Week of: December 21st

 Upcoming Dates:

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

Jan. 18 - Martin Luther King Day - No School
Feb. 1-5 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week

Feb. 12 - Institute Day - No School for Students

Feb. 15 - President's Day - No School

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: We are continuing our reading unit: "Characters and their Stories".  This unit is all about studying fictional stories and digging deeper into comprehension strategies. Last week we learned about the importance of retelling while reading.  We also learned that it is important to pay attention to the feelings of our characters in stories.  Characters can even have two or more feelings at once!

Writing: We will be continuing with our writing unit: "Writing Gripping Fictional Stories". This unit is all about character and plot development.  The kids have so much fun making up their own characters and stories! This week we will spend time revising the first drafts of our stories. We will also learn how to add more details to make our stories more interesting. 

Math:  We will continue our work with Module 4: "Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100". This week we will learn a new addition strategy called: "Partial Sums". This is a great strategy that involves taking numbers apart, adding the parts, and then putting it all back together. 

Social Studies:  We will add new states to our United States map practice. Ask your child about these states: NY and NJ.  Can your child tell you about Chef Mimal's new dog? What is his new dog wearing?  

Week of: December 14th

 Upcoming Dates:

Dec. 11 - Report Cards Emailed Home

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

Jan. 18 - Martin Luther King Day - No School
Feb. 1-5 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: We are continuing our reading unit: "Characters and their Stories".  This unit is all about studying fictional stories and digging deeper into comprehension strategies. Last week we learned about how to stop and jot to make predictions.  We also learned that you need to think about everything you know about a character in order to make a great prediction. Predictions help readers to think about the stories that they are reading!

Writing: We will be continuing with our writing unit: "Writing Gripping Fictional Stories". This unit is all about character and plot development.  The kids have so much fun making up their own characters and stories! This week we will learn about making sure our stories have a problem and solution.  We will also spend lots of time putting all of the parts together and actually writing our stories!  The kids will also work on writing a great lead for their stories. 

Math:  We will continue our work with Module 4: "Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100". This week we will be continue working with adding and subtracting using the "Arrow Way". We will also review expanded form (ex. 600+40+7=647) in order to prepare for our next addition strategy....Partial Sums!

Social Studies:  We will add new states to our United States map practice. Ask your child about these states: CO and UT.  Which state is in the "Center of the West"? Why did they need to raise the roof in UT?  We will also read our Scholastic News together.  This week's issue is titled: "Holiday Economics".

Week of: December 7th

 Upcoming Dates:

Dec. 11 - Report Cards Sent Home (stay tuned for method of delivery)

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

Jan. 18 - Martin Luther King Day - No School
Feb. 1-5 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: We have started a new reading unit: "Characters and their Stories".  This unit is all about studying fictional stories and digging deeper into comprehension strategies. Last week we learned how to "stop and jot" to record what we are thinking as we read.  We also reviewed the character traits of familiar characters that we have met in previous stories. 

Writing: We will be starting a new writing unit: "Writing Gripping Fictional Stories". This unit is all about character and plot development.  The kids have so much fun making up their own characters and stories! This week we will learn the difference between realistic and unrealistic fiction.  We will also learn to create interesting characters for our stories. 

Math:  We will also be starting a new math module, Module 4: "Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100". This week we will be learning to relate 1 more, 1 less, 10 more, and 10 less to addition and subtraction of 1 and 10.  We will work on adding and subtraction multiples of 10 and then add on some ones by the end of the week. 

Social Studies:  We will add new states to our United States map practice. Ask your child about these states: ND and SD.  Where does Chef Mimal hand up his cooking coats?  We will also read our Scholastic News together.  This week's issue is titled: "A Winter's Trip" and about reindeer and their migration.

Week of: November 16th

 Upcoming Dates:

Nov. 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

Jan. 18 - Martin Luther King Day - No School

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: This week we will continue with our nonfiction reading unit called: "Becoming Experts: Reading Nonfiction".  In this unit the kids will be learning how learn from, and enjoy, a nonfiction text.  This week we will learn to pay attention to the big topics in a book, but also the subtopics. We will also learn how to connect information from more than one book. Finally, we will learn how to notice similarities and differences between the subtopics in our books. 

