CSS Second Grade Newsletter 3

Whoa! Time is just flying by. I cannot believe that it is Friday already. The students and I are settling in and getting use to our daily routines.  We are learning so much about the different habitats from all the wonderful books we have. A big thank you to Namgyal’s mom, who happens to work at the library, for all the books she has brought to our classroom. The exciting part is when I do a read-aloud and the students raise their hands and tell me their experiences because something they saw or heard while I was reading, has sparked a memory they want to share. We have been talking about the connections we have to books and when we connect to something in a book, it is called self-to-text. The students have been putting post -it notes on pages whenever they feel a connection or if something reminds them of something. Then the students write about their connections in their writer’s notebooks. Later, these connections will inspire them to write stories about their experiences. Anyway, I really want our class to enjoy reading and writing, not because they have to but because they want to. I think this will inspire them to do just that.

DATES AND INFORMATION

PE: Thursdays and Fridays (Don’t forget your tennis shoes)
Library: Tuesdays
CDS: Wednesdays

CLASS PHONE LIST

Blake Sliter (CSS Parent) is creating a phone list for our class. If you wish to be a part of this, please e-mail your address, phone number, and e-mail to bsliter@teleport.com OR hand the information to the CSS Box in the office. This list would be for our class only and it is completely voluntary.

HOMEWORK AND NEWSLETTER

Just a reminder that the newsletter and homework folder goes home on Friday and returned the following Friday. Homework will consist of math, writing and reading. I will go over the homework with the students every Friday before it is sent out in case there are any questions.

Every one of my students is unique and family time is different for everyone. If you would like to see an increase in either the amount or level of difficulty of your child’s homework, let me know. If you are fine with the way it is or rather not have homework at all, let me know that too. I feel that every family is different and aside from reading 20 minutes every night, homework preference should be whatever works for each family.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL-NIGHT

At Back-to-School-Night on the 29th, I will have handouts, discuss the curriculum for the year, and answer any questions you might have. There will be a volunteer sign-up sheet that evening as well.

tHEME/SCIENCE

We are continuing with our habitat theme and are focusing on the Desert, the Forest, Antarctica, and the Ocean.  The students worked on an acrostic poem using the word habitat, doing a first draft, revising and editing, then a second draft. We are now working on making a pop-up habitat book.

WRITING

We will begin writing in our writer’s notebooks and have begun discussing “seed ideas” and planning when starting the writing process. The students will be bringing home their writer’s notebook to personalize them by decorating them. Please make sure that they return them on Monday! Thank you!

READING

We started our guided reading groups, our independent reading (with comprehension building activities), silent reading, shared reading, and read-alouds.

MATH

Students have been doing GEOMETRY! When I told them they were going to be working on geometry, they were all excited and one student said, “They learn that in the third grade”. We have been working with our geo-blocks and learning the different shapes.

Please feel free to contact me with questions and concerns. A good time to reach me is at school between
7:30-7:50 or 2:20-4:00ish at 503-916-6336 or e-mail me at btmiller73@yahoo.com.

Have a great weekend!

Brandi