Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Monday, September 4, 2017
First Update of the Year
Hello families!
Before I begin, I want you to feel free to send this information to any loved ones that are interesting in the happenings in our classroom. Additionally, should they want to receive my emails and have not been, send me an email with their contact info so I can add them.
I'll be writing up a short blog entry every two weeks detailing the learning that has taken place the two weeks prior. You can expect these over the weekend at some point.
I must say that I am very pleased with how our school year has begun. While we are learning how to live and learn in our 2nd grade class, the growth I have seen over a short period of time is tremendous. Our students have been steadily building their 'school stamina' and rising to the occasion. Just the other day, Mrs. Watkins (art) pulled me aside and remarked how focused, patient, and helpful they had been in her class on Thursday. I brought that up with the kids and said, "That's not me...thats YOU." There is definitely some growing up happening in here and it's cool that others are noticing it too.
We work hard in 2nd grade. I'm sure that your child has probably come home exhausted at some point over the last two weeks. Trust me, having a second grader of my own this year I know the feeling. But, there's value in getting started fairly quickly in the school year. It sets the tone and helps build that stamina sooner.
I'd like to discuss what we have been working on in the classroom for the first two weeks:
Reading
When you are beginning a new year, it is important to take some time to set up what the classroom should look like and sound like during Reading Workshop. In the first week, the students created a chart that outlined their responsibilities during Silent Reading, as well as mine! This is something that we have continually referred back to. We have been reading picture books like Juna's Jar and My Name is Yoon, learning how to create responses to these texts. We began tracking our thinking in our reading journals so that we have information that we can reflect on. Our chapter book we are beginning this year is Frindle by Andrew Clements. I love this book! We have used it as a launching point for discussing Protagonist and Antagonist relationships.
Writing
In my conferences with the students, it became apparent that idea formation was where we needed to begin. We used our strengths in setting up our Readers Workshop to help us see books as the source of excellent ideas that we can make our own. The real world is also a great place to find ideas for writing. We created a chart of possible ideas that the students found in their books; it included pirates (which I'm really hoping someone takes up!) and good guy vs. bad guy stories. We also have had several mini lessons on approaching writing intentionally, such as imagining your piece being done before you begin writing or going into writer's workshop with a plan to accomplish. Additionally, we have set up our structure for students sharing out their writing and providing feedback to one another that helps and is specific.
Math
You have probably seen a few examples of our work in math workshop this week. I do send home work that we do in class for practice so you can get a heads up for how you can help your child. Your child turns in an exit ticket to me most days and this is my assessment for that day. Sometimes they work on problem sets until it is time to move to their exit ticket. Your child also has a 'learning buddy' that they work on the math with before working independently on that exit ticket. This allows your child to communicate about their strategies before demonstrating it independently. The concepts we have worked on are using an understanding of tens to add and subtract more efficiently.
Unit of Study: Maps
I alternate between Science and Social Studies so we can devote more time to each subject without having to plan for transitions between the two. Right now we are learning about maps, how to tell directions, and how to use the features of maps to make meaning. We have discussed political and physical maps and are planning on learning about the relationships between population and area in different states.
I hope this gives you a glimpse into what we are working on. As always, if you have any questions, please let me know. I have greatly enjoyed working with all of your children and I'm hoping to see many of you at the Opening Picnic this Thursday.
Before I begin, I want you to feel free to send this information to any loved ones that are interesting in the happenings in our classroom. Additionally, should they want to receive my emails and have not been, send me an email with their contact info so I can add them.
I'll be writing up a short blog entry every two weeks detailing the learning that has taken place the two weeks prior. You can expect these over the weekend at some point.
I must say that I am very pleased with how our school year has begun. While we are learning how to live and learn in our 2nd grade class, the growth I have seen over a short period of time is tremendous. Our students have been steadily building their 'school stamina' and rising to the occasion. Just the other day, Mrs. Watkins (art) pulled me aside and remarked how focused, patient, and helpful they had been in her class on Thursday. I brought that up with the kids and said, "That's not me...thats YOU." There is definitely some growing up happening in here and it's cool that others are noticing it too.
We work hard in 2nd grade. I'm sure that your child has probably come home exhausted at some point over the last two weeks. Trust me, having a second grader of my own this year I know the feeling. But, there's value in getting started fairly quickly in the school year. It sets the tone and helps build that stamina sooner.
I'd like to discuss what we have been working on in the classroom for the first two weeks:
Reading
When you are beginning a new year, it is important to take some time to set up what the classroom should look like and sound like during Reading Workshop. In the first week, the students created a chart that outlined their responsibilities during Silent Reading, as well as mine! This is something that we have continually referred back to. We have been reading picture books like Juna's Jar and My Name is Yoon, learning how to create responses to these texts. We began tracking our thinking in our reading journals so that we have information that we can reflect on. Our chapter book we are beginning this year is Frindle by Andrew Clements. I love this book! We have used it as a launching point for discussing Protagonist and Antagonist relationships.
Writing
In my conferences with the students, it became apparent that idea formation was where we needed to begin. We used our strengths in setting up our Readers Workshop to help us see books as the source of excellent ideas that we can make our own. The real world is also a great place to find ideas for writing. We created a chart of possible ideas that the students found in their books; it included pirates (which I'm really hoping someone takes up!) and good guy vs. bad guy stories. We also have had several mini lessons on approaching writing intentionally, such as imagining your piece being done before you begin writing or going into writer's workshop with a plan to accomplish. Additionally, we have set up our structure for students sharing out their writing and providing feedback to one another that helps and is specific.
Math
You have probably seen a few examples of our work in math workshop this week. I do send home work that we do in class for practice so you can get a heads up for how you can help your child. Your child turns in an exit ticket to me most days and this is my assessment for that day. Sometimes they work on problem sets until it is time to move to their exit ticket. Your child also has a 'learning buddy' that they work on the math with before working independently on that exit ticket. This allows your child to communicate about their strategies before demonstrating it independently. The concepts we have worked on are using an understanding of tens to add and subtract more efficiently.
Unit of Study: Maps
I alternate between Science and Social Studies so we can devote more time to each subject without having to plan for transitions between the two. Right now we are learning about maps, how to tell directions, and how to use the features of maps to make meaning. We have discussed political and physical maps and are planning on learning about the relationships between population and area in different states.
I hope this gives you a glimpse into what we are working on. As always, if you have any questions, please let me know. I have greatly enjoyed working with all of your children and I'm hoping to see many of you at the Opening Picnic this Thursday.