Writing: We will continue with our nonfiction writing unit: "The How-To Guide for Nonfiction Writing". The kids will learn to write informational books to teach their readers.  This week we will spend a couple of days looking at mentor texts to find moves that we would like to try in our own writing. We will also learn that you can write many different kinds of nonfiction books. 

Math:  We will continue our Place Value work with Module 3.  This unit is called: Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000". We will spend a lot of time learning about "ones, tens, and hundreds".  This week we will spend some time reviewing all of the different ways to write numbers.  We will then take a mid-module assessment.  After that, we will learn to count ones, tens, and hundreds with place value disks. We will also work on regrouping ones into tens and tens into hundreds. 

Social Studies:  We will add new states to our United States map practice. Ask your child about these states: KS and OK.  Which one is Chef Mimal's pot and which one is the can of vegetables? We will also read our Scholastic News together.  This week's issue is titled: "I am Thankful!".

Week of: November 9th

  Upcoming Dates:

Nov. 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

Jan. 18 - Martin Luther King Day - No School

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: This week we will continue with our nonfiction reading unit called: "Becoming Experts: Reading Nonfiction".  In this unit the kids will be learning how learn from, and enjoy, a nonfiction text.  This week we will talk about the importance of rereading to grow more information about a topic. We will also learn how to share what we have learned with partners. Finally, the we will how to read several books on the same topic. 

Writing: We will continue with our nonfiction writing unit: "The How-To Guide for Nonfiction Writing". The kids will learn to write informational books to teach their readers.  This week we will learn to clarify the information in our books by rereading our writing and making changes as needed. We will also work on goal-setting and fixing up our writing to make it easy to read.   

Math:  We will continue our Place Value work with Module 3.  This unit is called: Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000". We will spend a lot of time learning about "ones, tens, and hundreds".  This week we will to count the total value of $1, $10, and $100 bills up to $1,000. We will also learn to could from $1 to $1,000 on the place value chart and the empty number line. Finally, we will explore $1,000 (ex. how many $10 bills can we change for a thousand $ bill?).  

Social Studies:  We will add new states to our United States map practice. Ask your child about these states: CA, AZ, and NM. Ask about how Chef Mimal "CANT" see behind himself. We will also read our Scholastic News together.  This week's issue is titled: "Beavers on the Go!".

Week of: November 2nd

  Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 30 - Class Halloween Celebration - We will change into costumes and celebrate after lunch!

Nov. 3 - Election Day - No School

Nov. 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

Jan. 18 - Martin Luther King Day - No School

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: This week we will continue with our nonfiction reading unit called: "Becoming Experts: Reading Nonfiction".  In this unit the kids will be learning how learn from, and enjoy, a nonfiction text.  This week we will learn how to be patient and persistent when figuring out keywords in our nonfiction books.  We will also talk about the importance of rereading to grow more information about a topic.

Writing: We will continue with our nonfiction writing unit: "The How-To Guide for Nonfiction Writing". The kids will learn to write informational books to teach their readers.  This week we will work or creating an interesting lead for the nonfiction books that we're writing. We will also continue to work on writing for an audience and adding details to help our audience to enjoy and learn from our books!

Math:  We will continue our Place Value work with Module 3.  This unit is called: Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000". We will spend a lot of time learning about "ones, tens, and hundreds".  This week we will learn to write 3-digit numbers in "unit form"using the value of each digit. We will also learn to write numbers in expanded form (342=300+40+2). We will work on writing the same number in standard, unit, and expanded form. 

Social Studies:  We will add new states to our United States map practice. Ask your child about these states: Texas, Florida, and Maine. Ask about the "pointy corners" of Chef Mimal's kitchen. We will also read our Scholastic News together.  This week's issue is about Veteran's Day.

Week of: October 26th

 Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 30 - Class Halloween Celebration - We will change into costumes and celebrate after lunch!

Nov. 3 - Election Day - No School

Nov. 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: This week we will continue with our nonfiction reading unit called: "Becoming Experts: Reading Nonfiction".  In this unit the kids will be learning how learn from, and enjoy, a nonfiction text.  This week we will learn that using new vocabulary is an important part of growing knowledge. We will also learn to use text features to notice and understand keywords. Finally, we will work on using context clues to figure out the meaning of words in our books. 

