A new day...

I spent the majority of my weekend glued to the television watching the horrific events unfold.  I shed so many tears and had my heart broken again and again.  I can’t even begin to put into words the amount of pain and grief I feel for Newtown and those innocent little babies.  I tossed and turned all night last night thinking about how I would get through the day today.  I had such a heavy heart and couldn’t even make the short ten minute commute to school without breaking down into tears again.  I went to the staff meeting where we discussed what we should/should not say to the kids and I cried even harder.  I kept thinking to myself, How will I ever make it through this day? 

When the bell rang and the kids starting filing in, it suddenly hit me: I need to put a big smile on my face and hug my students, my children.  I need to teach them, guide them, and make them feel happy, safe, and loved.  I tell my class all the time that they are my second family; Mr. Weber and Keaton are my first family, but they are my second family.  I always tell them that I love them, care about them, and respect them as individuals, but today was the day to really show it.  We had such an amazing day.  We didn’t discuss the events that happened on Friday; instead we focused on all the positives that were happening today.  We were all a little kinder, a little more patient, a little more compassionate, a little more tolerant, and a little more understanding of one another.  We laughed, we sang, we hugged, we learned, and we had fun.  I went to school today with a heavy heart and left with an overwhelming feeling of joy.  My heart is full of happiness as I think about being a teacher:  I love my kids, my school, our community, and everything else that comes with it.  I am so grateful to have a job that feels more like a hobby than anything else.  I truly love what I do and I’m so thankful that I am lucky enough to do it.    

On a lighter note, the kids do not have a homework assignment sheet this week.  Instead, I told them that their homework is to find ways to help out around the house.  I know how busy things can get around the holidays and I want to help make your week as stress-free as possible.  The kiddos are prepared to scrub floors, take out the garbage, wash dishes, anything you need.  :)  Enjoy your time with your babies.  

 

The Weber Weekly

First of all, I want to thank all of the families that donated items for our recent science experiments. The kiddos had a blast experimenting with the different states of matter.  What a fun way to end our unit on solids, liquids, and gases!  I will be posting pictures soon.  Tomorrow we will be moving into our Holidays Around the World unit in Social Studies.  The kids will learn about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Christmas, and Saint Nicholas Day.

We had a very fun week in shared reading; the kids had traveling teachers!  We did a genre study on tall tales, prose, fairy tales, folktales, and fantasy.  Each second grade teacher spent a day visiting every second grade classroom to teach about a specific genre.  Ask your child about his/her favorite genre and help your child look for that genre the next time you're at the library.  Maybe you'll even hear some new Christmas list book ideas?!

Our wonderful writers have been working hard on a narrative story about the time they lost a tooth.  The stories are humorous!  Did you know some of our kids had to have their teeth pulled out with a wrench?!  The dialogue that they're including in their stories makes for great reading!

Our geometry unit is jam-packed with new vocabulary, but the kiddos are doing really well with it.  Your child should now be able to identify all of the plane and 3D shapes as well as describe the attributes of the shapes.  We're also working on parallel/non-parallel lines, points, and line segments.  Next week we'll continue our geometry unit with area and perimeter. 

We started a new chapter book this week, The Mouse and the Motorcycle.  The class can't get enough of this hilarious book about a mouse named Ralph who lives in a hotel.  What a fun adventure!

Here are a few things happening next week:
Monday & Tuesday - I will be out of the building for Common Core.
Tuesday - December book orders are due.  Books will arrive just in time for Christmas!  
Wednesday - Second Time-Around Shop and Community Mall (It's not too late to sign up.)
Holiday Gift Shop (Our class is shopping Thursday.)

The Weber Weekly

Wow, wow, WOW!  What an amazing week!!  I had so much fun teaching the kiddos this week.  We covered a lot of new concepts and I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the little light bulbs going off all week.

In reading, we began my absolute favorite comprehension strategy, INFERRING!  We can make inferences using our own schema (prior knowledge) plus clues from the pictures and the text.  It's such an incredible sight to see and hear the children inferring.  We will continue working on this higher-level comprehension strategy throughout the year.

Guided math groups will soon be up and running.  We really worked hard on learning the procedures and routines for guided math this week.  Every day the children will have a whole-class lesson followed by Math with Self, Math with Someone, and Math with Teacher.  This format will allow me to work with small groups of students at a level that is "just-right" for their learning.  When we return from Thanksgiving Break, we will start a geometry unit using this approach.

The children have learned to write many different types of responses to reading this week.  We've been reading Thanksgiving books and responding to the text by writing letters, creating quizzes, sharing connections, and retelling.  The class has been working unbelievably hard on their writing!

Miss Tsevas has been working hard on our matter unit in science.  The kids have learned about the properties of matter, the states of matter, the differences between mixtures and solutions, and the changes in matter through heating/cooling.  We have a few experiments coming up that we will need many supplies for.  If you're willing and able to donate any of the following, please let me know.  We will need:  cornstarch, Styrofoam bowls, plastic cups, root beer and orange soda, plastic spoons, and vanilla ice cream.  I know I've been asking for a lot lately, so please don't feel like you have to donate anything.  I will be happy to pick up whatever supplies we still need.  I am extremely grateful for all of your donations and I hope you all know how much your generosity is appreciated!

