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Page Last Updated Apr 07, 2009
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Trigger and Addy Girl (My Kids) Mrs. Vavruska's Blog April 7, 2009 Lot's of changes have been happening in my life, and I am sorry I have not updated the blog and website. I have been without a computer at home or a laptop. Somehow updating the class webpage on a Blackberry doesn't quite do the trick. ;-) News travels fast, and as we near the end of school I wanted to share that I am moving at the end of the school year. My husband and I are relocating to Dallas, Texas. We are sad to leave our friends and family here in Jacksonville, but excited for the new opportunity.
February 25, 2009 Last night was our second grade performance at the monthly PTA meeting. It was a huge success. The parents, students, and teachers alike sang the praises of our second grade students. Today we will be performing for the students and faculty at school. February 9, 2009 Valentine Week and another great week in the third nine weeks of second grade. Last week we did a great job on our The Great Ball Game selection test. Everyone earned an A or B and only a few Cs! We were very proud of our manatees. We are sure we will see more tests like that one in the future. Just remember to really think about what we are reading. Use the reading strategies that are featured on the first page of the selection as well as the responding questions at the end of the story. Those are the best preparation for the selection tests on Friday. Valentines are not mandatory however, if you choose to send them in make sure there is one for every student. A list of student names is on the homework sheet for this week that can be down loaded if you choose to write the student names on them. Another easy way is to just have your child sign them, and then pass them out (no worries about forgetting someone). Have a great night! February 2, 2009 Hard to believe today is the 100th day of school! We are also kicking off Black History Month at ELA and we will be putting together a brief presentation about Tennis Star Serena Williams. All of the classes at ELA will be presenting a famous African American to the school via our school news channel WELA. We are also seeking donations for our FCAT buddies in Ms. Faison's class. We will be writing them cheers, notes, and providing them with treats to keep them motivated. If you are able to donate your time, or some items to help us cheer them on let us know. January 29th We have been dilligently dibel'ing our students this week. This is a test given 3 times a year to assess your child's oral reading fluency and nonsense reading fluency (blending and letter sounds) We are also close to being finished with the winter DRA2 tests. We will be sending home your child's current reading level shortly. There have been some great gains by our students and we are pleased with the progress.
January 27, 2009 It was exciting to see that so many of you printed out our spelling words and high frequency words from our class website. I tried to upload another document that focuses on one of the comprehension skills that we are focusing on this week, but I need to reduce the file size first. This site will only allow a minimal amount of attachments so I will keep fussing with it. Just to clarify, actual homework is written on the board daily for the students as well as the spelling words. Anything posted on the website is for enrichment and extra assignments/learning opportunities. Please rest assured that anything your child is held accountable for is presented in class, and they are provided the opportunity to right it down in their agenda/planner. If they do not take the opportunity to do so, it will be online for you to access. I hope this helps. Have a great night. January 25, 2009 I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend. At least our temperatures came up! We had a great time at the UNF Jazz Ensemble 1 performance. As I turned around and looked at the faces of our ELA Manatees I could see a lot of excitement for Jazz. A big thank you to Mrs. Hipps and Mrs. Boalch who joined us on the trip. Their patience and assistance was very much appreciated. As mentioned on an earlier post. I am going to be trying to post even more class assignments and information on our class website. There may be days that I do not post on the blog or the other pages, but I am making every attempt to keep all of you informed as much as possible.
January 21, 2009- These are our Elite Table Captains! They exemplify all that it means to be an ELA MANATEE! They serve as an example to their classmates and assistant to their teachers. Congratulations to our first group. We are proud of all of you, and look forward to helping you develop leadership skills! January 20, 2009 Inauguration Day! We were able to watch the inauguaration of our country's 44th President today. It was a wonderful moment to share as Americans. The class was really in tune with it. I hope that tonight's homework assignment and the festivities on television tonight provide you some opportunities to discuss the democratic process. In light of saving copies I will not be sending home homework worksheets every week. Please refer to the website's new homework page for updates on our weekly assignments. Students will be writing the assignments in their planner as well, but just so you can have access to the information I will post it here. I hope this helps. Have a great night, and stay warm! January 3, 2009 Happy New Year Everyone! It's hard to believe the holidays are behind us...and that we are nearing the end of the second nine weeks of second grade! Over the break I know all of you have grown, lost teeth, and gained even more independence and confidence as readers. We will spend the first week back re-establishing our rituals and routines. The key to a successful finish to second grade is remembering all of the things we have learned already and putting them in to practice. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Monday!
