Settling In

     This was our first week of what seemed like a "normal routine". The kiddos went to reading and writing choices successfully and I was able to work with small reading groups. We even started walk to math groups. It is so important to work into routines slowly and teach procedures but it sure does feel great when we get there.
   
     Spelling words always seem to create some anxiety in students. I sometimes thinks it's that word "test" that freaks them out. Obviously working towards a goal on a spelling test is important but more importantly I want my students to retain the words and be able to use them. Spelling lists have common patterns in them, such as blends, word families, vowel patterns. I want my students to really focus on these so that they can use the information in both reading and writing, not just for the test.
Here is a fun list of activities that can help with spelling at home. Making it fun is important and a few minutes of practice each night goes a long way!

     Thank you to Charlotte's family for bringing items for our basket. Remember out theme is "As Seen on Tv". It should be a fun basket with lots of diverse items.... Just look for the label. 

Hot Buttered Toast

We enjoyed some hot buttered toast on Friday. Our class is reading the Mercy Watson book series. The main character is a pig, named Mercy, who enjoys a great deal of butter on her toast. Here are some pictures of second graders enjoying a great deal of butter as well...

Mercy even has her own website that gives some fun details about the Mercy Watson  books. Visit the website: http://www.mercywatson.com/.  After visiting the site, have your child draw their favorite Mercy character and write 3 describing words about that character. Have your student bring it to school to share with classmates!

The fall carnival is quickly approaching and we are working on our classroom basket. The theme is "As Seen on TV". We are going to fill a basket with "As Seen on TV" items. Most of the stores have a section of these items. If you are able, please purchase and send an item to school. You may also send cash that can be used to purchase items for the basket. Here is a small picture of what we would like the basket to look like:

Building A Classroom Community

Building a positive classroom community is so important to establish a learning environment that students feel safe in. We are working hard to get to know each other and establishing classroom expectations. We talk about that fact that all learners are unique and add something special to our room. The kids are already learning many things about their peers and getting more comfortable with each other. Here are some pictures of the kids painting their self-portraits that will be up all year long. The portraits turned out great and are proudly on display!