoy
Group 3: oil, foil, join, soil, coin, soy, joy, ploy, toy, enjoy,
        moist, broil, spoil, annoy, decoy, noise, choice, voice, employ,
        destroy

Week of March 19, 2012

Thank you for all the generous things you did during Teacher Appreciation Week.  We definitely feel appreciated and are so thankful to work with such great kids and families!

Upcoming Events:
      Thursday:  Bruster's Night
       April 2-6: Spring Break

Things we are learning:
     Math:  comparing fractions, adding and subtracting fractions with
               like denominators
     Reading:  Theme (the message of the story)
     Language Arts:  Compound words and contractions review
    Writing:  How-to
     Science:  Motion and Force

Homework: Read 20 minutes and practice spelling words each night
     Monday and Wednesday:  Reading worksheet
     Tuesday and Thursday:  Fractions worksheet

Spelling Words:
    Group 1: hard, card, yard, earn, spur, nerve, torn, score, snore, arch
    Group 2: hard, card, yard, sharp, march, earn, nerve, spur, search, pearl
                   torn, score, snore, snort, chore
    Group 3: hard, card, yard, sharp, march, earn, nerve, spur, search, pearl
                   torn, score, snore, snort, chore, arch, scar, force, short, lurk

   

Week of March 12, 2012

Upcoming Events:
     March 13th: Talent Show 8:00am and 7:00pm
     March 16th: Lunch with Dad

What are we learning?
     Math: Identify, label, and write fractions
     Reading: Character traits and character development
     Language Arts: Review of skills
     Writing: How to writings
     Science:  Energy---Test on Friday!

Homework: Read 20 minutes each day, practice spelling words
     Monday: Reading worksheet
     Tuesday: Fractions worksheet
     Wednesday: Reading/Language Arts worksheet
     Thursday: Fractions worksheet, study for Science test

Spelling Words:
Group 1: surf, burn, hurt, cure, pure, burr, curb, purple, future, churn
Group 2: surf, burn, hurt, cure, pure, burr, curb, purple, future, churn,
              lure, injure, nature, nurse, purse
Group 3: surf, burn, hurt, cure, pure, burr, curb, purple, future, churn,
              lure, injure, nature, nurse, purse, splurge, spurt, blurt, feature,
              purge

Week of March 5, 2012

Upcoming Events:
     March 6th: Chick-fil-a Night
     March 7th: Walk to School Day
     March 9th:  No School

What are we learning?
     Math: Review skills
     Reading: Character traits and character development
     Language Arts: Prefixes and Suffixes
     Writing: Poetry
     Science:  Energy

Homework: Read 20 minutes each day, practice spelling words
     Monday: Reading/Language Arts worksheet
     Tuesday: Math worksheet
     Wednesday: Reading/Language Arts worksheet

Spelling Words:
Group 1: corn, for, more, word, four, poor, roar, soar, work, store
Group 2: corn, for, more, word, four, poor, roar, soar, work, store,
              world, worst, fourth, pour, horse
Group 3: corn, for, more, word, four, poor, roar, soar, work, store,
              world, worst, fourth, pour, horse, sworn, coarse, forge, court,
              gorge

Week of February 27, 2012

Upcoming Events:
     Tuesday: Checkpoint testing 8am
     Wednesday: Checkpoint testing 8am
     Friday: Read Across America Day, wear your PJs

What are we learning???
Math: Multiplication and Division (test scheduled for Friday, subject to change)
Reading:  Poetry
Language Arts: Prefix and suffix
Writing: Poetry
Science/Social Studies: Finish Civil Rights and begin Energy

Homework: Read 20 minutes everyday!
     Monday:  Language arts worksheet
     Tuesday: Word problem worksheet
     Wednesday: Language arts worksheet
     Thursday: Study for Math test

Spelling Words:
Group 1: girl, first, third, her, fur, hire, tire, flier, clerk, purse
Group 2: girl, first, third, her, fur, hire, tire, flier, clerk, purse,
              firm, sir, birth, frier, liar
Group 3: girl, first, third, her, fur, hire, tire, flier, clerk, purse,            
              firm, sir, birth, frier, liar, inspire, umpire, pliers, shirt, retire

Week of February 21st

Upcoming Events:
    Wednesday---Menchies fundraiser 3-6pm
     Friday---Lunch with Dad

Spelling Words
Group 1: fern, germ, deer, ear, fear, peer, here
Group 2: fern, germ, deer, ear, fear, peer, here, hear, steer, earth
Group 3: fern, germ, deer, ear, fear, peer, here, hear, steer, earth
               heard, learn, stern, shear, yearn

What are we learning??
Math:  Division-equal sharing/groups, repeated subtraction
Reading:  Montior/Clarify, main idea and details
Language Arts: Synonyms and Antonyms
Writing: Reponse to Literature
Social Studies:  Civil Rights---Test on Friday!

