Pride Times
Room 205 Oct. 19 - 23
Mrs. Finch /Mrs. Hetherington
Class Needs & Dates to Remember:
Oct. 19 – Fall or Costume Sharing begins
Oct. 28 – Skating Party 6 – 8 PM
Oct. 30 – Wild Rumpus Party! Time 2:15 – 3:00
Nov. 3 – Health Screening ELECTION DAY
Nov. 6 - Quarter Ends
Picture Retakes
Nov. 9 – Quarter Begins
Nov. 10 – Veteran’s Day Assembly 1:30
Nov. 11- Veteran’s Day NO SCHOOL
Nov. 19 – Nov. 25 - Conferences Early Release 11:50 except for Wed. 1:35
Quick Look:
Reading – I can retell a story in order using time order words.
Writing – I can write a paragraph about why a pet would be a good
choice for me.
Math – I can find if a number is greater than or less than.
Character Counts – I can be respectful and show responsibility helping
others and keeping my desk tidy. I can write a kind note to a classmate.
Sharing is this week! Fall Item or Costume
Oct. 30 – Mask - erade Party 2:15- 3:10.
Super Star of the Week – No one this week!
Curriculum News:
Oct. 19 - 23
In Literacy: One of our ongoing strategies is Making Connections to Self, World
and Texts. Making Connections can be book to self, book to the world, or bookto-book. By having readers focusing on any or all of these connections, children
are taking the time to think about what they are reading. Look for this to be
practiced in the coming week’s homework. When you are sharing books with
your child have them make these connections.
Clarification: Book to World is any connection that is made that is beyond the
reader.
Example: Berenstain Bears Mind their Manners
Book to Self – Sometimes I forget to say Thank you.
Book to World – When someone remembers to say thank you it makes the person
feel good.
Book to Book – In a Ramona story, Ramona forgot to remember her manners and
ended up having to sit next to Miss Binney.
Work has begun in guided reading groups. The work we’ve done up until this
point has prepared each of the students to work independently for at least 20
minutes at a time. During the time that we meet with guided reading groups, we
discuss a Just Right leveled book and work on strategies that will help them move
up a level. Some groups meet more frequently depending upon their needs as
a reader. When we meet we use these Just Right books to work on the Unit’s
comprehension strategies.
In writing: We have finished our initial testing of the 2nd Grade No
Excuse Spelling list. A copy of the K – 2nd grade list will come home
so that these words can be studied throughout the year. We will be
looking to see that these words are spelled correctly in their daily
work and writing workshop. If a word is missed in their every day
writing a blue slip will come home. So please practice and return
the blue slip with your signature. Thanks for the support.
We are using a Step Up To Writing model where students use colors to designate
if a sentence is a Topic, Idea or Detail. Our first writing was about family members
and our next one was on pets. Topics are green. Ideas are yellow and red is
used to underline the details. A typical paragraph would be like the following:
My family is important to me. (green) My dad and mom are my parents.
(yellow). My parents both work during the day at their jobs. We like to go on trips
together and bike ride on the Burke Gilman trail. My dad and mom help me
read every night. (red) I love being in a family that cares about each other.
(green)
In Math: In unit 2 we will extend base ten understanding, compute sums within
1000 and become use place value to understand properties of operations to
add. Be looking for Math Family Letters along with homework to support your
child at home.
Health: To enhance students’ social-emotional well-being, we began our school
year with a Character Quest to highlight the following positive character traits
that are essential to good citizenship: trust, responsibility, respect, fairness and
caring.
We are now learning conflict-resolution strategies, called Kelso’s Choices. A copy
of the choices is found in the Homework Resources folder. The goal is for students
to try to work out problems among themselves in practical ways, and to involve
an adult when a conflict remains unresolved or when there is a big problem (i.e.,
safety concerns). We are role-playing through some of the more common
scenarios children face when interacting among peers. We encourage parents
to reinforce the Kelso’s choices at home as day-to-day conflicts arise.
Character Counts / Bucket Filling
The character trait we are working on is: Responsibility-actions whereby others
can trust you to do things with excellence. Accept accountability for your
actions. When you make a mistake, you offer amends instead of excuses.
We read the book Have you Filled your Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud.
Bucket Filler notes are being written daily to our friends. The class looks forward
to reading notes from their friends. You might want to try this at home.
Bucket Fillers and Dippers
Help. Say, “Hey, do you need some help?” Say mean things.
Put-downs
Give compliments.
Bully – push, ignore, kick, hit
Love/Like somebody and tell them.
Lie.
Tattle.
Help someone who is hurt.
Not apologize.
Apologize for a wrong-doing.
Interrupt.
Forgive someone.
Tease. Laugh at someone who makes a
mistake.
Give someone something nice. Show you
Take things from others.
care.
Be polite and kind.
Yell or Argue.
Use a calm tone in your voice.
Brag.
Share.
Not share or cooperate.
Smile.
Talk back to someone.
Listen.
2nd Grade Rotation began last week: We have begun science. Mrs. Wytko and our class
will be switching for science. Mrs. Wytko will be introducing the children to the scientific
inquiry process of learning and will begin our first unit on Balance and Motion in
November. Mrs. Hetherington and I will be having both classes going through 6 Activity
Stations that emphasize different intelligences or as we will call them – Smarts. At each
station the small group will work cooperatively to delve into a topic by reading, writing,
doing an activity and a challenge on each. This 3 - week rotation will include the
following topics:
Apples, Spiders, Scarecrows, Estimation, Listening, and Coins
NO Super Star this week!