Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
This is the week...
THAT THE MCWANE CENTER COMES!!!!
Thank you so much for all getting the money turned in by the due date. We can't wait for Wednesday!
In other big news, Nancy's Italian Ice will now begin coming to Blount EVERY MONDAY instead of every other week. Please make sure your child has $1.00 if you would like for them to purchase some Italian Ice.
We would love for our class to have 100% membership for PTA. If you haven't joined yet, please consider it. I am convinced that we have the best PTA in the State!!!! You just would not believe how much they do for Blount!
We used a new favorite web site this week to help us learn our spelling words. It has been over on the side in the links section if you would like to use it at home. Trust me, your kids LOVED Spellingcity.com! Give it a try at home if you need something new when learning spelling words.
I have a few changes to tell you about for this week with our Reading and Spelling. At the beginning of the school year the 2nd grade teachers waited the first week to start our reading story due to the fact that the kids were taking the Benchmark test and it was a very big task for them as new 2nd graders. However, we have now been told that we are still required to give the end of the Unit test this week from downtown. Due to this, we took our reading test early last week as an open-book test. If you haven't checked your child's scores on Pearson Success, they did fabulous on it! We started another story, which happened to be a play, on Thursday. We will finish that story at the beginning of this week. That grade will not count due to the fact that we didn't have our regular amount of time to be prepared for it. This works out well because we have really been enjoying acting out the play. Speaking of the play, you will see a slide show of several pictures posted after this post. You may notice your child in a very peculiar pose or with a very unusual expression. Do not be alarmed, this is just your child "in character" for the play. They insisted that I get them in action. I have quite the class of actors and actresses as you will see! What a great time we have learning together!!
We will have regular spelling words this week as well. These will be the last spelling words for Unit 1. Normally during an end of the Unit Test week we will not have spelling words. This week is an exception. We will take the unit test toward the end of the week.
Story: The Strongest One
Genre: Play
Phonics: Consonant Digraphs
Comprehension Skill: Realism and Fantasy
Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Fix Up
Last week in Grammar along with Statements and Questions, we also learned about Commands and Exclamations.
We will have a Math Test this Thursday. Please look for the review sheet to come home Wednesday night.
A great big thank-you to Piper's family and Mallory's family for sending in the items for our place value activity in Math. We had a blast learning place value with food! This made learning SO MUCH FUN! Thank you!
I am going to go ahead and send home the new Science Vocabulary words for Chapter 2 and a Social Studies study guide. We will not test on either this week, but I wanted to give them to you plenty of time ahead to look over a little bit each night.
Our Writing Center is BY FAR the absolute favorite center in the room. We love to write in room 124!! Due to this love, our writing center is always in need of re-stocking. We can use just about anything to make a book or a beautiful piece of writing. We are always in need of staples and tape. If you have anything at home you would like to send in, please feel free!
Thanks for everything you do! I appreciate you sharing your world changer with me every day! Your child sure does make 2nd grade a very happy place to be!
Email me with any questions or concerns.
Thank you so much for all getting the money turned in by the due date. We can't wait for Wednesday!
In other big news, Nancy's Italian Ice will now begin coming to Blount EVERY MONDAY instead of every other week. Please make sure your child has $1.00 if you would like for them to purchase some Italian Ice.
We would love for our class to have 100% membership for PTA. If you haven't joined yet, please consider it. I am convinced that we have the best PTA in the State!!!! You just would not believe how much they do for Blount!
We used a new favorite web site this week to help us learn our spelling words. It has been over on the side in the links section if you would like to use it at home. Trust me, your kids LOVED Spellingcity.com! Give it a try at home if you need something new when learning spelling words.
I have a few changes to tell you about for this week with our Reading and Spelling. At the beginning of the school year the 2nd grade teachers waited the first week to start our reading story due to the fact that the kids were taking the Benchmark test and it was a very big task for them as new 2nd graders. However, we have now been told that we are still required to give the end of the Unit test this week from downtown. Due to this, we took our reading test early last week as an open-book test. If you haven't checked your child's scores on Pearson Success, they did fabulous on it! We started another story, which happened to be a play, on Thursday. We will finish that story at the beginning of this week. That grade will not count due to the fact that we didn't have our regular amount of time to be prepared for it. This works out well because we have really been enjoying acting out the play. Speaking of the play, you will see a slide show of several pictures posted after this post. You may notice your child in a very peculiar pose or with a very unusual expression. Do not be alarmed, this is just your child "in character" for the play. They insisted that I get them in action. I have quite the class of actors and actresses as you will see! What a great time we have learning together!!
