Math- Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday.  The students are doing great!  We will start chapter 2 the following week.  Please continue to work on simple math facts at home.  The students will benefit from knowing doubles facts and ways to make ten. 

Science- We had another wonderful Science Friday.   It's so neat to see our science and social studies overlap. We are asking the question:  What is the best material for the job?  We were able to look at materials, like plastic, and talk about how great, great-grandparents didn't have toys made out of plastic.  This was a great discussion about "then and now" and different inventions over the years.  Inventions come from asking the same question we are exploring in class.  The students were able to investigate the "meltable" property with different types of candy.  

Reading-  We had such a great week with reading groups.  They are really enjoying Read Live and we continue to see improvement in fluency, expression and comprehension.  They are getting pretty good at keyboarding as well! 

Social Studies-  We have done a lot of pre-writing activities last week and will dive into constructing a paragraph with a topic sentence, information supported by evidence and a conclusion.  I can't wait to see what they come up with!   Reminder:  Grandparent day will be on Friday, October 6 (more info below).  

Spelling-  We will start introducing spelling words next week.  Since homework is optional in choice, I will make sure to include spelling practice in class.  Each student will be placed at a level that they were assessed at. Some of these lists will be easy and some will be tricky, the progression through the lists will be valuable.  Every Friday we will take a spelling test and if they pass with a 80% or higher, then they will move on to the next list.  If they don't pass, they will stay at that list until they pass.  All the lists are on Spelling City, which is a great resource with games and activities for them to practice (consider downloading the app on your phone).   There will be more info about Spelling City next week in the STAR Homework section.  

​Reading- Highly recommended!  1 star for every 10 minutes of reading.  Students should try to read for about 20 minutes each night. 

Math-  Practice simple addition math facts.  The goal is for your student to become fluent in simple math facts so find any game or activity that will allow them to practice.  Let me know if you need flashcards, I have some I can copy on to cardstock.   A challenging math app or ST Math are also great choices.   Note:  I have only unlocked the first few levels of ST Math for homework.  The kids can access much more in class.

Writing- New on the menu!  The students may choose to use typing club (link found under quick links above- have them log into their acmsrocks.org google account so they can resume their progress) for a writing activity or they can write a letter, story or whatever they want!  The purpose of this activity is to get them ready for writing our reports this week.  If your student is writing, have them double check that they use correct capital letter placement, punctuation and complete sentences.  

​9/29 - No School (Staff Development Day)
10/6 - Grandparents Day in 2nd Grade
​10/21 - Golf Tournament
10/31- Halloween 
11/1- No School (Staff Development Day)
11/2-3 PLP Conferences (Dismissal at 12:30)

Here's the scoop on sharing...sharing should relate to something we are learning about in class. Currently we are learning about the past, so bringing in something that is old and has significant value to the student and/or the family would be appropriate.  Each day I will try to carve out time for up to 4 students to share (if time doesn't allow, I will have them share first the next day).  I will allow each student to share once a week.  Also, IF the item is not too precious, we would love to have it on an "eyes only" display in the classroom.  If you have any questions, please let me know!  

The kids have been successful in reaching their goal once again!  This week we will focus on reading and math for homework.  Remember to return the STAR tracking sheet in folders each Friday.  Thanks!
Reading- Highly recommended!  1 star for every 10 minutes of reading.  Students should try to read for about 20 minutes each night. 

Math-  Practice simple addition math facts.  The goal is for your student to become fluent in simple math facts so find any game or activity that will allow them to practice.  Let me know if you need flashcards, I have some I can copy on to cardstock.   A challenging math app or ST Math are also great choices.   Note:  I have only unlocked the first few levels of ST Math for homework.  The kids can access much more in class.