I also want to express my thanks to the following:

• Thank you to all of our November volunteers!  The kids are really enjoying the time spent working with parents during centers.
• Thanks to Mrs. Fedmasu for being our Mystery Reader this week!  Thanks also to Molly, Marty's big sister, for being our Mystery Reader last Friday.  Please check the "Mystery Reader" tab if you'd like to sign up for a date to surprise your child by reading to our class.
• Thanks to the families of Ethan C. and Carrick for being our Snazzy Snack shoppers for the month of November.  We will be creating "Squanto's Snack" on Monday.  
• Many, many GIANT thank yous to all of you who were able to pick an apple and donate supplies to our classroom.  Your donations of markers, plastic utensils, plates, napkins, batteries, paper, and more will help out TREMENDOUSLY.  I am so fortunate to have an amazing bunch of kiddos and families this school year.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!! 

Please take note of the following upcoming events:

• Tuesday is our Thanksgiving Feast.  Don't forget to send your food items in a disposable container.  
• We do not have school next Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.  Have an enjoyable Thanksgiving!
• Second graders will take their second round of Discovery tests after Thanksgiving Break.           

The Weber Weekly

First of all, thank you for coming to your child's conference!  I greatly enjoyed sitting down with each of you to discuss your child's progress thus far.  I'm so happy that you took the time out of your busy schedule to meet with me.  I feel really motivated to take on each individual's needs for the second quarter.  I truly believe when we all work together, children WILL succeed!  Thanks also to everyone who chose an apple from our "Giving Tree" at conferences.  Your donations to our second grade classroom mean so much to me!  I really couldn't do it without your generosity.   

I'm thrilled to begin teaching math again this week with a guided approach.  I will set up math groups much like guided reading groups.  Each morning, I will teach the kids a whole-class lesson.  The children will then break into math centers while I teach small groups of students at their skill level.  This approach will allow me to meet every individual's need, whether it's to provide extra support or to give a bit of a challenge.  Our focus this week is on Mental Addition.  The children will learn how to use models, mental math, and a hundreds chart to add two-digit numbers.

In shared reading we will be learning how to use our schema to infer meaning of unknown words as well as meaning of the text.  Some of our mini-lessons will include initial and final r- and s- blends, appropriate pacing, and vocabulary.

This week's writing focus is response to literature.  We will be reading several picture books and responding in our writing through character letters, sentence stretchers, and summaries.  Later in the week, we will be writing our recipe for November Snazzy Snacks, "Helpful Squanto's Snack".

I'm happy to announce that we will be having a Thanksgiving Feast next Tuesday, November 20th, in the afternoon.  I'm hoping that each child will be able to bring in a food for the feast.  I will assign each family an item; be on the lookout in your child's folder on Monday.  If you're not able to donate items for the feast, I completely understand.    

Here's a few other things happening this week:
Tuesday, November 13th - PTO Meeting at 6:00 pm in the Media Center
Wednesday, November 14th - Picture Re-take Day and Scholastic Book Order Due





 

The Weber Weekly

Last week was a blast!  From the Red Ribbon Week activities to Cheesy Spider Webs and the Fall Festival, we really had tons of fun.  I would like to thank the families of Mackenzie and Madison for being our October Snazzy Snack shoppers.  Check out the pictures below!  I would also like to thank everyone who donated supplies for our Halloween party.  A special thank you to Mrs. Lydon for being our party coordinator and to Mrs. Roark, Mrs. Burgess, and Mrs. Mahalik for helping out at the party.  We couldn't have done it without all of you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

In math this week we are finishing up our unit on number sense.  We will review rounding and then learn how to estimate.  Later in the week, we are going to take our first math assessment on number sense.  After the assessment, we will start a unit on mental math. 

The kids have been working so hard on writing friendly letters.  We are currently writing a letter to the beloved E.B. White, author of Charlotte's Web.  The class is following the format of a friendly letter and they are including questions, connections, and any feelings they had while reading the book.

This week we will be reading a nonfiction big book, Putting On a Play.  From this book we will be learning how to build our vocabulary while reading.  This strategy will really help the kids gain a deeper understanding of the text. 

In science we are looking at the various states of matter.  We are focusing on the differences between liquids, gases, and solids. 

Check out the following important dates:
Monday, November 5th:  Market Day orders due
Tuesday, November 6th:  No School - - Don't forget to vote!
Wednesday & Thursday, November 7th & 8th:  Five hour days - 2:05 dismissal
Thursday, November 8th:  Market Day pickup 4:45-6:00

Halloween

GLADS Support Group

Please see the following letter from Mrs. Dassinger, our school social worker:

 

Dear Grand Prairie Families,

We are very happy to announce that GP Elementary School will again be offering support groups for students experiencing difficult life circumstance related to grief, loss, and/or parental separation and divorce. This year, instead of the Rainbows Program we will use a new program called G.L.a.D.S. (which stands for Grief, Loss, and Divorce, Separation) which we developed after thorough consideration of our students’ and families’ needs.