Writing: We will continue with our nonfiction writing unit: "The How-To Guide for Nonfiction Writing". The kids will learn to write informational books to teach their readers.  This week we will work on editing our nonfiction pieces. We will also work on writing for a specific audience. Finally, we will work on writing in a way that helps our readers to picture the information with details. 

Math:  We will continue our Place Value work with Module 3.  This unit is called: Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000". We will spend a lot of time learning about "ones, tens, and hundreds".  This week we will work on counting up and down on a number line from 90-1,000 using ones, tens, and hundreds.  We will also learn to use a place value chart to count up to 1,000. Finally, we will learn to write 3-digit numbers in "unit form"using the value of each digit. 

Social Studies:  We will add new states to our United States map practice. Ask your child about these states: Wyoming and Nevada. Ask about "ManTan's" body and how he is saying, "WHY do I have to do the dishes?" and also ask about Chef Mimal's "New Vat" of soup.  We will also read our Scholastic News together.  This week's issue is about voting and the upcoming presidential election. 

Week of: October 19th

 Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 22-23 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week - Early Dismissal on Thursday and Friday (11:00)

Oct. 30 - Class Halloween Celebration - More info. to come!

Nov. 3 - Election Day - No School

Nov. 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: This week we will start an new unit in our reading curriculum, Lucy Calkins Reading Units of Study.  Our next unit is called, "Becoming Experts: Reading Nonfiction".  In this unit the kids will be learning how learn from, and enjoy, a nonfiction text.  This week we learn to think about what a book is trying to teach us.  We will also learn to preview parts of a nonfiction text before reading.  We will ask: "How does this book go?".

Writing: We will also continue with our nonfiction writing unit: "The How-To Guide for Nonfiction Writing". The kids will learn to write informational books to teach their readers.  This week we will spend time studying other nonfiction writer's and try to replicate some of their "craft moves" in our own writing. We will also try to write more and more by adding details and setting goals. 

Math:  We will start a new math module this week, Module 3.  This unit is called: Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000". We will spend a lot of time learning about "ones, tens, and hundreds".  This week we will learn how to bundle and count ones, tens, and hundreds to 1,000. We will also work on counting up and down between 100-220 using ones and tens.

Social Studies:  We will add new states to our United States map practice. Ask your child about the states and who does the dishes ("ManTan" and "Ida"- Montana and Idaho). We will also read our Scholastic News together.  This week's issue is: "Spooky Skeletons". 

Week of: October 13th

 Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 12 - Indigenous People's Day - No School
Oct. 22-23 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week - Early Dismissal on Thursday and Friday (11:00)

Nov. 3 - Election Day - No School

Nov. 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: This week we will start an new unit in our reading curriculum, Lucy Calkins Reading Units of Study.  Our next unit is called, "Becoming Experts: Reading Nonfiction".  In this unit the kids will be learning how learn from, and enjoy, a nonfiction text.  This week we learn that nonfiction readers pay attention to the details in order to grow knowledge about a topic. They will also learn to ask questions while reading.  Finally, they will think about what a book is trying to teach them!

Writing: We will also begin a new unit in our writing curriculum, Lucy Calkins Writing Units of Study.  This unit is called, "The How-To Guide for Nonfiction Writing". This kids will learn to write informational books to teach their readers.  This week we will first celebrate the end of our first writing unit and share our "published" book that we made on Book Creator. Then we will start our next unit by writing about something we know well. 

Math:  We are going to wrap up our math module on measurement this week: "Addition and Subtraction of Length Units" (measurement with centimeters).  This week we will learn to use measurement to solve two-step word problems.  We will also take our end-of-module assessment by the end of the week. Our next module, Module 3, will begin the following week. We will then dive into place value!

Social Studies:  We will also add new states to our United States map practice. Ask your child about the states and the"dish washer" and why the "oar is gone" (Washington and Oregon). We will also read our Scholastic News together.  This week's issue is: "How to Grow a Pumpkin Boat". 

