Hello families! I hope everyone has had a great week. It's unbelieveable to me December is literally right around the corner...how time flies! The students produced some AMAZING turkey stories! I'm very proud of how much progress each and every one of them have made since August.
The students have finished their unit in counting money to $5.00, and have moved into word problems. It's been a good unit so far because we've talked about the key words for addition and subtraction problems. The class took home their Key Word book this week- they are sure to be a big help for everyone as they work on word problems at home. They read the story "Best Wishes, Ed", about a penguin who gets lost. It's a pretty cute story, and the kids enjoyed listening to the story on the computer- funny voices and all! We have also been disussing abbreviations, such as- directions, titles, months of the year, and days of the week.
The class is currently working on their stocking stories, about if Santa was sick. I've read most of them already, and I continue to be amazed by the ideas they have come up with. It's very sweet how they have said they'll take care of him. We will be beginning our holiday-themed activities in the coming weeks- the weeks are definietly going to be fun, but most likely fast-paced! I will also be benchmark testing the students with STAR Reading and STAR Math tests on the computers, and finding reading levels according to Running Records. The Running Records are another way to help me see who is reading below, at, and above grade level.
Thank you for all you do!
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
515-2970
elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us
11/29/2012
11/15/2012
White envelope contents
If you haven't done so yet, please return the contents of the white envelope with your child tomorrow. My original plan was to post them in the room, but I have decided to instead leave them on your child's desk Tuesday morning before we leave for Thanksgiving break. Thank you so much for your participation in this special event!
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
515-2970
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
515-2970
11/13/2012
The Toucan Squawk, Nov. 13 - Nov. 16
Hello families! I hope everyone had a wonderful Veteran's Day weekend.
The kiddos finished their soldier letters on Friday. Mrs. Holston had them taken to soldiers at Fort Huachuca. I'm sure the brave men and women appreciated reading what the kids wrote- they put in some extra effort when they discovered their letters would be read by real soldiers.
We are continuing our unit in counting bills and coins to $5.00. Today, the students completed a page with a partner. Tomorrow, they will work with partners on a money collection center, as well as take a quiz later on in the afternoon. The Touch Points continue to help the students count money. As a reminder as you're helping your student at home, a quarter is worth 5 Touch Points, a dime is worth 2, and a nickel is worth 1. A 50 cent piece has "50" underneath it, and a 1 cent has "1" underneath it. The students need to count by 5s for the quarter, dime, and nickel. If you notice your child is still having some trouble remembering what coin equals what, have them write out their Touch Points. That should really help a lot.
If you have not done so yet, please return the items in the white envelope. This was sent home on the 2nd. The contents are due this Friday. This is a great project for you to do for your child.
The food drive pick-up was today. Our class donated 90 non-perishable items! It was a great way for our class to continue to learn the meaning of giving to those in need. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for those who donated- a little goes a long way!
Progress reports are going home on Friday. Please review them and contact me with any questions or concerns. I will be attaching a notice for a conference if necessary. These reports do not need to be returned- they are for your family to keep at home.
News
Nov. 16 Progress reports go home
Nov. 21 - 23 Thanksgiving holiday, no school
Nov. 28 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service
BirthdaysNov. 21 Mason
Nov. 23 Kaylee
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
515-2970elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us
The kiddos finished their soldier letters on Friday. Mrs. Holston had them taken to soldiers at Fort Huachuca. I'm sure the brave men and women appreciated reading what the kids wrote- they put in some extra effort when they discovered their letters would be read by real soldiers.
We are continuing our unit in counting bills and coins to $5.00. Today, the students completed a page with a partner. Tomorrow, they will work with partners on a money collection center, as well as take a quiz later on in the afternoon. The Touch Points continue to help the students count money. As a reminder as you're helping your student at home, a quarter is worth 5 Touch Points, a dime is worth 2, and a nickel is worth 1. A 50 cent piece has "50" underneath it, and a 1 cent has "1" underneath it. The students need to count by 5s for the quarter, dime, and nickel. If you notice your child is still having some trouble remembering what coin equals what, have them write out their Touch Points. That should really help a lot.
If you have not done so yet, please return the items in the white envelope. This was sent home on the 2nd. The contents are due this Friday. This is a great project for you to do for your child.
The food drive pick-up was today. Our class donated 90 non-perishable items! It was a great way for our class to continue to learn the meaning of giving to those in need. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for those who donated- a little goes a long way!
Progress reports are going home on Friday. Please review them and contact me with any questions or concerns. I will be attaching a notice for a conference if necessary. These reports do not need to be returned- they are for your family to keep at home.
News
Nov. 16 Progress reports go home
Nov. 21 - 23 Thanksgiving holiday, no school
Nov. 28 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service
BirthdaysNov. 21 Mason
Nov. 23 Kaylee
Thank you for all you do,
and have a great Veteran's Day weekend!
