What a year!

This has been a truly amazing school year, and I'm sad to see the kiddos leave my room.  I've learned so much from each of them, I have a ton of memories to look back on, and experiences which have made this school year one of my favorites (it's a very close second to my first year of teaching 8 years ago!).  Your students have each made fantastic academic progress and I'm very proud of all their successes.

Before you hear it from someone else, I will not be returning next school year.  I've been wanting to move to Colorado for many years now, and I feel the time has come for it to happen- both personally and professionally.  I have loved working for this school district!  At first, I viewed my move from Bella Vista E.S. 4 years ago as a VERY disguised blessing.  As it turned out, it was the best thing to have happened for me at the time, and I feel blessed to have had the chance to be considered a Dust Devil.  PdS has been a fantastic school to work at, and I'm sad to leave it.  I wish I could take everyone with me to CO!  This move will be a learning experience, pushing me further in my passion for teaching.

If you didn't receive your child's report card yesterday, it is in the main school office.  If your student left school prior to Thursday, their personal belongings from their desks are in the main school office as well.
 
Good luck to the kids in 3rd grade, they are all going to be amazing in the coming school year.  Again, many thanks for all of your support and involvement!



Have a great summer vacation with your family wherever the road may take you.


Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade

The last week!

WOW...I can't believe it's the last week of school!  We have so many things going on this week:

• Tuesday- Field Day.  Students are welcome to bring a change of clothes for after the water-related activities, but they are not necessary.  What is necessary, however, is at least a change of shoes and socks and a towel.  The kids are going to get pretty wet.  Students are asked to not wear or bring swimsuits of any kind.  We'll also be having our End of the Year Ice Cream Social, so it's sure to be a messy and exciting day!
• Wednesday- Play.  The students will be performing their play for you beginning at 12:30.  The two plays will take approximately 45 minutes.  Afterwards, we will be doing some room cleaning.  If you wish to sign out your kiddo early, they won't be missing anything academic.  The kids will also be getting their yearbooks signed and cleaning out their desks.
• Thursday- last day!  The last day is a 1/2 day.  There will not be any school lunch served.  I will be finishing grades and attendance while the kids are watching a movie.

Thank you for all you do!

Elizabeth Townsend

PDS
Second Grade

515-2970

elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us

Oh my goodness!

My apologies for not up keeping our blog here!  Just a few notes to let you know what's going on in our world:

• Science Week:  The students will be rotating to various science-related activities throughout the week. They always prove to be A LOT of fun for kiddos, so I'm sure they'll enjoy them again this year.  The activities will interrupt our daily schedule, but I've planned accordingly so we will still get work completed.
• I Love to Read:  This event is also week-long, and will take place next week.  The students are taking home a bright green sheet which will outline what is celebrating each day.  The week is sure to be plenty of fun as well!
• Galileo testing:  We JUST received the schedule so we'll be benchmark testing this week and possibly next week.
• Class play:  The kids have been practicing their plays and are ready to make their puppets.  I will be having them perform for the other second grade classes and you as well once I get a schedule together.  We should be ready to begin performing next week.
• We will be having an Unbirthday celebration the last week of school.  This will celebrate the summer birthdays, as well as birthdays missed of new kiddos who arrived after their birthday occurred.  Enclosed in your students' mail is a form requesting items.  This form is only for students who have a late May, June, July, or early August birthday.

News

May 7           1/2 day early release at 11:30.  Teacher in-service

May 22         Students' last day.  Early release at 11:30.  NO LUNCH.

Birthdays

May 4           Madelyn

May 11         Hayley

May 19         Antony

May 28         Jamila

May 29         Joel

Thank you for all you do!

Elizabeth Townsend

PDS
Second Grade

515-2970

elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us

The Toucan Squawk, Apr. 7 - 11

Hello families...I hope everyone has had a wonderful week!  We finished testing today...YAY!!!  We'll celebrate tomorrow with a snack...shhhh!  :-)  We'll be continuing our new writing project, a problem and solution story.  We started on the organizer today, and will continue through next week.  We will also begin a Problem Based Learning project about creating a zoo.  Mrs. Sullins found the idea on Beyond Textbooks- where we gather some of our curriculum materials for lessons- and she created a schedule to introduce the projects.  We'll be integrating math, science, and writing within several of the various projects.  It's sure to be a fun set of projects that will take the kiddos through May to complete.  For math, we'll begin working on arrays.  This is a useful strategy for comprehending multiplication.         


