WE had a great first week of school! Your students are all "smart cookies!" We made clay cookies to demonstrate our determination to meet our goals this year. They should be done by Friday.
   Thanks for all of the support at Back-to-School Night. It was fun for me to meet the family that goes with your child. I understand here are a lot of other commitments too, so the information went home in their Friday Folders. Here is a recap:
     1. We use the planners to write messages on the left side (you can write on the right) Spelling words will be written in it on Monday. (They can also be found in the Homework section of this blog...short vowels this week) Please jot down your child's reading minutes on the calendar page. right now we are on page 11.
     2. Math Packet is the homework for the month. Do a page or 2 every day to review math facts. This one is due by October 1st.
     3. I am glad to see so many students kept reading over the summer. 20 minutes a day is our goal.
     4. If you are available to be a parent helper, we need you from 9:55-10:55. Monday is full, but there are openings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It won't be for a few weeks, just let me know if you are available.Thanks!
   I am looking forward to another great week! You'll see a spelling pretest tomorrow.

Second Grade Weekly Study Skills

Unit 1, Week 1 (The Twin Club)

Below are the skills and vocabulary we will be working on for the next 5 days.  (*Please note: our literacy lessons are based on 5-day plans that may or may not align with a M-F schedule. In an effort to teach the entire grade level core, we will send home the “weekly study skills” on the day that we begin a new 5-day instructional sequence.)  You can support your child’s literacy skills by reviewing, discussing, and practicing the skills and concepts below:

Big Idea/Big Question (This is the theme of our unit in class.)	Question of the Week (This is the theme/question for this week’s instruction in class.)
Exploration:  What can we learn from exploring new places and things?	What can we learn by exploring different communities?
Phonics Skills (These are the letters and sounds we are learning in class.)	Spelling Patterns and associated Words (These patterns connect to our phonics skills we are learning this week.)
Short vowels and consonants	Short vowels and consonants: rock   list   desk   job   sad   chop  sack  tag  rib   mess   dust   drum
High Frequency Words (These reading words should be practiced and memorized.)	Story Words (These reading words are words from this week’s main selection.)
beautiful   country   friend   front   someone   somewhere	cousins   meadow   parents   promise
Oral Vocabulary (Try using these words in your conversations at home.)	Handwriting Practice (Students can practice the writing of these letters in manuscript this week.)
downy  founders  investigate  muttered  perch  rural  unanimous  urban	Aa, Dd, Oo,

Welcome to a Brand-NEW year!

I had a great summer visiting with my grandchildren, and now I am so excited to spend the year learning with your sweet children! Second grade is a fun year and I think we are off to a great start!

   This week we have done a few parts of the new reading program as the students settle in. Next week we will really start working on "The Twin Club" and explore what communities are like in rural, suburban and urban areas. No spelling test this week-I will post the homework for spelling over the weekend and the test will be next Friday.

   We have been doing placement testing and reviewing math concepts this week. I have the first math homework packet ready to go home on Thursday (Back-to-School Night) and will send it home Friday for those of you who are unable to attend. The students have until the end of September to complete this homework. Most of it is easy review of first grade. The 5 sticker reward is a great motivator!!

   I have really enjoyed these first few days. Our class is adorable and I look forward to a great year!

We're almost there!

Our students have been working so hard this year! I am very proud of their success. This will be our last formal week of Reading Stations and baggy books. Please return the books by next Tuesday (I want them to have a book over the holiday!)

We have a fairly challenging spelling list this week! 

Second Grade Weekly Study Skills

Unit 6, Week 3 (A Birthday Basket for Tia)

Below are the skills and vocabulary we will be working on for the next 5 days.  (*Please note: our literacy lessons are based on 5-day plans that may or may not align with a M-F schedule. In an effort to teach the entire grade level core, we will send home the “weekly study skills” on the day that we begin a new 5-day instructional sequence.)  You can support your child’s literacy skills by reviewing, discussing, and practicing the skills and concepts below:

Big Idea/Big Question (This is the theme of our unit in class.)	Question of the Week (This is the theme/question for this week’s instruction in class.)
Traditions:  Are traditions and celebrations important in our lives?	Why are family celebrations special?
Phonics Skills (These are the letters and sounds we are learning in class.)	Spelling Patterns and associated Words (These patterns connect to our phonics skills we are learning this week.)
Syllables:  -ion, -tion, -ture	Syllables:  -ion, -tion, -ture action   caution   feature   fixture   future   mixture   motion   nation   nature   picture   section   station
High-Frequency Words (These reading words should be practiced and memorized.)	Story Words (These reading words are words from this week’s main selection.)
been   believe   caught   finally   tomorrow   whatever	aunt   bank   basket   collects   favorite   present
Oral Vocabulary (Try using these words in your conversations at home.)	Handwriting Practice (Students can practice the writing of these letters in manuscript this week.)
angle   brilliant   celebration   create   custom   inspect   snapshot   tradition	Cursive Letters G, S, I Letter Size

At Last...