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
515-2970elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us
11/08/2012
The Toucan Squawk, Nov. 5 - 9
Hello families! I hope everyone has had a great week. The students have completed their "My Pet Turkey" writing. They wrote about what would happen if they kept their Thanksgiving turkey. The class began writing after we read "'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving", written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey. We have also been working on writing a letter to a soldier for Veteran's Day. Fellow second grade teacher, Mrs. Holston, will be giving them to her husband who works at Fort Huachuca. They will then be delivered to a group of soldiers who are currently serving.
We have also been working on counting money to $5.00. The students were introduced to touch points with coins. This has been an AMAZING strategy for the students learning to count money. The class has grasped the concept of counting money easier and quicker than I expected, proof the Touch Points are definietly helping! I sent home a letter on Tuesday explaining the concept. Next week, the students will be taking home money homework. This strategy will be very helpful as they continue working with money.
The students have worked very hard on their Election Journal. They "voted for President" on Monday in the computer lab with the help of the kids from Mrs. Caputo's class. On Tuesday, they voted in the classroom by putting their votes in a ballot box- well, it was a pink magazine holder, but it did it's job well! Next we tallied our votes. Each class shared their winners, and then we graphed our votes in a bar graph. All four classes voted for President Obama! The students have finished their journals, and they will be sent home next week once I have graded and recorded the grades.
News
Nov. 12 Veteran's Day, no school
Nov. 16 Progress reports go home
Nov. 21 - 23 Thanksgiving holiday, no school
Nov. 28 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service
Nov. 21 Mason
Nov. 23 Kaylee
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
515-2970
elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us
We have also been working on counting money to $5.00. The students were introduced to touch points with coins. This has been an AMAZING strategy for the students learning to count money. The class has grasped the concept of counting money easier and quicker than I expected, proof the Touch Points are definietly helping! I sent home a letter on Tuesday explaining the concept. Next week, the students will be taking home money homework. This strategy will be very helpful as they continue working with money.
The students have worked very hard on their Election Journal. They "voted for President" on Monday in the computer lab with the help of the kids from Mrs. Caputo's class. On Tuesday, they voted in the classroom by putting their votes in a ballot box- well, it was a pink magazine holder, but it did it's job well! Next we tallied our votes. Each class shared their winners, and then we graphed our votes in a bar graph. All four classes voted for President Obama! The students have finished their journals, and they will be sent home next week once I have graded and recorded the grades.
News
Nov. 12 Veteran's Day, no school
Nov. 16 Progress reports go home
Nov. 21 - 23 Thanksgiving holiday, no school
Nov. 28 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service
Birthdays
Nov. 21 Mason
Nov. 23 Kaylee
Thank you for all you
do, and have a great Veteran's Day weekend!
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
515-2970
elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us
10/30/2012
The Toucan Squawk, Oct. 29 - Nov. 2
Halloween is finally here...and the kiddos are VERY excited! We'll be having our parade at 8:15. Students in K - 2 are invited to wearing their Halloween costumes, but it's definietly not a requirement. Afterwards, we'll be having our Halloween-themed center rotations in the classroom. You are welcome to stay. The students will be making spider cupcakes and estimating and measuring our classroom pumpkin from Apple Annie's, along with other centers. The students will still have time for their lunch in the cafeteria (or in the classroom if they bring a home lunch). We'll also have time for a movie (at least part of one) and for the students to enjoy their cupcakes. It's sure to be a fun morning!
The homework has changed- but only for this week. My apologies I didn't mention it prior to sending it home yesterday. There was a mix-up with the copies, and the words that were copied were the same ones from last week. So, I'll be sending home a page each day for this week. Each page is due the next school day. Friday, as usual, will be the day for rewarding of homework nickels, shopping, and Freetime for those who have earned it. Also, because of the mix-up with the spelling words, we won't be having a spelling test on Friday. We'll move on to the next set of words next Monday as usual.
The spider reports came out fantastic! The students worked so hard on them. I'll be sending them home within the next couple weeks with the grading rubric. This grade will go into writing- for the structure of how their paragraph was written, and for science- for the content.
As a reminder, here is the rubric grading system. This is how the kids will be graded for their writing projects:
4- 97 % or higher
3- 85 % or higher
2- 70 % or higher
1- 50 % or higher
News
Oct. 31 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service Halloween Parade, 8:15
AM, around the school. Activities in the classroom afterwards
Nov. 12 Veteran's Day, no school
Nov. 16 Progress reports go home
Nov. 21 - 23 Thanksgiving holiday, no school
Nov. 28 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service
Oct. 24 Isaiah
Nov. 21 Mason
Nov. 23 Kaylee
Second Grade
The homework has changed- but only for this week. My apologies I didn't mention it prior to sending it home yesterday. There was a mix-up with the copies, and the words that were copied were the same ones from last week. So, I'll be sending home a page each day for this week. Each page is due the next school day. Friday, as usual, will be the day for rewarding of homework nickels, shopping, and Freetime for those who have earned it. Also, because of the mix-up with the spelling words, we won't be having a spelling test on Friday. We'll move on to the next set of words next Monday as usual.