Homework: Read 20 minutes each day
Tuesday--Math worksheet
Wednesday--Language Arts worksheet
Thursday--Math worksheet, study for S.S. test

Week of February 13, 2012

Upcoming School Events:
Thursday, February 16th--International Night 6pm
Friday, February 17th--No School
Monday, February 20th--No School

What are we learning???
Math: Division (groups,equal sharing, repeated subtraction)
Reading:  Summarizing, using graphic organizers, and note taking
Language Arts: Parts of Speech review (nouns, verbs, adjectives), Pronouns
Writing:  Persuasive Writing
Social Studies: Civil Rights (Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr)

Homework: Read 20 minutes every day!
Monday: Division worksheet
Tuesday: Reading worksheet
Wednesday: Division worksheet

Spelling Words:
Group 1: dark, start, shark, stair, stare, chair, pair
Group 2: dark, start, shark, stair, stare, chair, pair, square, bear, where
Group 3: dark, start, shark, stair, stare, chair, pair, square, bear, where,
               scar, glare, arch, spare, flair

Week of February 6, 2012

Upcoming School Events:
February 6-9th---Book Swap
Tuesday February 7th---Chick-fil-a Night
Saturday February 11th---Landscape Day

What are we learning???
Math: Multiplication (groups, repeated addition, arrays, skip counting)
Reading:  Summarizing, using graphic organizers, and note taking
Language Arts: Parts of Speech review (nouns, verbs, adjectives), Pronouns
Writing:  Persuasive Writing
Social Studies: Civil Rights (Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr)

Homework: Read 20 minutes every day!
Monday: Array worksheet
Tuesday: Reading worksheet
Wednesday: Multiplication story problems
Thursday: Reading/LA worksheet

Spelling Words:
Group 1: blow, glow, fly, way, drew, crew, light
Group 2: blow, glow, fly, way, drew, crew, light, blind, sneak, bride
Group 3: blow, glow, fly, way, drew, crew, light, blind, sneak, bride,
              school, bright, trail, grape

Math Facts

I wanted to encourage you to continue to practice your math facts.  The expectation is students are proficient with their addition and subtraction facts by the end of the 2nd grade.  Proficient means students can produce an answer to a give fact in approximately 3 seconds. If your child has mastered their addition and subtraction facts, please begin to work on multiplication and division as proficiency with these facts is expected in 3rd and 4th grades. 
Here is a site with free fact cards....select your set and press print!
http://www.mathcats.com/explore/factfamilycards.html

Below are sites to use to practice math facts:
http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/mathfact/default.htm
http://www.funbrain.com/math/
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm#basicoperations
http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-2
http://www.multiplication.com/games

I have many partner games available in my classroom that the students can use and I can copy to send home.  If you are interested in these games, please let me know.  Thanks!

Week of January 30th

Reading: We will be focusing on Non-Fiction text, main idea,
                and summarizing for this unit.
Language Arts: Subject-verb agreement
Math:  Multiplication models (groups and arrays)
Science:  Changes in Matter

Homework:
Monday: Multiplication worksheet
Tuesday: Reading worksheet
Wednesday: Multiplication worksheet
                Reading/LA test on Thursday
Thursday: Language Arts worksheet
               Changes in Matter test on Friday

Spelling Words
Group 1: wish, child, find, lost, cold, most, hint
Group 2: hint, wish, child, find, kind, lost, pond, both, cold, most
Group 3: hint, wish, child, find, kind, lost, pond, both, cold, most
              slick, wild, cross, floss, comb

Week of January 23, 2012

Reading:   We will be focusing on Non-Fiction text, main idea,
                and summarizing for this unit.
Language Arts: Subject-verb agreement
Math:  Money-counting coins & bills, adding & subtracting money
          amounts, and making change---Test on Thursday!
Science:  Changes in Matter

Homework:
Monday: Money word problems
Tuesday: Subject-verb agreement
Wednesday: Study for test tomorrow
Thursday: Subject-verb agreemeent

