Brrrr!!!

It is SO cold outside these days!! I hope you are all finding ways to stay warm and toasty! We have had indoor recess all week so far, due to the cold temperatures and the wind chill - but students may be going out next week, so please make sure you send them with appropriate "gear!"


Book Swap
The Book Swap was a success!! Many students donated LOTS of books and all students returned from the library today excited with their new "treasures!" Thank you for your help with this!


Project Just Because
As most of you know, Elmwood School is collecting toys for Project Just Because. The bin is located in the front lobby and toys, books, etc. can be dropped off any time. We all appreciate your generosity this time of year!


Here is our week in review...so far!
READING
The story from our anthology this week was There’s Nothing Like Baseball, by Angela Johnson. The children made many wonderful connections throughout this story – some about playing baseball/softball, some about going to different games, some about having nervous dreams (e.g. before the first day of school) and more. Ask your child to tell you about the story!

We continued to refine our inferential thinking skills this week. Students are getting pretty good at “figuring out” what the author is trying to say, using clues from the story. Keep practicing this at home!

SPELLING
This week, most students worked on spelling words with the long o (ohhhhhh) sound. Students already know that long o can be spelled using o_e (o-consonant-e), like in home and nose. This week, we focused on other common spellings:

oa              oe              ow              old               ost

                          boat           toes            show           cold             most
                          toast          foe             below          mold             post

Be on the "look-out" for words with these spellings!

GRAMMAR
We took a break from plural nouns this week and moved on to apostrophes! Apostrophes really have two purposes in the English language – to create contractions and to show belonging (possession). This week, we focused on using apostrophes to show possession.

Note:  This is a VERY tricky concept - one that will require a lot of practice, review, and explanation.  Please be patient with your child as you watch him/her sprinkle apostrophes throughout his/her writing!!

Rules:
When showing possession, we usually add ’s to the end of the person/thing that owns the object.

Examples:       Billy’s hat           Jane’s gloves             the dog’s paws


However, when the word/noun is already plural, we just need to add ’ to the end (after the s).


Examples:     two boys’ backpacks           my cousins’ noses           four rabbits’ ears

When we say these words, they sound the same so it is difficult to distinguish between them – and even more difficult to determine which to use and when! We will continue working on this skill throughout the year. Please support your child with this when writing at home!


WRITING
Students are writing up a storm these days!  In addition to letter-writing (which is still going strong in Room 13), students have been introduced to procedural writing.  The introduction was made through a little sandwich-making activity earlier today - one that left me covered in jelly and them rolling on the floor in laughter!! Ask your child about it!

In second grade, procedural writing is also known as writing a “How-To.” A How-To Article is a short, direct piece of writing that explicitly explains to the reader how to do or make something. Good How-To Articles include specific steps and usually use time-order words that help the reader do things in the correct order. Some time-order words include:

first            before         later           next           in the beginning
second        after            soon           then           at the end    
while         during           finally         last            in the middle

*list created by students in Room 13*

Students have worked to put their new knowledge to good use as they draft their first  How-To Article! What is your child writing about?


MATH
On Wednesday, we kicked off our new math unit – Geometry! Our geometry unit is a lot of fun and provides students with many hands-on activities. This unit is great for students that are good visual/spatial learners!

This week, students have been busy learning about points, line segments, and parallel lines. Here is a brief description of what they should now know:

Points and Line Segments
A point is an exact spot/location. We usually label points with capital letters so they are easy to identify. Points at the end of a line segment are called end points. Line segments are part of a line. Lines can go on forever, so a segment is just a piece. Line segments should always be drawn with a straightedge/ruler. We can name line segments by telling the endpoints.
       Example: line segment AB or BA

Parallel Lines
Parallel lines are lines that will never meet/intersect – in either direction, no matter how far they go. They do not have to be the same length. Parallel lines must come in pairs or sets.  One line cannot be parallel to itself! Students are fairly good at identifying parallel lines in the real world, but they have difficulty deciding whether or not certain shapes have parallel sides.

