I can't believe we only have two days left.  This year has flown by! 

 

We will be spending the next two days working on our memory books, having our talent show, playing some minute to win it games, and just enjoying our last two days together.  Please remember, students do not need their lunch on our last day, Tuesday!  We will be having a hotdog, chips, and watermelon lunch in our classroom!

 

Please remember, I will be sending home summer packets on the last day!  This will come home with their end of year "gift bag" filled with some other special goodies!  Report cards will also be in the bags!

 

With this being the last post I make for our 2015-2016 school year, there are some things I wanted to say.

 

THANK YOU!  You have trusted me with your most prized possessions.  I have loved these students like my own children.  I have treated them like I would my own children.  I have not only tried to teach them the curriculum but also life lessons.  I hope I have instilled and reinforced the very same values you have taught them.  We are respectful, humble, responsible, and caring.  We set goals and strive to achieve them.  We are a family.  We have laughed together, cried together, and shared many memories.  They know that I'm hard on them because I know what they are capable of doing.  They know I discipline them because I love them.  They know I have worked hard to not only teach them but make learning fun. 

 

As parents, you have supported your children and myself to make this the most successful year ever.  I know that your hard work and dedication as parents are what makes these kids so wonderful.  I am grateful for another great year of awesome families.  Please take care and make sure they stop by and visit me next year! 

 

Have a wonderful summer!  You all deserve it!

 

Love,

Mrs. McKinney :)

 

 

I can't believe it's our last full week!

 

As mentioned last week, we will have NO homework this week.  We will be spending this week on our Memory books and getting "autographs" from our classmates.  We will also be doing some fun activities in class as well as starting the process of cleaning out our desks!  Reading and math workbooks will be sent home.  Please remember, not all chapters in math were covered, only 2nd grade Common Core.  However, some of the workbook pages we didn't complete will be great review for them over the summer. 

 

We will have our final math test over chapter 19 this Tuesday.  "Study guides" were sent home last Thursday!

 

Also, readers from our old series came home on Friday.  I will be sending some more this week!  PLEASE KEEP THEM!  They will be great for your child to use during the summer to keep up their skills!  They should have brought home paperback readers AND a big hard anthology book. 

 

I'll be sending home "summer" packets of some work they can do during the summer to keep them ready for 3rd grade.  If returned next year, they will be given a prize for their hard work!

 

We have Fun and Field Day on Thursday!  Please make sure your child dresses appropriately!  This means clothes they can get dirty and run around in and gym shoes!  We will be playing different games and sports outside!

 

I am wanting to do a special lunch on the last day of school and bring all the kids lunch.  We will be eating all together in the classroom.  I am still in the middle of planning and organizing but I will keep you posted and send something home in the middle of the week!

 

Don't forget to have your child practice their talent for the talent show!  They should be preparing at home!

 

Have a great week! :)

 

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day weekend!

 

We are in the LAST week of our reading series for the school year!  We will finish our reading program this week with the unit cumulative test at the end of the week.  This also means...THIS WILL BE THE LAST WEEK FOR HOMEWORK!  I know the students will be very disappointed! ;)

 

We will be focusing on multisyllabic words for phonics and spelling.  We will continue reviewing reading strategies and reviewing elements of poetry.  We will focus on elements of a song for comprehension.  We will work on prefixes for vocabulary strategies.  Students will be bringing home their leveled readers on Thursday...the last one of the year.

 

We will continue with our Shapes and Patterns chapter in math.  This is a very short chapter.  We will wrap up the chapter with identifying solid shapes, drawing plane shapes, and extending patterns.  "Study guides" will go home this week and our LAST math test will be next Tuesday!

 

Since we are adopting the new Reach for Reading Program next year, we now have permission to pass out our previous program's materials.  With that being said, I will be sending home some leveled readers and books for students to KEEP!  These are great readers to keep at home and read this summer for practice and for entertainment.  They vary in levels and genre.  Each students should get to keep anywhere from 8-10 leveled readers.  I will send them home on Friday!  Please don't get this confused with their leveled reader that will come home in the plastic bag on Thursday!

 

I just want to say a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all the students and parents for making Teacher Appreciation Week AWESOME!!!  I really appreciate all the thoughtful gifts, pictures, and hugs.  Most of all, I LOVED the classroom gift!  The wreath is hanging on the door and the food gift cards will be put to very good use!  Thanks for making this week so special for me!

 

***Reminders***

 

If you forgot to turn in your Talent Show papers, I will accept them until Tuesday!  Make sure your child is practicing at home!

 

Have a great week!

 

I can't believe it's already MAY!  Where has this year gone?

