2-3 Happenings

Hello 2-3 families,

I hope you are staying warm on this cold and snowy weekend.  Here is a look at what has been happening lately in 2-3.

LANDMARK CHALLENGE PROJECTS
I'm so proud of the students in 2-3 who participated in the Landmark Challenge project.  It was amazing to see the final products come together.  This was a great opportunity for the kids to practice their research and presentation skills.  It also allowed the kids a chance to learn and share with their fellow classmates the significance behind some of our country's most important landmarks.  Great job, friends!  Check out our photo section to see pictures from the presentations.

CITIZENSHIP UNIT WRAP-UP
This week the kids completed their unit on Citizenship.  For the past month they have been learning about what citizenship means, how they can be good citizens, elements of our government, and all about patriotism.  For the next two weeks, we will have a lot of fun learning about winter holidays around the world.

FLUENCY LOG REMINDER
Each Monday, you child brings home a Fluency Log to complete throughout the week.  During a 5-day week, the passage should be read 4 times (3 times during a 4 day week).  When your child is completing the written questions on the other side, it is very important that he/she practices restating the question in the answer.  As I explained to everyone during conferences (and the kids in the classroom) the expectations of the work the kids can and should be producing has increased.  They should be able to write answers that restate the question in the answer and provide details in that answer.  These Fluency Logs are to be turned in by the kids on Friday.

TECH US OUT
This week, the kids had an opportunity to learn how to write an email.  Technology has become a part of our everyday lives and it is important to expose the kids to the skills, strategies, and safety that are needed when using technology.   The kids practiced writing emails to Mrs. Sessler and will also be sending another email to someone later this week (hint, hint).

WINTER IS HERE!
While winter does not technically start for another couple weeks, the weather begs to differ.  As the weather becomes colder, I strongly encourage everyone to send their child to school with extra layers, gloves, hats, and scarves.  The kids will go out unless the temperature reaches 0 so please make sure they are bundled up!

MYSTERY READERS AND STAR STUDENTS
We've been very lucky to have some great Mystery Readers over the past couple of weeks and have also had some fun Star Student celebrations.  Make sure you check out these photos on our Photo page as well.

Stay warm,

Danielle

A Wild Week in 2-3

Hello 2-3 families!

I am thrilled to be back in the classroom and boy did I pick a wild week to come back!  Make sure you check out our PHOTOS page for pictures of our Halloween celebration and field trip to the AHPD.  Here is a look at what we have coming up in 2-3.

FIRST TRIMESTER ASSESSMENTS
It's hard to believe that report cards will go home in a few weeks.  This week, the 2nd grade classrooms will be giving a variety of assessments to measure the growth and progress of the students in math, literacy, spelling, and handwriting.  We will go over these assessments during our scheduled conference time.

CONFERENCES
If you have not turned in your conference confirmation sheet, please do so as soon as possible.  I am really looking forward to meeting with all of you.  In a couple weeks, I will be sending home an OPTIONAL survey that you may fill out about topics of interest that you would like to discuss during our conference time.  20 minutes goes by very fast and I want to make sure our time together addresses your questions and concerns in the most efficient way possible.

2nd GRADE MUSICAL
On Wednesday, November 13th, the 2nd grade musical will take place at 7PM.  The students will also perform for their classmates that day during the 2:30 performance.  They have two dress rehearsals scheduled during the day on Friday November 8th and Tuesday November 12th.  I can't wait to see these kids in action!

HALLOWEEN and POLICE STATION THANKS!
We had an AMAZING crew put together a wonderful Halloween celebration for the kids in 2-3.  While Mother Nature did not cooperate, we still had a great time parading through the school!  Thank you Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Neri, Mrs. Ford, Mrs, Hautzinger, Mrs. Edelheit, Mrs. Brandenburg, and Mrs. Schane for putting on such a fun Halloween celebration in our classroom.  On Friday, the kids were able to work off all of that candy with our walking trip to the AH police station.  Officer Doug conducted a fun and informative tour of the station.  Thank you Mrs. Brandenburg and Mrs. Phillips for joining us on our trip!  Don't forget to check out the photos on our photo page!!

LANDMARK CHALLENGE
On Monday I will be sending home the LANDMARK CHALLENGE form.  We are currently learning on citizenship during our social sciences unit and as a part of this unit we discuss a variety of US landmarks.  The kids have the opportunity to create the own landmark presentation during this unit.  This is an optional project. Please make sure to review the guidelines and have your child choose a landmark by Friday, November 8th.

BOOKMOBILE VISIT
On Friday, November 8th, the AHML Bookmobile will be coming to visit the 2nd graders at Dryden.  I will be sending home a reminder note on MONDAY (and I will email everyone as well on Thursday) to remind you to send your kids to school with their AHML library card so they can check out some books from the bookmobile.  

Thank you all for such a warm welcome back at school!  I hope you all had a great weekend!

- Danielle Porte

Samantha's Blog

In second grade we do a lot of math and writing. Second grade is so much fun! We do reading. We love second grade! We learn about motion, which is basically movement. Our specials are art, music, PE, and LMC. In second grade you learn a lot of new things. In second grade you get a Birthday crown. We read a great book. The title of the book is Charlotte's Web. Halloween is coming up. I can't wait for the Halloween party!

