From the class of Ms. McMahon and Dionne Gilmore

January 14, 2009

Dear Parent(s),

            I want to welcome you and your child to our second grade class at Isenberg Elementary. It is going to be a great year, and I’m sure your child will grow in so many ways- emotionally,physically, and academically. Let’s work together as partners to support your child as they discover new ways to learn. One of the best ways that you can help your child is to check my updated Edgate webpage. This online resource will show you what our class is working in each area. The following shows information that will be helpful for you to know:

Schedule: Lunch is12:17-12:47.

P.E.will be on Friday, so please have your child wear appropriate shoes for P.E.

Scholastic Reading Orders: I will send home an order form about once a month so your child can order books to read at home (optional).

Discipline: We will be following the PBS discipline system. With this system, children can be rewarded for good choices. I will be communicating through student agendas about your child’s behavior. If you child has not made good choices, I will comment in their agenda. Please discuss this with your child, sign, and return the agenda the next day.

Communication:Agendas will not be sent home on Fridays.

Also,each week on Tuesday or Wednesday I will send home a graded sample of your child’s work from class so you can see their progress.

Transportation: You willneed to write a note or call the school if your child’s transportation changesfor the day.  If your child has a note,they need to hand it to the teacher. If the note is in their agenda, they needto give the note to the teacher.

Homework: Each Monday students will receive a packet of reading workbook pages, a spelling list, and math practice pages. They may keep the packet until Friday to work on throughout the week. On Friday, they need to place their finished packet in the homework file with their name on it. It will be checked, and this will count toward their grade. Each Friday there will be a spelling test with about 20-25words. *There may be some reading sheets (2-sided) that your child cannot complete unless they’re in class. Only complete sheets that are easily understood with the directions.  If a problem arises with completing homework, please ask or write a note, and we will work on a solution.  Please read 20 minutes on level eachday. This is more important than the spelling worksheets, so try to dothis first.

Sight Words: Students will be responsible for spelling and reading a set of 25 sight words each quarter. I will send home the list of sight words for them to practice. These words wil lalso be posted on our word wall. Knowing how to spell sight words is an important part of being a good reader.

Time for Kids: Our class received a grant so that your child can read the current news. Each week your child will be able to read TFK in class and take the magazine home to share with you what they’ve learned. There will be a quiz given in class that goes along with the TFK reader as well.

Math: Please have your child practice their addition math facts. They can make their own flashcards or go on my Edgate website for a fun, interactive math fact game. Just click on the link, and answer as many facts as you can in a set time. If you do well, the game will celebrate with you! If you have questions about this,please ask. There will also be a weekly math quiz. If your child receives a quiz that is stamped “parent signature requested”, please talk with your child about the quiz and return it to the teacher.

Writing: We will be using the Lucy Calkins Writing model. Students are improving their "small moments", and we are now midway through our new unit on "The Craft of Revision" where students 1) prepare a small moment for an audience 2) use descriptive words in writing and 3) check that it makes sense and use proper punctuation. We will be publishing in the spring! Parents will be able to purchase a book for approx. $20 when they are published. It will have everyone's small moment stories from our class in the book.

Science: Students are learning about sound. How does the ear hear sound? What is pitch? How do different vibrations look if we can see them?

SocialStudies: Students will be learning about "People in the Marketplace" in our current unit.

Language Arts: We are studying our fourth theme "Amazing Animals" .  In addition, each week, your child will have an envelope with books. Please read and retell the stories at home and return the envelope of books on Monday. Your child will receive a new set when they turn in the set they’ve read. We are using Lary Bell's 12 powerful words across the entire school to reinforce concepts such as comparing/contrasting, making inferences, summarizing, and so forth.

Technology: Your child will have many opportunities to use technology this year. We will make Keynotepresentations, use Comic life software, Garage Band, and Kidspiration. They will do many activities on our new Promethean Board throughout the day as well. This winter, we will be doing our 2nd grade IMPACT technology project where students learn how Christmas is celebrated around the world.

This month, we will be doing our science  extension on "sound", and each student will travel to different classrooms learning garageband, pitch, vibration, and how to do different experiments with sound.

Please visit the wonderful technology links that can help your child tremendously this year on this webpage. The new spellingcity site is a great way for students to practice their spelling words each week. They type in the spelling words and the website uses those same words in a variety of games.

Please feel free to ask if you have questions. Again, the Edgate page is always a great way for parents to keep up with what’s happening in our class. It’s going to be a great year!                               

                                                                                                Partners in Learning,

Ms. McMahon