December 11-15

Writing:
Go! Jump! Shout! We're studying verbs this week. We will look at how verbs make our sentences complete and how to use verbs in different tenses. We will also look at some irregular verbs that don't add the typical -ed to make a verb past tense. Students will practice adding interesting verbs into their sentences and using the correct tense in different situations. Later in the week, we will read How the Grinch Stole Christmas and think about how we can give the Grinch some holiday spirit. We will write a letter to him about some ideas we have about cheering him up!

Reading:
We have a few more Leo Lionni books to read before our author study is complete. We have enjoyed looking at the complex problems that are typical in Leo Lionni books and we have loved the different illustrations.

Math:
We are finishing up subtraction with regrouping with some word problems and an assessment. Then we will put addition and subtraction together. We will play a few games, solve lots of word problems, and maybe even complete a holiday hidden picture!

Social Studies:
Students have been studying landforms and maps and this week we are putting it all together with a hidden treasure map project. Students will design their own island complete with landforms, and then bury their treasure somewhere on the island. Then they will need to write instructions on how to get to the treasure using landforms and cardinal directions.

Question of the week:
What is your favorite holiday tradition? Write me a story explaining it and why you like it.

Reminders:
Book Fair: All this week
Family Art Night and Book Fair open late: December 13th at 5:30.
Holiday party: December 21st at 1:00
Winter Break: December 22nd- January 8th.

December 4th-8th

Writing:
We are continuing to practice our storytelling this week. Students are focusing on coming up with a character, a problem, and a solution and then adding lots of details in between to make it interesting. We are also working on editing with a partner and not relying on Mrs. Alden to fix our mistakes! Students will look for capital letters, punctuation, and complete sentences before publishing.

Published final copies are being kept in a portfolio for each child in case you're wondering why hardly any writing ever comes home. :-)

Reading:
This week we are focusing on one of my favorite authors, Leo Lionni! We will read many of his books and compare and contrast them to look for similar themes and problems.

Math:
We are finishing up addition with regrouping. After a quick review, students will take a quick assessment. Then we will move into subtraction with regrouping. We will practice with base-ten blocks first before moving into the traditional algorithm. Students will play games, solve word problems, complete an I-Spy before being assessed at the end of the week.

Social Studies:
We are continuing our study of maps by making a map of the world's continents and oceans. Then we will practice locating places on a map and using cardinal directions to lead someone there. At the end of the week, we will take everything we've learned and use it to create a pirate island with buried treasure and a treasure map to lead us to it. Ahoy maties!

Question of the week:
How did pine trees become associated with Christmas?

Reminders:
TAG referral deadline: December 8th.
Last day of the semester: December 21st.
Holiday party: December 21st from 1-2 pm.

November 13-17

Writing:
Last week we read a book called Turk and Runt and laughed when the turkeys disguised themselves as snowmen to prevent them from being eaten for someone's holiday dinner. This week, we are coming up with new disguises for the turkeys and writing letters to them explaining our great idea! We will learn about the different parts of a letter, how to address a letter, and how to properly end a letter. Students will practice writing in complete sentences with appropriate punctuation and capital letters.

Reading:
We are working on making inferences. Turk and Runt was full of clues of what was really going on in the story but didn't actually explain it. Students will look at examples of this and realize they have been making inferences already! We will also look at some other familiar books to see what the author has told us without truly saying it.

Math:
We are learning about finding the area of shapes this week. Students will break shapes into square units and count them in order to find the area of the shape. We will look at shapes make out of Cheez-it crackers, shapes around our school, shapes in a robot, and find the area in them all!

Science:
We are continuing to learn about patterns of movement by experimenting with different objects to see how they move. Will a cube slide? Does a cone roll? Does it roll in a straight line? We will test out different objects to see! We will also look at the physical properties of different objects to see if we can predict how it will move.

Question of the week: What is the difference between a llama and an alpaca?

