Hello Families,
Can you believe that we have another short week ahead of us. That's right, WE DO NOT HAVE SCHOOL ON FRIDAY...because it is a Teacher Workday. All of us teachers will be in school conducting meetings on the new core standards, differentiation, and all that. This time will also allow us to prepare an Interim Report for your student. Interims go home on Monday so please be sure to look for them in the Monday folder next week.
This past week your student read some terrific stories regarding setting. We read Oscar's Half Birthday, The Best Story Ever, My Napoleon, and Madlenka. The setting in the stories became more complex as some of the stories covered entire years. Your student will hopefully remind you that the setting includes both where a story occurs and when it occurs. We will continue to work on understanding setting this week as well as trying this concept in to how a character changes. Due to the short week, in our small reading groups we will continue to work on the same books as last week but will practice strategies from The Cafe such as partner reading and echo reading (to build stamina and fluency). We will also dig a little deeper and begin researching the animals in our stories (pigs, hens, alligators, and cats). Research may be a third quarter objective but it never hurts to start early!
In Science this week we will begin our "Life Cycle" unit. The fall is a great time as the leaves change to realize the life cycle that is repeating all around us. Please discuss with your child the cycle of nature as well as the life cycle of any animals that you are interested in. We will be learning about Butterflies, Spiders, and Frogs but it never hurts to discover the life cycle of other things. Today we discussed notebook procedures and created our KWL charts for the unit. We will be trying to activate our higher level thinking skills so if you feel like pushing us at home also that would be great! The Second Grade will be working through this unit over the entire month of October but don't be surprised if you see a Social Studies sheet come home here and there as we try to keep your hero connected to their History. Also, don't forget that our Immigration Projects are due on October 7th. Please turn them in early rather than late. If you need any supplies I have plenty available so please do not hesitate to ask.
Springing off our The Best Story your child has begun writing their "Story from the Heart." This story is about anything they want and will go through the entire publishing process although it may take until the end of the quarter to complete. The brainstorming was done last week and this week we will be writing our 1st drafts. Revisions should come next week and hopefully our final drafts will be ready by the middle of October. I plan on having these available for you to read during your conference at the end of October. I'll be sending reminders of those out next week along with the question sheet for you to complete. Sending in your questions early ensures that I have the answers you want and that we can maximize our time together. There are usually only Fall and Spring conferences so I would like to be as thorough as possible.
The final news for this week is that ALL Heroes will be taking their Unit 1 Expressions assessment on Thursday. The test is twenty questions and covers math mountains, math partners, greater than/less than, and basic addition. I have targeted all the students and given them as much support as I think they will need to be successful but please feel free to encourage them on Thursday morning. I should have those tests returned next week. Also, I would like to give a quick shout-out to Mrs. Medvetz for her help with Math Tiles this past Friday (from 1:40-2:20). They were a huge success and allowed for the students to work on concepts with money and addition as well as greater than/less than. Math Tiles will be every Friday that we are at school (not Early Release though) from 1:40 until 2:20 so if you can make it please shoot me an email. We'd love to have you!
Wrapping Up...
*The Radical Reader Assembly is tomorrow (Tuesday, September 27th at 9:30 am.)
*Friday, September 30th is a Teacher Workday so please don't send your student to school.
*October 13th is the One Hunter Family Fall Picnic at 5:30pm. It will be unforgettable so please mark it down on your calendar!
*Don't forget that all Parent Volunteer's should have renewed their volunteer registration by October 31st or you can't chaperon any field-trips. Please go ahead an renew now!
*Our Field Trip is coming up (October 12th) to the NC Museum of Life and Science!
*ITLaPD (International Talk Like a Pirate Day) Literacy Unit and Celebration is coming up the week of October 10th thru the 14th. Please be checking your email in-boxes for volunteer information/supplies from our amazing room moms Mrs. O'Brian & Mrs. Jones. It should be a legendary time!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
September 19th Post
Hello Families,
If you're like me then you received a few phone call this weekend about our fantastic Hunter Readathon celebration. Please make sure that you have returned your son/daughter form. They were due by this past Friday but as long as you turn it in by tomorrow I am sure we can make sure that your child is recognized for their hard work. Aside from that I hope that you all had a happy weekend and enjoyed the extra few hours on Friday.
This week your child will be receiving their 2nd Fundations Homework Packet. Remember to please keep this homework at home so that they can continue to practice the skills while we practice them in class. This week there is also a writing assignment coming home which will be due on Monday (the 26th). Aside from that we will continue to have a math homework sheet most nights. Don't forget that our Immigration Project is due on October 7th which is also our next Early Release. If your student needs any supplies please let me know as soon as possible. Every student will complete a project either at home to receive full credit or at school during recess for half-credit (if a student does not turn in a project by October 7th). Hunter Elementary has high expectations for all of its students.
