Ways to Prevent the "Summer Slide"

Dear 2B Families,

Happy Summer!

Miss Monk and I would like to thank you for sharing your children with us this academic year. We marveled at their insight, reveled in their learning, smiled at their kindness and laughed at their humor. We were honored to walk with them as they grew in virtue, emotionally, socially and academically.

Their emotional and social growth will continue naturally throughout the summer. To foster appropriate academic growth, keep children engaged during the summer months to ensure that the brain synapses are firing and the dendrites are growing! Research suggests that sustained practice over a longer period of time aids in the retention of information.

You can ask your child to use math and reading everywhere: playing cards, at the grocery store, watching educational programs such as PBS, keeping score, monitoring sporting statistics, reading maps and billboards, traveling, volunteering, really anything that keeps the mind moving. The longer we do not use a skill or access information in our brains, the more difficult it is to remember the information when we need it. Practice does not have to be boring or involve a worksheet. In fact, the opposite is better!

In order to avoid summer learning loss, all 2nd graders bound for 3rd grade, should do the following regularly:

• Read for a minimum of 20-30 minutes a day at their level *Please see below for information about Lexile scores* Your children promised me they will read every day for 30 minutes and not play too many video games :-)
• Practice math facts ~ Use XtraMath.org
• Write in journals

Any activity that supports these second grade math concepts over the summer will be a benefit to your child’s progress early in their third grade year.

• Two and three-digit addition and subtraction with and without regrouping
• Measurement
• Data & Graphing
• Geometry 2D and 3D Shapes
• Two step problem solving (part-part-whole models)

Additionally, the following will help avoid the summer slide:

• Reading should be a combination of literature and informational text such as biographies, articles, information books and manuals, topic specific books, etc.
• Practice keyboarding skills ~ the children worked so hard at TypingMaster this year. Typing will continue in 3rd grade.
• Practice fine motor skills through proper handwriting (Spalding cursive and manuscript)
• Encourage journal writing including personal narratives, observational writing about experiences, and/or mini-research papers on a topic of their choosing.Here are some great resources you can use:
• XtraMath.org: Help your child master basic math facts *FREE! Parent e-mail required
• Moby Max Online Intervention: Online math intervention program (account required)
• Summer Reading List
• Check with your local library on summer reading programs!
• Singapore Math Lesson Videos from Archway Glendale
• Book suggestions by Lexile scores (Please e-mail Mrs. D for your child's Lexile score)
• Please keep in touch and have beautiful summer!

Love,

Mrs. Dombrowski

One More Week!

Hello 2B Families!

The time has come. There is only one week of school!

Thank you SO much to Lucy's mom for presenting about Turkey today! We learned so much! We especially loved the Turkish Dance lesson and Turkish Delight!

Desk Cleaning: Please send your child to school with a sturdy bag so they can take home items from their desk.

Monday and Tuesday are full days of school. Next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are half-days with the following release times: 11:45 K-2/12:05 3-5/12:25 Prep. Please consider packing an extra snack for the half-days.

We will have a PIZZA party on Friday! Please have your child bring in a baby picture for a fun game!

Curriculum Next Week...

Poetry: We will be graded on our recitations of Harriet Tubman by Eloise Greenfield.

Writing and Grammar: We will be writing two friendly letters in class. First, a letter of advice for the first graders. Second, a letter of questions to the third graders! We will also be assessed on our handwriting and we will make a sweet memory book.

Literature: We have completed our reading of Little House in the Big Woods! We will bring home our lapbooks.

Spalding: NO Spalding words next week due to the half days and end of year activities.

Math: We are in our last week! This week we will be doing some fun review activities built around all the mathematical wonders we have explored this year. Please email you teacher for a math review packet for the summer! Summer is a time for fun, but it doesn't hurt to review a bit of material to be prepped for the following school year.

History: Next week we have our last history test! There is a study guide coming home on Monday for the test Tuesday. Please spend just a few minutes reviewing vocabulary and Civil Rights leaders with your child Monday evening or Tuesday morning. The kids have really enjoyed this unit, so they should be able to tell you all about each person they have learned about!

With Grateful Hearts,

Mrs. D and Miss Monk

Thank you for a great Teacher Appreciation Week!

