Mrs. Ballnik's Second Grade

Friday, October 11, 2019

Mrs. Ballnik’s Classroom News

My email is ballnic@dearbornschools.org

Please email me (or use Class Dojo), if you can because I read it at least twice a day.    Send notes or call the office and I will get back to you.

SCIENCE- Science is the study of Matter right now.  We use adjectives or Properties to describe matter.  Matter is everything.  A desk, water, air etc…

The mystery bags that are sent in are to practice describing things without telling what they are.  Please try this at home and observe your child’s descriptive skills.  We also use adjectives and descriptions in reading.  Have your child find this in their books to show you.  New books were given to everyone that brought in their book bags last Wednesday.

PLANNERS– Please send these every day because we use them. The spelling words will be written in them, also. There is a charge, if a planner is lost.

SPELLING WORDS FOR NEXT WEEK ARE Different words with LONG VOWELS THAT END IN E contrasted with CONSONANT VOWEL CONSONANT WORDS that have a short vowel sound.  Please continue to point out the pattern of the spelling words each week and help your child discover words with these patterns in their reading.  Soon your child will be pointing these out to you, if they do not already.  A good idea is to get a blank notebook and keep a list.  Send them in for extra credit.

The words will be:  hope, hop, cute, cut, bit, bite, can, cane, kit, kite, cub, cube, robe, rob, fin, fine.

THE SAME WORDS ARE BEING USED NEXT WEEK BECAUSE WE HAVE A HALF DAY, TODAY.  Everyone should get a star on their spelling next week!    There are the same 16 words this week. 

Social Studies– Please continue to point out things that you see as you walk/ride through our COMMUNITY of Dearborn.  We are studying about community.  There are natural characteristics (tree, river, grass) and human characteristics (bridge, road, store) of our community to be seen.  Please discuss these as you see them at home.   Can your child name the 5 characteristics of a community? Transportation, Buildings, Natural Characteristics, Places to have Fun and Businesses.  What does each of these categories mean to your child?   

     We discussed 3 types of communities:  Rural/Country/, Suburban, Urban/City.  We live in a suburban community.  This language can be confusing.  Thank-you for discussing things at home, too.

    Please discuss the concepts of transportation as well as, the comparison of natural/physical things in a community compared to manmade things in a community.