Week of: October 5th

 Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 9 - Remote Learning Planning Day - No School for Students

Oct. 12 - Indigenous People's Day - No School
Oct. 22-23 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week - Early Dismissal on Thursday and Friday (11:00)

Nov. 3 - Election Day - No School

Nov. 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: This week we will start an new unit in our reading curriculum, Lucy Calkins Reading Units of Study.  Our next unit is called, "Becoming Experts: Reading Nonfiction".  In this unit the kids will be learning how learn from, and enjoy, a nonfiction text.  This week we learn that nonfiction readers pay attention to the details in order to grow knowledge about a topic. They will also learn to ask questions while reading.  Finally, they will think about what a book is trying to teach them!

Writing: We will also continue our first unit in our writing curriculum, Lucy Calkins Writing Units of Study.  The first unit is called, "Lessons from the Masters: Improving Narrative Writing". This week we will continue to try using "craft moves" that we've learned from our mentor texts. We will also learn to use a checklist to revise our writing.

Math:  We are going to continue our math module on measurement this week: "Addition and Subtraction of Length Units" (measurement with centimeters).  This week we will solve addition and subtraction word problems using the ruler as a number line.  We will also use diagrams to represent and compare lengths.

Social Studies:  We will continue to work on our social studies unit on Communities: Urban, Rural, and Suburban. We will also add new states to our United States map practice. Ask your child about "Chef Mimal".

Week of: September 28th

 Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 9 - Remote Learning Planning Day - No School for Students

Oct. 12 - Indigenous People's Day - No School
Oct. 22-23 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week - Early Dismissal on Thursday and Friday (11:00)

Nov. 3 - Election Day - No School

Nov. 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: This week we will continue the first unit in our reading curriculum, Lucy Calkins Reading Units of Study.  The first unit is called, "Second-Grade Reading Growth Spurt". This week we will pay attention to the author's craft and try to figure out why authors make the choices they do in their stories. We will think about the author's message and see if we can learn a lesson from the stories we read. We will finish our first unit this week! Yay!

Writing: We will also continue our first unit in our writing curriculum, Lucy Calkins Writing Units of Study.  The first unit is called, "Lessons from the Masters: Improving Narrative Writing". This week we will learn that writer's use books as writing resources. They study different parts and ask: "Could I write like this?". We will also work on adding drama to our stories.

Math:  We are going to continue our math module on measurement this week: "Addition and Subtraction of Length Units" (measurement with centimeters).  This week we will work on estimation strategies with measurement. We will also measure and compare lengths using centimeters and meters. Finally, we will talk about non-standard units and relate measurement to unit size (large and small paper clips).

Social Studies:  We will always be talking about having a growth mindset and that theme will weave throughout the entire year.   However, this week we will move on and the kids will be introduced to a new social studies unit on Communities: Urban, Rural, and Suburban. We will also add new states to our United States map practice.

Week of: September 21st

 Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 9 - Remote Learning Planning Day - No School for Students

Oct. 12 - Indigenous People's Day - No School
Oct. 22-23 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week - Early Dismissal on Thursday and Friday (11:00)

Nov. 3 - Election Day - No School

Nov. 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

Dec. 23 (PM)-Jan. 8 - Winter Break - No School - School Resumes Jan. 11

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: This week we will continue the first unit in our reading curriculum, Lucy Calkins Reading Units of Study.  The first unit is called, "Second-Grade Reading Growth Spurt". This week we will learn that readers pay close attention to the middle of tricky words and we need to be flexible when we see a vowel team. We will also spend time noticing what authors do, why the do it, and how.

Writing: We will also continue our first unit in our writing curriculum, Lucy Calkins Writing Units of Study.  The first unit is called, "Lessons from the Masters: Improving Narrative Writing". This week we will learn that writers reread their writing and check for punctuation. We will also work on planning and goal-setting this week. 

Math:  We are going to start a new math module this week: "Addition and Subtraction of Length Units" (measurement with centimeters).  This week we will start by taking the module pre-test. Then we will learn about using physical units (centimeter cubes) to measure length.  We will then move on to using centimeter rulers to measure. Finally, we will learn to compare length using centimeters and meters. 

Social Studies:  Our first unit in social studies will focus on building classroom community and building a growth mindset.  Both of which will help us to have a successful year in second grade! We will also work on five "Growth Mindset Words": Empathy, Flexibility, Optimism, Persistence, and Resilience. We will continue to work on our "Growth Mindset Words".  We will also work on identifying the 50 states. Our goal is to be able to identify all 50 states by the end of the year. We will use fun drawings and stories to help us remember!