Dear 2B Families,

Thank you for an amazing Teacher Appreciation Week! We felt so loved! All of the heartfelt cards with notes of gratitude and the beautiful flowers made us so happy! Thank you!

Scholar Shout-Outs:

Happy Birthday Paige (5/6)!

Happy Birthday Cherie (5/11)!

 

Happy Birthday Nathaniel (5/12)!

Thank you to our moms for coming to Muffins with Mom this morning! Happy Mother's Day!

Thank you 2B Room Moms! We love you!

Next Week in 2B...

MAP Testing: Your child will be MAP testing on Monday. Please make sure they come to school well-rested and well-fed so they can do their best on their test.

Literature: Little House in the Big Woods will be completed next week! We will read the very last chapter on Tuesday and complete our lap books. Thank you to all of our parents who have volunteered for reading groups! It has meant so much to our kids.

Writing and Grammar: We will review parts of speech and read an excerpt from the novel Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie.

Spalding: Next week we will review some spelling words from the past, focusing on the rules used in each word.

Monday: queen, cent, gentle, hotel, tiny, nearly, words, hopping, driving, pie

Tuesday: shoes, permission, progress, delay, sign, hold, extra, almost, cheerful, bridge
Wednesday: check, June, fixed, summer, male, twelve, once, able, become

Math: We are finishing up our Geometry Unit and will be taking our Singapore Assessment throughout the week. Encourage your child to practice their math facts and work on test taking strategies such as re-checking their work and process of elimination.

History: Next week, we are continuing our study of important Civil Rights leaders such as Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and César Chávez.

With Grateful Hearts,

Mrs. D and Miss Monk

Happy May!

Greetings 2B Families,

Welcome May! Can you believe it? Your children did a beautiful job performing at the Spring Concert! We were so proud of them!

Scholar Shout-Outs:

Congratulations to Alex on your virtue award!

Music Share Photos...

Next Week in 2B...

Poetry: Please practice reciting Harriet Tubman at home. We will add in the last stanza next week.

Writing and Grammar: We will be publishing a super secret paragraph for a super special lady! We will learn about sentence fragments and continue classifying sentences with all of the parts of speech we have learned about this year.

Literature: Little House in the Big Woods will continue through reading chapters 11 and 12. We will write about the steps involved with making cheese, be introduced to some new vocabulary, and understand how oats are harvested.

Spalding Words Next Week:
Monday: due, dew, include, allow, position, ledge, claim, primary, result, appoint
Tuesday: information, whom, who, arrest, themselves, self, calves, calf, halves, half
Wednesday: special, specific, present, present, action, act, justice, just, gentleman, gentle

Math: We are finishing up our graph unit with a cumulative test on Monday ( the workbook homework has many practice problems that will be on the test) and move onto our last unit: Geometry! This will be a fun unit as we are able to place a name to everyday shapes we see. Can your child name a few 3-D shapes already around the house?

Science: Your child will be writing a paragraph about one of the three scientists we have studied recently. 

History: We are wrapping up Immigration and Citizenship with the study guide on Tuesday and the test on Thursday. Friday, we will begin our final unit learning about Civil Rights Leaders. Our first leader is Susan B. Anthony. She was an activist for women's right to vote!

With Grateful Hearts,

Mrs. D and Miss Monk

Spring Concert Next Week!

Dear 2B Families,

Happy Friday! We had a great week in 2B! We visited the Library on Thursday and I enjoyed a birthday lunch with your April babies!

Please take this PSO Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfs3gqBF0kc0rdyzpLP6sqTsnoi4iSRHAM_OEQUsdlPM0N5DA/viewform

Our Spring Concert is this week! It will be at Higley Center for the Performing Arts on May 1st. Students’ attire for our performances is NOT school uniform. Gentlemen are expected to wear a plain white dress shirt, black pants, black socks and black closed toed shoes. Solid dark colored vests and ties are optional for gentlemen. Ladies are expected to wear a white top, black skirt, black tights and black closed toed shoes. Please have your 2nd graders at Higley Center for the Performing Arts by 5:00pm.

Please visit aretek-2music.blogspot.com or email jweddle@archwayarete.org for questions regarding the concert!

Next Week in 2B...

DIBELS testing will begin on Monday. I look forward to seeing how much your child has grown in their reading skills!

