Monday, December 1, 2008

Reading: SRS 15 minutes

Spelling: #1; SW 57

Math: PW33

During our Advent Retreat, the children will write their final copy of A Gift for Jesus to be displayed in the hallway. The tree in the hallway will be decorated as we prepare our hearts and minds for this special season. The children will also make an Advent wreath to bring home.

Test dates for Terra Nova have been changed! The practice test is scheduled for March 27th and testing will be March 30th through April 1st. Please look at your 2009 calendar and make sure your child is at school on these important dates. Please do not schedule any appointments for your child during testing.

Please send in a lonely, clean sock(without a mate) to use as a whiteboard eraser. New whiteboard markers may be purchased in the office for 50 cents. We use these daily.

Our new author is Peggy Parrish. We discussed idioms(expressions that don't mean exactly what they say). Ask your child to give you some examples.

Children are taking AR tests to check for understanding.

We will not send home a Novemeber book order due to the Book Fair. The next order will come home in early December. Our class user name is 2abutler and our password is bees. You can click on the link below to order online. Thanks so much for your support.

Weekly folders (blue) will be sent home each Thursday. The papers that are sent home are for you to keep. Occasionally, there may be something for you to sign and send back to school. Please sign the folder and return to school on Friday.

In writing we have been using the four square method to write a paragraph including a topic sentence, detail sentences, and a wrap-up(feeling) sentence. We have been focusing on including some sensory details. We learned the five parts of a friendly letter. The children wrote a letter to their prayer partner(a retired R.S.H.M. sister living in the Tarrytown, N.Y. convent) and to Ms. Carroll in honor of Catholic Principal's Day on Thursday. The children also learned to address an envelope. Our paragraph this week will include connecting words to provide transition between ideas.

Thanks to all parents who participated in Math Madness on Wednesday, November 19th! What a fun way for the children to practice math concepts.

The visit from the Virginia Historical Society on Thursday, November 20th was very interesting for the children and they learned some fascinating facts about Virginia's Native Americans.

Click on the Harcourt Math link below for a list of practice activities including fun games to help children memorize math facts. In Chapter 7 we will explore 2-digit addition. During daily calendar math we practice the following concepts:

*Roman numerals

*Even and odd numbers

*Fact Families

*Telling Time

*Addition and subtraction strategies

*Introduction to multiplication

*Problem solving

*Different ways to name a number

*Place value(hundreds, tens,ones)

Check out the links below where your child can enjoy a free reading motivation program and practice second grade skills by playing fun games.

Classroom Policies and Procedures 2008-2009