Week of June 4th-7th

Last Week of School!

It doesn’t seem possible that it is our last week of school! This week we have many fun activities planned. We will be finishing up some math and language arts review activities as well as working on our class memory book.

Caine’s Arcade:

We will visit our fifth grade buddy class on Monday and students will get a chance to play some student created arcade games.

Class Party:

After our Mad Science presentation on Monday morning we will have our celebration. Please have your child bring in a clean (no labels), empty 16-20 oz water bottle with it's lid for a craft we are doing. They'll be creating a glowing firefly, so it needs to be long enough for a glow stick to fit into the bottle.

Publishing Celebration:

On Tuesday morning we will celebrate our writing by spending time reading our classmates’ books.

Olympic Day:

On Wednesday students should wear their class t-shirts, a hat, and plenty of sunscreen. Students should also bring a water bottle.

Last Day:

Thursday is our last day, we will have a special activity and treat. Students are dismissed at 12:15.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

May 28th-June 1st

We had a wonderful time on our field trip to Huddart Park. Thank you to the volunteers!

Sandwich Week: I’m looking forward to the presentations this week! Please see the schedule here:

Wednesday:

Julia, Liam, Parsa, Colette, Sybella, Alana, Jayden, Miles

Thursday:

Joseph, Peyton, Sharanya, Claire, Joshua, Vivienne, Brandon, Gabriel

Friday:

Connor, Jennifer, Ava, Kirill, Akshara, Cameron, Quinn, Scarlett

Teach the Teacher Assignment: Details went home last week, this is an optional assignment which is due on Monday, June 4th.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Wed., May 30th-Fri., June 1st: Sandwich Presentation Week, District Writing Faire, 6:00-7:00 PM @ Dartmouth Middle School

Thursday, May 31st: Art Vistas Art Show

Friday, June 1st: Variety Show

Monday, June 4th: Teach the Teacher Assignment due, Class Party, and Mad Science

Wednesday, June 6th: Olympic Day

Thursday, June 7th: Last Day of School, 12:15 dismissal

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Reading/Language Arts: This week we will be reading our final story, The School Mural.

Math: We are working on Topic 7, Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data. We are also working on Topic 8, Time, Shapes, and Fractions.

Science: We are looking forward to a special Mad Science Presentation on Monday, June 4.

Music: We will have our last music class with Mrs. Abele on Thursday, May 31st.

P.E.: We have our last recess 101 on Friday, June 1. Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

May 21st-25th

Huddart Park Field Trip: Our final field trip of the year is on Tuesday, May 29th. Students will be going on a nature hike as well as completing some learning center activities related to the hike. We will leave school at 8:45 and plan to return around 1:45. Students need to wear long pants, comfortable closed toe shoes, their class t-shirt, and a jacket or sweatshirt. Students need to bring a lunch, including a drink. We will be eating lunch at the park before heading back to school.

Students should eat a hearty breakfast, as we will be eating lunch a bit later than usual. We will provide a light snack to students when we arrive at Huddart Park.

2nd Grade Sandwich Week: Information is going home on Monday about this special second grade tradition.

Teach the Teacher Assignment: Information about this will also be coming home on Monday. This is an optional assignment, which will be due on Monday, June 4th.

All Library Books Due This Monday: Last week was our last visit to the library. Please remember to bring your books.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Friday, May 25th: Clay

Mon., May 28th: Memorial Day, No School

Tues., May 29th: Field Trip to Huddart Park in Woodside and Writer's Faire

Tues., May 29th-Fri., June 1st: Sandwich Presentation Week

June 4th: Optional Teach the Teacher Due

Thursday, May 31st: Art Vistas Art Show

Friday, June 1st: Variety Show

Monday, June 4th: Mad Science Presentation, Class Party

Wednesday, June 6th: Olympic Day

Thursday, June 7th: Last Day of School

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Reading/Language Arts: This week we will be reading and completing activities related to Thunder Cake.

Writing: We are continuing to work on opinion writing.

Math: We are working on Topic 7, Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data. We are also working on Topic 8, Time, Shapes, and Fractions.

Library: Library books are due on Monday. We checked out books for the last time last week.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

May 14th-18th

Open House: This Wednesday, May 16th is the Alta Vista Open House. Classrooms will be open from 7:00-8:00 PM. There will also be a Home and School Club Meeting in the cafeteria from 6:30-7:00. I’m looking forward to seeing you!

Huddart Park Field Trip: Our final field trip of the year is on Tuesday, May 29th. Students will be going on a nature hike as well as completing some learning center activities related to the hike. We will leave school at 8:45 and plan to return around 1:45. If you’d like to join us, please sign up here.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Wednesday, May 16th: Open House

Friday, May 18: Cornerstone, Clay

Mon., May 28th: Memorial Day, No School

Tues., May 29th: Field Trip to Huddart Park in Woodside

Tues., May 29th-Fri., June 1st: Sandwich Presentation Week (details to come)

Thursday, May 31st: Art Vistas Art Show

Friday, June 1st: Variety Show

Monday, June 4th: Mad Science Presentation, Class Party

Wednesday, June 6th: Olympic Day

Thursday, June 7th: Last Day of School

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Reading/Language Arts: Students will be finishing up thier books this week.

Writing: We are continuing to work on opinion writing.

Math: We are working on Topic 7, Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data. We will also work on on Topic 8, Geometry.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 2:00.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

May 7th-11th

Yearbooks:. If you would like to order a yearbook for your child, you must do so by May 7th. You can do so by clicking here. Students love having a yearbook and during the last few days of school students are welcome to bring their yearbooks and have friends sign them.

Fantasy Faire: This Friday, May 11th from 5:00-8:00 PM is the Fantasy Faire. Our class is doing a booth with Miss Parnell's and Mrs. Raser's classes. Please sign up here to help with our booth. You can sign up here to help with any open volunteer positions at the Faire.

Open House: Next Wednesday, May 16th is the Alta Vista Open House. Classrooms will be open from 7:00-8:00 PM. There will also be a Home and School Club Meeting in the cafeteria from 6:30-7:00.

Huddart Park Field Trip: Our final field trip of the year is on Tuesday, May 29th. Students will be going on a nature hike as well as completing some learning center activities related to the hike. We will leave school at 8:45 and plan to return around 1:45. We are in need of a couple more chaperones. If you’d like to join us, please sign up here

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Friday, May 11th: Alta Vista Fantasy Faire

Wednesday, May 16th: Open House

Friday, May 18: Cornerstone

Mon., May 28th: Memorial Day, No School

Tues., May 29th: Field Trip to Huddart Park in Woodside

Tues., May 29th-Fri., June 1st: Sandwich Presentation Week (details to come)

Thursday, May 31st: Art Vistas Art Show

Monday, June 4th: Mad Science Presentation, Class Party, and Variety Show

Wednesday, June 6th: Olympic Day

Thursday, June 7th: Last Day of School

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Reading/Language Arts: This week we will be reading a variety of books by Patricia Polocco. We read one of her most famous stories, Thundercake We are devoting a large amount of time over the next couple weeks to our book writing. Hopefully we can finish them by Open House!

Writing: We are continuing to work on opinion writing.

Math: We are working on Topic 7, Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data. We are focusing on money this week. We will also fit in Topic 8, Geometry here and there.

Science: This week we continue rotations with the other second grade classes. Rotations will focus on special math, science, and social studies activities.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 2:00.

Music: Music is cancelled this week.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Tuesday mornings at 8:30.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

April 30th- May 4th

Yearbooks:. If you would like to order a yearbook for your child, you must do so by May 7th. You can do so by clicking here. Students love having a yearbook and during the last few days of school students are welcome to bring their yearbooks and have friends sign them.

