Grade book

Grades are in the grade book and are up to date! Don't get too worried though, because we're doing assessments a little different this year with the new Common Core Standards. We'll talk about all that at Parent/Teacher Conferences on Thursday and Friday. If you'd like to sign up for family access, click this link for more information: http://www.spooner.k12.wi.us/parents/famaccess/index.html

Some weekly happenings!

Here is a picture of three new friends in 2nd grade: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifbW5yM0ZhVTBfM00.

Yesterday we had a presentation from a member of the Spooner Chamber of Commerce. He talked about festivals that happen in different seasons in Spooner. Here is a picture of 2nd grade listening to him: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifR0JkMm1GcU5jODg.

Today, Thursday, we had a presentation on our fundraiser. It will be going from today until October 11th. While you are selling this product remember to not have your child talk to strangers or go out alone. Also, the should collect all the money as they sell. Here is a picture of two of our classmates trying out one of the prizes: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifWVpRclgwV1FaMzA.

Homework Land

We have just begun playing "Homework Land" in our classroom. If a student returns all homework, complete on the due date, they get to play "Homework Land" on that day. Ask your child about it!

Here's a picture: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifRWpOcjhEMjh1elk

Pictures and free lunch

Tomorrow is free lunch day at school! Feel free to take advanatage of Johnny Appleseed Day!

Here are some pictures of our Fruit and Veggie presentation on beans yesterday: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifU2YxdG9WSEtxTHc, https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifSnduTTZ6VXUzQTQ, https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifMUl6aWJVbnF5cGs. Be sure to ask about the pickled beans.

Here are some pictures of us during our job time at the end of the day: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifczRtQXVEWDY3SEk, https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifcXMycEF1MEV1N2c, https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifbng5NkV5TXR6V2M, https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifVXc1OGxnRVJkNGc, https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifMW1zdEJEdHBPX3M.

Monday, September 24th

We are off to another great week!

Last week I did Dibel reading testing on all students. We also did star math testing. If you would like to know how your child did before the Parent/Teacher conferences on October 4th and 5th, just send me an email, give me a call, or stop in before or after school!

I will be working on reading level testing this week. Remember to keep reading with your child every night. It is important that your child read to you at least 15 minutes each night. I know they love to have you read to them, but it is really important that you let them read to you too. By asking questions after they read you are helping them to comprehend more of what they are reading also!

We have begun doing addition and subtraction timed tests each Wednesday. Students need to complete each test in around three minutes and all answers have to be correct. These will be sent home on Thursday. Please work on any problems that your child got incorrect. Thanks!

Here is the weekly newsletter. https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifRzdmRElMX3VJY1U. There are lots of goodies on it including information on my Donors Choose page, some school supplies our class needs and what we are up to this week. I hope you take a peek. Plus, I am giving students the chance to earn a reward if they read it with you!

I look forward to this week and all that it has to offer. This week I will be meeting with our principal, Mr. Anderson and discuss my personal goal for the year. My goal is that I will implement IXL.com into our weekly math routine. By doing this I hope that your child will be able to also use it at home. Have a wonderful week.

It's Monday!

It was a great Monday today! We worked on addition relating to subtraction, weather and writing using paragraphs.

Here is the weekly newsletter: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifY1pLZ21sZFBITk0. There are lots of goodies on there!

Be sure to look in your child's HORSE folder. New work comes home each night! Don't forget to sign the Friday connection form each Friday.

Donors Choose!

I recently started using Donors Choose to get a few more resources and items for our classroom. In this project I am raising funds for two new bookshelves in our classroom. After this project I will be raising funds for one or more ipads for our classroom.

Feel free to visit the website at:http://www.donorschoose.org/mrssmith121

Working in our new desks!

Here's a new picture of our classroom working on a reading project: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifMjNEQkw2UlRTOVU

2nd week...here we come!

We started the week off just great! This week we will be doing a lot of exciting, new things in 2nd grade. We started sketching with Mrs. Shipman in art and we had bus safety. This week we will be making time capsules and our pencil cans. Remember...tomorrow is school picture day!!!!

I want to make a shout out to our principal, our superintendent and our school board who approved us getting new tables. Our classroom is brighter and cleaner with these new additions to our classroom.

This month's core value is citizenship. We think "School Rules" at SES. You can see our poster after tomorrow at Spooner Outlet, or click the link to see a photo of it: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifdGJ1WjhtcmxEZG8

Photo of our new tables: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifUmVrR3JoU3pyTlU

Our weekly newsletter: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifZ3E1eUpLZkRKR0E

If you get a chance look at all the important classroom information to the right of this blog. There are so many important papers to let you know what is happening in our classroom!

NEW, AWESOME WEBSITES!

Today I changed our passwords to IXL! Please visit: http://www.ixl.com/signin/spooner. Here you will need to put your first letter of your first name and your last name in as your username. (example: Melissa Smith is msmith) and then you will need to put your lunch number in as your password. This website is an awesome math tool with a lot of fun games!

We also signed up for Brain Pop and Brain Pop Junior at the Elementary School. Please visit: http://www.brainpop.com/. You will need to log in as: spoonerelementary. The password is school. This website has a lot of fun activities to go along with what we are learning in language arts, science, and social studies.

There is so many great resources out there to use for learning, so have fun!

Just a reminder. My raz-kids username is mrssmith121.

Day 1 of 2nd grade

Today was our 1st day of 2nd grade. Here's what we did today:

1. Learned about our morning routine...attendance, lunch, morning message, morning meeting, morning calendar math, and HORSE folders!

2. We took a spelling test on colors.

3. We talked about summer and school starting. We also read an awesome book called, "New Pencils, New Books."

4. We wrote down as many numbers as we could between 1 and 100.

5. We learned what our classroom jobs are in our classroom and picked one!

6. We went to phy. ed. and technology class.

7. We took a tour of the school and found our new art teacher's room.

8. We talked a lot about school rules, classroom rules, body basics, voice levels, above the line behavior and line rules. We are going to earn marbles for great behavior.

9. We labeled all of our notebooks, folders, and books.

I am sure we did a lot more than that, but we hit the ground running today and I know that we are off to a wonderful 2nd grade year.

Here is a picture from our 1st day: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifSl9jWVFBa1ZwTnM!

- Mrs. Smith

1st day in 2nd grade!

We are off to a great 1st day in 2nd grade! We have already learned about all our classroom rules, body basics, voice levels, our schedule, the lunchroom, morning meeting, and have labeled all our folders with our name. After lunch we will be going to physical education, the computer lab and we will even be taking a math and spelling test. If you would like to see our classroom on our first day, there are pictures below.

Tonight remember to look through the HORSE folder with your child and read the weekly newsletter. (Also, attached here: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifQkVBOFV6VnpCYkk) Let me know if you have any questions. :) Mrs. Smith

Pictures of our classroom: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifQW0xVnFPRkJvN0U, https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifU3dHR2Y1LWw2YjQ, and https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4B6qqBRN5ifbldDUEotZzViSTQ.

Great online resources

To the left of this post is a spot where I have placed great online resources. I would highly encourage you to use these with or without your child.

IXL.com: I handed out a piece of paper at open house that has your child's username and password on it. This is a great math tool.

Raz-kids.com: Click on the link to the left...my username is mrssmith121.

Any educational games and books outside of our classroom just improve your child's learning. If you have any questions about any of the links, feel free to ask! - - - Mrs. Smith