Friday, September 9, 2016
Classroom Update
One of the beauties of looping at our school is how quickly students reconnect with each other and how smoothly students who are just joining us adjust. Since we're already starting the year with some momentum, we're able to get into the good work we envision much quicker. We're in the middle of some really incredible learning experiences, so here's a quick update on what we're up to so you can keep an eye out at home for your own authentic learning experiences.
Ecosystems
Students have worked in table groups to research the natural features, plants, and animals that are present in different ecosystems. They used their research to collaborate on creating posters that demonstrate an understanding of those particular ecosystems. Then, they included captions to give it the look of a large nonfiction page. This week, we've been learning about food chains and food webs, how energy is passed between organisms. In their same table groups, they cut out cards of different producers and consumers and pieced them together on a poster, connecting them with arrows to show how the energy is passed.
Next week: Animals and plants have adaptations that assist in survival for specific ecosystems.
The Tiger Rising
Chris Hass, my fellow 2nd grade teacher, and I have been trying to make an effort to engage our classes in shared learning experiences more this year. Right now, we are in the midst of a shared literature study on Kate DiCamillo's book, The Tiger Rising. As we read the book, we are focusing on building on the thinking of others and we are noticing how authors describe characters through their actions and emotions. We are connecting this learning to our ELA workshop, seeking to develop stories that enhance our reader's experience and understanding.
Next week: We will begin to work on publishing our first fiction stories of the year.
Math
We are continuing to work on the properties of multiplication and division. I hope the math homework packets gives you an insight into the material we are covering. In the midst of math workshop, we always make time for students to share their strategies in front of their peers. This gives them the opportunity to "put their thinking into specifics" for an audience. If you can teach it, then you really know it. Also, we're looking at strategies for us attending to precision; getting an answer is one part of math, but checking an answer for its reasonableness is another and, I think, more important.
Next week: We will be learning about the distributive property.
Important Dates
Thursday, Sept. 15: Opening Picnic
Thursday, Sept. 22: Early Dismissal
Friday, Sept. 23: Ecosystems Unit Test
Friday, Sept. 30: Gathering @ 2:20
Thursday, Oct. 6: Curriculum Night
Ecosystems
Students have worked in table groups to research the natural features, plants, and animals that are present in different ecosystems. They used their research to collaborate on creating posters that demonstrate an understanding of those particular ecosystems. Then, they included captions to give it the look of a large nonfiction page. This week, we've been learning about food chains and food webs, how energy is passed between organisms. In their same table groups, they cut out cards of different producers and consumers and pieced them together on a poster, connecting them with arrows to show how the energy is passed.
Next week: Animals and plants have adaptations that assist in survival for specific ecosystems.
The Tiger Rising
Chris Hass, my fellow 2nd grade teacher, and I have been trying to make an effort to engage our classes in shared learning experiences more this year. Right now, we are in the midst of a shared literature study on Kate DiCamillo's book, The Tiger Rising. As we read the book, we are focusing on building on the thinking of others and we are noticing how authors describe characters through their actions and emotions. We are connecting this learning to our ELA workshop, seeking to develop stories that enhance our reader's experience and understanding.
Next week: We will begin to work on publishing our first fiction stories of the year.
Math
We are continuing to work on the properties of multiplication and division. I hope the math homework packets gives you an insight into the material we are covering. In the midst of math workshop, we always make time for students to share their strategies in front of their peers. This gives them the opportunity to "put their thinking into specifics" for an audience. If you can teach it, then you really know it. Also, we're looking at strategies for us attending to precision; getting an answer is one part of math, but checking an answer for its reasonableness is another and, I think, more important.
Next week: We will be learning about the distributive property.
Important Dates
Thursday, Sept. 15: Opening Picnic
Thursday, Sept. 22: Early Dismissal
Friday, Sept. 23: Ecosystems Unit Test
Friday, Sept. 30: Gathering @ 2:20
Thursday, Oct. 6: Curriculum Night
Monday, August 29, 2016
Homework
This week's homework isn't too complicated. You'll notice that I'm putting a cover sheet on the homework packet to help give an outline of what's expected.
1. The first item on the outline highlights the importance of your child reading at least 20 minutes outside of school daily. The more your child reads, the more they'll grow as a reader.
2. Your child should have brought home their cursive handbook. They will complete four letters that are similar to one another. The pages to complete are listed on the homework packet.
3. Your child has their weekly math packet to complete as well.
All are due Tuesday, since Monday is Labor Day.
1. The first item on the outline highlights the importance of your child reading at least 20 minutes outside of school daily. The more your child reads, the more they'll grow as a reader.
2. Your child should have brought home their cursive handbook. They will complete four letters that are similar to one another. The pages to complete are listed on the homework packet.
3. Your child has their weekly math packet to complete as well.
All are due Tuesday, since Monday is Labor Day.
Friday, August 26, 2016
Weekly Blog
We have had a wonderful first week and a half in third grade. We've been lucky enough to add 6 new students to our already excellent classroom community and everyone seems to be getting to know each other, connecting...you know, the good stuff.
I know you guys are busy, but you would like to be in the know about what's going on in our classroom. Each Friday, my goal is to give you a quick run-down about what we are learning about, cool anecdotes, and sometimes a discussion topic. You can always feel free to post a comment below with your thoughts and insights.
Reading
This week, we read the book Mr. Lincoln's Way by Patricia Polacco. It's an excellent book that helps us have discussions about appreciating the differences in people. In fact, Mr. Lincoln is one of my all time favorite "book heroes". Using the story, we thought about the idea of how authors create a story with a theme in mind. Sometimes it comes out that a character learns something over the course of a book, or they go through a change. Many times, the theme is connected to that idea.
We also spent some time over two days reading three of the Olivia the Pig stories. These books are hilarious. We learned about how words and illustrations can depend on each other for meaning construction. For example, in Olivia, if you were to isolate the text, you would get a very different meaning than when you read it with the pictures. Together, the tone is actually quite sarcastic.
Writing
As writers, we began our year just writing. Sometimes, we as teachers wait for kids to "be ready" to write. Instead, some of my colleagues and I thought it would be an effective exercise for the kids to start the year creating books. Setting the tone for what we do as authors. We also spent a good deal of time setting up expectations for our workshop and coming up with ideas for how to use it. One idea is to create a list of possible topics for writing at the back of our notebooks. This way, when we feel the dreaded Writer's Block, we can access our list to help inspire some creativity.
