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