Literature: We will read Chapters 9 & 10 of Little House in the Big Woods.

Writing and Grammar: We are reading a passage from Dr. Dolittle. We are prewriting for a super secret paragraph!

Spalding Words Next Week:
Monday: crowd, factory, publish, represent, term, section, relative, relate, progress, progress
Tuesday: entire, president, preside, famous, fame, serve, estate, remember, either, effort
Wednesday: None - Spring Concert Night

Math: We are charting new territories with our new Unit: Bars, Graphs, and Charts! This will be a fun unit where your child will get to know their peers favorites with different activities!

Science: Next week, we are learning about Daniel Hale Williams. Dr. Williams was the first African-American member of the American College of Surgeons in 1913. He performed the first successful open-heart surgery and worked to make sure that good medical care was available to all patients.

History: Next week we continue in the Immigration and Citizenship unit. Your child will learn how immigrants came to the United States and where they went once they got here. We will talk about ethnic neighborhoods, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty. Your child will also learn about three influential men: Andrew Carnegie, Albert Sabin, and Irving Berlin. You can listen to Irving Berlin's music here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DUh-hfR6po.

With Grateful Hearts,

Mrs. D and Miss Monk

R&R Weekend Up Ahead!

Hello 2B Families!

I hope you enjoy the long weekend! Did you hear all about our giant water balloon fight today? It was so much fun!

Scholar Shout-Outs:

Happy Birthday to James (4/19) & Karissa (4/20)!

Buddy Bench Fun!

SAVE THE DATE: Muffins with Mom is on Friday, May 10th from 8-8:45 in the MPR. Please join us for a fun morning with your kiddo!

Next Week in 2B...

Writing and Grammar: We will write persuasive paragraphs that focus on a specific audience.

Literature: Little House in the Big Woods will continue through reading chapters 7 & 8. We'll talk about how Laura escaped from the bear and learn all about sugar snow and the steps for making maple syrup.

Spalding Words Next Week: Only 20 due to no school on Monday.

Tuesday: sometimes, engage, final, finally, terrible, surprise, period, addition, employ, property
Wednesday: select, connection, connect, firm, region, religion, convict, private, command, debate

Math: We will be continuing our Capacity unit this week followed by a Unit Assessment on Thursday! Please look out for a practice guide Wednesday night.

History: Don't forget to study for the Civil War Test on Wednesday. We will begin our Immigration and Citizenship unit this week. Ask your child why immigrants moved to the United States (land, food, freedom, opportunity). Have a conversation about how you or your families ancestors came to America and where they came from. What caused them to move here?

Science: This week, we are learning about the important contributions of Florence Nightingale, the Lady with the Lamp. Florence was a very brave nurse who worked hard to improve conditions in hospitals and served many lives. Ask your child why she was called the "Lady with the Lamp."

With Grateful Hearts,

Mrs. D and Miss Monk

Book Fair Week + Fine Arts and French Night!

Greetings 2B Families,

I hope you enjoyed the week! It was a fun week between the Book Fair and Fine Arts & French Night!

A Note From Miss Weddle...

Our Spring Concert is quickly approaching! It will be at Higley Center for the Performing Arts on May 1st. Students’ attire for our performances is NOT school uniform. Gentlemen are expected to wear a white dress shirt, black pants, black socks and black closed toed shoes. Solid dark colored vests and ties are optional for gentlemen. Ladies are expected to wear a white top, black skirt and black closed toed shoes. Please have your 2nd graders at Higley Center for the Performing Arts by 5:00pm.

THANK YOU to Mrs. Nicole Burns for putting on a concert clothing exchange. She has collected concert attire from students who have outgrown their concert clothes. If you would like to participate in the exchange by either donating concert uniforms or receiving articles of clothing, please contact Nicole at: nikki.burns@hotmail.com

Please visit aretek-2music.blogspot.com or email jweddle@archwayarete.org for questions regarding the concert!

Book Fair:

Thank you to all who attended our Usborne Book Fair this week! It was a joy to see you and we are so thankful for your support. If you are interested in purchasing more Usborne books, please visit the link below. This link will bring you to a unique page connected to our school and will be valid until April 19th. After your purchase, you will receive contact from our Usborne Representative, Mrs. Cleary, and she will refund you the shipping cost.