We also have been learning about how our life and the events we experience can be the basis of a story. I used my story about when I got in trouble as a kid for throwing mud at my baby brother. I didn't remember everything, but we discussed how I can change some of the details and it can become a fictionalized version of a real event. We paired up and shared our stories aloud before we began writing them down and it was remarkable how much more comfortable the kids were at creating these pieces.
Math
In Math, we've been learning about how division and multiplication are connected, including the different properties these operations have. In the process, each day we are building our knowledge as we connect our new knowledge to our background knowledge about arrays.
Students are working in pairs called "learning buddies" as they coach each other up in Math Workshop. Before they work independently, they move through a problem set together and this puts each child in the role of a teacher. They are given the chance to communicate their strategies to another person.
Ecosystems
As you already know, our science unit right now is ecosystems and habitats. We have gone out to different natural areas around our school to observe the living and nonliving things. We are also discussing how people impact natural areas in positive and negative ways.
The students are preparing to begin a group project where they are researching an ecosystem together as a table. They are discussing the physical features, animals, and plants that are in a particular environment. Then, they will use this research to create a giant one-page nonfiction page that reflects their learning.
I know you guys are busy, but you would like to be in the know about what's going on in our classroom. Each Friday, my goal is to give you a quick run-down about what we are learning about, cool anecdotes, and sometimes a discussion topic. You can always feel free to post a comment below with your thoughts and insights.
Reading
This week, we read the book Mr. Lincoln's Way by Patricia Polacco. It's an excellent book that helps us have discussions about appreciating the differences in people. In fact, Mr. Lincoln is one of my all time favorite "book heroes". Using the story, we thought about the idea of how authors create a story with a theme in mind. Sometimes it comes out that a character learns something over the course of a book, or they go through a change. Many times, the theme is connected to that idea.
We also spent some time over two days reading three of the Olivia the Pig stories. These books are hilarious. We learned about how words and illustrations can depend on each other for meaning construction. For example, in Olivia, if you were to isolate the text, you would get a very different meaning than when you read it with the pictures. Together, the tone is actually quite sarcastic.
Writing
As writers, we began our year just writing. Sometimes, we as teachers wait for kids to "be ready" to write. Instead, some of my colleagues and I thought it would be an effective exercise for the kids to start the year creating books. Setting the tone for what we do as authors. We also spent a good deal of time setting up expectations for our workshop and coming up with ideas for how to use it. One idea is to create a list of possible topics for writing at the back of our notebooks. This way, when we feel the dreaded Writer's Block, we can access our list to help inspire some creativity.
We also have been learning about how our life and the events we experience can be the basis of a story. I used my story about when I got in trouble as a kid for throwing mud at my baby brother. I didn't remember everything, but we discussed how I can change some of the details and it can become a fictionalized version of a real event. We paired up and shared our stories aloud before we began writing them down and it was remarkable how much more comfortable the kids were at creating these pieces.
Math
In Math, we've been learning about how division and multiplication are connected, including the different properties these operations have. In the process, each day we are building our knowledge as we connect our new knowledge to our background knowledge about arrays.
Students are working in pairs called "learning buddies" as they coach each other up in Math Workshop. Before they work independently, they move through a problem set together and this puts each child in the role of a teacher. They are given the chance to communicate their strategies to another person.
Ecosystems
As you already know, our science unit right now is ecosystems and habitats. We have gone out to different natural areas around our school to observe the living and nonliving things. We are also discussing how people impact natural areas in positive and negative ways.
The students are preparing to begin a group project where they are researching an ecosystem together as a table. They are discussing the physical features, animals, and plants that are in a particular environment. Then, they will use this research to create a giant one-page nonfiction page that reflects their learning.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Homework, Week of 8/22
Just a reminder about how I handle homework: I will give it all out at one time at the beginning of the week and it will be due on a specific day. If I need a particular piece of the homework for a lesson in class, I will make a separate note and due date on that particular assignment.
1. Observe an Ecosystem, due Monday: The directions are printed on the sheet, but your child needs to observe a natural area (it doesn't have to be a road trip) and classify living and nonliving things. They can also look for evidence of living things, such as a spider's web. If you would like for your child to extend the assignment, have them document by taking pictures and send them to me. Or, another idea is, instead of just writing "spider", your child can research to see if it's a specific species. For example...
I saw this amazing spider over the weekend. I showed the students in class and instead of just saying "spider", I used the wonders of technology and Internetness to find the species. One student said to search "spider with yellow circles on its back"...within a few seconds we had the answer. If you said, "Golden Orb Spider" you were right! Guess what else we learned...did you know that a Golden Orb Spider has venom that is similar to a Black Widow but slightly less potent? It affects you in the same way but to a lesser extent. It made me feel quite brave actually!
2. Math Packet, due Monday: Students will complete math packet covering properties of multiplication and division. This is an excellent opportunity to sit down with your child and listen to them share their strategies that they've learned in class. One of my best college professors once told me, "Teaching is the highest form of learning. If you can teach it, then you REALLY know it."
3. Richland County Library Cards, by Friday: We go to the library near the school about once a month. I already have several cards from last year, but if I don't, please send them in by Friday if you would like for your child to check out books. If you're not sure if I have your child's card, send me a quick email.
Dates to Keep in Mind:
1. Friday, August 26: We walk to the library @ 9:15.
2. Monday, Sept. 5: Labor Day, no school
3. Thursday, Sept. 15: Opening Picnic; if you're new to us, you'll be getting more information about this fun time.
4. Thursday, Sept. 22: Early Dismissal @ 11:30
5. Friday, Sept. 30: Our 1st Gathering @ 2:20
6. Thursday, October 6: Curriculum Night #1 @ 7:00
Note: In the future, I'm going to post my weekly blogs on Friday. When I originally said Monday, I forgot that it's our Faculty Meeting Day and it might be "information overload" with Homework info as well.
Technology RUP Forms: Please log into Parent Portal and complete your child's Responsible Use form for Chromebook use as soon as you are able. If you have questions or difficulties, send me an email and I'll forward it to our tech-guru Mrs. Hucks.
As always, if I forgot something, I'll send everyone an email. Have an excellent week!
B
1. Observe an Ecosystem, due Monday: The directions are printed on the sheet, but your child needs to observe a natural area (it doesn't have to be a road trip) and classify living and nonliving things. They can also look for evidence of living things, such as a spider's web. If you would like for your child to extend the assignment, have them document by taking pictures and send them to me. Or, another idea is, instead of just writing "spider", your child can research to see if it's a specific species. For example...
