Weekly Newsletter

At the beginning of each week, an update will be sent home via email to update you on what is going on in class each week! You can also find a copy of that email here.

Week of May 18

Hello!

It is hard to believe our final week of second grade is here!

This year has certainly been memorable. I sincerely wish we could all gather together for one final time, however I am grateful we have still been able to meet online.

These kids have made an impact on me this year. Their kindness and enthusiasm have impressed me and their wit and humor has been nothing but a joy in second grade! I truly cannot thank you all for your support and for sharing them with us!

Here's our agenda for the last week of school:

Monday:

  • The kids will be writing a letter to themselves, which I will mail to them when they graduate from high school in 10 years!
  • Our afternoon extension activities will include exploring space since the kids have gone "above and beyond" this year!
  • I have set up a new Office Hours schedule for tomorrow morning if kids would like to say goodbye! Each slot is 5 minutes to accommodate as many as possible, and this is not required. You can sign up here!
  • We will have one last Lunch Bunch from 11 to 11:30 am in which everyone is welcome! Here's the link for that.

Tuesday:

  • We will have our final Google Meet at 9:00 am and will be wrapped up by 10:00 am! Here is the link.

I have also linked any Google Meets on our class E-Learning website!

On our class website, I will be releasing a list of summer resources later this week, if that is something you would like to access.

I truly cannot thank you enough for all your support this year. This class will forever hold a special place in my heart. I know these kids will soar as they continue to 3rd grade!

I hope you each have a wonderful summer!

With gratitude,

Caitlin Almer

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Week of May 11

Hello!

Today marks the beginning of our final full week of school. It's hard to believe this time has come! With this in mind, our work will look different due to additional opportunities.


  • Each day this week a Specials Teacher will be popping on our Google Site to give kids an opportunity to try out different activities. If we were at school, this week would be filled with end of the school year activities. Since we are online, I still want to give the kids time to do this!
  • We will be taking a pause on reading groups for the time being. If kids are looking for books to read, I have been filling their EPIC! mailboxes with books.
  • This week I am hosting Lunch Bunch for the kids on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 12-12:30 pm each day. Kids are welcome to eat their lunch and come chat with us. The link for this meeting can be found on our Office Hours sheet!
  • Wednesday from 1-1:30 will be our usual Class Meeting. I challenged the kids to build a blanket fort or to find a good blanket where they would be comfortable while we listen to the read aloud! We will also be doing a short celebration for the kids with Summer birthdays.
  • I am currently putting together a slideshow for the last two days of school for the kids to watch. If you have any pictures from this year or pictures of the kids during distance learning, I would love to include them in a slideshow to share with the kids. Feel free to send any to me!

Thank you again for all your support!

Caitlin Almer

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Week of May 4

Hello!

I hope everyone is doing well!

A few updates for this week:

  • Students are working on an informational writing piece on our Google Site and Google Classroom. Each day we will be working on a portion of the writing which mirrors the process we've used for informational writing this year. If any students need additional help, I've opened up chunks of time on Google Meet for kids to pop on during that block of time to ask questions. I've also opened up more slots for Office Hours to chat or ask questions this week!
  • It is hard to believe the end of the year is quickly approaching! There will be a few different activities up on the Google Site for next week. Stay tuned for more information!
  • We have our class Google Meet on Wednesday at 1:00 pm if the kids are able to join! Click here to join. (Link will also be posted on our Google Site!)
  • This week we are "traveling" to the National Parks! Monday-Grand Canyon, Tuesday-Yellowstone, Wednesday-Glacier National Park, Thursday-Denali National Park, Friday-Sequoia National Park.

I truly cannot thank you all enough for all your support!

-Caitlin Almer

Week of April 20

Hello!

I hope you all are doing well and staying healthy!