Reminders:
Thanksgiving lunch: November 15- eat in our classroom at 11!
Thanksgiving holiday: November 20-24

November 6-10

Writing:
This week we are focusing on adjectives and incorporating them into our writing. We will practice taking our writing from boring and nondescript to interesting and intriguing! We are also getting into the Thanksgiving spirit as we disguise a turkey to protect him from becoming someone's dinner. Then we will write a story about our turkey using a clear beginning, middle, and end and lots of adjectives.

Reading:
We are finishing up our study of spiders. After learning lots of new facts about spiders, we are learning not to be frightened of them (Mrs. Alden included!). Students will think about how spiders make them feel and make a connection to someone who feels the same way and be open to someone who might feel differently. At the end of the week, we will read Turk and Runt and talk about making inferences.

Math:
Our study of length continues as we focus on the metric system. We will learn about centimeters and meters. We will have our own "meter derby" as we roll cars across the carpet and measure the length they rolled. We will also look at broken rulers and how to measure something if the object isn't lined up with zero on the ruler. We will assess everything we've learned at the end of the week.

Science:
We are finishing up sound energy by going outside and describing the sounds we hear. We will learn that sound is caused by something vibrating and the vibrations are affected by the pitch of the noise. Later in the week, we will focus on magnets. Students will go on a magnet hunt and look for magnetic things.

Question of the week:
Cinderella is a common fairy tale that is told all over the world, but the storytellers change it to match their culture. How many different versions of Cinderella can you find? Bonus point: write a Cinderella story from your culture!

Reminders:
Spirit night at Pei Wei: November 9th from 5-9 pm
Thanksgiving lunch: November 15th- our lunch time is different this day! We will be eating in the classroom at 11:00.
Thanksgiving holiday: November 20-24

October 30th-November 3rd

Writing:
This week we are finishing up our bat diaries. We have learned about writing in first person and have started our rough drafts. After writing, we will edit with a partner and write our final copy using complete sentences, capital letters, and a sense of imagination! Come see the final product in the hallway!

Reading:
We are looking at author's purpose. Authors generally write to persuade, inform, or entertain so we will use a pie graphic to help us decide what the author's purpose was. We will also complete a sorting activity to see what kinds of books are written to inform, persuade, or entertain. This week when you are reading with your child, have them determine the author's purpose before reading. Then when you're done, check to see if you were right!

Math:
This is going to be a long week as we begin our study of length. We will start by studying the customary system of measurement with inches, feet, and yards. Students will practice estimating the length of an object and then measuring using a ruler to check. Later in the week, we will measure from head to toe as students will measure a buddy's height, foot size, thumb length, and the distance they can jump.

Science:
This week we are looking at forms of energy, such as heat, light, and sound energy. We will notice how different amounts of energy affect what we can see and feel.

Question of the week:
Pick a good citizen and make a timeline of their life. Include 7-10 significant events on your timeline.

Reminders:
Halloween on Tuesday- no costumes please!
TAG information meeting: Thursday, November 2nd at 7:45 am. 

Oxtober 23-27

Writing:
We are finishing up our final copies of our how-to stories. Students have been carefully thinking about the entire process of how to do their activity and have written down explicit instructions. They also edited, revised, and are working on publishing so that they can share their expertise with someone else. Later in the week, we will get into the Halloween spirit by writing a diary entry from a bat! We will learn lots of interesting bat facts and change our perspective while writing. What would excite a bat enough to write a diary? The Diary of a Worm books by Doreen Cronin are our inspiration.

Reading:
To help us with our bat diaries, we will be reading lots of bat non-fiction books. Since we just finished our study of non-fiction text features, we will use what we learned to comprehend and learn from these books. We also will compare fiction books to nonfiction to point out the differences.

Math:
We are still working on telling time. This week, we are focusing on telling time to the minute. We will count by 5's to the nearest number and then count the individual hash marks to get to the minute. We will complete an I-spy activity, play Time Bump, and play time bingo to help us master the analog clock. Quiz your kid, ask them to read your watch to give them continued practice at home!

Social Studies:
We are working on timelines this week. We will make a timeline of different important inventions and a timeline of our school day. At the end of the week, students will research someone and make a timeline of their life to showcase what they learned.

