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Hello families!
Thank you so much to all the families who have been able to make it to Parent Teacher Conferences. They have been a big success this year! I am happy to have met with you all and discussed your student’s academic and behavioral success. We all look forward to the rest of the year!
This week we started Module 3 in math. Module 3 is all on Base Ten counting. We are using popsicle sticks wrapped in small bundles of 10 and large bundles of 100, and also individual popsicle sticks to represent ones. In lessons 8-10 we will be using these counting skills with money. There will be a midway assessment to test the students’ understanding of lessons 1-10, then another assessment at the end of the module. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns.
In reading we are continuing with main idea and details. We also learned about fables and how to find the moral, or life lesson, in the story.
In social studies we are learning about communities, needs and wants, and natural v. man-made resources. In science we are still learning about properties of matter, and soon will learn about solids, liquids, and gases.
We are writing journal prompts daily, and during our writing block of time we are practicing writing informational pieces. Ask your student about our fun writing piece we are all working on!
Please continue to read daily!! I will be sending home laminated questions that are good for any book (mostly fiction, but some nonfiction questions). Look for those in your child’s reading bag within the next week or so. (Hoping to have them ready by the week we come back from Thanksgiving.)
No school next Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. A homework packet will be sent home Monday, but will be due back to school on Monday, November 26th.
Thank you!
Mrs. VanAllen
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Hello Parents!
No school tomorrow for students! Teachers have an all day PD.
This week we will be wrapping up Module 2 in math. I will send home the study guide on Wednesday, and the test will be Friday. I had originally planned for Thursday, but having tomorrow off from school slipped my mind.
In reading we are doing main idea and details, and also learning about Fables (very old stories that teach lessons).
Conferences are this week on Thursday, and next week on Tuesday and Thursday. I sent home green reminder sheets. Please send back the bottom portion so I can make sure the appointment I have set for you works, or if I need to call and reschedule an appointment.
Please continue talking to your student about talking during instructional times. There has been a LOT of talking during instruction and transitions (moving from one thing to another). I may write notes in the planner if students had a hard time staying on task or had trouble with too much talking for the day.
Please email me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you, and see you soon at conferences!
Mrs. VanAllen
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Good morning, parents!
Please bear with this new math program. I know this past lesson 6 was a challenging one for our students. Each problem was very wordy Please know that the curriculum is challenging right now, but it will slow down. Normally we do not begin the year with measurement, but we are starting off with that right now in our new curriculum. Once we spiral back around I am sure it will be easier.
As long as the students are doing well with the skill in class, then I am not too worried about the homework.
Thank you for understanding. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Mrs. VanAllen
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Thank you so much to all the chaperones on our field trip last Wednesday! Despite the cold weather, the kids had so much fun! They didn’t want to leave!
Here are a few pictures from the day. I wish I got more, but it was tough since it was so chilly!
If you took any pictures please email them to me and I can try to share those via a new iBlog post.
Thanks again!!!
Mrs. VanAllen
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Good morning!
Here are some things that are happening this week:
Lessons 3-5 in Math. Please look for the homework to come home. Math homework pages are separate from the packets, and should be turned in the next day.
Late state on Wednesday. School begins at 9:00.
Field trip on Wednesday! 10:15 we will board the bus. Chaperones can arrive at 10:00. Chaperones will have a group to watch over during the field trip. Please pack a bagged lunch with no glass or reusable items, such as plastic containers.
Make sure reading logs and planners are signed every night. Students read for at least 20 minutes, and then fill out one line of the log with a signature. Please do not sign the log in advance. This is showing me that the students are holding themselves accountable for reading daily at home.
There has been a LOT of talking during our reading time. We learn something together as a class, then the students go back to their reading groups to work on different tasks, whether it be fixing their morning writing prompts, word work for spelling and word pattern families, or meeting with the teacher for Guided Reading. There should never be talking unless it is a quiet whisper to a neighbor for possibly repeating directions. Expectations are ALWAYS written on the board and gone over before the students head back to their seats. If the class loses the word RECESS on the board, then please expect a written letter home from your student, sign it and return it the next day. The students can always earn back letters for fixing the behavior.
Thank you for your understanding in this!
Have a great week,
Mrs. VanAllen
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Good afternoon!
Here are some things that have been happening in the classroom:
Daily 5, we have learned and practiced short and long vowels, including the different spellings for the long vowels. We’ve practiced main idea, and now nonfiction v. fiction text. Our spelling words this week are short and long o, with magic e at the end (hop and hope).
In math we have just finished module 1. I understand this new method of math is frustrating. The strategies I am teaching in class are just strategies to help them more easily solve in their head later on. We will continue coming back and relearning this method as the year goes on. No worries if your student is not fully mastering the skill the first time. It is new to all of us, but we will get it!