News

Apr. 25             Progress Reports


Birthdays

Apr. 6               Azia
Apr. 13             Emilia




Thank you for all you do!



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

Testing Week!

Hello families! The students are taking their Stanford 10 test this week, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! The students have prepared for this test the whole school year, and I know they are ready for it. To prepare for the next three days, please remember the following:

1. Schedule all doctor's appointments after testing has been completed. Once a test has been started, the students cannot go back to that test they missed. This is a state mandate, not by the school or the district.
2. If you think your student is sick, keep them home. This is obviously not something we teachers like to mention, but again- if a student starts on a test, and then ends up leaving during the day- they cannot continue that test.
3. Make sure your student gets plenty of sleep the night before each testing day. A tired mind cannot function while trying to pay attention to something as important as this test.
4. The same goes for a full tummy. Please make sure your student has a healthy and full breakfast the morning of the test. I'll have the chance to give the students a snack prior to starting, but the morning should get off to a good start by having a great breakfast.

I'll be giving homework this week, just not the full amount.  Students will receive a reading log and lined paper to practice their spelling words for Friday's test.



Thank you for all you do!


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

Opps!

In the rush of the afternoon, the report cards were not sent home.  My apologies about that.  They are ready to go home on Monday.



Have a great weekend and thank you for all you do!



Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us
520-515-2970

The Toucan Squawk, Mar. 24 - 28

Hello families...I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break with their kiddos!

We have started reviewing concepts from the school year for the upcoming Stanford 10 test.  This week, the students have taken practice tests.  We'll be discussing the questions and answers as a class.  We don't have a writing project this week, but we will start on our next project next week- an Easter Bunny-themed writing!

Tomorrow is picture day!  The class will be taking individual pictures tomorrow morning.

Grade reports will go home on Friday.  They will also include everyone's latest STAR reports. 


News
March 28          Grade reports go home.

Birthdays
Peyton              March 29



Thank you for all you do!


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

The Toucan Squawk, Mar. 3 - 7

Hello families...I hope everyone has had a wonderful week!  A HUGE thanks to everyone for coming to our Wax Museum yesterday.  Your help with their costumes and with their practice at home made a huge difference in everyone's confidence...everyone looked great in their costumes as they presented.

We started with area of a rectangle on Monday and will continue through the rest of the week.  This will be reinforced with centers after the math lesson, as well as during rotations.  And speaking of rotations, the kiddos started taking their STAR reading test for the end of the 3rd quarter.  This reading level will become their new reading level for the coming 4th quarter (I still can't believe it's March, let alone almost the end of the 3rd quarter- oh my goodness how time flies!).  I'll send home the results next Friday once everyone has taken their test.

The kids are almost finished with writing their March craft project, how to catch a leprechaun.  I introduced this lesson with how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  They also started and are almost finished with the 3rd quarter writing portfolio piece.  This will be completed and put in each students' binder by Friday.

For Friday, students are invited to wear their pajamas for all their hard work on their wax Museum and in celebration of Dr. Seuss' birthday March 3rd.  Everyone can bring their favorite book so we can share through the day.


News
March 14                  teacher in-service, 1/2 day early release
March 17 - 21           Spring Break, no school
March 28                  Report cards sent home

Birthdays




Thank you for all you do!

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

The Toucan Squawk, Feb. 24 - Feb. 28

Hello families...I hope everyone has had a wonderful week!  The class has been working so hard on their Wax Museum presentations these past few days- I'm so extremely impressed in their hard work and effort!  I sent home their cards on Monday, so this will be a piece of their homework.  We'll be presenting on Tuesday the 4th.  I'll send home a reminder as the day comes closer.  A portion of their grade will be coming from their costume.  However, please don't stress about it- it doesn't need to be incredibly elaborate.  Something as simple as an old jacket and paper hat can be relatable to their person.  I hope this helps ease any worries.  I will discuss this further with the kiddos tomorrow as I'm sure they're wondering as well.

In math we have covered time and will be beginning to cover area of a rectangle this week.  We will also be covering measurement.  These, along with the other concepts we have covered in math and reading, will be on the Galileo test this coming week.  The class took their reading test on Tuesday, so we are half way completed for this quarter.       


News
March 14                  teacher in-service, 1/2 day early release
March 17 - 21           Spring Break, no school
March 28                  Report cards sent home


Birthdays



Thank you for all you do!

