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Showing posts from 2015

Secret Snowpals

We had so much fun with our Secret Snowpal reveal! Everyone did such a great job! 

Smarty Plants

We had fun learning about plants with Judy today!                              We scraped chlorophyll out of spinach leaves and learned about capillary action!                                    

Toys for Tots

A huge thank you to all of you who donated a toy! I had to get another box and they were still overflowing! So generous! I will bring  them to my local drop off location after school. 

Practicing Math Skills and Concepts with Centers

Toys for Tots in Room 202

This year, I am wondering if instead of giving a gift to your child's teacher or the classroom,  you would consider donating  a  toy  (unwrapped, new),for the Toys for Tots program.  Anyone who is interested can participate but of course this is optional and up to you.  Your child can bring it to school and on that final date of collection , I  will bring the  toys  to a drop off location.  It is very kind   that children often  give a gift to the teacher, and I  certainly appreciate it, but families could  certainly give a  toy  instead of a gift for the teacher if they prefer.  Here is a link to the website:  http://www.toysfortots.org/ The deadline for dropping off a new, unwrapped toy to donate is Monday, December 8. This will give me time to get the donations to a local collection point. You can also donate directly at t heir website. Thanks a lot!

Go Noodle fun with the Principal

How many clasrooms get the principal to join them in a "Happy" Go Noodle brain break? Pretty fun! 

Trying out a New Keyboarding Website

We had tons of fun trying a new keyboarding activity on the Chrome book today! 

Name that Number

Today we tried the game Name that Number. Students found all kinds of ways to get to their target numbers using addition and subtraction!

Evens and Odds

We did a new game/activity with our EM cards called Evens/Odds! Check out our action shots! 

Scholastic Book Orders

Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub One-Time Class Activation Code: DXDDG Encouraging reading is one of the most important things we can do to help your child succeed. It can be tough finding the right books to keep them interested, which is why I am so excited that our class will be participating in Scholastic Reading Club this school year. I am sending home several reading club fliers today. Orders are due MONDAY November 3. You child can also order from dozens of other fliers by logging in online. You can also order by returning one of the paper order forms and check written out to Scholastic. We will place an order in November and early in December too so if you want to order books for holiday gifts you have two chances. There are science books, chapter books, picture books, $1 deals and more!  Scroll down for a list of my favorites! With Scholastic Reading Club:  - Every book you buy earns FREE Books for our classroom library  - You can choose from handpicked,

A Few Volunteer Slots have been Posted

It's time! I have started to put together a volunteer schedule. So far I have only the first part of the fall up but I will be posting additional slots. For now, please choose one or two slots to sign up for. In the next few weeks I will add a lot more slots and you can sign up for more. Look at the sign up here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084daaa92ea3f49-volunteering1

Our First Community Meeting

We are showing HEART during our first community meeting! We're singing our Shaker Lane School song and reviewing the HEART program!  

Addition Number Stories

In our Everyday Math program, unit 2 has students working on addition number  stories. The other day, students wrote their own number stories and illustrated them.  We emphasized the importance of including a math question at the end of the number story and using a question mark. it was neat to see how students chose numbers for this activity that were appropriate for them all the way from 4-1000!

New Math Apps

We trued some new math apps today! Sushi Monster was a hit! Ask your child if there is an app they enjoyed and would like to  have at home.

Addition Top it Fun!

We had fun playing addition  top it today! Some students challenged themselves by using three  addends instead of two. Others made double digit numbers to add with! Ask your child which way they played!

Sign Up for "Fall" Conferences

Fall conferences are now available for sign up on S ign up Genius here or here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084daaa92ea3f49-sign I put fall in quotes because December seems late to me, and more like winter! Please look at the slots and see if any work for you. I also added some slots in November in mornings and after school. If none work or if you have any other trouble, let me know. Thanks!

How to Help Your Child with Math

I saw this on Pinterest and love it! It may give you some good ideas if you want to help your child with math.

Your Child's Mathematical Mind

Now that explaining your mathematical thinking is included in the 2nd grade common core state standards and  it is included frequently in our new edition of Everyday Math some questions have arisen. Explaining your mathematical thinking verbally and coherently in writing is a developing skills for second graders. It comes gradually and is not like a light bulb getting switched on. Rest assured we are working on it in class together and students have the chance for independent practice. It is just the beginning of the year so we need not be anxious and worry that students need to be great at it right now. The second grade standards are standards to meet by the end  of second grade. I think some mathematics sites have some really good information for parents. One of my favorites is this Scholastic post. Click here. Several of my favorite sections I will quote below but head over for the full post. "Learning how to use  language  and mathematical thinking benefits children i

More Details on Xtra Math

Wondering about Xtra Math? If your child attended our school last year, they did Xtra math in school. This year we will be using Xtra math 2-3 times a month in school but I would ask you have your child try to do it twice a week at home. Occasionally I will assign homework on Xtra Math and your child will need to log in and do it that night to get homework credit.  You will notice that working on math facts is just a small portion of our math program and we spend most time working on math concepts and skills and math vocabulary. A big focus is also working on the Common Core State Standards Standards of Mathematical Practice, such as explaining your mathematical thinking (ie. How do you know the number 73 is larger than the number 48?) We strive for balance so that students leave second grade with a good base in all areas of mathematics. Wondering "What is Xtra Math?" Here is what the website says: XtraMath helps students transition from counting or calculating the basic

Showing Heart When there is a Substitute

This week we discussed that at some time every teacher has to be out, whether for a short time (like a meeting) or the whole day. Teachers get sick, teachers get sent to trainings, etc. We talked about the book Miss Nelson is Missing, in which the teacher goes missing and the students have a substitute. Together, the students brainstormed rules for when a substitute is here. They thought about what would need to happen for everyone to have a good day, be a happy class and have the substitute be able to compliment them to me. We came up with this list (all the students' ideas) and it has been posted in the room. Good thing too because I found out tomorrow I have 2 meetings, one in the morning for about an hour and one in the afternoon, so there will be our first substitute(s)! Feel free to use this poster or the topic when discussing how school is going with your child!

Digging Deeper into the Curriculum - Our Enrichment Philosophy

Did your child do well overall with the first grade curriculum? Are you curious about  the second grade team's philosophy on enrichment? Our philosophy for enrichment is digging deeper. What does that mean? Digging deeper means taking what students know and working with that knowledge. Can students apply that knowledge from kindergarten and first grade because they have internalized it? Can they use what they know to approach a more difficult problem in the same area? Can they teach it to someone they know (you will see that question on our math unit self-assessments)? Can they explain what they know verbally and  in writing? We want to help our students be able to convey their knowledge. In today's world, whether in older grades, on the ol' MCAS, or in the workplace, people need to be able to explain their thinking clearly and thoroughly so that they can get their message across to others. So first we need to look at metacognition - they understand what they know

What is Xtra Math?

Recently your child brought home an flyer for Xtra math. When you get a chance, log on with your child to Xtra math using the information on the flyer. Xtra math is a fun math fact website where your child can practice math facts using technology! No more paper flash cards like when I was in school. Practicing math facts is not the be all end all of classroom mathematics (see the Common Core State Standards) but familiarity with facts is very useful. All second grade classes have a goal this year of helping students master math facts this year. The expectation is that at the end of second grade, students should have mastery of basic addition and subtraction facts. Yes, subtraction too! In school we will be doing Xtra math as a class about twice or three times a month (we will also be doing other activities in class to increase math fact fluency) but I would recommend you have your child go online to Xtramath.org two or more times a week. Each time your child logs in, the t