Mrs. Tabor’s 2^nd Grade Weekly News

2/29-3/4

Dear Families,

            I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend! If you haven’t had a chance to sign up for parent teacher conferences, please see the link below. If the available spots do not work, please contact me and we will arrange another time to meet.

 http://vols.pt/NS3FzD

Related Arts for Next Week:  Art (Mon/Tues) / Music the remainder of the week

Daily Lunch Time:  10:43 – 11:08 am

Daily Homework:

-       Civil Rights Vest Assignment: Your child brought home directions for this special assignment this past Friday. Vest assignments are due March 7^th. There will be no homework notebook this week.

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

-       Word Wall Words:  see your child’s agenda

-       Read and respond to your child’s reflection.

-       Please check agenda and take home folder nightly. Sometimes assignments will come home to be corrected, completed and returned.

Reader’s Workshop:

What are the most important points from different texts? How can I compare the most important points from two different texts?

-       Students will read a variety of texts including poems, articles, non-fiction, and fiction stories about people who impacted the Civil War and Civil Rights. They will highlight, make inferences, underline key words, and record their thinking to help determine the most important points from a text. Later in the week they will compare the most important points from two texts about the same topic.

Math Workshop:

What strategy works for me?

-       Last week students learned a variety of strategies to solve addition problems. These strategies include estimation, base ten sketches, partial sums, and counting up. Ask your child which strategy works best for them. This week we will focus on subtraction strategies. Students will learn strategies using hands on base ten blocks, then base ten sketches. They will also learn strategies using the number line and hundreds chart.

Social Studies:

Who is Rosa Parks?

Who is MLK Jr?

Who is Ruby Bridges?

Who is Ceaser Chavez?

-       Continuing with our “Journey to Freedom” theme, we will continue to learn about important people who fought for racial and gender equality.

Writer’s Workshop:

How do I edit my story? How do I revise my story? How do I use a storytelling voice?

-       Students will be learning how to edit their stories for punctuation and correct capitalization. They will revise their stories to add more details, but also think about what they are trying to do as a writer. Later in the week students will practice their fluency and expression while reading their own writing.

Other Information:

-       Please take time to respond to the following PTA survey regarding extra-curricular activities you would like Harmony to offer after school: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BY76JKX

-       Thursday, March 3^rd – Spring Picture Day

-       March 8^th and 9^th – Kindergarten Registration

-       March 9^th –Progress Reports go home

-       March 10^th and 14^th – Parent Teacher Conferences

-       March 15^th – PTA Skate Party at 6pm

-       March 16^th – Early Release

Mrs. Tabor’s 2^nd Grade Weekly News

2/22-2/26

Dear Families,

 

            I’m crossing my fingers that our snow days have ended.  What about you?  As your children come home muddy from the playground, please remember that our children need to be dressed for outdoor play.  For that reason, please remember that dress shoes probably aren’t the best choice for the playground. 

            I will be sending home a parent-teacher conference note this week.  Please sign and return this note promptly so that I can plan for conferences accordingly.

 

Related Arts for Next Week:  Enrichment (Tuesday) // Art the remainder of the week

Daily Lunch Time:  10:43 – 11:08 am

 

Daily Homework:

-          Homework Notebooks will go home this Monday and are due back this Friday. 

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

-          Word Wall Words:  tree, group, draw, important, state  

-          Word Work patterns will be tested next week

-          Please check agenda and take home folder nightly. Sometimes assignments will come home to be corrected, completed and returned.

 

Reader’s Workshop:

What can I infer about this poem? What can I infer about a person through their words?

-          This week we will read several poems that teach us about historical persons that influenced equal rights: Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Mary Bethoon, and Eleanor Roosevelt.   

 

Word Work:

-          Word Wall Words:  tree, group, draw, important, state

-          Word Work patterns:  See agenda

 

Math Workshop:

How do I sketch base 10 blocks addition?

How does “Ballpark math” help me as a mathematician?

What is partial sums? How do I use this to solve addition problems?

-          This week, we will begin learning strategies for adding and subtracting larger numbers with regrouping.  We will first practice modeling addition using base ten blocks.  Then students will learn how to solve addition problems using the partial sums method.  With this method, students break apart the ones, tens, and hundreds to add.  For example, 231 + 453 would be 200+400, 30+50, 1+3.  Students would then add 600+80+4 to get the sum of 684.

 

Social Studies:

What was the Emancipation Proclamation?

Who was Susan B. Anthony and Eleanor Roosevelt?

Who was Mary Bethoon? 

Who was Jessie Owens and Jackie Robinson?

-          Continuing with our “Journey to Freedom” theme, we will continue to learn about important people who fought for racial and gender equality.

 

Writer’s Workshop:

How can I write a powerful ending to my story? How do I revise my story?

-          This week we will continue work on our small moment stories. We will also practice revising our endings to make them even more powerful to our readers.  