Week of: September 14th

 Upcoming Dates:

Sept. 17 - Virtual Curriculum Night - 7:00-7:30 - Zoom link to come!
Oct. 9 - Remote Learning Planning Day - No School for Students

Oct. 12 - Indigenous People's Day - No School
Oct. 22-23 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week - Early Dismissal on Thursday and Friday (11:00)

Nov. 3 - Election Day - No School

*Italics are repeated from last week.

Reading: This week we will continue the first unit in our reading curriculum, Lucy Calkins Reading Units of Study.  The first unit is called, "Second-Grade Reading Growth Spurt". This week we will learn that not only do we read more and more, but we also need to remember to think about our books too. We will also learn how to use post-its to "stop and jot" and remember all of the great ideas we have while reading.  The kids will learn to use all they know to solve tricky words!

Writing: We will also continue our first unit in our writing curriculum, Lucy Calkins Writing Units of Study.  The first unit is called, "Lessons from the Masters: Improving Narrative Writing". This week we will learn how to stretch out our stories and tell ALL the parts of a small moment. We will also work on adding details to our writing. Finally, we will work on writing endings to our stories.

Math:  We will wrap up our first module in math this week.  We are using the Eureka math series.  The first module is called, "Sums and Differences to 100".   This week we will work on subtracting single-digit numbers from multiples of 10 (within 100).  We will also take an end-of-module assessment on Friday afternoon. 

Social Studies:  Our first unit in social studies will focus on building classroom community and building a growth mindset.  Both of which will help us to have a successful year in second grade! We will also work on five "Growth Mindset Words": Empathy, Flexibility, Optimism, Persistence, and Resilience. 

Week of: September 7th

 Upcoming Dates:

Sept. 17 - Virtual Curriculum Night - More info. to come soon!
Oct. 9 - Remote Learning Planning Day - No School for Students

Oct. 12 - Indigenous People's Day - No School
Oct. 22-23 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week - Early Dismissal on Thursday and Friday (11:00)

Nov. 3 - Election Day - No School

Reading: This week we will officially begin the first unit in our reading curriculum, Lucy Calkins Reading Units of Study.  The first unit is called, "Second-Grade Reading Growth Spurt". This week we will learn that you can choose not only what you read, but HOW you are going to read.  We will also learn how to preview the book before reading to take a sneak peek. Finally, the kids will learn that second grade is a year where they can really take off as readers. And to do that, volume is key!

Writing: We will also be starting our first unit in our writing curriculum, Lucy Calkins Writing Units of Study.  The first unit is called, "Lessons from the Masters: Improving Narrative Writing". This week we will talk about how you can learn craft moves from mentor authors. We will also learn to capture everyday moments and save them as possible story ideas.

Math:  We will start our first module in math this week.  We are using the Eureka math series.  The first module is called, "Sums and Differences to 100".   This week we will work on adding and subtracting like units, making ten to add within 100, and subtracting single-digit numbers from multiples of 10 (within 100).

Social Studies:  Our first unit in social studies will focus on building classroom community and building a growth mindset.  Both of which will help us to have a successful year in second grade!

     Welcome Back to School!

     I am excited to be teaching second grade again this year!  It is so exciting to see how much second graders grow, both academically and socially. There are many things I love about teaching, but one of my favorites is the relationship that I get to build with my students AND their families.  I know this year will be very different from past years and I want you to know that building relationships will continue to be a priority for me, whether we are learning from home or at Irving School.

     This will be my 19^th year teaching in Oak Park.  I started my career here and could not imagine being anywhere else.  I have two kids of my own, Emmy will be in eighth grade this year and Charlie will be in sixth grade.  They will attend schools near our home in Western Springs. 

     As we start the year, please know that I am always available through email and am happy to answer any questions you might have. My email address is lpelling@op97.org. I will also be communicating with families through the SeeSaw app.  Please download the "family" version of that app to your phone/device.  You can also sign up for a free account online. Here is the website: https://web.seesaw.me/why-seesaw I will send out more information about SeeSaw very soon!

   I'm looking forward to meeting everyone on August 26th at our "Meet the Staff Night". See you then!