Field Trip Chaperones: We are going on a nature hike at Huddart Park in Woodside on Tuesday, May 29. If you would like to join us please sign up here.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Thursday, May 3rd: Alta Vista Speaker Night: How to Get Kids to Listen”

Friday, May 11th: Alta Vista Fantasy Faire

Wednesday, May 16th: Open House

Mon., May 28th: Memorial Day, No School

Tues., May 29th: Field Trip to Huddart Park in Woodside

Tues., May 29th-Fri., June 1st: Sandwich Presentation Week (details to come)

Thursday, May 31st: Art Vistas Art Show

Monday, June 4th: Mad Science Presentation, Class Party, and Variety Show

Wednesday, June 6th: Olympic Day

Thursday, June 7th: Last Day of School

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Reading/Language Arts: This week we will read Thundercake, a wonderful story by Patricia Polacco. (We didn’t get to this last week) This realistic fiction story tells how a grandmother helps her granddaughter overcome her fear of thunderstorms. Skills we are working on this week include: sequencing events using order words, base words and endings –ed and –ing, and using correct verbs is/are and was/were.

Writing: We are continuing to work on opinion writing. Students have begun writing for their individual books.

Math: We will start Topic 7, Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data.

Social Studies and Science: This week we continue rotations with the other second grade classes. Rotations will focus on special math, science, and social studies activities.

Library: The library is closed this week.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

April 23rd-27th

Twin Day: This Friday, Student Council is sponsoring a “Twin/Dress Alike Day.” Students are encouraged to dress alike their friends. We could have a huge number of twins if we all wear our class t-shirts!

Yearbooks:. If you would like to order a yearbook for your child, you must do so by May 7th. You can do so by clicking here. Students love having a yearbook and during the last few days of school students are welcome to bring their yearbooks and have friends sign them.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Wednesday, April 25th: Parent Volunteer Tea

Friday, April 27th: Clay, Twin Day

Friday, May 11th: Alta Vista Fantasy Faire

Wednesday, May 16th: Open House

Mon., May 28th: Memorial Day, No School

Tues., May 29th: Field Trip to Huddart Park in Woodside

Tues., May 29th-Fri., June 1st: Sandwich Presentation Week (details to come)

Thursday, May 31st: Art Vistas Art Show

Friday, June 1st: Variety Show

Monday, June 4th: Mad Science Presentation and Class Party

Wednesday, June 6th: Olympic Day

Thursday, June 7th: Last Day of School

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Reading/Language Arts:This week we will read Thundercake, a wonderful story by Patricia Polacco. This realistic fiction story tells how a grandmother helps her granddaughter overcome her fear of thunderstorms. Skills we are working on this week include: sequencing events using order words, base words and endings –ed and –ing, and using correct verbs is/are and was/were.

Writing: We are continuing to work on opinion writing.

Math: We will try to finish module 6 this week. Next is Topic 7, Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data.

Science: This week we continue rotations with the other second grade classes. Rotations will focus on special math, science, and social studies activities.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 2:00.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays from 11:00-11:30.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

April 16th-20th

Class Book: This week our class will be working on a class book which will be made into a professionally-bound book. Each student will have a written page and a page with an illustration. Order forms will be sent home on Monday and must be returned as soon as possible, no later than Thursday. Please return the order form even if you do not wish to order a book.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Tuesday, April 17th: Art Vista

Friday, April 20th: Multicultural Faire, 5-8:00 PM

Wednesday, April 25th: Parent Volunteer Tea

Friday, April 27th: Clay

Friday, May 11th: Alta Vista Fantasy Faire

Wednesday, May 16th: Open House

Mon., May 28th: Memorial Day, No School

Tues., May 29th: Field Trip to Huddart Park in Woodside

Tues., May 29th-Fri., June 1st: Sandwich Presentation Week (details to come)

Thursday, May 31st: Art Vistas Art Show

Friday, June 1st: Variety Show

Monday, June 4th: Mad Science Presentation and Class Party

Wednesday, June 6th: Olympic Day

Thursday, June 7th: Last Day of School

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Reading/Language Arts: This week we continue with the story, Carousel, a story which combines realistic fiction and fantasy. In this story a young girl is upset that her father misses her birthday. Be sure and ask your child what element in the story is fantasy. Skills we are working on this week include: making predictions and inferences, reviewing homophones, the prefix –un, and identifying verbs that tell about the past.

Math: We are working on Module 6, Foundations of Multiplication and Division.

Writing: This week we will continue working on opinion writing.

Science: This week we begin rotations with the other second grade classes. Rotations will focus on special math, science, and social studies activities.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 2:00.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

April 2nd-6th

We are running very low on disinfecting wipes and black fine point dry erase markers , any donations are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Historical Figure Assignment: This week students have a special homework assignment. This assignment is due this Friday (April 6th). This homework assignment takes the place of the weekly reading log.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Friday, April 6th: Historical Figure Assignment due

Mon., April 9th- Fri., April 13th: Spring Break, No School

Friday, April 20th: Multicultural Faire, 5-8:00 PM

Wednesday, April 25th: Parent Volunteer Tea

Friday, May 11th: Alta Vista Fantasy Faire

Wednesday, May 16th: Open House

Mon., May 28th: Memorial Day, No School

Tues., May 29th: Field Trip to Huddart Park in Woodside

Tues., May 29th-Fri., June 1st: Sandwich Presentation Week (details to come)

Thursday, May 31st: Art Vistas Art Show

Monday, June 4th: Mad Science Presentation and Class Party

Wednesday, June 6th: Olympic Day

Thursday, June 7th: Last Day of School

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Reading/Language Arts: This week we begin a new story, Carousel, a story which combines realistic fiction and fantasy. In this story a young girl is upset that her father misses her birthday. Be sure and ask your child what element in the story is fantasy. Skills we are working on this week include: making predictions and inferences, reviewing homophones, the prefix –un, and identifying verbs that tell about the past.

Math: We are working on Module 6, Foundations of Multiplication and Division.

Writing: This week we will continue working on opinion writing. We will also finish writing a Spring poem.

Science: We will be focusing on water this week. We will complete activities showing that water is a powerful force that reshapes the earth’s surface.

Library: Our library day is changed to Wednesday this week.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays fro 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

March 26th-30th

STEAM Night: This Tuesday night our Makerspace lab will be open to from 6:00-7:30 for a family night of STEAM! Check out the Makerspace and enjoy some STEAM activities led by Alta Vista teachers. I will not be able to make it, but please stop by if you can! Homework will be optional on this night.

Safety Assembly: This Wednesday, March 28th, we have the “Be Seen and Heard” Safety Assembly. A lot of information has been sent home about these assemblies. You can view the primary content here: bit.ly/BSAHK2

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Tues., March 27th: STEAM Night at Alta Vista, 6-7:30 PM

Wednesday, March 28th: Seen and Be Heard Safety Assemblies

Mon, April 2nd: Hero/Biography Research Assignment sent home

Friday, April 6th: Hero/Biography Assignment due

Mon., April 9th- Fri., April 13th: Spring Break, No School

Friday, April 20th: Multicultural Faire, 5-8:00 PM

Friday, May 11th: Alta Vista Fantasy Faire

Wednesday, May 16th: Open House

Tues., May 29th: Field Trip to Huddart Park in Woodside

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Reading/Language Arts: We will continue with the story, Jalapeno Bagels, a realistic fiction selection. It is the story of a young boy who wants to bring something that reflects the cultures of both his parents for International Day at his school. Our strategy focus this week is reading questions and keeping them in mind as we read the story. We will also be focusing on writing directions in the correct order. Our word work will focus on contractions.

Math: We did not finish Module 5 last week, but we will for sure this week. We will then start Module 6, Foundations of Multiplication and Division.

Writing: This week we will continue working on opinion writing.

Social Studies: Students will be working with a partner reading and researching about a famous person.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 2:00.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

March 19th-23rd

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Tues., March 20th: Art Vista

Friday, March 23rd: No School, Staff Development Day

Tues., March 27th: STEAM Night at Alta Vista, 6-7:30 PM

Wednesday, March 28th: Safety Assemblies

Mon., April 9th- Fri., April 13th: Spring Break, No School

Friday, April 20th: Multicultural Faire, 5-8:00 PM

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Reading/Language Arts: Our story for the next two weeks is Jalapeno Bagels, a realistic fiction selection. It is the story of a young boy who wants to bring something that reflects the cultures of both his parents for International Day at his school. Our strategy focus this week is reading questions and keeping them in mind as we read the story. We will also be focusing on writing directions in the correct order. Our word work will focus on contractions.

Math: We will finish up Module 5 then begin Module 6, Foundations of Multiplication and Division.