A Blog From Ms. Seamann

Hello 2-3 family and friends! I hope everyone had a great long weekend! I just wanted to write a quick blog to keep everyone posted. This week is a short week, so students will not be practicing DOL. However, during Daily 5 students will get to practice word work with some October themed words. In addition, we are also reviewing comma skills that were introduced last week. We are still working on motion in Social Sciences for the next week until we start studying citizenship. The students were assigned presidents to do a short research project during their LMC time. I can't wait to see how those turn out! The students are enjoying reading about and writing their own fairytales. They have come up with some very interesting and unique characters! I am so thrilled to be apart of Mrs. Porte's second grade class. I can't believe my time is almost over already! Stay tuned for Samantha's upcoming blog! Enjoy the rest of your week! 

Oula's Blog

In second grade we have been doing lots of things. We are working on autobiographies. We are learning about motion. We are on plus three's in mad math. We just had a spelling test. In LMC we are having fairytales for the genre of books for the month. In math we have been learning about doubles and turnaround facts. Miss Seamann taught us an awesome trick for plus nine's. (Thanks Oula!)

Oliver's Blog

In second grade we do stamina and writing. We are writing autobiographies and writing about books. We are doing math. In math we are doing things like counting by 10's and 100's. We learned greater than and less than. We use calculators too. We are learning about landforms and the seven continents in Social Sciences. I like gym and music and art too. I like school.

Spelling Lists For the Week of September 9, 2013

Orange List
bag
cap
ham
bake
ate
mad
back
cape
made
rake
fog
tug
HF:
different
number
other

Banana
safe
flames
male
vat
ate
clap
back
cape
made
rake
fog
tug
HF
different
number
other

Cherry
blast
mask
splash
chance
demand
expand
erase
create
donate
locate
waste
mistake
HF
different
number
other

Homework Information

Hello 2-3 Parents! I just wanted to post a quick blog pertaining to homework, since more homework will start being assigned. We are almost into our fourth week of school!

Fluency Logs are assigned on Monday and due on Fridays.  The reading passage and questions are on one side of the page, the sign-off columns and written response section are on the other side.  Students are expected to read the passage aloud 4 times during the week.  On a 4-day week, the students are only expected the read the passage 3 times and answer the questions.  Please do not worry about filling out the section that asks you to fill in the time it took for your child to read the passage.  

Spelling should be practiced each night.  There is no homework to turn in, it is the students' responsibility to practice their list at home throughout the week before the final test on Friday.

Math homework is ALWAYS due the day after it is assigned.  

Check back soon to view a blog from our student blogger, Oliver

WELCOME to 2nd GRADE!!!

Hello 2-3 friends and families,

Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year!!  I'm sorry that I am unable to be at the Ice Cream Social this evening, but made a little message for you.  I can't wait to meet everyone and I will see you soon.  Have a great time with Miss Seamann, she is AWESOME!!

xoxo,

Mrs. Porte

Summer Blog Housekeeping

Hello 2-3 Families!

I hope you are having a wonderful summer.  As crazy as it may seem, I am already busy prepping for next year!  We are also officially 9 days away from our little man's due date.  He can feel free to come at any time if you ask me.  As I was doing some blog housekeeping I noticed that while I wrote the last post of the school year, I never published it.  Here are the kids' final thoughts on the school year.  Also, I will keep all of the photo galleries up until August 19th so feel free to save any photos that you want to.  I hope you are all doing well!!  Hopefully the next time you hear from  me I will have a new little man to show off.  Happy summer!!

- Danielle

"My favorite part of second grade was when I brought Bud (his tortoise) to school." - Tarek

"My favorite part of second grade was math." - Elijah

"My favorite part of second grade was Mrs. Porte's caring." - Ty

 "My favorite part of second grade was getting to teach such an AWESOME, SMART, and TALENTED group of students!" 

- Mrs. Porte

Second Grade Memories - Day 4

Kate
"My favorite part of 2nd grade was Mrs. Porte."

Heather
"My favorite part of 2nd grade was taking home Patches."

2nd Grade Memories - Day 5

Katherine
"My favorite part of second grade was betting an amazing teacher and having poetry and one of our units."

Anna
"My favorite part of second grade was STAR STUDENT!"

2nd Grade Memories - Day 6

Katerina
"My favorite part of second grade was science."

Matty
"My favorite part of second grade was electing a class pet."

BRAVO!!

I see Oscars, Grammys, and Emmys in the future for some of our classmates.  Yesterday was the drama/musical performance of Jack and the Beanstalk.  Representatives from 2-3 included Ava and Kate as farmers, Eden and Lucia and the beanstalk, Emily as a shepherd, Anna as a storyteller, and our very own Ty as Jack!  It was such a delightful performance and Mrs. Yanong did a wonderful job with the kids.  Check out the slideshow from yesterday's performance.  BRAVO all!!

PJ/Movie Celebration

Hello 2-3 families!

Your children filled our cotton ball jar for the 2nd time this year!!  This means that they had the opportunity to choose their own incentive reward. The students chose to have a movie and popcorn party in their PJs!! Tomorrow, May 30th, will be a day where your kids can wear their PJ's to school and bring 1 special item from home. They may bring a pillow, OR stuffed animal, OR a blanket.....I told the kids that they may bring only 1 of these items.  Just like last time, I will be providing the popcorn for the kids. I'm so proud of the class for filling their incentive jar AGAIN this year. Let's celebrate!!