I saw this amazing spider over the weekend. I showed the students in class and instead of just saying "spider", I used the wonders of technology and Internetness to find the species. One student said to search "spider with yellow circles on its back"...within a few seconds we had the answer. If you said, "Golden Orb Spider" you were right! Guess what else we learned...did you know that a Golden Orb Spider has venom that is similar to a Black Widow but slightly less potent? It affects you in the same way but to a lesser extent. It made me feel quite brave actually!
2. Math Packet, due Monday: Students will complete math packet covering properties of multiplication and division. This is an excellent opportunity to sit down with your child and listen to them share their strategies that they've learned in class. One of my best college professors once told me, "Teaching is the highest form of learning. If you can teach it, then you REALLY know it."
3. Richland County Library Cards, by Friday: We go to the library near the school about once a month. I already have several cards from last year, but if I don't, please send them in by Friday if you would like for your child to check out books. If you're not sure if I have your child's card, send me a quick email.
Dates to Keep in Mind:
1. Friday, August 26: We walk to the library @ 9:15.
2. Monday, Sept. 5: Labor Day, no school
3. Thursday, Sept. 15: Opening Picnic; if you're new to us, you'll be getting more information about this fun time.
4. Thursday, Sept. 22: Early Dismissal @ 11:30
5. Friday, Sept. 30: Our 1st Gathering @ 2:20
6. Thursday, October 6: Curriculum Night #1 @ 7:00
Note: In the future, I'm going to post my weekly blogs on Friday. When I originally said Monday, I forgot that it's our Faculty Meeting Day and it might be "information overload" with Homework info as well.
Technology RUP Forms: Please log into Parent Portal and complete your child's Responsible Use form for Chromebook use as soon as you are able. If you have questions or difficulties, send me an email and I'll forward it to our tech-guru Mrs. Hucks.
As always, if I forgot something, I'll send everyone an email. Have an excellent week!
B
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Welcome to 3rd Grade!
Hello families!
It's almost time for third grade. This is a big year for your child and I'm very glad to be there to help them along the way. Most of you already know me, but to those of you that don't yet, I want to welcome you to a school where real learning happens, where kids are encouraged to ask questions, and where everyone is on a journey of outgrowing themselves.
I wanted to send you a quick post outlining some info about the beginning of the year and how I will communicate with you.
Schedule
Our schedule will vary depending on the day. Some structures will stay in place, but others have to move around. I'll be sending each of you a copy of our class schedule. Plus, it's color coded!
MAT
Our class will have an MAT for the fall semester. Her name is Mrs. Katie Watson and I've had the pleasure of getting to know her over the last couple of days. She will be a real asset to your children this year. I was an MAT several years back, so it's a program that I really believe in and I'm excited to contribute to.
Traffic!
Dr. Mueller sent out an edconnect explaining that you may want to consider bringing your child between 7:45 and 8:10 because our parking lot gets extremely congested on the first day of school. It's really not bad the second or third day. So, you may want to plan accordingly for tomorrow.
First Day Jitters
If you are able to come in, look for the tall, lanky guy with a tie surrounded by tiny people. I would love to meet our new parents and reconnect with the old ones...(get it?). The first part of our day will be getting our supplies organized, so some help with that will be appreciated. However, my goal is for our class to get started around 8:20-8:25 so I can start getting everyone acquainted and setting the tone for our day.
Forms/Technology
At the beginning of each year, your child comes home with all these forms. I'm not sure when you'll get them, but I'll send an email letting you know to check your child's folder for them. It's very important that we get these back ASAP, especially the one dealing with technology. I need to have that form before I can get the students started with their Chromebooks.
Weekly Communication and Homework
I communicate through email when I need to share information quickly or am giving you specific information about your child. If you send me an email and I haven't responded in 48 hours, just assume that I didn't see it and send it again; usually I'm pretty good about responding quickly.
I communicate daily through our class Twitter feed: @footecfi. I use this to share pictures and videos of what we're working on during the day.
I will communicate weekly about homework and a reflection on the week in our class blog. I'll send you an email each Monday with a link to the blog post. It will start with a bulleted list of what your child will have for homework, explanations if needed, and due dates. Then, if you continue reading, you'll get a summary of how our previous week went.
Alright, there you go! I hope to see everyone tomorrow morning. Tell those kids to get some sleep. :)
-B
It's almost time for third grade. This is a big year for your child and I'm very glad to be there to help them along the way. Most of you already know me, but to those of you that don't yet, I want to welcome you to a school where real learning happens, where kids are encouraged to ask questions, and where everyone is on a journey of outgrowing themselves.
I wanted to send you a quick post outlining some info about the beginning of the year and how I will communicate with you.
Schedule
Our schedule will vary depending on the day. Some structures will stay in place, but others have to move around. I'll be sending each of you a copy of our class schedule. Plus, it's color coded!
MAT
Our class will have an MAT for the fall semester. Her name is Mrs. Katie Watson and I've had the pleasure of getting to know her over the last couple of days. She will be a real asset to your children this year. I was an MAT several years back, so it's a program that I really believe in and I'm excited to contribute to.
Traffic!
Dr. Mueller sent out an edconnect explaining that you may want to consider bringing your child between 7:45 and 8:10 because our parking lot gets extremely congested on the first day of school. It's really not bad the second or third day. So, you may want to plan accordingly for tomorrow.
First Day Jitters
If you are able to come in, look for the tall, lanky guy with a tie surrounded by tiny people. I would love to meet our new parents and reconnect with the old ones...(get it?). The first part of our day will be getting our supplies organized, so some help with that will be appreciated. However, my goal is for our class to get started around 8:20-8:25 so I can start getting everyone acquainted and setting the tone for our day.
Forms/Technology
At the beginning of each year, your child comes home with all these forms. I'm not sure when you'll get them, but I'll send an email letting you know to check your child's folder for them. It's very important that we get these back ASAP, especially the one dealing with technology. I need to have that form before I can get the students started with their Chromebooks.
Weekly Communication and Homework
I communicate through email when I need to share information quickly or am giving you specific information about your child. If you send me an email and I haven't responded in 48 hours, just assume that I didn't see it and send it again; usually I'm pretty good about responding quickly.
I communicate daily through our class Twitter feed: @footecfi. I use this to share pictures and videos of what we're working on during the day.
I will communicate weekly about homework and a reflection on the week in our class blog. I'll send you an email each Monday with a link to the blog post. It will start with a bulleted list of what your child will have for homework, explanations if needed, and due dates. Then, if you continue reading, you'll get a summary of how our previous week went.