Writing: This week we will begin working on opinion writing.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 2:00.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

March 12th-16th

Reminder: Parent-teacher conferences continue this week. Students will be dismissed at 1:15 through March 16th.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Thurs., March 8th-Fri., March 16th: Parent-teacher conferences, students dismissed at 1:15.

Wednesday, March 14th: Family Night, No Homework

Friday, March 16th: Spirit Day: wear green, white, yellow

Monday, March 19th: Clay

Tuesday, March 20th: Art Vista

Friday, March 23rd: No School, Staff Development Day

Tues., March 27th: STEAM Night at Alta Vista, 6-7:30 PM

Wednesday, March 28th: Safety Assemblies

Mon., April 9- Fri., April 13th: Spring Break, No School

Friday, April 20th: Multicultural Faire, 5-8:00 PM

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We are continuing with the story, The Great Ball Game, a Muskogee folk story. In this story, a group of birds and animals agree to play a ball game to settle a disagreement. Skills we are working on include: identifying cause and effect, summarizing a story, plural possessive nouns, and reviewing parts of a dictionary.

Writing: We will be wrapping up informative writing this week before we move onto opinion writing.

Math: We are working on Module 5, Addition and Subtraction within 1,000. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math.

Library: We will have library at 11:30 on Monday instead of 2:00 due to the shortened schedule.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00.

We will not have S.P.A.R.K. P.E. this week due to the shortened schedule. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

March 5th-9th

Congrats to all the students for an amazing music performance!

Reminder: Parent-teacher conferences begin on Thursday. Students will be dismissed at 1:15 from March 9th through March 16th. Please sign up for a conference if you have not had the chance. Here is the link. It will send you a reminder two days in advance. I look forward to meeting with you.

Scholastic Book Fair: The Book Fair will be open from March 8th-13th. This Friday, March 9th, it will be open for second graders at lunch. Next week it will be open for all grade levels at lunch.

Important Dates

Monday, March 5: Cornerstone

Thurs., March 8th-Fri., March 16th: Parent-teacher conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Wednesday, March 14th: Family Night, No Homework

Friday, March 23rd: No School, Staff Development Day

Tues., March 27th: STEAM Night at Alta Vista, 6-7:30 PM

Mon., April 9- Fri., April 13th: Spring Break, No School

Friday, April 20th: Multicultural Faire, 5-8:00 PM

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: Our story for the next two weeks is The Great Ball Game, a Muskogee folk story. In this story, a group of birds and animals agree to play a ball game to settle a disagreement. Skills we are working on include: identifying cause and effect, summarizing a story, plural possessive nouns, and reviewing parts of a dictionary.

Writing: We will be continuing to work on informative writing for the next two weeks.

Math: We are working on Module 5, Addition and Subtraction within 1,000. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 2:00.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Thursdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of February 26th-March 2nd

Second Grade Music Program: Doors will open at 6:15 pm and the performance will begin at 6:30 pm. Please remember to have your child wear our class T-shirt and arrive no later than 6:20 pm.

Read Across America Day: This Friday we will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday by spending extra time reading for pleasure. Students are welcome to bring in some of their favorite books.

March Conferences: Please sign up here to schedule a conference.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Monday, Feb. 26th: Safety/Magic Presentation by Officer Finch for all second grade classes and Cornerstone

Thursday, March 1st @ 6:00 P.M.: Second Grade Music Program

Friday, March 2nd: Spring Pictures, Read Across America Day, and Clay

Saturday, March 3rd: Back to the 80s School Auction, 6:00-11:00 PM

Thurs., March 8th-Fri., March 16th: Parent-teacher conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Friday, March 23rd: No School, Staff Development Day

Tuesday, March 27th: STEAM Night at Alta Vista

Mon., April 9- Fri., April 13th: Spring Break, No School

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: This week we will finish up activities related to the story, Ant, a nonfiction selection. Students will learn about the physical characteristics, life cycle, and natural habitats of various types of ants. Skills we are working on include: cause and effect, singular possessive nouns, differentiating between fact and opinion, text organization, and base words and endings.

Math: We are working on Module 5, Addition and Subtraction within 1,000. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math.

Writing: We are working on informative writing.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 8:30.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays from 11:00-11:30.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of February 12th-16th

Penguin Day is this Wednesday at 11:20 in Room 9!

All parents are invited to attend this special show. Students will be singing songs, sharing facts, performing short skits, and participating in a reader’s theatre performance of the story, Tacky the Penguin. This event is one of the highlights of second grade. Please dress your student in black and white, if possible. Parents are encouraged to wear black and white as well. I know it's also Valentine's Day, so they can add some pink or red in there as well.

Thank you to all who have signed up to bring items for our celebration following the program. Here’s the sign up in case you want to check what you signed up to bring. Due to allergies, please do not bring any items containing nuts.

Valentine’s Day: We will be having a Valentine card exchange on Wednesday. This is optional, but if students choose to participate, they need to bring a valentine for every student in the class. I sent home and emailed a list a couple weeks ago.

Second Grade Music Program: Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 1st at 6:00 PM. All second grade classes will be participating in a short music performance in the multi-purpose room. Students should wear their class t-shirts. Please plan to come and see the amazing job that our talented music teacher, Mrs. Abele does with our students.

March Conferences: Please sign up here to schedule a conference.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Feb. 12th-16th: Carpooling Week

Wed., February 14th: Valentine’s Card Exchange and Penguin Day

Feb. 19th-23rd: No School, Presidents’ Week Break

Monday, Feb. 26th: Safety/Magic Presentation by Officer Finch for all second grade classes

Thursday, March 1st @ 6:00 P.M.: Second Grade Music Program

Saturday, March 3rd: Back to the 80s School Auction, 6:00-11:00 PM

Thurs., March 8th-Fri., March 16th: Parent-teacher conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Friday, March 23rd: No School, Staff Development Day

Mon., April 9- Fri., April 13th: Spring Break, No School

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: This week we will be reading about penguins as students complete a penguin research slide show.

Math: We are working on Module 5, Addition and Subtraction within 1,000. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math.

S.T.E.A.M/Science: Students will be learning about the life cycle of the frog and working in groups using Lego WeDo kits to construct and code their legos to demonstrate the life cycle of the frog.

Writing: We are working on informative writing.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 2:00.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays from 11:0-11:30.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of February 5th-9th

Global Play Day: On Wednesday, February 7th, we will be participating in this worldwide event. One hour of our day, from 8:30-9:30 will be play time. Students may bring in board games, puzzles, cards, Legos, etc. No electronic devices are allowed. Please click here for more information about this event.

Team USA Spirit Day: On Friday, Feb. 9th, students are encouraged to support Team USA at the Olympics by wearing red, white, and blue.

Valentine’s Day: We will be having a Valentine card exchange on Wednesday, February 14th. This is optional, but if students choose to participate, they need to bring a valentine for every student in the class. Student Council is sponsoring a Spirit Day on this day, students are encouraged to wear red, white, pink, purple, and/or valentine themed clothing. Since we have Penguin Day on this day students should wear black and/or white, but I said they can also wear something valentine as well. A class list was sent home and emailed last week.

Penguin Day: On Wednesday, February 14th at 11:20 AM, our class will be putting on a special Penguin Day program. All parents are invited to attend this special show. Students will be singing songs, sharing facts, performing short skits, and participating in a reader’s theatre performance of the story, Tacky the Penguin. This event is one of the highlights of second grade. Parents: please mark your calendars and plan to attend this special event. Last week I sent home a sheet with the Tacky parts and costumes. You can click here if you need another copy. As a special treat we will be serving black and white refreshments after the program. Click here if you’d like to sign up to bring something. Due to allergies, please do not bring any items containing nuts.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Tuesday, February 6: Art Vista

Wednesday, February 7th: Global Play Day and Dining for Dollars: Mendocino Farms Sandwich Market

Friday, Feb. 9th: Red, White, and Blue Spirit Day, Alta Vista Family Dance

Feb. 12th-16th: Carpooling Week

Wed., February 14th: Valentine’s Card Exchange and Penguin Day

Feb. 19th-23rd: No School, Presidents’ Week Break

Monday, Feb. 26th: Safety/Magic Presentation by Officer Finch for all second grade classes

Thursday, March 1st @ 6:00 P.M.: Second Grade Music Program

Saturday, March 3rd: AV Auction

Thurs., March 8th-Fri., March 16th: Parent-teacher conferences, students dismissed at 1:15, sign up coming soon

Friday, March 23rd: No School, Staff Development Day

Tuesday, March 27: STEAM Night -6-7:30

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: Our story for the next two weeks is, Ant, a nonfiction selection. Students will learn about the physical characteristics, life cycle, and natural habitats of various types of ants. Skills we are working on include: cause and effect, singular possessive nouns, differentiating between fact and opinion, text organization, and base words and endings.

