Curriculum News

   We have enjoyed our study of the Wild West so much that we have decided to extend it for one more week!  This week we will be looking at several non-fiction books about the Wild West.  We will especially be focusing on the numerous tools/accessories that cowboys and cowgirls need to do their job.  We will also, obviously, be taking a break from our Wild West studies for one day as we explore some fun fictional stories about Halloween!  As we continue to work on more skills that will help us become better writers, we will focus more on using Main Idea and Detail sentences to help us compose better paragraphs and stories.  This will definitely be a fun-filled week that is jam packed full of learning!

During our Social Studies time in the afternoons we will be continuing with our exploration of our amazing planet.  This week we will turn our focus to the continent of South America and will also spend some time focusing on the fascinating country of Brazil.      In Math we will continue to work with adding 2-digit numbers, as this is a very necessary skill to master before moving onto more challenging concepts.  Keep practicing those addition facts!

Starting the week of November 5^th, ^, students will be asked to complete a weekly reading log to track the number of minutes read outside of the classroom.  Students are given a goal that should be easily attained.  They are to read 60 minutes within a week’s time.  Papers will be passed out each Monday and are asked to be returned the following Monday.  We will keep track of those that are successfully meeting this goal and they will get a chance at the end of each month to either eat lunch with me or get a homework pass to get out of one assignment.  I know that there are some amazing readers who will meet this goal with no problem and want to provide an incentive for those who always work hard and are responsible enough to turn in this paper each week.  If the paper is misplaced you can always write down the number of minutes read and sign the paper for proof of completion as well.   I am doing this to teach students responsibility and to encourage any bit of extra reading time that they can find in their everyday lives!

 

Spelling  Words

mean     clean      peak     dream     beach      team     neat     seat     repeat     least     treat     leap

                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                               (turn over)

 

Reminders/Announcements: 

* October 31^st is the Halloween Parade and classroom party.  The parade starts at 10:00 AM with parties following immediately afterwards.  Students are asked to avoid wearing costumes to school that would be too frightening for our younger students and to avoid things that resemble guns or knives.  These rules are in place so that our younger students are not frightened on this fun-filled day!  If it is raining on that day (hopefully NOT) the parade will take place in the gym.  I already want to say thank you to all parents and volunteers who help make this day so much fun for our students!  Seeing the smiles on their faces is always so wonderful to witness!  We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!

 

*Next week is also Red Ribbon Week, which emphasizes the importance of saying “No to Drugs!”  Each day will have a theme and students are asked to dress up if possible.  Below are the themes for each day!

 

Monday-“Be A “Jean”ious” /Stay Away From Drugs- Wear Jeans.

Tuesday-“”Don’t Fall Asleep on Your Dreams”- Wear your pajamas.

Wednesday- “Scare Away Drugs”- Wear your Halloween costume..

Thursday-“Don’t let Bad Decisions Affect Your Future”- Dress up like you would for your future career.

Friday-Red Day!!!

 

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Johnson

Curriculum News

   As we wrap up our unit on the “ Wild West”, we will finish reading and discussing the Magic Tree House book- Ghost Town Before Sundown.  This fictional series is always fun to explore but this week it will help us look at some of the myths and other terminology used during this era in American history.  We will also be working on some more “Super Sentences” about the “Wild West” as we use more descriptive words to help our writing become even more interesting!  These students are getting better and better with their writing skills!

We will be continuing our study of a variety of habitats as we compare the Ocean, Rainforest, and Desert habitats and discuss their importance in the sustainability of the world.    During our Social Studies time we will begin our unit on the 7 Continents.  The first week will give us a chance to compare the difference between countries and continents and get students familiar with the location and size of all of the continents.  Students will get a chance over the next several weeks to learn a bit about each of the 7 continents individually as we take a look at each one more closely!  This is always a fun unit to explore and gives us the opportunity to be introduced to some amazing cultures and people from around the world!   In Math we will be starting to work with 2-digit numbers which will lead to our work with adding 2-digit numbers.  We have so many important skills and concepts to cover!!!  I am already looking forward to next week!!!

 

Spelling  Words

nurse      curve      turn      burn      curl      purse       fur      church      hurt      blurt      surf      curb

 

Reminders/Announcements: 

* October 31^st is the Halloween Parade and classroom party.  The parade starts at 10:00 with parties following immediately afterwards.  Students are asked to avoid wearing costumes to school that would be too frightening for our younger students and to avoid things that resemble guns or knives.  These rules are in place so that our younger students are not frightened on this fun-filled day!  Thank you for your cooperation with this!

 

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Johnson

Curriculum News

   During this week’s study of the “Wild West”, we will be taking a closer look at a book from a very popular series which takes place in the days of the “Wild West”.  We will be reading and discussing Ghost Town At Sundown from the Magic Tree House Series.  This will allow us to discuss setting a bit more closely, as we look at how important setting is in the set up and plot of a story.  We will also discuss character traits as we study the two main characters more closely while they explore this time in our country’s history that helped shape our future as a country.   During our Science time, we will be continuing with our exploration of habitats that may be a bit unfamiliar to our second graders here in the Midwest.      We will get the opportunity to learn a bit more about the fascinating animals and plants found in this part of our world as well as better understand how wildlife can survive in flourish in a variety of conditions.  Students will also continue their work with verbs as we take a closer look at subject and verb agreement, which will only strengthen their writing skills.  In Math we will be practicing adding and subtracting tens to numbers as well as using data from charts to answer questions.  There are always so many fun and fascinating things to cover each week!

Keep working on those addition facts second grade!!!

 

Spelling  Words

blue      true      clue      glue      argue      duel      fuel       flew      grew      chew      threw       crew

 

Reminders/Announcements: 

*There is an early dismissal on Wednesday, October 17^th at 2:00 and on Wednesday, October 31^st at 11:30.

*Halloween Parade is at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, October 31^st and will be followed by parties in each classroom!

 

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Johnson

Curriculum News

 

As we continue with our Wild West Unit during our Reading/Literacy time, we shift our attention to Fairy Tales that are set in the Wild West.  This will give us the opportunity to compare some traditional, well-known fairy tales with other versions which are set during this fascinating time in our country’s history.  I am certain that students will enjoy hearing the interesting twists that these stories take as the setting is changed so drastically.  Students will also be working on writing personal narratives.  This will allow them to write a story that tells us a bit more about a special event in their life.

During our Science time, we will be taking a closer look at a different habitat which is both fascinating and beautiful.  We will be exploring the rainforest habitat very closely and getting to know the numerous types of plants and animals that call it home.  Students did an excellent job on their Ocean Animal Posters and everyone had the opportunity to learn a lot from each of their presentations!  We will revisit this topic later in the school year but for now, we will continue with our exploration of several other amazing habitats found this beautiful planet!  In Math, we are continuing to work on our addition facts so please keep practicing.  This will prepare us for some more challenging skills which will be covered very soon!

 

Spelling  Words

loud   sound   found    shout    count    mouth    ground     house    brown    growl    crown   town

 

Reminders/Announcements: 

*No school on Monday, October 8^th because of Columbus Day!

*October 17^th– 2:00 Dismissal

*October 31^st– 11:30 Dismissal  /  Halloween Parade & Party starts @10:00 AM

 

Enjoy your extended weekend!

Mrs. Johnson