Reading MAP & Last Parent Newsletter

Hi Parents!

We officially have 5 weeks left until summer! These next couple of weeks we will be doing a lot of testing in second grade. We have reading MAP this week and math MAP next week.

This week in math: We are working towards getting the students ready for third grade. We are spiraling back around and covering topics from the beginning of the year like place value, adding and subtracting in the hundreds place, and number sense.

In Reading this week: We are working on comparing and contrasting as well as problem and solution. However, our main focus is the MAP test. Please make sure that they are getting a good night sleep and eating a good breakfast.

In other news, our last parent newsletter went home on Monday. Pay attention to the dates, as we have lots of fun and important things coming up at the end of the year!

I just posted my Sign Up Genius page for end of the year parent conferences.  Here is the link to the sign up page http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0f4ba4ad29a5fc1-endofyear

This link will also be sent to you be email.

Map Testing

Map Testing

Hi Parents,

It’s that time of year again; map testing time!

Reading Test Dates: May 4-8
Math Test Dates: May 11-15

Please make sure that your child is fed and well rested for the next couple of weeks. The teachers will have freedom to test whenever they think your student is ready over the dates available. If you have any concerns, please feel free to email me.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Nachman

2nd Grade Field Trip to Outdoor Learning Center

Hi Parents!

Tomorrow is our first and only field trip in 2^nd grade! We will be going to the outdoor learning center. If your child is in Mrs. Nachman or Ms. Cantu’s class, then they will be leaving around 9:15. If your child is in Ms. Bradley, Ms. Flusche, or Mrs. Middlebrooks class, they will be leaving at 11:15.

Please have you child wear jeans and old tennis shoes tomorrow. Since it has been raining the past two days, we suggest your child bring a rain coat or waterproof poncho.  Please no umbrellas, as they will be tough to manage.

As the trails will be VERY muddy, please have an extra pair of shoes that the kiddos can wear when they get back to school.

Thank you very much, and we look forward to our trip tomorrow! 

Check out this link to learn more about this field trip.

Holifield Science Learning Center

Live Food Chain Lesson Provided by the Outdoor Learning Center

Second graders immersed themselves this last two weeks in researching all about insects and animals.  They learned about life cycles and adaptations made by their animal/ insect to survive.   They selected three interesting facts about their animal and insect to share in their reports.  They drew scientific labeled pictures to identify body parts of their insect and their drawings of the animal included it’s habitat. 

Our studies on insects and animals concluded with a live food chain lesson provided by the Outdoor Learning Center education staff.  The entire grade level experienced a lesson in the Christie Learning Commons that they will never forget.  The sun transfers energy to the plants which are producers and then the consumers take over the remainder of the food chain.  This is when the lesson really grabbed the student’s attention.  Live hissing cockroaches were the first consumer introduced that feed on grass.  They were followed by a toad that eats the cockroaches and then a type of lizard that changes color who feasts on the toad.  Next to be introduced, in the same live fashion, was the snake, who was afraid of the noise and tried to hide up the sleeve of the presenter.  The final consumer in the food chain was a live baby alligator.  

No animals were harmed during this lesson; however, it’s my opinion that the students will never forget what they learned and witnessed today at Christie Elementary School.

Measurement Olympics

Hi Parents!

Just as a reminder, there is no tutoring this Tuesday, March 31st, due to STAAR testing.

This Wednesday, our students will participate in the 2^nd grade Measurement Olympics. (Provided the weather cooperates) Students will use their skills acquired in math to measure in Inches, feet, yards, centimeters, and meters. They will also demonstrate their ability to tell time and determine the area of a given space.

Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate.  We will postpone this special event until late April or early May.  We want to make sure it happens after STAAR testing and before MAP testing.  

Week of February 9th-13th

It has been a great week so far.  We are finishing up Geometry and will review addition, subtraction and money.  Next week we will go through the problem-solving model and practice analyzing word problems.  This week the students are learning to identify sequencing within text and how an author might organize their story.  They are also practicing personal narrative and expository writing.  It would be helpful if you had your child practice writing complete sentences at home.  We have moved to science in IC and the students are excited about becoming engineers.  You may want to ask them about it. 

Dates to remember:

Thursday 2/12/15 is Multicultural night 6-7:30 PM

Friday 2/13/15 is the Friendship party @ 1:30-2:30 PM.  The 2^nd grade schedule will be different that day. 

Monday 2/16/15 there is No School!!!

Second Grade Blog- Jan. 26-30

Second Grade Blog- Jan. 26-30

  

Hello Parents,

In Language Arts we have started a new unit. This unit is all about working

together. Our story this week is a folktale called Head, Body, Legs.  This is a fun

story about how the different body parts work together to pick a mango.  In spelling we are teaching words with the /ou/ and /ow/ sound, such as clown, growl, house, and sound.

This week in math your student will be learning about Geometric shapes.

Encourage them to find items in your home that are in the shape of a

triangular prism, rectangular prism, cube, sphere, cylinder and cone. Ask them “how many faces/edges/vertices does the shape have.”  This is a fun unit and the kids love a hide and seek challenge.

On Monday the kids made

lemonade in IC.  This was a great way to help them

Understand about being a producer/consumer. We are also learning about goods and services as well as earning/spending/saving money.  

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES ARE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND!

PLEASE SEND IN THE SIGN-UP SHEET or sign up on Sign Up Genius 

SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S PROGRESS.