Alright, there you go! I hope to see everyone tomorrow morning. Tell those kids to get some sleep. :)
-B
Monday, December 7, 2015
Letter about Homework
Good News from Room
303
Dear
families,
I was going to give out a reading log, math packet, and spelling list for homework this week, but I think something more important may be in order...
Lately, our world has been seemingly
filled with all kinds of horrible events. It seems like every time we turn on the
news, get on the Internet, tune into the radio, or pick up a newspaper we are
immersed in negative stories about crime or violence. Some of these stories are
important; we want to ensure we are “in the know” because some of these stories
hit close to home, maybe it reveals wounds that were simply covered up and can
lead to productive dialogue that can actually change the course of history.
Yes, we do live in a world where “bad
things happen”. But, I think the reason we phrase it like that is because we
recognize that it’s a shame that so much good in the world gets overshadowed by
the bad. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to celebrate the good things in
the world instead of dwell on the bad.
Our class is in the middle of a unit
on nonfiction. We were going to work on pieces about weather, but something
came up in our morning meeting today that I think would be immensely more
powerful and authentic. The students want to create a newspaper that only has
stories, opinion pieces, instructional pieces, sports pieces that focus on the
good in life.
This is a massive overtaking. We want to
get it put together before Winter Break begins; we’ve already begun coming up
with some possible ideas:
· South Carolina flood recovery
· President Obama pardoning the turkeys
· The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade
· The lighting of the tree at the State
House
· Clemson’s 30,000 person pizza party
· A community helping replace a woman’s
stolen Christmas lights.
· The Panthers being 12-0
· Important things that make us
personally joyful
· Passing of the Cans
· Donating gifts
· Recipes/directions
· Student Voice Council
· Morning Milers
· 5th graders getting ready
for 6th grade
I’ve decided
that I’m going to do a story on President Jimmy Carter being cancer-free. I
want to learn more about the man and what his life has stood for. Your child
wants to come up with an idea for a piece that is positive and worth a read. It
can be:
· A story from the local community
· A story from your personal
connections about someone doing good to others.
· A sports story that highlights
something positive
· A national story that is positive
· An opinion piece about something
positive your child wants to convince others about.
· A story about our school.
· Recipes and other how-to pieces
· Interviews
Your child’s
homework tonight is to come up with a possible idea to write on this week. So
we can publish it next week. I appreciate your help with that. Your child will
have a sheet of paper to guide their thinking tonight. If you would ensure that
it is completed and brought back tomorrow, that would be awesome.
-Mr. Foote
Monday, November 30, 2015
Homework
Homework is pretty straightforward this week. Your child has their weekly spelling list in their folder. They should study for 10 minutes on 2 different days before Friday. Also, there is a math packet with the due dates at the top of each page. All of the pages deal with comparing values of numbers. Other than that, I'm leaving the kids some free time so they can try to earn cans for Passing of the Cans.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Homework
Math Packet: Three worksheets due on different days, just like last week. The second worksheet is not one that requires any answers on the paper, just practice. I need to see a signature from a parent on this sheet on Friday for your child to get credit.
Reading Log: Students should log 4 days of reading equation style by next Tuesday.
Th- Spelling List: The list the students came up with contains these words: thought, thanks, through, third, threw, those, these, think, they, and thousand. They should study for 10 minutes a day on 2 days before this Friday's check-in.
Reading Log: Students should log 4 days of reading equation style by next Tuesday.
Th- Spelling List: The list the students came up with contains these words: thought, thanks, through, third, threw, those, these, think, they, and thousand. They should study for 10 minutes a day on 2 days before this Friday's check-in.
Monday, November 9, 2015
11/9 Homework
Hello families,
Something strange happened to me over the last two months; I was able to experience life with kids in school for the first time ever. It has been an incredible experience, but extremely thought-provoking as I am now experiencing the "joys" of making sure that tired, hungry kids get their homework done and everything signed and OH WAIT a permission form that's due tomorrow and...yeah.
I've spent the last few weeks reflecting deeply about how homework in our classroom is structured. I want to give the students authentic, sometimes enjoyable engagements or assignments. There also is a balance between giving independent practice in math, reading, and writing. I value the quality time that you get with your children and I don't want your evenings to be chock-full of assignments. Most of the work I'll send home will be things that the students will not need much scaffolding with and will not consume their evenings. If a larger task needs to be done, say a project, then it will usually be the only assignment for that week.
Here is your child's homework for this week, they have different due dates so it's not all done on the same day.
Weekly Word List: Check-in on Friday
I have revised our spelling practice. Instead of looking at the words on the recommended list, we are looking at a spelling pattern or sound each week, doing a minilesson about the structure of those words, naming several words, and voting on the words we think we would use most often in our writing. That's where the spelling lists will come from now on.
stronger, burn, dinner, purse, nurse, member, remember, number, culture, November (festive, I know)
Place Value Math Game: Play by Thursday
There is a score sheet, front and back, for you to share with your child.
1. Roll 2 dice. Add the numbers up.
2. Pick which place you want to put that number. The goal is to build the larger number than your child. Hide your number so there's mystery about where you put it.
3. Your child goes. You hope they roll low numbers.
4. You repeat until the 10th round.
5. Whoever wins the most rounds does a victory dance. Or, you could maybe get some additional chores out of them? Just trying to give you some good ideas.
Scoring: 2-9 is worth 2-9. 10 is worth 0. 11 is worth 1. 12 is a reroll.
I'd like for you to write out what you learned as well. This is to be turned in on Thursday.
Reading Log: Due Monday
Your child will need to log 4 days of reading by next Monday. They should read 20 minutes each day. Please make sure they do their equation to figure out how many pages they read.
Something strange happened to me over the last two months; I was able to experience life with kids in school for the first time ever. It has been an incredible experience, but extremely thought-provoking as I am now experiencing the "joys" of making sure that tired, hungry kids get their homework done and everything signed and OH WAIT a permission form that's due tomorrow and...yeah.
I've spent the last few weeks reflecting deeply about how homework in our classroom is structured. I want to give the students authentic, sometimes enjoyable engagements or assignments. There also is a balance between giving independent practice in math, reading, and writing. I value the quality time that you get with your children and I don't want your evenings to be chock-full of assignments. Most of the work I'll send home will be things that the students will not need much scaffolding with and will not consume their evenings. If a larger task needs to be done, say a project, then it will usually be the only assignment for that week.
Here is your child's homework for this week, they have different due dates so it's not all done on the same day.