We will have regular spelling words this week as well. These will be the last spelling words for Unit 1. Normally during an end of the Unit Test week we will not have spelling words. This week is an exception. We will take the unit test toward the end of the week.
Story: The Strongest One
Genre: Play
Phonics: Consonant Digraphs
Comprehension Skill: Realism and Fantasy
Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Fix Up
Last week in Grammar along with Statements and Questions, we also learned about Commands and Exclamations.
We will have a Math Test this Thursday. Please look for the review sheet to come home Wednesday night.
A great big thank-you to Piper's family and Mallory's family for sending in the items for our place value activity in Math. We had a blast learning place value with food! This made learning SO MUCH FUN! Thank you!
I am going to go ahead and send home the new Science Vocabulary words for Chapter 2 and a Social Studies study guide. We will not test on either this week, but I wanted to give them to you plenty of time ahead to look over a little bit each night.
Our Writing Center is BY FAR the absolute favorite center in the room. We love to write in room 124!! Due to this love, our writing center is always in need of re-stocking. We can use just about anything to make a book or a beautiful piece of writing. We are always in need of staples and tape. If you have anything at home you would like to send in, please feel free!
Thanks for everything you do! I appreciate you sharing your world changer with me every day! Your child sure does make 2nd grade a very happy place to be!
Email me with any questions or concerns.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Life Long Readers!
We are on our way to becoming readers for life in room 124! This week we talked a lot about choosing JUST RIGHT books. I cannot stress just how important it is for your child to read books that are just right for them. This is how we will increase our fluency as well as our comprehension. We are in full swing of going to the library and checking out books now. Your child has been given a zpd that tells them exactly what reading level they should be checking out. If your child brings a library book home that they are having trouble reading, ask them first of all if it is in their zpd. If it is, then ask your child if they did the 5 finger rule when they picked the book out at the library. One of the main times the kids go to the library during the day is during reading groups / centers in our classroom. This means that I don't always see the books that are brought back in during this time.
Also, please make sure your child brings their library books to school each day. Our weekly library day is Wednesday. Your child may go back during the week as soon as they have finished and tested on both of their books. We are doing a great job with this!
MPS has started a new policy with absences this year. If your child is absent for any reason I am required to call you that day to find out why unless I have already received an email from you about the absence. In order for me to avoid bothering you at home with a sick child, please just shoot me an email that morning letting me know that your child is sick, etc. and that will be sufficient documentation so I won't have to bother you with a phone call. Thank you so much for your help with this.
We (teacher included!) are so excited about the McWane Center coming September 28th. Please remember to send in the money for this on site field trip by September 23rd. It is going to be an amazing time!!
I am hoping you have heard all about the dirt babies that are now living in room 124. I am hoping we will see some hair growth on our little babies very soon. You may want to brainstorm a little with your child about what they would like to dress their little dirty baby up like when it comes home. We usually keep them until their hair is good and ready for a trim and that is when they come home to you for an outfit makeover. The kids love this, so have fun! What a fun time we had wrapping up our chapter on plants by making them.
Whole Group Reading:
A Walk in the Desert
Genre: Expository Nonfiction
Phonics: Inflected Endings -s, -ed, -ing
Comprehension Skill: Main Idea and Details
Comprehension Strategy: Text Structure
Grammar:
We will be learning about Statements and Questions
A statement is a sentence that tells something. A statement ends with a period (.) .
A question is a sentence that asks something. A question ends with a question mark (?) .
Math:
We will finish up our chapter on subtraction Monday and have a chapter test on it Tuesday. Remember to go through the review sheet with your child Monday night. The review sheet is very similar to the test.
Wednesday we will begin learning about Place Value.
I would like to do a fun activity with place value that will involve large marshmellows, toothpicks, and Fruit Loops. If you are able to send any of these items please let me know. Also, if there is a problem with your child eating any of these items, please let me know.
You may want to put on your calendar a reminder about Nancy's Italian Ice coming every OTHER Monday. The next Monday they will come is September 26th. The cost is $1.00.
Also, please make sure your child brings their library books to school each day. Our weekly library day is Wednesday. Your child may go back during the week as soon as they have finished and tested on both of their books. We are doing a great job with this!
