Category: Class News

Reading is Magical! Reading can take you places real and imaginary; you can meet people from all over the world and beyond- past, present, and future! Nothing is impossible in a book! The school goal this month is 100,000 minutes. That seems like a lot, but when you break it down it’s not! If a student read 20 minutes per night for 5 nights, that’s 100 minutes. If every student in my room read that much, then our class would have read 2100 minutes in one week! Times that by 4 weeks for the month of March, that would be 8,400 minutes! And that’s just our class! If everyone read 30 minutes per night for 5 nights, that would be 3150 minutes per week equaling 12,600 minutes for the month of March!!!! WOW!!! Can you imagine how proficient you would be if you did anything for 600 minutes (that’s 10 hours)?!?! Imagine how many new words, new places, new characters, and new experiences your child would have encountered if they just read 30 minutes per night!

To help track all of these new and wondrous experiences through books, please have your child complete the reading log with the titles of the books they read and the minutes they spent reading on the Reading Log (it’s green this week). Just initial that they actually read, and have them turn it in on Friday along with their Reading and Spelling Menu and notebook.

Spelling Bee

Our Classroom Spelling Bee is this Friday. Students were sent a list home last Friday to study. Everyone will participate. Here are the guidelines and procedures as given by Ms. Green:

On Bee days, at whatever time you wish, have students stand at their desks, give the first student a word. The student will:

• Repeat the word
• Spell the word with appropriate capitalization, hyphenation, apostrophes, etc.
• Repeat the word again
• Wait for your response- “Correct” or “That is incorrect”. If incorrect, give them the correct spelling (Unless you are down to the final two, if so, call the other students and have them spell the word. If correct, give them a second word and if spelled correctly they win! If incorrect, tell both the correct spelling and resume the bee, giving the first student a new word.

 The student may ask for a sentence or a repetition of the word. The student can begin to spell, stop one time and then continue to spell the word, or restart from the beginning of the word, but they must restate the letters in the same order as when they first uttered them-  they must not say the word before they continue to spell it. This is called retracing. For example “Cat, C- A, pause C- A- T, Cat”  is acceptable but  “Cat, C- A, pause K- A- T” is not. They cannot pause and restart more than once. They cannot start to spell, then ask for a repetition or a sentence. If they do, they have forfeited. You, as the announcer cannot EM- pha- size any part of the word when you say it. If so, the word must be thrown out and a new word given.

If the student spelled the word correctly, they remain standing and you move on to the next student.

If the student spelled the word incorrectly, they sit and are no longer in the bee. They do not come up again for the next round, They do not start over in the next level of the bee.

I will continue until I have three second grade and three third grade finalists. Those students will then proceed to the grade level bee Friday, March 20. There are separate grade level bees, so my 2nd graders will compete with the other 2nd graders, and the 3rd graders will compete with the other 3rd grade classes.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself at fowlerj@dearbornschools.org or Ms. Green at greenc@dearbornschools.org.

Reading	We are determining the meaning of unknown words using context clues such as synonyms, antonyms, examples, definitions, and gist.
Spelling	2nd Grade: Schwa (uh) sound words- alone, again, agree, comma, idea, difference, solve, surface, about, done 3rd Grade: /ire/ and /ear/ – hire, Earth, learn, retire, early, equivalent, context, clues, inference, evidence
Writing	We are finishing up an opinion piece on the Best Part of Me. We are beginning Text Dependent Answers (TDA) which is using text evidence to answer questions. This includes reframing the question to start our answer statement.
Math	2nd Grade- We are working on adding and subtracting through 1000 with word problems through 100. Some strategies are arrow way and open number line. 3rd Grade- We are partitioning units on a number line, plotting, and comparing fractions on a number line. The End of Module Test will be March 17.
Science	2nd Grade- We continue to explore how water and wind change the earth’s surface.
Social Studies	2nd Grade- Students are wrapping up the unit of Civics and Government. A study guide will be coming home Wednesday and the unit test will be Friday, March 6. 3rd Grade- Friday, March 6, will be our unit test on the Population Growth of Michigan. A study guide went home Tuesday.

