Curriculum Night Update (in case you missed it last week)
Thank you to those who were able to join us Curriculum Night. It was wonderful to see you and to share about the exciting things your child will be learning this year in 2nd grade! Here is our slide show, incase you missed the meeting. A few big takeaways that are not on the slideshow.
There will be a QR code in your child's Great Tiger folder for them to access Classlink.
Seesaw family letters will be coming home soon. Please join our Seesaw classes. There will be one for Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies, GT and Art, as well. It is just like it has been in the past.
Please sign and return the last page of the Curriculum handout regarding their I-Pads. Thank you!
News From Our Awesome OCT PTA
September 1st is the deadline for lots of important things and we wanted to make sure you knew where to get these done! Please CLICK HERE and make sure you have:
* Signed up for the PTA (volunteering not required!) Sign up everyone in your home...parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and of course your kids who are at OC Taylor. Don't forget we have a contest going on for the grade with the highest percentage of student memberships (popsicle party), AND the class with the most memberships (silly string the principals at TigerFest)!!
* Order your class shirt! These are required and students wear them for field trips, field days and many other activities throughout the year.
*Pay your homeroom fund. This helps the PTA cover costs in the classroom as well as the parties held in December and February, and the musical programs for your child's grade.
Thank you for your help in getting these three things done so that we can have the best year!!
Important Dates/Reminders
September 1: Labor Day holiday (no school)
September 4: Volunteer Orientation at 9:00 a.m..
September 5: GrandparentsDay (Lunch)
September 15: International DOT Day! Wear Dots!!!
September 18: OCT PTA Tigerfest and Spirit Shop 6:00 pm
September 22: No School for Students/ Professional Development for Teachers
OC Taylor Tidbits.....
Student Absences: Please email your homeroom teacher AND copy Sierra Salter, sierra.salter@gcisd.net anytime your child will be absent for any reason.
Arrival: K-2 students go to the gym. 3-5 students go to the cafeteria. Students report directly to the classroom starting at 7:30. The tardy bell is at 7:35 a.m..
Ride Changes: Call or email Sierra Salter, sierra.salter@gcisd.net prior to 2:00, if your child is going home a different way than normal. At 2:30, the office lets each teacher know of these changes, so that we can let students know. If your child is not on our email list from the office about a ride change, we cannot let them go home differently. Your child's safety is our top priority.
Thank you so much!
Bucket Fillers
What does it mean to "fill someone else's bucket?" How could you fill someone's bucket?
In August we discussed the importance of showing kindness to others. Students listened to the story, "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?". We discussed the importance of filling someone else's bucket by acts of kindness. Students will be writing notes of kindness called "Bucket Fillers" each week (short, kind messages to their peers). Look for these notes to come home every other week in your child's Great Tiger Folder.
Please send your child with two healthy (nut free) snacks. They may want a morning and afternoon snack.
Please make sure student iPads are plugged in every evening before bed, so that they are fully charged for class the next day. Students also need a pair of working headphones.
No wireless headphones please.
Students go to PE every day. Please make sure they are wearing (or have in their backpack) a good pair of closed toe shoes (sneakers).
Curriculum Notes
Reading and Writing
Ask your child:
Questions are imbedded in the text below.
Ask your child to tell you what genre means? These are the categories we organize books by. Then ask them to identify the genre of the book they are currently reading at home. Remember students are expected to read 20 minutes a night in 2nd grade.
This past week we read a very entertaining story called Spoon, which teaches the importance of embracing one's individuality. Ask your child to tell you more about it. Here are some guiding questions. (1) How did Spoon feel at the beginning and why? (2) Who were 3 of the characters in the book and what were they good at? (3) And finally, how did Spoon's feelings change at the end and why?
Next week students will receive their first spelling list, learn to identify external and internal character traits and the importance of creating mental images when we read. They will also continue writing their personal narratives about a time they helped someone in their community.
Math
Ask your child:
Show me the number 325 in standard form, expanded form and picture form.
Our fabulous mathematicians practiced reading number lines and hundred charts, worked with all the forms of a number : standard, expanded, pictorial, & place, place & avalue, and determined if a number was odd or even. They worked hard on the I-Ready assessment in math, and we are so proud of them.
Next week, they will continue to work on math fluency using Fluency Flight in I-Ready, decomposing numbers, and comparing numbers with the < and > symbols. It may be a short week, but we are going to be busy, busy , busy!
Science
Ask your child:
What 3 physical properties did we learn about this week to use to classify matter?
(hint: flexibility, texture & temperature)
This week, students will learn that all materials are made of matter and that scientists use physical properties to classify objects. We will focus on texture, flexibility and temperature. Students will complete our first lab where they observe the physical properties of water, foil and plates and learn how to use scientific vocabulary in their observations. Next week, we will continue our four week unit on matter by identify matter as a solid or a liquid.
Social Studies
Ask your child:
What are the characteristics of a good citizen?
Next week, we will identify characteristics of good citizenship, including truthfulness, justice, equality, respect, responsibility, and participation in government.
Students will explore these topics using our weekly studies weekly newspaper and discuss the importance of conflict resolution and learn strategies for how to work through conflict at school in the classrooms, during specials, at recess and more.
This Week's Spelling List (Test on Friday, Sept. 5)
Spelling Pattern/Focus: the "Floss Rule" & Diagraphs sh, wh, th, ch
fish
shell
whiff
that
this
with
math
much
chill
which
Challenge Words
lunchbox
finish
within
Let's Celebrate our September Birthdays!
Perry on the 7th
Cate on the 12th
Kollins on the 14th
Alex D. on the 15th
Reed P. on the 21st
Sutton on the 21st
We are so thankful for each of you.