Moon Unit

We are studying the moon in science.  Your child is bringing home his/her science journal and a piece of chalk each night for the next 2 weeks.  Please remind your child to draw what the moon looks like each night.  If you can't see the moon, you can use the following website to check the moon phases:

http://www.moonconnection.com/moon-november-2013.phtml

Poetry

Just a reminder that your child's poem is due on Tuesday, January 8.  Please make sure your child is ready to present it in front of the class with a prop, some actions, or sharing their favorite part of the poem. 

How Creatures Move

The lion walks on padded paws,

The squirrel leaps from limb to limb,

While flies can crawl straight up a wall,

And seals can dive and swim.

The worm, he wiggles all around,

The monkey swings by his tail,

And birds may hop upon the ground,

Or spread their wings and sail.

But boys and girls have much more fun;

They leap and dance

And walk and run.

~Anonymous

  

Upside Down

It's funny how beetles

And creatures like that

Can walk upside down

as well as walk flat.

They crawl on a ceiling

and climb on a wall

without any practice

or trouble at all.

While I have been trying

For a year (maybe more)

and still I can't stand

with my head on the floor.

~Aileen Fisher

Little Talk

Don't you think it's probable

that beetles, bugs, and bees

talk about a lot of things--

you know, such things as these:

The kind of weather where they live

in jungles tall with grass

and earthquakes in their villages

whenever people pass!

Of course, we'll never know if bugs

talk very much at all,

because our ears are far too big

for talk that is so small.

--Aileen Fisher

  

Spider

I saw a little spider

With the smartest spider head:

She made-somewhere inside her-

A magic silken thread.

I saw her sliding down it.

She dangled in the air.

I saw her climbing up it

And pulling up each stair.

She made it look so easy

I wished all day I knew

How I could spin a magic thread

So I could dangle too.

~Aileen Fisher

Flat Stanley

Our class is currently reading Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown.  We have a Flat Stanley cut-out that is going home with interested students.  If Stanley comes home with your child, please take a picture of Stanley doing something and send him back with your child the next day.  You can email me the photo and I will add it to our blog.   

Please email me if this is something you'd be interested in doing with your child and have time for.  lbateman@edisoncs.org       

 

Challenge Words

This grading period, our class will begin challenge words.  Challenge words are for students who get 100% on their spelling test on Friday. 

The challenge words are optional.  Students who choose to do them will not have a pretest for homework on Thursday.  Instead, they will use their challenge words to write sentences showing meaning and correct usage of the word or come up with synonymns for the words.  They will still be responsible for the 30 spelling words on Friday's test. Along with the 30 regular words, they'll be tested on the 5 challenge words.  

 

Poetry

Just a reminder that your child's poem is due on Tuesday, November 13.  Please make sure your child is ready to present it in front of the class with a prop, some actions, or sharing their favorite part of the poem.  Thanks! 

Rhyme

 I like to see a thunder storm,

        A dunder storm,

                A blunder storm,

I like to see it, black and slow,

Come stumbling down the hills.

 I like to hear a thunder storm,

        A plunder storm,

                A wonder storm,

Roar loudly at our little house,

And shake the window sills!

~Elizabeth Coatsworth

Hold Fast to Your Dreams

 Within your heart

Keep one still, secret spot

Where dreams may go,

And sheltered so,

May thrive and grow--

Where doubt and fear are not.

Oh, keep a place apart

Within your heart,

For little dreams to go.

~Louise Driscole

Who Has Seen the Wind?

Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you:

But when the leaves hang trembling

The wind is passing through.

 Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I;

But when the trees bow down their heads

The wind is passing by.

~Christina Rossetti

An Emerald is as Green as Grass

And emerald is as green as grass;

A ruby red as blood;

A sapphire shines as blue as heaven;

A flint lies in the mud.

A diamond is a brilliant stone;

To catch the world's desire;

An opal holds a fiery spark;

But a flint holds fire.

~Christina Rossetti

Family Interview

We are studying culture and traditions for the next couple weeks in social studies.  Your child should bring home a paper titled Family Interview.  Please help your child fill out information about your family and your traditions.  The worksheet isn't set up in an interview format, but your child may ask you or a grandparent questions to help get information.  Please send it back on Friday, November 9.  Thanks for your help at home!

