Report Cards, etc.

Hello Families!

You received your child's report card in last week's Friday Folder.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  
All year we have been working on Social/Emotional Learning (aka SEL) and growth mindset with the students.  These are things such as emotional regulation, flexibility, building student skills, etc.  We will be continuing these lessons with a health perspective in the coming weeks.
In reading, we are learning to recognize literary language such as similes, metaphors, etc.
In writing, we are writing our opinions about books.  During this unit, we are practicing letter writing format and also learning how to support our opinions with evidence from the text.
In math, we are solving multi-step word problems and showing our work in a variety of ways. This has been a challenging step for many of the students, but they are working hard and getting better!

Valentine Exchange:
Tomorrow afternoon, students will be exchanging valentines with each other.  I have a rule that no one eats any candy they receive at school since I don't know each family's rules around candy eating. However, several students asked about eating their candy at after school care.  I told them they need to ask their parents this question! :)

Dragons Love Tacos:
We had a great time at the play last Friday!  Please take a look at the pictures below.

Finally, we had some choice time this afternoon.  Look at the great puzzle solvers below!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Valentine preparation, field trip, survey, etc.

Hello Families.

   It is hard to believe that it is the end of January. It has been a busy month as we have reviewed expectations, finished up units, started new units and done end of the quarter bench-marking assessments. 

   Ms. Johnson has taken on more responsibilities in the classroom and even had the opportunity to teach a few full days while I was out or substituting for Ms. Fontana.  Ms. Johnson will be taking the lead on reading and writing for the next quarter, although I will still be pulling small groups and working with individuals. 

   As you have probably noticed, we have stopped sending the weekly behavior sheets.  Please let us know if you have an individual interest in continuing to receive them and we can discuss.  

Report Cards/Work Samples:
Report cards will be coming home next week.  As I go through student work, I will be sending home past tests, writing samples, etc.  Keep a close eye on your Friday Folders for the next few weeks as there may be some real gems and/or assignments that give you a good idea of what your student is producing in class.

PPS Successful Schools Survey:
There is a sheet coming home today with information on this year's PPS Successful Schools Survey.  Please take the time to look at the information and fill out the survey.  It is very valuable information for us to know how our community feels about our school, where we are doing well, and where we have room to improve.

Dragons Love Tacos:
At the beginning of the year, everyone signed and returned the official permission slips for Dragons Love Tacos.  The trip will be NEXT FRIDAY.  We will be leaving very soon after the bell, so please be sure to be on time that day.  We will be taking a school bus and returning before lunch, so no special preparation is necessary.  I think most families have paid for this year's field trips already, but if you are not sure, please check with Sara T. in the office.  Also, if you have not paid and are planning to, here is the information as a reminder:

OMSI (Oct. 22, 2019) Click here for more details

Tickets = $6.00 per person

Trimet = $1.00 per person

PLAY (Dragons Love Tacos on February 7, 2020)

Tickets = $8.50 per person

School Bus = $3.00 per person

PYP (Portland Youth Philharmonic on April 8, 2020)

Tickets = FREE!

School Bus = $3.00 per person

Mt. Tabor (Portland Parks and Rec Geology Study, May 20, 2020)

Cost = $8.50 per student

Total Field Trip Costs Per Student = $ 30.00

Trip donations can be made on SCHOOL PAY. Please let me know if you have any questions.  Thank you!

Valentine's Day:
Last week, I sent home a class list for Valentine's Day.  We will be having a Valentine exchange on Friday, February 14.  I will send home another list next week in case you have misplaced yours.  Another assignment next week will be for students to make a bag or box to collect their valentines.  Students have used all kinds of things for this - decorated tissue boxes, lunch bags, etc.  Although you may send candy in your valentine treat, students will not be allowed to eat their treats until they go home.

Thank you to everyone!
Enjoy the weekend.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Wonderful Families!

Ms. Johnson and I want to thank you for your kind  cards and gifts before the holidays.  They were thoughtful and generous.  And, we especially want to thank you for the gift of your children!  We love working with, and learning from them every day.  They are a sweet bunch and we are having a great time with each and every one of them!  

Dragons Love Tacos

On Friday, February 7 we are going downtown to see the OCT play, Dragons Love Tacos. We will leave on school buses at 9:00 am and return to Atkinson in time for lunch.  I am able to take 3 adults on this trip.  If you are interested in joining us, please fill in this linked form OR the form in today's Friday Folder.  If I have a lot if interested parents, I will give priority to those who have not had the opportunity to accompany us on a trip.  Thank you!

Photos
Next week, we will be finishing up an "All About Me" project that is also a review of nonfiction text features.  One part of this project is a photograph of the student doing something they like.  We are planning to use school pictures for the students, but if they would rather bring a photo from home, you are welcome to send one or email me an electronic copy.  Thank you.

Behavior Forms

We are going to suspend sending home behavior forms during the new year.  The students are doing well and are on the right track.  If you feel the forms were particularly beneficial to your student, let us know and we will work to make it happen.  

Here are a few photos from the week before break...