The spider reports came out fantastic! The students worked so hard on them. I'll be sending them home within the next couple weeks with the grading rubric. This grade will go into writing- for the structure of how their paragraph was written, and for science- for the content.
As a reminder, here is the rubric grading system. This is how the kids will be graded for their writing projects:
4- 97 % or higher
3- 85 % or higher
2- 70 % or higher
1- 50 % or higher
News
Oct. 31 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service Halloween Parade, 8:15
AM, around the school. Activities in the classroom afterwards
Nov. 12 Veteran's Day, no school
Nov. 16 Progress reports go home
Nov. 21 - 23 Thanksgiving holiday, no school
Nov. 28 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service
Birthdays
Oct. 24 Isaiah
Nov. 21 Mason
Nov. 23 Kaylee
Thank you for
all you do!
Elizabeth Townsend
PDSSecond Grade
515-2970
10/25/2012
Grades
The grading key was not included on the grade report. It was supposed to be, but unfortunately the system didn't include it.
The 4, 3, 2, 1, grading can be thought of more like percentages rather than A, B, C, D, F. Here is what they stand for:
4- 97 % or higher
3- 85 % or higher
2- 70 % or higher
1- 50 % or higher
I hope that helps ease some confusion. If not, please feel free to contact me.
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
515-2970
elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us
The 4, 3, 2, 1, grading can be thought of more like percentages rather than A, B, C, D, F. Here is what they stand for:
4- 97 % or higher
3- 85 % or higher
2- 70 % or higher
1- 50 % or higher
I hope that helps ease some confusion. If not, please feel free to contact me.
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
515-2970
elizabeth.townsend@svps.k12.az.us
10/24/2012
The Toucan Squawk, Oct. 22 - 26
Hello families! I hope everyone has had a great week so far. The kids are still SO excited about the Scholastic Book Fair this week. It ends on Friday. I've gotten a few books for the kids to enjoy, and some of them are AR testables so that's always a good thing. BIG thank you to the John family for purchasing the book "Math Attack" for our classroom. I read it aloud to the class this afternoon and they really liked it. Thanks again for thinking of us!
We've been working on mental math this week. It's been super helpful for the kiddos who were struggling with double digit addition and subtraction at the beginning of the year. The students have also been working EXTRA hard on their candy corn book reports (beginning, middle, and end of a story of their choice) and their spider research reports (partner work research on student choice: Black Widow, Tarantula, or Wolf Spider). The kids are almost finished, so I'll be posting pictures of their great reports this week or next. This report, since it was based on actual research, will be going home after Halloween with a scored rubric. Even though the reports were researched with a partner, the students will be receiving their own grade for their final report.
Our Halloween parade is next Wednesday! Students in grades K - 2 are invited to wear their costumes, however this is only a suggestion. A couple reminders for the kiddos and their costumes:
News
Oct. 31 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service Halloween Parade, 8:15 AM, around the school. Activities in the classroom afterwards
Nov. 12 Veteran's Day, no school
Nov. 16 Progress reports go home
Nov. 21 - 23 Thanksgiving holiday, no school
Nov. 28 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service
Oct. 24 Isaiah
Nov. 21 Mason
Nov. 23 Kaylee
We've been working on mental math this week. It's been super helpful for the kiddos who were struggling with double digit addition and subtraction at the beginning of the year. The students have also been working EXTRA hard on their candy corn book reports (beginning, middle, and end of a story of their choice) and their spider research reports (partner work research on student choice: Black Widow, Tarantula, or Wolf Spider). The kids are almost finished, so I'll be posting pictures of their great reports this week or next. This report, since it was based on actual research, will be going home after Halloween with a scored rubric. Even though the reports were researched with a partner, the students will be receiving their own grade for their final report.
Our Halloween parade is next Wednesday! Students in grades K - 2 are invited to wear their costumes, however this is only a suggestion. A couple reminders for the kiddos and their costumes:
- Masks, weapons, and other items which need to be carried (pitchfork, broom, etc) are not allowed. These items will be taken, and left in the office for parents to pick up.
- Inappropriate costumes are not allowed. Students who arrive wearing something that is too short or otherwise too revealing will be asked to change.
News
Nov. 12 Veteran's Day, no school
Nov. 16 Progress reports go home
Nov. 21 - 23 Thanksgiving holiday, no school
Nov. 28 Half-day early release at 11:30, teacher in-service
Birthdays
Oct. 24 Isaiah
Nov. 21 Mason
Nov. 23 Kaylee
Thank you for all you do!
Elizabeth Townsend
PDS
Second Grade
Second Grade
515-2970
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