If your child has experienced the death of a loved-one or is adjusting to a separation or divorce, they may want to participate in our G.L.a.D.S. program to share with other children and sensitive, trained Grand Prairie staff facilitating the group. Furthermore, the group will provide your child with a safe place to share his or her feelings and to receive support from other children who experience similar circumstances.

For more detailed information and to register your child(ren), please refer to the program flyer that was sent home. Additional flyers can be found at the GP office or requested through your child’s teacher.

For any other questions, please contact Bianca Dassinger, our school social worker.

Pictures

Cheesy Spider Webs

 The Morris Brothers - Anti-Bullying Assembly

The Weber Weekly

Grand Prairie is celebrating Red Ribbon Week!  Here are the daily themes:

Monday: "Healthy living is no sweat" - wear sweats or workout clothes

Tuesday: "Follow your dreams" - wear pajamas and slippers

Wednesday: "Color your world healthy" - wear bright colors or tie-dye

Thursday: "Team up for a healthy lifestyle" - wear sports apparel

Friday: "Live heart-healthy" - wear red

 Wednesday we will be having our Fall Festival!   Children will not be allowed to wear the costumes, makeup, or hair color to school that day.  Instead, we will be getting ready shortly before the parade in the afternoon.  Please make sure your child's costume is appropriate for school; i.e. no blood, weapons, or violent themes.  Your child needs to be able to get into costume on his/her own since there will not be anyone to assist with costume changes.  I encourage you to save the face paint and makeup for after school.  We welcome all families to attend the parade outside the school at 2:00. 

In math we are expanding our number sense knowledge by exploring numbers up to the ten-thousands place.  We will be comparing and ordering numbers as well as learning how to round and estimate.  If everything goes as planned, we will be taking our first math outcome assessment next Wednesday.  Your child's math homework next Monday will be a review of everything on the test.

Today we began writing our Snazzy Snack recipe for Cheesy Spider Webs.  We will finish the writing piece tomorrow and then move into the editing and publishing stages of our Class News Story.  Later in the week, we will be learning how to write a letter to an author.  The kids will include connections, feelings, and questions in their letters.

Today we began a new book in shared reading, The Ox-Cart Man.  The children will be learning how to activate their background knowledge and how that can be helpful when reading.

We began a science unit on Matter.  The children will be reading their textbook and completing hands-on experiments to learn all about solids, liquids, and gases.

Here are a few other things happening this week:
November 1st - Market Day Pie Fundraiser ends
November 1st - October reading log/homework calender is due
November 3rd - Electronic Recycling Drive (10:00-1:00)

Remember that we have an Institute Day next Tuesday, November 6th.  Parent-teacher conferences are also happening next week.  Please let me know if you need a reminder of your scheduled conference time.  

 
     
 
 

Pictures

Our trip to the Joliet Fire Station

Community Workers Week

The Weber Weekly

We are off to a great start already this week!  Today the children began taking their first quarter Language Arts Assessment.  The test is pretty lengthy, so we will be taking it over the course of several days.  I will share the results of the assessment with you at your child's conference. 

We are continuing our Place Value Unit in math this week.  Today the kids learned about even and odd numbers.  The rest of the week we will focus on place value up to the thousands place.  If you're utilizing the Pearson resource (from Parent University), you will find these lessons in Topics 4 & 17.

The children are still working on their narratives in writing this week.  They are learning ways to make their writing more interesting by including things such as similes and dialogue.  Their narratives will also need to include capital letters, punctuation, and transition words.  They have been drafting some amazing stories!

In shared reading, the kids are learning how to summarize and retell.  They are being introduced to strategies such as note taking, combining information, and determining important/less important details.  They will apply these strategies while reading our big book, The Remarkable, Adaptable Turtle. 

With the election right around the corner, I'm excited to announce our focus in social studies this week is all about voting.  The children are going to go through all the steps of the voting process.  This week they will make campaign posters, register to vote, receive a voter's registration card, and so much more.  What an exciting and informative week we will have!

Today your child is bringing home a weekly homework sheet.  On the front side you will find the daily homework assignments as well as our sight words for the week.  On the back, the children have recorded their clip color for the day.  This homework sheet will replace the half sheets of homework that you've seen in the past, the sight word flash card sheet, and the monthly behavior calendar.  Hopefully this will make it a little easier for the kids to keep track of their assignments.  This homework sheet will need to stay in the yellow take-home folder for the whole week.  Be on the lookout for this homework sheet every Monday. 

 

Here are a couple of reminders for this week:

• Book Buddies went home today.  YAY!  Don't forget that Book Buddies are due back to school on Thursday.  
• Our class visits the school library for book checkout every C Day.  Our next C Day is Wednesday.  Please make sure you child has his/her two books.  
• Tomorrow our class will be shopping at the Book Fair.  If you're sending money, please make sure to place the money in a sealed envelope labeled with your child's name.
• I'm still missing a couple of conference forms.  Once I have all forms returned, I can finalize the schedule and send home conference dates.  Please return the form tomorrow.
• Book Fair Family Night is Thursday from 4:30-7:00.
• The PE Department is hosting Open Gym on Thursday from 6:00-7:30.
• The Scholastic Book Order is due Thursday. 

