Newsletter 3, 2006-2007

2006-2007  Room 302—Newsletter 3  http://room302.blogspot.com

October 2, 2006

Dear Families,

Here is what I have to share:
Reading
Good readers are always making connections between the story and something that they’ve experienced or read:  the story reminds them of other things that aren’t in the story.  We often take a second to share these connections when I’m reading aloud, but we can never share all of them.  This is one of those things that you can do much better at home than I can do at school.  When you’re reading aloud, take the time to share your connections, and take the time to let the children share theirs as well.  You may only have time for one or two books, or one or two pages, but the conversation can be just as important.  It helps make the stories personal, relevant, and meaningful—this means that reading becomes personal, relevant, and meaningful.
Math
The first graders are moving into the book called Building Number Sense.  The second graders are starting Coins, Coupons, and Combinations.  As we finish a book, the students will bring home their old workbooks.  You’ll find that we’ve done some of the work, but usually not all of it.  Sometimes the books have lots extra, or things we don’t need.  The students may use those books as they like.  We don’t need them back once we’re done with them.
Science
For our first science investigation, we balanced tag board shaped like crayfish, triangles, and arches.  We also tried a tag board pencil and a real pencil.  We used clothespins for counterweights, and figured out which configurations were stable.  There is a lot of excitement and interest during our science times.  It’s great.  Now we’re into experimenting with tops.
Book Orders
I’m going to start sending book orders home.  Order if you like, but don’t feel obligated.  If you do order, please do not send cash, only checks.  And please make out checks for each book order, rather than one for all.  
We’ll always take time to look through the orders and circle the books that look interesting.  I encourage the children to save the part with the books and use that section to help find new things to read.  Sometimes a library can be a bit intimidating because it has so many choices, but if children walk in with a list of interesting things, it’s easier for a librarian to help them.  
Library
We’ll again have library on Wednesday this week, due to an assembly on Friday afternoon.
Chapter Book
Our current one is My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet.  Before that we finished Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park.
Field Trip
We’re signed up to go to the Seattle Children’s Theater on to see The Sorcerer's Apprentice by OyamO.  We’re going with the other second grade class, leaving right away in the morning and returning to school about 2:00.  It looks like we’ll have room for 10 adults to chaperone, so let me know if you would like to join us.  I’ll take the first ten.  I’ll be sending permission slips for the kids at a later date.
Class Video
From time to time I video tape things that are happening at school.  Then the students take turns taking the tape home to share.  The tape should return to school the next day so the next person gets a chance; please help your child remember.
Email List
In an effort to help with communication, I’d like to put together a mailing list so that I’ve got another way to get you information like this.  If you’d like to be on it, please send me an email requesting that I put you on the list.  Include your name and your child’s name so I can identify you.  (If you got this newsletter via email, you’re already on the list.  If you didn’t, you’re not.)
Classroom Visits
Any time you’d like to visit, you’re welcome to do so.  Just make sure to stop in at the office to sign in and get a Visitor sticker.
Calendar
Friday, October 6—Taylor’s birthday     Friday, October 13—no school
Thursday, October 12—70’s Dance, 6-8:30     Friday, October 27—early release, 12:15
     


Sincerely,


Jeff

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Today in science some of us decorated our tops. The tops spin on our tables or on the floor. We used plastic disks and straws to make the tops. We had paper circles with black and white designs on them. There was also a blank one we could decorate with any design we wanted. We put those paper disks on the tops to make them look very cool while they were spinning. The rest of the class finished painting the pictures for their October calendars.

Monday, October 02, 2006

A librarian came from the public library to our school. She read us two books named Mudball by Matt Tavares, and Mabela the Clever by Margaret Read MacDonald. She gave us library cards that need to be activated. They have little bracelets attached to them. They’re stretchy and they cling to your wrist. Everybody in the whole school gets one.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

We made mobiles again today in science, but these were bigger. They were twice as big as the ones we made yesterday. They were kind of hard to make because you had to get so much stuff and do so much stuff. We had a choice of making them by ourselves or having a partner to help us.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

We got our pictures taken. Everybody got all dressed up and looked nice. Brandon and Jesse matched—they both wore the same shirt and pants. Except Jesse had a mohawk.

We made mobiles in science. We made them out of rubber bands, paper clips, index cards that we decorated, and a straw cut in half. They turned out perfect. We hung them from the lights in our room. They balanced, and they look beautiful.

Friday, September 22, 2006

It was Ashley’s birthday. She turned eight years old. Her mom brought delicious chocolate chip cookies, Wonka’s Laffy Taffy, and green apple fruit punch. She brought chips, too, and we had those on Monday. It was a half day. Ashley’s mom stayed the whole time and even ate lunch with her.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Jesse lost his tooth. It was in front, and now it feels like it’s still in, but it’s not.