       Example: A rectangle has two pairs/sets of parallel lines. (The top and bottom are parallel and the sides are parallel.) Some students think that because the top and bottom lines intersect with the sides, there aren’t any parallel lines. Others get confused with the idea of a “set” or “pair.” Help your child look for parallel lines in the real world – door/window frames, books, rugs/carpets, billboards, etc.

More geometry to come!!

SOCIAL STUDIES
This week, students solidified their understanding of symbols (pictures that represent, or stand for, something else) and map keys/legends.  As they now know, all good maps have a key (sometimes called a legend) in which all of the symbols are displayed and labeled. 

Tomorrow, we will talk about maps that are drawn from a "birds-eye" view.  Keep an 'eye' out for a special homework assignment!!
This week, we also did a biographical study on Jackie Robinson – the first African America to play professional baseball. Not only did this tie in nicely with our reading program, but it is a great opportunity to discuss with students the importance of accepting and appreciating people of all colors and cultures. Ask your child to tell you some important/interesting facts about Jackie Robinson!

That's all for now!!  Check back in tomorrow for pictures from our Math Lab! :)

Book Swap

Don't forget - the Book Swap is happening tomorrow (Thursday, December 16) during library! 

Holiday Humor

Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?

A: Frostbite.

Q: What do snowmen like to eat for breakfast?

A: Frosted Flakes!

Q: What do elves learn in school?

A: The elf-abet!

Q: What do snowmen wear on their heads?

A: Ice caps!

Q: What do snowmen eat for lunch?

A: Icebergers!

KNOCK-KNOCK!

Who's there?

Donut

Donut who?

Donut open till the holidays!

KNOCK-KNOCK!

Who's there?

Holly

Holly who?

Holly-days are here again!

The Countdown Is On!

I can’t believe how quickly we are approaching winter vacation…it seems like the first day of school was just yesterday! Let’s keep working hard and push through to the end!

Wee Deliver
The Wee Deliver program has been a HUGE success in the classroom. I have never seen students so excited to WRITE! And you should see their faces when they get mail! Please encourage your child to keep writing those letters! Letters can be written at school AND at home! Don’t forget that you can write letters to them too! (Just drop them in the big blue mailbox in front of the cafeteria!)


READING
This week, students read the story Farfallina and Marcel, from our reading anthology. This story is a fantasy and is written and illustrated by Holly Keller. In keeping with our theme for the week, How Animals Grow, this story tells about a caterpillar (Farfallina) and gosling (Marcel) that become good friends. After spending some time apart, the two friends can’t find each other because they have both undergone such incredible physical changes! Ask your child to tell you how they each changed – and how the story ends!
 
We have been working very hard on making inferences this week! An inference is when the reader “figures something out” - based on information read in a story, as well as previous knowledge of a subject. Making inferences can be tricky because the information is not directly stated in the text – you must INFER the author’s meaning!
 
It is not only important that we make reasonable inferences, but also to identify the clues from the text that helped us arrive at our conclusions. In order to help us strengthen this skill, students played an Inferencing Game this week. A card from the game is copied here. How would you do?


Mr. Brown went into an office building. He pushed the button for the elevator. He waited a minute, but the elevator did not come right away. Mr. Brown went to the stairs and walked up to his office on the third floor.
 
INFERENCE:  It is likely that...
a) Mr. Brown is afraid of elevators.
b) Mr. Brown is in a hurry.
c) The office building is very old.
 
 
This week, students were responsible for 5 reading centers, including:
 
Phonics - Students completed a word-sort by sorting a list of words into 2 columns: words with a short i sound and words with a long i sound.
 
Grammar - After completing a fill-in-the-black activity using irregular plural nouns, students created (illustrated/colored) a flipchart highlighting 4 of the words in the activity.  
 
Art - Students showed the life cycle of a butterfly by labeling and illustrating each stage.
 
Games - With a partner, students played the Inferencing Game. Students checked each other’s answers with the answer key.
 
Writing Center - After correctly sequencing 8 pictures from the story, students wrote one complete sentence about each picture.
 