Please email Ms. Modisett (bmodisett@archwayarete.org) with any questions!

https://j4938.myubam.com/1272858

Next Week in 2B:

Poetry: We are introducing our last poem of the year - Harriet Tubman by Eloise Greenfield.

Literature: Little House in the Big Woods will continue as we read Chapters 5 and 6. We will compare and contrast an important holiday in our own family to the Ingall's holiday and learn about Grandpa and the PIG!

Writing and Grammar: Conjunction junction, what's your function? We will add this last part of speech to our question and answer flow. We will also be reading an excerpt from The Magic of Oz by Frank L. Baum!

Spalding Words Next Week:
Monday: laughter, laugh, lining, line, ocean, nephew, nineteen, noticed, notice, passengers
Tuesday: remained, retreating, style, subtract, tailor, thumb, trial, voyage, whisper, wrong

Math: It is time to move our math units along to the next one! This one will be tons of fun. In fact, I am sure we won't be able to have the capacity to hold in our excitement!
Quizzes: Tuesday, Wednesday

History: This week, your child will learn about the significant contributions of Clara Barton, the "Angel of the Battlefield." Clara Barton showed much courage when rushing onto the battlefield to help sick and injured soldiers. After the Civil War, she founded the American Red Cross. The Civil War test will take place on Wednesday, April 24. The study guide is coming home On Wednesday, April 17.

Science: This week, we are learning about an important inventor named Elijah McCoy. Elijah was the son of escaped slaves and had a keen interest in engineering. He is most known for inventing an automatic lubricator for steam engines.

With Grateful Hearts,

Mrs. D and Miss Monk

Welcome April!

Dear 2B Families,

Happy April! I hope you all had a great week! 

Scholar Shout-Outs: Happy Birthday Emily!

Next Week in 2B...

Poetry: Students will be assessed on their recitation of Lincoln by Nancy Byrd Turner next week. Please ask your child to recite this poem in the car, at the dinner table, or in front of their stuffed animals or real animals (any kind of audience will work).

Writing and Grammar: We are writing our next paragraph moving from two main points to three main points! If you would like to help your child get started this weekend ask them to tell you about their three favorite activities!

Literature: We will be reading chapters 3 and 4 of Little House in the Big Woods.

Spalding Words Next Week:
Monday: too (more than, also), two (2), to, animal, basin, breeze, button, cabbage, careful, cough
Tuesday: cousin, dollars, excuse, excuse, island, grief, guard, guilty, hungry, language
Wednesday: No New Words - No Homework - Fine Arts and French Night - Please come :-)

Math: This week we will be finishing up our Time Unit! Followed by a few days of reviewing concepts we have learned so far this school year. Our big cumulative test will be Friday! Please help your child study Thursday night with the Cumulative Test B.

Science: We are culminating our magnets unit with a study guide and quiz. The study guide is coming home on Tuesday with the quiz on Thursday.

History: Next week is chock full of exciting historical events! We are studying the beginning of the Civil War. Ask your child to tell you about the differences between two famous Generals: Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. Also, ask your child what happened to Abraham Lincoln at the end of the war.

With Grateful Hearts,

Mrs. D and Miss Monk

Last Week of March 2019!

Dear 2B Families,

I am posting this one day early since I'll be out tomorrow. I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Scholar Shout-Outs:

Happy Birthday Month to these sweet scholars: Ainsley, Austin and Lucy! We enjoyed a little birthday lunch today!

Congratulations Trinity on winning the virtue award for perseverance!

Book Fair

Please use this link to sign up and volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f4ea5a72da7f58-book

Fine Arts and French Night (A Note from Ms. Arce-Lindsay): Hello Archway Arete Family! Fine Arts and French Night is Wednesday, April 10th from 5:30 to 7:30. Please bring your friends and family for a night of celebrating our student’s achievements in Art and French! Art will be displayed on the walls by classrooms, French videos and performances will take place in the MPR, and there will be mini art lessons in the art room. Light refreshments will be served on the playground courtyard by our lovely PSO. Excited to see you there!

Thanks everyone! Let me know if you have any questions!

Next Week in 2B...

