Classroom Update

Reader's Workshop

Students are working on improving their fluency by noticing punctuation in a story. Students have been working with their Turn & Talk Partners on both listening for a storyteller voice and using a storyteller voice. We have been reading some Frog and Toad stories to help students understand dialogue. Students are learning the differences between the narrator of the story and a character speaking in a story. Students circled "talking marks" and used two colors to underline what each character said. Students are working on making connections to a story. They learned that a Text-to-Self Connection is when something in a story reminds you of something that happened in their own life.

 

 

 

Writier's Workshop

We read a retold story of the Gingerbread Man and discussed ways that we could catch the gingerbread man if he tried to escape! Students made a list of the materials they would need and jumped right into their first copy of their story. Students used a revision checklist and/or a partner to help edit their writing for the final copy. There are so many creative ways that they came up with, here are a few:

 

Math Workshop
This week, we started with Unit 4 in our Everyday Math Unit. We worked on Part-Part-Total to help students organize an addition problem. Students practiced using Start-Change-End to help notice the change or difference between numbers. Start-Change-End will come in handy when we dig a little deeper in temperature reading. Students worked with thermometers and learned the difference between Fahrenheit and Celsius. Students will be practicing using thermometers and becoming more familiar with how to read them during this unit of math. We did a temperature review with an "I Spy" type activity where students had to walk around the room with a clipboard and record the temperature that all students made.

Science

We jumped into our Weather, Air, and Wind unit this week. Students used the Think, Puzzle, Explore routine with what they know, what they wonder about and how they can find out more about air and weather. Students accessed thier prior knowledge with the I Think I know… and Now I know… routine with sunshine, wind, rain, and snow. Students started assembling their Air and Weather folders that will help them keep keep the experiments and weather tools organized.

 

Social Studies
We will be finishing Unit 3 very shortly. We will review maps and map reading on Monday and take the test on Tuesday.

Buffalo Wild Wings BUDDIE Club Fundraiser

Dear Parents,

On Wednesday, December 5, the Wass BUDDIE Club will be hosting a fundraiser to support the victims of Superstorm Sandy at Buffalo Wild Wings from 5-9 p.m. 15% of the sales from this evening will be directly donated to the American Red Cross. The American Red Cross is still on the ground in New York and New Jersey, helping people affected by Superstorm Sandy. The Wass students have a chance to help others PERSEVERE by attending this Restaurant Night. Please consider having dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings on Dec. 5 to help others in need – that’s The Wass Wolves’ Way!

Please bring the attached ticket to make sure the receipt from your order is applied to the school fundraiser.

Wass Elementary BUDDY Club - Buffalo Wild Wings

Classroom Update and Have a Happy Turkey Day!

Reader's Workshop
Students are working on being fluent readers. We have been focusing on using a storyteller voice while reading. I have been modeling to students how punctuation marks give us clues as to how a story should sound, such as slowing down for a comma, pausing for a period, sounding excited for an exclamation mark, or using a different voice for quotation marks. Good readers use a fluent voice to sound like a storyteller.

Math Workshop

We wrapped up Unit 3 and we will start Unit 4 on Monday, November 26^th. Over the long holiday weekend, practice making change and using money with your child.

Social Studies

We have been working with and studying the importance of maps. We read two stories, “Me on the Map” and “Map on My Lap,” to help students get a better understanding of maps and how we can use them.

Students were very excited to make their very own “Me on the Maps” with their planet, continent, country, state, city and house. These are in the process of being displayed in the classroom by the back door.

Spelling

We will start a new two week unit of spelling words after break. Unit 6 Spelling Words will be passed out on Monday, November 26^th and the next spelling test will be on Friday, December 7^th.


Enjoy a lovely long weekend with your families! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! : ) Miss Eckardt

Classroom Update

Reader's Workshop
This week, we continued to focus on retelling stories. We worked on improving our story retelling so that it includes enough important details. We practiced using Time Words, like "first," "next,"        "last," and "finally." We read fiction and non-fiction stories, and then practiced retelling the stories to our Turn and Talk Partners using Time Words. You should start to see retelling work in your child's guided reading bag.

