Twas the Week Before Christmas Break....

This week we will be in full Christmas mode!  There are four stories that we will be reading in class, and if you child would like to take an AR test on those, they are more than welcome to!  Since we read them in class, I can enter a code if it is not on their level.

We will also be doing some review of skills that we have covered so far this year.  There will not be a test this week.

We still have one class that needs to do the STAR testing, but hopefully, your child will get their new reading level for January.  I know many kids are excited to start some chapter books and read over Christmas break!

December Events and Activities

Hello Parents--

I know it has been a while since I have updated, and I am truly sorry!  November was a month of crazy with several days off and mixed up schedules!  Hopefully, we have a good plan in place and won't have too many interruptions!

Next week Orange, Yellow, and Green Groups will be working on cause and effect.  This is a more difficult concept for our kids to grasp, so we will be reading several different text to help us identify the causes and effects.

Our main story will be Officer Buckle and Gloria and this will come from our Journeys book.  We will also read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and I hope to tie in some Christmas themed stories as well!

All groups will continue to practice cold reads.  At this point in the year, I will read a story to the students while they follow along, then I will read comprehension questions to them.  They are to use text evidence in the story to find the answers.  Most students are doing a wonderful job with this!  Keep encouraging your child to slow down and take their time!
Red Group will continue to work on new vocabulary words, reading fluently, and using text evidence to answer questions.

Click, Clack, Moo!

Orange and Yellow Reading Groups

This week we will be reading a story from our Journey's reading series called, Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type.  Many of the students have heard this story before, but we will be digging deep to learn new vocabulary words and drawing conclusions from the clues given in the text.  Students will be taking their comprehension test over this story on Thursday this week (Team Day will be on Friday.).  If you want to listen to this story online and read along, check out this link here!

Green Reading Group

We will continue our study of Edward Tulane.  We did finish the book last week so now we will finish discussing the book, take the AR tests, and work on a final project.  We will also have our 4 new words this week and a word of the day quiz on Friday.

Words this week are:  estimate, opinion, friendly, and competitive

Red Reading Group

We will be reading the story Zoo Party.  I will send home the book each night to practice.  We will work on vocabulary strategies and drawing conclusions from the text.


All reading groups will be getting a new reading log this week.  There are 10 nights to complete during the month of November.  Please remember that books must be on the child's independent reading level!  I have put the reading levels on all reading logs!

Crakenstein Week!

Hello all!

Red, Yellow, and Orange Groups: 
As we are gearing up for Halloween, we are reading the book Crankenstein this week. 

While it may seem that it goes along with a Halloween theme, it's actually about our feelings and things that make us happy and sad.  We will be doing several journal entries this week and talking about those emotions.  If you would like to watch a read aloud online, you can click HERE! 

There will not be a vocabulary section on the comprehension quiz this week.

Green Group:  They will continue to read Edward Tulane and work through the text with various activities.

ALL READING CLASSES:  I have made a bright green reading log for each class.  The only reading homework for the next two weeks is to read one AR book (that is on their level) and take a test on it the following day.  Because AR is designed to be individualized, each child has their own level and their own goal.  I have written their level on the reading log and I have also put their goal for the nine weeks.   These reading logs will be due Monday, October 31 and will be worth 5 Dojo points!  I will also do random spot checks so the students can earn Dojo points that way.  If you have any questions about the reading log, please email me.  I will be more than happy to help!

I Need My Monster

I will update more later, but this week our book will be "I Need My Monster."  You can find it on Storyline Online.

Our vocabulary words for YELLOW AND ORANGE this week are:
ominous--something that is scary
inspect--look closely
complain--to whine
disappoint--to be let down
quivered--to shake
appear--come into sight

We have altered our schedule a bit so students will take their tests on Friday.  Students will have both comprehension and vocabulary. 

GREEN GROUP:  We will be starting our chapter book this week.  We will be doing a Word of the Day.  Students will have a quiz over these 4 words on Friday:  uncomfortable, sniff, dangerous, demolish.  Students have study cards to help them review.

RED GROUP:  They will take the AR test over "I Need My Monster" on Thursday and Friday.

A Visitor for Bear

Hey all!

This week will be a relatively short week because we will be having Team Day on Friday (go Orange Iguanas!!!)

Due to several scheduling issues this week, we will be reading a story, but will have a short comprehension test on Tuesday, and do a non fiction read on Wednesday.  The story this week is called A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker.

The link to the read aloud can be found HERE.  The skill we will be reviewing will be making inferences (using what we know and the clue from the text to help us figure things out).  There will not be vocabulary words tested this week!

On Thursday all my reading classes will have a "Reading Camp-In!"  Students will be allowed to bring a pillow or stuffed animal and a flashlight.  We will make cozy spots around the room and spend our time reading and taking AR tests.  I will be encouraging kiddos to bring their favorite books to read on and I will be doing the same!

When we return from Fall Break, Green group will be starting the chapter book The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. 

I will be sending home additional information about the book this week. 

The Salamander Room

I am so excited about our story this week.  It is called The Salamander Room and it will definitely send the kids on an adventure!

