Happy Tuesday!

BOY progress checks
You should have seen the beginning of year (BOY) math and superkids tests in your child's folder yesterday.  These were not for a grade, instead I will use them to help guide instruction and groups.  They also give me a good baseline for what your child knows already.  

math login cards
In your child's folder today you will find a copy of their Everyday Math login card.  On the bottom of the card there is the website you can go to.  Everyday Math is a great website to bookmark.  Your child can log on and play math games, do their homework, or retry a lesson we did in class.

spelling test on Friday
Don't forget to study those memory words and this week's pattern words (words that end in -le and -ng).  The spelling test will be on Friday!

Labor Day
Don't forget--NO SCHOOL on Monday to celebrate Labor Day!

Early Release
Don't forget tomorrow is Wednesday!  That means Early Release day!  Dismissal will start at 1:40

Math
Here is what we are working on in math this week:

• bar graphs
• solving multiplication number stories
• solving division number stories
• multiplication fact triangles
• measuring mass

On Tuesday, I will send home the math unit 1 review packet.  This does not need to be returned for a grade.  It can be kept at home and worked on as review, to make sure your child understands all the math concepts we have worked on so far.  This will be a very good review to complete at home, before the unit 1 math test.  The math test will be on Tuesday, September 11.

Superkids
Here is what we are working on in Superkids this week:

• -le and -ng words
• memory words: want, look, play, come, any, some, day, or, very, new, out, good
• nouns vs. verbs
• rhymes
• comprehension
• book club book--Frog and Toad Together

Writing
Here is what we are working on in Writing this week:

• 6 traits
• writer's workshop routines
• asking for help while writing
• spelling anchor charts

High Ability
Here is what we are working on in our high ability unit this week:

• 5 types of changes
• types of language
• how language changes over time
• emotion words
• writing nursery rhymes

Look for more info about a family research project to come home sometime soon!

Upcoming Dates

Here are some dates to add to your calendar:

• 9/3--NO SCHOOL
• 9/10--school picture day
• 9/12--walk a thon kick off
• 9/12--Bingo For Books @5:30
• 9/21--movie night
• 9/24-9/28--College GO Week (more info TBA)
• 9/26--walk a thon $ due
• 10/5--end of 1st 9 weeks
• 10/5--walk a thon @1pm
• 10/12--report cards home
• 10/13-10/21--FALL BREAK-NO SCHOOL
• 10/26--movie night

Have a great week!

Happy Thursday!

I hope you have all had a great week so far!  Here's what's going on around our classroom...

Box Tops
Did you know that Creekside collects Box Tops?!  We turn them in and get money to use for our school.  The two classes that collect the most valid (showing a product code and expiration date) and unexpired Box Tops each month win a little ice cream treat, provided by the PTO,   We also collect Coke codes on caps or cases, Tyson A+ labels, and School Spirit labels, which are found on Sunbeam and Aunt Millie’s bread products, as well as pop can tabs, which are just consolidated and delivered to Riley Children’s Hospital.  So send those in when you can!

Reading Counts
Keep reading at home!  When your child finishes a book, they can take a quiz on it on their chrome book to earn Reading Counts points!  Each 25 point level reached earns them special prizes.  Most books in our classroom library are reading counts.  If you have any questions about a book at home--let me know.  I can look it up and see if it has a quiz for it on the computer.

1,000,000 words read!
Speaking of reading, the class has set a goal to read 1.000,000 words in second grade together!  The reading counts program will keep track of all the words read for us.   If we reach our goal, we will have a special celebration!

Superkids
This week in superkids we have been working on the following:

• contractions
• homonyms
• synonyms
• wh words
• th words

Math

This week in math we have been working on the following:

• elapsed time
• telling time to the minute
• rounding to the nearest 10 and 100

High Ability

This week in our high ability unit we have been working on the following:

• things that change
• things that do not change
• categorizing
• making generalizations

Writing

Today we finished our "2nd Grade Rockstars" writing project!  Look soon on facebook for pictures of our projects hanging in the hallway!