-Danielle

2nd Grade Memories: Day 7

Emily:
"My favorite part of second grade was cursive."

Jesse:

"My favorite part of second grade was learning cursive."

2nd Grade Memories - Day 8

Emily:
"My favorite part of second grade was our Australia unit."

Eden:

"My favorite part of second grade was learning cursive."

2nd Grade Memories - Day 9

Kacper
My favorite part of second grade was gym!

Ryan
My favorite part of second grade was learning cursive!

Our Second Grade Memories -- Day 11 and 10

Hello 2-3 Families,

We are in the final countdown of the school year.  We made a paper chain that included our favorite memory(ies) of the year.  Each day I will be posting 2 friends and their memories (with the exception of today since we just started this yesterday).  Enjoy!

Ellie
"My favorite part of second grade was seeing all of my friends because they are special."

Andrew
"My favorite part of second grade is that every day Mrs. Porte is nice, awesome, and kind."

Sara
"My favorite part of second grade was learning cursive."

Ava
"My favorite part of second grade was being friends with people, being in drama club, and being with Mrs. Porte."

An Early Biweekly Update

Hello 2-3 Families,

I know it isn't the end of the week, but there are so many fabulous things going on at Dryden that I wanted to give you an update a little early.

WEBSITE PHOTOS
As some of you may have noticed, our photos in the Mystery Reader section and Star Student section have not been updated recently and I have finally been able to solve the tech issue I was having.  It involved some handy work of deleting accounts and reconfiguring new ones, but this has allowed me to fix the problem I was having adding the photos to our website.  I am going to work this week to have both sections updated by next Tuesday.  Thank you for your patience and understanding!!  Technology can be both a blessing and a curse....ha!

END OF YEAR THOUGHTS
Today marks 11 days left of school.  Today we created a paper chain filled with our favorite 2nd grade memories.  Each day left 2 friends will each rip off a link in the chain to read their favorite memory.  By our last day of school, our final friend and I will read our favorite 2-3 memory of the 2012-2013 school year.  Each day I will post a photo of the friend and their memory. The first 4 will get posted tomorrow.  Stay tuned!!

FOOD DRIVE
We are working on our final school food drive of the year for the WHEELING PANTRY.  This week we will be collecting soups, macaroni and cheese, and potato products.  We would love to help stock the pantry shelves FULL before summer break. Any donations are greatly appreciated!!

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS LANDMARK PROJECT
Please take some time to see the incredible work your children did on their Arlington Heights Landmark Project.  Thank you Mrs. Powers for putting this video together and to Ms. Vankova, and Mrs. Schneider for helping with this project.

2-3's Landmark Project

BUTTERFLIES

Last week we wrapped up our Life Cycles unit with the release of our butterflies.  We were thrilled to be able to release them back into their natural habitats and hope they are enjoying this spring weather.  Check out our photo gallery below.

GERTRUDE

On Mother's Day, our beloved Gertrude became a mom to 10 ducklings!!  After a brief stay in the courtyard during the week, Gertrude was ready to escort her babies out of Dryden.  Check out this adorable video that Mrs. Breaux put together.....you may need Kleenex!!

BABY SHOWER

Where do I start?  Last week I was so overwhelmed by the surprise baby shower for our little man.  You are a very sneaky crew to get this one past me.  Thank you to Mrs. Colias, Mrs. Woodland, and Mrs. Washco for organizing such a fun afternoon with such thoughtful gifts.  Mrs. Woodland was kind enough to take photos and I am posting some of them below.  Thank you for making me and Baby Porte feel so special.

ALOHA!

We have our final spirit day on Thursday and we will be having a Hawaiian/Beach Day celebration.  Please remember our school dress policy must still be upheld while dressing for this spirit day.  No open-toed shoes, flip flops, bathing suits, etc.  Go wild with Hawaiian gear, bright colors, sunglasses, etc.  What a fun way to wrap-up our spirit days for 2013.

Just a friendly reminder that there is NO SCHOOL this FRIDAY 5/24 AND MONDAY 5/27.  I hope you all have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend.  Let's hope Mother Nature cooperates with nice weather.

- Danielle Porte

Biweekly Update

Hello 2-3 Families,

It was a beautiful start to the week with a brisk end!  Here is a look at what we have been up to in 2-3.

TEACHER APPRECIATION/VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION
I first want to give a shout out to ALL of YOU and our wonderful PTA for making me feel so special this week.  From treats to cards to the fabulous Wordle I received, it has been such a great week.  I have the best job in the world and am thankful each day that I get to do what I do.  I appreciate all that YOU do for your children.  THANK YOU!

Thank you also to all of our incredible parent volunteers.  Mrs. Sessler and Mr. Robinson created such a wonderful event for you this year.  Mrs. Kenny did a beautiful job decorating the LMC.  Your involvement at Dryden is such a tremendous help to us all and it is such a wonderful place to be because of your help.  Thank you for taking time out of your day(s) to be involved here!

SPRING ASSESSMENTS
We have wrapped up all of our spring assessments and you will receive those scores with your child's final report card on the last day of school.  The kids have worked so hard this year and I am very impressed with how well they did on their spring tests.  While I know that the upcoming summer break is a time for relaxation and fun, I cannot stress enough how important it is for your child to continue to practice their reading, math, and writing skills. We will be sending the kids home with a summer skills packet to continue to reinforce the skills that were learned in 2nd grade.