December 7, 2008 Sorry it has been awhile since my last post. Over the Thanksgiving break our home was burglarized. Since our computer was one of the items stolen, I have not been able to keep everyone updated as I would like. I hope everyone understands while my husband and I wait on our insurance to get us back to normal. I hope to be back to my regular updates soon. For now, i'm lucky to have friends who are allowing me to get on the computer at their house. I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving, as our thoughts quickly turn to the Holiday Season before us. Our holiday party will be held on Thursday December 18th. We are still working out the details of what we will be doing, and we will send home a letter detailing the event. Have a restful day! Mrs. V
Tuesday November 25, 2008
Wow, what a fun day we all had with our Fall Festivities!? Our Soup was delicious, and everyone helped with preparing the veggies and opening the cans. We peeled carrots, and chopped celery...I took one for the home team and prepared the onions. Wow, those really brought tears to our eyes! All in all we used the cans and broth boxes to discuss three dimensional shapes (which are part of this month's calendar math curriculum) We also practiced our graphing skills, by using the labels from our cans to create a bar graph. Enjoying the fruits of our labor was awesome. We all worked together and created a very tasty soup that we all enjoyed. Watch out, the kids were talking about making it at home! ;-) Dried beans and Candy Corn were used in increments of 100 to practice combining and separating, and lastly we were able to create patterns with craisins, popcorn, and marshmallows. (think cranberries, corn, and the yummy candied yams with marshmallows). Wishing you the most wonderful Holiday weekend, and I am Thankful for having such wonderful students to inspire me every day!
Saturday November 22, 2008 What a beautiful and crisp fall day?! I am staring out the window flooded with feelings of fall. Everything from the changing leaves (okay brownish looking pine straw) and the tall pines bending in the wind, I love the weather. I hope all of you are enjoying this day, but I am sure you are excited for the holidays. I sent home a paper regarding our We "CAN" give thanks soup day on Tuesday. We are excited to have a day of cooking and learning with the class, and we would be honored to have you join us for lunch. We are requesting that parents come at our lunch time (12:15), rather than earlier, as we will be using this opportunity to teach the children about 3D objects (cylinders...the cans) cubes (Bouilon cubes) etc. as well as measurement. Very important aspects of our Everyday Counts Calendar Math curriculum. The students seemed very excited on Friday about this and we look forward to some tasty results.
BRRRRRR it's Chilly!
November 7, 2008 Well, we have made it to FRIDAY, and we have Veterans Day on Tuesday to look forward to. Please remember that Monday is a school day, but we do not have school on Tuesday. Ask your child about our new transition song we learned today. They really enjoy singing, and it helps us get to the places and we need to safely, quietly, and efficiently. Next week we will be sending home a new grade tracker that will have all of your child's test grades on it for this nine weeks. It is important that you sign and return it promptly. If you would like to review the actual tests you may come in before school or make an appointment. It is important that we maintain the assessments in our room so that we have a record of your child's progress. Have a Fantastic Friday and Wonderful Weekend!
November 5, 2008 Election day and the Flag Raising/Veterans Day celebration was a huge success. The students truly enjoyed learing about the Democratic processes, and participating in our school election. What a wonderful way to get our future voters excited! I took some photos from the days events and I hope to get them on the website shortly. Thank you for dressing the kids in Red White And Blue! They looked great! Rembember today is an early release day, and Tuesday there is no school in observance of Veterans Day. Have a Wonderful Wednesday!
October 30, 2008 Tomorrow is Halloween, please don't forget NO COSTUMES,FACE PAINT, or DISTRACTING HAIR OR CLOTHING. Thank you for supporting this request. Today was a really great day in our class. The students sound really prepared for our Spelling and Reading tests tomorrow, but make sure to reread the selection Around The Pond: Who's Been Here? We practiced FCAT responding questions whole group, and everyone did a great job. Remember the key words- READ-THINK-EXPLAIN. I look forward to having a "Frightful" Friday with you!