Phew, it sounds like we're going to have another busy week of learning in second grade!   As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns :)

The Weber Weekly

This week we will be learning how to compare two-digit numbers by identifying if the numbers are greater or less than.  We will also learn how to order two-digit numbers using a hundreds chart.  Remember every Friday we will take our Minute Math test on addition and subtraction facts.  You can help your child practice by quizzing him/her on the basic facts.   

In writing this week we are starting a narrative unit.  The kids will be introduced to the characteristics of a narrative and then they will brainstorm ideas for their own writing piece.  We will also be looking at different aspects of writing like similes and transition words.

In shared reading we will be learning how to compare and contrast two different books by the same author using a Venn Diagram.  The kids will listen to two different stories read aloud and then write about the books' similiarities and differences.    

In social studies we are learning about the different leaders in our country.  This will be a great segue into our voting/election mini-unit next week.  

We have several reminders this week:

• We are still collecting coins for our Book Fair Change Drive.  The money collected will be used to purchase books for our school library.  In addition, the class that collects the most money will be able to spend that amount of money at the Book Fair!  Tomorrow we are collecting quarters and Friday we're collecting any coins.
• Don't forget to return the form indicating your preference of a conference time.  I would like to have all conferences scheduled by the end of the week.  If you've already returned it, thank you!  
• Parent University is tomorrow night at 6:00 pm.  We are so excited for this event!  If you returned your RSVP letter, you will be receiving a personalized magnet with your child's username and password.  If you did not RSVP, you are still more than welcome to come; however, you will not be receiving the refrigerator magnet.  Don't forget that child care and light refreshments will be provided.  See you in the Media Center!      
• The October Book Order will be due next Thursday.  
• Market Day pick-up is tomorrow from 4:45 to 6:00 pm.  If you ordered taffy apples from Student Council, you can also pick those up tomorrow as well.

Finally, I want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who volunteered time last week to speak about a career.  The class had a great time learning about many different jobs within in the community.  I have some fun pictures that I will be posting soon.  Thanks also to Mrs. Mahalik for being our Mystery Reader last week! 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.  We're really off to a great start this year!  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful class!!  :) :) :) :)

The Weber Weekly

OH MY, we have a BUSY week ahead of us!!  Today we kicked off our Community Worker visits by welcoming Officer Burgess into our classroom.  Mr. Burgess was fully dressed in his police uniform and ready to answer questions from the curious minds of our classroom.  He explained the importance of following the law and staying safe.  He even showed us some of the tools he needs for his job, such as his flashlight, badge, and handcuffs.  Thanks for visiting our classroom, Mr. Burgess!  We will have several other guest speakers from the community this week including the Mayor, a firefighter, and a nurse.  I can't wait to post pictures of all of our visitors.

In math this week we will learn how to write numbers up to 99.  We will also learn how to compare two-digit numbers using models and symbols.  Don't forget to encourage your child to practice his/her math facts.  Every Friday we will have our Minute Math test, which is a timed 1:20 for 40 addition problems and a 1:20 for 40 subtraction problems. 

Our wonderful writers have been so busy drafting, editing, and revising descriptive paragraphs.  Mrs. Starkman invited us into the Media Center to publish the paragraphs using Microsoft Word.  The kids began typing their paragraph today and will continue to publish on the computer all week.

We began a new nonfiction big book today, Tell Me a Story, Grandpa.  The kids will be learning about and then applying skills to help them decode unfamiliar words in this text.  These strategies will be useful when kids come to tricky words during independent reading. 

Other things happening this week:

Tuesday 

• Zoo Day - Your child can bring his/her favorite stuffed animal.  Please make sure the stuffed buddy is small enough to fit on top of a desk and that it doesn't make any noise.
• Mystery Reader Day 
• Mayor Collins and a firefighter (Mr. Kraft) will be visiting for Community Workers Week.
• PTO Meeting - 6:00 PM in the Media Center

Wednesday

• Picture Day - If you would like to order pictures, payment and order form must be sent to school. 
• Naglieri Testing for 2nd Grade
• A nurse (Mrs. Erhardt) will be visiting for Community Workers Week.  

Thursday

• Grand Prairie Spirit Day - PJ Day!  Your child can bring slippers to wear in the classroom, but please make sure he/she wears gym shoes to school.
• Fire Station Field Trip - Don't forget that this is a walking field trip.  Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately and has comfortable walking shoes.  
• Market Day orders are due

Friday

• International Walk/Bike to School Day 
• Taffy Apple order forms due 

In other news, I would like to congratulate Colin and Ashlee for being named our "Pillar of the Month" and "Student of the Month" for September.  Congratulations; keep up the great work!!  

Finally, I would like to thank all of you for thinking of me on my birthday.  You sure made my day extra special!  I was amazed with all the cute home-made cards, gifts, and well wishes.  Thank you!!  I couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather this weekend either.  Mr. Weber and I took our little guy to Honey Hill Orchard to pick apples and pumpkins and to see the animals in the petting zoo.  It was a perfect day!   

Apple Smiles :)

The kiddos had a blast making our very first Snazzy Snack!  The Apple Smiles were super cute and very tasty!!  BIG THANKS to the families of Hannah and Colin for being our September Snazzy Snack Shoppers!