Weekly Word List: Check-in on Friday
I have revised our spelling practice. Instead of looking at the words on the recommended list, we are looking at a spelling pattern or sound each week, doing a minilesson about the structure of those words, naming several words, and voting on the words we think we would use most often in our writing. That's where the spelling lists will come from now on.
stronger, burn, dinner, purse, nurse, member, remember, number, culture, November (festive, I know)
Place Value Math Game: Play by Thursday
There is a score sheet, front and back, for you to share with your child.
1. Roll 2 dice. Add the numbers up.
2. Pick which place you want to put that number. The goal is to build the larger number than your child. Hide your number so there's mystery about where you put it.
3. Your child goes. You hope they roll low numbers.
4. You repeat until the 10th round.
5. Whoever wins the most rounds does a victory dance. Or, you could maybe get some additional chores out of them? Just trying to give you some good ideas.
Scoring: 2-9 is worth 2-9. 10 is worth 0. 11 is worth 1. 12 is a reroll.
I'd like for you to write out what you learned as well. This is to be turned in on Thursday.
Reading Log: Due Monday
Your child will need to log 4 days of reading by next Monday. They should read 20 minutes each day. Please make sure they do their equation to figure out how many pages they read.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Homework for the Week
Homework
Three math worksheets are in a packet. They are based off of the math we will be working on in class this week. The due dates for each sheet are written at the top of the page. We have only done the lesson for the first sheet, so that's all that should be done before Wednesday. The second sheet is due Friday. The third sheet is due next Monday.
Also due next Monday is your child's second weather observation/illustration. Alot of students put in great detail with their written observations. Please look over your child's work to make sure clarity and detail are present.
Three math worksheets are in a packet. They are based off of the math we will be working on in class this week. The due dates for each sheet are written at the top of the page. We have only done the lesson for the first sheet, so that's all that should be done before Wednesday. The second sheet is due Friday. The third sheet is due next Monday.
Also due next Monday is your child's second weather observation/illustration. Alot of students put in great detail with their written observations. Please look over your child's work to make sure clarity and detail are present.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Homework
We're going to hold off on spelling this week because I need to revise the list and make new copies for the students.
This week's homework will have two parts.
Part 1: Due Wednesday
We are learning about nonfiction texts beginning this week. We talked about the famous quote: "A picture is worth 1,000 words." Your child is going to write a response about what they think this quote means. We will be discussing our responses on Wednesday.
Part 2: Due Monday
Your child will go outdoors and observe the weather. They will write down their observations on one half of the sheet of paper and make an illustration of the outdoor scene they observed. We will share these out next Monday when we begin our weather unit.
As we are learning about the part that photography plays in nonfiction, I am sending out an all-call. If you have collected amazing images from magazine covers or photographs you have taken yourself, we would love to have them in class so we can discuss in our class. Thanks!
This week's homework will have two parts.
Part 1: Due Wednesday
We are learning about nonfiction texts beginning this week. We talked about the famous quote: "A picture is worth 1,000 words." Your child is going to write a response about what they think this quote means. We will be discussing our responses on Wednesday.
Part 2: Due Monday
Your child will go outdoors and observe the weather. They will write down their observations on one half of the sheet of paper and make an illustration of the outdoor scene they observed. We will share these out next Monday when we begin our weather unit.
As we are learning about the part that photography plays in nonfiction, I am sending out an all-call. If you have collected amazing images from magazine covers or photographs you have taken yourself, we would love to have them in class so we can discuss in our class. Thanks!
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Beginning Memoir
We are beginning our first genre study and it will result in our first published memoirs. A memoir is a personal narrative about important memories. They are detailed and contain a lot of emotional meaning. Today, in class we read one of my favorite memoirs, Crow Call by Lois Lowry. It's about her going on a hunting trip with her dad who just returned from the war. I asked the students to come up with some observations from the book.
"It's very realistic."
"The pictures looked lifelike."
"I thought she was very enthusiastic."
"She chose words that were calm and peaceful."
"She had other people talking in the story."
These are all very important observations that will help guide us as we prepare memoirs of our own. The class came up with some memories and we categorized them. Obviously there could be other categories, but here you go:
-Vacations
-Visiting relatives
-Medical emergencies (broken arms, bumped heads)
-Birthdays
-Important firsts
-Beach trips
-Major accomplishments (Aquil said he hit a home run!)
-Overcoming fears
-Fun memories
-Tiny but important moments (Addison mentioned a time a girl stopped what she was doing to help her get a basketball that rolled in the street)
-Sad memories
-Time with parents
-Brothers or sisters being born
-Hero moments
After we made the list, the students went off and made a personal list of 3 memories. They are bringing it home tonight. Their homework is to talk through their list with you and work on narrowing it down to the BEST choice. The best choice would be the one that your child has the most details in their retelling. You can show them pictures of these events, or you could even say, "Remember when this happened?" so they come up with a brand new idea that they didn't think of today. The goal is that every student has picked a topic that will be a good choice for them as we begin this genre study. Monday, we will begin writing.
B
"It's very realistic."
"The pictures looked lifelike."
"I thought she was very enthusiastic."
"She chose words that were calm and peaceful."
"She had other people talking in the story."
These are all very important observations that will help guide us as we prepare memoirs of our own. The class came up with some memories and we categorized them. Obviously there could be other categories, but here you go:
-Vacations
-Visiting relatives
-Medical emergencies (broken arms, bumped heads)
-Birthdays
-Important firsts
-Beach trips
-Major accomplishments (Aquil said he hit a home run!)
-Overcoming fears
-Fun memories
-Tiny but important moments (Addison mentioned a time a girl stopped what she was doing to help her get a basketball that rolled in the street)
-Sad memories
-Time with parents
-Brothers or sisters being born
-Hero moments
After we made the list, the students went off and made a personal list of 3 memories. They are bringing it home tonight. Their homework is to talk through their list with you and work on narrowing it down to the BEST choice. The best choice would be the one that your child has the most details in their retelling. You can show them pictures of these events, or you could even say, "Remember when this happened?" so they come up with a brand new idea that they didn't think of today. The goal is that every student has picked a topic that will be a good choice for them as we begin this genre study. Monday, we will begin writing.
B
Friday, September 18, 2015
Pics of the New Foote Family
So, some observations from the day:
1. We could start our own pick-up basketball team.
2. These kids love music.
3. My pizza budget might need to increase substantially.
Seriously guys, I'm experiencing tremendous joy right now. I don't really understand how to explain it. But, I thought you would like to see a few pics from our afternoon.
