Happy Cold Friday!

We had a great week and a fantastic Friday!  This week had been a little chatty and today we really focused on making good choices and following our classroom expectations.  I know that winter break is right around the corner and the excitement is in the air, but it is still really important to follow the expectations that have been established.

What's Been Happening in 2nd Grade?

• Math: We finished working on place value this week and started with measurement.  We learned that a centimeter is a smaller unit of measurement than an inch.  We also talked about that there are 12 inches in a foot.  When measuring an item it is important to use the appropriate measurement tool - a ruler for something smaller and a measuring tape from something bigger.  Next week, we will be finishing up Unit 4 and taking our end of unit assessment.  Coming home in your child's Friday Folder are the HomeLinks that you can use with your child to help them review for the test.  Also, coming home is the letter to let you know about Unit 5 in math.  
• Writing: We learned about how to research using an online source of PebbleGo.  We practiced reading a paragraph two or three times, minimizing the paragraph and writing about what we learned.  It is important as researchers to not just copy another person's words but to put the information into our own words.  Next week, we will be starting to write our rough draft of our first informational writing!
• Reading: We continued to work on identifying different text features in nonfiction books.  Text features are incredibly important in nonfiction books because they give the reader more information than just the printed word.  We learned about a diagram with labels, different types of print, framed text and comparisons.  Next week, we will finish up learning about text features.  As we are publishing our informational writing the students will be applying their knowledge of text features into their books.
• Word Study: Our focus has been on long vowel patterns, and this week we finished up our study of long a patterns (ai, ei, ay and CVCe).  Next week, we will moving on to long o vowel patterns.  We will focus on CVCe (o_e) and CVVC (oa) words.  The spelling words for next week are: drove, note, stone, joke, chose, soap, coat, toast, boat, float.  Coming home in your child's Friday Folder is a spelling test over this week's words.  I spoke with each child about their spelling test - so they know their score.  We talked about the importance of practicing the spelling words and learning the spelling patterns because that will help them as writers and readers.  Please help your child practice his/her spelling words each week.  As a challenge, you can give him/her additional words that fit the spelling pattern (example: goat could be a challenge word because it fits the "oa" pattern).
• Social Studies: We continued our study of colonial life and learned more about what life was like on the Mayflower, during the first winter and daily life for a child and an adult.  All the kiddos realized how good they have it compared to colonial children.  Throughout the week, we worked on a Colonial Journal and each student pretended to write journal entries as if they were a colonial child.  We also talked about popular colonial names and some kiddos renamed themselves in their journal.  Make sure to ask your kiddo what s/he learned about colonial life!  Next week, we will focus on learning about the Native American culture and comparing and contrasting it to what we already learned about life in the colonies.  As a conclusion to our Colonial Unit, we will be having a Colonial Day on January 12.  We would love for additional volunteers to be present to help us run some of our stations.  More information about this day will be coming out soon!  If you are interested in volunteering please let us know.

2nd and 7th Foundation Readers

• On Tuesday, we had special readers in classroom!  We had three MU baseball players that read The Hog Mollies and the Great Golden Gizmo.  The book reinforced the importance of being kind to one another.  After the athletes finished the book, the athletes asked some questions about the book, and then the kiddos had a chance to ask the athlete questions.  Each student received this book from the 2nd and 7th Foundation - your child should have come home with this book on Tuesday

Upcoming Special Dates:

• December 15: RBE Spirit Day - Ugly Christmas Sweater Day - I can't wait to see all the "ugliness!" :)
• December 20: Classroom Painted - You may or may not have heard that RBE's classrooms are getting painted this winter.  On December 20, our classroom will be painted.  On this day, we are asking for you to NOT send your child with his/her backpack.  We will be relocated to another classroom for the day and there is limited space, so we are trying to cut down on the extra "stuff."
• December 20: Grinch Day - We will have a fun day of "Grinchy" activities.  If you would like to dress your child in a Grinch shirt or as a character from the story you can (please no masks or painted faces).  More information to come on this next week!
• December 21: Winter Party - Our classroom party will be from 1:45-2:30 - if you are able to come, we would love to have you!
• December 22-January 3: No school due to Winter Break
• January 4: School Resumes
• January 12: Colonial Day - Let us know if you are interested in helping out - more information to come!

We understand that the holidays are coming up.  If your child will be missing school, please let the school know by emailing Angela  (school attendance secretary) and myself or calling the school office (214-3290).

Brrr....It Got Cold Quick!

Yesterday and today was incredibly cold!  The windchill yesterday was below 10 degrees.  Please make sure that your child is bringing his/her winter coat, gloves, hats, scarves, etc. every day to school.  We try our very best to go outside for recess everyday and theses are important articles of clothing to keep your child warm and safe from the cold temperatures.  If the windchill is 10 or below, we will not go outside for recess, but winter attire is important even on the short distance in and out of the building.

I hope that you stay warm this weekend and I am looking forward to wonderful week next week!