Mrs. Ballnik's Second Grade

Classroom News from Mrs. Ballnik’s Class
My email is ballnic@dearbornschools.org
Friday, March 8, 2019
Important Days and Notes to Remember
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).
March is Reading Month Calendar- Please read over the March is Reading Month calendar and do the activities. This came home on Thursday.
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 will be the same as this week’s spelling words and are words with silent consonants, kn, wr, mb, bt, gn. The spelling words are: knee, gnaw, write, lamb, doubt, know, gnat, wrist, thumb, debt. The Dolch words are: do, from, any, put, take.
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. See if your child knows what the extra credit 5-6 words are.
Spelling tests will be corrected and sent home on Monday. I don’t have time to correct and record them on Friday.
MATH We continue to subtract with 3 digit numbers (hundreds) now. We were bundling 10 and carrying it over into the ten’s column with pictures. For addition. Please go over it to show the difference with subtraction. Thank you for studying with your child for the midway quiz ( midmodule) on subtraction and addition which was given on Tuesday. I had some absent students and need to give them the quiz before sending it home upon request.
Please read the homework helper and check the homework to help your child fix the wrong ones. Only a few children are bringing back the homework corrected. This is a good activity to revisit the concept.
This new Eureka math program is challenging, so please be sure to go over the homework that is sent home each day for corrections with your child. There is an explanation sheet that comes with it. There are parent tips on my blog to access. We have a new computer site that goes along with the math called “Zearn”. Zearn login and passwords were glued into your child’s planner. Please use Zearn, if you have a computer available.
SCIENCE- We will guess a few mystery bags a day. Keep asking your child to describe things with properties using their 5 senses. Our unit is about Earth Science. This includes how the forces on earth will shape the earth.
SOCIAL STUDIES – Our unit is about Economics. We have nice discussions about needs and wants, as well as trade, income, goods, services, consumers, producers, scarcity and opportunity cost (second choices).
READING- Read, Read, Read and don’t forget to ask the important comprehension questions. Please ask me, if you need another list of questions to ask your child about the story. Telling the characters, setting and what happened first, next, last are always questions to ask and determine if your child is understanding the story or just reading the words. The Book It calendar can be returned to school (signed by a parent) to earn a coupon for a free Pizza Hut mini pan pizza. A new February calendar should have come home.
CHILDREN WILL READ, IF THEY ENJOY THE BOOK. THAT IS WHY, STUDENTS THAT GO TO THE LIBRARIES WILL HAVE A GREATER CHANCE TO TAKE OUT A BOOK THAT THEY WANT TO READ, AS SOME OF YOU ARE DOING.
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.
Send in your Book It calendar for February reading if it is colored for reading each day. Ask your child to show you and check that they color each day they read 30 minutes. A new calendar is coming home.
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. I will send cards for the Zearn math practice in your child’s planner (or homework folder, if planner is missing).
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.

Happy Birthday to Mohammed Kadouh on March 5!
Have a great weekend with your wonderful child!

Cheryl Ballnik