This week in...
Reading This week we started our Making Meaning curriculum. Students were paired with their new reading partners, and we spent quite a bit of time establishing our rules and expectations for partner talks. One story we read this week was "Library" from Poppleton. In the story, Poppleton's favorite day of the week is Monday because that's when he goes to the library. Many students shared that their favorite day of the week is Monday and Friday, because they love going to P.E. This inspired the students to make a Welcome to Maple Hills card for our new P.E. teacher Ms. O'brien! It was so sweet, and I was proud of the students for thinking and acting like good, kind citizens of our school! Writing This week we started our Small Moment writing unit! We'll be using mentor texts like Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and The Leaving Morning by Angela Johnson to make our writing even more powerful. First though, students had to learn that writers collect ideas from the world around them. Each student was given a Tiny Topic notepad to record their story ideas in. Be encouraging your student to notice potential small moment stories in their lives this unit! A great small moment story can happen anywhere. Math This week in math we began Module 2 which focuses on addition and subtraction using measurement. We practiced measuring objects using centimeters cubes, and reviewed the "mark and move" strategy for measuring. Our biggest math challenge this week was creating our own centimeter rulers using centimeter cubes. This was a challenging task, but I was so impressed by the students' perseverance and persistence. Social Studies This week in social studies we began talking about our rights and responsibilities as citizens (of our classroom, our school, our community, and of our world). We will continue discussing these rights and responsibilities next week. Second Step This week we wrapped up our first Second Step unit on the skills for learning: listening, focusing attention, using self-talk, and being assertive. I will be sending home at optional at home extensions on these topics next week. These skills are crucial for students to be and feel successful in our learning community this year. Vision and Hearing Screening Next Week Next Tuesday (October 2nd) students will have their vision and hearing tested. If your student wears glasses, please make sure they bring them to school that day. Soaring Eagle Corner This week's leader of the week is Cael! Way to go Cael! Have a great weekend! Miss Sonneland Dates to Know: October 2nd: Vision and Hearing Screening October 5th: WatchDOGS Donuts with Dads October 8th: No School/Teacher Workday October 12th: Free Popcorn Friday, Fall Dance 6:30-8:00PM (MPR) October 19th: Popcorn Friday October 26th: Picture Retakes
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This week in...
Reading We had quite the week this week in Reader's Workshop! This week we talked about the importance of close reading, and how good readers SAVOR their books (just like oreos!). Next we read the book, My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, and students worked on making personal connections to the story. Finally we wrapped up our launching unit by going to the Cafe di Sonneland where the only thing on the menu is books! Students "sampled" different genres of books and created their own menu from all their book samples. Pictures from book tasting can be found in SeeSaw (instructions for setting up SeeSaw were sent home at Curriculum Night). Writing This week we learned/reviewed many important writing skills such as when to use a period, how to spell tricky words, how to revise and edit, and what to do when a piece is finished. We will continue reviewing these concepts as we go along throughout our year. Next week we will begin our Small Moments writing unit! You can help your student prepare for the unit by helping them brainstorm a small moment from their life to write about. Math This week in math we wrapped up Module 1 which reviewed concepts students learned in Kindergarten and First Grade. Next week we will begin Module 2 which focuses on addition and subtraction using length. Time to bust out those rulers! Social Studies This week in social studies we talked about what it means to be a good citizen in our classroom, our community, and in our world. Students did a great job coming up with specific examples of how they can be good citizens in each of these areas. Second Step This week in Second Step (our social and emotional curriculum) we talked about how using the skills of listening, focusing our attention, and using self talk can help us be better learners. Next week we will talk about being assertive. Curriculum Night Follow Up Thank you so much to everyone who came to Curriculum Night this week! It was great to see you all and to get to talk about the trajectory of our year. If you didn't make it, no worries, please make sure to check the blue folder I sent home with your student. It has lots of resources and information (including how to get connected to your student's SeeSaw account). Also in the folder, is the permission form for Thursday Book Bags. If your student would like to participate in Thursday Book Bags, the permission form must be in by Friday, September 28th. If there is anything you want clarification on or anything else you'd like to talk to me about, please send in the orange Curriculum Night Follow Up sheet sometime next week! Or, as always, feel free to shoot me an email! Soaring Eagle Corner Our leader of the week this week with the most soaring eagles earned was Henry. Way to go Henry! Have a great weekend! Miss Sonneland Dates to Know: October 5th: WatchDOGS Donuts with Dads October 8th: No School/Teacher Workday This week in...