Literature: Please send in a copy of our newest novel: Little House in the Big Woods. We will discuss the setting and how it relates to us in Arizona. We will outline the 5 main characters in the story. After reading we will discuss how Laura’s house and our homes differ. We will learn the steps of food preservation. Ask your literature master what the vocabulary word ‘headcheese’ means!

Spalding Words Next Week:
Monday: support, does, goes, Tuesday, regard, escape, since, which, witch
Tuesday: length, long, strength, strong, destroy, newspaper, daughter, naughty, caught, taught, answer
Wednesday: reply, sail, sale, cities, city, known, know, several, desire, nearly

Writing and Grammar: We will start a new unit on dictionary skills. We will be Dictionary Daredevils! We will become alphabetical order experts, and learn to use guide words. We will also read a few tall tales.

Math: It's about that time....to start our Time Unit! If you have watches or analog clocks at home, encourage your child to practice identifying the long hand vs. the short hand this week.
Quizzes: Tuesday, Wednesday

History: The test over Westward Expansion in on Monday! Please help your child study over the weekend. Remind them that they should use complete sentences when answering questions (capital letter, period, restate the question). We will begin the Civil War unit on Wednesday. We do begin with a discussion on slavery, so it would be helpful to have a discussion at home with your child about the sensitivity of the subject. We will discuss at school as well.

Science: We will continue the unit on magnets and magnetism. Ask your child about which part of the magnet is the strongest and why two ends might repel each other.

Love,

Mrs. Dombrowski

Field Trip Friday Fun!

Dear 2B Families,

We had an amazing Field Trip today! Thank you to the parents who joined us and helped chaperone.

A note about PE...

Greetings families,

Due to various scheduling conflicts, all P.E. classes will take place outside for the next several weeks. As the temperatures heat up, please send a water bottle to school with your child/ren. We will be sure to give students water breaks during P.E. If your child requires sunscreen, please apply it before school starts. Students may also wear a hat (free of pop-culture) during P.E. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions. Have a great day and Go Chargers!

Best regards,
Coach Gethings and Coach Warren

Next Week in 2B...

Poetry: Please ask your child to recite Lincoln by Nancy Byrd Turner.

Literature: Sarah, Plain and Tall, has come to an end! We will review important events we read about. Please send your child to school with a copy of our last novel: Little House in the Big Woods. Don't forget that book reports are due April 18th!

Writing and Grammar: We will continue to practice all parts of speech by classifying sentences and apply these skills to our writing. Our story for next week is from Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jeansson. We will focus on the use of commas in direct quotes and how adverbs modify verbs.

Spalding Words:
Monday: importance, important, carried, carry, loss, fortune, empire, mayor, wait, degree
Tuesday: prison, engine, visit, guest, guessed, guess, department, obtain, family, favor
Wednesday: Mrs. = Mis tress, Mr. = Mis ter, Miss, husband, amount, human, view, clerk, though, o'clock = o(f the) clock

Math: We are finishing up our fantastic fraction unit this week! We will be having check in quizzes and our cumulative test towards the end of the week. Our next unit will be come tic-tocking away before you know it!
Quizzes: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

History: Your child will learn about early jobs in the wild west this week: ranchers, cowboys, and miners. We will also talk about the negative impact westward expansion had on the Native American tribes living in those territories. The study guide is coming home on Friday. Please help your child remember everything they have learned in this unit.

Science: We will start a new unit about MAGNETS! See if your child can notice the many ways magnets are used at home.

With Grateful Hearts,

Mrs. Dombrowski & Miss Monk

Please take this survey!

Dear 2B Families,

We hope you are enjoying your Spring Break! We may have already received this e-mail from Great Hearts. We are here to encourage your participation and we want to thank you in advance for your comments. Your feedback is taken to heart and helps us to become better educators each year.

With Grateful Hearts,

Mrs. Dombrowski & Miss Monk

*E-mail from Great Hearts America*

Dear Great Hearts Families,

Please take 7-10 minutes to help us make a good thing better! This survey is a key tool to help us understand what is important to each of you and where we can improve Great Hearts. Your responses are anonymous. Everything you write will be read by your headmaster and regional executive team to help identify and prioritize areas for improvement in the coming year.

Please take one survey for each school where you have a child enrolled and note that Archway and Prep are different schools.