Math: We are working on Module 5, Addition and Subtraction within 1,000. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math.

Science: All 5 second grade teachers will be teaching lessons related to Penguins. Our unit will culminate in a special “Penguin Day” on Wednesday, Feb. 14th. Parents are invited to attend.

Writing: We are working on informative writing.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 9-9:30.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00.

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of January 29-February 2

Valentine’s Day: We will be having a Valentine card exchange on Wednesday, February 14th. This is optional, but if students choose to participate, they need to bring a Valentine for every student in the class. Students will be bringing home a class list on Monday. It will also be Penguin that day as well, so it will be an eventful day!

Penguin Day: On Wednesday, February 14th at 11:20 AM, our class will be putting on a special Penguin Day program. All parents are invited to attend this special show. Students will be singing songs, sharing facts, performing short skits, and participating in a reader’s theatre performance of the story, Tacky the Penguin. This event is one of the highlights of second grade. Parents: please mark your calendars and plan to attend this special event.

Here is a link to donate supplies or sign up to bring a black and/or white refreshment so we can celebrate after the sho.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Tuesday, February 6: Art Vista

Wednesday, February 7th: Global Play Day, details coming soon

Friday, Feb. 9th: Alta Vista Family Dance

Feb. 12th-16th: Carpooling Week

Wed., February 14th: Penguin Day and Valentine’s Card Exchange

Feb. 19th-23rd: No School, Presidents’ Week Break

Thursday, March 1st @ 6:00 P.M.: Second Grade Music Program

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We will continue with Officer Buckle and Gloria, a fantasy selection about a police officer and his dog, Gloria. Officer Buckle and his dog visit schools to present safety tips. Be sure and ask your child how Gloria helps Officer Buckle. Skills we are working on for the next two weeks include: using pronouns in place of nouns, using guide words in the dictionary, dividing words into syllables, and drawing conclusions based on information we have read.

Math: We are working on Module 5, Addition and Subtraction within 1,000. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math.

Science: All 5 second grade teachers will be teaching lessons related to Penguins. Our unit will culminate in a special “Penguin Day” on Wednesday, Feb. 14th. Parents are invited to attend.

Writing: We are working on informative writing.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 2:00.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

The Great Kindness Challenge Week: Our district is participating in this nationwide event. It is a week devoted to performing as many acts of kindness as possible.We will be promoting acts of kindness each day, and asking the children to try different acts of kindness. We will encourage small things, like smiling at a friend, picking up extra pieces of trash to help beautify our school, asking a new friend to play, etc. The intent of this week is to focus on kindness and see it permeate our campus cultures, off school grounds, and into local communities throughout the year.

Penguin Day: On Wednesday, Feb. 14th at 11:20 AM, our class will be putting on a special Penguin Day program. All parents are invited to attend this special show. Students will be singing songs, sharing facts, performing short skits, and participating in a reader’s theatre performance of the story, Tacky the Penguin. This event is one of the highlights of second grade. Parents: please mark your calendars and plan to attend this special event.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

January 22nd: Cornerstone

January 22nd-26th: Kindness Week

Tuesday, Feb. 6: Art Vista

Friday, Feb. 9th: Alta Vista Family Dance

Feb. 12th-16th: Carpooling Week

Wednesday, Feb. 14th @ 11:20 A.M.: Valentine's Day and Penguin Day Program, details coming soon

Feb. 19th-23rd: No School, Presidents’ Week Break

Thursday, March 1st @ 6:00 P.M.: Second Grade Music Program

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We begin Theme 4, Amazing Animals. Our story for the next two weeks is Officer Buckle and Gloria, a fantasy selection about a police officer and his dog, Gloria. Officer Buckle and his dog visit schools to present safety tips. Be sure and ask your child how Gloria helps Officer Buckle. Skills we are working on for the next two weeks include: using pronouns in place of nouns, using guide words in the dictionary, dividing words into syllables, and drawing conclusions based on information we have read.

Math: We are finishing up Module 4 and then will be starting Module 5, Addition and Subtraction within 1,000. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and IXL Math.

Science: All 5 second grade teachers will be teaching lessons related to Penguins. Our unit will culminate in a special “Penguin Day” on Wednesday, Feb 14th.. Parents are invited to attend.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 2:00.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays from 11:00-11:30..

Every Friday afternoon we have SPARK P.E. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

San Jose Tech Museum Field Trip: This Thursday, January 18th, all 2nd grade classes will be going to the Tech Museum. Students will be learning about the science and engineering behind roller coasters and they will work in groups to design their own roller coasters. All students will need to bring a lunch. If possible, please send your child’s lunch in a disposable bag with their name written on the bag. Students should wear their class t-shirt. We plan to leave school by 8:45 and will return to school around 2:00.

Penguin Day: On Wednesday, February 14th at 11:20 AM, our class will be putting on a special Penguin Day program. All parents are invited to attend this special show. Students will be singing songs, sharing facts, performing short skits, and participating in a reader’s theatre performance of the story, Tacky the Penguin. This event is one of the highlights of second grade. Parents: please mark your calendars and plan to attend this special event.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Thursday, Jan. 18th: Tech Museum field trip

Friday, Feb. 9th: Alta Vista Family Dance

Feb. 12th-16th: Carpooling Week

Wednesday, Feb 14th @ 11:20 A.M: Valentine's Day and Penguin Day Program, details coming soon

Feb. 19th-23rd: No School, Presidents’ Week Break

Thursday, March 1st @ 6:00 P.M.: Second Grade Music Program

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We are reading our final story in our Around Town theme. Jamaica Louise James is a realistic fiction story about a young girl who comes up with a great gift for her grandmother’s birthday. We will be reviewing dictionary skills, making inferences based on what we have read, and studying nouns that change spelling when plural (child/children).

Math: Students are working in Module 4, Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100. We will take the mid module assessment this week. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Writing: We will continue to learn about Martin Luther King Jr. and students will write an informational paragraph about him.

Science: We are beginning our study of Penguins this week. Our unit will culminate in a special “Penguin Day” on Wednesday, Feb. 14th. Parents are invited to attend.

Library: No library this week due to the holiday.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of January 8th-12th

Smart Start Day: When we return from Winter Break on January 8th, we are having a district-wide “Smart Start Day,” which is a fun day of activities to get children excited about returning to school.

San Jose Tech Museum Field Trip: On Thursday, January 18th, all 2nd grade classes will be going to the Tech Museum. Students will be learning about the science and engineering behind roller coasters and they will work in groups to design their own roller coasters. All students will need to bring a lunch. If possible, please send your child’s lunch in a disposable bag with their name written on the bag. Students should wear their class t-shirt. We plan to leave school by 8:45 and will return to school around 2:00.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Important Dates

Monday, Jan. 15th: No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

Thursday, Jan. 18th: Tech Museum field trip

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We are reading our final story in our Around Town theme. Jamaica Louise James is a realistic fiction story about a young girl who comes up with a great gift for her grandmother’s birthday. We will be reviewing dictionary skills, making inferences based on what we have read, and studying nouns that change spelling when plural (child/children).

Math: Students are working in Module 4, Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Writing: Students are working on writing their goals and wishes for the new year.

Library: Our library day is Monday at 8:30.

Music: We look forward to our weekly music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of December 18th-22nd

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Holidays Around the World: We will continue learning about holiday traditions around the world. If you are interested in coming in to share information about a holiday your family celebrates at this time of year, please let me know, we’d love to have you come in.

Holiday Party: We are looking forward to our class party on Tuesday morning. Thank you to Jane Findley for organizing this.

On Friday, December 22nd, we will watch a short movie and have a special snack.