October 29, 2008 New Homework folders went home this week. Please make sure you are reading the homework paper and practicing the reading strategies and skills inside. If your child brings their text books home. Please make sure they come back the next day. They are needed for daily instruction. NO HALLOWEEN COSTUMES ALLOWED AT SCHOOL If you would like to send a goodie bag or treat for the class you may. We have 26 students. We are not having a party and will be having a regular learning day.
November 4th ELA will be having our school wide mock election. We will gather around our flag pole at 9:15 am for an early Veteran's Day Celebration. The students will participate in a mock election when they return to the classroom Support the Troops Care Package! Our class has one item for the care package. Please look at the page on our classroom website for the care packages for the troops. We will be bringing it to the Veteran's Day celebration. If you have any questions please send us an email. dolemanp@duvalschools.org or mathisd2@duvalschools.org
October 27, 2008 I hope everyone had an enjoyable 3 day weekend. Mine was spent with the dogs and trusty lap top in Georgia preparing the new folders for this nine weeks. You will notice that the homework has changed this nine weeks. We will not be writing in the at home journal this nine weeks, but spelling practice is still expected nightly. You will be receiving a sheet of paper every 2 weeks with the spelling words, high frequency words and vocabulary for the stories in our reading series. The assignments are designed to improve comprehension of stories covered in our Core Reading Series. Please keep in mind that homework assignments are due on Friday. Additional homework may be assigned at teacher discretion. Please help your child with the reading strategies that are in the R.E.D. folder. These strategies are the ones we use during Readers Workshop and Guided Reading. Thank you for your committment to your child's education. As always please email me with any questions or comments. Have a great evening!
October 21, 2008 It's hard to believe that the first nine weeks of school is behind us. Report cards will be going home on November 4th. Please remember that Friday October 24th is a planning day and there will be no school. I will not be at school on Thursday October 23rd. I will be at workshop, but Mrs. Canoura will be there with a substitute teacher. PLEASE JOIN PTA If our class has 100% membership we earn a walking field trip to Chick'fil a or McDonalds. The class with the most PTA membership by Thursday October 23rd earns an ice cream treat at school. Please support our school's effort to upgrade our playground by joining PTA today. Thanks ;-) We are still in need of donations for our care package for the troops. Anything you can donate to our effort is appreciated. Please check the page on our class website for items to donate.
October 17, 2008 Our first Manatee Mix and Mingle Party was a success. Thank you to Mrs. Hauhe for helping with the ice cream sundae assembly line. ;-) The students really enjoyed their sweet reward! We also attended a PTA assembly to learn about our fall fundraiser. Please check your child's backpack for the large red and yellow envelope. Every little bit helps! Let's aim for 100% PTA membership in our class! The class with 100% membership earns a walking field trip to Chick fil'a or McDonalds! As an added bonus I will wear my hair in pig tails for a week to school if we win! Let's go for it Second Grade Manatees!!!!
October 15, 2008 Hi everyone! We have earned our last warm and fuzzy and will be having our first manatee mix and mingle celebration on Friday! We will be having an ice cream social. It will be after lunch at 1pm. Congratulations everyone on a job well done! What will be the next one? We will have to use our manatee manners to find out. ;-)
October 13, 2008 Attention Food Network Fans! Watch for Paula's Party October 25th at 7pm. I attended the taping for her Halloween Episode in New York City! It was a blast. I hope you get to see it!
October 13, 2008 Well everyone, it's been a busy last few days. I am very honored to be selected ELA teacher of the year. I am so thrilled, and thankful to share it with such a great group of students. I am so happy to be with them every day! Several things are going on this week, that are of interest to our ELA family Tuesday October 14th 6:00pm - Ready to Learn in the library. This is brought to us by WJCT public television and offers many helpful tips for working with your lil' manatee. Tuesday October 14th 6:30pm PTA Board Meeting. Please find out how you can get involved with our school PTA, just joining shows your committment to ELA. Show your support, and join today! Tuesday October 14th- Chick'fila Day! Eat More Chicken, and help ELA Thursday October 16th Chuck E. Cheese Night at Chuck E. Cheese on Youngerman Circle. Students will receive a sticker that entitles them to 10 tokens!