 

Week of: March 16th

Upcoming Dates:

March 17 - Institute Day - No school for students
March 23-27 - Spring Break - No School - School resumes on Monday, March 30th.
April 10 - Non Attendance Day - No School
April 20-23 - Book Fair Week
April 22 - Academic Fair and Egg Drop

*Italics are repeated from last week's blog.
Reading:  We will continue our reading unit called: "Bigger Books Mean Amping Up Reading Power".  This unit is all about literary language and meeting the challenges of reading longer books.  This week we will work in our reading clubs and set reading goals together.  We will also learn to support each other and to give helpful feedback. 

Writing: We will continue our writing unit called: "Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages". This is such a fun unit where the kids will get to be creative and express themselves through poetry. This week students will learn that there is a relationship between structure and meaning in poetry. We will also learn that poets sometimes write from a point of view that is not their own. Finally, we will work on revision and word choice. 

Spelling: This year we will be using a program called: "Words Their Way". We will also use another program called: "Phonics Units of Study".  We will continue to have individualized word lists.  Students will bring their word sorts home on Monday and will be tested on 10 randomly selected words from their sort on Friday.  Please spend time working on the spelling PATTERNS from their sorts at home.  The goal is not to memorize the words, but to learn the letter patterns.

Math:  We will continue Module 7: "Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data".  This unit will focus on measuring with inches, counting coins, and using graphs to read and display data. This week we will learn to measure various objects using an inch ruler and a yardstick.  We will also learn to compare measurements and find the difference in lengths using inches, feet, and yards.

Science:  This week we will continue our science unit: "Pebbles, Sand, and Silt". Last week the students learned how to sort river rocks by size using screens as tools.  We also talked about erosion and how a tiny piece of sand could have started as a giant boulder.

Week of: February 24

Upcoming Dates:

Feb. 25 - Opera for the Young - school assembly
Feb. 25 - Field Trip - North Shore Center for the Performing Arts - Golden Dragons Show
Feb. 28 - Amazing Africa School Assembly
March 11 - Spring Sing Concert - This will be in the evening - more information to come.
March 13 - Second trimester report cards will go home with students today.
March 17 - Institute Day - No school for students
March 23-27 - Spring Break - No School - School resumes on Monday, March 30th.

*Italics are repeated from last week's blog.
Reading:  We will continue our reading unit called: "Bigger Books Mean Amping Up Reading Power".  This unit is all about literary language and meeting the challenges of reading longer books.  This week the children will learn that readers notice when an author uses language in creative ways by playing around with words. They will work to understand what the author is really saying.  They will also learn to transfer this type f writing to their own writing during writer's workshop.

Writing: We will continue our writing unit called: "Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages". This is such a fun unit where the kids will get to be creative and express themselves through poetry. This week we will learn that poets consider the mood they want to convey in their poems, making sure the mood matches their poem's meaning. They will also learn to use comparisons to clarify feelings and ideas. 

Spelling: This year we will be using a program called: "Words Their Way". We will also use another program called: "Phonics Units of Study".  We will continue to have individualized word lists.  Students will bring their word sorts home on Monday and will be tested on 10 randomly selected words from their sort on Friday.  Please spend time working on the spelling PATTERNS from their sorts at home.  The goal is not to memorize the words, but to learn the letter patterns.

Math:  We will continue Module 7: "Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data".  This unit will focus on measuring with inches, counting coins, and using graphs to read and display data. This week we will learn to solve word problems using data presented in a bar graph.  We will also begin to learn about coins.  This week we will focus on recognizing the value of each coin and counting up to find their total values.

Science:  This week we will continue our science unit: "Pebbles, Sand, and Silt". This week students will wash their rocks to see how they change when they are wet.  They will also learn to sort rocks by their properties.