Sorry y'all, it has been a crazy week! The spelling words are abbreviations!!!

Second Grade Weekly Study Skills

Unit 6, Week 2 (Red, White, and Blue:  The Story of the American Flag)

Below are the skills and vocabulary we will be working on for the next 5 days.  (*Please note: our literacy lessons are based on 5-day plans that may or may not align with a M-F schedule. In an effort to teach the entire grade level core, we will send home the “weekly study skills” on the day that we begin a new 5-day instructional sequence.)  You can support your child’s literacy skills by reviewing, discussing, and practicing the skills and concepts below:

Big Idea/Big Question (This is the theme of our unit in class.)	Question of the Week (This is the theme/question for this week’s instruction in class.)
Traditions:  Are traditions and celebrations important in our lives?	What traditions and celebrations involve our country’s flag?
Phonics Skills (These are the letters and sounds we are learning in class.)	Spelling Patterns and associated Words (These patterns connect to our phonics skills we are learning this week.)
Abbreviations	Abbreviations: Aug.  Dec.   Dr.   Feb.   Jan.   Mr.    Mrs.   Ms.   Nov.   Oct.   Rd.   St.
High-Frequency Words (These reading words should be practiced and memorized.)	Story Words (These reading words are words from this week’s main selection.)
answer   company   faraway   parents   picture   school   wash	America   birthday   flag   freedom   nicknames   stars   stripes
Oral Vocabulary (Try using these words in your conversations at home.)	Handwriting Practice (Students can practice the writing of these letters in manuscript this week.)
allegiance   frayed   history   independence   indivisible   patriotic   symbol   unfurl	Cursive Letters B, P, R, T, F Letter Smoothness

Fun Science Day and Field Trip!

A BIG thank you to all of the Mom's who made Hands On Science so great this year!Mrs. Roumpos headed it up, assisted by Mrs. Belko, Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Nielsen, and Mrs. Harmer. The kids loved it!

Our field trip was fabulous! Again, it would not be possible without the many volunteers (In this case, Mrs. May, Mrs. Cullimore, Mrs. Herbstritt, Mrs. Loveland, Mrs. Taylor and Mr. Weaver) who came along to help us make sure everyone was safe. THANK YOU all!

Keep practicing oral reading-our final assessment is May 14th.

Second Grade Weekly Study Skills

Unit 6, Week 1 (Just Like Josh Gibson)

Below are the skills and vocabulary we will be working on for the next 5 days.  (*Please note: our literacy lessons are based on 5-day plans that may or may not align with a M-F schedule. In an effort to teach the entire grade level core, we will send home the “weekly study skills” on the day that we begin a new 5-day instructional sequence.)  You can support your child’s literacy skills by reviewing, discussing, and practicing the skills and concepts below:

Big Idea/Big Question (This is the theme of our unit in class.)	Question of the Week (This is the theme/question for this week’s instruction in class.)
Traditions:  Are traditions and celebrations important in our lives?	Why are sports traditions important in our country?
Phonics Skills (These are the letters and sounds we are learning in class.)	Spelling Patterns and associated Words (These patterns connect to our phonics skills we are learning this week.)
Inflected Endings	Inflected Endings: heavier   heaviest   lighter   lightest   liked   liking   planned   planning   skipped   skipping   tried   trying
High-Frequency Words (These reading words should be practiced and memorized.)	Story Words (These reading words are words from this week’s main selection.)
guess   pretty   science   shoe   village   watch	bases   cheers   field   plate   sailed   threw
Oral Vocabulary (Try using these words in your conversations at home.)	Handwriting Practice (Students can practice the writing of these letters in manuscript this week.)
athlete   challenge   champion   dainty   disguise   effort   professional   shortstop	Cursive Letters U, V, W, Y Letter and Word Spacing

Second Grade Weekly Study Skills