MPS has started a new policy with absences this year. If your child is absent for any reason I am required to call you that day to find out why unless I have already received an email from you about the absence. In order for me to avoid bothering you at home with a sick child, please just shoot me an email that morning letting me know that your child is sick, etc. and that will be sufficient documentation so I won't have to bother you with a phone call. Thank you so much for your help with this.
We (teacher included!) are so excited about the McWane Center coming September 28th. Please remember to send in the money for this on site field trip by September 23rd. It is going to be an amazing time!!
I am hoping you have heard all about the dirt babies that are now living in room 124. I am hoping we will see some hair growth on our little babies very soon. You may want to brainstorm a little with your child about what they would like to dress their little dirty baby up like when it comes home. We usually keep them until their hair is good and ready for a trim and that is when they come home to you for an outfit makeover. The kids love this, so have fun! What a fun time we had wrapping up our chapter on plants by making them.
Whole Group Reading:
A Walk in the Desert
Genre: Expository Nonfiction
Phonics: Inflected Endings -s, -ed, -ing
Comprehension Skill: Main Idea and Details
Comprehension Strategy: Text Structure
Grammar:
We will be learning about Statements and Questions
A statement is a sentence that tells something. A statement ends with a period (.) .
A question is a sentence that asks something. A question ends with a question mark (?) .
Math:
We will finish up our chapter on subtraction Monday and have a chapter test on it Tuesday. Remember to go through the review sheet with your child Monday night. The review sheet is very similar to the test.
Wednesday we will begin learning about Place Value.
I would like to do a fun activity with place value that will involve large marshmellows, toothpicks, and Fruit Loops. If you are able to send any of these items please let me know. Also, if there is a problem with your child eating any of these items, please let me know.
You may want to put on your calendar a reminder about Nancy's Italian Ice coming every OTHER Monday. The next Monday they will come is September 26th. The cost is $1.00.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Everybody put on your seatbelts...
We have a very busy week ahead of us!
* Very important reminder that your child would want you to remember - they will have the opportunity to buy a Nancy's Italian Ice tomorrow (Monday, Sept. 12th) for $1.00.
* We will have a Science Voc. test this Wednesday. It will come straight from the study guide they have had on Chapter 1.
* We will have a Social Studies test on the Continents and Bodies of water this Friday. Your child brought a study guide home last Friday. They are responsible for only knowing where the Continents and bodies of water are located. They do not have to know how to spell them. We will be reviewing these all week in class as well.
* We will be making our Dirt Babies this Friday. A 2nd grade parent has sent in an extremely large amount of potting soil for all of 2nd grade. However, each class is still going to need a small bag in order for us to have enough. If I have a parent that would like to send this small bag of Miracle Grow in please let me know. I will provide the rest of the materials. The kids are so excited about doing this project! I am sure you have already heard about it. We're going to cross our fingers that our room will stay at a warm enough temperature for them to grow quickly. We are already seeing some growth in our indoor greeenhouse that we planted a week ago.
* Dibels results and Star reports for reading came home last week. Please make sure you send the Dibels results back in signed. You may keep that copy of the STAR report that was sent home.
* We now have our ZPD's (reading levels) and we can't get to the library fast enough! We are doing a great job of taking AR test. Whenever you would like to see your child's AR folder just ask them to bring it home to share with you. Please make sure your child brings their library books to school daily.
* We sure did have a fantastic time as everybody shared their About Me Poster last week. We learned so much about each other. I have loved learning more and more about our wonderful community of learners in room 124. One thing is for sure, Room 124 LOVES TO READ!!
* I introduced our reading groups last week as well as centers. I could not be more pleased with how well we did. We listened well and followed directions that were given.
Story: Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Phonics: Consonant Blends
Comprehension Skill: Character and Setting
Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Fix Up
Grammar: Predicates of a sentence
Math: Subtraction
The following is a few reminders from the PTA:
* Very important reminder that your child would want you to remember - they will have the opportunity to buy a Nancy's Italian Ice tomorrow (Monday, Sept. 12th) for $1.00.
* We will have a Science Voc. test this Wednesday. It will come straight from the study guide they have had on Chapter 1.
* We will have a Social Studies test on the Continents and Bodies of water this Friday. Your child brought a study guide home last Friday. They are responsible for only knowing where the Continents and bodies of water are located. They do not have to know how to spell them. We will be reviewing these all week in class as well.