Week of: February 18th

Upcoming Dates:

Feb. 22 - Irving Fun Fair!!
Feb. 25 - Opera for the Young - school assembly
Feb. 25 - Field Trip - North Shore Center for the Performing Arts - Golden Dragons Show

*Italics are repeated from last week's blog.
Reading:  We will continue our reading unit called: "Bigger Books Mean Amping Up Reading Power".  This unit is all about literary language and meeting the challenges of reading longer books.  This week the children will work on reading at a pace that is not too fast and not too slow - one that allows them to really understand what they are reading. We will also learn to pay attention to literary language (comparisons, invented words, figurative language).   They will ask themselves: "What might the author want me to see, to understand?"
Writing: We will continue our writing unit called: "Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages". This is such a fun unit where the kids will get to be creative and express themselves through poetry. This week we will start by focusing on how to edit our poetry.  We will also work on word choice.  Finally, we will learn about repetition and how that can give our poems rhythm, sound, and emphasize meaning.

Spelling: This year we will be using a program called: "Words Their Way". We will also use another program called: "Phonics Units of Study".  We will continue to have individualized word lists.  Students will bring their word sorts home on Monday and will be tested on 10 randomly selected words from their sort on Friday.  Please spend time working on the spelling PATTERNS from their sorts at home.  The goal is not to memorize the words, but to learn the letter patterns.

Math:  We will start a new unit: "Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data".  This unit will focus on measuring with inches, counting coins, and using graphs to read and display data. This week we will learn to sort and record data and to use that data to solve word problems. We will learn to use a bar graph to represent and given data set.

Science:  This week we will start a new science unit: "Pebbles, Sand, and Silt". In our first week we will be learning about three different kinds of rocks.  We will learn what happens when rocks rub together (an introduction to weathering). The students will observe and compare these different kinds of rocks. 

Week of: February 10th

Upcoming Dates:

Feb. 17 - President's Day - No School
Feb. 22 - Irving Fun Fair!!
Feb. 25 - Opera for the Young - school assembly
Feb. 25 - Field Trip - North Shore Center for the Performing Arts - Golden Dragons Show - more information to come!

*Italics are repeated from last week's blog.
Reading:  We will continue our reading unit called: "Bigger Books Mean Amping Up Reading Power".  This unit is all about literary language and meeting the challenges of reading longer books.  This week the children will learn that readers match their voices to the meaning of the text. We will also work on reading at a pace that is not too fast and not too slow - one that allows them to really understand what they are reading. 
Writing: We will continue our writing unit called: "Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages". This is such a fun unit where the kids will get to be creative and express themselves through poetry. This week the kids will learn that poets are always on the lookout for poems, mining their notebooks and their lives for ideas that have strong feelings and concrete details.

Spelling: This year we will be using a program called: "Words Their Way". We will also use another program called: "Phonics Units of Study".  We will continue to have individualized word lists.  Students will bring their word sorts home on Monday and will be tested on 10 randomly selected words from their sort on Friday.  Please spend time working on the spelling PATTERNS from their sorts at home.  The goal is not to memorize the words, but to learn the letter patterns.

Math:  We continue our module: " Addition and Subtraction to 200". We will learn many new strategies for adding and subtracting larger numbers in this unit! This week we will work on more subtraction.  This time we will learn about regrouping ("borrowing") from both the ones and tens places in the same math problem.  We will also talk about what to do when there is a zero in the spot where we need to borrow.  Finally, we will take an end-of-unit assessment on Friday.  This will mark the end of this unit on addition and subtraction; with and without regrouping. 

Week of: February 3rd

Upcoming Dates:

Feb. 17 - President's Day - No School
Feb. 22 - Irving Fun Fair!!
Feb. 25 - Opera for the Young - school assembly
Feb. 25 - Field Trip - North Shore Center for the Performing Arts - Golden Dragons Show - more information to come!

*Italics are repeated from last week's blog.
Reading:  We will start a new reading unit called: "Bigger Books Mean Amping Up Reading Power".  This unit is all about literary language and meeting the challenges of reading longer books.  This week we will focus on noticing punctuation so that our reading makes sense and sounds right.  We will also work on noticing character dialogue as well as matching our voices to the meaning of the text.

Writing: We will start a new writing unit called: "Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages". This is such a fun unit where the kids will get to be creative and express themselves through poetry. This first week we will focus on seeing ordinary things in a whole new way, through our "poet's eyes". We will also learn to listen for line breaks.  The kids will learn that poets choose topics that mean a lot to them.

