Hello families...I hope everyone has had a great week!  The students are in the process of finishing their final copies for their holiday vacation writing.  I will be sure to post pictures of the final product- penguins holding their writing...so very cute!  We have also been working through several writing strategies- using sound words, using all cap letters, quotation marks, and ellipsis (or the three dot strategy).  The students wrote about having a fire drill at school using the strategies, all of which can really help their writing sound more interesting to readers.

In math, we have been covering time to the hour and half-hour.  This is a mini-introduction, because in a few weeks we will go back to it and dive right in starting off with elapsed time.  According to our curriculum calendar, this was to be the initial introduction to telling time- and Mrs. Blackburn, Mrs. Holston, Mrs. Sullins, and I felt it necessary to ease the kids right into it instead.  With the fast-paced structure of this calendar, we knew several students would have a tough time with "running instead of walking" with this concept.  Next week, we will be covering fractions- a unit which can be struggling, but eventually fun for the kids because of the manipulatives and pictures.

In reading, the students finished working on "A Change for the Quarter".  This was a non-fiction selection about the state quarters.  The students also worked on their study skills and reading multiple choice questions and answers which went along with the story.

We have also started our science unit for the quarter- beginning with the digestive system.  We will eventually work our way to the respiratory system.  Both units have booklets for the kids to complete.  These booklets will be scored based on neat, complete, and correct work.  Each unit will also be finished off with a test, and a really fun model- I'm excited about the kids working their way through both units, eventually getting to the model they will make.

I'm sure some students have come home saying something about me and a little machine, so I wanted to clarify any wonderings you may have.  I had heart surgery last October and after a year, I've completely healed.  However, I have continued to have some issues.  I had my regular check-up with my cardiologist, and he wanted me to wear a heart monitor for the next 30 days.  It doesn't limit me from any of my regular duties, but I do have to make regular phone calls when I have a recording to make and send.  It's a bit frustrating for me right now, because I had hoped this year would be heart-issue free.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed the issues don't keep coming back!

The 100th day is coming up next Friday!  We will be rotating classes with the other second graders for different activities in each class- this is definietly going to be a fun day for the kids!  I'm sending home a letter requesting snack items to be added to the 100th day snack mix.  Please send the item by next Wednesday the 16th.  The 100th day is always a fun day for the kids, but the key point of this day is for the students to be in school and on time that day.  The other teachers and I have decided to reward our own classes in a special way if all of our students are in school and on time on the 18th.

       
News
Jan. 16                Teacher in-service, half-day early release at 11:25.
Jan. 18                100th day of school!
Jan. 21                Martin Luther King Jr. day, no school.
Jan. 22                School governing board meeting, 6 PM, school district board room.
Jan. 30                Teacher in-service, half-day early release at 11:25.

Birthdays
Jan. 2                  Corey
Jan. 26                David
Jan. 27                Sage


Thank you for all you do!

Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
515-2970
elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us