1. We could start our own pick-up basketball team.
2. These kids love music.
3. My pizza budget might need to increase substantially.
Seriously guys, I'm experiencing tremendous joy right now. I don't really understand how to explain it. But, I thought you would like to see a few pics from our afternoon.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Update
We have been busy using our awesome brains in the last two weeks. Along the way, we've done some pretty neat stuff that I wanted to share with you.
Economics and Communities
We broke up into groups and created communities with tax money. Some groups had rural communities, some suburban, and some urban. The rural communities had the least money and the urban community had the most, related to how many people could be taxed. Each group had a sheet with things they needed to build, such as police stations, fire departments, and schools. Each community had to have utilities such as power lines, sewage, and water treatment facilities. To keep track of their spending, the kids used calculators and a ledger.
After balancing their budgets, the students began building their communities by drawing on poster boards. They used the ledgers as a guide. They weren't allowed to build anything they hadn't paid for. Along the way, the students learned how difficult it is to plan communities and how communities with more people have more than those with less people.
Explorations Pics
Economics and Communities
We broke up into groups and created communities with tax money. Some groups had rural communities, some suburban, and some urban. The rural communities had the least money and the urban community had the most, related to how many people could be taxed. Each group had a sheet with things they needed to build, such as police stations, fire departments, and schools. Each community had to have utilities such as power lines, sewage, and water treatment facilities. To keep track of their spending, the kids used calculators and a ledger.
After balancing their budgets, the students began building their communities by drawing on poster boards. They used the ledgers as a guide. They weren't allowed to build anything they hadn't paid for. Along the way, the students learned how difficult it is to plan communities and how communities with more people have more than those with less people.
Damien and Aubree named theirs "Labor City" where every day is Labor Day. Nice!
Here is a video that the kids have been begging me to put on the blog.
Math
We are still working with learning how to decompose numbers and combine them to add and subtract. This is the building block of regrouping, which is huge for 2nd grade. It helps the students see that when you're carrying, it's not just a 1, it's actually a 10. To help us practice, we played a math game called Race to 100, which is a very simple game you could play at home. All you need is 2 dice. Your child would love to teach you!
Writing
Next week, we will begin our Memoir or Personal Narrative study, but we wanted to get an initial published piece accomplished so we better understood the process that authors go through. These are choice pieces. Some kids chose to write nonfiction, others fiction. The important thing was moving through the process of making revisions and editing so an audience can better understand it. These pieces will be shorter than the personal narratives we will write beginning next week. I'm very excited about the Memoir study. One suggestion is to help your child come up with some ideas of important and meaningful memories that are just begging to be written.
Reading
We have been looking closely at reading responses such as summarizing and predicting. We also are practicing reading strategies such as chunking words, looking at spelling patterns, and skipping the word to read around it. As a chapter book read aloud, we have been reading Frindle by Andrew Clements.
Explorations Pics
And this last pic is of Anna, Maiya, and me bringing back the colonial look.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Homework: Due Monday 9/21
Reading Log
Log 5 days, no summaries needed.
Math Packet
3 sheets. Two sheets are word problems; please make sure your child writes the equation or number sentence for each problem. The other sheet is mixed addition and subtraction.
Spelling List
Beginning this week, your child will have a weekly spelling list. They will see a few weeks on one sheet of paper, but they will only focus on 1 week at a time. If you feel they are ready to work on others, feel free. Since this is our 1st week, start with Week 1, not Week 5.
over
new
art
take
only
car
park
hard
barn
card
shark
dark
oh
eyes
timeline
hold
Log 5 days, no summaries needed.
Math Packet
3 sheets. Two sheets are word problems; please make sure your child writes the equation or number sentence for each problem. The other sheet is mixed addition and subtraction.
Spelling List
Beginning this week, your child will have a weekly spelling list. They will see a few weeks on one sheet of paper, but they will only focus on 1 week at a time. If you feel they are ready to work on others, feel free. Since this is our 1st week, start with Week 1, not Week 5.
over
new
art
take
only
car
park
hard
barn
card
shark
dark
oh
eyes
timeline
hold
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Homework (Blog Post to Come Later)
Homework: (Due Monday)
No math homework this week. Instead it's a reading log but only 4 days to log. Additionally, your child will do a short summary about the selection of text they read on 2 nights. It can come from the same book, just different parts of the story. This is to be written on notebook paper. The total of the 2 summaries shouldn't go beyond a full page (just one side). We're working on finding the most important information from the text to share. Have your child show you what they wrote and check for clarity of thought and ask them to probe their thinking more if you feel they need to add more important info.
No math homework this week. Instead it's a reading log but only 4 days to log. Additionally, your child will do a short summary about the selection of text they read on 2 nights. It can come from the same book, just different parts of the story. This is to be written on notebook paper. The total of the 2 summaries shouldn't go beyond a full page (just one side). We're working on finding the most important information from the text to share. Have your child show you what they wrote and check for clarity of thought and ask them to probe their thinking more if you feel they need to add more important info.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Update, Homework, and Dates
So, we made it through our first full week of school. One of the things that impressed me about the kids, and I shared this with them Friday after Gathering, is how quickly we have made the transition from summer/1st grade to what we are expected to do as 2nd graders. They are growing in their understanding of how they fit into a smaller classroom with more responsibilities and expectations. Now that we have that in our heads, we are able to take our experiences to another level!
Last week, we spent a lot of time going over procedures such as how to use a chart to log our independent reading choices and then we reflected on the chart to set goals for ourselves. Some noticed that they read only nonfiction, some noticed that they chose a different book each day, some noticed that they read more as the week went on.
In Math, we have been working at understanding the number 10, how we can create number bonds to help us make 10, which makes adding and subtracting significantly more efficient. It also builds our number sense.
Finally, we have begun Explorations and the excitement is so evident in the students. I was impressed at the choices they were making. GarageBand seems to be a class-favorite, as well as building with the K'nex and Contraptions. Here are some pictures:
Here are pictures from the Gathering where Marley, Wyatt, and Paula Kay were introduced by their fellow students.
Sidenote: Let's say your awesome kid does something awesome at home and wants to share that awesome thing with their awesome friends. Send it to me in an email!!! I'll put it on the blog so that it can make the Internet more awesome! Will's family sent this to me last week.
I'll be posting tons of pictures this year, so if you don't see your kid in these, you'll see them in other posts.
Homework
Due Wednesday: Your child will ask you a few questions about taxes, they will write down your answers and bring them back to class Wednesday. This will help us as we understand how citizens fit into their communities.
Due next Tuesday: Math packet and reading log.