Playing Dreidel:

Pajama/Movie Day FUN!

A few things for the upcoming week...

Hello Families!

We have a very busy and exciting week coming up.  Next week will be packed with finishing up a few assessments before the break, working on holiday crafts and (if we earn all of our points)... ending the week with a 2nd grade pajama day and movie party!  We have worked hard this year and deserve some fun before our winter break.  If you are able to send healthy snacks such as clementine oranges, popcorn, hot chocolate, etc., please let us know.  Thank you!
More information will be coming home next week via email.

Handwriting Findings:
Ms. Pattiani shared with me some interesting information on the importance of handwriting in child development.  Unfortunately, handwriting is not taught with as much seriousness and precision as it used to be.  I will be sending links to specific information on this topic once I have had a chance to do some research on the topic.  In the meantime, if you are interested in learning about ways you can support your student at home with handwriting, please click here for a blog post on "5 Sneaky Ways to Improve Handwriting."

If your student will be absent for any of next week, please send us an email and let us know.  Thank you!

Thank you!

Hello Families!

Thank you so much for making it out to conferences. Ms. Johnson and I had a great time getting to know you and your children better.  

It has been a VERY busy week with a lot of activity.  We finished up our science unit on the states and properties of matter.  We will be having a final assessment on this next week.  Please see the pictures below of the students building TALL and then STRONG towers out of paper.

Ms. Johnson has been delivering math and reading lessons this week.  In math, we are working on solidifying understanding of place value as we move into working with bigger numbers.
In reading and writing, our focus is now on nonfiction texts.  We have been learning about text features, main ideas and supporting details. 
During the next two weeks, we will continue our study of the brain and growth mindset.

Help:
For some reason, we have had a problem with respecting school property this year.  We have had yoga ball chairs popped, pencils purposely broken, spinners broken off of math materials, a computer broken, etc.  Please talk to your children about the importance of respecting school property and the property of others.  We have had many discussions about this in class and will continue to work on it during the year, but it always helps to have families mention this sort of thing at home as well.  Thank you.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello Families of Room 108!

I am sorry that it has been 3 weeks since my last blog post. Things have been busy!  Conferences are next week, and I look forward to sitting down with each of you to discuss your wonderful children.  You will be getting a conference reminder in today's Friday Folder.  Please double check your calendar. If the date or time no longer works for you, please send me an email so we can find a different time.  Conferences are a great time for us to catch up and for me to get your perspective on how your child's 2nd grade year is going.  

Also, there are NO behavior sheets coming home today.  It has been a busy week and I did not get them all filled out. 

Fire Safety:
A couple of weeks ago, Emmett's dad, Ryan, came in to share some fire safety tips.  Check out the photos below!

In Science, we are continuing our study of properties of matter. Today, students did an experiment with aluminum, cloth and styrofoam to determine which of these materials was the most insulating and which was the most conductive.

Below are pictures from a couple of weeks ago when students used information about the properties of different materials to design a hat to protect them on a desert island.

And finally, the Portland Water Bureau come to school and presented an assembly on the Bull Run Watershed and how we can work to conserve and protect our water sources.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I look forward to seeing you at conferences.

Happy Halloween!

Hello Families.

Believe it or not, October 31 was not only Halloween, but the last day of 1st quarter as well!  I can't believe that the year is going so quickly.  Our Nov. 1 planning day will be spent getting ready for conferences.  Conferences will take place on Monday, Nov. 25 and Tuesday, Nov. 26.  I will be sending out reminders a week ahead of time.  In the meantime, you can take a look at the schedule outside the classroom door to sign up, change your time, etc.

Ms. Johnson will be here full time for the three weeks after Thanksgiving.  She will be teaching a math unit and picking up her involvement in the classroom.  

Cauliflower Popcorn Recipe
When we were in the garden last week, Ms. Brice gave us a taste of a yummy snack, Cauliflower Popcorn.  Here is the recipe for those who might want to try it at home:

Cauliflower Popcorn! 

INGREDIENTS:
● At least ½ large head raw cauliflower (or broccoli, green beans, carrots, or other veg- tastes best with brassicas) cut into small bite-size pieces
● About 1 teaspoon Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
● About 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix all ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
Close and shake for 2-5 minutes until veggies are well coated- add more seasonings if desired.
Enjoy!


Doubles, Doubles!
In math, we are still practicing our basic math facts to prepare us for the work of larger numbers.  If your student would like to practice the doubles song we learned this week, you can find it here:

Wanted:

We are still in need of 16 ounce water bottles.  If you use bottled water at home, please bring your empty bottles to school for science.  Thank you!

Dates to Know:

Friday, Nov. 1 - No School, Teacher Plan Day

Sunday, Nov. 3 - Daylight Savings Time Ends (move clocks back one hour)

Monday, Nov. 4 - Make Up TAG Testing

Tuesday, Nov. 5 - Picture Retake Day

Monday, Nov. 11 - No School, Veterans Day

Nov. 25 & 26 - Conferences

Nov. 25 - 29 - No School, Thanksgiving Holiday