Question of the week: Who was Cleopatra? Make a timeline of her life!

Reminders:
Red Ribbon Week- all next week. Daily events are written in kids' agendas.
Sock Hop: Friday, October 27th, 6pm
Halloween: no costumes at school!

October 16-20

Writing:
This week we are focusing on procedural or "how-to" texts. Students will write down the steps for a recipe to create a food spider. Then we will follow each other's instructions to make a fun, spooky treat! Students will work on using complete sentences, capital letters and punctuation, and transition words to help make our writing crystal-clear. Be on the lookout for your child's instructions so you make your own treat at home!

Reading:
We are finishing up non-fiction test features. We will learn about headings, a table of contents, an index, and photographs. Students will learn why many nonfiction texts have these features and how they make the book easier to read.

Math:
It's time for telling time! Students will learn to tell time to the minute this week. They will also learn about AM and PM and will write down different parts of their day with the correct AM or PM label. Students will also think about how long different activities take and decide if they will take a second, minute, or hour. This week try switching the display on your phone to analog and have your child practice reading it throughout the week!

Social Studies:
This week we are thinking like historians. First we will name some local, state, and national monuments and landmarks. Then we will create timelines about different good citizens and talk about events from the past and present. Students will also create a timeline about their own life!

Question of the week: Who were Lewis and Clark

Reminders:
Field trip on Tuesday: Don't forget a sack lunch and close-toed shoes!
International Festival: Thursday, October 19th at 6pm

October 2nd-6th

Hello everyone,

Here is what is going on in second grade this week:

Writing:
We're continuing to focus on expository writing. Students are busy writing about a topic they know very well. They are writing to explain the topic rather than tell a story about it. Students will focus on complete sentences and capital letters and practice editing and revising their story to improve it. By the end of the week, it is our goal to have every student have a story published and in their writing portfolio.

Reading:
To go along with our expository writing, we're studying informational texts in reading. Students will learn about non-fiction text features and how they help the reader understand the topic. We will go on a scavenger hunt to find the features we are learning about and read lots of non-fiction books to see how they are used.

Math:
Two digit subtraction is the topic this week. We will practice lining up our numbers vertically and using base-ten blocks to subtract. We will also use a number line to help us hop backwards in order to subtract. Students will also solve many word problems to put those subtraction skills to work. At the end of the week, students will take an assessment over addition and subtraction to see what they learned.

Social Studies:
We're still working on good citizenship. This week we will look at good citizens in our community, what they do, and how they help us. We also will talk about various national and Texas symbols and what they mean to the country.

Question of the week:
What are hieroglyphs?

Reminders:
Library day: Thursday. Send back books.
No school on Monday the 9th or Tuesday the 10th.
Field Trip: October 17th- sack lunch and close-toed shoes.

September 25-29

Writing:
We're focusing on expository writing this week. This means students will think of subjects in which they are experts and write about those. Maybe your child knows a lot about dogs, they could write about how to care for a dog. Or maybe they know a lot about swimming, they could write about the different swimming strokes. Students will brainstorm possible topics and then write brief stories sharing their knowledge.

Reading:
Social studies and reading are integrated this week as we study good citizenship. Students will learn the difference between rights and privileges and learn what responsibilities a good citizen has. We will also read about some past good citizens, such as Paul Revere and Abigail Adams and see what good citizenship traits they possessed.

Math:
This week we are moving into two digit addition. Students will learn several different strategies to help them add, such as splitting the second number into parts and partial sums. This week we are not learning the traditional regrouping algorithm. We want students to have a solid understanding of numbers and place value before we learn that strategy so we ask please don't focus on it at home.

Science:
Our study of matter and physical properties continues with several fun experiments on changing matter. We will freeze liquids to see how we can change the state of matter. We will also make paper airplanes and pipe cleaner towers to focus on physical properties.

Question of the week:
If blood is red, why do our veins look blue? 

September 18-22

Writing:
We're continuing to build on our writer's workshop skills as we work on our personal narratives. We will talk about how to peer conference with a buddy, how to publish a finished story, and how to begin a new story. Published stories will go into our writer's portfolio.