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

The Toucan Squawk, Feb. 10 - 14

Hello families...I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!  We will have our Glitteracy event on Thursday.  Students don't need to bring anything but their Valentine's for our card exchange.  We will rotate to the other 2nd grade classes, where everyone will make a craft in each room.  We'll break for recess, and then we'll complete one last craft in our room.  After lunch and recess, we'll exchange cards, have a snack, and watch a movie.  It should be a super duper fun, yet crazy day!  I included the list of names in the students' mail today.  It's attached to the invite for volunteers for our Glitteracy event.  You are more than welcome to come help!

We started telling time to the hour and half hour yesterday and continued it today with telling time to the 15 minutes.  We'll continue this unit on into next week.  We have worked with individual student clocks and a work paper, and afterwards students have completed work papers by themselves.

The class has started on their new writing craft for this week- describing a piece of gum.  They were all very confused and very excited they got to have a piece of gum in class!  The writing is coming along pretty great, and the crafts are going to look pretty cute once they're up.  They chose their person to do the research on for their biography- everyone went home with a sheet introducing the project to you.  The person your child chose is listed on the bottom.  Everyone has plenty of time, but I've already started on encouraging the kiddos to be thinking of the costume they want to wear for when they present.  This will happen sometime prior to Spring Break.


News
Feb. 12             1/2 day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service
Feb. 13             Glitteracy event and Valentine's Day card exchange
Feb. 14             Winter Holiday, no school
Feb. 17             President's Day, no school

Birthdays
Feb. 1              Erilyn



Thank you for all you do!


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

Progress reports

The students will be coming home today with their progress reports.  I didn't check my mail until the students had left on Friday, so I wasn't able to pass them out.

Also, there is no spelling test this week!  I'm sure they will be broken hearted about that one... :-)  Since it's our Valentine's Day and Glitteracy events are on Thursday, the other second grade teachers and I knew the kiddos would be completely off task because of that.  So, we'll have what should have been the words for this week next week Feb. 17th - 21st.  That is a short week as well, but I'm sure the kiddos will be more focused for the test then.  The words we will be working with until the end of the school year are third grade words!  The book we use for spelling words has 30 weeks, but we don't start it on week 1 (the words used are simply too easy weeks 1 - 10).  So, we spend the rest of the year with the third grade book, which is great because there is 15 words- the same amount the kiddos get next year when they will be in third grade.  These words will still be accompanied by the two sentences, so the weekly test will be out of 17.

Have a great rest of the week!

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

The Toucan Squawk, Feb. 3 - Feb. 6

Hello families...I hope everyone has had a great week!

We started fractions this week- the students first identified and labeled fractions, and yesterday and today we worked through sets of a whole.  The students also completed a few fraction centers, and will continue working through them next week.  Next week we will also work through telling time.  this unit will also include more time centers and small group work.  As with our previous math units, the students will complete a couple Accelerated Math program diagnostic tests to be included in the students' grades.

We will also be covering two Beanie Baby reading strategies- Marvin Main Idea and Sully Summary.  These two strategies will be very helpful in the students' reading comprehension.  We'll be covering them using a few different picture books so the students can practice through the week.

We will be finishing working through science for the time being, so we can start research for our next social studies unit.  The students will be researching a historical figure from the American Revolution.  The research organizer will be a section of the grade, as well as the final product of what each student will be presenting, and the final presentation.  The students will be presenting as a wax museum figure-  "turning off and on" when someone pushes their button.  Last year was my first time having my class completing this project, and it went really great.  I think the students will really enjoy working through the project.  I will be sending home a notice regarding when we will "open the museum" for everyone to present their project, which will be sometime before Spring Break.

This coming week, the students will also be beginning a new writing craft project- using their 5 senses to describe a piece of gum.  This is such a fun project- not only with actually having a piece of gum in class, but also the final project.  They are sure to be super cute!


News
Feb. 12             1/2 day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service.
Feb. 13             Glitteracy event, 8:15 - 11:30.
Feb. 14             Winter Holiday, no school.
Feb. 17             President's Day, no school.

Birthdays
Feb. 1               Erilyn



Thank you for all you do!

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

The Toucan Squawk, Jan. 27 - 31.

Hello families...I hope everyone has had a wonderful week!

The kiddos have been busy this week with number patterns and, today, fractions!  I have to admit, fractions is probably one of my favorite sections of math, so today the class was introduced using Legos and a coloring page.  I unfortunately didn't take any pictures, so hopefully I'll remember to do so when we practice fractions with M & Ms on Monday.  Fractions will take us through the next week or so.