BUTTERFLIES
Well, our caterpillars formed their cocoons this week and we are patiently waiting to see the emergence of our butterflies.  We are continuing to make scientific observations and taking pictures to add to our upcoming butterfly album.  Hopefully they do not emerge while we are gone for the weekend!

MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION
As you have probably noticed, we started learning multiplication and division in 2nd grade!  As I have been telling the kids, multiplication and division are opposites just like addition and subtraction.  Multiplication is a fast way to add!  While we are in the beginning stages of learning these new operations, it is still very important that the kids continue working on their addition and subtraction facts.  Having a solid grasp of those will help with their understanding of multiplication and division.

AIR CONDITIONING
Our air system has been changed over this week from heating to air conditioning.  I have no way of turning the vent off in our room and on days like today, our room may seem a little chilly.  Feel free to send your child with a sweatshirt or jacket even on the nice days because it may feel much cooler in our classroom.

To all the moms of 2-3....

I hope you have a wonderful weekend celebrating YOU!  YOU have the hardest job in the world and I am amazed at how you effortlessly seem to be able to handle it all.  You have such amazing children and I am thankful that you trust me to spend time with them every day.  This week I told the kids, "Close your eyes and think of the most important lady in your life.....Who is it?"  Without hesitation, the class erupted into a cheer of "MOM!"  I have no doubt that there are some days where you feel less than appreciated, but please know how important you are to your kids and that they love telling me things about YOU!  I wish you all a Happy Mother's Day!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Danielle

2 Important Reminders

Talk about a beautiful day!!!  Just two quick reminders that I wanted to inform you about.

1. MAP TESTING
Tomorrow morning 2-3 will be taking their spring MATH Map test.  Please make sure your child gets a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast in the morning.  On Friday, they will take their READING Map test right after lunch so make sure they have a good lunch on Friday.

2. APPROPRIATE SCHOOL ATTIRE
As the weather gets nicer, I want to remind everyone of Dryden's policy for appropriate warm weather attire.  Students must wear closed-toed shoes that have a back to them.  The kids are not allowed to wear flip flops or open-toed sandals.  The students are also NOT allowed to wear spaghetti strapped tops.  Finally, sunscreen must be applied at home before sending your child to school.  Please help us at Dryden keep your children safe and follow these rules.  Thank you!

Biweekly Update from 2-3

Hello 2-3 Families!

I hope you all had a chance to enjoy the spring weather this weekend.  We have sure waited long enough.  Here is a look at what has been happening in 2-3.

SPRING ASSESSMENTS
This coming week, the students of 2-3 will take their spring reading and math MAP tests.  We will be testing on Wednesday morning and on Friday right after lunch.  Please make sure your child gets a good night's sleep and eats well before each of these tests.  I will also be conducting the AIMS Web assessment this week.  During this test, the students will read 3 separate 1 minute passages aloud so I can assess their rate and accuracy of fluency.  

MATH
Last week we completed Chapter 10 in math and began Chapter 11.  You may have noticed on your child's homework that the addition and subtraction skills are being taken to the next level.  The students have been working hard at learning to "carry" when completing double-digit addition and "borrowing" when subtracting.  We will work on borrowing again this week in math.  This is still a developing skill for many students and I continue to remind the kids that "PRACTICE MAKES PROGRESS."

HOMEWORK
The students in 2-3 are getting closer everyday to becoming 3rd graders.  I am expecting more effort on their part when completing their in-class assignments and homework.  If you child does not complete his/her homework or in-class assignment by the time it is due, they will have to stay in for recess until that work is completed.  I understand that everyone has busy schedules, but homework is not an option.  The work assigned to the class to be completed at home is designed to reinforce the skills taught during the day at school and should not take a lot of time to complete.  Each day the kids write down their assignments and the work they write down should be completed by the following day.  Thank you helping make sure your chid is completing his/her homework on time.  

AH HISTORICAL MUSEUM FIELD TRIP
Thank you Mrs. Lytle and Mrs. Gavin for joining our class on our field trip to the AH Historical Museum.  We had such beautiful weather for our trip!  I am so proud of how well-behaved and respectful the kids were during our field trip.  It was great seeing the kids make connections between what they have learned in class during our AH unit with what they learned during our field trip.  We will be taking our AH unit test on Monday and have started our NEW science unit of Life Cycles.  Stay tuned for updates about observing our caterpillars grow into butterflies.  

SPRING IS HERE?!?!
Spring is trying desperately to arrive, but unfortunately we cannot always count on our weather forecast.  As the weather continues to fluctuate between warm and cold, please make sure to send your child to school with appropriate outdoor weather gear.  Sometimes it does not warm-up until the afternoon and temps are still on the cool side when the kids head out for morning recess.  Having appropriate layers will allow them to stay warm and cool as we transition into warmer weather.

It's hard to believe that we only have 26 days left of the school year.  We will keep working hard and having fun as we wind down our time together in 2nd grade.

- Danielle

Counting Area with Partial Coverage

Hello 2-3 Families!

This week in math, we discussed counting the area of an object that wasn't completely square or filled-in.  I noticed some confusion with the last problem on Home Link 10.7 so I wanted to review this information with you.

When calculating area of an object that is not completely shaded in, less than half of a box shaded does not count at all towards the total area.  Exactly half of the box shaded in counts as half.  More than half of a box shaded in counts as 1 towards the total.

