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