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Student Led Conferences
4-5 p.m. - private conferences
5-7 p.m. student conferences
Tuesday, March 13th
Thursday, March 15th
Valentine's Day Party!
Tuesday, February 14th
2:00 p.m.
A class list was emailed to you on January 30th.
Students may bring and pass out Valentine's beginning this week.
Dear Parents-
This is our last week before Thanksgiving Break and what a busy week it will be. We will be finishing our unit on Life in Plymouth Colony this week and working on several different projects. Your little one will have some "fun" homework this week to assist in time preservation at school.
Math
Students will practice using a calendar and solving problems based on days, months, and year. We are working on filling out our personal calendar and will us it to help us solve problems. Students will test over time and calendar this week. No Math homework will be assigned this week due to Life in Plymouth Colony.
Phonics
Students will work with sight words, suffixes s, ed, and ing.
Reading/Life in Plymouth Colony
Smarties are learning many skills about how to read non-fiction. They've learned that unfamiliar words may be in bold print. The definition for these words may come right before the bold world, or right after. They have learned that often the pictures reinforce what the text has just explained and strengthens their understanding of new vocabulary words. Non-fiction reading is about things that are real and true. Just like in fiction reading, if they are unclear about something, they have learned to go back and reread.
Each day, Smarties have used their Life in Plymouth Colony research guide to help them discover the meaning for 4 key vocabulary words. They return to the chapter read, look for the word, and read to discover the meaning of the word and write down its definition. Students are being encouraged to tell the definition in their own words instead of copying down verbatim from the text. This is an important researching skill they will use not only the rest of this year, but for the rest of their life. I call these kinds of skills, "Life Skills."
This week, students will read about Working in Plymouth Colony, Going to School, and What the Pilgrims Gave Us. We will then use what we've read and learned about to work on an informational writing project.
Spelling/Vocabulary
Once again, this week we will spell and define words from our Life in Plymouth Colony unit for spelling and vocabulary. These words are listed in the Homework section of Teacher Web and are also in Spelling City. Remember, students will be able to use their research guides to help them define the words.
Help Needed!
I have a few projects that I need help with on Friday, November 18th. I need about 4 helpers and I have only one person that has responded yes. If you could help out for an hour or so on Friday, beginning about 12:30, it would be very much appreciated. Please let me know ASAP.
Yearbooks
Don't forget!! Friday, November 18, is the last day to purchase your child's yearbook for the bargain price of $20! After Friday, the cost goes up to $25. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!
Popcorn Friday!
The PTO will be popping popcorn this Friday! If you would like to treat your child to a bag, please send $1 with your little one to school.
No School Next Week! Enjoy your Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends! I am thankful every day for the privilege of teaching your children. Thank you for having such awesome kids!!
Mrs. Patrick
Tuesday, November 8
Dear Parents-
Happy Tuesday…or Wednesday, depending on when you are reading this! I hope everyone is safe after an eventful, weather-filled week thus far!! I fully intended to email everyone Monday night, but after leaving school, I got caught in the evening rush at the grocery store. Then, I fixed dinner, and after grading papers, the storm moved in and knocked out our Internet. It was just restored today. So…instead of a “Monday Update,” here is your Tuesday, or Wednesday, update! :O)
We have a lot going on…so please read carefully!
1. Spelling this week is combined with vocabulary. Not only will your little one need to spell the words correctly, but they will also need to know what all the words mean. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO USE THEIR PLYMOUTH COLONY BOOKLET TO HELP THEM WITH THIS! So, no cause for alarm or panic.
We have been working hard on learning how to read non-fiction. Part of non-fiction reading is learning how to discover the meaning for words we aren’t familiar with. Usually, meanings are embedded either right before or right after an unfamiliar word. We’ve been practicing this as a class – highlighting words and underlining their meanings. On Friday, students will use their skills to help them write the meanings for their spelling words. A very meaningful activity and a lot of fun, too!
2. I spent time during the long weekend calculating how many points students can earn towards AR during our Life in Plymouth Colony unit. If students complete every project assigned, there is the potential to earn up to 19 points. The non-fiction booklet is worth 8 points alone. I may need to adjust the points if we aren’t able to complete all the planned projects.
My goal is to complete the unit before Thanksgiving break. That is a doable goal, but an ambitious one, too. So…after Thanksgiving, there are 3 weeks until Christmas break. I will require most students to read a book four out of five days and take a quiz during those 3 weeks. They should have plenty of time to accomplish this. That being said, most AR goals will be around 25 points. (19 from Plymouth Colony unit and 6 from actual tests)
Students will also be able to earn points on books that are not AR, too. It’s called a GRASS report. G=genre R=rating A=author S=setting S=superstar characters On the back, they will tell me a little bit about the story. If the report is filled out accurately (including writing the title correctly), they will receive AR points for their reading of non-AR books.
