What would you like to see?

I'm writing this quick post to ask parents what else they would like to see on the blog?  This is my first year blogging and would love to know how to make this site more friendly for parents and students.  So I am wondering:

*What else would you like to see here?

*What would you get rid of?  

*What would be helpful to have here when helping your child be successful at school?

Let me know your suggestions and thank you for your time!
Mrs. Raynor

Happy Holidays

Many thanks to the second grade families and the CES community for the gifts, cards, and well wishes I received this holiday season. Thank you all so much for your kindness ~Mrs. Raynor

Door Decorating

Our door received the Biggest Door Award

Exercising and Happy

Dog Sled Teams in Physical Education!  So much fun!

Newsletter

Second Grade News: December 20, 2012

Things to Note:

Have a Great Holiday Break – December 22, 2012 – January 1, 2013

First Fun Fitness Friday will be on Friday, January 4, 2013

Literacy:   Students have begun to learn what a personal narrative is and have chosen a topic for their own personal narrative.  We have discussed how a good personal narrative has a great lead, starts at the heart of the story, has dialogue, and has interesting details.  We will continue to work on narrative writing when we return from break.  During reader’s workshop second graders have been learning what it means to infer.  We have talked in detail about how inferring is figuring out something that wasn’t completely explained and how it’s using clues to make a good guess.  Students infer all the time in their lives now I am trying to help them bring that skill into their reading.  

Mathematics: Students have been focused in on learning how to read an analog clock.  We have practiced reading the clock to half an hour times and many students are comfortable with this skill.  Recently, we have been learning how to read the clock by five minutes increments.  This is proving to be a little more challenging.  

Homework: A great way to help your child practice counting is to do it as a family daily.  One way to do this and keep it fun is to set a timer for 2 minutes; for those 2 minutes you and your child skip count taking turns saying the next number.  For example, skip counting by 5’s, child: 5, parent: 10, child: 15, parent: 20…… see how far you can get in 2 minutes. 

Happy Holidays – Mrs. Raynor

Estimation with a Friend

 Estimation: Is it more or less than 10?  What is a good estimate?

Newsletter

Second Grade News: December 6, 2012

Things to Note: 

·         Holiday Break – December 24, 2012 thru January 1, 2013

·         Drama Performance – December 14 @ 6pm

    

 The second graders have been working on writing about the water cycle.  This will be the first writing piece of the year that students are graded using a rubric.  Students will also be making an illustration to accompany their writing.  I cannot believe how well written their pieces are and how clearly they are explaining the water cycle!  Nice job second graders!  After we complete this water cycle writing we will move on to a study of personal narratives. 

          As part of reader’s workshop second graders have been learning how to complete a story map on what they have read.  They have been learning how to draw out the important parts of the story.  Story map components include: characters, setting, problem, solution, beginning, middle, and end. 

          As part of our upcoming math curriculum we will be looking closely at analog clocks and learning how to read the time to the nearest 5 minutes.  A great gift for your child this holiday season might be an analog wrist watch!  Having a watch will help them to practice telling time as we continue in our math curriculum!

Have a Great Week! – Mrs. Raynor

	Happy Holidays

 

What's been happening in 2nd grade?

Water Cycle Art

Turkey Hats

Are you a bucket filler?

We are bucket fillers!  Our reward = a movie and popcorn!

Creating in Math

Building Paper Geoblocks

Do you need some help?

Hmmm I think these faces are congruent

Teamwork

Newsletter

Second Grade News: November 20, 2012

        The second graders have been studying the water cycle.  Last week they had fun making the water cycle in a jar!  This week they are working on illustrating the water cycle using their choice of art materials in the classroom.  When they are complete I hope to have them on display in our classroom. 

          The second graders made a beautiful “we are thankful for” tree in the hallway near our classroom.  Some of the things we are thankful for include:

·         Family

·         Friends

·         Earth

·         Government

·         Horses

·         Trees

·         Food

During our literacy time students have been learning what it means to summarize and how to summarize books that have been read to them.  They have been practicing summarizing what they read in their own just right reading books too.  This is a great thing to check in when reading with your child at home.  During our writing time we have begun a daily editing of sentences.  As a class we read and look carefully at sentences I provide.  The students edit the sentences for correct capitalization, punctuation, and wording.  Second graders have proved to have a good eye for editing; now we just need to carry it over in to our own writing! 

Have a Great Thanksgiving ~Mrs. Raynor   

Water Cycle

Having fun with our water cycle experiment! 

November 8, 2012

Second Grade News – November 8, 2012

Things to Note:

·         No School Friday, November 9, 2012 due to parent teacher conferences.

·         Thanksgiving break November 21, 22, and 23.

Last week the second graders enjoyed watching Charlotte’s Web and eating popcorn!  We had read the classic book by E.B. White and loved the story.  In addition to watching the movie students enjoyed making their very own Charlotte’s out of material called model magic (a medium they learned about in Art class) and illustrating the characters in the book.  Salutations is a word we learn from reading the book; so if you hear your child using that word you can thank E.B. White. 

Bucket Fillers

Recently students have been learning about being bucket fillers.  Being a bucket filler is: 

(List Created by Second Grade)

·         Treating others the way you want to be treated

·         Asking before doing

·         Using materials respectfully

·         Listening to others when they are talking

·         Including people

·         Being nice

·         Respecting others

·         Hugging

·         Asking people how they are

·         Giving a smile J

·         Saying “hi” and saying “hi” back

·         Helping someone who is hurt

·         Being a good partner

·         Asking to play with someone who needs a friend

We are focused on really filling each others invisible buckets with kindness.  The invisible buckets represent our mental and emotional health.  

New Math

Students have been learning about telling time to the half hour.  They have learned that if the minute hand travels half way around the clock it has traveled 30 minutes.  Students have been practicing reading and setting clocks at o’clock (1:00) and :30 (1:30) times.  It would be great if they continue this practice at home! 

Have a Great Week  -Mrs. Raynor