Diving into Curriculum Week 3

Three weeks in and we are getting in to the groove of our routine and really diving into curriculum!

This week in Language Arts and Social Studies we have been reading, researching, and learning about our country's national symbols as well as our Texas state symbols. This unit on citizenship could not have come at a better time than right here around Patriot Day (September 11th). We are still distinguishing Texas symbols from those symbols that represent the United States of America, but we are having a blast with them!

Here are a few of our symbols from an assignment we did with our Social Studies books:

In Math we are continuing to work on Addition and Subtraction using different strategies. Next week we will be wrapping up Unit 1 and preparing for Unit 2, which will include Place Value so stay tuned for that the week after next!

We have learned to be Super Safe Scientists in Science this week. Our Science Notebooks are finally set up for the year. After learning about what makes a good Scientist last week we were ready to move on. We have signed our Science Safety Contract, made a Title Page, All About the Author Page, and practiced Making Observations. 

Below are a few examples of our Making Observations pages.  We observed a pencil using a hand lens.

Making Observation entries:

Thank you for joining us at Watch Dog Pizza Night on Thursday. We look forward to seeing more of you again soon. 

*DON'T FORGET* 

Tuesday Morning at 7:30 is Coffee with Mr. Steele for all parents. This is an excellent time to get any and all Christie related questions answered straight from our great principal himself! 

Other upcoming important dates:

Thursday, 9/17- 

Kindness Initiative Assembly at 8:00 a.m. for Kindergarten-2nd

Citizen of the Month in the Learning Commons at 2:00 p.m.

Monday, 9/21- Individual Picture Day

Off to a Great Start!

Second grade kicked off with great success this past two weeks. We want to thank all parents and guardians for remaining flexible as the school amends dismissal procedures to better serve all of Christie. Also, we want to extend another thank you to all those who attended Parent Information Night/Open House. We dove into an engineering STEAM activity our first week of school called Fantastic Elastic.  All second graders collaborated, troubleshooted, and explored variables while creating their wind-up toys.

This week, second graders will continue testing in both, Math and Reading, so teachers and administrators can attain a strong baseline for the needs of each child. We would love to see each student come to school with a well-rested mind and a healthy snack.

Important September Dates:

10 - Watch Dog Dad Night @ 6:00 p.m.
15 – Parents Coffee with Mr. Steele 7:30 a.m. 

17 – Kindness Initiative Kick-Off, K-2 8 a.m., 3-5 9 a.m.

21 – Individual Pictures

24 – PTA Family Picnic

Below are some of the books we read together as a class last week.  These books will set the climate for our class this year, as well as introduce classroom routines and rules.  In Social Studies we are learning the characteristics of a good citizen, and students worked hard to set up their science notebooks.  These notebooks will be used for note taking in science.  Math found us diving right into addition and subtraction math facts using the doubles and making ten strategies.  Math homework papers went home with your students last Monday-Thursday.  Please make sure your child completes their math homework page and reads for 20 minutes each night.  We ask that parents sign their child’s reading log Thursday night and return it to school on Friday for the teacher to check.

You're Finally Here! was used as a humorous way to welcome students back to school.

You're Finally Here Video Preview

The Recess Queen helped us learn indoor and outdoor recess rules.

The Recess Queen -- Book Trailers -- Children

Julia Cook was a guidance counselor prior to becoming an author.  Her books teach children problem solving skills through literature.  We have been reading some of her books to your children so that they can begin to solve some of their own problems.  

Watch this video link for more information about Julia Cook and her books.

Julia Cook Interview 

 

We also read the following two books written by Kevin Henkes: 

 Wemberly Worried- deals with feeling nervous

Wemberly Worried Book Trailer

Chrysanthemum- celebrates diversity and teaches kindness

Click on this link to learn more about the author Kevin Henkes.   Kevin Henkes

Special's Schedule for Mrs. Nachman's Class

We are yellow!

Our First Week of School

We survived the first week! Everyone take a deep breath and have a fantastic weekend... but before you do, let me tell you a little about our first week of school.

Little known fact: Teachers are even nervous for the first day of school. I had my lesson plans, pens, sticky notes, pencils, and lunch all packed up by 5:30 pm the night before.

I was able to share this with the class on the first day of school by reading "First Day Jitters", which is a story that does not show the face of the main character until the very last page. She goes through all the happy, nervous, excited, jittery jitters that the first day brings. She finally gets out of bed, ready for school, and is accompanied to her classroom by the principal to meet her class. The students thought it was so funny the jittery girl ended up being the teacher! They laughed for a good long while about that one. I shared with them that I was feeling many of the same first day feelings they were and that we are all in this together.

We shared many stories, such as "Recess Queen" and "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?", to help us set the stage for what our classroom, hallway, and overall school behavior and words should look like and sound like. We have practiced routines a great deal too. 

In Language Arts/Social Studies we have been talking about being a good citizen, which will continue in to next week. We have also read several Folktales and Fables and written about how it feels to be a 2nd grader and what their summers looked like.

In Math we have been practicing addition facts up to 10. One of our most popular stations included 10 Go Fish (think making 10 with your cards, instead of matching pairs of numbers) and ST Math on the computers. They are getting better and better at logging themselves in as each day passes!

If you haven't heard about our Science this week then I am probably not doing my job! Two words: WHIRLY GIG! The kids have LOVED this project. We are learning what it means to be a scientist and how they often have many failures before they come to a solution/succeed. We spent the first part of the week exploring the materials and drawing diagrams. These past few days we started and completed the building process. What these kids can make with just a cup, lid, rubber band, paper clip, and a wooden skewer have blown me away! I look forward to many more opportunities, such as this, to share with the class.

Looking forward to a great year!

2015: Welcome to Second Grade!

"Meet The Teacher" night was fantastic! I enjoyed seeing all the parents and smiling students in the halls.  

It is now time for the first week of school.  Classes begin Monday August  24th.  Please excuse our construction, but our school was in need of some updating. It will look fantastic when it is finally completed.  This week students and teachers will be getting to know each other and going over the rules and expectations of the classroom and school. Homework will begin the second week of school and will include reading 20 minutes every day and math problems Monday through Thursday.  I will be sending home my contact information soon so do not hesitate to call or e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns.

It is going to be a great school year and I am looking forward to working with your child!

Mrs. Nachman 

Last Week of School!

Man, I can't believe that we only have one more week of school left! Next week is going to be super busy!

Monday - regular day and schedule

Tuesday and Wednesday - We will be eating lunch in our classrooms from 10:30-11:00.  In the afternoon, we will be having Maker Space Camp!  We will get to visit 2 different classrooms each day to do a fun and exciting activity.

Thursday - last Spirit Assembly for the year at 8:00.  We will be eating lunch early again from 12:00-12:30 because we will be having our class parties from 12:30-1:30!

Friday -  Early Release at 12:00! We will be eating lunch early again in our classrooms from 10:15-10:45.

Thank you for sharing your child with me this year!!

Have a wonderful summer!

Here is a link to important technology resources for your children to continue learning over the summer!!

https://sites.google.com/a/pisd.edu/onlinemath/

 

Engineering Expo- An Enormous Success!

I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend. The Engneering Expo was a blast.  The students loved showing off their work.  Thank You parents for supporting us and your kids.

 

  We have only a couple more weeks of school.  We want to finish strong.  We wil be reviewing problem and solution in Reading, and stepping up to 3rd grade in Math to prepare our students for next year. 

 

The last day of school is June 5th.  It is a half day.  Enjoy the rest of the week and stay dry.