Spelling Test

Don't forget to help your child practice the 12 memory words and the -wh and -th pattern words!  Our spelling test will be tomorrow afternoon!

Math Online

On nights that your child has a math homelink, they can either do it on paper in the workbook, or on the computer.  If you know how to login already from last year, you can go ahead and do either for tonight.  I will also send home the passcards/weblink on Monday, so can start doing either next week.  You do not need to have your child do the online version and the paper version in the same night.

Have a great night!!

Welcome to 2nd grade!

Welcome to 2nd grade!  It's going to be a great year of learning and fun!

Superkids
Monday we started our Superkids reading curriculum.  Look for a "backpage" sheet to come home in your child's folder.  This can stay at home all week, and is to help your child study for the spelling test at the end of the 5 day unit.  More info on spelling tests below!  

NWEA
This week we will take our beginning of year NWEA test.  Our class will do the reading test Monday morning, and the math test Friday morning.  Results will be sent home when the testing window closes.

Homework
For 2nd grade homework, your child will bring home a reading log at the beginning of each week.  Their homework is to read their reading counts book or another book for at least 15 minutes.  There is a place for the parent to sign by each night.  Once we start math, there will be a spot to sign when your child has practiced their math facts.  Sometimes there will be a superkids page or something special, and the spelling test to study for each week.  To help study for the spelling test, there will be a couple Superkids Backpack pages that come home during the week.  The backpack pages do not need to be returned.  And that's it for homework!

**Reading Logs should stay in folders all week so I can check them.  Thanks!

Behavior Logs
Stapled in your child's agenda Monday will be their behavior log for the week.  Be sure to check it nightly and see if they have any letters marked.  If so, please talk to your child about that behavior at home.

Agenda
Please make sure to return your child's agenda to school each day so that they can write homework, the quote of the week, and important reminders inside each day.

Spelling Tests
As part of the 2nd grade Superkids curriculum, we will have spelling tests once every 5 days in the unit.  I'll have the boys and girls write in their agenda when the test is most weeks.  This week the spelling test will be on Friday.  Be sure to practice all the memory words and the pattern words!  All of the memory words will be on the test, and some of the pattern words will be on the test each week.

Early Release--Wednesdays
On Wednesdays this school year we have early dismissal. Normally we dismiss at 2:20, but on Wednesdays we will dismiss at  1:40.  All aspects of our dismissal process will be moved forward 40 minutes for our dismissal on Wednesdays. This begins tomorrow, Wednesday, August 15th, and will be each Wednesday during the school year. Cub Care is a great option here at Creekside. Also, the Boys and Girls Club and Girls, Inc. also are aware and have made plans to accommodate our students. Please send in a note tomorrow or email me if your child will do something different than their normal transportation on early release Wednesdays.


Beginning of Year Forms
Please be sure to return all beginning of year forms if you haven't already done so!  I'm still missing a few!

Beginning of Year Benchmark Tests
Last week we took the beginning of year Superkids test and today we started the beginning of year math test (we will finish tomorrow).  These tests are not going to be used for a grade in the gradebook, but for me to use as a starting point  to group students.  Once these are finished and graded, I will send them home for you to look at!

Crayola ColorCycle

This summer Miss Records ran across the Crayola ColorCycle Program.  You may have seen it on social media as well.  If you are not familiar with the program, it's Crayola's way to save the environment and tons of landfill space by recycling used markers and turning them into clean fuel!  So, she signed Creekside up!  If you would, here is how you can help!  Send in any used, dried out markers to our classroom.  When our basket is full Miss Records will take care of sending them in to Crayola.  

The one key reminder I have is that the program takes ALL plastic markers of any kind:  Crayola, non-Crayola, hi-lighters, dry erase, Do-A-Dots, Sharpies!  As long as it is all plastic, you can put it in the basket. 

Thanks in advance for your help in this simple way to take care of the earth!

Have a great week!