Spelling Words
Group 1: cry, try, why, fly, quit, sigh, night
Group 2: cry, try, why, fly, quit, sigh, night, quite, twice, white
Group 3: cry, try, why, fly, quit, sigh, night, quite, twice, white,
              grill, bliss, crime, fright, twist

Week of January 16th

Reminders:
    No school on Monday
    Return contact sheets and report card envelopes
    Lunch with Dad on Friday

Reading:   We will be focusing on Non-Fiction text, main idea,
                and summarizing for this unit.
Language Arts: Subject-verb agreement
Math:  Money-counting coins & bills, adding & subtracting money
          amounts, and making change
Science:  Solids, Liquids, and Gases---Test on Friday

Homework: Read 20 minutes everyday!
Tuesday: Making Change worksheet
Wednesday: Subject-verb agreement
Thursday: Money Word Problems
Spelling Words
Group 1: few, knew, blue, true, do, truck, trunk
Group 2: brush, truck, trunk, few, knew, blue, true, do, truth, sew
Group 3: brush, truck, trunk, few, knew, blue, true, do, truth, sew
               crumb, shrewd, whew, cruel, fuel

Week of January 9th

Happy New Year!

Reading:   We will be focusing on Non-Fiction text, main idea,
                and summarizing for this unit.
Language Arts: Quotation marks and commas
Math:  Money-counting coins & bills, adding & subtracting money
          amounts, and making change
Science:  Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Homework: Read 20 minutes everyday!
Monday: Comparing $ worksheet
Tuesday: Quotation marks worksheet and math facts
Wednesday: Adding and Subtracting money worksheet
Thursday: Quotation marks worksheet and math facts

Spelling Words:
Group 1: chop, long, shop, note, wrote, boat, lose
Group 2: chop, long, shop, note, wrote, boat, roast, throw, lose, gloss
Group 3: chop, long, shop, note, wrote, boat, roast, throw, lose, gloss
              globe, prompt, quote, loan, glow, show

Week of December 19th

There will be no homework or spelling words this week.

Math:
     Begin Unit 5---Money
Reading:
     Holiday study---main idea, text features
Language Arts:
     Compound words
     Persuasive/Holiday writing
Social Studies: Test on Monday
    Creek village projects


Tuesday 12/20  1:00pm  Class Holiday Party
Wednesday 12/21  8:30am   2nd-3rd grade Holiday Chorus Concert
Thursday 12/22  Last day of school before break

Week of December 12th

Unfortunately this is a week of tests.  December 22nd is the end of 1st semester so we have quite a few tests coming up.  With this in mind, please make sure your child has had breakfast and a good night's sleep. 

There will be no homework this week, only spelling words!

Math:
     Finish Unit 4-Addition, Subtraction, Estimation, Problem Solving
Reading:
     Text Features and Non-Fiction Text
Language Arts:
     Review of commas, homophones, contractions
     Persuasive/Holiday writing
Social Studies:
    Creek and Cherokee peoples

Spelling Words:
Group 1: jay, smash, stand, grain, gain, gray, brave
Group 2: smash, stand, trash, blame, brave, taste, gain, grain, play, gray
Group 3: smash, stand, trash, blame, brave, taste, gain, grain, play, gray,
               grand, slate, praise, sway, jay

Tests:
     Tuesday:  Reading Checkpoints
      Wednesday:  Math Checkpoints
     Thursday:  Unit 4 Math Test
     Friday:  Unit 4 Reading Test

Week of December 4th

Reading:
     Non-Fiction text features
Language Arts/Writing:
    Persuasive writing
    commas
Math: Test on Monday December 12th
     Addition and Subtraction with regrouping
    Word Problems
    Estimation
Social Studies:
      Creek and Cherokee peoples, Sequoyah

Spelling Words:
     Group 1: wait, train, road, three, neat, teeth, cheek
     Group 2: wait, train, grain, throat, road, three, cheek, beach, neat, cheat
     Group 3: wait, train, grain, throat, road, three, cheek, beach, neat, cheat,
                    plain, coach, teeth, green, least

Homework:
      Monday:
              Math worksheet
              Read 15 minutes
              Study for Math Test--Monday December 12th
      Tuesday:
              Math fact games
              Reading worksheet
      Wednesday:
              Math worksheet
              Read 15 minutes
       Thursday:
              Math fact games
              Reading worksheet
       Friday:
             Study for Math test on Monday!