So...every student has oodles and oodles of opportunities to make his/her AR goal by Christmas. If your child stays on task during the day, completes the work assigned, and is reading during our Daily 5 time, there shouldn’t be any problem making goal. :O) I’ll keep you updated on your child’s progress at week’s end.
3. I need some help on Friday, November 18th. I have several projects that need finishing and I just can’t do it alone. From 12:30 to approximately 2:00, I need about four or five mom helpers. Students will be painting their monsters with black paint (crayon resist), half the class needs to finish shopping at the school store, and I need a couple of moms to help organize all the Plymouth Colony projects into the student pocket portfolio. If you can help, please let me know ASAP. Thank you so much!
4. YEARBOOKS!!! Yearbooks are only $20 if you purchase them from now until November 18th. AFTER the 18th, the cost goes up to $25. I sent home order forms last week. If you need a new one, there should be extra ones in the office. Please make checks payable to Rose Union Elementary.
5. Veteran’s Day Assembly is this Friday, November 11th,. If you or a loved one has served, or is serving, in the military, we hope you will join us for our Veteran’s Day Assembly. It is a special time of honoring those who protect this great land. Festivities will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the gym.
6. Popcorn Friday’s are back! If your child would like some tasty popcorn to finish out the week, just send one dollar with your child to school.
7. No Life Journals for the next TWO weeks!! But…be brainstorming with yourchild what he/she could write about as events come up. Thanksgiving should lend itself to some awesome writing! I appreciate you helping your child with this worthy activity. I will revamp to try and make it more enjoyable for your little one. Thank you for the feedback at conferences…I was listening!! :O)
I hope you have a wonderful week and that we finish strong with NO EARTHQUAKES!! (scary!) If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me!
Mrs. Patrick
October 30, 2011
Dear Parents-
Just a few quick things as we head into the week…
FIELD TRIP MONDAY!!! Please have your child to school on time and send a
SACK lunch with your child. We will be returning around 2:00ish to the school. If
you would like to check your child out at the zoo, you MUST visit with me first. For
parents attending, I’ll give you my cell phone number just in case you need to get in
touch with me.
BOOK FAIR this week!! Students may go to the fair IF they have money. We will ALL
go on Tuesday during our planned library time. There are some GREAT book picks!
The fair will also be open during conferences, too!
There WILL be Spelling this week. No homework on Monday or Thursday, however.
Remember, NO SCHOOL this Friday due to Parent Teacher Conferences Tuesday and
Thursday evenings.
No popcorn this week…but I am sending home a form to place orders for the next 2
weeks after this.
NON-PERISHABLE FOOD DRIVE!!! Our school is having a food drive for Students
Against Hunger! Please send any non-perishable foods with your child by THURSDAY,
NOVEMBER 3. Thank you for your support!
Parent Teacher Conferences are this Tuesday and Thursday. I do believe 100% from
our class have signed up for a time! Yay!! Thank you!
A quick note about conferences…
Our time is very short as we only have 15 minutes. I’m booked SOLID on Tuesday
evening, with not much “wiggle room” on Thursday, either. If you feel you have
questions or concerns that cannot be answered in 15 minutes adequately, please
let me know and we can schedule a time that we can talk more in depth. Also, if
you have some specific questions that you would like answered, let me know at the
beginning of the conference so we can cover those items first. I want to be sure
and answer any and all questions you have regarding your child’s educational
journey in second grade.
Have a wonderful week! I can’t believe how quickly time is passing us by! It seems
like only yesterday, I was meeting you and your child for the first time. I’m looking
forward to an amazing second nine weeks!
Mrs. Patrick
October 10, 2011
Dear Parents-
Happy Monday! Did you enjoy all the rain this weekend? My lawn is finally green again…and my dead flowers got a nice long drink…now that they don’t really need one! LOL
Only 7 more days until Fall Break – but who’s counting? ;O)
A few things you should know…
1) Field trip permission slips went home with your child today! We will be going to the zoo on Monday, October 31st. Please return these ASAP with your child’s payment.
2) Tonight is Interurban Night! I won’t be seeing you there…but I do hope you will go! Be sure to mention you are with Deer Creek Rose Union so we can receive a portion of the profits!
3) I sent home AR reports today. The printout is from Friday…and I will update you again next Monday. If students use their time wisely during school, there should never be a problem with making their AR goal.
4) Spelling City is updated with the new spelling words, and so is the Homework page on Teacher Web. Please remember ALL children are to study the bonus and challenge words and ALL students are to try and spell them on their test. I never take off points if they are spelled incorrectly, but I definitely GIVE points if they are spelled accurately.