 

Other Information:

-          Please take time to respond to the following PTA survey regarding extra-curricular activities you would like Harmony to offer after school: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BY76JKX

-          February 24^th – Harmony Book Exchange 7:15 – 7:35 am

-          Thursday, March 3^rd – Spring Picture Day

-          March 8^th and 9^th – Kindergarten Registration

-          March 9^th –Progress Reports go home

-          March 10^th and 14^th – Harmony’s scheduled days for parent-teacher conferences

-          March 15^th – PTA Skate Party at 6pm

-          March 16^th – Early Release Day

Mrs. Tabor’s 2^nd Grade Weekly News

2/15 – 2/19

Dear Families,

            Thank you so much for all of your donations to Pennies for Patients!  The students were so excited to make such a huge contribution to this worthy cause.  The class has really enjoyed listening to each other share their timelines!  We will finish sharing those we did not share last week this week.   

Related Arts for Next Week:  P.E.(Tuesday) // Enrichment the remainder of the week

Daily Lunch Time:  10:43 – 11:08 am

Daily Homework:

-          Homework Notebooks will go home this Tuesday and are due back this Friday. 

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

-          Word Wall Words:  outside, box, girl, near, stand (Test on 2/19/16)  

-          Word Work patterns (please check your child’s agenda;  same words from last week)

-           

Reader’s Workshop:

How were quilts important to the Underground Railroad?

What were the most important points about slavery?

How does the character’s point of view influence the story?

-          This week we will be reading several picture books that are about the Underground Railroad.  We will use these books to determine the most important points about slavery, and we will also continue to learn about point of view, or from whose perspective a story is being told. 

Word Work:

-          Word Wall Words:  outside, box, girl, near, stand (Test on 2/19/16) 

-          Word Work patterns:  See “Daily Homework” section above.  (Test on 2/26/16)

Math Workshop:

How do I sketch base 10 blocks addition?

What is partial sums? How do I use this to solve addition problems?

-          This week we will begin our Unit 6, which is focused on adding and subtracting larger numbers with regrouping.  We will first practice modeling addition using base ten blocks.  Then students will learn how to solve addition problems using the partial sums method.  With this method, students break apart the ones, tens, and hundreds to add.  For example, 231 + 453 would be 200+400, 30+50, 1+3.  Students would then add 600+80+4 to get the sum of 684.

Social Studies:

Who were Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee?

Who was Clara Barton and what is the American Red Cross?

Who was Abe Lincoln?  Why was his Gettysburg Address important?

-          This week we will continue discussing slavery, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War.  Students will learn about the leaders for the north and south.  We will also discuss Clara Barton and the Red Cross, and Abraham Lincoln. 

Writer’s Workshop:

How do I stretch out a small moment?

How do I zoom in on a small moment?

How can I write a powerful ending to my story?

-          This week we will continue to retell our small moment’s stories. Students are working hard to stretch out and zoom in on their moments by providing descriptive detail about their important event.  We will also practice revising our endings to make them even more powerful to our readers.

Other Information:

-          Please take time to respond to the following PTA survey regarding extra-curricular activities you would like Harmony to offer after school: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BY76JKX

-          On Friday, February 19^th we will have a pediatric dentist visit to discuss good oral hygiene. 

-          February 24^th – Harmony Book Exchange 7:15 – 7:35 am

-          Thursday, March 3^rd – Spring Picture Day

-          March 8^th and 9^th – Kindergarten Registration

-          March 15^th – PTA Skate Party at 6pm

-          March 16^th – Early Release Day

Mrs. Tabor’s 2^nd Grade Weekly News

February 8^th – 12^th  

Dear Families,

Thank you to everyone for participating in Pennies for Patients! Over the last two weeks, our class has already raised $120. Wow! Our school has raised over $4,700 putting us very close to our goal of $5,000! This Friday students will have the opportunity to purchase a piece of tape for $1 and help tape Mrs. Hackmiller to the wall! Every penny counts, so please continue to support this wonderful cause!

 

I can’t wait to see the timelines the students have made. Throughout the coming week we will share about 4 each day. Timelines will then be hung in the hallway for about one month and then will return home! Thanks for your help with these fun projects!

Related Arts for Next Week:  Art

Daily Lunch Time:  10:43-11:08 (Wednesday 11:12-11:37- Early Release)

 

Daily Homework:

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

-       Word Wall Words:  different, really, hurt, without, mean

-       Please see homework notebook for additional assignments.

-       Please check agenda and take home folder nightly, as any unfinished assignments will come home to be completed.

 

Reader’s Workshop:

What is point of view?

What is the point of view of each character?

How are they similar and different?

