September 26th, 2016

Greetings,
    
     We had one of the best times on Friday with our cow eyeball dissection. I am not sure if the parents or kids had more fun! I had a blast! It was such a wonderful learning experience for us all. I want to thank our parents for volunteering their time to help dissect. I will post some photos on Seesaw this week sometime.  


     Grandparent's Day - It is here!! Monday, September 26th at 1:40 p.m. We will have a short performance in the FEMA gym, then a tea party in the classroom. Other family members are welcome to come if grandparents are unable.


     Parent Teacher Conferences will be the last week in October (October 24th-27th). I will have a sign up emailed to you in about a week. It will be through sign-up genius. 


     We have been doing a book study on an author name "Patricia Pollocco". Most of her books are a reflection of her life growing up as a child. We have used her stories to teach us about making connections, inferences, and predictions. We have also been writing about our favorite "Patricia Pollocco" books. Students are learning to write an opinion about books and how to summarize their favorite part of a story.
    
     This week will continue reading "Patricia Pollocco" books and do some research on her personal life. We will also focus on writing a story with a beginning, middle and ending. In math we are going to work on using number bonds and greater/less than. During word work we will focus on the phonograms ph and aw. 


Important Dates

9-26 Grandparent's Day--1:40-2:25 p.m. for 2nd grade

9-27 SOARing Assembly for Responsibility

9-30 BINGO for Books 6-8 p.m.

10-14 End 1st Quarter-1/2 Day of School--12:40 Dismissal

10-14 to 10-20 Book Fair

10-24 to 10-27 Parent Teacher Conferences

September 19th, 2016

Greetings,
      This week we are learning about tools that scientist use. Then on Friday we will have our special cow eyeball dissection activity. It's going to be so cool! Our dissection project will be at 1:45-2:30 p.m. on Friday.
     We are continuing to learn about communities this week. Last week we discussed the different types of communities that we live in and wrote about what we see and do in our own community. This week we will talk about how we can help our community. Then students are going to pick one community project that they would like to participate in.
     In writing we will be learning the parts of a letter and how to write a letter. Students will write a special letter to their grandparents. They will give the letters to their grandparents on Grandparents Day at school next week. Students will also be able to buy stamps and mail letters in the Post Office this week.
     Grandparents Day is next Monday, September 26th at 1:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. We will have a short performance in the FEMA gym, then come back to the classroom for a special tea party. 
    In math we will continue working on telling time, adding and subtracting with fluency, and sketching a ten base frame. We will also focus on counting money with pennies, nickels, and dimes this week.
     In reading we are focusing on using strategies to solve unknown words, making connections with books and sequencing events of a story in order.


Please email or call at anytime with questions or concerns that you may have.


Important Dates
9-19 Mathews McDonald's Night 4:00-8:00 p.m.

9-23 Cow Eyeball Dissection 12:20-1:25 p.m.

9-26 Grandparent's Day--1:40-2:25 p.m. for 2nd grade

9-27 SOARing Assembly for Responsibility

9-30 BINGO for Books 6-8 p.m.

10-14 End 1st Quarter-1/2 Day of School--12:40 Dismissal

10-14 to 10-20 Book Fair

10-24 to 10-27 Parent Teacher Conferences

Yearbook Order Link

Below you will find the link to order a yearbook.


http://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1243810/Helen-Mathews-Elementary-School/2017-Yearbook/20160713041549770203/CATALOG_SHOP/

Monday, September 12th, 2016

Greetings,
     We are off to a great start with our Chromebooks! Last week we spent time learning how to take care of them and what digital citizenship is all about. We learned how to make a bookmark, downloaded Google Classroom and are learning how to find our way around on our 2nd grade blog. Students have their first real assignment this week on their Chromebooks. They are to go to Google Classroom, watch a video about communities and then make a comment about it. It is not a mandatory assignment. If you do not have internet access at home, your child will be given time to watch the video at school. We will continue learning about digital citizenship, how to use Google Classroom and learn about Epic Books this week. If time allows, we will learn about Study Island and take a short pre-math assessment. 


     This week we will be starting our small reading groups. I will be contacting parents of students who I feel will benefit from additional after-school tutoring in the next week or so. If your child read below a level 14 DRA you will be encouraged to enroll your child in tutoring. I will be posting DRA scores on Seesaw within the next week. 


     We will be planning a special tea party for Grandparent's Day on September 26th. Be sure to invite as many grandparents as you can. The students will do a short performance in the gym, then we will head into our classroom for tea and muffins. 


     We are still in need of another parent volunteer for our cow eyeball dissection activity on September 23rd. Please email me if you are interested in helping. aimeenoskowiak@nixaschools.net


     Students have been asked to bring in one old sock to us as an eraser. We use our whiteboards everyday and we are in great need of erasers. So why not get out our old socks and recycle them for something good!




Important Dates

9-13 PTA Meeting 6:30 p.m.

9-19 Mathews McDonald's Night 4:00-8:00 p.m.

9-26 Grandparent's Day--1:40-2:30 p.m. for 2nd grade

9-27 SOARing Assembly for Responsibility

9-30 BINGO for Books 6-8 p.m.

10-14 End 1st Quarter-1/2 Day of School--12:40 Dismissal

10-14 to 10-20 Book Fair

10-24 to 10-27 Parent Teacher Conferences

Greetings,
     We have a couple of important events this week. Tuesday is PICTURE DAY! Don't forget to send in your completed picture envelope with payment. Late payments may result in you having to mail the money in yourself. The picture company only comes by our school on certain dates after the photos have been taken.
    
     Our Device Roll Out is also on Tuesday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. We encourage you to come pick up your child's device so that you may get questions answered. If you are not able to make it, we will give your child their device on Wednesday. If you do not want your child to take a device home, you must contact our principal, Pat Sutherland.
     
     We are still in need of a few more volunteers for our cow eyeball dissection on September 23rd. Please email me at aimeenoskowiak@nixaschools.net if you would like to help. Be sure to complete the background check. The link is at the top of our blog page. It will only take you a minute or two to complete. 
    
     We had an amazing time shopping at our General Store last week. One of our students said that she felt so grown up working at the store. The kids were working together to cash their checks, buy and sale. My heart melted as I watched them work as a team. We will be in need of a few items for our General Store if you would like to donate some trinkets. 

    
     We will be opening our post office next week. I will send an address contact form home with your child later in the week. On this form, you will need to list 4-5 addresses. Students may mail letters to those you have listed on the address form. Stamps are .50 each and students can buy up to 2 stamps a month to mail a letter. A special thanks to parents who have donated stamps so far.

    
     This week we will spend a lot of time exploring with our devices. We will also begin a project on Communities. I will post their final projects on Seesaw in a few weeks. In math we will continue learning how to tell time, adding up to 20, and become more familiar with the value of coins. In word work we are learning phonograms and word strategies. During Writer's Workshop we are learning to write with a purpose. Then in Reader's Workshop we are learning reading strategies and learning how to work in literacy centers.


Important Dates
9-5 Labor Day - No School
9-6 Picture Day
9-6 Device Rollout 4:00p.m.-8:00p.m.
9-13 PTA Meeting 6:30p.m.
9-19 McDonald's Night 4:00p.m.-8:00p.m.
9-26 Grandparent's Day 1:40p.m.-2:30pm. for 2nd graders
10-14 1/2 day of school - End of 1st quarter - dismiss at 12:40p.m.
10-14 Book Fair (More information to come.)
10-24 to 10-27 Parent Teacher Conferences