Dates
Tuesday, Sept. 8: MAP Reading
Tuesday, Sept. 15: MAP Math
Thursday, Sept. 17: Opening Picnic
Thursday, Sept. 24: Early Dismissal/Parent-Teacher Conference Day (Let me know if you would like to meet)
Thursday, Oct. 8: Curriculum Night #1
Friday, Oct. 16: Zoo Trip and our 1st Gathering...eeesh, your kids will be exhausted for that weekend.
Adoption Update
We fly out early Saturday to see the kids for Labor Day weekend. We also got our official dates for them to move out here! Weekend of Sept. 19th. I'll probably take a couple of days off that following week as we help our family adjust to the changes. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks!
Last week, we spent a lot of time going over procedures such as how to use a chart to log our independent reading choices and then we reflected on the chart to set goals for ourselves. Some noticed that they read only nonfiction, some noticed that they chose a different book each day, some noticed that they read more as the week went on.
We also spent some time observing different types of maps and pictures of the world. We started by looking at the world map, noticing how continents were landmasses consisting of several countries. We also checked out this guy here:
https://twitter.com/StationCDRKelly
This is Scott Kelly, an astronaut who posts pictures of the Earth on his Twitter feed. We were able to see pictures of "Hurricane" Danny and the northern islands of Canada.
After we looked at countries, we shifted our focus to the states. We looked at atlases in groups and recorded our observations. This also provided us with valuable practice for working with our peers.
Finally, we have begun Explorations and the excitement is so evident in the students. I was impressed at the choices they were making. GarageBand seems to be a class-favorite, as well as building with the K'nex and Contraptions. Here are some pictures:
Here are pictures from the Gathering where Marley, Wyatt, and Paula Kay were introduced by their fellow students.
Sidenote: Let's say your awesome kid does something awesome at home and wants to share that awesome thing with their awesome friends. Send it to me in an email!!! I'll put it on the blog so that it can make the Internet more awesome! Will's family sent this to me last week.
I'll be posting tons of pictures this year, so if you don't see your kid in these, you'll see them in other posts.
Homework
Due Wednesday: Your child will ask you a few questions about taxes, they will write down your answers and bring them back to class Wednesday. This will help us as we understand how citizens fit into their communities.
Due next Tuesday: Math packet and reading log.
Dates
Tuesday, Sept. 8: MAP Reading
Tuesday, Sept. 15: MAP Math
Thursday, Sept. 17: Opening Picnic
Thursday, Sept. 24: Early Dismissal/Parent-Teacher Conference Day (Let me know if you would like to meet)
Thursday, Oct. 8: Curriculum Night #1
Friday, Oct. 16: Zoo Trip and our 1st Gathering...eeesh, your kids will be exhausted for that weekend.
Adoption Update
We fly out early Saturday to see the kids for Labor Day weekend. We also got our official dates for them to move out here! Weekend of Sept. 19th. I'll probably take a couple of days off that following week as we help our family adjust to the changes. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks!
Monday, August 24, 2015
Homework, Dates, and the Week Ahead (Week 2)
Good morning families,
I trust that all of you had a pleasant and life-giving weekend. We had family in town this weekend and my house had, at one point, 16 kids in it for Conner's birthday party. Good practice I guess.
Homework
Your child is to read 20 minutes each day, including Saturdays and Sundays. Each day after they read, they will log their choice into a reading log. They will have to write the title, type of book (fiction or nonfiction), and the number of pages read. They should write the number of pages in a subtraction math fact. For example, if I ended reading on page 23 but started on page 16, I could write 23-16=7. Any practice with math is good practice!
Also, your child will have a very short math packet where he/she will practice the math concepts we explored last week. Please look over this with them and help them correct miscues. Doing so will provide you insight into how they are working through the concept and help reinforce some of the learning.
Both of these assignments are to be completed and turned in before Explorations on Monday, August 31st.
Dates
Monday, 9/7: Labor Day, no school
Thursday, 9/17: Opening Picnic, hold on times
Thursday, 9/24: Early Dismissal, conference day
If you would like to schedule a conference with me for that Thursday, send me an email.
The Week Ahead
This week, we are going to look at the reading strategies that our parents are using when they read. We'll categorize them and come up with strategies that we can fall back on when we are trying to figure out how to say a word or figure out what a word means. If you have some that didn't make it in the packet, feel free to post some in the comments!
We are still setting up our Writer's Workshop time. Today, we compiled lists to help us have a point of reference for thinking of ideas to write about. As we "get the cobwebs" out, we will be working on ending punctuation in our writing.
In Math, we are working on fluently adding and subtracting within 20, including decomposing numbers to help us begin to understand what regrouping actually does.
In Unit of Study, we are going to look at maps this week, including how populations are distributed based on resources available.
I trust that all of you had a pleasant and life-giving weekend. We had family in town this weekend and my house had, at one point, 16 kids in it for Conner's birthday party. Good practice I guess.
Homework
Your child is to read 20 minutes each day, including Saturdays and Sundays. Each day after they read, they will log their choice into a reading log. They will have to write the title, type of book (fiction or nonfiction), and the number of pages read. They should write the number of pages in a subtraction math fact. For example, if I ended reading on page 23 but started on page 16, I could write 23-16=7. Any practice with math is good practice!
Also, your child will have a very short math packet where he/she will practice the math concepts we explored last week. Please look over this with them and help them correct miscues. Doing so will provide you insight into how they are working through the concept and help reinforce some of the learning.
Both of these assignments are to be completed and turned in before Explorations on Monday, August 31st.
Dates
Monday, 9/7: Labor Day, no school
Thursday, 9/17: Opening Picnic, hold on times
Thursday, 9/24: Early Dismissal, conference day
If you would like to schedule a conference with me for that Thursday, send me an email.
The Week Ahead
This week, we are going to look at the reading strategies that our parents are using when they read. We'll categorize them and come up with strategies that we can fall back on when we are trying to figure out how to say a word or figure out what a word means. If you have some that didn't make it in the packet, feel free to post some in the comments!
We are still setting up our Writer's Workshop time. Today, we compiled lists to help us have a point of reference for thinking of ideas to write about. As we "get the cobwebs" out, we will be working on ending punctuation in our writing.
In Math, we are working on fluently adding and subtracting within 20, including decomposing numbers to help us begin to understand what regrouping actually does.
In Unit of Study, we are going to look at maps this week, including how populations are distributed based on resources available.
Adoption update: Tori and I are flying out the beginning of Labor Day weekend to visit the 4 kids and we'll get to hang with them for 3 days. The paperwork has been completed by both Texas and SC and so it should be happening soon! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Thx.
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