 

Writer’s Workshop

We continued to work on our persuasive turkey writing pieces. Students had to visualize and imagine what life would be like as a turkey if Thanksgiving was approaching. We discussed and wrote reasons with supporting details why people should eat other food this year instead of turkey. As turkeys, students finished their convincing letter to turkey eaters. All writing pieces had to include an introduction, three reason paragraphs and a closing in order to convince their reader.
Come take a look, they are hanging in the hallway by the Media Center.

Math Workshop

We finished Unit 3 lessons this week and on Friday we reviewed Unit 3 on iPads. I sent home a hard copy review to look over at home over the weekend. Students will be taking the test on Monday (the 19^th). Unit 3 focuses on money, clocks and graphs. With money, students have really been focusing on paying more than an item costs and then using coins to make change.

Social Studies

We worked more with maps this week. Students had to follow written and listening directions in order to create a park map and a campground map. We reviewed the importance of directions. Noting that it makes a difference on a map if you are facing North, South, East, or West. We practiced using Direction Words on the maps, like "to the left of" or "below." Students learned how to use a grid on a map. They had to make their very own City Park, noticing the Key and Index to put objects from the park on the grid.

International Feast!

THANK YOU!
 
With our turkey hats on and our bellies rumbling from the smell of tasty food, we feasted! We enjoyed a wonderful meal today thanks to all of the fantastic families that sent in food, drinks and supplies! Also, thank you to the many parents that were kind enough to volunteer their time in order to help make the feast run smoothly! The whole 2nd grade truly enjoyed it! There were SO many delicious treats and this was a special opportunity for students to sample dishes that they might not normally get the chance to eat! Ask them about their favorite dish from today!

Classroom Update

Reader's Workshop
We focused on retelling stories. We read several fiction stories together and then practiced retelling the stories to our Turn and Talk Partners. I taught students what important things to include in a story retelling. In a story retelling, good readers include the main characters, setting, problem, solution, and important events in order.

Writer’s Workshop

This week students transformed themselves into turkeys. We read ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey and brainstormed other foods we could eat at Thanksgiving besides turkey. I introduced a story planning sheet to them which they filled out with their own ideas. As turkeys, students started their persuasive writing pieces to convince turkey eaters to eat another food this Thanksgiving. They started their introduction paragraphs with exciting leads (like Wait! or What will you eat  to get the reader’s attention.

 

Math Workshop

We are wrapping up Unit 3 shortly and will be taking the test next Monday (the 19^th). This week, we worked with money, clocks and graphs. Students used different variations of coins to buy things, practiced telling time, and collected then interpreted data.

Students used Math Magician in computer lab this week to practice their fast fact skills. They are getting faster and faster!

Social Studies

This week, students learned the importance of a map. I hid a treasure in the classroom and students were put on a mission to find it. They were unsuccessful in their first attempt without a map. Students decided they needed clues or a map to help them with their search. We all made our own map of the classroom using a ruler to help narrow down the search. Once our map of the room was complete, I placed a red X on the map. Students quickly pointed to the location of the treasure and enjoyed their Play-doh reward. We discussed the importance of a map key.

 

:) Miss Eckardt

Wood Family's New Addition

Late last night our third little girl finally decided to join us!  Check out our family blog if you'd like to meet Alaina!  www.wanderingwiththewoods.blogspot.com

Your child is in very good hands with Miss Eckardt!  Enjoy the upcoming holidays with your family.  I'll see you in February!

Election Day!

We voted today!
Each student got their very own Voter I.D. card to vote for their favorites.

Students voted for their favorite special at school, their favorite character and their favorite Word Work Center. As you can see, we had clear winners! They were very excited to be able to participate in the election process.

Classroom Updates

Writer's Workshop
Yesterday we had our first Author's Celebration.  Each student shared his/her published personal narrative.  Then we enjoyed cider and donuts from Yates Cider Mill.  Next week your child's published piece will come home with his/her first draft stapled behind it.  For the first published piece, I met with each student to help with revisions.  I have taught several lessons on revising, but this can be difficult for second graders.  We will continue to work on making revisions throughout the school year.  In the spring, we will invite family members to be a part of our poetry and nonfiction Author Celebrations.

Math Workshop
We started the first lesson of Unit 3 this week.  Please click on the "Math" tab above to read the Unit 3 Family Letter.  We also completed several first quarter math assessments.  Some students have made great progress from the first basic math tests taken the second week of school.  Keep practicing quick recall of basic facts at home!