Classroom Update #2
Student-Led Conferences
I’m looking forward to meeting each of you during student-led conferences. When you first come to the room, your student has a list of things to show you. This is their chance to show you our room and some of the work they’ve done. Then we will sit down together to discuss how 2nd grade is going so far. If you need to change your conference time let me know as soon as possible. If you need a translator for the conference let me know as soon as possible.
Help Our School
We just need a few more families to join PTA by the end of October so we can get 100% participation and earn a popsicle party for the classroom.
An easy way to support our school is to buy SCRIP. Use SCRIP to do your everyday shopping and earn money for our school at no cost to you. See this flyer or buy SCRIP after school in front of the office on Wednesdays.
Another way to earn money for our school is with Box Tops. Cut Box Tops off of participating products and send them with your child to school. We'd love to win the traveling trophy one month for having the most Box Tops.
Field Trips
We have set our dates for our field trips this year. If you would like to chaperone a field trip please let me know what trip(s) you are available for. I will then assign chaperones to trips based on who is available.
March 4th: Alf Museum of Paleontology
April 14th: Miss Nelson is Missing: The Musical at Caltech's Beckman Auditorium
April 27th: Arboretum
January 15th: "Toying with Science" program at Caltech's Beckman Auditorium
What We're Studying
We're reading short stories from our reading anthologies and learning to identify the problems and solutions in a story. Students have also started taking Accelerated Reader tests on the chapter books they read. We use the 5 finger rule to choose a good book: Read any page of a book and count on your fingers how many words you don't know. If you know all the words the book is probably too easy. If you don't know 5 or more words the book might be too hard.
During our writing lessons we are continuing to work on personal narratives and writing letters. We are learning to type our stories on our Chrome Books. On Mon-Thur we switch classes with the other 2nd grade teachers for half an hour during Core+. Each student has a reading or writing lesson that is at just the right level for them.
In social studies we are learning map skills and more. Students are learning about different types of maps and all of their parts. We will soon be studying different landforms and types of communities.
In math your student should have their addition and subtraction facts of single digit numbers memorized. If they do not, study with them, or have them go on to Moby Max and practice on Fact Master for 5 minutes every day. Students may also go to the Math link in Moby Max at home if they'd like some extra practice with math lessons at home. They all know how to use Moby Max. Soon we will begin studying bigger numbers and developing a strong understanding of place value.
Our latest P.E. games have been handball and hopscotch. We'll do some jumping roping and basketball in the near future.
During our MakerSpace time, when we develop our engineering skills, we've had a couple of competitions to build the tallest free standing tower out of toothpicks and marshmallows. We are also working with our 3D printer. Every child has printed a monster they downloaded from My Mini Factory. Now we're printing the jack-o-lanterns they "carved" using the CAD program called Tinkercad. I have never seen children work so hard on an assignment as our students did to create their jack-o-lanterns.
Last Thoughts
Be sure to stay in touch with me if you have any questions or concerns. Stop by the room, write a note on the homework packet, or send an email to carolyngrumm@ausd.net. Follow us on Twitter, if you haven't already, to get daily updates, often in adorable picture form: @Room1Bulldogs
