We are starting off the new year with some very exciting news. We have two new students in our class! Welcome Jay and Diego. We are so excited to have you join our wonderful class.

Mark your calendars, Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held January 26-30. Look for a letter with your date and time to come home over the next week. Please let us know immediately if your date/time does not work so that we can try and reschedule your conference. You will receive your child's 2nd report card at your conference. We really look forward to meeting with you and discussing all the progress your child is making.

Look for our Heroes Writing Contest letters to come home this week. We ask that you help your child complete this assignment at home. These are due the first week of February, but your child may turn it in as soon as it's finished.

Please keep practicing addition and subtraction facts at home with your child. We will be continuing to master 2-digit regrouping. We will also continue to work on geometry, time, and money. Please continue to practice these difficult concepts at home.

In language arts we will continue to master our reading, writing, and spelling skills. At this time in the year, 2nd graders are expected to independently use correct capitalization and punctuation skills. Please look over the Family Journal letters your child brings home each Friday and see if there may be any areas your child can improve.

Again, welcome back and we look forward to a wonderful second half of school.

Dr. Stasiak came to visit our classroom yesterday and got to observe us learning about reading strategies. She really enjoyed watching us learn and was very impressed with our class.

We made a big announcement today about our next Accelerated Reader reward. On December 19th, (our last day of school before the Winter Break) we will have a special celebration. On this day we will be halfway through 2nd grade. First of all, we will celebrate by enjoying the movie, The Polar Express. In order to enjoy the movie, the students will have to turn in their Polar Express ticket. The students received their tickets today and will use them to help monitor their behavior over the next few weeks. Ask your child if he/she lost any letters on his/her ticket today.

We will also tie our AR reward into our celebration on the 19th. If the students earn the required 6 points this quarter (in addition to what they earned last quarter) they will get to wear their pajamas that day and get hot chocolate to drink while they enjoy the movie. Finally, the students who go above and beyond the 6 points will receive a special surprise treat.

Notes were sent home yesterday with those students who have NOT met the 6 point requirement for the quarter. We are really looking forward to celebrating on the 19th!

During the next three weeks we will be very busy finishing up our second quarter of studies. This had been our busiest quarter for math. It has been jammed packet with information. This week we are working on geometry. There are some very challenging vocabulary words such as quadriateral, obtuse angle, and vertex. Please look over the classwork and homework that your child brings home to ensure they are understanding these concepts. Please also continue to practice telling time, counting money, and addition/subtraction with regrouping so that your child can master these concepts by the end of the quarter.

In language arts, we are continuing to improve our reading, writing, and spelling skills. Your child should be beginning to use correct grammar, capitalization, and punctuation independently. Please look over your child's Family Journal letters with him/her and point out possible areas that can be improved.  

Thank you again for your continued support. It makes such a difference in your child's success in school.

Thank you and have a wonderful break.

We will also be busy this week preparing for our program on Friday. We are so excited to perform it for you. Please plan to have someone special attend to watch your child shine! Our program will be this Friday at 11:00 in our classroom, followed by lunch at 11:15. We can't wait to see you!

In class this week, we will spend some time reading about and discussing the first Thanksgiving celebration and why we continue to celebrate this special holiday. It goes right along with the Native American history we've been learning so much about. Our country has such an interesting history!

In math, we're continuing to work on telling time and counting money. These abstract concepts can be really challenging so please give your child a chance to practice telling time and counting money at home. Let him/her count spare change around the house. Ask your child to tell you what time it is several times a day. Also ask him/her how much longer it is until a certain time to practice elapsed time. We are doing this in class to earn tokens and the students LOVE it.

Our next unit of study in math is subtraction with regrouping. This is one of the toughest concepts we learn in 2nd grade. (This is a tough quarter for math, isn't it?) If your child has not mastered his or her single-digit addition and subtraction facts, regrouping is going to be really tough. Please practice math facts at home with your child. If you're taking a trip for the Thanksgiving break, bring the flashcards or a workbook in the car. Or if you're staying home, let your child practice on the computer. There are many fun ways to practice those math skills!

Finally, progress reports will be coming home this week. Remember, these are only sent home if your child has areas of weakness or is in danger of receiving 1's on his/her report card.

Have a WONDERFUL week off of school next week and a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We are really looking forward to our fall centers on Friday. A big THANK YOU in advance to all the parents who are coming in to help us make them a success. Has your child told you about the HALLOWEEN ticket we are using to help monitor our behavior this week? Ask him/her about it. So far, everyone is doing very well! We will also be having another Marble Jar reward on Friday. The students voted to bring the computer cart into the classroom and enjoy some extra computer time. Friday should be a great day. Please remember that no costumes are allowed on Friday but Halloween (or orange and black) shirts are welcome!

Tomorrow we will be having our mock election here at school. Please take some time tonight to discuss who your family will be voting for next week and why so that your child can make their decision for tomorrow.

Looking ahead, we will be having our annual Grandparents and Special Friends Luncheon and Performance on Friday, November 21st, at 11:00 A.M. You will receive a special invitation this week. Please start making plans to have someone attend this special event with your child. We will be doing a little Thanksgiving performance in the classroom and then have lunch in the cafeteria. Please make sure your child has someone to share this day with. T

In class, we have been working hard and learning a lot. In math we are working on counting money and making change. If you have a change jar at home, let your child impress you with how well he/she can count it. Making change can be very tricky. Please give your child a chance to practice it at home. We are also working on addition with regrouping and will soon begin subtraction with regrouping. PLEASE make sure your child knows his/her basic addition and subtraction facts. Flashcards are a great way to practice. There are also some great math games on our school web site. Regrouping will be much easier for your child if he/she has already mastered the basic facts.

In language arts, we've been learning all about biographies and autobiographies. We all wrote our own autobiography which came home last week. These turned out so good! We also choose a biography to read with a partner and did a really cool project with it. These are on display out in the hallway. Come by and take a look!

In social studies we are learning all about the history of our great state. We've learned all about the Native Americans who used to live in Georgia and now we're learning about the first settlers. Ask your child to tell you all about Chief Tomochichi, James Oglethorpe, and Mary Musgrove. We are learning so much!

Thank you for your continued support. Have a wonderful and safe Halloween and we are looking forward to a great November!

Just a reminder that this week is Red Ribbon Week. You should have received a flier with information about this week including daily themes and  special things to wear each day. Here is a reminder, just in case:

Monday - "Be Part of a Winning Team Day" (Wear your favorite sports team shirt)

(Don't forget about AR Reading Night in the Media Center from 6-8 P.M.)

Tuesday - "Laugh in the Face of Drugs" (Silly Hair Day)

Wednesday - "Put Drugs to Rest" (PJ Day)

Thursday - "Just Say NO to Drugs" (Wear RED Day)

Friday - "Scare Drugs Away" (Wear Orange or Black Shirts)

Students will also be receiving special treats at school each day to remind them how important it is to stay away from drugs. Thank you for your support during this special week.