You have probably noticed that the student behavior contracts have been coming him with HR's written on them to signify "Home Runs." This is due to my baseball stickers having disappeared. The bad news is that Stones School Supply is sold out of them and they are on back-order. The good news is that I have gotten some smiley face stickers that say "Awesome" on them. Until the baseball stickers come in I will be using the smiley face stickers to signify "Home Run." Thank you for being flexible!
On Friday, the Harvey's Heroes celebrated Constitution Day with a visit from Thomas Jefferson himself! The class examined the Harvey Heroes Constitution written in 2008 and repealed some amendments while creating others. It was an incredible time that helped your student really see how the Constitution of our great nation is a living document. Our next learning experience will be on October 14th which will be our celebration of "International Talk Like a Pirate Day." Technically, ITLaPD is today (Sept. 19th) but we can't celebrate more than one thing a month or people would talk;) so we will observe ITLaPD on October 14th. That entire week we will be reading Pirate Stories, researching famous pirates (men and women) as well as creating some pirate art and stories. If any parent would enjoy coming in and reading one of my pirate stories or leading a craft please just let me know.
In Reading this week, your student will continue to read some fiction stories independently and with me in our small reading group. Your student will also be able to go on RazKids this week. You may remember this from last year. The Second Grade has ordered this with some of the start up funds you were asked to pay. Your child has a password (which is their lunch number) so that all of their work is protected. Just like last year, this website can be accessed from home (for any days that your child is sick but still eager to be busy) as well as from school. In Writing, we have been working or writing "Mashed-Up Fairy Tales." We will continue to work on those this week and then if we have time we will try to turn them into skits. (If we run out of time we can try next quarter). We are still working on number fluency in Math but this week we are using Number Lines as well as Drawing Pictures and Writing Equations to solve problems. In Social Studies we are wrapping up citizenship as explained through the Colonial Period so that we can get ready to learn about the life cycle of a butterfly. As you can see, there is a lot of excitement left in this quarter.
Wrapping Up...
*Math Tiles starts this Friday (September 23rd) from 1:40-2:20 so if you are available to help out I would LOVE to have you!
*The Radical Reader Assembly is next Tuesday, September 27th at 9:30 am.
*Friday, September 30th is a Teacher Workday so please don't send your student to school.
*October 13th is the One Hunter Family Fall Picnic at 5:30pm. It will be unforgettable so please mark it down on your calendar!
*Don't forget that all Parent Volunteer's should have renewed their volunteer registration by October 31st or you can't chaperon any field-trips. Please go ahead an renew now!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns please let me know. Have a terrific week!
Sincerely,
Mr. H
If you're like me then you received a few phone call this weekend about our fantastic Hunter Readathon celebration. Please make sure that you have returned your son/daughter form. They were due by this past Friday but as long as you turn it in by tomorrow I am sure we can make sure that your child is recognized for their hard work. Aside from that I hope that you all had a happy weekend and enjoyed the extra few hours on Friday.
This week your child will be receiving their 2nd Fundations Homework Packet. Remember to please keep this homework at home so that they can continue to practice the skills while we practice them in class. This week there is also a writing assignment coming home which will be due on Monday (the 26th). Aside from that we will continue to have a math homework sheet most nights. Don't forget that our Immigration Project is due on October 7th which is also our next Early Release. If your student needs any supplies please let me know as soon as possible. Every student will complete a project either at home to receive full credit or at school during recess for half-credit (if a student does not turn in a project by October 7th). Hunter Elementary has high expectations for all of its students.
You have probably noticed that the student behavior contracts have been coming him with HR's written on them to signify "Home Runs." This is due to my baseball stickers having disappeared. The bad news is that Stones School Supply is sold out of them and they are on back-order. The good news is that I have gotten some smiley face stickers that say "Awesome" on them. Until the baseball stickers come in I will be using the smiley face stickers to signify "Home Run." Thank you for being flexible!
On Friday, the Harvey's Heroes celebrated Constitution Day with a visit from Thomas Jefferson himself! The class examined the Harvey Heroes Constitution written in 2008 and repealed some amendments while creating others. It was an incredible time that helped your student really see how the Constitution of our great nation is a living document. Our next learning experience will be on October 14th which will be our celebration of "International Talk Like a Pirate Day." Technically, ITLaPD is today (Sept. 19th) but we can't celebrate more than one thing a month or people would talk;) so we will observe ITLaPD on October 14th. That entire week we will be reading Pirate Stories, researching famous pirates (men and women) as well as creating some pirate art and stories. If any parent would enjoy coming in and reading one of my pirate stories or leading a craft please just let me know.