 
SPELLING
Last week, we focused on the most common ways to spell the long a (ayyyyyyyy) sound. This week, we worked on the different ways to spell long i (iyyyyyyyyy) and unfortunately for the kids - there are quite a few! Take a look!
 
Ways to spell the long i sound:
 
i                  y                  ie                  igh                 i_e (review)
mind           try                pie                sight              chime
child          cycle              tie                 high               kite
 
Be on the look out for words with these spelling patterns!
 
GRAMMAR
This week, we learned about irregular plural nouns. 
As a review, students now know that most plural nouns end "s" (desks). Singular nouns that end with s, sh, ch, x, or z become plural by adding "es" (dishes). Singular nouns that end with a consonant + y "change the y to and i and add es" to form the plural (puppies).
There are some nouns that don't follow ANY of these rules - and these are the words students worked with this week.  Some of these words include:
 
tooth - teeth
foot - feet
mouse - mice
wife - wives
child - children
person - people
scarf - scarves
cactus - cacti
 
Although these words don't follow any "rules," most children were able to recognize when a word sounded "weird" (e.g. tooths).  This is why exposing children to rich language and text - through conversations, books, etc. - is so important!!
 
WRITING
With cell phones and email, letter-writing is somewhat of a lost art and it is important that we keep it alive! I know that I STILL get excited to receive mail – and it is even more exciting for the children because it doesn’t happen that often! Please encourage your child to write letters – to friends, cousins, grandparents, and more! The more they practice, the more they will internalize the letter format (date, greeting with a comma, body, closing with a comma, and name). They will have great opportunities in the near future (thank-you notes/letters)!
 
MATH
This week, I introduced a new algorithm for double/triple digit addition with regrouping called Partial Sums. Information about the method went home earlier this week and I hope you found it helpful. The students have really been working hard to understand and apply this new strategy and they have been doing a FANTASTIC job!! It can be tricky at first, but with consistent practice (both at home and at school), it will become second nature!!
 
Below are a few pictures of students as they began "building" bigger numbers with Base-10 Blocks and finding sums...
 

 
Just in case you need a refresher, the steps to solving a problem using the Partial Sums algorithm is provided below.  (The blog does not allow me to insert Microsoft Word Files and/or PDFs, so I apologize for not having a visual example to show here!!)
 
1) Draw a line down the middle to represent the breaking apart of the numbers (into ones and tens). Label columns.

2) Break apart each number and write what each digit “really means.”
      Example:  25 is really a 20 and a 5.

3) Add the numbers in the ones column. Write the sum in the appropriate columns showing the correct number of ones and tens.

4) Add the numbers in the tens column - remembering to add what the numbers REALLY mean (e.g. 20, not 2). Write the sum in the appropriate columns.

5) "Add it all up" - but just what you wrote (NOT the numbers in the original problem!)Circle your answer.


Although the “carrying” strategy may seem a little easier, it is important for students to understand and utilize this strategy– especially since other mathematical concepts rely on it (in future years). Please take the time to understand this method and practice it with your child.

Suggestion: Ask your child to explain it to you! People (children included) remember and understand concepts better when they teach them to others!

Heads Up: Unit 4 is almost complete and students will be assessed next week. Partial sums will be part of the test.

SOCIAL STUDIES
This week, students were introduced to the 4 intermediate directions – northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest.  They should now understand that these intermediate directions are found halfway between two cardinal directions - and they provide us with more accurate directions and information.  On Thursday, students included all 8 of these directions in their creation of advanced compass roses – which are proudly displayed in the hallway!

MYSTERY READER
Our Mystery Reader this week was Mrs. Saez, Marco's mom - much to Marco's surprise!  Mrs. Saez read the children two wonderful books, including one fictional story and one nonfiction story about what is underground.  The children were (as usual) on their best behavior and truly enjoyed the opportunity to sit back and listen to a good book.  Thank you so much for donating your time, Mrs. Saez - you are welcome back any time!

Our first week back after Thanksgiving break was a little hectic but the children are beginning to settle back into our routines. (It doesn’t help that we haven’t had a “normal” full-week schedule in almost a month!) Keep reading for a review of this week's activities!