Important Dates

Tuesday, Dec. 19th: Holiday Party

Friday, Dec. 22nd: Movie Day

Monday, Dec. 25th-Friday, Jan. 5th: Winter Break

Monday, Jan. 15th: No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We will not have our reading rotations this week. We will be reading about holiday traditions around the world, writing about our own holiday traditions, and writing a winter poem.

Math: Students are working in Module 4, Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Social Studies: We will be learning about different holiday traditions around the world.

Library: We visit the library on Mondays, don’t forget your books!

Music: No music this week.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals).

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of December 11th-15th

Homework: This week we have a special homework assignment about Family Holiday Traditions. Please take some time to talk to your child in detail about some of the traditions you share this time of year. A quick sketch may be helpful in their note taking for each tradition. Students will need 3-5 traditions (with details) for a writing assignment in class next week. There will be no reading log this week.

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Holidays Around the World: Over the next two weeks we will be learning about different holiday traditions. If you are interested in coming in to share information about a holiday your family celebrates at this time of year, please let me know, we’d love to have you come in.

Important Dates

Wednesday, Dec. 13th: See’s Candy order due, checks should be made out to AVHSC

Thursday, Dec. 14th: Art Vista

Friday, Dec. 15th: Holiday Traditions assignment due

Tuesday, Dec. 19th: Holiday Party

Monday, Dec. 25th-Friday, Jan. 5th: Winter Break

Monday, Jan. 15th: No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We are continuing with the story, Big Bushy Mustache, a realistic fiction selection about a young boy who learns a lesson about responsibility after losing part of his costume for a school play. Our strategy focus is predicting and making inferences based on what we have read. Skills we are working on include: correctly using suffixes (ly, and ful), using context clues, and changing nouns from singular to plural. Spelling words t contain the letters “ou” and “ow.”

Math: Students are working in Module 4, Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Social Studies: We will be learning about different holiday traditions around the world.

Library: We visit the library on Mondays, don’t forget your books!

Music: Students have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of December 4th-8th

In class students use a symbaloo page (bookmark page) on the chromebooks to go to their frequently-used websites. You may want to link to these sites. Here is a link to our school symbaloo site:

http://edu.symbaloo.com/embed/usdaltavista

Hour of Code: This week students all over the world will dedicate some time to learn computer coding. There are many fun programs in block coding that young children can easily learn. We will have fun exploring different coding activities throughout the week Here is a link to the Hour of Code site so you can learn more about this event.

Holidays Around the World: Over the next three weeks we will be learning about different holiday traditions. If you are interested in coming in to share information about a holiday your family celebrates at this time of year, please let me know, we’d love to have you come in.

Important Dates

Wednesday, Dec. 13th: See’s Candy order due, checks should be made out to AVHSC

Tuesday, Dec. 19th: Holiday Party/Pajama Day

Monday, Dec. 25th-Friday, Jan. 5th: Winter Break

Monday, Jan. 15th: No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: Our story for the next two weeks is, Big Bushy Mustache, a realistic fiction selection about a young boy who learns a lesson about responsibility after losing part of his costume for a school play. Our strategy focus this week is predicting and making inferences based on what we have read. Skills we are working on include: correctly using suffixes (ly, and ful), using context clues, and changing nouns from singular to plural. Spelling words this week contain the letters “ou” and “ow.”

Math: Students are working in Module 4, Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Writing: Students will write an “Ouch” story (writing about a time they got hurt) and then we will be moving onto informative writing.

Library: We visit the library on Mondays, don’t forget your books!

Music: Students have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thrusdays from 11:00-11:30. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of November 27th-December 1st

Important Dates

Tuesday, Nov. 28th: Cornerstone

Monday, Dec. 25th-Friday, Jan. 5th: Winter Break

Monday, Jan. 15th: No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We will continue with the story, Chinatown, a realistic fiction selection in which a young boy and his grandmother spend a day enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of Chinatown. As we read this story we will be focusing on summarizing the story. Students will be telling the main parts of the story in their own words. We will use the suffixes –er and –est to compare things. Skills we will be working on include: identifying and categorizing nouns and alphabetizing words to the third letter.

Writing: We will complete one more personal narrative writing assignment before moving onto our next writing genre.

Math: Students are working in Module 4, Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Science: We are continuing our unit on ecosystems.

Library: We visit the library on Mondays, don’t forget your books!

Music: Students have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11100.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of November 13th-17th

Fall Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences continue this week. I am looking forward to meeting with you. Please click here to check the schedule.

Hearing Testing: On Monday all second graders will have their hearing tested. Parents will be notified if their child does not pass the hearing test.

Alliterative Potluck: On Wednesday, November 15th our class will be having a special “Alliterative“ potluck lunch. Thanks to all who have signed up to bring items and/or help at the potluck. We do have a couple spots left for a volunteer. Please check out the sign-up here if you’d like to help.

Important Dates

Monday Nov. 6th-Friday, Nov. 17th: Parent-Teacher Conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Wednesday, Nov. 15th: Alliterative Potluck

Monday, Nov. 20th-Friday, Nov. 24th: No School, Thanksgiving Break

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We will begin Theme 3, Around Town. Our first selection is Chinatown, a realistic fiction selection in which a young boy and his grandmother spend a day enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of Chinatown. As we read this story we will be focusing on summarizing the story. Students will be telling the main parts of the story in their own words. We will use the suffixes –er and –est to compare things. Skills we will be working on include: identifying and categorizing nouns and alphabetizing words to the third letter.

Math: Students are working in Module 4, Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Science: We are studying about plants.

Music: Students have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:00-8:30.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays from 11:00-11:30. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of November 6th-10th

Fall Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences begin on Monday. I am looking forward to meeting with you. Please click here to check the schedule.

Alliterative Potluck: On Wednesday, November 15th our class will be having a special “Alliterative“ potluck lunch. Details about this fun event will be coming home on Monday. In order for this event to be a success, we will need some volunteers to help at the lunch and some items donated. Please check out the sign-up here if you’d like to help.

Important Dates

Monday, Nov. 6th-Friday, Nov. 17th: Parent-Teacher Conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Thursday, Nov. 9th: No School: Staff Development Day

Friday, Nov. 10th: No School: Veteran's Day

Wednesday, Nov. 15th: Alliterative Potluck, details coming home on Monday

Monday, Nov. 20th-Friday, Nov. 24th: No School, Thanksgiving Break

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We will continue with our final story in the Nature Walk theme. Around the Pond: Who’s Been Here? It is a realistic fiction selection about a boy and a girl who are out picking blueberries near a pond. As they are looking for blueberries they observe many different clues that animals have been around the pond. We will be working on categorizing and classifying things, using guide words, and reviewing multiple meaning words, and antonyms.

Math: Students are working in Module 4, Addition and Subtraction within 200 with Word Problems to 100. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Science: We are continuing our unit on ecosystems. One of our main area of focus will be an in depth study of plants.

Music: Students have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays from 11:00-11:30 We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of October 30th-November 3rd

Halloween Parade: Our school-wide Halloween parade will be at 8:30 on the morning of the 31st. Our classroom party will immediately follow the parade, concluding by the 10:30 morning recess. Students who plan to wear a costume should come to school fully dressed in their costume. They can bring a change of clothes to wear after the party, if they like. The students will stay in school until the normal release time of 2:40.

History Park:We had a wonderful field trip to History Park last week. Students got to experience first hand what life was like for a child living in San Jose during the 1890s. We learned that schools were very different back then, be sure and ask your child to tell you all about it, especially how students had to “mind their manners.”

Family Science Night: Thursday, November 2nd, from 6:30 to 8:00pm in the cafeteria families are invited to attend this fun night. The theme is Toy Box Physics. Volunteers are needed to help with this event. Click here if you’re able to help.

Fall Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences are coming up in November. I am looking forward to meeting with you. You may sign up here.

Important Dates

Tuesday October 31st: Halloween Parade & Party, Family Night: No homework

Thursday, November 2nd: Art Vistas and Family Science Night

Monday November 6th-Friday, Nov. 17th: Parent-Teacher Conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Thursday Nov. 9th: No School: Staff Development Day

Friday Nov. 10th: No School: Veteran's Day

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We will begin our final story in the Nature Walk theme. Around the Pond: Who’s Been Here? It is a realistic fiction selection about a boy and a girl who are out picking blueberries near a pond. As they are looking for blueberries they observe many different clues that animals have been around the pond. We will be working on categorizing and classifying things, using guide words, and reviewing multiple meaning words, and antonyms Our spelling focus is words ending in double consonants.

