q Welcome to my website!     (2010-2011 school year)

My name is Ms. Hatley, and I teach 2nd grade at Koontz Elementary.   Go Koontz Panthers!

  It is hard to believe that we are well into the 2nd nine weeks!  It will soon be time for 2nd quarter report cards.

Let's talk about what we are doing in class.

Starting 1-3-11, we will be working on capitalization at the beginning of a sentence and a period at the end.  That's the only writing element that we will be working on.

Testing on this will be Friday, 1-7-11, as usual.  By the end of the week,  students should know and show this writing element inside and out!

    We will, however, continue writing small moment stories with a beginning, middle, and an ending.  What is a small moment you ask?  That's where you take one specific time from a gathering or event, and write about it. 

Example:  The Day I Lost a Tooth

 This would be a small moment story about losing the tooth -- not what happened before or after,  but start to finish (with a beginning, middle, and ending).  

 In reading, we read a story every week.  We get into small groups and read from leveled readers that also go with our story of the week.  I work one-on-one with students and the students work with each other.  We are working hard in phonics on short and long vowels, blends, and sounding out words. Short e and short i continue to be a challenge.  Much practice is needed on common and proper nouns, as well as verbs and adjectives.    Parents,  read an article from a magazine or newspaper.  Point out common nouns, proper nouns, verbs, and adjectives. 

   This week in math, we will be working on the following concepts.  We will test on Friday, the 7th of January.

•  Fractions: being able to identify 1/4, 1/2, 1/3, and 1/8 by coloring, drawing, and choosing the answer.
• Comparing fractions by using the > < and = signs.  We will also color, draw, and choose the answer. 
• Addition and subtraction through 3 digits, using money symbols and decimal points. 
• word problems with 2 and 3 steps (multi-step)
•   math vocabulary  
•   odd and even numbers - I taught the students a rhyme to help them remember.

        0, 2,  4,  6,  8,   even numbers are really great!

        1,  3,  5,  7,  9  odd numbers are mighty fine!

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 In Reading this week (1-3-11 / 1-7-11) we will start the story called:  Thunder Cake.  It will support our Science unit on Weather. 

In Science, we are working on Weather for the next two weeks.  The students will be working on types of weather.  This is a unit that students enjoy, year after year.

   Soon into the unit,  the students will make a weather chart, take it home, and record the weather conditions either in the morning,  or at nigh for one week.  Channels, 3, 9, 18, and 36 have weather posted on their websites as well as the T.V. 

 This counts as a science quiz ! 

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       **  Please read to your child everyday, and let them read to you.  Hearing the words helps with pronunciation, which in turn helps with fluency.  If they have trouble pronouncing a word, let them watch your mouth as you pronounce it.  Praise your child when they read!

 Ask questions about the story.  This helps them to understand what they read (comprehension).   Here are some great questions.

 What is the setting of the story? 

Who are the characters?

What was the problem or conflict in the story?

How was the problem solved?

What lesson was learned in the story?

Have your child recall important events in the story, and tell you what happened from the beginning to the end!

** Buy flashcards for phonics (and math too), and work with your child at home.  Go to a website called starfall.com.  It is a fantastic website for reading.  Our Rowan-Salisbury website has many features to help parents and students!  PBSkids.org is another great website for Reading, Math, and Writing.

     If you work on these websites,  please bring the work to me so that I can record that information.  I will gladly return all work afterwards.

      Thank you for supporting what we do in our 2nd grade class!

If you need to contact me, drop me an email, write in your child's agenda, or leave me a message on my voice mail at school!

Sincerely,

Ms. Hatley

p.s.  Thank you to all of my parents who have helped with snacks, diaper wipes, and facial tissues.