Module 2 starts next week and that is on measurement.
READING LOGS!!!!!!!!!!! Please please make sure your child is reading at home daily for 20 minutes at least. Sign the reading log each night. Please do not sign this in advance. One line should be the date your child read, the book/books he or she read and the time, followed by your signature. This shows that you are overseeing their reading and we are keeping up with the classroom, home, and schoolwide expectations. Reading everyday builds stamina, fluency, and eventually comprehension. Reading the same books over and over helps with accuracy, fluency, comprehension, and confidence!!! I will continue adding more books to the reading bags. I will begin taking some older ones out, too.
Please continue talking with your student about all the talking done in class. We are having a lot of issues lately with independent work time, especially during reading and writing when it should be as quiet as possible. They are allowed to whisper a question to a tablemate, BUT that is IT. Students are using the independent work time as social time, and it has been tough getting our work done. Consequences are beginning to be put in place for the loud talking.
Field trip permission slips and money is due next week. If you signed up to be a chaperone, PLEASE make sure you have an updated iChat on file in the office. Please call ASAP to see if you are on the list so I can assign a group to you. THANK YOU!
I will try to update more often so the blog isn’t so long. Thanks again!
Mrs. VanAllen
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Hello,
This week we are working on vowel A in Daily 5 and our spelling words. CVC means consonant vowel consonant, such as in the word cap. CVCe means consonant vowel consonant with the “magic e” ending, that forces the vowel to be long, such as in the word cape.
This week we have Late Start on Wednesday. Please don’t bring your students to school before 9:00 am.
Look for math homework from lesson 3-6 this week. Homework packets are to be turned in on Fridays. We are practicing addition with number bonds, making a ten for quick mental math, and subtracting from multiples of ten (such as 60-5).
Reading should occur for 20 minutes every night!!! Sign the reading log that is in your child’s reading bag, and bring it back to school everyday.
If your student still needs a few notebooks, please bring them in ASAP. We are beginning a lot of stop and jot note-taking and some students still don’t have enough notebooks for math or Science and Social Studies.
In Social Studies we will begin learning about our communities.
In writing we are learning how to properly form ideas into a short narrative paragraph.
Please get into the habit of checking your student’s planner. We write important notes in there that should be checked daily, and signed with a quick initial or signature. Some students are signing these themselves, and that is not what is intended. Please look over and sign your child’s planner everyday!
Thank you!
Mrs. VanAllen
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Hello families!
This week we have Open House on Wednesday, September 12 from 6:00-7:30pm. Please stop by your student’s classroom and meet me. I look forward to it! We also have a half day on Friday and will dismiss at 11:10.
This week we will really dive into our new math curriculum. Look for math workbook pages to come home that match what we have done in class.
This week we will try to get through lessons 1-4. Math homework will come home separately from the homework packet, which just contains the spelling word list for the week (this week is short e, o, and u) and ELA assignments (this week it is parts of speech).
We will also be starting our Social Studies curriculum this week. Our topic all year will be about communities.
Check out REMIND on your smart phone app, as I will try to communicate directly with parents, and also post identical blogs on there as well.
Have a great week!
Mrs. VanAllen
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Hello!
This Thursday at 2:30 I am having a Parent Meeting in our classroom, room 106. I will be discussing with you a few things that are new to 2nd grade this year, plus just overall expectations.
I am looking forward to seeing you all again and being able to address some very important topics that will help us all stay on the same page.
Thank you to all the parents who have brought in supplies for the classroom. Thank you for already purchasing your student’s supplies for the year.
If you haven’t had a chance to get school supplies for your student, please do so ASAP. 5 notebooks are recommended, and I supplied one notebook to each student. Please be sure students have pencils. I supply a pencil to each student once a month, and they can swap out broken pencils if needed during the day, as long as they’re returned.
Please pack healthy snacks for your child. Pretzels, granola bar (not chocolate covered), fruit and vegetables, Cheez-Its, goldfish crackers, and cheese are all acceptable choices! Please do not pack anything high in fat and sugar, such as chips, brownies, cookies, candy, and fruit snacks. One snack and one beverage (juice box or water bottle) is a good amount for our 12 minute snack time.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Mrs. VanAllen
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As sad as we are to admit that summer is over, now is the time to start fresh, and begin a brand new, fabulous school year!
I am looking forward to getting to know my new students, and starting the 2018-2019 school year learning new and exciting things.
Feel free to email me with any questions, concerns, and even cheers that you have for the upcoming year. My email is vanalle@dearbornschools.org
See you soon!
Mrs. VanAllen
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