The Toucan Squawk, Aug. 16, 2012

Wow, what fantastic first two weeks we've had! 

We've done plenty of work to get everyone ready for the rest of the school year, and already have had plenty of opportunities to show growth of knowledge.  The other second grade teachers and I started with our curriculum the first week, and we haven't stopped!  With the heavy requirements we are being handed by the state and the school district, we have all organized our teaching in a methodical, sometimes fast-paced, structure.  We also, of course, have had plenty of opportunities for students to be reintroduced to the concepts.  We'll continue this structure through the school year, and I'll plan accordingly based on shortened and 1/2 day weeks.

We have so far covered place value to the 4th digit.  Students were super excited when I mentioned we'd be working with numbers up to the thousands place!  We've also been working through this week's story, "Ann's First Day".  Today, the students read as the story played on my computer.  The students also worked with the week's spelling words in their Word Work notebooks.  Working with the words with centers and sorting word cards is helping them become more and more familiar with the words through the week.  On Fridays, the students sort them in the week's concepts (this week, for example, they were short and long vowel words) and then glue them inside their notebooks.  Friday mornings, the students will be taking their spelling test.  This will be sent home on Mondays in their Homework folders.

Please help your student remember to bring in their Homework folders and their backpacks everyday.  Pretty much every day students will be taking home mail and notes, both from myself and from the school.

We have started using Table Points, in addition to the students' personal nickel banks.  Each table will have opportunities to earn extra nickels based on, for example: 

• transitioning quickly, quietly, and safely between the carpet to their desks (and vise verse, of course),
• completing center work quietly without my intervention,
• consistently following directions without my intervention (or the intervention of table mates),
• being exemplary models of using the correct voice level.

There will be more opportunities to earn Table Points, but these are just an example of some reasons.


I look forward to working with everyone this school year- it's sure to be great!


News

• Aug. 23        Picture day!
• Aug. 29        Teacher in-service, 1/2 day early release at 11:25.
• Sept. 3         Labor Day, no school.
• Sept. 6 - 7    Parent/Teacher conferences.
• Sept. 7         Progress reports sent home.
• Sept. 12       Teacher in-service, 1/2 day early release at 11:25.
• Sept. 26       Teacher in-service, 1/2 day early release at 11:25.

Birthdays

• 9/28             Hawkins

Thank you for all you do!

Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us