Spelling: This year we will be using a program called: "Words Their Way". We will also use another program called: "Phonics Units of Study".  We will continue to have individualized word lists.  Students will bring their word sorts home on Monday and will be tested on 10 randomly selected words from their sort on Friday.  Please spend time working on the spelling PATTERNS from their sorts at home.  The goal is not to memorize the words, but to learn the letter patterns.

Math:  We continue our module: " Addition and Subtraction to 200". We will learn many new strategies for adding and subtracting larger numbers in this unit! This week we will learn strategies for adding more than two numbers together (for example: 23+85+17).  We will also move towards subtraction once again.  The students will learn to subtraction larger numbers with more than one place to regroup ("borrow"). 

Social Studies:  We will wrap up our unit on the history of technology.  This week we will continue to share our technology interviews with the class. We will also learn about the invention of the first telephone.

Week of: January 21st

Upcoming Dates:

Jan. 20 - Martin Luther King Day - No School
Jan. 27-31 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week: 11:00 dismissal on Thursday and Friday
Feb. 17 - President's Day - No School
Feb. 22 - Irving Fun Fair!!
Feb. 25 - Opera for the Young - school assembly
Feb. 25 - Field Trip - North Shore Center for the Performing Arts - Golden Dragons Show - more information to come!

*Italics are repeated from last week's blog.
Reading:  This week we will continue our reading unit called: "Characters and their Stories". This unit is all about characters and studying how they change and grow.  The students will be making lots of inferences and predictions in this unit! This week we will continue to learn about character feelings and how they change throughout the story. We will also continue to discuss character traits as well as finding text evidence.

Writing: We will continue our fiction-writing unit called: "Writing Gripping Fictional Stories". This will be a smaller unit and will likely last about a month.  This week we will continue to discuss story elements and explore mentor texts.  We will spend time sharing our writing and giving each other feedback as well.  

Spelling: This year we will be using a program called: "Words Their Way". We will also use another program called: "Phonics Units of Study".  We will continue to have individualized word lists.  Students will bring their word sorts home on Monday and will be tested on 10 randomly selected words from their sort on Friday.  Please spend time working on the spelling PATTERNS from their sorts at home.  The goal is not to memorize the words, but to learn the letter patterns.

Math:  We continue our module: " Addition and Subtraction to 200". We will learn many new strategies for adding and subtracting larger numbers in this unit! This week we will take a mid-module assessment. We will then switch back to addition.  This time we will work on regrouping in both the ones and tens places. 

Social Studies:  We will continue our unit on the history of technology.  This week we will continue to share our technology interviews with the class. We will compare technology from the present with technology from the past.   

Week of: January 13th

Upcoming Dates:

Jan. 13 - Map Testing - Reading
Jan. 16 - Map Testing - Math
Jan. 20 - Martin Luther King Day - No School
Jan. 27-31 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week: 11:00 dismissal on Thursday and Friday
Feb. 17 - President's Day - No School

*Italics are repeated from last week's blog.
Reading:  This week we will continue our reading unit called: "Characters and their Stories". This unit is all about characters and studying how they change and grow.  The students will be making lots of inferences and predictions in this unit! This week we will learn to notice a character's feelings.  We will also notice when a character has more than one feeling, or when their feelings change. Finally, we will learn to recognize or character's personality traits. 

Writing: We have started a new unit called: "Writing Gripping Fictional Stories". This will be a smaller unit and will likely last about a month.  This week we will brainstorm possible problems for our story plots.  We will also come up with solutions for these problems.  The kids will learn all of the elements that make up a good fictional story. 

Spelling: This year we will be using a program called: "Words Their Way". We will also use another program called: "Phonics Units of Study".  We will continue to have individualized word lists.  Students will bring their word sorts home on Monday and will be tested on 10 randomly selected words from their sort on Friday.  Please spend time working on the spelling PATTERNS from their sorts at home.  The goal is not to memorize the words, but to learn the letter patterns.

Math:  We continue our module: " Addition and Subtraction to 200". We will learn many new strategies for adding and subtracting larger numbers in this unit! This week we will continue to work on subtraction with and without regrouping (borrowing).  We will begin using 3-digit numbers as well.  Finally, we will be working on solving one- and two-step word problems involving adding and subtracting within 100. 

Social Studies:  We have started a new unit about the history of technology.  This week we will begin to share our technology interviews with the class. We will compare technology from the present with technology from the past.