Spelling Words

The spelling words for the week of December 10-14 are:

true, truth, took, again, inform, both, heart, month, children, child, build, built, understand, follow, charge, member, case, while, also, return, office, great, Miss, miss, who, died, die, changing, change, few

Phonograms

The phonograms for the week of December 10-14 are:

ph, a, ei, ai, g, ow, e, ea, ey, ar, ie, ng, ew, oo, ough, u, ou, gu, o, wh, er, ch, th, or, ed, i, wor, f, j, sh

Book Orders

If you would like to order books from Scholastic, you may go to www.scholastic.com and order by Friday, October 26. Our class code is H3ZDB. You may also order in person by filling out the order form and sending it to me by October 26.  Thanks for encouraging your child to read!

Phonograms

The phonograms for the week of October 29-November 2 are:

oi, ea, oy, o, j, ee, u, er, n, oa, w, ur, ei, ey, ie, a, ew, ou, y, ow, igh, ch, wr, s, i, kn, e, ar, v, x,

Spelling Words

The spelling words for the week of October 29-November 2 are:

grant, soap, news, new, small, smaller, smallest, war, summer, above, express, turn, lesson, half, father, anything, table, high, June, right, write, wrote, date, road, rode, ride, March, march, next, indeed

Parent Teacher Conferences

Thanks so much for meeting with me.  Our class had 100% attendance for Parent Teacher Conferences and I just wanted to thank you for being involved in your child's education.  I have great kids who have great parents.  Thank you!

Reading Level

At Parent Teacher Conferences I talked about your child's reading level.  In the Monthly Testing section of your child's SEP form there is a lexile reading score.  For more information on this score, please check out the following website:  http://lexile.com/fab/     

Also, if you'd like to find books on your childs A-Z reading level, here is a great website:

http://home.comcast.net/~ngiansante/  

Spelling Words

Spelling Words for October 1 - October 5:
move, delay, pound, behind, around, burn, camp, bear, bare, clear, clean, spell, poor, finish, hurt, maybe, across, tonight, tenth, sir, these, those, club, seen , see, felt, full, fail, setting, set

Phonograms

Phonograms for the week of October 1 - October 5:
ei, y, e, wr, a, ou, ur, ti, gn, ai, ci, o, ie, igh, kn, i, ay, dge, ar, eigh, f, th, b, c, d, si, ph, g, ea, ear

Fall Festival Basket

Thank you SO MUCH for donating to our class basket.  You are soooo generous!  The basket is sure to be one of the cutest I've seen.  Thanks for your help!

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parent Teacher Conferences are Thursday, September 27 and Friday, September 28.  Please come in to sign up for a time to meet with me.  Thanks!

A-Z Books

Your child will be bringing home a leveled book to read.  The purpose of the book is to supply your child with a book on his/her reading level.  Studies show that the best way to help children improve their reading is to provide them with books they are able to read independently.  The A-Z books provide this.  Please initial the box each time your child reads the book.  Once the student has finished level L, s/he will no longer be bringing home A-Z books.  If you feel the book is not on your child's level, please let me know. 

Knowing your child's reading level will help you and your child select suitable books.  Here is a website that has a list of books on your child's level:  http://home.comcast.net/~ngiansante/  

I highly recommend checking this list.  Thanks so much for encouraging your child to read at home!

Phonograms

The phonograms for the week of September 17-21 are:

ie, ew, oo, e, ei, ee, o, i, ai, oi, ou, w, ea, ck, or, ir, s, a, y, ch, ey, r, th, er, ow, igh, gu, ay, c, oy

Rock Collection

Today your child will be bringing home an egg carton.  This is to be used to collect rocks for our science unit.  Please send the carton with 6 rocks on Wednesday, September 19. 

1. Rocks should not be purchased from the store.
2. Each rock should fit into a section of an egg carton.
3. Ask permission before taking rocks from private property.
4. Try to get rocks from different locations.

If you are unable to find enough rocks, I will provide some for your child to use in class on September 19.  Thanks for your help!

Spelling Words

There are no spelling words for the week of September 24-28 because of Parent Teacher Conferences.

Egg Cartons!

We need egg cartons!  We'll be using them next week for our science unit.  If you have some, please send them to school with your child.  Thanks!

Behavior Log

Second graders do not have a behavior log like many of them did in first grade.  However, if you check the homework log, you will see an O, S, or N each day for your child's behavior.  If you have questions about this, please let me know. 

O= outstanding      S= satisfactory      N= needs to improve

Homework Tracker

In your child's homework folder you will find a homework tracker.  Each week they complete all their homework, they get a sticker.  Please check each Monday to make sure they have a sticker for the previous week.  If they don't and you believe they did all their homework, please email me.   

Thanks for helping your child complete their work at home!  I appreciate your support. 

100% Homework Tracker
	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6
Term 1

Read-a-Thon

Thanks so much for encouraging your child to read.  Thanks for helping them record their minutes and get it back to school each day. 