In Reading this week, your student will continue to read some fiction stories independently and with me in our small reading group. Your student will also be able to go on RazKids this week. You may remember this from last year. The Second Grade has ordered this with some of the start up funds you were asked to pay. Your child has a password (which is their lunch number) so that all of their work is protected. Just like last year, this website can be accessed from home (for any days that your child is sick but still eager to be busy) as well as from school. In Writing, we have been working or writing "Mashed-Up Fairy Tales." We will continue to work on those this week and then if we have time we will try to turn them into skits. (If we run out of time we can try next quarter). We are still working on number fluency in Math but this week we are using Number Lines as well as Drawing Pictures and Writing Equations to solve problems. In Social Studies we are wrapping up citizenship as explained through the Colonial Period so that we can get ready to learn about the life cycle of a butterfly. As you can see, there is a lot of excitement left in this quarter.
Wrapping Up...
*Math Tiles starts this Friday (September 23rd) from 1:40-2:20 so if you are available to help out I would LOVE to have you!
*The Radical Reader Assembly is next Tuesday, September 27th at 9:30 am.
*Friday, September 30th is a Teacher Workday so please don't send your student to school.
*October 13th is the One Hunter Family Fall Picnic at 5:30pm. It will be unforgettable so please mark it down on your calendar!
*Don't forget that all Parent Volunteer's should have renewed their volunteer registration by October 31st or you can't chaperon any field-trips. Please go ahead an renew now!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns please let me know. Have a terrific week!
Sincerely,
Mr. H
Monday, September 12, 2011
September 12th
Hello Parents!
I hope that you all had a terrific weekend. It's another exciting week with a few extra specials treats in store for your student. The first one is...(drum roll please) our Colonial America Learning Experience. Your student has been working super hard on learning about how our community and amazing country has changed over the last few centuries. While our field-trip to Duke Homestead (in the Spring) will help cement those concepts it is important that we build our "schema" or background knowledge now so that it can be reactivated later this year and hopefully never forgotten. As part of this learning experience we will be signing our classroom constitution, playing colonial games at recess, and hopefully eating some colonial fare. I've got the recipes if you've got the time. Just email me (gharvey@wcpss.net) or pop in and I'd love to give you a recipe to make. Otherwise, it'll just be some bread and water for the Heroes (but hey, life was hard back then). Also, don't forget that Friday is an Early Release Day so your student will be dismissed at 1:15pm. Please make sure that you have arrangements in place and that if it is different than the usual then you notify the school before 11am.
Other pressing news is that your student will recieving their Immigration Project today. All of the information for the project is listed in the forms. Please read over it carefully and then if you have any questions let me know via email. Grading for the project will be according to the rubric so I expect all of my Heroes to score at least a 3. If you need any supplies for the project let me know and I'll be happy to find some for you, but just so you know it doesn't have to be fancy. The project only has to be informative.
Your student will also be coming home today with a daily homework sheet. Every day at the end of school (3:30pm) we will go over the homework for the day. Your child will record the assignments on the sheet inside the correct subject area and day. I will keep a class copy at the front of the room and remind your student each day at calendar of what they should have done the prior day. Don't forget that homework is due on Monday but that we go over the Math sheets daily. It takes to long to go over all of the math sheets on Monday plus it doesn't help me to see which students are struggling with a concept. Projects have significantly more time so please don't worry about that.
The word of the week this week is Shifty which means of questionable character, duplicitous. Please try to use this adjective at home this week and praise your child if they use it. I am trying to increase your students' vocabulary so that we can bone up their writing however I am only going to be successful with your help. The student of the week is Gavin. Please be sure to give him a high five or pat on the back if you see this guy around school. He's shown "STAR" behavior since school started and is an excellent Hero.
Wrapping Up...
*Math Tiles will start next Friday (September 23rd) from 1:40-2:20 so if you are available to help out I would LOVE to have you!
*The Radical Reader Assembly is on September 27th at 9:30 am.
*Friday, September 30th is a Teacher Workday so please don't send your student to school.
*October 13th is the One Hunter Family Fall Picnic at 5:30pm. It should be awesome so please mark it down on your calendar!