Book Orders
Don’t forget that Book Orders are due on Monday! If you are ordering books as a gift, let me know and I will make sure to hold on to them for you (so your child doesn’t see them). Just let me know when you want to pick them up!!

Wee Deliver
As I’m sure you know, the Wee Deliver program is in full swing here at Elmwood School! Students have been learning how to write friendly letters and address envelopes (it’s tricky!). Writing letters can be tricky and students need lots of reminders to follow the special format, which includes: the date, the greeting (with a COMMA!), the body, the closing (with a COMMA!), and the signature/name. 

Parents/family members are welcome to write letters to students as well! Wee Deliver stamps were sent home 2 weeks ago, and additional stamps can be requested at the front office. Letters can be “mailed” in the big, blue mailbox at the front of the building. Students in Room 13 have the following address:

Name (first + last)
13 Marzilli Manor
Second City, MA 01748

(Please note that this address is different than the one sent home to you a few weeks ago.  Last year's address was 13 Donahue Drive - but it should have been updated to 13 Marzilli Manor!) 

READING
The story in our anthology this week was an article from Time for Kids titled, A Trip to the Emergency Room.  As you might guess, this article outlined what a trip to the ER might be like and who you might meet there. Many students had stories to tell about their own experiences with doctors, nurses, hospitals, emergency rooms, scars, bad falls and much more!!! It sounds like many of you have more personal experiences with hospitals/ERs than you would like!

This week, students were responsible for 5 reading centers. They included:

Writing - Students completed the Proper Noun worksheet.

Buddy Reading - With a buddy, students read 6 mixed-up sentences about my trip to the emergency room. Using their books for help/support, they cut out the sentences, sequenced them, and glued them in order to reveal a properly sequenced story. Students finished the center with appropriate illustrations.

Games Center - With a partner, students played the “S” game. To play, students turned over word cards and decided how to make the words plural (add s, es, or change the y to i and add es). Depending on the word, students moved 1 space (if they just had to add “s”), 2 spaces (if they had to add –es) or 3 spaces (if they had to change the “y” to an “i” and add –es). Did your child win?

Phonics Center - Students sorted a list of words by the sound the vowel made. Words with short a sound were grouped in the sack, and words with a long a sound (a_e, ai, or ay) were grouped with the crate. They then used one word from each list to write a complete sentence.

Grammar Center - Choose and paste 4 pictures from the bags onto the paper.  Write/spell the plural noun correctly and illustrate.


SPELLING
This week, we focused on two other ways to make the long a sound (we already learned the a_e rule). These two ways are: ai and ay. Some examples of words with these combinations are:

ai                    ay
rain              today
straight          play
tail                stray

In general, the rule is that if the long a sound is at the end of the word, it is spelled with ay. If it is in the middle of the word, it is spelled with an ai or a_e.

These rules are very important and very helpful with everyday spelling. When writing, encourage your child to stop and think about where the aaaaaa sound is within a word (beginning? middle? end?) and then attempt the spelling.


GRAMMAR
Grammar keeps getting trickier and trickier!! Over the past few weeks, students have been learning about how to make nouns plural. They learned that for most nouns, we can just add “s.” Then they learned that for some nouns (nouns that end with s, sh, ch, or x), we have to add –es.

Introducing:
This week, we learned that for some nouns that end with y, we just add “s” but for others, we have to change the “y” to an “i” and then add -es! How do we know when we do what?

Here is the rule:


 if the letter before the “y” is a vowel,    just add –s
             monkey  -->  monkeys

 if the letter before the “y” is a consonant, then change the “y” to an “i” and add -es
             puppy --> puppies

This is a difficulty/tricky concept – one that needs LOTS of review!! Please practice at home!


WRITING
We have really been focusing on friendly letters this week.  Students have been doing a nice job and most are just about ready to mail their first letter (through Wee Deliver).


Suggestion: The holidays are a PERFECT time for children to write letters! Encourage your child to write a letter to a relative (grandparents, cousins, etc.) telling about school or an upcoming visit, to Santa with his/her wishlist, or to a friend asking for a playdate! With enough practice, your child will be able to write thank you letters/notes with no problem!!


