Mrs. Ballnik's Second Grade

Classroom News from
Mrs. Ballnik’s Class My email is ballnic@dearbornschools.org
Friday, September 29, 2017
Important Days to Remember
Gym on Tuesday-Please remember to wear tennis shoes and bendable clothes (not jeans).
Parent Conferences are on November 9, 15 and 16 from 4:15 – 6:30 p.m.. Thank-you for signing up at Open House. If were not able to come to Open House, please send me a note with the time and I will tell you if it is taken. If you email me, it will be easy for me to reply.
PLANNER
Please bring them every day.
FRIDAY SPELLING TESTS
Every Friday there will be a spelling test. Please study the 10 words and the spelling pattern. They will also get 5 words from the Dolch word (very common words in reading list) to practice. These will be written by your child in their planner on Mondays. Please practice every day with your child so that they will do well on the Friday Spelling test.
Spelling tests will be corrected and sent home on Monday. Students that show their tests to their parents and get them signed will receive a reward.
I don’t have time to correct and record tests on Friday.

MATH- We will have Unit 1 math test next Tuesday. The test has numbers with tens and one to sequence such as 89 90 ___. It also will have
-greater and lesser than < > and equal to =
– take a number apart, such as 25 is _____tens ____ ones
-there will be tens and ones pictures to write the number for
-also number words
-there will be skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s
Review addition homework as it comes home. Homework is usually due the next day. I don’t send homework on the weekend, but review the STUDY GUIDE.
The study guide came home this week. I hope to give the Unit 1 test on Tuesday. We had to switch around the computer test times because of a computer problem and that put the test back.
Go over the study guide by giving additional practice that is made up from the items that you feel needs practice. Then return it to school signed by the parent for credit. Remember, we fill the study guide in together, so please check it over to see if it is correct.
Response questions are extra credit, but very important to learn to do. Those are the fill in the blank questions on the test. Ask your child to explain how they get answers to be able to do the next step of writing how they get their answers.
SCIENCE. – Thank-you for sending the MYSTERY BAGS which were due by Wednesday. Please contact me if you do not have this finished. We will listen to your child present his/her bag as the bags come in.
Thank-you for helping your child fill in the paper describing the object that they put in the bag. Our class is having fun trying to guess the object when your child reads the description. Please work with your child on these describing words or PROPERTIES.
We will continue to learn that our world is made up of Matter and ways TO DESCRIBE THAT MATTER, such as, words that tell its color, size, texture and shape. Please discuss other properties also such as does it float or sink, what type of matter is it; solid, liquid or gas. etc. We made a solid, liquid and gas flipbook this week.

SOCIAL STUDIES- We continue to learn what a community is and its characteristics such as buildings, businesses, places to have fun, transportation and natural characteristics (trees, grass,…). Please go over these concepts at home when you are out and about our community. For example, what restaurants are around your neighborhood?
READING- Read, Read, Read!
Please be sure that your child reads something at least 20+ minutes per day. In addition, reading aloud to your child is important also.
BOOK BAGS-came home with books to read in them.
Thank-you for sending in the book bags from home. I ONLY HAD A FEW BOOK BAGS OF MY OWN TO BORROW AND SOME LARGE PLASTIC BAGS. IF YOUR CHILD DID NOT BRING IN A BOOK BAG, I AM LENDING THEM THESE FOR THIS YEAR. Please do not lose them and bring them every day. I do not go to the book room every week, but students should read over small books more than once and be able to retell the stories to you. There is a paper log to write down the times that your child reads and comments about the book. THIS IS IMPORTANT AND PARENTS HAVE TO HELP WITH THIS.
Please go to the library on a regular basis, if you do not already do this.
Bookroom books from school should not be the only thing that your child reads each day.
I am still finishing reading testing for all 25 of the students, because I teach other things during the day, also. Your child may have some above and below level books in their bag. Please check that they understand what they read and they write down words that they do not know. Don’t lose the books.
As you know the most important thing to learn in school is how to read. All the subjects have reading and this will make your child be the best student that they can be!
Star of the Week!
We do the Star of the Week by having a name picked out of the can of sticks with everyone’s name on it. Each child will make a “I like (student’s name) because” _______page for the Star of the Week book that each Star will get. The Star also takes home a poster to fill out and bring back the next day to present to the class. Star students also get to be the line leader and have other special jobs!

Congratulations to Mostafa Almakhzumy for being the Star of the Week!

Have a great weekend with your wonderful child!
Mrs. Ballnik

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