The last problem on HL 10.7 was this.........

Each fully shaded box would count as 1cm squared.  Since the rest of the boxes were exactly half filled in, they would count as 1/2.  The total area in cm squared would equal 9cm squared.  If less than half of the box was filled in, the box would not be counted in the total.  If more than half of the box was filled in, it would count as 1 cm squared.

The students and I discussed this during our math lesson this morning.  If you have any questions or concerns, let me know!

I hope you are staying safe and dry today in the storms!

- Danielle

News from 2-3

Hello 2-3 families!

We sure crammed a lot into our 4 day week last week!  Here is some information I wanted to pass along.....

OUR NEWEST CLASS MEMBER
I was so excited finally announce this week that Baby Porte will be joining our Dryden family. To make this announcement, we played a game of Hangman and at the end it looked like this......

The kids have been so sweet about our upcoming arrival and asked if they could vote on a name to add to our baby name list.  We will take our vote in May and then see what happens once we meet our little man this summer.  Thank you all for your kind words and support, Jeremy and I are very excited.


AU AMAZING ANIMAL RESEARCH PROJECTS
All I can say is....WOW!!!!  The students of 2-3 did an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING job researching their Australian animals.  Check out our photo gallery below to see how creative 2-3 is.




AH RESEARCH PROJECT
We launched our History of Arlington Heights unit last week and we will be working with the LMC to conduct research on an AH Landmark.  Thursday I sent home a list of choices for the kids to pick from. Since there are so many wonderful places to study, we will not be allowing any duplicates of landmarks.  These are being assigned on a "first turned in/first assigned" basis :) I look forward to seeing the kids work on this project.  If your child did not return their AH Landmark sheet today, please try to return it ASAP so I can assign the landmarks.

SHOE DRIVE!!!
This SATURDAY (April 13th)is the JUST MOVE IT CHALLENGE 5k.  During this event, we will be hosting the SHARE YOUR SOLES SHOE DRIVE.  Please think about cleaning out your closets and donating any gentle used shoes to support this wonderful charity.  I will be running the booth during the race so even if you don't have shoes to donate, make sure you stop by and say HI!!

Don't forget, there is NO SCHOOL TUESDAY APRIL 9th.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed some spring-like weather!

- Danielle

Spring Break is HERE!

Hello 2-3 Families,

While the weather may not be cooperating, spring break is here!  I just wanted to pass along a few things before you take a week to relax!!

2nd GRADE PRIDE!
Wednesday was our spring Spirit Day and each grade level was assigned a color.  2nd graders wore RED and we were proud to do so!!

CONFERENCES
It was so nice meeting with many of you to discuss the progress of your children.  For those that need to have conferences rescheduled, we can find a time that works best either before school, after school, or via phone to discuss your child's progress.

REPORT CARD ENVELOPES
If you have not done so already, please sign and send back your child's report card envelope.  We still have 1 more trimester to go through and I will send the envelopes home for you to keep in June.

SPECIAL DELIVERY
Our Australia unit has wrapped up and we had a safe flight home.  We saw so many wonderful places, ate incredible new foods, and learned about the rich history of Australia.  I hope you have all received something special in the mail from your child's trip to the Land Down Under!!  Up next, we will be learning about the history of Arlington Heights.  During this unit we will also be taking a trip to the AH Historical Society.  I will be contacting those of you who signed-up to volunteer in a couple weeks with more details.  If you have not yet had an opportunity to volunteer in the classroom or go on a field trip and would like to do so, please let me know and I will do my best to get you involved!

AU ANIMAL RESEARCH PROJECTS
The students of 2-3 are so excited about their AU Animal Research Project.  Who knew that so many unique animals can be found solely in Australia!  Just a reminder that these project are due on Tuesday April 2nd and the kids will be presenting them to their classmates that week.  I am very excited to see the projects the kids create!


I wish you all a safe, relaxing, and FUN spring break!  See you in April!

- Danielle

Bi-Weekly Update

Hello 2-3 Families,

I hope you've all had a great week.  I can't believe that next week is our last week before spring break!  Here is a look at what we have been up to the past 2 weeks....


PROGRESS REPORTS GO HOME!
Each child has an envelope in his/her backpack that contains trimester 2 progress reports! You will notice that the comments for this trimester have been stapled onto the report card.  This is a new format that we are trying out since it allows us to be free from character/word restrictions for how much information we can type.   I am very proud of the hard work that the students in 2-3 have been putting into their work.  Parents, you may see that some grades did not change or went down.  Please do not be alarmed by this.  The material the students have been learning has increased in difficulty since the first trimester.  Also, my expectations of the students have gone up so I am expecting more from their performance and effort.  I am looking forward to speaking with everyone at conferences next week!  If you need a reminder of your time, just let me know and I will email it to you!  Please remember that our conferences are only 20 minutes!  I love speaking with each of you and I will try my best to stay right on schedule during our conferences next week.  If there is anything we would need to speak about at length, I will gladly schedule additional time for another day! I look forward to seeing you next week!

IT'S ALL GREEK TO US!
Today we completed another Genius Hour project and this time we traveled to GREECE!  The kids spent the afternoon researching information about Greece, the history of the Olympics, Greek Mythology, food, animals, and fun facts.  Today the kids compiled their research and on Monday they will create their videos about what they studies   I will post them all on our blog once I have been able to upload them.  Such a fun and informative afternoon!!

