Mrs. Tabor’s 2^nd Grade Weekly News

January 19^th

Dear Families,

 

            We will go outside every day unless it is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or raining.  We will sometimes go outside if it is below 32 degrees, with the wind chill factor.  Fresh air is good for everyone!  Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.  Gloves, hats, scarfs are welcome!  

            Your child has started researching a famous westerner. This coming Thursday they will present a brochure about their chosen westerner. I’m encouraging the students to dress up and get into character on Thursday.

Related Arts for Next Week:  We will finish with Mr. Freyer on Tuesday, and begin Art on Wednesday

Daily Lunch Time:  10:43 – 11:08

 

Daily Homework:

-          Read 15 minutes each night and record title in student agenda.

-          Word Wall Words:  seem, feel, eyes, woman, above

-          Homework Notebooks due on Friday. 

 

Reader’s Workshop:

How do I compare two versions of the same story?

-          We will continue reading original fairytales along with fractured fairytales. The students are taking notes on different story elements in each book. We are then comparing these story elements to find similarities and differences. The students will be responding to which version of the fairytale they liked best, and giving evidence to support why they enjoyed one more than the other.

 

Word Work:

-          Word Wall Words:  seem, feel, eyes, woman, above

-          Word Work:  collective and plural nouns

 

Math Workshop:

How do I show the same number multiple ways?

What does >, <, and = mean? 

How do I order numbers from least to greatest and greatest to least?

-          This week we will continue our Math Unit, Unit 5.  Students will practice using symbols and words to compare numbers. They will practice ordering numbers from least to greatest. By breaking numbers apart they will learn different ways to show the same number.

***On Friday please have your child bring in a baggy full of small items (beads, beans, rice..)

 

Social Studies:

Who is Robert Fulton? Why was his invention important? Who is Sequoyah and how did he help the Cherokee? What is the Trail of Tears?

-          The students will learn the grand significance the steamboat had on transportation. The class will then learn about how Native Americans only passed down stories by mouth prior to Sequoyah creating the Cherokee Alphabet. We will then spend some time discussing the negative impact westward expansion had on the Native Americans and their journey on the Trail of Tears.

***On Tuesday please have your child bring in a small stuffed animal/doll (beanie baby size). 

Writing:

How can I publish what I’ve learned about a famous westerner?

How can I present my work?

-          The students will finish researching a famous westerner. They will then create a brochure in class. On Thursday they will present what they’ve learned.

 

Other Information:

 

-          Monday, January 18^th – No School in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

-          Pennies for Patients will be the week of January 25^th.

-          February 10^th – Early Release Day: Dismiss at 12:20

 

 Items needed this week:

-          Thursday- dress up as famous westerner (optional)

-          Friday- small bag of small items (beads, rice…)

 

Mrs. Tabor’s 2^nd Grade Weekly News

1/11 – 1/15

Dear Families,

            Hello!  Below is information about our up-coming week.  We have an Early Release Day on next Wednesday, January 13^th.  When the weather is cold, please make sure your child comes to school with a winter coat and gloves.  Several students only come in with a second sweatshirt.  These do not provide sufficient warmth on this extra chilly days!  Thank you.

Related Arts for Next Week:  Problem Solving Skills

Daily Lunch Time:  10:43 – 11:07 am (Lunch on ERD days is 11:12 – 11:37 am)

Daily Homework:

• Read 15 minutes each night and record title in student agenda.
• Word Wall Words:  across, being, father, present, still  
• Quiz for groups 2 and 3 will be on additional plural words from last week
• Please check agenda and take home folder nightly. Sometimes assignments will come home to be corrected, completed and returned.

• Homework Notebooks due on Friday. 

Reader’s Workshop:

What are literary elements and how do they help me to understand tall tales?

How can I compare and contrast two versions of the same story? 

• This week we will continue our ELA Unit 4, The Wild West. We will read John Henry.  Then we will start reading two versions of the same fairytale and folktale to practice comparing and contrasting each.  Many of our common tales such as Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the Gingerbread Man, and the Princess and the Pea also have western versions. 

Word Work:

• Word Wall Words:  across, being, father, present, still (Test on 1/15/16)  
• Word Work patterns:  See “Daily Homework” section above.  (Test on 1/15/16)

Math Workshop:

How do I relate place value and money?

How do I create a place value tool? 

What does >, <, and = mean? 

How do I order numbers from least to greatest and greatest to least?

• This week we will continue our Math Unit, Unit 5.  We will connect place value and money, create a place value tool using Styrofoam cups, practice comparing and contrasting numbers, and ordering numbers. 

Social Studies:

Who was Daniel Boone?  What was the Wilderness Road?

What was the Louisiana Purchase?  Why was it important?

Who were Lewis and Clark?  Why are they important to US History?

Who was Robert Fulton?  Why was his invention of the steamboat important?

• This week we will continue our westward expansion unit.  We will learn about Daniel Boone, the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, and Robert Fulton.
  
  

Writer’s Workshop:

What famous person do I want to know more about? 

How can I find out what’s most important about my famous person?

• This week we will work on informative writing.  Students will research a person who was important during the 1800’s.  They will use what they learn to create a brochure.  Students will present their person next Friday.  If they want to be creative and dress as their famous person, they can.   

Other Information:

• Wednesday, January 13^th is Early Release Day.
• Monday, January 18^th – No School in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
• Pennies for Patients will be the week of January 25^th.

Mrs. Tabor’s 2^nd Grade Weekly News

January 4^th

Dear Families,

 

            Greetings!  I hope that you all had a wonderful, restful break!  Thank you, again, for all of your lovely treats and gifts that you gave me.  I appreciate that I am so lucky to have your good wishes and support!   The new year has all of us setting new goals, and that includes your children.  Your children want to achieve reading, writing and math goals as well as personal goals toward making better friends, or being a better athlete.  This week, we will be discussing what skills we need to have in order to reach those goals.  Optimism, resilience, flexibility, perseverance and empathy are not always skills that come naturally, so we will learn how to incorporate skills throughout our morning meetings in January.  Please think about ways that you can support these skills at home.

 

Related Arts for Next Week:  P.E.

Daily Lunch Time:  10:43 – 11:08 am

 

Daily Homework:

-          Read 15 minutes each night and record title in student agenda.

-          Word Wall Words:  seem, feel, eyes, above, woman

-          Homework Notebooks due on Friday. 

 

Reader’s Workshop:

What are tall tales?

-          We will begin reading tall tales, and comparing character traits that are real and fantastic.  We will revisit the Reader’s Theatre scripts that we read in December based on the characters Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, Johnny Appleseed, and Slue Foot Sue. 

 

Word Work:

-          Word Wall Words:  seem,  feel, eyes, above woman  

-          Word Work patterns:  collective and plural nouns

 

Math Workshop:

How can I represent numbers with base 10 blocks?

-          This week we will explore ways to create numbers using flats (hundreds), rods (tens) and units (ones) through concrete manipulatives and drawings.

 

Social Studies:

How was the west settled?  Why did the pioneers head west?

-          This week we will learn  the locations of the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, as well as the Mississippi River, and discuss the reasons that the pioneers left the 13 original colonies to head west.  We will also discuss the jobs that the pioneers held, and the supplies that they took with them.

 

Writer’s Workshop:

Who were the western artists Remington, Curtis and Catlin? 

-          We will learn about these artists, look at their art, and write about our thinking about their art.