Mrs. Ballnik's Second Grade

Classroom News from Mrs. Ballnik’s Class
My email is ballnic@dearbornschools.org
Friday, November 16, 2018
Important Days and Notes to Remember
November 21 – 23 – Thanksgiving break- no school- Read, read, read
Thank-you if you were able to come to the NOVEMBER 15-music concert for second grade – time: 10:00 -11:00. The students did a wonderful job!
November 20 – Mrs. Ballnik’s Class puts on a play that they write themselves. Parents are invited. Times will be 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.. It will be the same play at both times, called “The First Thanksgiving”, and in my room 202. It is about 20 -25 minutes long. Parents come to one performance. Please write the date on your calendar. Students will make simple paper hats and help with the scenery. The play does not have to be memorized.
The play is valuable to learn how to write an informational report, read with expression, use maps to trace the pilgrim route, build teamwork, attention skills and students write their own lines to say.
School calendars are located under the District news at the Dearborn Website.
Gym on Monday- Please remember to wear tennis shoes and bendable clothes (not jeans).
Parent Conferences Thank-you to the parents that came in. It was nice to see you. I am so happy to have your children in my class.
Thank-you for PLANNER -Please bring them every day. Use it as a homework folder, or supply your own, if you choose.
FRIDAY SPELLING TESTS – Next week’s spelling words start with consonant digraphs ch, sh, th, wh. The spelling words are; chill, sheep, think, while, chase, chest, shape, thing, wheat, white. The 5 Dolch words will be; who, new, must, black, our. These are the 15 spelling words for November 10 – November 29.
Every Friday, there will be a spelling test. Please study the words and the spelling pattern. They will also get 5 words from the Dolch words (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. I have added an extra credit word from the words I introduce in reading for the whole class. This word will be above grade level and randomly chosen from these 5 or 6 words. It is to challenge the student that gets a star on their spelling every week. I do not expect all students to study these very hard words. We will have a worksheet each week to expand vocabulary. These words are good to know and above the second grade spelling level. Your child will not be marked down if they miss the 16th word on the spelling test.
Spelling tests will be corrected and sent home on Monday. I don’t have time to correct and record them on Friday.
MATH – We had the math measurement test last Wednesday. Thank-you for going over and signing the Exit Slips stapled together with your child. Always sign them and the student will be rewarded. This was a challenging test. We will continue to practice these skills. I will send home tests to view upon request. Please sign and return them.
Our new math unit is on place value. We will learn about using ones, tens, hundreds and even thousands. Please count with your child and talk about higher numbers. We will bundle sticks and see what tens, hundreds and one thousand looks like.
SCIENCE- We will guess a few mystery bags a day. Keep asking your child to describe things with properties using their 5 senses. Our new unit is about Earth Science. This includes the landforms and bodies of water on the earth. Can your child tell you what some of these are?
SOCIAL STUDIES – We have started learning about maps. Please point out different maps, symbols, and map keys. We discussed “bird’s eye view” and how maps use directions such as, north, south, east and west. Please send in any map examples for your child to share and return to you. We also learn landforms in social studies.
Students can draw a map of their bedroom for extra credit.
READING- Read, Read, Read! The Book It calendar was just sent home to earn free Pizza Hut mini pan pizzas. Please fill in the beginning of the month and start with today to record the reading that your child does EVERY DAY.
Please be sure that your child reads something at least 30+ minutes per day. In addition, reading aloud to your child is important also. Please go to the beautiful Dearborn libraries to get additional books. I give new book bag books after I bring them back from the library located at the other end of the school. I sometimes just ask students that want to switch book bag books to come up (because it takes valuable reading time). I usually have reading groups switch books, to be sure that I get to everyone.

Please be sure that the new Book It calendar for November reading is colored as they read each day. Ask your child to show you and check that they color each day they read 30 minutes.
Remember, the easiest way to communicate with me is by email, ballnic@dearbornschools.org and look at my BLOG on the Dearborn schools website. Links to RAZKIDS and FRECKLE are there, also.
MANY STUDENTS STILL NEED PENCILS AND A SHARPENER! MY ELECTRIC SHARPENER IS NOT WORKING WELL. STUDENTS STOP CLASS WHEN THEY ARE NOT PREPARED. I have given out many, many pencils. Thank-you to everyone that keeps their child with pencils. Thank-you to the parents that have sent in pencils and send in pencils next week.

DON’T FORGET TO COME TO THE First Thanksgiving play that the students wrote themselves on Tuesday, November 20 at either 10:30 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. . Both times are the same show.
Have a great weekend with your wonderful child!