Today at science we balanced things. We taped a popsicle stick onto our tables. Then we took two clothespins and hooked them to an arch or a triangle, and put them on the popsicle stick and tried to make them balance. Some ways worked and some ways didn’t.

Newsletter 2

2006-2007 Room 302—Newsletter 2 http://room302.blogspot.com

September 20, 2006

Dear Families,

I hope everyone is settling into the school routine okay. It’s something that has to happen at home, as well as at school, and it can be tricky. All the kids seem to be enjoying it here so far, which is to be expected. If you hear otherwise, please let me know.

Thanks so much to everyone who was able to attend our Open House/Curriculum Night. I wish we could all get together like that more often. I think there is power in being in the same room, and if we did it more often, maybe someone else could even get a word in edgewise now and then. But for now, this is the next best thing.

That first newsletter was a long one, so I intentionally included some of the same information on this one. Remember, too, that these are always posted on the blog (address above) if you need to reread one at any point.

Reading

Taking a page from Judy’s (my wife) book, we have been doing Read it; Act it; Make it! during some of our reading times. As you might guess, we read a book, act it out, and make some sort of project that ties in. Everything I do with reading is meant to make it purposeful and enjoyable for the readers, and this has been a big hit.

Writing

Wow! Our writing to this point has included daily writing books, names, and a class book. Our class book (based on Yikes!!! by Robert Florczak) used interjections like he did, and then extended them. We next talked about how to add interjections into our daily writing. This week I’ll be sharing the Interjections song from Schoolhouse Rock. You might ask your child about interjections. Hurray!

Math

Our district uses the Investigations program. These are grade specific, so most of the time we’ll be split into grade levels for math. If you want more information about Investigations, one place to look is their web site: http://investigations.terc.edu/.

Science

The science we’re using this year is called FOSS. This is our first year with it. We started using it this week, and it’s really fun. Both grades are starting with the first FOSS unit, called Balance and Motion. Later in the year, the second graders will do the three second grade units, which the first graders will do next year. For more information on FOSS, here is a web link: http://www.fossweb.com/modulesK-2/index.html.

Snacks

We’ll have time for snack each day. If everyone takes turns sending in a snack about once a month for the whole class to share, that will work great. If you and your child would rather bring an individual snack each day, that’s fine, too. I only ask that the children know if they’re bringing their own or sharing.

Volunteers

I welcome volunteers in the classroom. There are no special skills required—you’re qualified to help. Every volunteer needs to fill out the appropriate forms. If you don’t know what these are, contact me or the office. The completed forms are returned to the office, and they let me know when people are clear to work in the classroom. There was a signup sheet for volunteers at Open House. If you missed it but still want to come in and help, please let me know.

Birthdays

We’ll plan to celebrate the birthdays of all the students (unless otherwise requested). Let me know if you’d like to bring something like treats or a classroom book for the celebration.

Counselor / Library

Our class works with our new counselor from 2:35-3:05 every Tuesday. Our library time this year is 2:30-3:00 on Fridays. Since we miss so many Fridays, and since library is too important to miss, we have an alternate day for weeks when we don’t have our Friday time. Our alternate day is Wednesday, and our first one was today, September 20.

Physical Education / Musical Education

These important classes will happen for us this year on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please help the students make sure to dress appropriately for moving around on those days.

Email List

In an effort to help with communication, I’d like to put together a mailing list so that I’ve got another way to get you information like this. If you’d like to be on it, please send me an email requesting that I put you on the list. Include your name and your child’s name so I can identify you.

Classroom Visits

Any time you’d like to visit, you’re welcome to do so. Just make sure to stop in at the office to sign in and get a Visitor sticker.

Calendar

Friday, September 22—Ashley’s birthday Thursday, September 28—Katie’s birthday

Friday, September 22—early release day, 12:15 Friday, October 13—no school

Tuesday, September 26—picture day

Sincerely,

Jeff

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Levi read Obadiah to our class. He read it good, and it was fun. It was a rhyming book. We filmed it for our class video.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Connor came back today. Hooray!! Yippee!! He had his tonsils removed. It was at the Children’s Hospital. He was gone for a week. At the hospital he got to ride in a wheelchair.

It was our first day with the counselor today. We saw pictures about feelings and we colored them. We colored the ones that showed how we felt today. After that, she read us a book called How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. It was about fruit and vegetables and their moods, like shouting, mad, sad, glad, and happy.