October 1, 2008 Wow it's hard to believe October is here already! Almost the end of the first nine weeks of school. Our teacher planning day is October 24th, so there will be no school. The students are "fall"ing into the rituals and routines, but we are still having some challenges with staying focused. We have been discussing the importance of listening skills and paying attention. We appreciate your support as we continue improving this skill. Thanks so much for your support in everything your child does! Mrs. V. ;-)
September 27, 2008 Wow! Hard to believe that Saturday is here, and the air feels so crisp outside. Fall is here! Our class had an eventful week with ELA spirit week. They were very excited on Friday to find out the names of the Manatee Decals on the front windows of the school. Manny and Molly! They were especially happy because our Manatee Webkin in our class is named Manny too. We have finished our Silly Stories Theme and are beginning our review of the theme on Monday. We have been working on critical thinking skills for our students when they take reading tests. These tests require the children to Read, Think, Explain. Coaching them on this way of answering questions is new, but is laying the foundation for successful test taking in the upper grades. In math we are working on combinations of 10, 20, ways to make 25 cents, ways to make 50 cents and other basic addition and subtraction computations. The math investigations curriculum is designed to develop your child's ability to think about math and explain mathematical thinking and processes. Yes, it is different than what we are used to, but it is laying a foundation for students to not only problem solve, but be able to explain their thinking through words, numbers, and pictures.
September 23, 2008 8:59pm Hi Everyone! Progress reports went home yesterday, and I greatly appreciate the students returning them promptly! The last couple of days have found us with a substitute teacher as Mrs. Canoura has been under the weather. We are hoping to have her back Wednesday morning. From there we will be able to plan scheduling conferences where we will both be present to discuss your concerns. A major concern we have noticed is with reading grades. Please keep in mind that an entering second grade student should be a level I or J as considered on grade level for the beginning of the school year. Anything below that is below grade level. The reading grade is comprised of participation in Readers Workshop and Comprehension Tests that are on second grade level from the Core Reading Series. Reading fluently and comprehending are key to earning a grade of A or B for reading. We will be more than happy to discuss the criteria for reading at our conference. Please email me to specify a presence of when your conference will be. However, due to the volume of conferences requested we ask for your patience. Tomorrow is early release! Thanks again! Mrs. Vavruska
September 17, 2008 8:21 pm Good Evening Manatees! We had a busy and productive day with pictures, literacy centers, writng about important moments in our life and math investigations. We especially enjoyed the hot weather outside during physical activity! Good thing we had our wonderful drink bottles that were donated by Mrs. Canoura and her husband's place of employment. Now our students can keep a bottle of water at their desk to stay hydrated! We sure are lucky to have them. The book fair is ending on Friday, and any last minute purchases need to be made. Next week will be ELA spirit week, look forward to activities daily that will celebrate why we are all proud to be manatees! See you in the morning! Smiles, Mrs. Vavruska
September 17, 2008 6:54 am Good Morning Everyone! Today is picture day! I can't wait to see everyone's smiling faces and fancy clothes. Remember the story about my school picture in second grade? I hope the same thing doesn't happen to me again! I am feeling excited about today and can't wait to see all of you at school. Remember you can always send me an email, and I will write you back! Smiles, Mrs. Vavruska September 15, 2008 Well, we are now in the fifth week of school, and I must say things are coming together nicely. The students in our class have now all had their DRA2 test administered and will be taking the Dibels test very soon. Dibels is used to assess Oral Reading Fluency and Nonsense Reading Fluency. I was not at school today, as I was attending Literacy Training for the district. I currently serve as the Lead Literacy Teacher for second grade here at Enterprise. This means I will be going to school once a month to gain information from our school district to share with the other second grade teachers, and enhance your child's learning. I learned many interesting things today that I cannot wait to implement in our classroom. Most importantly I missed everyone! I can't wait to see everyone on Tuesday! Don't forget Picture day is on Wednesday! Smiles, Mrs.Vavruska
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