Survey link: https://greatheartsamerica.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e2nPoNACPctctj7

The survey will remain available until 11:59 PM PST on March 31. Please contact Katie Carmer at kcarmer@greatheartsamerica.org with questions or if you have difficulties completing the survey.

Additionally, if you would like to speak with your headmaster or someone at your child’s school about a specific issue or concern, you are always welcome to contact the school directly.

Sincerely,

Robert Wagner
Chief Administrative Officer
Great Hearts America

Happy Spring Break!

Dear 2B Families,

Happy Spring Break! I hope you enjoy the next week of rest and relaxation. Did your children tell you about our DANCE PARTY today? We had so much fun!

Scholar Shout-Outs:
Happy Birthday, Lucy! Thank you for the goodie bags today!

Field Trip: Our field trip to the Pioneer Living History Museum is on Friday, March 22! We will be leaving at 8:15 am and returning around 2:00. A permission slip came home yesterday. Please return it by Tuesday, March 19.

Please be sure your child brings the following:

• Sack lunch (everything should be able to be thrown out after eating)
• Disposable water bottle (label with name and section)
• Wear tennis shoes and sunblock
• Hat & sunglasses (optional)

Chaperones: We have found five chaperones already, but you can still join us! If you want to come and hang out with your child's group, you are welcome to drive up and join us! The admission is only $8. We would LOVE to have you!

Link for permission slip: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PLRcVYuTeF6kcxFQHAVKrP1MqBsZEA8q/view?usp=sharing

When we return from Spring Break here is what we are going to be focusing on....

Poetry: We are learning a new poem, Lincoln by Nancy Byrd Turner.

Literature: After Spring Break we will read Chapters 7-9 of Sarah, Plain and Tall. We will talk about what it means to be homesick and learn what the word "ayuh" means. We'll also find out why Sarah wants to learn to drive the wagon.

Writing and Grammar: We will jump back into paragraph writing when we return from Spring Break! We will write a personal narrative about two things that happened over Spring Break.

Spalding Words Next Week (20 words only due to No School on 3/19):
Tuesday: enjoy, awful, awesome, awe, usual, usually, complaint, complained, complain, auto
Wednesday: vacation, beautiful, beauty, flight, travel, rapid, repair, troubling, trouble, entrance

Math: We are continuing our fun filled fraction unit with working more on splitting items equally and equivalents. Encourage your child to see what snacks and dinner items they can make into fractions!

History: Upon our return from Spring Break, we will learn about why and how pioneers traveled west. Your child will discuss the Oregon Trail, California gold rush, and the Transcontinental Railroad. Ask your child how the Pony Express worked. Our Pioneers are gearing up for their field trip to the Pioneer Living History Museum on March 22!

Science: Students will study levers and learn how they make work easier. We will also have just a short quiz on Tuesday. Ask your student to tell you about all six types of simple machines.

Love,

Mrs. D and Miss Monk

Happy March!

Dear 2B Families,

Can you believe it is March 1st?! Only one more week until Spring Break! Time is flying!

Scholar Shout-Outs:

Happy Birthday to our February girls: Lola and Trinity! We enjoyed our lunch together on Thursday!

Happy Birthday to these two sweet twins: Ainsley and Austin!

Field Trip: Our field trip to the Pioneer Living History Museum is on Friday, March 22! We will be leaving at 8:15 am and returning around 2:00. Be on the lookout for a permission slip coming home in your child's homework folder. If you would like to chaperone this fun field trip, please email me by Wednesday, March 13. Please be sure your child brings the following:

• Sack lunch (everything should be able to be thrown out after eating)
• Disposable water bottle
• Wear tennis shoes and sunblock
• Hat & sunglasses (optional)

Next Week in 2B...

Book Reports are due on Monday! We will also assign new chapter books and books after Spring Break.

Literature: What has your child been sharing with you about Sarah, Plain and Tall? Next week we will learn more about the characters through reading chapters 4-6. We are working on context clues with new vocabulary words, and we will write an advertisement (WANTED Ad) for someone we would love to have in our own life. This assignment is sure to be quite interesting :-).

Writing and Grammar: We will read an excerpt from The Elephant's Child and practice classifying sentences with some new parts of speech we've been learning about.