A few things going on this week:

  • First and foremost, I wanted to extend my utmost thanks for the class gift. That was truly so thoughtful and am deeply grateful for all your support. The kids make this all worth it!
  • This week we are continuing with our tour of the world: yesterday we traveled to Switzerland, today we are traveling to Costa Rica, Wednesday will be Germany, Thursday to Ecuador, and Friday to Peru.
  • We will continue with our Wednesday class Google Meet from 1 pm-1:30 pm. I'll post the link at the top of the Wednesday page!
  • If you could remind your student to take attendance each day using the Attendance form located on the top of each day's work, that would be fantastic! I would also appreciate it if you would remind your child to maintain appropriate online technology use. I want this time to be as successful and positive for everyone!
  • We are mixing things up this week and instead of using IXL, kids will be logging on to Dreambox. This is an online math portal that incorporates games with math skills to review and practice various concepts. To log on, kids will be heading to the Clever portal and clicking on Dreambox. (Here is the link to the parent letter!) Their Google Login will take them in. Today I have asked kids to practice signing in as part of our math time. I've also left instructions on our Google Site.

Again, I truly cannot thank you enough for all of your help and support! Thank you for all you do!

Caitlin Almer

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Week of April 13

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you had a marvelous weekend!

We are heading into our second week of online learning and I'm continuously amazed at all the kids are doing! Thank you for your patience with the technology this past week. My ultimate goal is for the technology to run smoothly enough that kids can complete the work independently!

Here's a rundown of things going on this week:

  • World Tour:
    • Monday: England
    • Tuesday: Brazil
    • Wednesday: Canada
    • Thursday: New Zealand
    • Friday: Kenya
  • I've had a couple of requests on how kids can communicate with me, instead of through parent email. I've looked around and the easiest way for kids to do this is to write a comment on the Google Classroom post each day. Here's a quick tutorial of how to do that.
  • I have also been trying to figure out the best way for kids to get feedback, and have realized that is through Google Classroom. My hope is to leave feedback on writing assignments and reading work, by leaving a comment for them on Google Classroom for that day's work. (Head to the same Google Classroom location as the tutorial above shows.)
  • We are jumping in to writing this week with short response comprehension questions. The goal of these questions is for kids to be able to restate, answer, and prove their thinking.This is a skill we have worked on in class and I want to make sure they can be independent in this before the end of the year. While this may seem like a short writing assignment, it requires them to critically think about their work.
  • I've been updating the FAQ sheet for questions daily, and have posted Office Hours for this week. I ask kids sign up for Office Hours at least 2 hours in advance so I can make sure the links are up for kids to join.

Again, I truly cannot thank you for all your patience, understanding, and support! This is an incredible group of kids and I've appreciated being able to connect with them while we've been online!

Thank you for all you do!

Miss Almer

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Week of April 6

Hello and Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a marvelous weekend.

It has been awesome to see the kids over Google Meet this past week. I'm incredibly grateful technology has offered so many opportunities to be able to connect and do work online during this time. I've also loved hearing about at all the fun things you all are doing at home-it has been awesome to hear about all the creative activities everyone has been up to!

We've got a fun week ahead! In order to mix things up, the kids will have an optional opportunity to "travel" virtually to different countries around the world this week and also participate in different spirit days from home.

Here's what's going on in e-learning!

  • Class Spirit Days are as follows: (always optional!)
    • Monday: Dress in red, white, or blue
    • Tuesday: Spirit day! (Uniform/favorite sports team!)
    • Wednesday: Mismatch Day
    • Thursday: Hat Day
    • Friday: Rainbow Day
  • Our virtual travels will take place in the optional extension times in the afternoons. I've included links on our website to virtual tours of historic sites as well as background music and options for at-home recipes that relate to the country traveled to. As always, these activities are optional.
    • Monday: France
    • Tuesday: Italy
    • Wednesday: Australia
    • Thursday: Greece
    • Friday: Egypt
  • This week in reading we will be working on w and wh sounds as well as beginning our small group work, which is linked on the Google Site. In math, kids will be working on area of geometric shapes.
  • I've had a couple of parent requests to gather updated directory information to stay in touch during this time.
  • Office Hours this week may look a little different. It was fantastic to "meet" with so many kids last week! If you child has already met with me, I ask they would wait to sign up for a second time until Wednesday when the new set of Office Hours comes out. Again, office hours are optional.
  • Our weekly class Google Meet is going to be each Wednesday at 1 pm. Here's the link for that. I will also post it on Wednesday's tab on our Class Website.
  • In an effort to make things as streamlined as possible, I also included a FAQ Google Doc on the website under " Office Hours + FAQ" where kids can type in their questions about classwork. This way, they can directly chat with me and then can check back for their answers throughout the day.