Important Dates:

March 6	2nd and 3rd Grade Social Studies Test Bake Sale Parent University for kids 6 months-4 years old Classroom Bee words sent home
March 9-12	Scholastic Book Fair
March 11	Bingo for Books 5:30-6:30 -See note
March 13	Troy Historical Permission slip and money due Classroom Spelling Bee
March 17	3rd Grade Module 5 Test Special Guest Reader
March 20	Grade Level Spelling Bee

Thursday, February 27, 2020. 5-6 pm

Please join us for our first ever Family Fitness Night! 

This fun event is free and open to all River Oaks students and their families!

• Do physical activities like yoga or Zumba!
• Learn about healthy habits and activities!
• Healthy snacks will be provided!
• Local vendors will be available to share resources and information!
• Arrive at 5:00, sign in and get started! 
• No need to register in advance!

It’s sure to be an awesome fun event!  

Our Parent University workshops will be starting up this week and we would love for you to join us! The details of the first workshop are below…as well as a registration link. If you are planning to attend, please make sure you register using the link below.

Winter Celebration

Parents and Children (ages 6 months – 4 years old) are invited to join us on: Friday, February 28^th at 8:45 am at River Oaks Elementary for a Winter Celebration!   Activities planned:

• snow painting
• “snow ball” fight
• make a snowman
• obstacle course with ELSA
• making snow playdough to take home
• FREE Snack and Hot chocolate!
• FREE book to take home!

Children and staff will sing, play, and engage in activities together from 8:45-10:00 am. Please register online by clicking here→ https://forms.gle/2XWB8xg3k1N8rbFZ9

Just a reminder that we will be starting NWEA testing this week for Math and Reading. Both 2nd and 3rd grade will be taking the MAP Growth: Math Grades 2-5 test and the MAP Growth: Reading Grades 2-5 test. These tests do NOT read them the directions or questions, and I cannot read it to them or reword any question. Please remind your student to read all of the directions, the entire question/problem/passage, and all answer choices before selecting an answer. The students have as much time as needed to complete the tests and I will break the test into 45 minute sessions to help ensure that they do not get fatigued. Students are able to use a whiteboard to complete the Math test and are ENCOURAGED to use the strategies that we have been using in class.

Parents please encourage your student to:

• Try their best and use their strategies.
• Make sure their answers make sense.
• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Get plenty of sleep (8-10 hours per night)
• Relax – they are smart cookies!

• Wednesday, December 18 – Late Start
• Thursday, December 19 @2:00- Winter Concert
• Friday, December 20 @ 1:45- Holiday Party

Winter Concert

Our class along with 1st and 2nd grades will be performing at 2:00 in the cafeteria. Parents and families are welcome! Please be sure to turn off the ringer on your cellphone so you can hear every lovely note! Photo opportunities will be available at the end of the concert while the students are still on stage.

Holiday Party

We will be having a short celebration from 1:45-2:30. We will be making edible Christmas trees and a bead ornament. If you would like to donate towards any of these activities or send in refreshments, please let me know what you will be donating. If it is for a project, please send it in by Thursday so I can collect any items not donated. Refreshments or goodies can be sent in by Friday morning. If you are able to help out and lead one of the activities, that would be most welcomed!

Christmas Tree Supplies

• 2- 12 count pointed ice cream cones
• 1 tub of white frosting from GFS or 4-5 regular sized containers from a grocery store.
• 1 – pkg cupcake liners
• 2-3 bottles of sprinkles – little balls, colored sugar, etc (for the “ornaments”)
• Green food coloring
• Plastic knives
• small paper plates

Bead Ornaments

• 1/2-3/4″ jingle bells (24 count)
• pony beads in red, green, white, or “Frozen” colors
• white chenille stems

Refreshments

• Small plates
• napkins
• cookies, brownies, or mini cupcakes -24 count
• candy canes
• small water bottles

Thank you! Have a warm and merry holiday season!

Important Dates

• Thursday, December 12- 2nd Grade S.S. Test
• Thursday, December 19 @ 2:00 – Music Concert
• Friday, December 20 @ 1:40- Holiday Party

Reading

Our focus is determining the main idea and supporting details of an informational text.

Writing

We are wrapping up our opinion paper and publishing it using Google Docs. We will be doing a short How-To paper next week on How to Catch an Elf.

Spelling

Both 2nd and 3rd grades are working on beginning blends. A blend is when 2 or 3 consonants are next to each other and you hear each sound. For example, in the word “stripe” you hear each sound of the /s/, /t/, and /r/ together.