* We will be making our Dirt Babies this Friday. A 2nd grade parent has sent in an extremely large amount of potting soil for all of 2nd grade. However, each class is still going to need a small bag in order for us to have enough. If I have a parent that would like to send this small bag of Miracle Grow in please let me know. I will provide the rest of the materials. The kids are so excited about doing this project! I am sure you have already heard about it. We're going to cross our fingers that our room will stay at a warm enough temperature for them to grow quickly. We are already seeing some growth in our indoor greeenhouse that we planted a week ago.
* Dibels results and Star reports for reading came home last week. Please make sure you send the Dibels results back in signed. You may keep that copy of the STAR report that was sent home.
* We now have our ZPD's (reading levels) and we can't get to the library fast enough! We are doing a great job of taking AR test. Whenever you would like to see your child's AR folder just ask them to bring it home to share with you. Please make sure your child brings their library books to school daily.
* We sure did have a fantastic time as everybody shared their About Me Poster last week. We learned so much about each other. I have loved learning more and more about our wonderful community of learners in room 124. One thing is for sure, Room 124 LOVES TO READ!!
* I introduced our reading groups last week as well as centers. I could not be more pleased with how well we did. We listened well and followed directions that were given.
Story: Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Phonics: Consonant Blends
Comprehension Skill: Character and Setting
Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Fix Up
Grammar: Predicates of a sentence
Math: Subtraction
The following is a few reminders from the PTA:
PTA will use an email blast service to communicate with our membership this year, and we will include our teacher membership as well. Please check your SPAM folder for the email address president@blountpta.org so that you will receive these emails.
Nancy’s Italian Ice Sales to begin MONDAY, SEPT. 12
Nancy’s Italian Ice will be here every OTHER Monday beginning next week, and students may purchase a little owl size Italian Ice for $1. A variety of flavors will be available. The school (not PTA) will receive at least 25 percent of all sales.
Just Give
As of this week more than $10,000 has been contributed to our Just Give Campaign! We only have ONE WEEK LEFT! Our goal is $25,000. If we meet this goal we will not have ANY fundraisers for the rest of the year! No cookie dough sales, and no gift wrap sales! If we do NOT meet our goal then we will have to schedule fundraisers. Details about Just Give and a current budget to see WHERE the PTA money goes are available on our web site at www.blountpta.org. If you have questions, please feel free to email Jeannine Morton-Brown, VP of Fundraising, at fundraising@blountpta.org.
Fall Festival Shirts
The children are allowed to wear their Fall Festival shirts on Fridays as Spirit Wear this year. They will be delivered the week prior to Fall Festival.
Monday, September 5, 2011
And the Winner of the Box Tops is........
ROOM 124!!!!!
We will be celebrating with Nancy's Italian Ice this week. Thank you so much for sending in so many Box Tops!
I can't wait to see all of the About Me posters that are due tomorrow. This is such a fun way to learn more about each other.
Thank you all for attending the cluster conferences last week. Remember that they will take the place of us doing an open house in our room Tuesday night. Instead, enjoy the Back to School Bash with your family. It starts at 5:00. I will include the information from the PTA at the bottom of this post as a reminder.
Your child brought home a printout Friday that has their password for you to get on Pearson Success if you would like to check their weekly Reading story grade. I have added their beginning of the year baseline test as well. Remember that the baseline test is just an assessment, it is not a grade.
Book orders came home Friday and they are due back by this Friday, Sept. 9th if you would like to order something. This is completely optional.
If you have not sent in a check for $5.00 for Scholastic News and also Time for Kids please send it in as soon as possible.
Look for a Family Time sheet to come home with your child at the beginning of every week except for the end of the unit review week. This is an overview of what will be covered with the reading story. This is for you to keep at home and use with your child as you see fit.
Story this week: Exploring Space with an Astronaut
Phonics: Long Vowels CVCe
Comprehension Skill: Main Idea and Details
Comprehension Strategy: Text Structure
Grammar: Subjects in a sentence
In Math this week we will wrap up our chapter on addition. Your child will have a review sheet as homework for Wednesday night and a Math test on Thursday. Make sure your child is comfortable with everything on the review sheet in order to be prepared for the test Thursday. Our next chapter will be on subtraction.
