Last Week of the First Quarter

Fall Foilage in Lamoille Canyon, Nevada.

                                                                                                               October 12, 2015

Dear Second Grade Parents,

Here we are in Week 9 (our last week of the first quarter), I can't believe how fast this first quarter has gone.  It seems like just yesterday we were enjoying our first day of second grade!  

In any event, with the close of the first quarter, it's time to start scheduling Parent Teacher Conferences.  Our official Parent Teacher Conference is Friday, October 23rd but some of the conference times will drift into the following week.  An official sign up was sent out via email by Wednesday, October 7th.  Please be sure to respond promptly as you will be scheduled on "first come first serve basis".  I look forward to visiting with you all soon!

The Scholastic Book Fair will be at Oasis Academy during the week of October 19th.  We will go as a class on Monday, October 19th at 12:45 PM.  If students wish to purchase books, they may bring money for books anytime over the course of the week.  There will be a family night at some point during the week.  That information will come out via email soon.

Here's the happenings from Week 8 in a "nutshell"...

Math
In math we are students also started adding 2 digit numbers using an open number line.  This is an example of what the open number line strategy looks.

  
Part of the 2nd grade math standards include adding and subtracting within 1,000 using strategies base on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.  With that said, students practiced another strategy for adding called partial sums.  This strategy looks like this...
             3 6 2                         1.  Add the hundreds-- 300 + 400 = 700.
         +  4 2 7                         2.  Add the tens-- 60 + 20 = 80.
             300 + 400 = 7 0 0     3.  Add the ones-- 2 + 7 = 9.
                 60 + 20 =    8 0     4.  Add the partial sums--700 + 80 + 9 =789                          2 + 7 =      9           
                                    7 8 9
I realize that these strategies are very different from the traditional algorithm that we all learned but knowing these strategies helps to deepen the mathematical understanding of adding and subtracting.

Homework

Mon.  Worksheet--Partial Sum (2 digit numbers)
Tues.  Worksheet--Partial Sum (3 digit numbers)
Wed.  Worksheet--Branch Method, Open Number Line, Partial Sum
Thurs. Worksheet--Branch Method (subtraction)

Language
We finished up our work with irregular past tense verbs this week and started working with adjectives (words that describe nouns).  Students helped create an anchor chart as a resource for the room.  We are also identifying adjectives in sentences.  Our work with adjectives will continue into next week.

Writing 
The writers of Room 17 are completing their 2nd writing piece that has gone through the entire writing process.  Based on the read aloud book, Gooney Bird Greene, students are writing their very own "absolutely true" stories.  These narrative pieces have been very fun to hear while meeting to edit and revise.  they should be up on the outside bulletin boards to enjoy during parent conferences. 

Projects
Our work in Projects continues to focus on exploring matter.  Last week students added several pieces to their Matter Portfolio.  These pieces included a matter book which listed the important information about the behavior of solids, liquids, and gases and examples of each form of matter.  Students also completed a matter sort for their portfolio.  This week has really been about gaining information that will help students as they develop their projects.

With some much happening in the next couple of weeks, it will be very important to be tuned into the blog and emails.  I appreciate your attention to both!

Sincerely,
Anne Bloomfield

Here is some information from Mrs. Loop...

Hello Second Grade Families,

This is the final week of the first grading period which means this is the final week of report card assessments.  I have only been completing report card assessments on Thursdays of the last couple of weeks but this week I will be completing report card assessments during our class time throughout the week.  I will allow students to check out books from my class library so they will have a book to read at home nightly.  Have them read aloud their chosen book to you as some of their book choices may not be a perfect fit for them.  Remember to count 100 words of a good fit book and have your child practice reading them aloud in one minute.  This will help increase their fluency reading.  I am looking forward to getting back to our normal reading schedule next week.

Katy Loop