Math: We are nearing the end of Module 3. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Writing: We plan to take the District Writing Assessment this week.

Science: We are continuing our unit on ecosystems. One of our main area of focus will be plants.

Music: Students have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 with Coach Sierra on Thursdays from 11:00-11:30. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of October 23rd-27th

San Jose History Park Field Trip: Tuesday, October 24th, our class will be going on a field trip to History Park in San Jose. Students will be learning what life was like in San Jose in the early 1800s. Our class will be leaving school around 8:45 and returning to school by 11:30. Students should wear their class t-shirts.

The Scholastic Book Fair will run on campus from October 19th-25th.

Halloween Parade: Our school-wide Halloween parade will be at 8:30 on the morning of the 31st. Our classroom party will immediately follow the parade, concluding by the 10:30 morning recess. Students who plan to wear a costume should come to school fully dressed in their costume. They can bring a change of clothes to wear after the party, if they like. The students will stay in school until the normal release time of 2:40.

Family Science Night: Thursday, November 2nd, from 6:30 to 8:00pm in the cafeteria families are invited to attend this fun night. The theme is Toy Box Physics. Volunteers are needed to help with this event. Click here if you’re able to help.

Fall Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences are coming up in November. I am looking forward to meeting with you. You may sign up here.

Important Dates

Tuesday, October 24th: History Park field trip

Wednesday, October 25th: “Design a Catapult” in the Maker’s Space

October 27th: Clay Glazing

Tuesday October 31st: Halloween Parade & Party--Family Night (No Homework)

Thursday, November 2nd: Art Vistas and Family Science Night

Monday November 6th-Friday, Nov. 17th: Parent-Teacher Conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Thursday Nov. 9th: No School: Staff Development Day

Friday Nov. 10th: No School: Veteran's Day

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: This week we will continue with the story, Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett. It is an informational selection, which uses photographs and text to tell about the job of a ranger in New York City’s Central Park. We will be distinguishing between fact and opinion statements and identifying antonyms. Our grammar focus is correctly identifying and writing commands.

Writing: Students are writing personal narratives.

Math: We are working on Module 3, Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000. We are also using 3 online math websites: Zearn, Prodigy, and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Science: We are continuing our unit on ecosystems. One of our main area of focus will be an in depth study of Bats.

Music: Students have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thrusdays from 11:00-11:30. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons.We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of October 16th-20th

• San Jose History Park Field Trip:

On Tuesday, October 24th, our class will be going on a field trip to History Park in San Jose. Students will be learning what life was like in San Jose in the early 1800s. Our class will be leaving school around 8:45 and returning to school by 11:30.

No Library this week due to the library being used for testing.

The Scholastic Book Fair will run on campus from October 19th-25th, including hours during the Walkathon.

Halloween Parade: Our school-wide Halloween parade will be at 8:30 on the morning of the 31st. Our classroom party will immediately follow the parade, concluding by the 10:30 morning recess. Students who plan to wear a costume should come to school fully dressed in their costume. They can bring a change of clothes to wear after the party, if they like. The students will stay in school until the normal release time of 2:40. I sent home a letter from Mr. Thomas with guidelines for appropriate Halloween costumes last Friday.

Family Science Night: Thursday, November 2nd, from 6:30 to 8:00pm in the cafeteria families are invited to attend this fun night. The theme is Toy Box Physics. Volunteers are needed to help with this event. Click here if you’re able to help.

Fall Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences are coming up in November. I am looking forward to meeting with you. You may sign up here.

Important Dates

Saturday, October 21st: Walk-a-thon, 9:00-3:00

Tuesday, October 24th: History Park field trip

October 27th: Clay Glazing

Tuesday October 31st: Halloween Parade & Party

Thursday, Nov. 2: Art Vistas

Thursday, November 2nd: Family Science Night

Monday November 6th-Friday, Nov. 17th: Parent-Teacher Conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Thursday Nov. 9th: No School: Staff Development Day

Friday Nov. 10th: No School: Veteran's Day

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: This week students will read the story, Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett. It is an informational selection, which uses photographs and text to tell about the job of a ranger in New York City’s Central Park. We will be distinguishing between fact and opinion statements and identifying antonyms. Our grammar focus is correctly identifying and writing commands.

Writing: Students are writing personal narratives about a fun time they have had.

Math: We are continuing with Module 3, Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000. We are also using 2 online math websites: Zearn and Reflex Math (math facts fluency practice).

Science: We have started a new unit on ecosystems. One of our main area of focus will be an in depth study of Bats.

Music: Students have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays from 11:00-11:30. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons.We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of October 9th-13th

Upcoming Field Trips: We have 2 field trips coming up in October.

• Union Middle School Foods Class Field Trip:

We will be walking to Union Middle School for a field trip on October 10th from 10:30-1:00. We will be working with Mrs. Peers and her students in her cooking class to create some delicious Halloween treats. All treats will be nut free.

• San Jose History Park Field Trip:

On Tuesday, October 24th, our class will be going on a field trip to History Park in San Jose. Students will be learning what life was like in San Jose in the early 1800s. Our class will be leaving school around 8:45 and returning to school by 11:30.

Fall Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences are coming up in November. I am looking forward to meeting with you. You may sign up here.

Important Dates

Tuesday, Oct. 10: Walking Field Trip

Saturday, Oct. 21st: Walk-a-thon

Tuesday, October 24th: History Park field trip

October 27th: Clay Glazing

Tuesday Oct. 31st: Halloween Parade & Party

Thursday, Nov. 2: Art Vistas

Monday Nov. 6th-Friday, Nov. 17th: Parent-Teacher Conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Thursday Nov. 9th: No School: Staff Development Day

Friday Nov. 10th: No School: Veteran's Day

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: This week we will continue completing activities related to the story, Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night. Many students are familiar with the Henry and Mudge stories written by Cynthia Rylant. Skills we are working on include: comparing and contrasting story elements, identifying compound words, distinguishing between telling sentences and questions, and using correct punctuation. Our phonics focus is the vowel-consonant-e spelling (long e, o, u sounds)

Writing: We will work on narrative writing.

Math: We are working on Module 3: Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000. We have started using a new online math program, Reflex Math. This program focuses on math facts practice. The students are really enjoying it. Students are welcome to use it at home.

Science: We will begin a new unit on ecosystems. One of our main area of focus will be an in depth study of Bats.

Technology: We are becoming familiar with the many features of the chromebooks. We have also started using Raz Kids, Typing Agent, (keyboarding practice), Seesaw, Reflex Math, Zearn, and Prodigy (math practice). Last week we made descriptive word clouds and used Google Docs to type a fall poem.

Music: Students have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays from 11:00-11:30. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons.We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of October 2nd-6th

Thank you to Jane for our class t- shirts and creating the sign ups for both our field trips this month on Shutterfly! You can find many opportunities to sign up to volunteer on Shutterfly.

RtI: On Monday we will begin differentiated reading groups as part of our Response to Instruction program (RtI). Students will be grouped according to their instructional reading level, as determined by reading assessments. They will be receiving explicit reading instruction at their level to meet their needs. Instruction, pacing, and specific activities will be differentiated to meet the needs of each group. Students will rotate four times each week (Mon-Thurs) from 9:30-10:25.

Cardboard Challenge: All second grade classes will be participating in this global event. Thank you to the volunteers and for all the cardboard donations! This event is inspired by the short film, Caine’s Arcade. It is an annual event presented by the Imagination Foundation to celebrate child creativity. Children are invited to build anything they can dream up using cardboard, recycled materials, and their imagination. Miss Pugliese, our S.T.E.A.M. teacher, has invited us to bring our classes to the Maker’s Space during the week of October 2nd. During this time students will be using their imaginations to make things out of cardboard. We will be visiting the Maker’s Space in the afternoon on Monday at 11:00.

Upcoming Field Trips: We have 2 field trips coming up in October.