I hope that you all had a terrific weekend. It's another exciting week with a few extra specials treats in store for your student. The first one is...(drum roll please) our Colonial America Learning Experience. Your student has been working super hard on learning about how our community and amazing country has changed over the last few centuries. While our field-trip to Duke Homestead (in the Spring) will help cement those concepts it is important that we build our "schema" or background knowledge now so that it can be reactivated later this year and hopefully never forgotten. As part of this learning experience we will be signing our classroom constitution, playing colonial games at recess, and hopefully eating some colonial fare. I've got the recipes if you've got the time. Just email me (gharvey@wcpss.net) or pop in and I'd love to give you a recipe to make. Otherwise, it'll just be some bread and water for the Heroes (but hey, life was hard back then). Also, don't forget that Friday is an Early Release Day so your student will be dismissed at 1:15pm. Please make sure that you have arrangements in place and that if it is different than the usual then you notify the school before 11am.
Other pressing news is that your student will recieving their Immigration Project today. All of the information for the project is listed in the forms. Please read over it carefully and then if you have any questions let me know via email. Grading for the project will be according to the rubric so I expect all of my Heroes to score at least a 3. If you need any supplies for the project let me know and I'll be happy to find some for you, but just so you know it doesn't have to be fancy. The project only has to be informative.
Your student will also be coming home today with a daily homework sheet. Every day at the end of school (3:30pm) we will go over the homework for the day. Your child will record the assignments on the sheet inside the correct subject area and day. I will keep a class copy at the front of the room and remind your student each day at calendar of what they should have done the prior day. Don't forget that homework is due on Monday but that we go over the Math sheets daily. It takes to long to go over all of the math sheets on Monday plus it doesn't help me to see which students are struggling with a concept. Projects have significantly more time so please don't worry about that.
The word of the week this week is Shifty which means of questionable character, duplicitous. Please try to use this adjective at home this week and praise your child if they use it. I am trying to increase your students' vocabulary so that we can bone up their writing however I am only going to be successful with your help. The student of the week is Gavin. Please be sure to give him a high five or pat on the back if you see this guy around school. He's shown "STAR" behavior since school started and is an excellent Hero.
Wrapping Up...
*Math Tiles will start next Friday (September 23rd) from 1:40-2:20 so if you are available to help out I would LOVE to have you!
*The Radical Reader Assembly is on September 27th at 9:30 am.
*Friday, September 30th is a Teacher Workday so please don't send your student to school.
*October 13th is the One Hunter Family Fall Picnic at 5:30pm. It should be awesome so please mark it down on your calendar!
Monday, September 5, 2011
September 6th Post
Hello Parents!
Have we got an exciting week planned or what? It all kicks off with our very first Open House of the 2011-2012 School year on Tuesday at 6pm. There will be a short PTA meeting and then everyone will be free to visit our classroom and ask me any questions you have. It may help things if you come ready with questions or email me with your questions so that I can have a response ready.
Before breaking to our classroom the entire 2nd grade Team will go through standard grade level items in the Media Center. These items include: Homework for the Year, Math Differentiation, Fundations, The Healthy Snack Mandate from WCPSS, and Field Trips for the year. Afterward, in my classroom (107A) I will explain things unique to my room such as an upcoming Social Studies Project, K.I.T.S. (Kids into Thinking), and how I hope to utilize you amazing parents for volunteers! I will also have a conference schedule ready but please keep in mind that those dates will start in October after the first grading period has ended.
In the Classroom...
this week your student will begin their 1st Lesson in FuNdAtIoNs! This is a terrific spelling curriculum that I whole-heartedly believe in. Please remember to keep the spelling homework packet at home so that your student can continue to practice the words and sounds over the entire two week unit. This first unit will have your student reviewing blends (sh, ch, th, wh, ck) as well as how to mark them. We will also have the extension word of the week which is Sham. The definition of Sham is: something false or empty that is purported to be genuine.
In Math, we will continue to examine word problems and problem solving strategies such as identifying key words and double checking our work. Students who qualified will begin being pulled out for differentiation with Mrs. Tally Evans however I will continue to differentiate within my classroom so that all student receive the education which they deserve.
In Social Studies we will spend the next two weeks to learn about our community and how it has changed. Specifically the Harvey's Heroes will take a quick look at the Colonial America, The Revolutionary War, and War of 1812. On Friday, September 9th we will briefly discuss September 11th using some WCPSS recommended tools. The following Friday (9-16) we will observe Constitution Day. I'm hoping that some of you amazing parents will feel brave enough to prepare a few colonial recipes I found lying around the house:)
In reading we will continue to learn Comprehension Strategies from the Daily 5 and the Cafe. I will also begin instructing small reading groups at the half-moon table in my room. During our reading the individual reading groups will examine spelling patterns in the words that they see (in alignment with Fundations) as well as work on understanding the setting of a story. Specifically, we will discuss how the setting can change over time. This skill will help your student understand how a character changes over time in the future. The books we will be reading are: Dom's Dragon, I Love You the Purplest, A Barrel of Gold, and Anansi and the Impossible. Please be sure to ask your student which book they are reading!