5) Vocabulary is now being added to our Friday test. The bonus and challenge words are words we’ve discussed during class and I want to see if students are internalizing those words and will hopefully begin using them in their writing and even their speech. Therefore, ALL students are required to write the definition for their bonus and challenge words. Again, points are never deducted for wrong answers, but points are AWARDED for correct definitions.
6) Rose Union students have been invited to dance at the Middle School game this Thursday evening. Students should wear a Rose Union or Deer Creek shirt. If your child does not have one of these, a blue shirt will be just fine.
7) Life Journals! PLEASE take a little bit of time to work with your child on this important activity. Students should pick something SPECIAL from their “life” and write about it. It is NOT a regular journal entry about what they did during the day. It is something unique to their life that can be shared with their classmates. Think about a family vacation, or a visit to the fair, or playing on a team…anything that is special enough to share with their friends.
Then…the “show” portion. I strongly encourage you to help your child come up with a very interesting show. Students LOVE seeing REAL pictures of their friends on vacation or when they were little bitty, or of pets, etc. While pictures that are drawn are fine, your child is not experiencing the joy of “sharing” with his/her peers. PLEASE help your child find something creative to put in his/her life journal to show-n-share the experience with their peers. Thank you!
8) Our fish are sick. We lost all 12 cardinals and the new fish look as if they won’t make it much longer. I think the new fish had a disease that spread to the cardinals. I’m not sure what I will do at this point. But it’s a great learning experience for the kiddos (but not my wallet!!).
9) We are beginning Topic 5 in Math this week on Counting Money.
10) I’ve issued a challenge to students regarding their 2 minute timed test in Rocket Math this week. What will they do to help themselves go beyond their highest goal so far on their 2 minute test. Remember, the 2 minute test covers ALL their addition facts. So we want them to be extremely proficient with them. A good plan might be to give your child a test and time them for 2 minutes to see if they can beat their highest goal. Another thought might be for your child to work on a specific skill like +9 facts. They need to practice at home to become more proficient with those facts.
Continue practicing one minute tests, too! If you’re unsure how to practice, it is all outlined for you in the Rocket Math letter in the Parent Packet on Teacher Web. :O)
Have a wonderful week! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me!
Mrs. Patrick
October 2, 2011
Dear Parents-
Happy October! This is the month filled with creativity, fun, and change. Fall Break is almost here, leaves are changing colors, and Halloween isn't too far off! This is one of my favorite months of the year!
It was wonderful seeing so many of you at Family Fun Night! Thank you for all your hard work collecting donations to our school. We raised over $31,000.00 this year! Unbelievable!! The best part is that every penny of the money raised goes directly to our school and NOT to a fundraising company. AND, you don't have to deliver wrapping paper or chocolate to any friends, family, or neighbors!
A HUGE "Thank you!" to Connie Fritz for organizing our class project for the silent auction. The paintings were beautiful and brought in $305!! Thank you to everyone who donated and helped make the evening a success.
RU Community
Picture Day is Tuesday! Please make sure your little one brushes his/her hair and teeth before coming to school! This year, the photographers are taking standing pictures that are a full body shot. So, girls, polish those patent leather shoes!
Homecoming parade is this Friday! The parade will begin at the Middle School. If you are checking your child out for the parade, PLEASE bring them back to school afterwards. Attendance is a very important part of our school culture and we do a lot of fun learning on Friday afternoons!
RU Night is next Thursday, October 14th. RU students will be dancing during halftime at the middle school game. It will be a very fun evening! I hope your child will be able to make it!
Fall Break is in two more weeks! October 20-21 we will be out of school. What big plans do you have for the long weekend?
Smarties Classroom
Phonics
Students are learning the sounds of digraph ch /k/ & /sh/, voiced s, and combinations er and ir. Students will also learn about commas and how they separate items in a list, and when we come across them in reading, we need to pause. Students will also work on their expression when they come to an exclamation point in their reading.
Spelling
For extra "bonus" points, students are being invited to explain what their bonus and challenge words mean. This week, students will explain addends (the two numbers added together in an addition sentence), and related (how addition and subtraction are related...5+3=8 so 8-3=5).
Math
Students are working on subtraction strategies. We've already learned using doubles to help us subtract and subtracting with 0, 1, and 2. This week, students will learn how adding and subtracted are related. Knowing our addition facts can help us arrive at the answers to subtraction, too. Students will work on finding missing subtrahends/addends, and solve 2 step story problems.