I do have a link to a read aloud of the story on YouTube.  I encourage you all to watch it AFTER Monday!!!  The reason being, we are going to be studying mental images, and I want the students to picture the story using their senses before I let them see the illustrations.

Green, Yellow and Orange Groups will be responsible for the following vocabulary words:

boulder--a large rock or stone

multiply--to increase greatly in amount

sail--to move in a quick and smooth way

fern--a type of plant that has large leaves and no flowers

hoot--a loud, deep sound that an owl makes

roost--to rest or sleep somewhere 

Reading homework this week will be:

Monday--read 20 minutes, study vocabulary words
Tuesday--read 20 minutes, study vocabulary words, fiction passage/questions
Wednesday--read 20 minutes, study vocabulary words, non-fiction passage/questions
Thursday--read 20 minutes

I will be posting later in the week about some strategies you can use when reading with your child, and why it is so important to be reading at home!

When I was Young in the Mountains

Our story this week will be When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant.  Our skill will be setting.  All groups will be reading this story and taking a comprehension quiz over it on Thursday.  Here is a YouTube link to the reading of the story.

Yellow, Orange and Green Groups will be tested on the following vocabulary words:

pasture--a large, grassy area where animals feed on the grass

mound--a heap or pile of something

heat--to cause something to become warm or hot

shiver--to shake because you are cold or afraid

dusk--the time when day changes into night and the sky gets darker

threaten--to say or act like you will harm something unwanted

We will also be reading about the Appalachian Mountains this week.  I encourage all my kiddos to do their own research to help understand better and learn more!

Reading Class This Week

This week, reading classes will be reading Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge.

An online version of this story is available at StoryLine Online.  You can listen as many times as you wish!  We will have a comprehension quiz on Friday, and students can take an AR test, but there will not be a vocabulary section!

Long Weekend, Short Week

I hope everyone has enjoyed their long weekend!  I know I sure have!  I have been able to catch up on some wonderful books:  Stella By Starlight by Sharon Draper and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling.  Both were absolutely fabulous.

I also worked on setting up my Dojo rewards.  If your child has his/her homework, they can earn Dojo points and cash them in for prizes/rewards.  Here is a picture of the current list:

Due to a shortened week this week, and MAPS testing last week, things are a little off.  We will not be having spelling words this week.  We are also not doing a formal reading story this week.  I will read a book with the kiddos, and there will be a short comprehension quiz, but no vocabulary words.  In science, students are starting to learn about pumpkins--their uses and life cycles.  In math, we will be continuing with number concepts--place values, sequencing numbers, writing numbers in different ways. 

Team Day!

Today was such a fun day at North!  Today we drew for our teams that we would be on this year (and actually as long as you are a North student!).  

This year we are placing a big emphasis on being a kid of character.  We know that academics, sports and and other talents are great, and we encourage that....but we also know that being kind, compassionate, trustworthy, responsible and friendly go a long way too.  As we divide the school into teams with mixed grade levels, we will be focusing on building community within our school and teaching the 6 pillars of character.

So....make sure to ask your kiddo which team they are on.  I MIGHT be a bit partial to the Orange Iguanas!!!

Fun Friday

This year our second grade schedule is looking a bit different.  We wanted the freedom to try some new things, and we are so thankful we have a supportive school that allows it!  This Friday was the first of many STEM activities we were able to try. 

Students in my homeroom were divided into groups of 4 and participated in the Lego Olympics (Teachers, if you are looking for this resource, it is part of a Back to School engagement packet courtesy of the fabulous Amy Lemons which you can find here.).  In these Olympic games, student were given an assortment of Legos and asked to create 10 different things.  These things ranged from building a new car, designing a team mascot, and creating numbers 1-9 all our of Legos!  I want to thank my super generous husband that allowed me to bring his cherished childhood Legos to school.  The kids got a huge kick out of using Mr. Garrett's toys!

Also, on Friday, my math class worked on an interactive notebook project.  I love using these in my classroom because the kids can have fun and learn all at the same time!  We usually play music, stand and sit where we want, and get right to work.

Different Kinds of Numbers

Today in math we had a blast!  Before we started to practiced the difference between toys and tools.  This was so that we could get out some hands on math tools and use them appropriately!  After a great conversation, we worked with our teams to find different ways to build numbers.

Welcome back!

We have made it through our first full week of school!  The students have done an amazing job of transitioning back and getting settled into routine.  

Things do look a bit different this year in second grade land, but not too different from things in years past!  For a very long time, second graders changed classes for reading and math.  This allowed them to work with a group that learned similar to them and get the attention they needed.  This year, we have added social studies/science to the rotations, in addition to another math class.  While it may seem like a lot of movement for our littles, they have done great!  I have noticed that the behavior has been better because we have so much content to squeeze in!  There isn't much downtime while we are in our switches!

I have started using Brag Tags with my homeroom friends.  They really like earning these!  They can earn them for good behavior, following the rule, being caught being good, and even good scores on tests!  Each Brag Tag we collect, we add to a necklace we can wear on Fridays.  Students get to add a bead for each 100 they make on an AR test!