Reading:
Edward the Emu is our book of the week. We are working on making predictions and continuing to practice retelling the story. Ask your child to make predictions before reading at night! Later in the week, we will read the sequel, Edwina the Emu and compare and contrast the two books.

Math:
Hi-ya! We're math ninjas this week as we begin our review of subtraction facts. We will practice taking apart number sentences to figure out the whole, the part, and the missing part. Continue to quiz your child on their addition and subtraction facts!

Science:
We're studying matter this week. We will practice identifying different forms of matter and classify them into groups. We will look at the difference between solids and liquids and how we can transform one into the other. At the end of the week, we will make a creation that contains all 3 forms of matter!

Reminders:
Library check out day- Thursday
Spelling test and life journals due on Fridays. 

September 11-15

Here is what is going on in second grade this week:

Writing:
Writer's workshop will continue. We are focusing on writing with complete sentences and correct punctuation. Students will work on creating personal narratives with a clear beginning, middle, and end to their story. Students will also begin peer conferencing and practice providing clear, helpful feedback to their partner.

Reading:
This week we're focusing on the great author, Kevin Henkes by comparing two of his books, Sheila Rae the Brave and Chester's Way. We will compare the main characters and use deeper adjectives to describe them. We will also learn some interesting new vocabulary words.

Math:
Addition is the spotlight this week as we dive into basic addition strategies. We want all second graders to be able to automatically recall their basic facts (0-20) so we're reviewing counting on, flip flop facts, fact families, and friends of ten. We will play games and complete several activities to really let these strategies sink in.

Science:
We are learning about physical properties of materials this week. Students will use scientific language to describe different aspects of materials such as their shoe. Students will focus on color, size, shape, texture, and flexibility.

Reminders:
Join the PTA- they do so much for our second graders and your help makes a huge difference.

September 5-8

Here's what is going on in second grade this week:

Writing:
We're continuing to launch writer's workshop by working through the writing process. Students will practice generating ideas, building stamina, and writing a clear beginning, middle, and end. We will work on finishing our five finger story from last week and edit for capital letters and punctuation.

Reading:
This week we're focusing on A Bad Case of Stripes. We are working on retelling the story and building our vocabulary with interesting words from the story. We also will work on launching the second part of reader's workshop, read to a buddy. Readers will practice the correct way to sit, read, and share with a partner.

Math:
Our study of 2 digit numbers will continue as we practice our different number forms, including standard form, block form, expanded form, and word form. We will play games and do different activities to help students learn the different forms.

Science:
This week we are thinking like scientists! We will look at different tools scientists use, talk about experiment safety and look at different jobs scientists can do. If anyone has a career in a science field, we'd love to hear from you! Please let me know if you want to come talk to the class about what you do for a living.

Reminders:
No school: Monday, September 4th
Back to School Parent Night: Thursday, September 7. K-2: 6:00 pm, 3-5: 7:00 pm.

August 28- September 1st

Hi Families,

Here is what is going on in second grade for this coming week.

Writing:
We're setting up writer's workshop this week. We will look at where writers get their ideas and brainstorm possible writing topics that we feel passionate about. We will also write our first story about a small moment in our lives! Lastly, we will revise and edit our story by looking for correct punctuation.

Reading:
This week we're also setting up reader's workshop. We will learn strategies for picking books that are a good fit for us, reading a book three different ways, and retelling the story using our five fingers. We will also begin to build our reading stamina by learning about read to self procedures and practicing. At the end of the week, we're going to read A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon and start our first character analysis.

Math:
We're diving into 2 digit place value. We will start by comparing numbers using mathematical symbols and then move into number lines. We will also look for patterns on a hundreds chart and play a fun game called Race to 100. At the end of the week, we will get out our base-10 blocks and start building numbers using our place value skills.

Social Studies:
Last week we spent a lot of time focusing on the four classroom agreements. This week we're learning to be good citizens through character education. We will read The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon and learn the skills of staying positive, being stronger than bullies, and putting love into action. These are great skills to discuss over the dinner table!