The Weber Weekly

Happy Sunday!  To start off, I want to let all of you know that I will not be at school Monday or Tuesday.  I was lucky enough to be chosen to represent Grand Prairie on a district committee that will be focusing on the Language Arts Common Core.  Although I'm bummed that I will miss a couple of days with the kiddos, I'm beyond excited to work with other Plainfield teachers on this new endeavor.  I told the class on Friday that I would be out and that they could expect to see Miss Tsevas as well as a guest teacher on Monday and Tuesday.  I'm confident that everything will go well while I'm gone.  I will be checking email while I'm away, so please feel free to contact me.

Thank you to all who've signed up to lead, volunteer, and/or donate items for our three parties this school year.  We are currently looking for someone to lead the Valentine's Day party.  If you're interested, please shoot me an email or send a note to school.

The Watch DOG kick-off event is happening this WEDNESDAY at 6:00 pm!  I'm really excited about the number of fathers and father figures who have already RSVPed for this event!  It's not too late to express interest in the program.

Second Grade Parent University is right around the corner.  On Thursday, October 11th, the second grade teachers will be hosting this informational night in the Media Center.  Please join us from 6:00-6:45 pm where you can learn all about the technology resources that we have to offer.  We will offer light refreshments and free childcare.  If you haven't yet RSVPed, please send the blue form back this week.   

We are still looking for a few more community workers to come speak to our second grade class.  If you are interested, please contact me.  If you already returned the form, I will be touching base with you this week.

This week the children will be supporting blood disorders by participating in the Hemophilia Walk during their PE and Health classes.  If you are interested in raising money, a special envelope was sent home for collections.  The envelopes will be due back on October 5th.  Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for weather and wears his/her gym shoes this week.   

School Picture Day is next Wednesday, October 3rd.  If you're interested in ordering pictures, please return the order form on the day of pictures.  Even if you don't want to order, your child will still get his/her picture taken for the yearbook.

Amy's Organic Van will be visiting GP this Wednesday during lunch.  Amy will be selling organic apples to the students for 50 cents each.  

Did you know you can sign up to receive the GP Gazette via email directly from Mrs. Szurek?  What an easy, safe, and "green" way to stay up-to-date with all the happenings at Grand Prairie!  To sign up, go to http://psd202.org/gprairie and click on "Grand Prairie Mailing List".  You can also sign up to receive the District 202 newsletter as well.

Mystery Readers will be coming to our class on C Days beginning in October.  I hope to have the Mystery Reader schedule posted here this week.  If you'd like to sign up to read to our class, please contact me.  I will send a reminder letter home the week before your scheduled reading date.

Classroom volunteers will also start in October.  If you signed up to volunteer, be on the lookout for the October Volunteer Calendar coming home this week.

I hope all of you have a great week!  I can't wait to see all the kids on Wednesday!!  :)

 
 



    

The Weber Weekly

           

Wow!  Wow!  WOW!!  I am so happy to have such wonderful, caring students in my class this year.  They are truly a great bunch!  Thursday we had our first fire drill and the kiddos amazed me with their behavior.  We prepared for the drill by reading aloud two different books, Stop Drop, and Roll! and Miss Mingo and the Fire Drill.  We discussed the purpose and importance of fire drills and we even practiced lining up and walking with fast feet.  I couldn't believe when the entire school was outside how PERFECT my class was.  They were models of excellent behavior and I was so proud of all of them!!  :)

 

We celebrated 9/11 this week by reading a heart-warming book, September 12th: The Day We Knew Everything Would be Alright.  This book focuses on all the positives of our country and it's written from the perspective of first graders.  After reading, the children created posters about the herores of 9/11 and the symbols that represent America.  The kiddos were then challenged to go home and ask parents and family members to share their own personal experiences from 9/11. 


 

The kiddos have been working hard on building their stamina in Daily Five.  We've created bar graphs for each of the components of Daily 5 so that we can monitor our growth.  I am really proud of the progress the class has been making. 

Yesterday we began the Second Step program with our school social worker, Mrs. Dassinger.  Every A Day, the children will learn new social and academic skills that will encourage success at Grand Prairie as well as outside the school. 

Miss Tsevas has started taking over a few subjects.  She has been working hard on teaching the kids addition and subtraction tricks in math, cinquain poems in writing, and she started Charlotte's Web for read aloud.  Each week, Miss Tsevas will increase her teaching time while I'll observe her.  She will have complete take-over of all subjects and tasks for three weeks.  Of course, I will still be here supporting her and answering any questions you may have.  If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to contact me.

It was great seeing so many of you at the Ice Cream Social last Friday.  I always have such a fun time seeing the kids outside of the classroom.  Thanks to everyone who came out to support our school.  We have another opportunity to get together this weekend at the Plainfield River Days.  This exciting event is happening both Saturday and Sunday in downtown Plainfield.  Mr. Weber and I will be taking Keaton on Sunday after his afternoon nap.  I hope to see many of you there!

Keaton is already preparing for the Duck Race!!  :) :)

This week the kiddos also got to take a trip to the library to check out new books.  Each week your child will have an opportunity to check out two books, one "just-right" and one other book of their choice.  After check-out, Mrs. Starkman read aloud a fun book titled We're Going On A Book Hunt.  We will visit the library and check out new books every C Day.
 