Reading This week we officially launched into reading! After much anticipation our classroom library is now open and students have been practicing choosing "just right" books. During reading we also learned a little more about our brains and how our schema is our "mental filing cabinet". When we find just right books, we can activate our schema and grow our brains! Next week we will talk about the importance of close reading and how good readers make connections to what they're reading. Writing We began writer's workshop this week and I was blown away by these students' enthusiasm (and stamina) for writing! To kick off our unit we brainstormed what kind of things writers write, and students shared which genres they were most excited to try out. Next week we will explore what kinds of tools and resources writers can use to help improve their writing. Math This week in math we continued wrapping up our review of concepts learned last year in 1st grade. We are working with adding and subtracting numbers within 100, and using number sentences and math drawings to show our work. Next week we will wrap up Module 1 continuing to build on the previous year's learning. Social Studies We started our first Social Studies unit on Communities this week. We discussed the word "citizen" and what we think it means. Next week we will talk more about what a citizen is, and what it means to be a good citizen. Curriculum Night Curriculum night is coming up on September 20th! Please come to room 201 at 6:00. I'll give an overview of our year and curriculum from 6:00-6:30. Then we'll head to the gym for a special presentation from our principal, Ms. Tapper. Hope to see you all there! Curriculum Night Presentation with Ms. Bryant and Mrs. Stempson (6:00 and 7:00) You are invited to the library to learn how to use children’s books to help your child through life’s ups and downs and/or talk with your child about cultural and social issues. Ms. Bryant, school counselor, and Mrs. Stempson, Teacher-librarian, will share book ideas to help you explore issues such as friendship, race, gender roles, life transitions, diversity, disability awareness, anger, and anxiety. You will see examples of how to use a book to turn potentially tough conversations into enjoyable and valuable learning experiences. You will also learn how to use the online catalog to find books to check out from the Maple Hills library. Parents of 3rd-5th graders will meet in the library at 6:00 and parents of 1st and 2nd graders at 7:00. These are the opposite times of when you will be meeting with your child’s classroom teacher during Curriculum Night. Soaring Eagle Corner Our leader of the week this week with the most soaring eagles earned was Ruby. Way to go Ruby! Have a great weekend! Miss Sonneland Dates to Know: September 20th: Curriculum Night (6:00-6:55) September 21st: Picture Day September 28th: Popcorn Friday A Spectacular Start to Second Grade!
What an amazing start to our year we've had! I've been blown away by how respectful, funny, and kind these students are. This week has been all about community building, learning our classroom rules and procedures, and getting ready for all the amazing things we're going to learn this year. One thing we talked about and will continue talking about is cultivating a growth mindset. We used a great resource called YouCubed (https://www.youcubed.org/) to talk about how our brains can grow and change, and how valuable mistakes can be to our learning (if we can recognize the mistake and say, "Okay. How can I fix this?"). It's a great website and I highly encourage you to check it out! Next week we will start officially launching our reading, writing, and math curriculum. I know this is going to be an incredible year! Specialist Schedule and Pick-up Our specialist schedule for the week is as follows: Monday- P.E. Tuesday- Library & Music* Wednesday- No specialist Thursday- Music* Friday-P.E. *End of the day specialist (3:10-3:40) Please make sure your student wears (or brings) P.E. appropriate shoes on Mondays and Fridays. Also please make sure to remind your student to bring in their library books on Tuesdays. One small note about Tuesday's and Thursday's for students who walk/get picked up: normally when students leave for the day (MWF) they will exit out of my outer classroom door (room 201) into the main walkway. On Tuesdays and Thursdays however, students will be dismissed from school from Music which is across from the Multi-Purpose Room (where assemblies are held, etc.). On those days, students that are walking or getting picked up will exit out of the double doors closest to the gym/MPR. They will still walk to the same area out front where the cars come through, but I wanted to give you all a heads up in case you were planning on waiting outside my classroom door on those days! Snack Maple Hills is an allergy aware school, so I ask if you could please consider sending your child with a snack without nuts (it would be greatly appreciated). We will have snack in the morning during our Reader's Workshop. Since students will typically be working during snack, I'd encourage you to send them with a non-sticky, easy to eat/open snack! Occasionally, families will donate class snacks but I usually do not have extra on hand without donations. Communication Purple folders got sent home yesterday for the first time. Please make sure to check your student's purple folder each night for any communication from me, the school, or work your student has done and can now keep. The best way to get a hold of me personally is by email ([email protected]). I check my email each morning before school starts, and during my prep time in the afternoon. A small note: I am a commuter and have a longer commute after school, so I can't always reply to after school emails right away. Curriculum Night Curriculum night is coming up on September 20th! I hope to see you all there. In the meantime, I will be sending my "Room 201 Parent Survival Guide" home in your student's purple folder next week. Curriculum Night Presentation with Ms. Bryant and Mrs. Stempson (6:00 and 7:00) You are invited to the library to learn how to use children’s books to help your child through life’s ups and downs and/or talk with your child about cultural and social issues. Ms. Bryant, school counselor, and Mrs. Stempson, Teacher-librarian, will share book ideas to help you explore issues such as friendship, race, gender roles, life transitions, diversity, disability awareness, anger, and anxiety. You will see examples of how to use a book to turn potentially tough conversations into enjoyable and valuable learning experiences. You will also learn how to use the online catalog to find books to check out from the Maple Hills library. Parents of 3rd-5th graders will meet in the library at 6:00 and parents of 1st and 2nd graders at 7:00. These are the opposite times of when you will be meeting with your child’s classroom teacher during Curriculum Night. Here's to a wonderful year! Miss Sonneland Dates to Know: September 20th: Curriculum Night September 21st: Picture Day September 28th: Popcorn Friday |
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June 2020
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