• Union Middle School Foods Class Field Trip:

We will be walking to Union Middle School for a field trip on October 10 from 10:30-12:30. We will be working with Mrs. Peers and her students in her cooking class to create some delicious Halloween treats. All treats will be nut free. Thank you for all the returned permission slips.

San Jose History Park Field Trip:

On Tuesday, October 24th, our class will be going on a field trip to History Park in San Jose. Students will be learning what life was like in San Jose in the early 1800s. Our class will be leaving school around 8:45 and returning to school by 11:30. Permission slips will be sent home on Monday.

Fall Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences are coming up in November. I am looking forward to meeting with you. I am still working on my sign ups schedule.

Important Dates

Monday, Oct. 2nd: Cardboard Challenge (11:00-12:00)

Tuesday, Oct. 3rd: Art Vistas

Friday, Oct. 6th: Clay Project

Tuesday, Oct. 10: Walking Field Trip

Saturday, Oct. 21st: Walk-a-thon

Tuesday, October 24th: History Park field trip

October 27th: Clay Glazing

Tuesday Oct. 31st: Halloween Parade & Party

Thursday, Nov. 2: Art Vistas

Monday Nov. 6th-Friday, Nov. 17th: Parent-Teacher Conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Thursday Nov. 9th: No School: Staff Development Day

Friday Nov. 10th: No School: Veteran's Day

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: This week we begin a new theme, Nature Walk. Our first selection is a realistic fiction story, Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night. Many students are familiar with the Henry and Mudge stories written by Cynthia Rylant. Skills we are working on include: comparing and contrasting story elements, identifying compound words, distinguishing between telling sentences and questions, and using correct punctuation. Our phonics focus is the vowel-consonant-e spelling (long e, o, u sounds)

Writing: We continue to work on writing personal narratives.

Math: We are working on Module 3: Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000. We have started using a new online math program, Reflex Math. This program focuses on math facts practice. The students are really enjoying it. Students are welcome to use it at home.

Social Studies: We will continue to learn what life was like long ago and compare/contrast it with life today.

Technology: We are becoming familiar with the many features of the chromebooks. We have also started using Raz Kids, Lexia, Typing Agent, (keyboarding practice), Seesaw, Reflex Math, and Prodigy (math practice). We will use Google Docs this week.

Music: Students have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons.We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of September 25th-29th

Important Dates

Wednesday, Sept. 27th: USD Family Night (no homework)

Thursday, Sept. 29th: Cornerstone Presentation

Monday, Oct. 2nd: Cardboard Challenge (11:00-12:00)

Tuesday, Oct. 3rd: Art Vistas

Friday, Oct. 6th: Clay Project

Saturday, Oct. 21st: Walk-a-thon

Tuesday, October 24th: History Park field trip (I will email a volunteer sign-up soon)

October 27th: Clay Glazing

Tuesday Oct. 31st: Halloween Parade & Party

Thursday, Nov. 2: Art Vistas

Monday Nov. 6th-Friday, Nov. 17th: Parent-Teacher Conferences, students dismissed at 1:15

Thursday Nov. 9th: No School: Staff Development Day

Friday Nov. 10th: No School: Veteran's Day

Announcements

Every Friday students are invited to wear their Alta Vista spirtwear and/or school colors!

Cardboard Challenge: All second grade classes will be participating in this global event. This event is inspired by the short film, Caine’s Arcade. It is an annual event presented by the Imagination Foundation to celebrate child creativity. Children are invited to build anything they can dream up using cardboard, recycled materials, and their imagination. Miss Pugliese, our S.T.E.A.M. teacher, has invited us to bring our classes to the Maker’s Space during the week of October 2nd. During this time students will be using their imaginations to make things out of cardboard. We will be needing lots of cardboard, please collect empty boxes of all shapes and sizes and send to school during the week of Oct. 2nd. We will also be needing parent volunteers to help us with cutting, gluing, etc. If you are available to help on Monday Oct. 2nd from 10:50-12:00, please let me know.

Fall Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences are coming up in November. I will be working on my sign up schedule within the next week or two.

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: This week we will read the final story in our Silly Stories Theme. Mrs. Brown Went to Town. It is a fantasy story in which characters and events that could happen in real life combine with those that could not. We will be working on making inferences and predicting outcomes based on information in a story. Skills we are working on include: identifying multiple meaning words, reviewing action parts of sentences, and using a graphic organizer. Our phonics focus this week is vowel-consonant-e spellings with the long “a” and “i” vowel sounds.

Writing: We are focusing on personal narrative writing.

Math: We will begin working on Module 3: Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000.

Social Studies: We will continue to learn what life was like long ago and compare/contrast it with life today. We have been enjoying learning about each other's family history!

Technology: We are becoming familiar with the many features of the chromebooks. We have also started using Raz Kids, Lexia, Typing Agent, (keyboarding practice), Seesaw, Zearn, and Prodigy (math practice). We are still waiting on Reflex, but it should be ready soon! This week we will type a fall poem using Google Docs.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays from 11:00-11:30. We have SPARK P.E. on Friday afternoons.We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes. (no sandals)

Library: We have library on Mondays from 2:00-2:30.

Music: We have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of September 18th-22nd

Safety Week: This week we will have safety drills almost every day so the students know procedures for fire drills, earthquake drills, drills during recess, and a shelter-in-place drill.

KDS Testing: This week students will take their first KDS (Key Data System) benchmark tests in language arts and math. This is the first time second graders have taken these tests. These tests will give us a baseline score that we can use to compare against future test results this year. I will share the results with you during our fall parent/teacher conference.

Important Dates

Saturday, Oct. 21st: Walk-a-thon,

Tuesday, October 24th: History Park field trip

Tuesday Oct. 31st: Halloween Parade & Party

Monday Nov. 6th: Parent-Teacher Conferences begin

Thursday Nov. 9th: No School: Staff Development Day

Friday Nov. 10th: No School: Veteran's Day

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We will continue with the story, Julius this week. It is another fantasy selection about a young girl, Maya, who receives a very special pet pig from her granddaddy. Skills we are working on include: distinguishing between fantasy and realism, identifying synonyms, and completing a story map.

Math: We will finish Module 2: Addition and Subtraction of Length Units, (it is a short unit) we are having fun doing lots of measuring and completing a variety of word problems.

Social Studies: We will finish up our timeline projects. When they are complete I will post them on Seesaw. We will share where our families lived before coming to California. We will continue to learn what life was like long ago and compare/contrast it with life today.

Technology: We are becoming familiar with the many features of the chromebooks. We have started using Raz Kids, Lexia, and Zearn. We will try Typing Agent (keyboarding practice) and Prodigy (math practice) this week. Please look under the "More" section on the top toolbar and click "Helpful Websites." You can find all the websites we use in class here. I will be putting labels in the student's orange folders with their login info this week.

Music: We have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays at 8:30.

Library: We visit the library every Monday from 2:00-2:30, books should be brought to school every Monday.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11. We will start SPARK P.E. this week on Friday at 2:00. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of September 11th-15th

I am excited to see the family projects on Monday! We will be using the pages to complete some activities in class, including a timeline. Feel free to bring in some pictures to make the timelines more personal. They will be glued down, so please make sure they are not your only copy!

Important Dates:

Monday, Sept. 11th: Patriot Day, wear red, white, and blue

Tuesday, Sept. 12th: Author Assembly

Friday, Sept. 15th: Movie Night, The Secret Life of Pets

Saturday, Oct. 21st: Walk-a-thon

Tuesday, October 24th: History Park field trip

This week is "Walk and Roll" week at Alta Vista, sponsored by a program called Safe Routes to School. The idea is to encourage families to try and walk, bike, scooter, or carpool to school, rather than everyone driving a single vehicle. All children will receive a red bracelet on Monday. Your child can wear the red bracelet all week to show support for safety at Alta Vista. There will also be a daily prize drawing for children who walk/bike/scooter to school. Please try and participate if you can-- I'm sure you've noticed how heavy the traffic around the school can be in the mornings!

We are collecting donations for a classroom in Houston whose students and teacher have been devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Gift cards to Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc are most appreciated as are donations of school supplies. Please send any donations to school this week.