AUSTRALIAN ANIMAL PROJECT
Just a reminder that the Australian animal projects will be due on April 2nd when we return from spring break.  Every student in the classroom has chosen an animal to research and create their own presentation about.  I am looking forward to learning more about these animals and seeing the kids' creativity come through in their projects.

PERIMETER AND AREA
Unit 9 in math has focused on measuring objects.  This week the kids learned about perimeter and area.  I explained the difference between these two types of measurements by telling the kids when thinking about perimeter, picture a fence going around a yard.  The fence goes around the yard and the perimeter is the measurement around the outside of something.  The area measures the amount of space inside an object.  Many of the students told me that they have area rugs inside different rooms of their homes.  I said when thinking about area, picture an area rug and that goes inside your home so when you measure the area, yo are measure the amount of space inside of an object.  Perimeter -- measures around the outside.  Area -- measures the amount of space inside.

SHARE YOUR SOLES SHOE DRIVE
At the beginning of the year, I mentioned a shoe drive project to help the kids show others around the world that they matter by donating their gently used shoes.  I am thrilled to say that the 'SHARE YOU SOLES' Shoe Drive will be taking place during the Just Move It! Challenge on Saturday, April 13th.  Please see the flyer below for all the necessary details.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend!

-Danielle

A Fun Day by Katerina

Hello 2-3,

Please give a warm welcome to our blogger, Katerina!

Today I brought in my my sea frog, Devin.  He likes to swim in his tank a lot.  He is a boy, but lots of people think he is a girl because his tank has pink rocks in it.  His favorite color is green.  At night he likes to sleep on a green colored rock.  He is not a very good listener.  Today was a fun day!

- Katerina

Weekly News -- MARCH 1, 2013

Hello 2-3 Families!

It is so exciting that March has finally arrived.  While it has been a lot of fun watching the kids have a chance to enjoy all the snow, I am ready for longer days and warmer weather!  Your kids have been working so hard.  Here is a look at what has been happening in 2-3.


TREASURES
This week we learned all about “Habitats and Homes.”  This week we talked about making inferences.  We learned that we can make an inference by putting together what we read about with what we already know about that topic!  We had the opportunity to practice this skill while reading our main story selection, Nutik, the Wolf Pup. Next week is a review week and we will be taking a look back at the various vocabulary, grammar skills, and reading strategies we covered during Unit 4! It is hard to believe we only have 2 reading units left until the end of the school year!

MATH CHAPTER 8 - FRACTIONS
I know, I know.....fractions are hard!  I am so proud of how diligently the class has worked on their fraction skills over the past few weeks.  I have put together a little video to show you how I have been teaching fractions in class.  While we took the Chapter 8 test today, that does not mean we are done with fractions.  The Everyday Math program is a spiraling program so we will continue working on fractions for the rest of the year.  If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!

MATH FACT PRACTICE
Having a solid grasp of basic (0-20) addition and subtraction math facts will allow your child to confidently take on larger addition and subtraction problems.  While we are currently practicing subtraction facts everyday in class, home reinforcement is important as well.  Inside each students' folder is their login information for the Everyday Math website.  There are a variety of addition and subtraction activities that your child can work on at home.  Everyone also has login information for the Xtra Math website as well.  I know many of you are using this website and it definitely shows!  I want the students to be as confident as possible when it comes to their math skills.  Having a solid grasp of their basic facts is a great start!

CONFERENCES
Thank you for getting your conference confirmation forms back to me so quickly.  I am really looking forward to meeting with everyone to discuss your child's progress.  It is so hard to believe we are getting ready for the final push of the school year!  I cannot believe how fast the time goes.  If you are unable to attend conferences I will be reaching out to you to schedule a meeting either in person or by phone.  Thank you for all that you do for your children.  I feel so lucky that I get to spend part of each day with them!

AUSTRALIA ANIMAL RESEARCH
I cannot wait to see the projects the kids come up with for their Australian Animal Research Project. They had until today to turn their forms in and each child has been assigned an animal.  The kids have until April 2nd to complete their projects.  This is going to be so much fun!!  Your child's form is in their red folder.

Next week will will continue our travels through Australia and our Classroom Blogger will update you on our experiences there!  Have a safe and warm weekend!

- Danielle Porte

G'Day Mates by Ryan

Please welcome our 2-3 Blogger this week, Ryan!  

We are learning about Australia.  We have an Australia packet that we write in when learn new facts and information.  The kangaroo lives in Australia.  It carries its baby in its pouch.  It is a marsupial.  A baby kangaroo is called a joey.  I am looking forward to learning more about kangaroos.  Thanks for reading!

-Ryan

Weekly News from 2-3!

Hello 2-3 Families!

It has been such a great week in 2-3.  Take a look at what we have been up to......

G'DAY MATE!
This week the 2nd graders packed their suitcases, grabbed their passports, and headed to the Land Down Under!  We will be learning about Australia and doing a cultural comparison between life there and life in the USA.  The 2nd graders are also completing a special research project in the LMC where they have been broken into research groups and are studying the various territories in Australia.  It has been such an incredible hands-on learning experience so far!  We will be staying in Australia for the next several weeks, but I promise to keep you updated on our travels and experiences! We have to thank a special substitute in our building, Mr. Piper-Ballou for providing us with some goodies from United Airlines.  When Mr. Piper-Ballou isn't subbing, he works for United which happens to be the airline we flew to Australia.  Thank you so much Mr. Piper-Ballou for making our travels special!  G'day mates!!