 

We will be starting week 3 in our reading unit.  We will continue to review reading strategies and focus more on author's purpose.  We will continue to focus on our big question for this unit, "What does America mean to you?"  We will get new vocab. words this week, as always, a half sheet with the week 3 & 4 words will be sent home in their homework folders!  We will focus on final syllables with schwa, -ent, and -ant for spelling.  Please remember, this unit serves as a "wrap up" and we will be reviewing skills we have learned throughout the year!

 

Please remember, Chapter 17 study guides came home last week.  It was also on their homework agenda.  Please make sure to look it over Monday night.  We will be testing over picture graphs on Tuesday.  We will begin Chapter 19: Shapes and Patterns after testing!  The Home-School letter will be sent home when we start!

 

We will continue to work on economics this week and also do some special projects in class!  We learned about needs vs wants last week and goods and services.  We will continue learning more about consumers and producers... and maybe...do some important activities that deal with moms...;)

 

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARENT VOLUNTEERS THAT CAME TO THE FIELD TRIP!  We had a blast and pictures have been posted on the albums page of the blog.  I hope the students came home and shared some things about the trip with you!

 

***Reminders***

Tuesday, May 3: Menchies Night!

 

Have a great week! :)

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

We will continue with unit 8 this week!  We will work on analyzing elements of poetry and reviewing dictionary skills.  We will focus on words with final syllables C+le, -tion, and -ture.  We will continue working on prepositions in grammar.

 

We will start wrapping up our math chapter on picture graphs.  Students will complete the study guide this week and bring it home on Thursday.  Our test will be next week.  We will review interpreting data and solve real-world problems using picture graphs.

 

We will begin our next social studies unit and focus on economics.  We will learn about needs vs. wants and the role of consumers, producers, and savers.  We will also learn about goods and services!

 

***Important Reminders***

 

Our field trip is Tuesday!  PLEASE remember that ALL students need to pack their lunch!  Also, ALL PERMISSION FORMS MUST BE TURNED IN!  We will be going rain or shine so make sure your child is dressed appropriately!

 

Have a fantastic week! :)

 

 

I can't believe we are in our LAST unit for reading!  The next four weeks of Unit 8 will review some skills we have learned throughout the year.  This week we will focus on character feelings as well as reviewing reading strategies.  We will use our main story, "Apple Pie 4th of July".  Our phonics skill will be words with prefixes dis-, pre-, im-, in-, and suffixes -er, -or, -less, -ness.  We will also work on using prepositions. 

 

We will begin Chapter 17, Picture Graphs, for math.  Students will learn to read, analyze, and interpret picture graphs.  They will also learn to complete and make their own picture graphs.  The Math Home-School Connections Letter will come home tomorrow!  We will be reviewing addition and subtraction with regrouping.

 

We will be taking a look at fossils and how they are physical traces of living things that are preserved in rock.  We will learn how some fossils look similar to plants and animals that are alive today, while others are very different from anything alive today.  We also have a fun experiment to do this week involving fossils!

 

***Reminders***

Book Fair is going on this week!  We will preview this week and flyers came home last week!

 

Progress Reports go home this week!

 

Family Night this Friday!  Flyers came home last week!  I am really looking forward to this event!

 

Please make sure to send in field trip permission slips, emergency medical forms (back of permission slips), and money!

 

Have a wonderful week!

 

 

Happy Sunday!  I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 

This week, we will continue MAP testing.  We will be testing over math on Monday and Tuesday.  We will also be taking the district math assessment this week.  As always, please make sure your child gets enough sleep, great breakfast, is on time, and is encouraged!  I know testing days are very long and we try to take breaks for stretching and Go Noodle when we can.

 

We will be working on our last week in Unit 7 for reading.  We are working on the phonics skill diphthongs ou and ow.  SPELLING HOMEWORK WAS SENT HOME IN THEIR FOLDERS LAST FRIDAY!  Therefore, spelling homework will NOT BE in their folders tomorrow!  Please make sure to check your child's Home-School Folder for their spelling! 

 

We will focus on and review author's reasoning, topics and main ideas, and point of view for comprehension this week.  Homework will consist of review to help us with our end of unit testing this Thursday.  We will continue working on these skills in reading groups and they will bring home their leveled book on Wednesday instead of Thursday since we don't have school Friday.  It is very important that they bring their book back the very next day!  Please have your child put their book in their backpack as soon as they are done reading their story!

 

Students are almost done publishing their animal stories.  Next, students will be writing letters to upcoming 2nd graders.  Students will be sharing their favorite things about 2nd grade, what they enjoyed learning about, and providing helpful tips! 

 

I just want to say that I'm so proud of all the students!  They did a wonderful job with our crazy schedule last week and I know they will be great again this week! 

 

***Reminders***

 

NO SCHOOL for students this Friday, April 15! Teacher In-service Day!