Please help your second grader read as much as you can over the weekend.  The other Nibley schools are beating Thomas Edison.  Yikes!  We would love to see a lot of minutes read over the long weekend.  

Thanks again for your support!     

Poetry

 Your child took his/her poems home last week and should be working on memorizing one.  The poems will be presented in class on Tuesday, September 25.  In order to earn 100% your child needs to do the poem with actions, bring a prop, or share his/her favorite line. 

Swinging

I start my swing very soft and slow,

With just enough push to make it go

Then I hurry it up, till I'm going so fast

That the leaves on the trees go rushing past.

I swoop down low, so close to the ground

That I see the June bugs crawling around,

And then so high, so far, and so free

That even the east wind can't catch me.

~Marchette G. Chute

The Rhinoceros

The Rhino is a homely beast,

For human eyes he's not a feast,

But you and I will never know

Why Nature chose to make him so

Farewell, farewell, you old rhinoceros,

I'll stare at something less prepoceros.

~Ogden Nash

An Autumn Riddle

They are seen on the trees,

They are seen on the ground.

They are seen in the air,

Whirling softly around;

They sing rustling songs

As our footsteps they hear,

And their name is well known,

For they come every year.

~Anonymous

Class Schedule

Here is the daily schedule for our class:

Monday

8:35 Spelling

9:35 Recess

9:50 Math

11:00 Lit Set

11:20 Lunch

11:55 Storytime

12:05 Grammar

12:15 New Practice Reader

12:45 Read Aloud

1:00 History/Science

1:20 Recess

1:35 Writing

2:00 Clean Up

2:10 Computers

2:30 P.E.

Tuesday

8:35 Spelling

9:35 Recess

9:50 Math

11:00 Lit Set

11:20 Lunch

11:55 Storytime

12:05 Grammar

12:15 Writing

12:30 Read Aloud

12:55 Music

1:20 Recess

1:35 Writing

2:05 Hayes

2:30 History/Science

2:50 Clean Up

  

Wednesday

8:35 Spelling

9:35 Recess

9:50 Math

11:00 Lit Set

11:20 Lunch

11:55 Storytime

12:05 Grammar

12:15 New Practice Reader

12:45 Read Aloud

1:00 History/Science

1:20 Recess

1:35 Writing

1:55 Clean Up

2:05 Art

Thursday

8:35 Spelling

9:35 Recess

9:50 Math

11:00 Lit Set

11:20 Lunch

11:55 Storytime

12:05 Grammar

12:15 McCall Crabbs

12:30 Read Aloud

12:50 Library

1:20 Recess

1:35 Writing

2:00 History/Science

2:20 Clean Up

2:30 P.E.

  

Friday

8:35 Spelling

9:35 Recess

9:50 Math

11:00 Lit Set

11:20 Lunch

11:55 Storytime

12:05 Grammar

12:15 Time for Kids

12:35 Read Aloud

12:55 Music

1:20 Recess

1:35 Writing

2:05 Spotlight

2:15 Clean Up

We Need Photos!

If you have photos of your child from his/her second grade year, I need them!  Please email me any photos you have from the Fall Festival, choir concert, making brownies, class parties, Talent Fair, Science Fair, ect.  If the photo has multiple students in it or it's just of your child, great!  Send whatever you are willing to share.   

I would like them by Friday, May 18.  Thanks ahead of time for your help! :)

Phonograms

The phonograms for the week of May 21-25 are:

Students will not be tested on phonograms this week. 

Spelling Words

The spelling words for the week of May 21-25 are:

Students will not be tested on spelling words this week.

Book Orders

If you would like to order books to read over the summer, please go to www.scholastic.com and order by Friday, April 27. Our class code is H3ZDB. Thanks for encouraging your child to read!

Phonograms

The phonograms for the week of April 23-27 are:

i, ea, our, o, oo, g, wr, k, u, ow, au, ew, aw, ie, ui, ey, ou, ee, ai, ei,

Spelling Words

The spelling words for the week of April 33-May 4 are:

although, prompt, attempt, whose, who, statement, state, perhaps, their, they, imprison, written, write, arrange, ankle, appears, bracelet, brace, breathe, breath, calm

May Lunch Order

The lunch orders for May are due April 18. If you order hot lunch for your child, please do not order a lunch on Wednesday, May 23. The second graders will be going on a field trip* that day and will not be at school to receive hot lunch. If you have questions, please email me.

*You'll receive details about the field trip when it gets closer. :)

Poems

Please have your child choose one of the four poems:





Clouds


It's fun to see the clouds go by


When the wind is low.