WE LOVE 2nd GRADE
We had so much Valentine's spirit this week!  Thank you Mrs. Colias, Mrs. Woodland, and Mrs. Hasan for organizing such a fun Valentine's party for our class.  We had sweet and healthy snacks, played a fun game of bingo, and showed our classmates how much we can for them with the valentines that were passed out.  Mrs. Colias also worked with the kids to complete a VERY FUNNY "Dear Teacher" Mad Lib....check out all the pictures below.  I received so many special treats yesterday, I definitely felt the love!  I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day too!



MATH UPDATE
This week we took our Unit 7 math test.  I am so proud of the hard work and effort the kids put into this test.  They did an awesome job.  Next week we will begin Unit 8 -- Fractions.   Fractions can be a difficult concept to grasp.  I will be working to use a variety of strategies so that all the kids can feel successful in grasping the concept of fractions.  If you find that your child is becoming frustrated with the math Home Link that is sent home, please let me know.  The homework is meant to be a reinforcement of what was learned in class and should be able to be completed fairly independently.  If your child is struggling with the homework, I want to make sure to help reinforce that skill set in the classroom.

MRS. SESSLER IN JAPAN
Last Friday, our wonderful principal, Mrs. Sessler, left for Japan.  She has spent the week visiting schools and learning about the similarities and differences between school here and school in Japan.  We can't wait to hear all about it when she returns next week.  If you haven't had the chance to check out her blog yet, please do!  http://drydendolphinpride.blogspot.com 

Don't forget there is NO SCHOOL on MONDAY FEBRUARY 18th.  Next Thursday (February 21st) will operate as a Monday schedule so instead of having LMC, the kids will have music and gym.

Have a wonderful and safe long weekend!

-Danielle Porte

Reminders for This Week

Hello 2-3 Families!

I hope you are all enjoying the snow we have.  The sledding hill by our house has been filled with families!!  I just have a few quick reminders about some things happening this week......

1. BOOK FAIR
The annual PTA Book Fair launched yesterday!  The kids were so excited to preview all of the wonderful books available for purchase.  Please note that students are only allowed to shop during their recess and lunch times.  Students are not permitted to shop during the lunch hour until they have finished their lunch.  Tonight, 2/6, is FAMILY FUN NIGHT!!  We hope you can stop by!  The Book Fair will run through tomorrow.  Thank you to the PTA for all of their hard work in putting on such a great event to promote reading!

2. THE 100th DAY OF SCHOOL
Can you believe that tomorrow is the 100th day of school?  Time sure flies when you are having fun!  Yesterday I sent home bags with each student labeled "My 100 Bag."  Students are encouraged to bring in 100 of something that will fit into the bag so we can celebrate 100 days of learning together tomorrow!

3.  SHOE TYING
I have been noticing lately that there are several students in 2-3 who are not familiar with how to tie their shoes.  Being that the kids are wearing boots and then changing into gym shoes when they get to school, I strongly encourage your children to practice tying their shoes at home. I have been working on this skill with them in class, but continued practice outside of the classroom will be helpful.   This is an important skill for your children to master because it allows them to tie their own shoes when an adult is not available.  Thank you for your help with this.

I hope you are all having a great week! Let's hope Phil's Groundhog's Day forecast was correct and that spring is just around the corner.

- Danielle Porte

Winter Weather Safety

Hello 2-3 Families,

What a week of weather we've had!  I just want to send a friendly reminder about why it's important to send your children with layers of clothes/winter gear during this season.  It is so much easier for the kids to leave off a layer before going outside for recess than have to be outside in the cold without enough layers.  As we are all aware, the weather here can change in a matter of hours.  We go outside unless the temperature is 0 degrees or below.  Depending on wind changes, the temperature might even dip while the kids are out at recess.  Please make sure your kids have hats, gloves, appropriate footwear, and scarves if necessary.  I would even suggest sending them with an extra pair of socks in their bags too.  I know it takes a few extra minutes when getting ready, but it is worth it to know that our little eskimos will be warm when outside.  Thank you so much for all that you do for your kids!

Stay warm,

Danielle

Brrrrrr!! Weekly Recap

Hello 2-3 Families!

I hope you have stayed warm this week during our cold weather.  Here is a recap of the past 2 weeks in our classroom.

CRAZY HAIR DAY!
What a fun way to wrap-up our shortened week!  2-3 has some serious school spirit and I LOVE IT!!  Check us out....

MAP TEST WRAP-UP
Last week the kids took their winter MAP tests in reading and math.  We will go over these scores during spring conferences in March.  That will be here before you know it!

2-3 ROCKS!
Last week we were so excited to have Miss Tabitha from the program High Touch, High Tech come in and teach the kids about rocks.  It was an amazing exploration time for the kids and they were thrilled to get to take their own bag of gems home.  The kids learned about different rocks and minerals and how to test the hardness of a rock.  Check out our photo gallery below to see the fun we had.



TREASURES UNIT 3
Today the kids are taking the Unit 3 Treasures test.  This week we reviewed the topics of alliteration, cause/effect, prefix/suffix, and synonym/antonym to prepare for the test.  Now that the class is taking the test independently I am continuing to remind them to take their time and double check their work.