MATH
We are just about halfway through Unit 4 in the Everyday Math program. This unit focuses on the exploration and application of various addition and subtraction strategies.

Some of the more popular addition strategies include:
 counting on/counting up - starting at the larger number and counting up a specific number of spaces

 combining groups (aka “break apart strategy”) - breaking apart numbers into ones and tens and adding each group separately

 adjusting/compensating - adding or subtracting a certain amount to get close to an “easy” number and then making up the difference in the end


I also introduced ballpark estimates this week. We use estimates everyday to help us figure out “about” how much we owe (Do I have enough money?), “about” what time it is (Am I going to be late?), and “about” how cold it is (Do I need to wear a coat?)

When adding, ballpark estimates can help us check our answers. For example, if our exact answer is completely different (or “far away”) from our ballpark estimate, then we know we made a mistake somewhere. Many students learned how to make ballpark estimates last year, but for those who are still struggling, I describe it like this…

Look at the number on a number line. Look to the left of the number and look to the right. Find the closest number that ends with 0 – that’s the ballpark estimate. If the original number ends with 5, you can estimate up or down (but we usually go up).

Next week, we will be adding double-digit numbers with regrouping (carrying) and students will learn a very specific, yet effective, algorithm to solve these problems. Carrying is no longer the method used to solve these problems – we now use the Partial Sums method, which is much more developmentally appropriate. Detailed information about this algorithm will go home next week and I STRONGLY encourage you to read it carefully so that you can be a valuable resource to your child at home. (They WILL have questions!)


SOCIAL STUDIES
We have continued on in our study of maps and globes and I think that students are really internalizing what they are learning! They have completed various mapping activities and have participated in different directional games, such as Simon Says Directions!   On Friday, students played the Suitcase Game – moving around an alphabet gameboard according to various directions (N, S, E, W) – and spelling out fun words!


MYSTERY READER
This week's Mystery Reader was Lily's mom, Mrs. Vaughan.  Mrs. Vaughan read us two wonderful stories - I've never heard the children so quiet!!  Take a look at the pictures below:

Welcome Back!

I hope you all had a wonderful (and restful) Thanksgiving break!  We are getting right back into the swing of things here in Room 13!

I'd like to remind you of a few upcoming events/deadlines:

* Unit 3 Math Tests need to be signed and returned ASAP.  We still have a few outstanding...

* Field Trip permission forms and checks need to be turned in no later than FRIDAY (Dec. 3). 

* November Reading/Math Fact logs should be turned in tomorrow and/or Thursday.  (I forgot to remind the children today - so they can bring it in on Thursday too!)

* Students will have their +10 Math Fact Quiz NEXT Monday.

* Scholastic Book Orders should be placed (or brought to school) no later than Monday (Dec. 6).  I would like to get the orders in as soon as possible so we get the books BEFORE Winter Vacation.  If you would like to order books as gifts - and you don't want your child to know - please let me know and I will hold on to the books until it is convenient for you to pick them up.  (As opposed to sending them home with students!)  I am more than happy to do this for you - since I think books make great gifts!!


In Social Studies, we are learning all about the Compass Rose.  Students created their own basic compass rose today in class - ask him/her to see it!!  (They came out great!)  From the activity, a discussion about real compasses arose and I promised students that I would provide them with a link that would show/give directions explaining how to make a compass at home.  I'm including that link here:
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/for_fun/MakeyourownCompass.pdf

I hope you have the time (and energy) to try this with your child at home!  It's really neat!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving - filled with family, friends, and fantastic food!! :)  For those of you who are traveling, drive/fly safely!  For those of you who are hosting, good luck!  I look forward to hearing about all your "adventures" when I see the children again on Tuesday!

Below are a few pictures from our Math Lab on Tuesday.  Thank you to Mrs. Gilbert, Mrs. Potenzone, and Mrs. White for helping out! 

COIN BOOKLETS

SUNKEN TREASURE MATH GAME

TEMPERATURE/THERMOMETERS