Again, I cannot thank you for your continued support! Please let me know if you have any questions-I am happy to help!

With many thanks,

Miss Almer

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Week of March 9

Hello and Happy March!

We have an exciting week ahead.

  • Students are beginning to study erosion and the effects water has on the Earth's Surface. Kids are looking at fast and slow changes to the Earth's surface, including volcanoes, rain, wind, and a variety of storms.
  • Homework packets went home today and are due next week.
  • Wednesday, March 18 is class picture day.

I have loved meeting with all of you for conferences-thank you for taking the time to meet. I truly cannot thank you enough for all your support!

Miss Almer

Week of February 18

Hello!

I hope you had a marvelous long weekend.

A few things going on in second grade:

  • Our Early Littleton Performance and activities will take place next Tuesday, February 25th. The performance is at 8:30 am in the Lenski Multipurpose room. We will begin our Early Littleton events at 9:30 am and finish right before lunch at 11. Thank you to all who are helping! Here is the sign up link. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c44abad2ea6fa7-second The kids are welcome to dress up in Western/pioneer garb for this event.
  • Conferences are also beginning next week! Thank you to all who have signed up. Here is the sign up link if you need it: https://ptcfast.com/schools/Lois_Lenski_Elementary
  • The kids have earned their marble jar rewards and voted to watch a movie and bring a stuffed animal at the same time. We will be doing this tomorrow afternoon at the end of the day.
  • Homework is going home today and is due next week.

Thank you so much for all your support!

Miss Almer

Week of February 3

Happy February!

A few exciting things going on in Second Grade:

  • Valentine's Day is on Friday February 14. We will have an in-class celebration that day. If kids are interested in bringing in a treat, I ask that they bring in one for each student. We have 24 total in our class. You are welcome to keep treats unnamed, or if kids would like to label treats, I've attached a class list. That day is also a half day; kids will be dismissed at 11:50 am.
  • Thank you to all who have signed up to help out with our Pioneer Days! An informational letter went home with kids today as well. If you're still interested in signing up, here is the link to do so. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c44abad2ea6fa7-second
  • Homework packets went home today and are due next week. Thank you so much for your support in helping your child practice counting coins and money!
  • Last week the Pioneer Lady came in to present about life on the prairie. She taught us about how pioneers traveled as well as how to store and keep food on the long journey. One of the kids' activities was to string green beans to dry. Those dried green beans went home with kids today, and I gave the kids the recommendation not to eat them since they've been sitting out in the classroom for a week. Instead, it's a great idea for an activity to try at home. :)
  • We've been working on opinion writing and utilizing research to prove our thoughts and ideas. I've truly been impressed with the work and dedication I've seen from the class as they continue to challenge themselves to improve their writing.

Thank you so much for all your support!

Miss Almer

Week of January 13

Hello!

A few announcements this week:

  • Homework was sent home today and will be due next week.
  • This coming Thursday all 2nd graders in the district will be going to Littleton High School to see the Performing Arts Assembly at LHS featuring the high school choirs. We will be leaving after lunch and returning before the end of the day.
  • Tonight is Experience Lenski night! Feel free to stop by and invite a friend to experience the opportunities at Lenski. Doors will be open from 6-7 pm!
  • Today we started our pioneer unit in class. Be on the lookout for more information to come later about our Pioneer day!

Thank you so much for all your support!

Miss Almer

Week of January 7

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a marvelous Winter Break and holiday season.

This week we are back up and running!

  • Homework packets went home today and are due next week. If kids are looking for additional practice, they are welcome to practice on IXL math with time/money/adding/subtracting, or Typing.com.
  • Steve Spangler came today to give us a science demonstration-be sure to ask the kids the kinds of experiments they saw!
  • In writing we are beginning our unit on persuasive writing, and in math we are finishing up with measurement.

Thanks so much!

Miss Almer

Week of December 16

Hello!

The excitement is mounting in second grade as we draw closer to Winter Break!

Here's what we're up to this week:

  • Second Graders will be participating in a States of Matter rotation on Thursday, as we rotate through each of the second grade classrooms to learn about solids, liquids, and gases.
  • Friday is PJ day and we will also be watching a movie!
  • Kids are constructing a Winter Wonderland Festival layout for some snowmen using tasks involving measurement and various elements of design.
  • We will be participating in our book exchange this coming Wednesday morning. Please bring in a book, wrapped, to be exchanged that is new or slightly used and under $10.