 

Skyline Days with Central!  April 8-18!  Flyers came home last week!  You can eat in, drive-thru, or carry out and the PTC will receive a portion of the proceeds.  Be sure to tell them you are supporting Fairfield Central!

 

General PTC meeting this Tuesday, April12 at 7:00P.M. in the multi-purpose room!

 

Spring Book Fair April 14-22!  Our class will be visiting the book fair!  Be on the lookout for their "wish list"! 

 

Family Night at Central on April 22 from 6-8P.M.  There will be a DJ, dancing, Kona Ice, and pizza available for purchase.  The book fair will also be open and you can enter a raffle to win a basket of books!

 

Have a great week!

Wow!  Spring Break went by fast!  I hope everyone enjoyed the extra time with family and had a great Easter!

 

We have a SUPER busy week in store for us.  Most importantly, we will be MAP testing Thursday and Friday for reading, and test on Monday and Tuesday for math MAP. 

 

We will continue with unit 7, week 3.  We will focus on a science article, "Odd Couples".  We will use our main selection to review main ideas and to identify topics.  We will also be using the article to help us synthesize.  We will focus on words with al, all, oi, and oy for spelling and phonics.  We will work on future tense verbs for grammar. 

 

In math, we will be reviewing time and fractions and test on BOTH at the end of the week.  We will use the first few days of this week to review.  A study guide will come home Monday.  Please review with your child if needed.

 

Depending on how much time we have left after testing this week, we will learn more about fossils and even make our own!  If time does not allow us to get to this part of our science unit, we will cover it next week!

 

***Test taking tips***

Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep!

Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast so they are ready to go!

Make sure your child arrives at school on time.  Being off their normal schedule can throw them!

Gently encourage your child to do their best!  Try writing a message of encouragement in their planner to encourage them!

 

***Remember***

Spring Picture Day on Thursday, April 7!  Even if you are not ordering pictures make sure your child looks spiffy!  We will be taking our class picture!

 

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend and a great week!

 

We have a very busy week ahead of us!

 

Tomorrow starts the kickoff day for Right to Read Week!  Please refer to the handout that came home last week for the full explanation and themed days!  We will also have our illustrator visit with Steve Harpster!  The students will be learning about what it takes to be an illustrator and he will be showing them how to draw some awesome illustrations!  It's not too late to order one of his books on "how to" for animals and characters!  If you need another order form, just let me know!

 

I know we have a shortened week!  Spelling went home this past Friday!  Make sure to get their spelling and homework board out of their Home School Folders!  We will be working on vowel digraphs: oo, ea, ou, au, and aw.  We will focus on dictionary skills for vocabulary.  For comprehension, we will work on analyzing cause and effect with our leveled readers.  Leveled readers will go home on Wednesday instead of Thursday.  Please make sure your child returns their reader the very next day!

 

We are still working on "publishing" our fiction animal stories.  All students are done conferencing with me and they are ready to write their final drafts with corrections made. 

 

We will continue learning about animal habitats.  We spent last week learning about ocean habitats and the four zones.  Ask your child to name them for you and tell you some facts about each zone!  We worked in small groups and whole group to learn about some of the animals in each zone and the characteristics of each zone.  We even got to watch a Magic School Bus on how animals in the ocean depend on one another and have partnerships which fits right into our theme for reading!  We will focus on the rainforest habitat this week!

 

We will continue working on time this week as well as introducing fractions.  Students will focus on telling time with skip counting by 5's and elapsed time.  We will also work on dividing shapes into equal parts and reading, writing, and identifying unit fractions for halves, thirds, and fourths. 

 

***Important Reminders

 

Right to Read Week Themes: Monday is WACKY HAIR DAY!  Tuesday is Wear a Shirt with Words Day!  Wednesday is Hat Day!  Thursday is Color Day- 2nd GRADERS SHOULD ALL WEAR PURPLE!  We will also have cupcakes at lunch to help wrap up this awesome week!

 

Report Cards come home this Wednesday!

 

No School Friday- Good Friday!  Students will be on Spring Break next week!  I will see them all again on Monday, April 4th!

 

We will have our "Math Mastery Trail Mix" party Thursday for our fast facts!

 

Have a fantastic week! :)

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

We will be starting Unit 7 in our reading series this week!  We will be focusing on words with prefixes un-, re-, mis- and suffixes -y, -ly, -ful for spelling and phonics. To help with reading comprehension, we will learn about character motives and point of view.  We will use our main selection story, "Go to Sleep, Gecko!" to aid with this skill.  The students will be learning their new vocabulary words this week and how to use them in context.  Make sure to look at your newsletter that will come home tomorrow to see what else we will be doing in class!