Like fat and mournful sheep they pass,


Bumpy and woolly and slow.



It's fun to see them change to lambs


When the wind is high,


And trot across the sky's blue grass,


Hurrying to get by.


Small sheep racing across the sun,


Large sheep, fat and slow,


And the shepherd wind that drives them on-


I wonder where they go?

-by Marchette G. Chute

Barefoot Days

In the morning, very early,

That's the time I love to go

Barefoot where the ferns grow curly

And grass is cool between each toe,

On a summer morning-O!

On a summer morning!

That is when the birds go by

Up the sunny slopes of air,

And each rose has a butterfly

Of a golden bee to wear;

And i am glad in every toe--

Such a summer morning-O!

Such a summer morning!

-by Rachel Field

Timid as a Mouse

Who says a mouse is timid?

"Timid as a mouse."

I think a mouse is brave at night

To venture from his house

And hunt for things to nibble

And grass and twigs to chew,

When eyes are on the watch for him

The whole night through...

Eyes of owls and cats and skunks,

To mention just a few,

watching for a little mouse

The whole night through.

-by Aileen Fisher

Morning

Will there really be morning?

Is there such a thing as day?

Could I see it from the mountains

If i were as tall as they?

Has it feet like water-lillies?

Has it feathers like a bird?

Is it brought from famous countries

Of which I have never heard?

Oh, some scholar! Oh, some sailor!

Oh, some wise man from the skies!

Please to tell a little pilgrim

Where the place called morning lies.

--Emily Dickinson

*Poems are due on Tuesday, April 10.

Phonograms

The phonograms for the week of March 26-30 are:

j, r, oy, wr, ur, gn, ti, ir, wh, f, ough, ed, o, ey, aw, gi, ou, e, ew, ea, oo, ee, u, ow, ui, ie, au, gu, g, ei

Spelling Words

The spelling words for the week of March 26-30 are:

passengers, remained, retreating, style, subtract, tailor, thumb, trial, voyage, whisper, wrong, sometimes, engage, final, terrible, surprise, period, addition, employ, property, select

*Starting now, your child will have 21 spelling words each week. S/he will enter 7 on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up! They'll be on Thursday, March 8 and Friday, March 9. There is a sign-up sheet outside my classroom door. Please come in to sign up for a time to meet with me. If you are unable to come in to sign up, send me an email with a day and time that will work for you. I look forward to meeting with you!

Phonograms

The phonograms for the week of February 27- March 2 are:

wor, ear, ir, ur, oi, oy, ow, oo, aw, gn, ng, ci, wr, ei, ti, ui, au, ey, ay, kn, ed, ie, ew, si, ou, ea, ee, gu, ai, eau

Spelling Words

The spelling words for the week of February 27- March 2 are:

regular, repeats, sailor, sentence, shining, shine, surface, sweeping, sweeps, their, waist, waste, waiting, weary, writing, writer, write, spend, enjoy, awful, awe, usual, complaint, auto, vacation, beautiful, beauty, flight, travel, rapid

Etiquette Party

Our class etiquette party is Friday, February 10. Please send valentines with your child to exchange that day. The names of the children in the class are:

Afton ~ Avey ~ Emery ~ Andrew ~ Cree ~ Natalie ~ Leah ~ Alijah ~ Hannah ~ Ayanna ~ Alejandro ~ Vianca ~RJ ~ Cristian ~ Tabitha ~ Miles ~ Jaden ~Peyton ~Carter ~Megan ~Alina ~Alyssa ~Eden ~Allee ~Isaiah ~Shiloh ~Talia ~Adam ~Tayden

Family Interview

Your child is bringing home a list of questions to ask a relative. The relative can be a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, ect. The purpose of this is to learn about your family's history and traditions. This can be completed over the weekend and should be returned to school by Monday, January 23.

Cursive

Your child will begin learning cursive penmanship this month. Because of this, you will see cursive practice in the homework folder for the next few weeks. The focus is on quality and not on quantity. If you notice your child struggling or needing extra help, please email me. lbateman@edisoncs.org

Thanks again for your support at home!

Phonograms

The phonograms for the week of February 6-10 are:

u, ay, oy, h, oa, s, ie, ough, ui, qu, ei, f, wh, ti, ai, au, ey, b, ou, ea, er, ng, ew, d, i, z, si, ck, y, e

Spelling Words

The spelling words for the week of February 6-10 are:

direction, direct, appear, liberty, enough, fact, board, September, station, attend, public, music, picnic, friends, friend, during, police, until, truly, true, whole, hole, address, request, raise, August, struck, getting, get, don't