I am truly grateful for this group of kiddos and all of your support! They are a joy to have each day in class. I am constantly in awe of their kindness, wisdom, and creativity they each bring each day.

Thank you for sharing them with us!

Have a marvelous and restful Winter Break.

Miss Almer

Week of December 2

Hello! I hope you had a marvelous break!

A few things this week:

  • Homework went home today and is due next week. Kids are also bringing home a sheet for them to write down their home address to complete a project in Computer Lab using graphic design. If they could return that sometime this week, that would be marvelous! Thank you!
  • We are focusing during Number Corner on telling time on both analog and digital clocks. If you could help them to focus on this skill at home as well, that would be wonderful! There is also a great practice work on IXL.com over time. (Section Q)
  • We are starting to work on Author's purpose in both our reading and writing and focusing in on informing readers on a topic we're writing about.

Thank you for all your support!

Miss Almer

Week of November 11

Happy Monday!

A few items this week:

  • Homework went home today and is due next week.
  • The kids have been working on their Student Ambassador project to help introduce visitors to Lenski. They've problem solved how to help newcomers get to know the school and feel welcome. Their project is coming along! Feel free to ask them about their role in the project.
  • If kids are looking for additional practice throughout the week, they are welcome to use Typing.com for Typing Practice, or IXL.com for any second grade math practice over addition/subtraction/telling time.

Thank you so much for all your support!

-Miss Almer

Week of October 28

Happy Snowy Monday!

A few announcements for this week:

  • Thank you for all your support with the Lenski Trunk or Treat, especially our class car! It looked fantastic!
  • This Thursday kids will be allowed to change in to their costumes after specials before our all school parade at 1:45 pm. We will be doing various activities and STEM activities all throughout the day.
  • A huge thanks to everyone who has also volunteered in the classroom-I've been blown away with the support and the many offers to volunteer. I can't thank you enough! If there is time you have free or are willing to come in that may/may not be on the sign up genius, feel free to drop me an email so we can coordinate times: calmer@lps.k12.co.us. If you'd like some specific times, here's the Sign Up! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c44abad2ea6fa7-2ndgrade
  • Homework went home today and is due next week.
  • Attached you will find information about our upcoming Lenski Book Fair!

With many thanks,

Miss Almer

Week of October 14

Hello!

Happy short week! Because of the short week, there will be no homework given. Enjoy the long weekend!

Thank you to everyone who has come in to meet for conferences. I appreciate chatting with all of you-thank you for your support!

The box tops competition is going on right now and will finish up this week. If you have any box tops, please send them in with your child, it's a huge help for the school!

Our Trunk or Treat class trunk will be set up at Lenski's Trunk or Treat Festival on October 24th! We would love your help. You can sign up here to help: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4FA5A82DABFE3-msalmer.

If you are interested in signing up to help in the classroom, you can sign up here. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c44abad2ea6fa7-2ndgrade Thank you!

-Miss Almer

Hello!

A few announcements for this week:

  • We have our Denver Zoo Field Trip this coming Thursday, October 10. We will be leaving at 9 am from the school and returning before the end of the day! Thank you to those who signed up to volunteer, I will be sending out an email later with more information. It is supposed to snow that day-gotta love Colorado weather!-so be sure to have kids bundle up. They will need a sack lunch for the day.
  • Since I was out of the building yesterday, homework packets did not go home. Those will be going home today and can be returned next week. Thanks for your understanding
  • If you have not signed up for conferences, please do so here: https://ptcfast.com/schools/Lois_Lenski_Elementary

Thank you so much for all your support!

-Miss Almer​

Happy Monday!

A few things this week:

  • Book orders are due by this evening. If you're interested in placing a book order through Scholastic, feel free to do so at Scholastic.com/bookclub with the class code of PQMJV.
  • Student homework came home today and is due next week.
  • As our plant unit comes to a close, we will begin to work on habitats and animal adaptations.
  • Conferences are quickly approaching. Be on the lookout for the signup form coming your way!

Thank you for all your support!

