We made it through a busy first week!
Here are a few newsy bits and reminders:
- Water bottles: I strongly encourage your second grader to bring a reusable water bottle each day (or leave at school), to cut down on time spent using the drinking fountains. They discovered this week that I don't stop teaching when they leave the room! Please help them be sure their name is written on it. Please, please, no water bottles with the fun spray tops!
- Snacks: Students have many opportunities to eat during the day: school breakfast, lunch, and two recesses. You are welcome to send your child to school with a snack or two each day.
- School breakfast: Please encourage your child to know/decide whether they will be eating school breakfast BEFORE they settle in to class. We wasted a lot of time each morning with students deciding after 9:00 that they wanted breakfast. The breakfast line is long, and again, I don't stop teaching even if they're out of the room.
- Homework: your second grader has had homework each night this week, and has some for this weekend as well. Second graders should be reading 20 minutes each night, and then there is usually something a bit more. This week, it was handwriting. In class, we are graphing homework return, with a little goal of at least 20 out of 25 kids bringing it back finished, and a bigger goal of ALL 25 kids bringing it back (ask your child what happens if everyone brings in their homework).
- Supplies: I've finally got the scoop on supplies for students that were paid for directly to the school! We will be in business soon! If your child is complaining, reassure them that there is a lot for a teacher new to a school to learn, and their patience is appreciated!
- Communities: Next week, we begin our first unit of study: communities. As you are going about your daily life with your second grader, point out aspects of the different communities you are a part of. What makes a community? How does a person join a community? How do you help your community? What makes your communities special? You might be members of a church community, scouting community, cultural community, and certainly the community of Sandy! Along with this, we will be studying maps, geography, our place in the world, etc.
Here is our schedule:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| 8:45-9:00 | Meeting, calendar, warm-up | | | | |
| 9:00-9:15 | | | | | |
| 9:15-9:30 | Phonics and phonemic awareness | | | | |
| 9:30-9:45 | | | | | |
| 9:45-10:00 | Spelling | | | Computer lab | |
| 10:00-10:15 | | | | | |
| 10:15-10:30 | A.M. RECESS | | | | |
| 10:30-10:45 | Writing | Library | | | |
| 10:45-11:00 | | | | | |
| 11:00-11:15 | Acceleration (L.A.) | | | | |
| 11:15-11:30 | | | | | |
| 11:30-11:45 | Reading | | | | |
| 11:45-12:00 | | | | | |
| 12:00-12:15 | LUNCH | | | | |
| 12:15-12:30 | | | | | |
| 12:30-12:45 | Content | Content | Math | MUSIC | Math |
| 12:45-1:00 | | | | | |
| 1:00-1:15 | Reteach and enrich | | | | |
| 1:15-1:30 | | | | | |
| 1:30-1:45 | Math | Math | PE | Math | Math |
| 1:45-2:00 | | | | | |
| 2:00-2:15 | P.M. RECESS | | | | |
| 2:15-2:30 | Math | Math | Math | Math | |
| 2:30-2:45 | | | | | MEDIA |
| 2:45-3:00 | | | EARLY RELEASE | Content | |
| 3:00-3:15 | MEDIA | PE | | | |
| 3:15-3:30 | | | | | Activity time |
| 3:30-3:45 | | | | |
Second to last, here are a few pictures of some of the work we did this week. If your child's face is covered, it is because you have indicated you do not wish their likeness to be used in any school publications. If, at any time, you wish to have this preference changed, please let the front office know.
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| Students practiced mixing water colors to create self-portraits. |
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| Students learned the expectations for group work, and impressed me with their collaboration. |
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| Students worked in small groups to create patterns, after reading the fun book Friendshape. |
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| Students learned the expectations for making messes and then cleaning them up (and did a great job!). |
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| Students learned how to "name" a pattern. |
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| Students learned how we can reduce and reuse construction paper scraps, rather than just recycle them. |
There was one more group that I didn't get a picture of! Sorry!
Finally, we worked on some of these life and social skills, which we will continue to practice in class, and you can support at home:
- Manners, especially "May I...?" instead of "Can I...?" These guys have a lot of nice manners, especially apologizing for little things like bumping into each other.
- Memorizing birthdays: Second graders should be able to say their entire birthdate: Month, day, and year. When they can recite it for me, they earn a Marvelous Mustang. Next week, it will be home addresses!
Have a wonderful weekend!
