Welcome to a new week!  Your 2nd grader has been busy taking the MAP Test, learning addition strategies in math and understanding complex sentences, to name a few.

Save the date for Friday afternoon, October 23. We’ll be heading to Schwalier’s Country Basket to further our study on the lifecycle of plants, along with their adaptations.  I’ll send out a formal note as the time gets closer.

As we begin writing number scrolls (writing numbers to 1000), we could use some Pringles containers. They make great storage for your child’s math sheets!

Thanks to all who sent in fabric for our pillow project. Mrs. Meulenberg, a retired 2nd grade teacher from Alpine, is busy sewing the pillows for the children. Everyone is excited!

Today you received a yellow HIGHLIGHTS form. Please sign and return the form, even if you chose not to buy the magazine. All you need to do is check the ‘no’ box and sign the form. All forms returned go towards really useful items for my classroom!

Don’t forget that all fundraising forms are due on Wednesday!

Below is a list of topics we are covering in all subject matters. Ask your child about what it is they are learning! 

Math:  Addition Strategies:  Students are learning strategies for solving math facts fluently through 20. You child also learned the difference between odd and even numbers.

Reading:  We are BIG TIME READERS! The students know that big time readers make decisions~ decisions about where they will read, along with what books they read. We’ve been working on building stamina for independent reading and so far the children can read for 20 uninterrupted minutes!

Language:  What makes a sentence? A who (noun) and a what (verb). We practice writing complete sentences, along with capital letters and correct punctuation.

Social Studies:  We are finishing up Our Constitution, which includes our country’s symbols and the big words in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Science:  We’ll be starting our unit on plants later this week!

Spelling: I continue to work with children on word sorts for Words Their Way. Words Their Way is a spelling program we have adopted in Kenowa Hills. 

I think that about covers it! As mentioned earlier, we’ve been very busy! If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Good afternoon! I've been preparing lessons for this week and getting papers and supplies organized. We have a full schedule with a lot of fun and hard work ahead of us.

Reading is a big focus in 2nd grade. Some children may have a bit of anxiety about reading 'hard' books, moving from picture books to chapter books. I've assured your child that I am here to help them become 'Big Time Readers'. It's been fun to watch the children foster a love for books. It's obvious they are enjoying the reading process, even during the first few days of school.

It is my goal to foster a love for reading and allow the children to have the freedom to pick books for enjoyment. To this end, I won't be assigning home reading logs at this time. Children who receive reading support will still have reading homework, however, the other children will have sufficient opportunities for reading at school. Of course, children are always encouraged to read at home!

"Words Their Way" is the new spelling program we have adopted at Alpine Elementary. It involves a lot of hands on work, cutting and sorting words, and organizing the words into patterns. Since the children do not understand this, and I'm still learning, all spelling practice will be done at school, too. Again, this may change as the year progresses but I will keep you informed.

Homework will consist of math homework, generally two pages of review work. This is work your child will know and they should be able to complete it independently. I will not send home work that is new to your child or work your child has never had. Keep it simple!

Look for the math pages in your child's folder on Monday and it is due on Friday. Each child has a homework folder, which should stay in your child's backpack. Any papers sent from school will be in the folder.

Finally, we have scheduled our first field trip for the afternoon of Friday, October 23. We'll be going to Schwallier's Country Basket, which coincides with our study of plants, plant parts, and how plants grow. More information will be sent as the date gets closer.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me.

Welcome to 2nd grade! This is my 17th year teaching and my 5th year at Alpine Elementary! I'm excited to be begin a new year with my favorite class of 2nd graders. I look forward to meeting my new friends at our school open house on Wednesday, September 2. Come ready to learn about the happenings in Room 24, how to get involved at Alpine Elementary and meet your child's teacher.

If your child has school supplies, he/she may bring them to the open house. Your child will receive his or her first homework assignment (a fun one!) and I'll have a little surprise for each student.

I look forward to meeting everyone!