In writing, everyone has been working on creating a money word problem to put together with a piggy bank.  Well, not a real one of course, but a paper one they traced and cut out today.  Everything will get put together tomorrow, and they will all go on the wall for Monday.  Our next writing project will be about blowing a big bubble- these projects came out super cute and creative last year so I'm sure the same will repeat with this group.

We have finished our unit for the digestive system.  The class took their quiz this afternoon, and we will begin putting together the vests tomorrow morning during rotations.  These vests will also be put together with the organs of the respiratory system in the coming week.  The class will work through another book together, as well as take another quiz at the end of that unit as well.  These grades will culminate everyone's science grades for the progress report going home on the 7th, and eventually the grade report for this quarter.

In social studies, the students have finished their work on Martin Luther King Jr., and will soon begin research on an important figure of the American Revolution.  Everyone will have the chance to choose a person, complete the research, and then present their person.  However, their final presentation won't be like the usual presentation we all remember- but instead, the kids will be presenting as the person in a "wax museum" we'll have in our class.  More information will come, but the students will choose their person in a couple weeks.  A part of the grade will be a costume and object which would explain the person more (i.e. Betsy Ross "sewing" the first American flag).

The Glitteracy event is coming up in a couple of weeks on the 13th.  Just like we did with our Winter Holiday Party, we will be rotating with the other 2nd grade classes.  The students will spend the morning making various crafts, and then after lunch and recess we will have our card exchange, a snack, and a movie.  Information was sent home earlier this week.  If you would like to assist, please contact me.


News
Feb. 7           1/2 day early release, parent/teacher conferences.
Feb. 7           Progress reports go home.
Feb. 12         1/2 day early release, teacher in-service.
Feb. 13         Glitteracy, 8:15 - 11:30.
Feb. 14         No school, Winter Holiday.
Feb. 17.        No school, President's Day.

Birthdays
Jan. 7               John
Jan. 19             Mckensie
Jan. 30             Ian

Feb. 1              Erilyn


Thank you for all you!


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

The Toucan Squawk, Jan. 20 - Jan 24

Hello families...I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend.  Last week and this week we have completed two different Martin Luther King Jr. activities.  Last week was a story and accompanying quiz.  Today was a page about table of contents for a book about Martin Luther King Jr.  Both will be included in the students' reading and social studies grades since they pertain to both subjects.  We have continued with our digestive system unit with the book we've been using.  We'll begin the respiratory system next week.

In math, we have begun working on patterns with numbers.  We started this unit today with a page with patterns which included numbers being added and subtracted in the same pattern- very confusing!  We'll continue working through this unit this week and on into next week.  And speaking again of next week- we'll begin fractions!  I'm admittedly excited about this unit because of the activities I discovered last weekend.  I'm sure the kids were wondering what the rather big box of Legos I had in the classroom today is going to be for- they'll find out next week.  I'll be sure to post pictures of this fun activity- along with pictures of the activity we'll be doing with M & Ms.

We don't have a writing activity this week, but we will have one next week for a money word problem the kiddos will be creating themselves.  This writing will go with a piggy bank they'll trace and cut out.  These will be posted on the wall once completed.

Optional conferences are coming up the week of Feb. 3rd - 7th.  Please continue to take a look at your students' grades on Synergy and contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.  I generally stay at the school until 3:30, which is the time when the office closes.  Feel free to email me after that time regarding anything you may be concerned about.  Progress reports for the 3rd quarter will also be sent home the 7th.

Valentine's day will be here before we know it.  Since the 14th is Winter Holiday (news to me...I literally realized that today!), we'll be having our Glitteracy event on the 13th.  Glitteracy is an event sponsored by the Title I staff, which various activities the class will be completing.  We'll start off by rotating to one of the other 2nd grade classes, and continue until after recess where they will complete their activities with me in the classroom.  After lunch, we'll share Valentine's cards and the snack the students will have made that morning.  I'll be sending home a class list once we get closer to the date so students may begin preparing their Valentine's cards for their classmates.  Please remind them they need to bring in cards for the entire class- not just their best friends.  I'll send home a notice closer to the date, along with the class list, but you are more than welcome to join us that morning to assist the students.  Since we'll be switching, the other second grade teachers and I invite any help offered!