Reminders:
Keep a book in your child's backpack to read in the hallway in the morning.
No school on September 4th- Labor Day

August 21st

Hi Parents,

Welcome to Second Grade! I'm so excited that your child is in my class this year. A little about myself:

I'm from Plano, TX and moved to San Antonio to attend Trinity University (go Tigers!). I stayed an extra year to complete my master's degree in teaching. I then moved to the wonderful city of Austin where I was lucky enough to get hired as a second grade teacher at Caraway! This is going to be my 6th year teaching second grade and I can't wait to get the year started!

I've been married for almost two years to a wonderful guy named Jonathan and we have one fur-child, a dog named Schubert. We love taking him to the park and going on hikes. He's been known to make classroom appearances. I also love reading, baking, and of course, teaching!

I view teaching your children as an absolute gift and I thank you for sharing them with me. It is my hope that every child looks forward to coming to school each day and leaves with a smile on his/ her face. Second grade is a great year of learning, exploring, trying new things, taking risks, and most of all, having fun. I hope that we can work together to make this the best year yet for your child! 

May 15-19

Writing:
We've wrapped up our research papers and are putting the final touches on our projects. We have had so much fun learning about our animal. Now, it's time to learn about the dictionary and the fastest way to find the word you need. We will also practice alphabetizing and defining words.

Reading:
We have had a great year in reading and now it's time to show off our skills. We're putting on plays this week. Students will be assigned to a reader's theater group and they practice reading their lines in a fluent and exciting manner. Students will also make props and sets for their final performance, time and day to be announced.

Math and Social Studies:
We have had so much fun diving into the game of life this past week and the fun will continue. Students will continue keeping track of their bank account and the money they earn and spend. This week we will learn about interest and credit. Students will calculate how interest increases the price of something when you're borrowing money to pay for it. We will also start looking at producers and consumers and we will even come up with our very own factory! Students will design a product and then design the factory that will produce it, thinking about the raw goods and steps needed to create their product.

Reminders:
Book fair this week! Our class will go on Friday.
Knowledge Night: May 18th, 5:30-7
Field Day: Friday, May 19th. Our time is from 8-10.

May 8-12

Writing and reading:
This week we are working on a surprise for one our favorite people, our moms! I won't tell you much but it's sure to be sweet.

We are also working on the project portion of our research projects. We've completed the research papers and now it's time to show off what we learned with some kind of visual display. Students will decide what they want to make, bring supplies from home, and get working!

I have some supplies, like poster board, crayons, markers, etc, but if students need anything extra, they will need to bring it from home.

Math and social studies:
It's time for one of my very favorite units of the entire year, our unit on personal financial literacy! This week we are kicking off an integrated unit where students will learn all about having a job, earning a salary, paying rent and deciding how expensive of a home they can afford. They will learn about responsible borrowing and good credit. They will also calculate interest on more expensive items and why interest is necessary.

Reminders:
Save the date! Our awards ceremony and end of year party will be on Tuesday, May 30th!

May 1-5

Reading and writing:
This week we're writing the final copies of our research papers. We are also going to begin the project portion, where we take what we learned about our animal and display it in some way. Students will bring materials from home to create a visual display of their animal.

Math:
We are learning about 4 digit place value. We will look at how many hundreds make up a thousand and we will also review all of the different number forms from the beginning of the year. We will write 4 digit numbers in expanded form, word form, standard form, and block form. We will also play a few games and complete a 4 digit I-spy activity.

Science:
This week we are going over characteristics of different animal families. We will look at reptiles, amphibians, insects, mammals, and birds. We will look at life cycles, distinguishing features, movement, and habitat.

Reminders:
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 1-5
STAAR (no visitors in the building): May 8-10

April 24-28

Reading and Writing:
Research continues this week. We're all done finding facts and organizing them and we are ready to start writing our papers. We're going to learn about introductions, topic sentences, and conclusions as we start forming paragraphs about our animals. We also will start planning the product that will accompany our paper.