 

We will continue working with coins and bills for our money chapter.  We will also focus on solving real world money problems.  We will complete a "study guide" in class this week and they will bring it home on Tuesday.  Students will be tested over money on Friday.  We will continue focusing on telling time during math intervention.

 

In science, students will start learning about animal habitat changes and how how living things function and interact with their physical environments. They will also learn more about how living things cause changes in the environment where they live.

 

***Remember***

 

Tuesday, March 15th: Penn Station Fundraiser 5-9pm

 

Have a great week!

 

Happy Sunday!  I hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

I am very excited for this upcoming week!  We are actually ahead in our reading program so we are taking this week OFF from the Reach program.  Each student will be working on leveled readers at their own reading level for comprehension.  We will be incorporating reading/comprehension skills they need to focus on based on MAP winter scores and enrichment opportunities they are ready for to help them get to the next level.  These skills will vary depending on where your child falls with their test data.  Each child will receive leveled homework so they may not have the same exact homework as their peers.  I know the students will really enjoy reading groups this week and the activities planned!

 

In math, we have started money!  Please know that ALL students should be able to identify EVERY coin AND their values.  They should also be able to count small amounts of change.  We are focusing on bills: $1, $5, $10, $20.  We will also focus on comparing amounts of money and real world money problems.  Again, homework will be different for the class depending on where they are at with their money skills.  Please check your child's planner from Friday.  If your child is struggling with identification of coins and values, there should be a note from me!

 

We are DONE with fast facts fluency.  You will receive a letter from me on Monday which will let you know which facts your child has mastered.  We will be doing make up testing for tests not passed for the next two Fridays.  We plan to have our "Mastery Mix" trail mix party before we leave for break.  After we come back from break, we will continue computation practice using other skills such as regrouping and other skills they need to continue practicing.

 

We will also start time and fractions during math intervention time.  Please remember, students should have learned how to tell time to the hour and half hour in first grade.  Please review with your child while we review in class and build upon those skills!

 

I just wanted to give a shout out and say WAY TO GO to all the students that worked hard on their animal projects!  They were AWESOME!  I received many compliments from teachers and students on Friday!  I am so bummed I missed Multi Cultural Night but I heard it was a blast!  I LOVED all the presentations we did in class and I got to see all their hard work!

 

***Important Reminders***

I think spring fever has started to kick in...  I had a talk with students about procedures and expectations last week.  Please review and talk to your child about what's expected in the classroom.  We have not had problems in the past but some behaviors are starting to show and I want to make sure we nip them in the bud!  I know this is a crazy time of year and many teachers feel the students may have some cabin fever since we have had a LOT of indoor recess.  We have been trying to do more brain breaks in class with Go Noodle and take stretch breaks.  I have also encouraged the students to play outside on the weekends if the weather is nice!  Just some important rules to review with your child:

 

*Listen when a peer or teacher is speaking and be respectful.

*Talking is allowed during centers but must be kept appropriate and on topic.

*There are certain times during the day when talking is fine but when it's time to do certain independent work, students should focus on their work and not talk to others.

 

I know that I hold the students to very high expectations but it's because I know what they are capable of.  Our class receives many compliments from other teachers and administration for their growth in academics and for their behavior and I don't want that to change.  We have an awesome group of students and they have done a fantastic job this year!  I'm sure we will all be back on track this week! :)

 

Have a fantastic rest of the weekend and have a great week!

 

I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of February!  We have a very busy week ahead of us!

 

We are on our last week of unit 6 in reading.  We will end the unit with working on making connections when reading and comparing texts.  We will focus on words with air, are, ear, and eer.  We will also be reviewing comprehension skills we have focused on throughout the whole unit.  Remember, homework will reflect those skills and the end of the week tests will be a cumulative assessment over everything they have learned in unit 6.  We will also focus on leveled readers in reading groups this week. 

 

We will be completing our "study guide" in math on Monday.  They will bring the study guide  home in their home-school folder.  We will test over mental math on Thursday.  Please make sure to look over the math papers that come home with your child.  This way you can see their successes and what they need extra practice with.  We will be working on our last set of "facts" for math fluency.  We will be working on doubles!

 

We are putting our finishing touches on our classroom for Multi-Cultural Night!  Make sure to stop by the room on Thursday night (and outside of the classroom to see something AWESOME)!  Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it Thursday night.  I am so bummed because I have never missed one and I know how hard the students work for this night as well as all the great and fun things that happen.  My daughter's preschool is having a Kindergarten night and it is a time to meet and greet the Kindergarten teachers and the principal.  Miss Hutchison will be covering my room and I'll be there in spirit!

 

*Important Reminders!*

 

Multi-Cultural Night this Thursday, March 3rd! 6-8p.m.  Come enjoy entertainment, learn about countries all over the world, and eat some great cultured food!

 

Have a great week! :)