As a class we set a goal to get 190 Stars. And the results are in...we earned 234 Stars this week!  Way to go, second graders!  Since this is a short week, we set our goal at 170 Stars.  The homework menu will be the same as last week. 

Grandparents Unit is starting this week.  This is also known as our Long Ago and Yesterday Unit.  The goal is that students can compare and contrast their lives to those who have gone before them.  We will compare life for 2nd graders now with the lives of their parents and grandparents.  This will also be first time that students start to struggle with the idea of getting historical events on a timeline.  Grandparents day will be on Friday, October 7th.  The students will be making invites.  Just a heads up so you can get it on your parents calendars.

To prepare us for writing our grandparent report we will practice compare and contrast paragraphs.  We will work to write different types of topic sentences and conclusion sentences.  

I'm looking forward to having helpers start in class this week.  Here's what you need to know.  If you are helping the Red or Blue side, stay there.  Move around and help students who have hands raised.  Many times students will need help but not know it.  Check papers as you walk around and make sure that students are on the right track.  Try not to spend more than 1-2 minutes per student.  Get them on the right track and then move away and let them work on it.  If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask me (right when the questions arise).  
Group Management You are in charge of your group.  Maintain the volume level of your group.  If it's a quiet activity, keep it quiet.  If students need bathroom breaks or drinks or whatever, it's up to you.  

We had a great first week of school in 2nd grade!  These students are ready to learn!  Now we need to find out what they know so we can best teach them.  This week students will begin taking placement tests on most of the systems we use.  Approximately 2 hours each day in 2nd grade is individualized for each student.  These assessments will help us know exactly where they are right now and guide instruction.  We will also be sending home testing data in about two weeks so you can see how they are performing.
Lexia - Everyone will retake the Lexia placement test.  Students may end up placing lower and needing to redo levels they did before.  That's ok!   Repetition is key to mastery.  Seeing it once may not be enough.  Likewise, students may test higher and skip levels.  Either is fine.  Just celebrate levels passed during the school year.  
ReadLive - Students will be placed according to fluency level.  Students will read leveled passages and complete quizzes to improve fluency and comprehension.
iReady - We will begin with everyone use iReady Math, giving all students an opportunity to work at their own level.  This will also give us some data that can guide other instruction.  We will add iReady Reading as the school year progresses.
Fluency - Students will also be tested by an actual human on reading fluency.  The score will be presented in Words Per Minute (WPM).  Just what it sounds like - how many words in 1 minute on 2nd grade level text.

You won't want to miss out! Last year we implimented some cutting edge strategies for using Blended Learning to individualize your child's educational experience.  This means we are using technology in new, researched based and efficient ways.  It also means if you had a 2nd grader before 2015 our schedule, class routines and parent help times have drastically changed.  Also, this year we are launching a new homework plan with even more individualization and student choice.  Please mark Thursday on your calendar.

In our first math chapter we will begin exploring strategies for adding fluently.  Students will learn many ways to work with numbers so they can begin memorizing math facts and working quicker.  We are laying the foundation for future math topics.

Our first unit this year will be our Grandparent Unit.  The highlight of this unit is students interviewing, then writing a report about one of their grandparents.  The unit culminates with a Grandparents Day celebration including students singing for thier grandparents.