Your child will also bring home a Science Vocabulary study guide. Please just go over these vocabulary words with your child a little bit each evening. We have been enjoying our chapter on plants. Ask your child about our greenhouse we planted Friday.
Please email me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Reminders from the Awesome PTA:
Just Give
If it's successful we will not have any fundraisers for the rest of the year. We've asked for $65/student...which is a small price to pay for the great education the students are receiving at Blount Elementary. Detailed information may be found on the PTA web site at www.blountpta.org.
We will be celebrating with Nancy's Italian Ice this week. Thank you so much for sending in so many Box Tops!
I can't wait to see all of the About Me posters that are due tomorrow. This is such a fun way to learn more about each other.
Thank you all for attending the cluster conferences last week. Remember that they will take the place of us doing an open house in our room Tuesday night. Instead, enjoy the Back to School Bash with your family. It starts at 5:00. I will include the information from the PTA at the bottom of this post as a reminder.
Your child brought home a printout Friday that has their password for you to get on Pearson Success if you would like to check their weekly Reading story grade. I have added their beginning of the year baseline test as well. Remember that the baseline test is just an assessment, it is not a grade.
Book orders came home Friday and they are due back by this Friday, Sept. 9th if you would like to order something. This is completely optional.
If you have not sent in a check for $5.00 for Scholastic News and also Time for Kids please send it in as soon as possible.
Look for a Family Time sheet to come home with your child at the beginning of every week except for the end of the unit review week. This is an overview of what will be covered with the reading story. This is for you to keep at home and use with your child as you see fit.
Story this week: Exploring Space with an Astronaut
Phonics: Long Vowels CVCe
Comprehension Skill: Main Idea and Details
Comprehension Strategy: Text Structure
Grammar: Subjects in a sentence
In Math this week we will wrap up our chapter on addition. Your child will have a review sheet as homework for Wednesday night and a Math test on Thursday. Make sure your child is comfortable with everything on the review sheet in order to be prepared for the test Thursday. Our next chapter will be on subtraction.
Your child will also bring home a Science Vocabulary study guide. Please just go over these vocabulary words with your child a little bit each evening. We have been enjoying our chapter on plants. Ask your child about our greenhouse we planted Friday.
Please email me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Reminders from the Awesome PTA:
Spirit Nights
This year we have scheduled Spirit Nights at four area restaurants. Each spirit night will occur on the same night each month. PTA receives 10 to 15 percent of all sales. The schedule is as follows: Applebee's (1st Weds), Jason's Deli (2nd Tues), Burger King - Chantilly Pkwy (3rd Tues) and Nancy's Italian Ice (4th Weds) of every month throughout the school year.
Just Give
If it's successful we will not have any fundraisers for the rest of the year. We've asked for $65/student...which is a small price to pay for the great education the students are receiving at Blount Elementary. Detailed information may be found on the PTA web site at www.blountpta.org.
Back to School Bash, Open House and PTA Budget Approval
We have had a lot of feedback from parents about consolidating the number of nights we ask them to come up to school during the first month of school. So we have combined our usual Volunteer Round Up with Open House Night to achieve this goal. We are also going to host a Back to School Bash as a way to publicize the Fall Festival and get our parents excited. Here are some details:
-from 5-7 p.m. we will have two inflatables for the kids to enjoy
-from 5-8 p.m. we will have food vendors on hand where parents, teachers and staff can buy treats and dinner. So far we have Jim & Nicks, the Great American Cookie Co. and Nancy’s Italian Ice scheduled to come.
-at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria we will have a QUICK PTA Budget Approval Vote. It WILL NOT be an all-out PTA meeting, it will JUST be a budget vote. We are not going to do the attendance contest at this gathering like we did at last year’s PTA meetings because it is NOT a full meeting.
Fall Festival
October 20 (rain date October 27) at Thompson Park (adjacent from Blount Elementary) from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wristbands are being pre-sold for $10 for students and $1 for parents. The price at the gate will be $15 for students and $2 for adults. Also available is the Fall Festival T-Shirt - youth sizes in fall orange are $10 and adult sizes (S-XL) in chocolate brown are also $10. T-shirt orders MUST be turned into the office by close of business on Oct.1. We will not be able to accept an order after that time. If you have any questions about Fall Festival, Back to School Bash and/or Just Give please feel free to contact Jeannine at fundraising@blountpta.org (Visit our Facebook page - Blount Fall Festival)
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