Math

2nd Grade

Students are working on using several strategies to compose and decompose a Ten.

Lesson 8: Use math drawings to represent the composition and relate drawings to a written method.
Lesson 9: Use math drawings to represent the composition when adding a two-digit to a three-digit addend.
Lesson 10: Use math drawings to represent the composition when adding a two-digit to a three-digit addend.

Lesson 11: Represent subtraction with and without the decomposition of 1 ten as 10 ones with manipulatives.
Lesson 12: Relate manipulative representations to a written method.

3rd Grade

Students will be building the foundations of understanding area and relate it to arrays and multiplication.

Lesson 1: Understand area as an attribute of plane figures.
Lesson 2: Decompose and recompose shapes to compare areas.
Lesson 3: Model tiling with centimeter and inch unit squares as a strategy to measure area.
Lesson 4: Relate side lengths with the number of tiles on a side.

Lesson 5: Form rectangles by tiling with unit squares to make arrays.
Lesson 6: Draw rows and columns to determine the area of a rectangle given an incomplete array.
Lesson 7: Interpret area models to form rectangular arrays.

Social Studies

Both grades will be constructing a project in class to showcase their learning of the unit we just completed. Stay tuned for pictures!

Science

We will be using Mystery Science to explore matter and its properties.

River Oaks Music Teacher, Ms. Green presents her Winter Concert with the 1^st , 2^nd, and Mrs. Fowler’s 2nd/3rd grade students on December 19^th at 2:00 p.m.

Important dates:

• Wednesday, November 20 – 3rd grade Mid-Module 3 Quiz
• Monday, November 25 – 2nd grade End of Module 3 Test
• No School – Wednesday- Friday, November 27-29 (Thanksgiving Break)

Spelling:

2nd Grade: We are working on beginning consonant digraphs – ch, sh, th, wh. A consonant digraph is when 2 or more consonants are next to each other and create a whole new sound.

• chill
• sheep
• think
• while
• chase
• shall
• their
• who
• show
• those

3rd Grade: We are working on the long o sound of /ow/.

• snow
• blow
• throw
• glow
• willow
• topic
• multiplication
• factors
• product
• observe

Reading

We are finishing up our unit on recounting fiction texts by including important events and details using story elements and sequence words, as well as, determining the central message of the story. We will begin a new unit next week on determining the main idea of informational texts using supporting details from the article.

Writing

We are currently drafting an opinion piece on whether dogs should work or not. We are stating our opinion, giving at least 2 reasons, and using examples from the article to support our opinion, and ending with a concluding statement. We will be using transition words to tie our thoughts together such as: for example, one reason, therefore, in addition, in conclusion, etc.

Social Studies

2nd Grade: We are studying geography and our community. We will be learning about maps, natural and human characteristics, and land forms. We will also introduce the idea of how geography affects communities- how people use or change the environment to fit their needs. We will also focus on the characteristics of our community of Dearborn/Dearborn Heights.

3rd Grade: We have started learning about the history of Michigan. Last week we learned and discussed primary and secondary sources of information and what is history. This week we are focusing on the Native American people that inhabited Michigan prior to European explorers. We will be learning about the Three Fires Nation- made up of the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Odawa tribes, as well as, the Hurons and the ancient people of Hopewell.

Science

2nd Grade: We will be learning about the properties of matter. These include- color, size, shape, flexibility, absorbency, hardness, and texture.

3rd Grade: We will begin our science unit on Weather and Climate shortly after we finish Michigan History.

Math

2nd Grade: We are wrapping up Module 3 which focused on place value and skip-counting. There is a TEST Monday, November 25.

3rd grade: We are continuing learning our multiplication and division facts by using distributive and commutative properties. We are using make a ten, skip-counting, and “anchor” facts to help us solve multiples of 6, 7, 8, and 9. Tape diagrams are an important tool to help us understand and set up an equation to solve from a word problem. We are replacing the unknown with a letter to represent the missing number; for instance, 56 / 7 = c or 7 x 6 = m.

Have a great week! Go Rockets!

Parents all conferences from November 12, 2019 will be held on Monday, November 18, 2019 at the same time that you were originally scheduled. For example, if you had a conference at 4:20 on November 12th, your conference will be at 4:20 on Monday, November 18th.  Please contact me if you have questions at fowlerj@dearbornschools.org.