Students will have their first day of library on Monday. Please remind your child to bring their library books every Monday.

Alta Vista Movie Night: Friday, September 15th. Concessions begin at 6:00, the movie (The Secret Life of Pets) begins at 7:30 on the Alta Vista field.

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We will start the story, Julius this week. (we didn’t get to it last week!) It is another fantasy selection about a young girl, Maya, who receives a very special pet pig from her granddaddy. Skills we are working on include: distinguishing between fantasy and realism, identifying synonyms, and completing a story map.

Math: Last week we started Module 2: Addition and Subtraction of Length Units, we are having fun doing lots of measuring and completing a variety of word problems.

Social Studies: We are enjoying learning about what life was like long ago and comparing it to present day.

Technology: We are becoming familiar with the many features of the chromebooks.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Music: We have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays at 8:30.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of September 4th-8th

Library: Our library day is Monday, so our first day in the library will be next week.

If you would like to have a book signed by Eric Litwin, please turn in your flyer by Friday, Sept. 8.

Important Dates:

Friday, Sept. 8th: Picture Day

Tuesday, Sept. 12th: Eric Litwin Author Visit

Friday, Sept. 15th -Movie Night, The Secret Lives of Pets

Saturday, Oct. 21st: Walk-a-thon

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We will finish up a couple things from Dragon Gets By, then we will begin a new story, Julius. It is another fantasy selection about a young girl, Maya, who receives a very special pet pig from her granddaddy. Skills we are working on include: distinguishing between fantasy and realism, identifying synonyms, and completing a story map.

Math: This week we will take our Module 1 assessment and begin Module 2: Addition and Subtraction of Length Units.

Writing: Students are working on summarizing as well as narrative writing. In class this week students are completing a graphic organizer which will help them come up with writing ideas.

Science: We will continue learning about nutrition and healthy eating.

Social Studies: We will begin our unit comparing Life Long Ago to our present day.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Music: We have music with Mrs. Abele on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of Aug. 28th-Sept. 1st

It was a pleasure meeting you at Back to School Night. I have posted my Back to School Night presentation on the website, so you can check out the videos I mentioned as well as reviewing the slides as I know went through them quickly.

This week we will be starting homework. On Monday your child will bring home a reading log. Reading logs are due on Fridays, but since there is no school on Friday this week, they are due on Thursday. Your child is asked to read 20 minutes a day and fill out the reading log. Please remember to check the reading log sample. This is not meant to be a summary of what has been read, but rather a sentence or two to complete one of the prompts. That reading can be being read to, reading with, or reading independently.

Occasionally the students will have a special project or family assignment to be completed at home in addition to the reading log.

If your child is does not complete work in class, they will bring that work home, and it is to be completed that evening and returned the following day. I will write a note at the top of any work that needs to be completed.

Orange folders will go home daily, even on Fridays. Please make it a habit to check the folder every day.

If you haven’t completed the Getting to Know Your Child form, I would appreciate it if you could complete it this week. This form provides me with important information about your child. There is a link on the top of the class website.

Important Dates:

Friday, Sept. 1st- No School, Staff Development Day

Monday, Sept. 4th-- No School, Labor Day Holiday

Friday, Sept. 8th: Picture Day

Friday, Sept.15th -Movie Night

Saturday, Oct. 21st: Walk-a-thon

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: Students will finish up activities related to the story, Dragon Gets By. We will complete sequencing and illustrating the story and then work on writing a summary. We will also review homophones.

Writing: Our first writing genre is narrative writing. In class this week students are completing a graphic organizer which will help them come up with writing ideas.

Math: This week we will continue to work on Module 1, Sums and Differences to 20. We have been using the website Zearn to preview our math lessons.

Science: We will be learning about nutrition and healthy eating.

Social Studies: Our first area of study will be Life Long Ago and Today. We will be learning about what life was like in the 1800s and comparing it to life today.

Technology: We will continue to learn about the many features of our chromebooks.

Music: Our music classes with Mrs. Abele start this week. We have music on Tuesdays at 8:30.

P.E.: We have Recess 101 on Thursdays at 11:00. We do some kind of physical activity every day, so please be sure your child wears appropriate shoes.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of August 21st-25th

We had a fantastic first three days of school!

Thank you to all who have completed the Parent Contact Form. If you haven’t already done so, please fill the form out as soon as possible so that I can get our class email distribution list finalized. There is also another form on the website: Getting to Know Your Child, this form provides me with important information about your child. Both forms can be found on the top bar on the class website.

Also, check out this link to learn more information about My School Anywhere, an online site where you can register with the Home and School Club, make school contributions, buy spirit wear, and sign up to volunteer for the school enrichment programs. The invitation code is AltaVista. We would like all families to be registered with our Home and School Club so you can receive important information about school events.

I appreciate you taking the time to complete these forms, I think this should do it for forms for awhile!

Solar Eclipse

We are excited to be able to see this! On Monday, we will be going outside in small groups with certified solar glasses to view the eclipse. Hopefully, you all received the letter from the school about this. In class, we will be live streaming the solar eclipse as well as completing a variety of activities.

Back to School Night

This Wednesday is Back to School Night. Our classroom presentation is from 7:15-8:00 PM. At 6:45 there will be a presentation by Mr. Thomas and the Home and School Club in the multi-purpose room. Please remember that this evening is for adults only. I will be going over the second grade curriculum, field trips, homework expectations, projects as well as other important information. I look forward to seeing you.

Finally, I ask that you please make every effort to support our second grade activities by contributing to the Consolidated Classroom Payment (CCP) online via the "My School Anywhere" account. This money goes to support your own child's portion of items like field trip entrance fees, bus fees, your child's class t-shirt, special class projects, etc. Instead of asking you for money every time we have an event, we ask for this money up front. We would not be able to provide many of these enrichment opportunities without your support, so please make every effort to donate to this fund, even if it is only a partial payment.

Students will not have homework this week. We will be discussing homework at Back to School Night and homework will begin next week.

Important Dates:

Wednesday, Aug. 23rd Back to School Night, 7:15-8:00, Room 9

Friday, Sept. 1st- No School, Staff Development Day

Monday, Sept. 4th-- No School, Labor Day Holiday

Friday, Sept. 8th: Picture Day

Friday, Sept.15th -Movie Night

Saturday, Oct. 21st: Walk-a-thon

What We’re Doing in Class this Week

Language Arts: We will begin Theme 1, Silly Stories. Our first story is a humorous fantasy selection, Dragon Gets By. It is the story of a silly dragon who makes some very funny and unwise choices when he goes grocery shopping. Skills we will be working on for the next two weeks are: reviewing short vowel words and syllables, completing a story map, sequencing events of the story, writing complete sentences, identifying homophones (dear/deer), and answering comprehension questions.

Math: We are working on Module 1 in our Eureka Math curriculum. This module sets the foundation for students to master sums and differences to 20.

Writing: Our focus is on personal narrative writing this trimester. Students will be writing about something they enjoyed doing over the summer.

Science: Science this week is all about the solar eclipse.

Technology: Students will be logging into their chromebooks and becoming familiar with the different programs we will be using this year.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can e-mail me at phillipsk@unionsd.org. I check my e-mail daily during the school week and I will reply back promptly. You may also leave a voicemail message for me at 408 356-6146 ext. 11109.

Mrs. Phillips

Week of August 14-18

Welcome to second grade! I am looking forward to meeting my new students on Wednesday, August 16th. The first bell rings at 8:10 and school begins at 8:15. Don’t forget that school is dismissed at 1:15 on Wednesdays! Students should line up in front of Room 9 on the primary playground.

Each week I update the class website with important information, please be sure to check it out weekly to see what is going on in class.

School Supplies: Students should bring a backpack each day. Please be sure and label backpacks, lunchboxes, jackets, ect. with your child’s name. I will provide each student with a pencil box, crayons, scissors, and erasers. Please click on "Supply List" to see which supplies are requested. Throughout the year I will ask for donations of items, as our class supply gets low.

Back to School Night is Wednesday, August 23rd. This is an important meeting for parents only. More details will be coming home the first week of school.

Please be sure and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can reach me by email at phillipsk@unionsd.org or by phone at (408) 356-6146 ext. 11109. I will return emails as soon as possible.