Happy Holidays

I wish you and your family a very safe and happy holiday season. Merry Christmas and I will see everyone when we return in 2020!

Upcoming Dates

Dec. 23- Jan. 1- No School
Thursday, Jan. 2nd- School Resumes

Spelling

The next spelling focus is working with words that have the oo sound within them which can be spelled with either an oo or u. Please have your child sort his/her spelling words into 2 columns. Those words that have oo within them and those words that have u within them.

Spelling Words

Jan. 2-3

One-Syllable Words

1. brook

2. push

3. pull

4. bush

5. look

6. full

Two-Syllable Words

7. bully

8. bookshop

9. seagull

Things to Know

• We did a locker clean out this week. Please unload backpacks for the start of the New Year!
• Just a reminder, students must wear a hat, gloves, boots, and snow pants outside everyday for recess.

Bookbags

Your child has a book or several books within his/her guided reading bookbag to read over the holiday break. Please spend some time each night listening to your child read some of his/her favorite books that he/she has selected.

Writing

In writing this week your child started to learn about a new genre of writing called Realistic Fiction. Students learned this week that when writing a realistic fiction story there are real characters and real settings.

Wellness Wednesday Tomorrow

Wear workout clothes!

Read-a-Thon

On Friday, December 20th our classroom will be having a read-a-thon in the morning. The read-a-thon will last for one hour and your child may bring in books from home to read, your child may choose books from within our classroom to read, or your child may choose to read books that he/she has checked out from the library. Everyone within our classroom will be reading the entire time including myself. Every fifteen minutes the entire class will stop with what they are reading and two students will have the opportunity to give a book talk on the book they are reading. With Christmas right around the corner, the excitement level is rising within our classroom. Your child has worked extremely hard already this year in his/her guided reading group. This read–a-thon will be a nice, relaxing way for your child to relax and enjoy reading some of his/her favorite books before going into Christmas vacation. If your child chooses he/she may bring in a healthy snack and/or a beverage to enjoy during the read-a-thon. 

Upcoming Dates

Monday, Dec. 16th- Santa's Secret Shop Shopping Day

Spelling Words

Dec. 16-20

1. brew
2. soup
3. blue
4. clue
5. blew
6. group
7. cashew
8. cartoon
9. pursue

Guided Reading

This week in Guided Reading your child has been working on the reading skill of sequencing. Using signal words such as first, then, next, and after, your child has been listing series of events. The students enjoyed listening to Jack & the Beanstalk and The Polar Express and then doing a sequencing activity with both of these stories. Please remember to sign your child's yellow reading sheet each night.

Wrapping Paper

Our class could still use any extra Christmas wrapping paper that you may have at home. Thanks in advance!

Mrs. Schneider's Math Class

In math students have been working with pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and half-dollars. Throughout the week students were given a collection of coins to count and using various coins students demonstrated ways to show the same amount of money. Time was also spent counting money using $1.00 bills.

Writing

In writing this week our class spent time learning about adverbs ending in ly, commas used when listing a series of objects, and your child worked on editing their personal narrative.

Phonics

In phonics your child sorted words containing oy and oi.  Your child also worked on fluency by reading several short passages that contained words that had the spelling pattern oy or oi within them.

Winter Attire

Please remember to send warm clothes with your child to wear outside during recess time including boots, gloves, a hat, and snowpants!

Math Problems of the Week

¨ I am a number between 70 and 90.

¨ I am an even number between 50 and 60.

¨ I am a number that is 12 more than 146.

Word of the Month

Teamwork- a group of people acting or working together

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, Dec. 10th- 2 Hour Late Start, Wear an Irish Shirt, Book Orders Due
Friday, Dec. 13th- Preview Santa's Secret Shop

Spelling Words

Dec. 9-13

1. down
2. shout
3. mouth
4. town
5. sprout
6. south
7. surround
8. powder
9. outside

Newspaper Needed

If you have any old newspapers at home that you no longer need could you please send them to school. We need them for an upcoming Christmas project.

Santa's Secret Shop

Santa's Secret Shop is coming up next week. Students will preview the items for sale next Friday and shop the following Monday and Tuesday. Shopping at Santa's Secret Shop is optional for each child and other activities will be provided during this time for those students who choose not to shop. If you have any extra Christmas wrapping paper that you could donate to our classroom it would be greatly appreciated.

Mrs. Schneider's Math Class

In Mrs. Schneider's math class students finished learning and practicing the following subtraction strategies:

• Subtraction Count Backs
• Subtraction Doubles
• Take Away 10
• Runaway Ones
• Subtraction Magic

Up until Christmas your child will be working on counting money. Please spend time at home counting change with your child as well.

Thanksgiving Dance

The Thanksgiving Dance that was previously scheduled for 11/27 has been rescheduled for Friday (12/6). If your child was signed up and now can not go please let me know ASAP. Thanks!

Spelling Words

Dec. 2-6

1. point
2. broil
3. boy
4. joint
5. spoil
6. toy
7. enjoy
8. poison
9. oyster

Maple Lake Messenger

Be watching the Maple Lake Messenger for our class to share some Thanksgiving writing that we have been working hard on this week such as:

• The Best Thanksgiving Ever...
• If I were a pilgrim...
• If I had a pet turkey...
• I put the turkey in the oven and then...
• I am thankful for...

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday, Nov. 27th- End of 1st Trimester
Thursday, Nov. 28th- No School
Friday, Nov. 29th- No School

Spelling

Next weeks spelling focus is working with words that have an r-controlled vowel within them as in ar, air, and ear.  As your child studies his/her spelling words next week have him/her highlight the r-controlled spelling pattern within each word.