Rocket Math
I'm proud of the progress students are making in their Rocket Math. They are making tremendous gains in their timed tests and are committing facts to memory. Keep working with your child at home. Studying with your child for just one minute each evening on their facts will pay off big time in the classroom! One minute! That's all it takes! :O)
Reading/Daily 5
Students are beginning to work on Listen to Reading - listening to stories on CD/tape. This is such a fun and meaningful component of Daily 5. When students listen to fluent reading, their fluency improves. When students listen to expressive readers, they develop more expression in their own reading. This is an important component of our literacy program.
We have a few hand-held CD players so that students can also listen independently to stories. However, students will need to have their own headphones to use these. We'll put the headphones in a baggie with their name on it and students can get them when they use the hand-held players. You can send those at any time.
Science
I've added new fish to the aquarium! We now have a beautiful blue Beta named Deek, and 4 other fish, too. I asked about getting a snail, but the aquarium people said I should wait about 6 months before adding one. Snails need algae to eat in order to survive. Our tank is so new, there is not enough build-up of algae yet for the snail to live. So, it may be a while before we can get one. Meanwhile, we'll enjoy watching our current fish and what their behaviors will be.
Have a wonderful week! I will be out on Monday and half of a day on Tuesday for a meeting and a workshop. I know my Smarties will be wonderful ambassadors of Rose Union while I'm away!
Mrs. Patrick
September 20, 2011
Dear Parents-
Tomorrow is officially the first day of Fall! I’m ready for a new season with new temperatures. It’s been a long, hot summer with too many 100 degree days. It’s pumpkin season! Big ones, little ones, round ones, tall ones, smooth or bumpy…they all look great to me!
A few reminders…
Rose Union Community
Jog-a-Thon is next week, September 27th! This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and we need everyone’s help to make it a success. You may turn in your donations at any time.
Our class will be running/walking in the bus loop from 2:45-3:35. If that time changes, I’ll let you know. Please feel free to come out and support your little one and take pictures. It’s a fun time of fitness and fundraising!
Family Fun Night is the evening of September 27th from 5:30-7:30. If you haven’t been before, there is food, games, a silent auction, blow-up toys, and it is always a TON of fun! I will be there and I hope to see you there, too!
For the silent auction, our homeroom mom has arranged for a wonderful class project! If you haven’t sent your $10 in to help with the cost, please do so ASAP! We don’t want her footing the bill herself. Thank you!!
Second Grade families are responsible for helping with the hair coloring booth. This is ALWAYS a big hit with the kiddos! If you could please help by donating a couple cans of hair color, it would be very much appreciated! Volunteers are needed as well. If you would like to volunteer, it’s only for 30 minutes, email Jamie Holloman. I sent a message earlier containing her email address…but feel free to contact me if you need me to resend.
Smarties Classroom
Phonics/Spelling
Students will be working with multi-syllabic words, digraphs ck and th, and will take their 2nd spelling test this week. I was very impressed with their scores from the first test! Way to go, Smarties! Be sure to have your little one hop on Spelling City to practice his/her words.
Math
Students have worked with doubles facts and doubles plus one. We will finish the week with Fact Families, adding three numbers, and making 10 to add 9 and 8. Some great skills to further develop their Math skills!
Students are doing great in Rocket Math! I’m proud of their progress and their hard work! Keep working with them at home to help them be successful in the classroom. If you aren’t sure how to help them study, be sure to check out the Rocket Math-Letter to Parents in the Parent Packet section. We tell the kiddos, “If you don’t know your Math facts before you go to bed, you won’t know it when you wake up.” It takes practice!
Reading/Daily 5
If you haven’t sent a book box for your child, please do so ASAP. It really helps them with their organization.
Students are doing an excellent job of learning the procedures for Read to Someone. This week, they will learn strategies they can use to coach their friends when they are having difficulty reading a word. We will continue building our reading stamina in Read to Self, too. Our record is 25 minutes of sustained independent reading! AMAZING!!
Science
We’ve added plants to our aquarium and it’s looking more like home (well…for a fish) everyday! The PH level is still too high to add fish yet. If I can’t get it to stabilize this week, I will have the joy of replacing1/3 of the tank’s water this weekend. We’ll keep you posted on our aquarium’s progress!
We (the teachers) haven’t seen any butterfly eggs to harvest from our Butterfly Garden. Since this is only the first year of its establishment, it may take another growing season before butterflies start laying their eggs. We’ve visited as a team about ordering caterpillars in the spring so students can observe the life cycle – minus the egg stage.
Social Studies
We will continue learning about maps and how they help us navigate. We’ve learned what an atlas is and about Earth main properties.
Have a wonderful week! I look forward to seeing you at Family Fun Night which is right around the corner! If you have any questions for me, don’t hesitate to email me.