October is here!!

                                                                                            October 3, 2016

Dear Parents,

How can it be October already?  These months are just flying by, before we know it students will be writing the date using 2017!!

Just a quick reminder to make sure to label your kiddo’s jackets and sweatshirts!  Some parents are putting brightly colored ribbons on their child’s zip up hoodie.  This has proven a good way to reunite students with their hoodies.  The lost and found is starting to pile up.  If your child is missing something it’s worth checking it out.  

Math

In math we are beginning our journey into adding and subtracting 2, 2-digit numbers within 100 without renaming.  Second grade students will be learning many different strategies within the next few weeks.  Last week our focus was using the Branch Method of addition and subtraction.  Students really did a great job working through the process of decomposing the tens and ones and were very successful with the Branch Method.

This week students will be introduced to the Open Number Line.  Again, it is really about being able to decompose the tens and ones place of a number and use a number line to add or subtract.  While it is very different from the way that Miss Garcia and myself (and possibly you too!) learned to add and subtract multi-digit numbers, it will deepen your child’s understanding of adding and subtracting larger numbers.

Here is an example of Open Number Line.  The equations is 52 + 31 = _______.

Start at 52.  Decompose 31 into 3 groups of 10 and 1 group of 1.  Add filling in the number line as you go.

52 + 10 = 62, 62 + 10 = 72, 72 + 10 = 82, and then 82 + 1 = 83

           + 10                  +10                 +10             +1

    52                  62                   72                  82          83

Here's the homework for this week.

Mon.  Worksheet: Branch Subtraction

Tues. Worksheet - Open Number Line addition

Wed.  Worksheet - Open Number Line subtraction

Thurs. Worksheet - Word Problem: solve with Open Number Line

Language

In Language, we continue to learn about verbs.  We created a circle map that included many verbs.   We also discussed the present and past tense of verbs, and used these tenses to interactively write a Tree Map.  They used present and past tense verbs in their writing.  Second graders are learning that there are irregular verbs that in order to form the past tense you may not just add “ed” but change the spelling of the word.

Present Tense                           Past Tense

We catch the fly ball.                We caught the fly ball.

Writing

After reading Gooney Bird Greene, the students decided to write their own “Absolutely True Stories.”  We introduced to the students that a good story has a beginning, middle, end and good writers always add details and descriptions to improve their 2nd grade writing.  Students have picked their topics and they are excited to begin to write their own “Absolutely True Stories”.

Projects

We are ready to perform!  Your second grade students will perform their TRIBES presentation On Tuesday, October 4th at 3:15 PM.  Each second grade class will perform in their own classroom.  We hope you will be able to come!  The total time for all 4 puppet shows will be approximately 20 minutes!

Our next project will be in the area of science.  The second graders will be studying Matter.  Here is our Driving Question: How can we, as Scientists, use the scientific method by studying Matter?

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Anne Bloomfield

and

Miss Garcia

Fall Has Arrived!!

Fall Has Arrived!!

                                                                                           

  September 26, 2016

Dear Parents,

Fall is here, along with the appropriate weather!  Miss Garcia and myself have to admit that we are definitely fans of this cool, crisp weather!  Please be sure that with cooler weather your student is dressed for comfort with at least a light jacket or sweater for recess time.

Math

In math we spent the week on Part-Whole Word Problems.  Word problems are always a bit tricky for students.  As we work on them we are "dissecting" the problems looking for the important clues, to help us to understand and answer the problems.  Students are working on identifying whether a number in the problem is the "whole" or one of the "parts".  Our mantra has been...

Part + Part = Whole (If the problem gives you the parts, you would add to find the whole.)

Whole - Part = Part (If the problem gives you the whole and a part, you would subtract to find the other part.)

In our answer we are writing an equation and writing an answer sentence.  Below is an example.    

Part-Whole Word Problems

Sarah drew 7 pictures on Saturday.  She drew a few more pictures on Sunday.  She drew 15 pictures altogether.  How many pictures did she draw on Sunday?

All Pictures

Saturday/ Sunday Pictures

Sat.

Sat.

Sat.

Sat.

Sat.

Sat.

Sat.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Number Bond     (Whole 15 -- Part 7 = Part 8)

Equation:  15 -- 7 = _8_                  or              7 + _8_ = 15

Answer Sentence:  Sarah drew 8 pictures on Sunday.

  

Give One Take One in Math                  

Our work with word problems will be ongoing.

Here's the homework for this week.

Mon.  IXL E.10 Add Doubles

Tues. IXL E.11 Add Doubles Complete the Addition Sentences

Wed.  Worksheet Branch Addition (2-digit + 1 digit numbers)

Thurs. Worksheet Branch Addition (2-digit + 1 digit numbers and 2-digit + 2-digit numbers)

Language

In Language, students started learning about verbs.  We created a circle map that included many verbs.  Students listened to a verb "rap", then completed their own verb "rap" which they will perform in groups for the class.  We also discussed the present and past tense of verbs.  Students used a bridge map to show present tense verbs and past tense verbs made by adding the "ed" ending.  They then used the present and past tense verbs in sentences.   

Writing

Second grade writers have completed their first piece of writing that has gone through the complete writing process, a riddle about themselves.  The riddles are now hanging up in the hallway with their self-portraits.  Hopefully parents will be able to stop by and try to guess which riddle belongs to your child.

With our first writing completed we spent time working on sentence descriptive writing this week.  Students worked on taking a basic sentence without description and adding some sensory details (what you might see, taste, hear, smell, or feel).  Adding sensory details really “paints a picture” with the sentence.  This skill will be revisited many times over the course of the year!