Spelling Words Next Week:
Monday: holiday, holy, knee, lemon, lying, lie, nails, needle, nobody, oar
Tuesday: palace, penny, regular, repeats, sailor, sentence, shining, shine, surface, sweeping, sweeps
Wednesday: thief, waist, waste, waiting, weary (weak), writing, writer, write, spend 

Math: We are finishing up our money unit this week and looking towards our next unit, fractions! This unit will be extra fun! Whether you're slicing a pizza or looking to divide up a candy bar, see if your child can cut things in half or quarters!
Weekly Quizzes: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

History: Your children took home a study guide for the Constitution and War of 1812 on Friday. Please help them study for Monday's test. We will be starting a new unit on Wednesday! Welcome to the Wild West! We will begin our study of Americans moving west. Ask your pioneer about different ways people traveled during this time.

Science: Simple machines will continue into next week. We will take a closer look at how pulleys allow us to use gravity to help move heavy loads. We will create our own pulley using a soda can! Next, we will review how wheels and axles help us move heavy loads by decreasing the amount of friction. How do simple machines make work easier?

Love,

Mrs. D and Miss Monk

A Cold and Rainy Week!

Dear 2B Families,

Happy Friday! I hope you enjoyed this cold and rainy week! Personally, I am ready for warmer weather :-).

Happy Spirit Day!

Scholar Shout-Outs:

Happy Birthday Lola! Thank you for the sweet treats today!

Next Week in 2B...

Poetry: Recitations of The Preamble to the Constitution will take place next week. Please ask your child to recite this for you on the car ride home!

Literature: We have concluded our reading of The Cricket in Times Square. Please send in a copy of Sarah, Plain and Tall for your child to read. We will dive into new vocabulary, like what is a hearthstone, and what it means to be feisty. We will also discuss why Sarah feels like a move is necessary, and why Pa places an advertisement in the newspaper. Be sure to ask your literature experts for the answers to these questions.

Spalding Words Next Week:
Monday: No words - More cursive practice instead - See homework folder for capital cursive letter resource
Tuesday: don't = do not, Thursday, Saturday, admission, canoe, captain, cautious, caution, cellar
Wednesday: covered, creature, curtain, declared, declare, distance, distant, explain, floated, ghost

Writing and Grammar: We are learning about subject-verb agreement in sentences, solidifying our understanding of possessive pronouns, and reading a story called The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks!

Math: We are continuing our quest on adding up those dollar signs! For Wednesday's activity, it would be very helpful to send in any old or current grocery store ads you are not using. We are practicing adding money by making grocery lists!

History: We will be studying the War of 1812 and hearing some exciting stories! You might ask your child later in the week what "Old Ironsides" was and what famous portrait Dolley Madison saved. We will be filling out our study guides on Friday, so be sure to study over the weekend for our test the following Monday.

Science: We continue to tinker with simple machines next week. We will take an in-depth look at wedges, inclined planes, and screws. See if you can find any of these simple machine around your home and community this week.

Love,

Mrs. D and Miss Monk

Celebrating Great-Hearted Friendships!

Dear 2B Families,

Happy Long Weekend! Here are some photos to share from our sweet Great Hearts Day Celebration. Thank you to our moms for all of your help!

Next Week in 2B...

Poetry: Please start practicing The Preamble to the Constitution at home.

Spalding: There will be NO Spalding words next week. Instead we will introduce CURSIVE (your children are SO excited for this), practice it in class, and send home cursive writing practice for homework. We will also be sending home a parent packet about cursive writing so you can add that to your resources :-).

Writing and Grammar: We will read an excerpt from Little Women. Possessive Pronouns will be added to our Question & Answer Flow!

Literature: Our adventure with The Cricket in Times Square will come to an end next week. We have LOVED reading this beautiful novel!

Math: We have started our Money Unit! Practice identifying currency with your child and adding coin amounts as a practice while we introduce this during math class.

History: We will be learning about how the United States Constitution was ratified. Also, we will be taking a closer look at the opening words of the Constitution and discussing what those really mean. This should enrich your student's understanding of the Preamble, which is our next recitation!

Science: We will begin learning about simple machines like wedges, pulleys, and inclined planes. See if you can find any of these simple machines around your home or community. Feel free to email pictures of any unique finds! We can share in class and decide what type of simple machine it is!

Love,

Mrs. D & Miss Monk