9-23-16
Weekly Reading Reports
Please keep a lookout for our weekly reading reports that will be in everyone's homework folders on Fridays. It will let you know how they did on their spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, and phonics tests. If your child didn't get an MS or meets standard on the test, I printed it out so you take a look at the results. In order to save time and money on copies this year, the whole 2nd grade has moved all of the reading tests on-line to a site called Socrative. The kids can take the tests on any type of computer. So far it has gone pretty smooth. Please let me know if you have any questions. The only time they would take a paper and pencil type of test would be if I happen to be gone on a Friday and a sub was there to give them their weekly tests like this Friday. It's a little too complicated to have a sub try and do it.
Turtle trot was another big success. The kids had a great time running around the track today at their recess. You can send in the money you raised for the turtle trot at anytime. I believe all money has to be in a couple of weeks. The 2nd grade class who raises the most money gets to have a wacky green hair day!
Water Bottles
Please feel free to have your child bring in a water bottle to school. I actually prefer it because then I don't have students raising their hands asking to get a drink. They can just have one at their seat. It's also very helpful after specials like P.E. I just ask that they take the bottles home each night so they can be washed.
www.zearn.org
We finally have the perfect website that supports our math program. If you want your child to get the exact math support that we teach at school, then have them log onto zearn.org. It goes right along with the common core and NY Engage or Eureka. Everyone's login is the first letter of their first name and their whole last name. (Ex: bcritz) Password is math. There are only a few students who have to add a 1 or 2 to their login because it was already taken. If they can't remember, please email me. The link is also on our blog under websites.
Other Websites
www.ixl.com/signin/portage
Remember, if it doesn't say Portage Public Schools at the top, you aren't in the right place. You have to add the signin/portage.
www.mobymax.com
This is good practice for both math and reading
www.sumdog.com
We are still waiting on the PTO's approval for the paid membership for both math and reading. For now, you can still access the site and play math games. Just not all the games are available yet.
Math
We wrapped up Module 1: Sums and Differences to 20. I had everyone take the end of module assessments on this. I will grade those and send them home shortly. One is a formative assessment that doesn't go with any of our report card standards and the other one was on story problems which is a report card standard. We have already started Module 2: Addition and Subtraction of Length Units.
Lesson 1Objective: Connect measurement with physical units by using multiple copies of the same physical unit to measure.
Lesson 2
Objective: Use iteration with one physical unit to measure.
Language Arts
By the end of the week, your child will know a lot more about communities. We will look for answers to the question “Why might an author write a story?” We’ll read Henry and Mudge Under the Yellow Moon, a realistic fiction selection about how Henry and Mudge explore their community in different ways. We’ll also read Outdoor Adventures, a selection of e-mails between a girl and her grandmother as they discuss the seasonal changes in their communities.
Target Vocabulary: woods, turned, tops, chipmunks, busy, picked, south, grew
Phonics Skills: Words with long a, (gate), long i (mine) (VCe); hard and soft sounds for c (car, cent)
Vocabulary Strategy: Multiple-meaning words
Comprehension Skill: Author’s purpose—tell why an author writes a book
Comprehension Strategy: Analyze/ evaluate—tell how you feel about the text and why
Grammar Skill: Statements and Questions
Earth's Layers
We finished up talking about the layers of Earth this week. Next week we will take a closer look at what makes up soil and then move towards fast and slow changes that take place on Earth.