Thanks to all of you that donated food for our Creekside Cares Food Drive.  We collected thousands of boxes and cans of food that will feed local families.  Your generosity means so much!

We celebrated many birthdays this week!  Happy Birthday to Ethan C., Ben, and Dylan!!  When your child has a birthday, we celebrate him/her with a song and birthday treat (Pixie Stix balloon).  Your child is also allowed to bring a non-edible birthday treat.  Some families choose to send goody bags filled with little toys while other families choose to send a classroom gift in honor of the birthday.  The birthday gift is usually a book or an indoor recess game, but it should be a surprise to your child.  Your child will unwrap the present in front of our class after we sing happy birthday.  The surprise gift is usually the class favorite!  :)


Calling all dads, grandpas, stepdads, uncles, and any other adult male father figures....we are holding our 2nd Annual Watch DOGS Kick Off on September 26th at 6:00 PM.  Miss Eskridge and Mrs. P will be presenting information about the program and we will have free hot dogs, chips, and drinks.  

On Monday we will be starting our Book Buddies Program!  Every child will receive a canvas tote filled with 10 books to read for the week.  These books range in reading levels and interests.  Some of the books your child will be successful reading independently and others will need to be read to your child.  Don't forget that all of these books can be read and recorded as part of the monthly reading log.  All Book Buddies will be due back to school on Thursday.  Have fun reading!!

Please take note of the following:

• Scholastic Book Orders and due on Thursday.  
• Parent University RSVP forms are also due on Thursday.  
• School Picture Day is October 3rd.  
• If you have not yet signed up for text message reminders, I highly recommend it.  Joining is easy; simply text the message @weber02 to the number (814) 201-5236.
• Your child will need an art shirt this year.  This is simply an old t-shirt that can be worn over regular clothes during art class.  The shirt can be left in your child's cubby for the year.
• We have PE on D and E Days.  Your child must have gym shoes in order to participate.  Again, the gym shoes can be left in your child's cubby if you so choose.   
• If you signed up to be a classroom volunteer, we will be needing your help soon.  At the start of each month, I will send home a volunteer calendar indicating the dates and times I would need you to come in.  Be on the lookout for the first calendar in the next couple of weeks.  
• As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns regarding your child and I will do the same.  I know it's going to be a GREAT school year!!  :) :)

Happy Weekend!  

 

 

Busy Week

We have a busy week ahead of us!  This week is Discovery Testing for second grade.  Your child will take an assessment in both reading and math to help determine the areas for instruction this year.  We took the reading test today and we'll be taking the math portion on Thursday.

Student Council and the PE Department are hosting a Food Drive through a program called "Creekside Cares".  If your family can spare any non-perishable food items, we would greatly appreciate it.  All of the food collected will be donated to other Grand Prairie families in need.  This food drive will run through next Friday, September 14th.  The class that collects the most food items, we be rewarded with an extra PE class!  This food drive is an excellent example of one of the many ways your child can show citizenship.  We've been learning all about being good citizens in social studies and now we have a real-life opportunity to act on it.  Encourage your child to be a good citizen by helping others in need. 

Today the class was introduced to another positive reward system, "Award-Winning Behavior".  Any time the whole class is being an excellent example of positive behavior, I will award them with a blue ribbon.  The ribbons will then be displayed on our white board for everyone to see.  When the class earns ten ribbons, they will be rewarded with a class celebration.  We've already earned TWO ribbons!!  Wow, our class is awesome!  :)

The sight words for this week are: other, which, children, their.  Remember that your child is expected to correctly read, spell, and write all second grade sight words.  We will have a quiz over these four words on Friday.  For homework tonight, your child needs to rainbow write his/her sight words in the spiral homework notebook.  In addition, he/she needs to choose a minimum of two choice activities to complete.

Last Friday your child brought home his/her September Homework Calendar.  The expectations are a minimum of 15 calendar activities and twenty minutes of nightly reading.  I will be collecting all reading logs and homework calendars at the end of the month.

Finally, I want to let you know that this Thursday, September 6th is Spirit Day.  The whole school will be participating in "Hawaiian Day"!  Bust out those grass skirts and leis for a day of fun.

  

 

The Weber Weekly

WOW!  We had such a great week of learning in second grade.  I am so incredibly proud of all the children and how hard they've been working.  Here are some of the highlights from the week:

• The kids have become experts at a couple of math fact games.  One of the games, Top It, can be played with any deck of cards.  Ask your child how to play and then challenge him/her this weekend.  What a great way to build math "fact power"!
• Have you heard about "stamina"?  Ask your child about it!  You will be surprised at how much he/she is learning about becoming independent.  We've been building our stamina during "Read to Self" and "Work on Writing".  We practice each day in short intervals in order to prepare for guided reading centers.  To help your child understand the meaning of stamina (doing a task for an extended period of time without getting tired or giving up), I connect it to riding a bike:  "When you first learned how to ride your bike, you could only ride for a very short distance before you fell off or tired out.  Each time you got back on your bike, you were able to get a little better and ride a little further.  Now because you've been riding your bike for months or maybe even years, you are able to ride for a long time.  Perhaps you can ride through your entire neighborhood without feeling tired; that's because you've built your stamina."  In the same way your child built stamina for bike riding, we will also build stamina for tasks at school.  I do not expect your second grader to be able to sit and read or write for twenty minutes at a time.  Instead, we practice in short intervals.  We brainstormed everything we believed our classroom would look and feel like during independent reading and then set a goal of three minutes.  While the kids are practicing, I stay at the guided reading table (where I will be when they are doing their centers), and I do not interfere.  It's so important that they learn how to be independent; I've told them repeatedly that once we start centers, I will not be able to stop working with my group to remind someone to be quiet or to get back to work.  They are held accountable and monitor their own behavior!  The second someone is not following the expected behavior, I ring a bell to signal everyone back to our meeting spot.  We then talk about any celebrations as well as problems we need to fix before we practice again.  Ask your child why we do this and he/she will be able to tell you...we don't want to train our brains the incorrect way.  The kids are really taking ownership of their own behavior and learning; it's such an incredible sight to see!!  (Phew!  If you're still reading this, thank you for listening to my rambling!  Please have your child whisper to me on Tuesday morning that they deserve a large fuzzy!!)
• We have learned about citizenship and different types of communities during social studies.  We're focusing on responsibility and how to be an active member of our classroom community by following the rules.  

I hope you and your child enjoy the long weekend!  I can't wait to see all the kiddos on Tuesday!!  :)

Homework

Our first week of homework was a success!  I'm so proud of all the hard work I've seen from the kiddos thus far.  I do want to clarify a few things and give a few helpful reminders:

• Math Monday - This will be a two-sided practice of the skills that are currently being taught.  The math practice will come home in the yellow take-home folder every Monday and needs to be returned the following morning.
• Totally Sight Word Tuesday - Each week your child will bring home a list of three or four sight words that they're expected to correctly read, spell, and write.  Every Tuesday your child will have a choice in their sight word homework.  Of the choices listed, he/she will need to choose a minimum of two to complete inside the homework spiral.  
• Writing Wednesday - The writing assignments will vary from week to week, but they should always be completed in the homework spiral.
• Thinking Thursday - Every Thursday your child should read a book and write a thoughtful response to the text.  The response expectations will change monthly, so be on the lookout.  For the month of September, the children are responding about favorite parts.  Your child should read a book at home, then write the date, title, and author's name, draw a picture of his/her favorite part, and then write at least two sentences about the favorite part.  All of this work should be completed in the homework spiral.
• Friday - Enjoy the weekend!  No homework :) 

The most important thing to remember is that your child will only bring home a homework practice sheet on Monday.  All Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday homework will always be completed in the homework spiral. 

In addition, I will be sending home monthly homework calendars and reading logs.  Your child is expected to read for twenty minutes every night.  The book titles should be recorded on the reading log.  The expectations for the calendar will increase each month, starting with fifteen squares in September.  Please remember your child can choose any of the fifteen activities; he/she does not need to go in order of the calendar.  The first calendar/reading log will be coming home tomorrow (Friday).  Please help your child find a safe place to keep the calendar/log so it can be worked on over the course of the month.  I will send a reminder note towards the end of the month.  Each student who turns in a completed log and calendar will receive one LARGE FUZZY!! 

Please encourage responsibility and ensure your child is completing his/her homework.  A strong home/school connection will ensure for a successful second grade experience for everyone.   

 

WOW!!

We had an AMAZING first full week!  The kiddos are doing an awesome job in second grade.  I am so proud of how hard they've all been working.  Everyone was so giddy today because it was the big FUZZY TRADE-IN!!  Some children traded their fuzzies for pencils and funky erasers and others decided to hang onto their fuzzies until next week.  They were all so cute trying to decide what they were going to "buy"; they had a great time shopping! 

We had a few lucky ducks earn "Smart Beads" this week.  Smart Beads are fancy, sparkly necklaces that are given out a few times a day to kids that share answers that go above and beyond.  This week the kids earned them for remembering some of our tricky new vocabulary such as stamina, independent, polite, rural communities, etc.  If a child earns Smart Beads, they get to wear them for the whole day.  At the end of the day, they trade the beads in for a certificate.  You wouldn't believe how excited the class gets when someone earns the beads! 

Also, I have to share a story that will hopefully give you a small peek into our classroom and the awesome group of kids we have.  This morning the kiddos were reviewing and playing a buddy math game called "Top It".  When I brought the class back together again at the carpet, I asked if there were any problems that we needed to talk about and correct before next time, or celebrations to share.  I began by celebrating the fact that I heard so many people using polite (new vocabulary word this week) words, taking turns, and playing fairly.  Almost every hand shot up in the air; everyone had compliment after compliment to give to either their partner or the class as a whole.  One little boy raised his hand and said, "I feel so happy.  Can we hug everyone?"  I explained that hugging each other wasn't appropriate, but we could give ourselves a big hug.  After hugging, patting ourselves on the back, and saying how great we were, even MORE hands shot up!  The smiles on the kids faces were PRICELESS!!!  They were all BEAMING and sharing how happy they felt!  They could not hold it together!  Someone then raised her hand and asked if we could hug ourselves again because she just felt so good inside!  It was such an incredible sight to see; I just can't get over the happiness and strong sense of community that they all felt.  What a great bunch of second graders!     