Spelling Words

Week Of:

Nov. 25-27 

One-Syllable Words

1. blare

2. hair

3. bear

4. flare

5. pair

6. wear

Two-Syllable Words

7. repair

8. cherry

9. barely

Spelling Test on Wednesday of next week!

Math

Please spend time practicing with your child as often as you can basic addition and subtraction facts such as: 7+7, 6+4, 3+7, 13-3, 14-7, etc. Being able to solve basic math facts quickly is an important part of second grade math.  Using flashcards or shaking a pair of dice are great ways to reinforce these basic facts. Also counting money and telling time are additional areas you can work on at home with your child.

Guided Reading

Guided Reading is going very well within our classroom.  Please make sure your child is spending time every night reading one of their guided reading books that are sent home in their bookbag. The most important thing to remember about guided reading is that your child is reading books at his/her own level!

Winter Attire

Please remember to send warm clothes with your child to wear outside during recess time including boots, gloves, a hat, and snowpants. Ready or not winter is here!!

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday, November 27th- End of 1st Trimester
Thursday, November 28th- No School
Friday, November 29th- No School

Spelling

Next weeks spelling focus is working with words that have ear, ir, and ur within them. As your child studies next weeks spelling words draw attention to the e, i, and u r-controlled letter patterns within each of their words.

Spelling Words

Week Of:

Nov. 18-22

One-Syllable Words

1. learn

2. girl

3. turn

4. heard

5. twirl

6. churn

Two-Syllable Words

7. person

8. dirty

9. turnip

Cafe Strategy

Using a variety of children's books, your child has been working on the comprehension strategy: Make a Picture or Mental Image. This strategy is an excellent strategy for readers to use when recalling details in a text. Making a picture or mental image helps readers understand what they are reading by creating images in their mind based on details within the text and through prior knowledge. One of our classroom favorites for this strategy is using whiteboards to sketch several scenes from within a book. Ask your child to retell you some of their favorite parts from the following stories read aloud this week:

• Zoom Broom
• Alexander, Who's Not (Do you hear me? I Mean it!) Going to Move 
• Stephanie's Ponytail

Writing

In writing students are working on their personal narratives. Coming up students will learn about proper nouns, adverbs ending in -ly, using commas, and onomatopoeia's which are words that describe sounds.

Social Studies

In social studies students are learning about MN Tribes and the materials these tribes used from the natural world to create/build everyday items. 

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, November 12th- 2 Hour Late Start (Wear Irish Attire)
Thursday, November 14th- Book Orders Due

Battle of the Books

Keep reading your Battle of the Books. Many groups are working hard to get through all of the books...great TEAMWORK! When groups finish reading all of the books encourage your child to go back and do some review to keep the stories fresh in their mind.

Math

Keep practicing addition and subtraction math facts at home. Play a game, shake dice, or use a deck of cards to help reinforce these facts.

Spelling

Next weeks spelling focus is working with words that have the or pattern within them as in score and fort. As your child practices his/her spelling words all next week, encourage him/her to write some sentences using some of their spelling words.

Spelling Words

Week Of:

Nov. 11-15

One-Syllable Words

1. score

2. fort

3. horn

4. shore

5. short

6. thorn

Two-Syllable Words

7. before

8. forest

9. hornet

Guided Reading

Please spend time reading with your child every night the book that I send home in your child's bookbag. As you read with your child be sure to sign the yellow reading sheet for both reading practice and additional math practice. Your child's bookbag should be brought home and brought back to school every day. Thanks for helping to promote additional reading at home!

Writing

In writing students are beginning to learn about Personal Narratives.

Math

In math students are working on addition strategies such as:

• Count Ons
• Doubles
• Doubles +1 or Near Doubles
• Fast 10's 
• Fast 9's

Upcoming Dates

Monday, November 4th- No School, Teacher Workshop Day

Spelling Words

Nov. 4-8

One- Syllable Words

1. smart

2. scar

3. shark

4. start

5. star

6. spark

Two-Syllable Words

7. market

8. garlic

9. party 

 

 

Morning Movers

Since 2010, Maple Lake Elementary has been out walking around the playground from 7:45-8:00 every morning. Morning Movers is a program designed to provide more movement opportunities for students throughout the school day. Morning Movers is simple, yet an effective initiative. The rules are:

1. Walk or Jog
2. Stay on the Path
3. No Touching Others.

The benefits of Morning Movers are numerous...

1. It gets the brain going.
2. It is a great way for older students to connect with younger students and it creates a sense of pride and belonging.
3. Students who are active tend to have more focus following the activity.
4. And the list could go on...

November Word of the Month

Acceptance- Appreciating and recognizing people for who they are

Guided Reading Bookbags

Please make sure your child reads the assigned book in his/her bookbag each night. Please note that most of the time students will meet with me about every other day for reading groups. If your child has the same book in his/her bookbag for more than two nights, then just have your child select a book from home to read for enjoyment until your child gets a new book from school. Every night that your child reads at home please initial the yellow reading sheet in your child's bookbag. Students can also read Battle of the Books or library books at home also.

Guided Reading Bookbags

Please make sure you are signing your child's guided reading yellow sheet daily for both reading and math.

Upcoming Dates

Thursday, October 31st- Halloween
Monday, Nov. 4th- Teacher Workshop Day, No School

Spelling Words

Week Of:

Oct. 28-Nov. 1

One-Syllable Words

1. bright

2. pie

3. sigh

4. high

5. flight

6. lie

Two-Syllable Words

7. brightly

8. lightning

9. tighten