Math:
We're wrapping up fractions with a few more activities, including building our own fraction neighborhood where all the residents are obsessed with fractions! Then we will review everything we've learned and take an assessment. Later in the week, we are beginning 4 digit place value. We will practice building numbers with base-ten blocks, put them into expanded form, and decide if the numbers are odd or even.

Science:
We're continuing our study of animals by learning about reptiles, amphibians, and insects. We will also look at different life cycles and food chains to see how ecosystems fit together.

Reminders:
Skate Night: Wednesday, April 26th- 5:30
RRISD STEM Fest: May 5th, 4-7

April 17-21

Writing and Reading: 

We're continuing our research projects. We have begun collecting facts and will check a few more sources before organizing and compiling everything into one place. Then we will use our facts to start writing our non-fiction stories. Later in the week, we will begin thinking about the product we want to make to accompany our essays. 

Math: 

Fractions are continuing this week as we dive into eighths, sixths, and fifths. We will make a "fractionpiller" to show what we have learned and play a fun game to identify different fractions. We will also explore fractional parts found in pattern blocks. If a triangle is one third of the shape, what does the whole look like? Last, we will look at what happens when we have more than one whole and how we can count the fractional parts. 

Science: 

We are still working on our study of animals. We will look at food chains, animal adaptations, and different habitats and migration patterns. We also will study different life cycles and see how different creatures vary in their reproduction cycle. 

Reminders: 

Spirit Night at Newks: April 19th

Principal's coffee: April 20th, 7:45am

Field Trip to Laguna Gloria: April 20th

Skate Night: April 26th

 

April 10-13

Reading and Writing:
After falling a few days behind last week, we're finally ready to start research this week. We will first pick our topic and figure what information we already know. We will then set goals for our learning and ask questions to guide our research. Then we will start researching using books and different websites.

Math:
We're starting fractions this week. We will first look at fair shares and equal parts. Then we will dive into halves, fourths, and eighths. We will solve problems, play games, and even make a fruit pizza!

Science:
We've wrapped up plants and are now ready to start animals. Along with our research projects, we will be focusing on animal adaptations and different habitats. We will look at several different life cycles and hopefully learn about Chubby, the hamster!

Reminders:
No school: April 14th
Field trip to Laguna Gloria: Thursday, April 20th. Please return your permission slip!

Hello everyone, 

Here is what is going on in second grade this week: 

Reading and Writing: 

We're combining these subjects as we dive into our research project! Second grade focuses on insects, reptiles, and amphibians, and each second grader will be completing their own research paper and project on his/ her animal. This week we will make goals, figure out what we already know, and start researching using several different sources. 

Math: 

We are finishing up multiplication and division. Kids will take a short assessment and then we're going to spend the rest of the week reviewing things we have already learned, including 3 digit addition and subtraction, place value, money, and telling time. Homework this week will also be a review of some different things. 

Science: 

We are continuing our study of plants this week. We will look at different adaptations plants have to help them survive in their habitat as well as different ways seeds disperse themselves. We will also look at the effect of light on growing seeds and see that a plant just can't be healthy without it. 

Reminders: 

Family Dinner Night: April 1st. 

Early Release Day: April 5th. School gets out at noon. 

Family Fun and Fit Night: April 7th- 6:30-7:30. 

No School: April 14th. 

Here are some pictures from our field trip this week. Thank you so much to everyone who donated their time or money to the slime booth or helped out on the trip. It was a great experience! 

Here's the link to Texas Humane Heroes website in case you want to learn more about the shelter or how you can help: https://humaneheroes.org/

March 27-31

Hello everyone,

The blog is back! I'm very sorry for the absence!

Here's what is going on this week:
Writing:
We are continuing poetry. Students will write several types of poems, including a rhyming poem, an acrostic poem, and an alliterative poem. We will practice using our senses to describe things in a new way and learn about different rhythms poem can have.

Reading:
We're reading lots of poems this week! We will describe the rhythm, check to see if it rhymes, and break down the meaning. Hopefully reading lots of great poems will inspire our inner poet to come out during writing.

