What’s New in Room 7?

        We are off to a productive start.  I enjoyed meeting with all of the parents who came to Open House.  Any time you have questions or concerns please write, call or email me.  We need to work together for your children. 

        We have been working hard learning routines and rules (Oh no!), so the rest of the year goes smoothly.  We also have been getting tested for reading levels, math skills and now spelling.  We are very lucky to have Ms. Sadauskas as a student teacher.  She is helping us learn while she learns.

        Study Skills: We have been working on being organized.  We have a class goal of having 20 students having their work folders organized each day. To meet our goal, our name and number must be on each paper; our work must be completed and in our work folder at the end of the day, and no extra papers are in the folder. (Graded papers from the day before should be taken out of our work folder and put in our Take Home folder).  When we individually meet the goal, we receive a sticker on the back of our folder.  Ten stickers earn us a prize.  When the class met the goal of 20 students last week earning stickers, we had popsicles, a Bingo game, and 15 minutes of extra indoor recess to celebrate.  We are working on continuing our success.  When we have five days of success, we will celebrate again.

        Homework is coming home in the homework bag.  That should come home nightly.  Second graders should work 20 minutes a night.  Sometimes there will be other items in the bag.  Here is a list.  

1. Little book from reading group to read out loud

2. Word or math cards to practice nightly

3. Math packet

4.  Vocabulary word sheet to learn word meanings

5.  Spelling level words

6.  Reader to read out loud to someone (please only read stories we have already read in class)

7.  Reading packet

8. If nothing is in the bag read, read, read, practice math facts, and writing a good paragraph

Spelling:  We are doing leveled spelling this year.  That means we will work on different types of words depending on how well we spell.  I am testing to determine individual levels now. We will keep working on our word lists until we have mastered them.  Some children may only need a week while others will need longer.  After we pass a list, we will be held responsible for spelling those words correctly in all of our written work.

        Science:  We made a poster for Fire Safety week.

        Social Studies:  We have completed the first unit about working and living in groups.  We also learned some map skills. Many of the children brought in wonderful buildings they made for our little city. 

        Reading Groups:  We have begun groups.  Not all of us will meet with the teacher every day in groups.     We all will work with the whole class in the reader every day.  Reading is the most important thing we learn in second grade. There will be more to come on this.

        Happy reading!    

                        Mrs. Patzer and the children in Room 7