Next week we're going to keep practicing our strategies that will allow us to be independent during centers.  We will continue learning about addition and subtraction in math, communities in social studies, and the importance of taking care of our books during reading (as well as many other habits of great readers). 

Thank you to everyone that donated supplies to our second grade pantry!  Your generosity is GREATLY appreciated!!

Enjoy your weekend with your little ones.  I can't wait to see them again on Monday!!  

Nice to Meet You

It was great to finally meet so many of you at Curriculum Night!  Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend this back-to-school session.  I apologize for the incredibly LARGE amount of paperwork that I gave to you, but I do hope you can find the time complete it soon.  Your child should have all of the following things turned in this Friday, August 24th:

• Book Buddies permission
• Blog permission  
• Snazzy Snacks permission
• Class behavior policy
• Class Directory
• Highlights Magazine order form

If you're interested in being a classroom volunteer this year, please complete and return that form as well.  I will be posting the Mystery Reader schedule on our Blog in September, so be on the lookout for that if you're interested.

Don't forget to sign up for text message reminders by texting the message @weber02 to (814) 201-5236.   

Welcome Back!

Hip, hip, HOORAY...it's the start of a new school year!  We have had an amazing couple of days together and I know it will only get better!!  Last week was really exciting because we kicked off the school year with a pep rally assembly.  Mrs. P led the students in the wave, a school chant, the dramatic slow clap, and so much more.  On Friday, we were lucky enough to have nice weather for our "Sports Day".  The kids got to go outside for relay races and team building fun.  What a great way to pump everyone up for another awesome school year! 

Today was the start of our first full week in second grade.  We were busy little bees as we began following our daily schedule.  The children are going to be writing addition and subtraction sentences in math, reading Table for Two during shared reading, checking out books from our classroom library, and so much more! I hope your child is just as excited for the year as I am.  I know we are going to have a great time learning and growing together.

Don't forget that Curriculum Night is at 7:00 pm tomorrow.  I really hope to see you! 

Finally, I wanted to let you know that this Thursday we will be having a whole-school Spirit Day.  The theme is "Get in the Game" and the children are encouraged to wear their sports gear. 

Have a great week!

Field Day

Pizza Party

The Weber Weekly

Benefit

The Weber Weekly

Busy, busy, busy!!  We are so busy in second grade trying to accomplish many more goals before the end of the school year.  The children have been working really hard and I'm very proud of their efforts.  I would like to point out that fourth quarter midterms will be coming home this Friday.  Please be on the lookout in your child's take-home folder.  The midterm will need to be reviewed and then signed by Monday, April 23rd. 

Grand Prairie is hosting a Poetry Night on Thursday, May 10th.  The event will take place from 5-7 pm at the Joliet Public Library (Black Road Branch).  Be watching for more information. 

 

Has your child been reading books for the Slammers Book Contest?  Don't forget that one book equals one base and the goal is to get "home".  Your child will need to read four "just-right" books in order to earn a ticket to the baseball game.

 

Our BIG end-of-the-year sight word test is sneaking up on us.  Your child will need to read, spell, and write all of the second grade sight words by the end of fourth quarter.  I will be sending home a list of all the words this week.  Encourage your child to practice, practice, practice!

 

Second grade will be starting an ABC Countdown this Friday.  Can you believe there will only be 26 days of school left?!  Each letter in the alphabet will represent something we'll do here in the classroom.  We'll start with Z (Zebra Day) on April 20th and end with A (Autograph Day) on the last day of school.  Be watching for the calendar in your child's folder this week.    

 

School Supply forms for next year are due back this Friday, April 20th. 

Our field trip to Pilcher Park is happening May 1st.  Thank you to the 14 family members who volunteered to chaperone; unfortunately I can only take two of you.  We randomly picked names out of a bucket on Friday and if you were chosen you should have received an email from me. 

 

One of your child's fellow classmates has a dad that needs your help.  Please check out the following link:   http://www.giveforward.com/justinabrahammedicalfund 

 

Grand Prairie will be celebrating Earth Week April 23rd through the 27th.  Be watching for more information.  

On Thursday, April 26th, Dr. Fran Walfish will be speaking at PEHS from 6:30 - 8:30 pm.  The topic of the presentation is The Self Aware Parent: Resolving Conflict and Building a Better Bond with Your Child.  This presentation is aimed at helping parents cope with the challenges of raising children in modern society.  Specific takeaways from this event include: learning how to set boundaries, establishing sound disciplinary structure, problem-solving strategies, gaining control over children of varying academic levels in one household, opening the lines of communication with children, and knowing when behavioral symptoms warrant therapeutic intervention.  

With the warm weather upon us, I would like to remind all of you of Grand Prairie's dress code.  Shorts and skirts must be such a length that when you stand with your arms at your side, the fingertips touch the bottom hem.  Off the shoulder, backless, strapless, or shirts with thin "spaghetti" straps (at least two finger widths wide) will not be allowed unless a shirt is worn over them.  Shirts must also cover the stomach.