Math:
We are focusing on division. We will practice splitting things into equal groups and writing the matching division sentence. We will play games, do an I-Spy activity, and solve word problems all before taking a short assessment on multiplication and division at the end of the week.

Science:
Plants will continue when we will look at different plants that we eat and observe the part of the plant that we are eating. Are we eating the flower? The seeds? The root? We are also going to attempt to grow lima beans in baggies so we can see what the seed already has inside to help it grow into a full plant.

This week we are starting science enrichment clubs. Each of the second grade teachers is going to be teaching a special Friday afternoon club that focuses on an interesting part of our natural world. Classes will be split up and each student gets to go the club of their choosing. Some of the club options are oceans, bottle biology, rain forests, and honey bees.

Reminders:
STAAR testing on Tuesday and Wednesday: doesn't affect us, but campus will be closed that day.
Field Trip on Tuesday: more information coming soon! Thanks for sending in money and the permission form.
Family Dinner Night: April 1st- you can still turn in money if you haven't yet! It's going to be fun!
Second Grade Performance: April 4th, 6:30 pm in the cafeteria
Early Release Day: April 5th
Family Fit Night: April 7th, 6:30-7:30.
No school: April 14th.

February 27th- March 3rd

Writing and Reading
We're starting poetry this week. We will get in touch with our 5 senses and use them to write several kinds of poems. We will use our poet's eye to see things in a new light and come up with different descriptions. We will also read lots of poems to get inspired. After reading, we will look at the different rhythms and rhymes a poem can have as well as dissecting the meaning of a poem.  

Math:
3 digit addition will continue this week as we take what we've learned and apply it to word problems. Toward the end of the week, we will start 3 digit subtraction. First we will practice regrouping with base-ten blocks and move into using the traditional algorithm. We will play games and work on word problems to practice what we've learned.

Science:
We are finishing up the water cycle with our water cycle ballet! After a short assessment, we will move into weather. We will review the seasons and the science behind the seasons. We will also create our own meteorologist report based on the upcoming weather.

Reminders:
Mrs. Alden will be out on Wednesday. Call the office if you have a change in transportation.

February 13-17

Writing:
Persuasive continues this week as we finish up our letter to the city. We will also plan our own dream room and write a letter persuading you why it's a great idea. We will write a rough draft, fix up our writing, and make a final copy.

Reading:
This week we are thinking about what fills our heart. We will decorate a heart with things we love and then write a short story to tell everyone about them!

Math:
We're back to measurement this week as we tackle the metric system. We will learn about centimeters and meters and decide when to use each. We will also measure the same thing in both inches and centimeters and figure out which unit we need more of and why it's different. We will also practice solving word problems with length as the topic. Then at the end of the week, we will take an assessment over everything we've learned.

Social Studies:
We're continuing our pirate maps this week. We've made our island and now it's time to bury the treasure! We plot out instructions using cardinal directions so that we don't lose our pot of gold!

Reminders:
Valentine's Party on Tuesday. Thank you to everyone who volunteered to bring items.
Library day on Friday.
No School on Monday, February 20th.

February 6-10

Writing:
We are continuing persuasive writing this week. We will finish our letter to the city about adding some safety features in our neighborhood. We will also read several persuasive books, including "I Wanna Iguana" and "I Wanna New Room." After that we write our persuasive letter on the topic of our choice.

Reading:
This week we are focusing on the difference between a fact and an opinion. We will play several games and do a few activities to help us decide is that something that can proven or is it someone's personal thought. We will use what we learn to help in our persuasive writing, using facts to prove our point and opinions to convince our reader we are right.

Math:
Area is the focus this week. We will learn how to partition objects into units and count the units to find the area.

Social Studies:
Ahoy Matey! Thar be me buried treasure! We're pirates this week who have buried a chest of precious treasure somewhere on a deserted island. So that we don't lose our treasure, we will be making a pirate map of the island, including land forms and other important land marks. The pirates will make a path that leads right to the treasure so we can come check on it anytime.

Reminders:
Skate Night: Wednesday, 2/10 at 5:30.
Valentine's Boxes due on Friday: 2/10.
Valentine's Party: 2/14 at 1:30.