MATH CHAPTER 6
We are cruising right along with chapter 6 in math.  This week we spent time learning the basics of multiplication (which the kids have loved!). Next week I will introduce them to the basic concepts of division and then we will take our chapter 6 test.

CURSIVE
As you have heard and seen, we have started cursive in 2-3.  I am so proud of the class for putting their best effort into their cursive work.  I want to explain the "grading" system for the cursive homework the kids are receiving.  I base the evaluation on a stoplight....green, yellow, red.  If you see a green smiley face on your child's cursive practice page, that means they did a GREAT job!  If you see a yellow smiley face, that means I want them to slow down and take more time when forming the letters I have circled.  If your child receives a red smiley face, that means I would like them to redo the entire page for additional practice.  The only time I permit the students to write in cursive in the classroom is during cursive time since they are just learning the alphabet.  As they learn more letters, they will have additional times to practice writing.  



That is all from 2-3 this week! Have a safe and warm weekend!

- Danielle Porte

CRAZY HAIR DAY FRIDAY!!

JUST A REMINDER.....

TOMORROW, January 25th, is CRAZY HAIR DAY!  Have your kids roll out of bed or come with their funkiest hair-do!  What a fun way to end a short week!!


- Danielle

First Week of 2013 Wrap-Up

Hello 2-3 Families!

Happy Friday!  It has been a great week back school.  This is our third class post this week, so if you haven't checked our blog yet this week, please make sure to check out our posts from Monday and Wednesday too.  Here is a look at what we have been up to this week and some helpful info for upcoming weeks...

MAP TESTING

Next Thursday (1/17) our class will take the winter MAP test in Math and on Friday (1/18) the class will take the MAP Reading test.  Our tests are both in the afternoon so please make sure your child has a good lunch to eat!

ODYSSEY FOOD DRIVE

Our Odyssey are leading another food drive to help the Wheeling Food Pantry. The 2nd graders are collecting peanut butter and jelly jars for the drive.  Thank you for helping stock the shelves for the Wheeling Food Pantry!

MATH

We've had a very busy week math-wise in 2-3.  We've work on partial sums, finding the difference, and completing Part/Part/Total diagrams.  If you have not checked out the video I posted on how to do partial sums earlier this week, please do so.  As the math problems and concepts are increasing in difficulty, I am expecting the kids to SHOW THEIR WORK so I can see how they solved the problem.

TREASURES

This week in Treasures, our theme was PERFORMING!  We continues working on the comprehension skill of SUMMARIZING and also worked on the digraphs (consonant blends) -sh, -ch, -tch, and th.  I also introduced alliteration to the kids this week.  When identifying alliteration in stories and poems, the kids know to look for words that have the same BEGINNING sounds in the same sentence.  It is normal for the kids to confuse rhyming and alliteration when it is first introduced. I keep reiterating to the kids that alliteration is found with the BEGINNING letter sounds and rhyming is found with the ENDING letter sounds.  As you read with your kids at home, keep an eye out for alliteration patterns in the stories and see if the kids can identify them.  PRACTICE MAKES PROGRESS!

2nd GRADE ROCKS!

This week we launched our ROCKS AND MINERALS unit in 2nd grade.  The kids have learned the basics this week about what a rock is and the 3 categories of rocks.  On Tuesday, January 15th, the staff of High Touch -High Tech will be visiting our classroom to present their rock and mineral presentation called DIG IT.  Other schools in the district have participated in this and gave it rave reviews.  I will take lots of photos to share of the kids' experience.  This weekend, you children should be looking for 4 rocks to bring to class with them.  While I usually do not give homework on Fridays, I wanted to give them plenty of time (and daylight) to go on their rock hunt.


Have a safe and fun weekend!

Danielle

Math and Technology

Hello 2-3 Families!

I hope you are enjoying this gorgeous winter day!  There are two quick things I wanted to update you on....

1.  TECH CLUB
Tech Club will be starting this week.  Mrs. Crandall and Miss Bandur will be hosting Tech Club on Fridays and it will be meeting during the kids' lunch recess time about twice a month (on Fridays) through May 17th.  I will randomly draw names on those Fridays so that students who are interested have a chance to participate in Tech Club.  What a great opportunity for the kids!  Thank you Miss Bandur and Mrs. Crandall for hosting Tech Club again this year.  

2. PARTIAL SUMS
Who knew as a parent you would have to learn math in a whole new way?!?!  I know the partial sums addition method is quite different from the "carry the one" method we grew up with so I put together a video that actually shows how this method works.  I know the Everyday Math Home Links do a great job of explaining it, but in case you are more of a visual learner and want to practice what I am doing, here is a quick video.  If you ever have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Have a great day!

- Danielle

The Funnest Dancing Day by Ava

Hello all!

Please welcome our 2-3 blogger of the week, AVA!

Today we learned about how to dance as a team.  We read the story The Alvin Ailey Kids.  We learned  that when you dance as a group it is a lot of fun.  It takes courage and responsibility.  You have to practice, try your best, and never give up.  Mrs. Porte taught a dance that we practiced as a group.  We loved it.  It takes a lot of work and courage to dance as a group.  Here's the cutest video of us dancing.  I hope you love it!

Sincerely,

Ava

PS: Bye, see you soon!