Miss Almer

Happy First Day of Fall!

A few fun things this coming week:

  • Thursday, September 26th is school picture day. Picture proofs will be sent online for you to order directly online.
  • Scholastic Book Orders went home today. If you are interested in ordering anything, feel free to do so at Scholastic.com/bookclubs with our class code of: ​PQMJV​.
  • Homework went home today and is due next Monday. If kids are struggling at all on any concepts of homework, feel free to circle the problem/concept and send it back.
  • Tomorrow we head to the Denver Botanic Gardens. We will be leaving the school around 9 am and returning shortly before 2 pm. Kids should bring a sack lunch! It looks like the weather will be favorable for us, but it can't hurt to dress in layers and bring sunglasses/sunscreen.
  • This Friday is a Half Day. School gets out at 11:50 am!
  • This Friday is also Lenski's Fun Run! We will be running to raise funds for the school. If you have a form to turn in for the Fun Run, feel free to send that in with your student.
  • I've had a few questions about snacks in the lunchroom, here's some information from the district: Do you wonder what your child is having for lunch? Would you like to see what snacks they are buying? Well, you can. Please follow the link to download the My School Bucks app. This app allows you to put money into your child's account and see what they have chosen for lunch each day.
  • https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/getmain?requestAction=home
  • Another note from the District in regards to snacks at lunch: It is important to note that we cannot put any restrictions on what your child is purchasing per district policy. If you would like to prevent your child from buying a certain type and/or quantity of snack, you will need to complete this form and return it to your child's teacher. https://littletonpublicschools.net/sites/default/files/Lunch%20Note%20Request%20Form%2019-20.pdf

Thank you so much for all your support!

Miss Almer​

Week of September 9:

Happy Monday!

A few things going on this week.

  • We are continuing our plant unit and today we completed a chlorophyll lab to understand why a plant is green. The kids are also bringing home their lima bean seeds we have been growing in class. Be warned, they do not smell good. Many were adamant about bringing them home!
  • Homework should be coming home today. The work this week is a math game they have played in class which reviews value of coins as well as greater than/less than. There is also some spelling practice.
  • Fun Run information also should have come home either on Friday or today all about Lenski's Fun Run on September 27th. We appreciate all your support!
  • The Sign Up Genius will be sent out next week for volunteers in the classroom.
  • If you are interested in ordering any books from our Scholastic Book Orders, you are free to do that anytime at https://clubs.scholastic.com/ with our class code: PQMJV. Flyers may come home throughout the year, but feel free to use this link at any time.

Thank you for all your support!

-Miss Almer

Week of September 3

Happy September!

A few items for this week:

  • If you missed Back to School Night last week and would like to see the power point, I've linked that on our web page here.
  • Last week you may have received an email from Superkids in regards to practicing topics and skills at home which match up what we do in class with reading & writing. This email gives you information on setting up your account at home.
  • Homework packets went home with students today and are due next Monday. This packet includes some spelling, math, and reading practice. I discussed with the kids today about working on homework for 20 minutes per night as well as reading for 20 minutes per night. They have seen each of the pages of homework and have been practicing the same skills in class. If there are any questions about homework, feel free to write me a note on the packet. This first week is a pretty standard packet as we ease our way back in to the routine of homework. There may be changes to the content as we continue this year. I appreciate your support with this!
  • If students are looking for any additional practice they are welcome to practice typing on Typing.com, math skills on IXL.com, or practicing math facts.

Thank you so much for all your support!

Caitlin Almer

Week of August 26:

Hello!

We are in full swing this week. Today we kicked off our plant unit by planting kidney beans and lima beans to see which would grow in a plastic bag with a wet paper towel. Our goal is to understand the life cycle of a seed. We will be writing down our observations throughout the week as we watch the progress of our seeds.

This coming Thursday, August 29th is our 2nd grade Back to School Night at 6 pm. If you cannot make it, I will be posting the presentation and any important information on our class website. Looking forward to seeing you there!

If you are interested in seeing what we're up to each day, you are welcome to read the "Daily Happenings" tab on our class website. Homework will start next week and won't be more than 20 minutes per night. As a second grade, we encourage students to read for at least 20 minutes each night.

Thank you so much for all your support!

Caitlin Almer