Projects

Although our Tribes in Action Project is taking longer than anticipated, we will complete it this week and perform it next week!!  Miss Garcia and myself are so proud of all groups.  They have worked really hard on their scripts, puppets, and props.  We will practice, practice, practice this coming week.  Our performance will be on Tuesday, October 4th at 3:15 PM.  Each class will perform in their own classroom.  We hope you will be able to come!  The total time for all 4 puppet shows will be approximately 20 minutes!

Our next project will be in the area of science and will begin this coming week.  More on that in next week's blog.

Here's wishing you a great week!

Sincerely,

Anne Bloomfield

and

Miss Garcia

Reading Information from Mrs. Loop…

Hello Second Grade Families,

Last week all second grade students continued reviewing closed syllables, open syllables and vowel-consonant-e syllables.  They were introduced to  R-controlled syllable which has -ar, -er, -ir, -ur, -or in the word.  Students practiced telling what happened at the beginning and the end of a story with their assigned reading books and they were all assessed on Thursday to check their ability to do this independently.  They also were assessed on sequencing events in the order that they happened in a book.  

This week all second graders will begin spelling tests.  They will be introduced to their spelling words on Monday of each week and a list will be sent home with them to practice.  In class during the week they will be required to complete two spelling activities of their choice that will encourage them to practice writing their spelling words correctly.  All students will be assessed on their spelling words on Thursdays.  They will also continue reviewing long and short vowel sounds in words and determine if they are long or short in a closed or open syllable.  Consonant -le syllables will be introduced this week that includes any word that has a syllable that ends in -le.  Such as in the word maple, freckle, table, etc.  Please continue to have your child read aloud to you nightly to help them improve their reading fluency.  Students will also be assessed on reading fluency each week.  They need to be able to read 100 words per minute by the end of 2nd grade.

Happy reading,

Mrs. Loop

Welcome Fall!!

September 19, 2015

Dear Second Grade Families,

It was another GRAND week in 2nd grade!  Miss Garcia and myself are so thankful every week for such a great group of students.  

This coming week will be Picture Day for Oasis Academy!  Here is the schedule for the 2nd grade classrooms.

Wednesday, September 21st @ 2:00 PM    Mrs. Bloomfield’s Class

Thursday, September 22nd @ 3:00 PM   Miss Garcia’s Class

Remember students are to wear their school uniform for pictures.  

Math

In Math we spent time comparing and ordering up to 3-digit numbers and working on the concept of counting on and back with numbers within 1,000 by 1's, 10's, and 100's.  Students discovered patterns as the counted on and back.  We have completed our first unit in math, students will be assessed next week.

Homework

Monday	Worksheet pgs. 31 & 32
Tuesday	G.2 Write addition sentences to describe pictures
Wednesday	Worksheet - Problem solving with number bonds and equations.
Thursday	G.3 Add a 2 digit to a one digit number without regrouping

Language

Our work with singular and plural nouns continued this week with irregular.  Some examples of irregular plural nouns are child/children, foot/feet, and man/men.  Students also learned that some nouns are the same in both the singular and plural forms like fish and fish.

Writing

In writing, we had the pleasure of meeting with all students.  Together we reviewed their riddles.  It was great to be able to discuss the editing and revising they had done on their riddles.  All students have completed their final copy.  It was a very big deal to have completed our first writing that has gone through the entire "writing process".  It was a lengthy, but very valuable process.  The riddles and the self portraits will be displayed on the bulletin board outside of Room 17 and Room 5.   I wonder if you will be able to guess your child's riddle by their clues and self portrait.

Projects

Projects have been going a bit slow.  Project groups have come up with characters, settings, a problem, and a solution to illustrate their Tribe Agreement.  We are now in the process of writing the scripts with each group.  This is a very time consuming part of the project. Miss Garcia and myself realize we have had to push out our presentation date but it is necessary for the students to complete their scripts and practice their puppet show.  We will keep you posted!

Here's wishing you a wonderful first day of fall!!

Sincerely,

Anne Bloomfield

      and

Miss Garcia

Here is some information on reading from Mrs. Loop...

Hello Second Grade Families,

Along with meeting in reading groups daily the kids continued reviewing closed syllables, open syllables and vowel-consonant-e syllables.  They practiced sorting a variety of words that fit in these syllable types.  We also looked at multisyllabic words this week and practiced dividing them into word parts. We also worked on identifying these syllable types in each syllable of the words.  This knowledge will help students be able to better read longer words independently.

This week we will review the vowel-consonant-e syllable and breaking bigger words into parts that have this syllable type.  The class will also be introduced to the R-controlled syllable.  The R-controlled syllable has er, ir, ur, or, ar in the word.  Students will practice telling what happened at the beginning of a story and the end of a story.  We will on focusing on not just the first and last pages of the book but the first few events that happened at the beginning of the story and the last few events that happened at the end of the story instead.  

On Thursday students will be assessed on their ability to answer questions about a reading passage as well as focusing on what happened at the beginning and end of a story.  Students will not be bringing home an assigned reading book over the weekend but instead will be bringing home a book of their choice from my classroom library to enjoy reading.  Please take the time to listen to your child read aloud their assigned reading throughout the upcoming week.

Reminder: Book orders are due Friday, September 23. Please order online or send money into school by then if you are interested in ordering books.

Happy reading,

Mrs. Loop