News
Jan. 29              Teacher in-service, 1/2 day early release at 11:30.

Feb. 7               Teacher in-service, 1/2 day early release at 11:30, conferences.
Feb. 7               Progress reports go home.
Feb. 12             Teacher in-service, 1/2 day early release at 11:30.
Feb. 14             Winter holiday, no school
Feb. 17             President's Day, no school

Birthdays
Jan. 7               John
Jan. 19             Mckensie
Jan. 30             Ian

Feb. 1              Erilyn



Thank you for all you do!


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

The Toucan Squawk, Jan. 13 - Jan. 17

Hello families...I hope everyone has had a wonderful week!  I know I had posted this weekend, but I've just got a couple quick notes. We have continued working on graphs this week.  I'll be pulling some review groups tomorrow after our regular math lesson- I think this is really going to help clear up some confusion on this unit.  I'm also going to plug in double digit homework in the coming weeks- it's always a good thing to review and refresh!

I sent home a copy of your child's STAR report from the end of December.  As a reminder, this helps me identify what level I should start your child on in reading.  This is just the start, because once your child takes their AR tests during the week, I'll start to notice the level is either too high or too low and I'll adjust accordingly.  Of course, the level also has just as much chance to be just right so I won't adjust until the next quarter.  Your child will retake the test at the end of the quarter, and at that time I'll adjust for the following quarter.  On Friday we are having our AR pizza party for the 2nd quarter.  If your student passed their AR goal for at least 7 weeks, then they will be able to participate.  Pizza and juice will be provided for those who will participate.  I already sent home notes for those students.

Friday is the 100th day!!  We're encouraging students to dress in their wackiest and tackiest- and yes, we teachers are definitely participating (gives us an excuse to dress silly, can't get a better reason than that!).  They are also invited to bring in a collection of 100 items- a couple have been brought in and they are AWESOME!  Please also continue to send in those snack items- we'll be making our snack mix on Friday as part of our 100th day rotation activities.




Thank you for all you do!


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

The Toucan Squawk

Hello families-  I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday vacation! 

We have begun work on graphs this week.  We will continue working on this unit through this week, as well as reviewing word problems.  On Monday the students took a vote on what their favorite pet was, and then as a class we filled out a tally chart followed by a pictograph.

We have also started on our science unit of the digestive system.  On Monday I introduced it to the class by giving everyone a couple tortilla chips and discussing what is happening as they are chewing the chips.  We also discussed what happens in our body with what we eat and drink.  This unit's grade will be based on completion and correctness of the unit's book we are doing as a class.  Because we are doing this as a class, I expect absent students to make up the missed work during their rotations during the next school day.  This can be done by working with a buddy- while the buddy will have their page completed, they should not be simply giving the answers to the student who was absent.  This will help ensure full understanding on any work missed.  Our next science unit will be on the respiratory system, ending our science units with a vest the students will make out of a paper grocery bag with the appropriate organs colored and glued in the correct places.

The students started and completed their first writing project for this quarter-  writing about their holiday vacation, which was then stapled onto their craft of a penguin.  They also completed a snowman glyph about their favorites.  A glyph is another way to represent data.  This week the students will be starting on a new writing project to be completed on Friday- If I was 100 years old.  These should definitely be fun to read!

We have finally been able to start using the students' ear buds they brought into class in August.  The students listened to last week's reading book series story, "Change for the Quarter".  They also completed questions about the story.  If your student has not brought in their ear buds, please send them in soon.  We will be continuing to use them for the listening center through the rest of the school year.  I have one extra pair, so not enough for all students to use at the same time if they don't have them.

Friday is the 100th day of school!  That means, lots of fun activities and Wacky Tacky dress up day!  Students are invited to come to school dressed in their wackiest and tackiest (tutus, funny hats, shorts on top of pants, anything silly!), as well as bring in a collection of 100 items (100 pennies, pom pom balls, cotton balls, Pet Shop toys...the possibilities are fairly endless).  Please remember to pick up any collections on Friday if it is too large for students to take home on the bus.  I sent a letter requesting donations for our 100th day snack mix.  Please bring in the item by Friday.


News
Jan. 15        Teacher in-service, 1/2 day early release at 11:30
Jan. 20        Martin Luther King Jr. day, no school
Jan. 29        Teacher in-service, 1/2 day early release at 11:30  


Birthdays

Jan. 7          John
Jan. 19        Mckensie
Jan. 30        Ian    


Thank you for all you do!


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