January 30- February 3rd

Writing:
In writing this week, we are digging into persuasive texts. We will learn how to make an argument and then use facts and our opinions to persuade our reader. Our first persuasive text will be written to the city, requesting some extra safety features for our neighborhood. We will write a letter as a class and hope that they listen to our ideas!

Math:
It's going to be a long week in math as we dive into our study of length. We will start with inches, feet and yards and practice measuring different items with a ruler. We will also decide what unit of measurement will be appropriate for different items around the classroom. We will take a short assessment of what we've learned at the end of the week.

Reading:
We're working on inferences this week. We will take what we already know, add it to the clues the author gave us, and make an inference about what is happening in the book. We're going to use a familiar book, "Don't Take a Shark to the Dentist," to practice these skills. After reading the book, we will see if we can come up with our own "Don't" to give people some good advice.

Science:
We're learning about land forms this week. Students will become familiar with different kinds of land forms and where they can be found.

Reminders:
Library books: Due Friday
Skate Night: February 8th- 5:30

January 23-27

We've had a great week in 2nd grade. We learned about safety features on our neighborhood walk, had fun at our bike rally, and learned something new in academies this morning. Pictures have posted on Class Dojo, be sure to check them out!

Here's what is happening next week:

Writing:
We're continuing our tall tales this week. We will come up with characters, make a plan for exaggerating, and write a neat final copy.

Reading and Social Studies:
These subjects are combined this week as we focus on Texas. We're going to read several fairy tales that have been "Texified." We will learn some cool Texas lingo and learn about different aspects of the Texas government, landscape, and culture.

Math:
It's about time to tell time! This week we're studying analog clocks. We will review which hand tells the hour and which hand tells the minute. We will learn how to count the minutes by 5's and by the end of the week we will be telling time to the minute. We will also learn when to use AM or PM. Switch your phone clock to an analog clock this week and have your child read it you anytime they ask what it is!

Have a great week!

January 17-20

Hello everyone,

Here's what is going on second grade this week:

Writing: We are writing our own tall tale this week! We are going to come up with a character, write a story for him or her and then see how we can exaggerate it to make it tall. We will write a rough draft, edit with a partner, and then make a final copy.

Reading: This week, Texas is our focus as we read different fractured fairy tales from our beloved Lone Star State! We will read Cindy Ellen, The Cowboy and the Black-Eyed Pea, 3 Little Javelinas, Little Red Cowboy Hat, and others. We will learn some good 'ole Texas idioms and learn how to speak like a real Texan. Yee Haw!

Math: We're finishing up boot camp with Follow The Enemy. Students will solve problems to get clues to find out where on a hundreds chart the enemy is hiding. After that our missions will be complete and all that will be left is the final test before graduation. Students will take an assessment to see if they have qualified to be a Word Problem Solider!

Social Studies: This week we are kicking off our geography unit with some lessons on neighborhood safety. We are going to walk around the neighborhood and look safety features that have been installed and see if there are any that we would add. Then we're going to have a bike/ scooter/ skateboard/ roller blade rally to get excited about bicycle safety! We're hoping to have a member of Austin PD come talk to us about pedestrian and bicycle safety. It's going to be a great week of experiences!

Reminders:
No School: Monday, January 19th
Library books due Friday.

January 9-13

Writing:

We've been learning about different types of folk tales and this week we're writing our own! We will pick our characters, setting, problem, and moral. We will start with a rough draft, edit with a partner, and make a final copy to share with our class.

Reading and Social Studies

This week we're combining reading and social studies with a study on mapping and tall tales. We're going to read several tall tales and use a map to figure out what region it came from. We will also read "Me on a Map" and zoom in on our location, right down to our bedroom. Then we will make a map of our bedroom with a title, a compass rose, and a key.

Math:
March! 1, 2, 3, 4! Left, right, left, right, left! Boot camp continues this week with some more fun missions. We're practicing all sorts of problems and teams will complete different missions to show their mastery.

Reminders:
No School on January 16th