-       We will start the week by learning how stories can be written from 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd person point of view. The students will learn about each type, and what clues help them identify the POV. First person is told from a character in the story and uses the words I, me, and we. Second person (mostly in how to stories and recipe books) uses the words you and your. While third person is told from a narrator, and uses the words he, she, and they.  They will then learn how to identify the point of view that characters have towards other characters and events in a story. Identifying the point of view helps readers better understand the text and make predictions. Throughout the week we will use different mentor texts to model and practice understanding and comparing point of view.

 

Word Work:

-       Word Wall Words:  different, really, hurt, without, mean

Math Workshop:

How much time does different activities take?

What can I do in 100 seconds?

How many ways can I say the time?

-       We will finish up learning about elapsed time, telling time on an analog clock, and saying the time a variety of ways. For example, 5:40 could be read as five-forty, twenty till six, or forty past five. At the end of the week we will complete the Unit 5 transfer task and test.

 

Social Studies:

What was the Underground Railroad?

What states were considered northern and southern?

What did the northern and southern states disagree about?

-       Last week we wrapped up our Westward Expansion Unit this week we are beginning the Long Journey to Freedom Unit. Through the next several weeks we will learn about the Civil War, Civil Rights, and important heroes that impacted our country during this time. We will create a timeline to help order the significant events.

 

Writing:

What is a small moment?

How do I capture story ideas?

How do I stretch out a small moment?

How do I zoom in on a small moment?

-       Over the past week students turned a personal narrative into a tall tale by making the character(s) bigger then life. This week we are really going to zoom into how we develop ideas in a personal narrative. Students will receive tiny notebooks to jot down small moments. They will then focus on which of these small moments could be turned into a story. Next, they will learn how tiny topics don’t become stories right away, but instead how to plan out each part of their story. Towards the end of the week students will practice writing details by using concrete objects first. For example, how many details can they write about a seashell?

 

Other Information:

-       This is the last week of Pennies for Patients! Please continue to support!

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

-       February 12^th -Our Valentine’s Day Party will be from 12:40-2:00. Parents are welcome! We have 22 students in our class. Students may either write only their name on each Valentine (this simplifies distribution of cards) or they may fill in the to and from lines. Per district rules, we also cannot have any candy, sweets, or food distributed. Other ideas can include pencils, erasers, or stickers. On this day students may bring a special snack.

-       School will also be in session on Monday, February 15^th. It is a make up for the Snow Day on January 20^th.

-       March 16^th- Early Release Day: Dismissal at 12:20

Mrs. Tabor’s 2^nd Grade Weekly News

February 1^st – 5^th

Dear Families,

Thank you to everyone for participating in Pennies for Patients! Last week, our class raised $88.65. Wow! We are well on our way to our class goal of $200! We’re having an assembly for Pennies for Patients this week, so ask your student what more they learned about this cause. Every penny counts, so please continue to support this wonderful cause!

 

Daily Lunch Time:  10:43-11:08

 

Daily Homework:

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

-          Word Wall Words:  life, against, need, since, number

-          Homework for the next two weeks will be the Timeline Project, and to prepare Valentine boxes. Please check Take Home folders for a half sheet with all the information for the timeline project. Due dates are on the sheet in Take Home folders as well.

 

Reader’s Workshop:

How do I determine what is most important in what I read?

-          We will be working on the important skill of determining importance this week. This skill helps readers stay focused and let go of small details. This skill helps with finding the main idea and summarizing. We will start working with this concept using spaghetti noodles and strainers, then songs, and quotes. After that, we will work on determining importance in nonfiction text about historical figures.

 

Word Work:

-          Word Wall Words:  life, against, need, since, number

-          Word Work:  see your student’s agenda

Math Workshop:

How do I tell time on an analog clock? 

How do I tell time to the nearest half hour? Fifteen minutes? Five minutes?

-          This week we will continue our Math Unit, Unit 5.  Students will practice telling time on both digital and analog clock. We will start by telling time to the nearest half hour and 15 minutes. After that, we will work on telling time to the 5 minute increments. We will also work with time phrases, such as “half past” and “quarter to”

 

Social Studies:

How did people travel during Westward Expansion?

How did these ways of traveling affect Native Americans?

-          We will be learning about the 4 main modes of transportation during the Westward Expansion period. They are wagons, trains, horseback, and steamboat. Students will explain how travel encouraged Westward Expansion and how travel is different today.

 

Writing:

How can I write my own Tall Tale?

How can I publish my Tall Tale?

-          The students will use what they have learned about tall tales to write one of their own. We will start by planning it out, then building it into a story with one aspect that is larger than life. We will publish and present these to our class on Friday.

 

Other Information:

-          Pennies for Patients is still going on this week! Please continue to support!

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

-          Our Valentine’s Day Party will be on Friday, February 12^th . Please refer to Mrs. Maggard’s note about the specifics.  Per district rules, we also cannot have any candy, sweets, or food distributed. Other ideas can include pencils, erasers, or stickers.

-          School will also be in session on Monday, February 15^th. It is a make up for the Snow Day on January 20^th.