Sunday, October 3, 2021

We had another fantastic week in 2-2! Thomas was a terrific star student and line leader. We enjoyed learning more about him through the pictures and star poster he showed and displayed on the star bulletin board throughout the week. Thomas brought in a fascinating book about Abraham Lincoln to share with his classmates, too! 



Reading: We kicked off our next reading unit. The students will be focusing on fiction texts. We learned that there are 3 types of fiction:  traditional literature, realistic fiction, and fantasy fiction. The children are considering these types carefully and are working to classify the books they are reading during our independent reading time. During this unit, the children will be reading fiction carefully, retelling the key parts of the stories (beginning, middle, end). They will also work to identify the text's structure (chronological, description, problem/solution, etc.) Recognizing the text structure will help the children better anticipate the text and take their understanding even deeper.

Word Study:  The children zeroed in on 10 high-frequency words to practice this week. We learned about words that begin with consonant clusters, and we practiced reading, typing, and sorting them. We are hoping to use both our word study lessons and our word wall word practice to increase the accuracy of our spelling when writing. 

Writing:  We read a lovely story called Miss Tizzy this past week. Miss Tizzy is a sweet, unique, older neighbor who befriends the children in her neighborhood. They bake cookies, dress up, make crafts, and having impromptu parades. These children were eager to show Miss Tizzy the same love that she showed them when she isn't feeling well at the end of the story. 

Our class then brainstormed a list of friends that they might like to write a story about. We will put these stories into motion this week! When writing, the children are encouraged to remember proper capitalization and punctuation, to write in complete sentences, and to pay closer attention to the spelling of those high-frequency words.

Handwriting:  The children are doing a BEAUTIFUL job of practicing their handwriting in their handwriting workbooks.  They are remembering good writing posture and a strong pencil grip (pencil held between the thumb and pointer finger, resting on the third finger). The children are also working to remember the proper formation of each letter. Finally, it is really important that the children begin to transfer this beautiful practice to ALL of their written work! 

Math:  The children reviewed Chapter 2, took a practice test, and then took their Chapter 2 test on Friday afternoon. During this chapter, the children worked to learn and quickly recall their basic math facts.  They also learned to add 3 digit numbers with the use of regrouping, and without it.

Science: We learned about a 2nd habitat last week... The Saguaro Cactus habitat!  Like the Oak Tree, the cactus is surrounded with life. We learned not only about the cactus itself and its 200-year life span, but also the birds, insects, and mammals who call the Saguaro Cactus "home."

Headphones
If your child hasn't yet brought his or her headphones to school, please send them in when you can. We often use them during class and in the LMC. Much appreciated!

Book Orders
I received an email from Scholastic informing me that there are delays in shipping! 😩 I am so sorry about that! As soon as our full order arrives, I will get the books to the kids! Hopefully, they will be here this week.

Picture Day
The children smiled beautifully for their pictures on Thursday! I was able to snap a few photos, which are posted below. 

Fire Drill with AHFD:
Again, the children showed their best behavior while we focused on exiting the building quietly and safely!

MAP Report:
You should have found your child's MAP report in their backpack mail on Friday afternoon.

Friday Journals
 The children are really enjoying the letters you write to them every week in their Friday Journal. Thank you so much for motivating your child to write for a real, authentic purpose!                                                        
Homework Calendars:
Thank you for helping your child remember to turn in their first homework assignment on Friday, 10/1. I was blown away by all of the reading and math practice the children did during the month of October! Thank you, parents, for helping to total up the number of minutes that your child practiced at home, and "signing off" on this important work! You should have been able to locate the new homework calendar inside your child's red home folder. This completed calendar will be due on November 1st!

Upcoming Dates:

10/6 - Walk to School Day

10/11 - Institute Day, No School for Students

10/13 - MONDAY specials schedule

10/13 - PTA Running Club, 8:10 am in the Dryden field

10/13 - PTA Birthday Books for October birthdays

10/15 - Kindergarten & New Student Health Forms are due

10/15 - PTA Fall Fest Movie Night, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

10/20 - PTA Running Club, 8:10 am in the Dryden field

10/21 & 10/22 - Parent-Teacher Conferences (No School for Students)

10/25 - RULER Parent Presentation, 7:00 pm, Dryden LMC

10/29 - Halloween Parade & Classroom Parties

10/31 - Last day for 5% off Yearbook price

11/4 - PTA Reflections Art Program entries due












 

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