Last week in writing we discussed how all good writers indent the first line of each sentences and use punctuation marks. Each student also completed their unassisted writing sample which will be available to see at our first school conference in October. This week, we will work on writing responses to what we have read in our Reading Journals. You can help at home by having your student respond to what they thought of shows you have watched at home (Wizard of Waverly Place, etc).
Don't forget...
*Open House is at 6pm in the Media Center. The Second Grade Team will begin their explanation of procedures immediately after the PTA meeting. Upon the conclusion of the Second Grade Presentation each teacher will take parents back to their respective classrooms for a question and answer session.
*Elective Registration is Wednesday and Electives begin next Monday!
*The First Early Release of the Year is on Friday, September 16th at 1:15pm. Please be sure to email me or send in any transportation changes by 8:45am that Friday or call the office. I cannot be responsible for any emails regarding transportation changes after 8:45am as checking my email is very difficult once the school day has begun.
Have we got an exciting week planned or what? It all kicks off with our very first Open House of the 2011-2012 School year on Tuesday at 6pm. There will be a short PTA meeting and then everyone will be free to visit our classroom and ask me any questions you have. It may help things if you come ready with questions or email me with your questions so that I can have a response ready.
Before breaking to our classroom the entire 2nd grade Team will go through standard grade level items in the Media Center. These items include: Homework for the Year, Math Differentiation, Fundations, The Healthy Snack Mandate from WCPSS, and Field Trips for the year. Afterward, in my classroom (107A) I will explain things unique to my room such as an upcoming Social Studies Project, K.I.T.S. (Kids into Thinking), and how I hope to utilize you amazing parents for volunteers! I will also have a conference schedule ready but please keep in mind that those dates will start in October after the first grading period has ended.
In the Classroom...
this week your student will begin their 1st Lesson in FuNdAtIoNs! This is a terrific spelling curriculum that I whole-heartedly believe in. Please remember to keep the spelling homework packet at home so that your student can continue to practice the words and sounds over the entire two week unit. This first unit will have your student reviewing blends (sh, ch, th, wh, ck) as well as how to mark them. We will also have the extension word of the week which is Sham. The definition of Sham is: something false or empty that is purported to be genuine.
In Math, we will continue to examine word problems and problem solving strategies such as identifying key words and double checking our work. Students who qualified will begin being pulled out for differentiation with Mrs. Tally Evans however I will continue to differentiate within my classroom so that all student receive the education which they deserve.
In Social Studies we will spend the next two weeks to learn about our community and how it has changed. Specifically the Harvey's Heroes will take a quick look at the Colonial America, The Revolutionary War, and War of 1812. On Friday, September 9th we will briefly discuss September 11th using some WCPSS recommended tools. The following Friday (9-16) we will observe Constitution Day. I'm hoping that some of you amazing parents will feel brave enough to prepare a few colonial recipes I found lying around the house:)
In reading we will continue to learn Comprehension Strategies from the Daily 5 and the Cafe. I will also begin instructing small reading groups at the half-moon table in my room. During our reading the individual reading groups will examine spelling patterns in the words that they see (in alignment with Fundations) as well as work on understanding the setting of a story. Specifically, we will discuss how the setting can change over time. This skill will help your student understand how a character changes over time in the future. The books we will be reading are: Dom's Dragon, I Love You the Purplest, A Barrel of Gold, and Anansi and the Impossible. Please be sure to ask your student which book they are reading!
Last week in writing we discussed how all good writers indent the first line of each sentences and use punctuation marks. Each student also completed their unassisted writing sample which will be available to see at our first school conference in October. This week, we will work on writing responses to what we have read in our Reading Journals. You can help at home by having your student respond to what they thought of shows you have watched at home (Wizard of Waverly Place, etc).
Don't forget...
*Open House is at 6pm in the Media Center. The Second Grade Team will begin their explanation of procedures immediately after the PTA meeting. Upon the conclusion of the Second Grade Presentation each teacher will take parents back to their respective classrooms for a question and answer session.
*Elective Registration is Wednesday and Electives begin next Monday!
*The First Early Release of the Year is on Friday, September 16th at 1:15pm. Please be sure to email me or send in any transportation changes by 8:45am that Friday or call the office. I cannot be responsible for any emails regarding transportation changes after 8:45am as checking my email is very difficult once the school day has begun.
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