Bain's Buccaneers

Week of December 7th

A reminder that we will have our computation quiz on Friday.  Students will try to score 90% or higher in 5 minutes on 100 addition problems and 100 subtraction problems.  When your child reaches this goal in both addition and subtraction, I will send home mixed addition/subtraction practice.  When 90% or higher is achieved in mixed facts, I will send home multiplication practice starting with multiplication to 0 and 1, multiplication to 2, etc. 

Reading: This week our unit is titled, “Identifying and Understanding Literary Devices.”  We will study literary devices by looking at various pieces of poetry.  The literary devices we will study are: personification, alliteration, puns, and humor.  We will also study homonyms, rhymes, and the long e sound.  Our story vocabulary will be: parachuting – slowly falling through the air using a parachute. 

*Homework Note: Please use each underlined vocabulary word (from above) in a sentence on the lines provided on the back of this paper.   

 

Language Arts: Students will review the CVVC (consonant-vowel-vowel- consonant) spelling patterns.  Students will read, sort, and write words with the (CVVC) pattern.  Each week we will read a poem whose words emphasize the learned sounds.  This week’s poem is titled, “A Bad Day.”  Words we will study this week include:

ai	oa	ee	ea
wait	throat	beet	beast
pail	coast	need	beach
train	coat	sheep	cream
grain	goat	wheel	seat
tail	toast	three	neat
bait	road	cheek	cheat

 *Homework Note: You can help your child practice his/her weekly word study with the activities listed on the back of this newsletter.  Our weekly word study words are the italicized words (from above). 

 

Writing: This week we will work more in our unit on CREATIVE WRITING and the WORD CHOICE trait of a good writer.  Students will learn the characteristics of a realistic short story (character, setting, problem, solution), focus on making good word choices, and begin to revise their story.  We will go to the computer lab to publish these stories, if ready, on Tuesday!  You are sure to enjoy them when they come home. 

Math: In math this week we will learn to add both bills and coins (last semester we added just coins).  We will add using $1, $5 and $10 bills.  Later this week, we will learn to give back change using a 100 chart.  This is perhaps the most challenging part of our math curriculum this quarter. 

New Writing Unit!

Over the next few weeks we will be working on Creative Writing.  We will work to write our own REALISTIC FICTION story.  We are reading good examples of realistic fiction stories.  We discovered that we learn about the character and setting in the beginning, the problem in the middle and the solution in the end.  We brainstormed a list of ideas we could write about and put them to keep all year in our Writer's Workshop folders.  Please talk with your child at home about his or her ideas for their short story - it should generate some terrific dinner table converstions!

Native American Day PhotoShow - NOW PLAYING

Below is a link to a photoshow of our Native American Day today.  The students enjoyed 3 craft centers (deer hide writing, necklace beading and basket weaving) and 3 game centers (Hoop Game, Ladder Ball and the Peach Pit Game).  They also made a "Corn" pin, ate a special Native American snack, and listened to a Creek and Cherokee story outside.  A huge THANK YOU to our volunteers, including our principal Mrs. Johnson, who was our special reader this afternoon. 

Enjoy the show,
Missy Bain

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/bs7YN7Fv

This week in our room - November 2nd:

Monday, November 2nd will be our Second Grade Native American Day.  Your child is invited to dress up as at Native American, but it is not required.  Students will enjoy three outdoor craft centers and three outdoor game centers.  All games will reflect our study of Creek and Cherokee tribes from Georgia.  After lunch, students will enjoy making a special craft and a special snack - foods that the Creek and Cherokee would have eaten.  After specials, we will have Mrs. Johnson, our Principal, read us a Creek/Cherokee story at the outdoor stage.  This day is very special and we know the kids will have fun while learning too!

Tuesday is Election Day and a Teacher Work Day. 

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: We will finish up our study of two-digit subtraction with regrouping.  We will also continue our study of Responding to Literature through writing.  We will also spend more time in our study of "Georgia On My Mind," by learning about Tomochichi and Oglethorpe. 

We will not have a homework packet as my "treat" to the students.  The weekly Blast Off With Math folder will go home on Monday and will be due on Friday.  There will be no spelling assessment on Thursday.  I will update your child's 1st Quarter Computation Score as soon as possible.  I will mark this new score, along with the class average, inside the Blast Off With Math folder. 

Newsletter for week of October 26

Reading

: This week our unit is titled, “Building Vocabulary and Concept Knowledge.”  We will study the book, “Putting on a Play,” and study the Non-Fiction genre of literature.  Our vocabulary words from the story will be: actor(s) – a persona who acts out the part of a character in a play, and, director(s)  – a person who guides the actors in a play.  We will also review point of view, study word meanings, practice characterization (a fluency strategy), and identify words with initial and final l-blends. 

 

Language Arts: Students will learn to identify short a and long a vowel sounds.  Students will also read, sort, and write words with the short o pattern (CVC) and long a (CVCe & CVVC) patterns.  Each week we will read a poem whose words emphasize the learned sounds.  This week’s poem is titled, “Let’s Go to Grandma’s.”  Words we will study this week include:

Short o CVC	Short o CVCe	Long o CVVC	Oddball
clock	note	boat	love
crop	stone	float	none
cross	chose	coat
shop	whole	toast
lock	slope	soap
knock	joke	toad

 

Writing: This week we will continue in our unit on Responding to

Reading

and the VOICE trait of a good writer.  Students will identify characteristics of a summary & apply those to a graphic organizer.  We will also use our previous read-alouds, “Dear Mr. Blueberry,” and, “Putting on a Play,” to write our own summary using a partner response sheet. 

 

Math: We will continue our study on 2-digit subtraction with regrouping.  Students will work in small guided math groups and use some of our new math products that the Foundation provided to us in a grant. 

 

Tuesday - FIELD TRIP: We will visit the Cobb Safety Village on Tuesday.  Please send your child in their t-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes so that they can participate in all of the activities.  Also, make sure your child knows his her address, complete with city and zip code.  Finally, all hair should be fixed so that they can put on a bike helmet.  Finally, don't forget to send a sack lunch (NO lunch boxes please) if you did not order one through our cafeteria. 

Please Support our Foundation!

 
Do you know about our ELMOs?  Thanks to the Foundation, we started the school year with an ELMO in every teacher's classroom! Click here to learn more!

The Mt. Bethel Foundation is funded 100% by parent donations and the Patron Program, which ends next week, is their only fundraiser. If you plan to make a donation or pledge, please send in your patron card ASAP. The superb programs and teacher grants provided by the Foundation are in jeopardy! Thank you to the families that have contributed!

Our class currently has 25% Participation!

Highest participating classes per grade level: 

• Kindergarten - Schreck
• First - Cillian
• Second - Birdsong
• Third - Bredickas
• Fourth - Sloan
• Fifth - Jones

Please view the MBESF website for more information about the Foundation and what it provides for our school. 

Keep Mt. Bethel students' thinking caps fully charged, send in your patron card before 10/30/09!

Please Support our Foundation!

 
Do you know about our ELMOs?  Thanks to the Foundation, we started the school year with an ELMO in every teacher's classroom! Click here to learn more!

The Mt. Bethel Foundation is funded 100% by parent donations and the Patron Program, which ends next week, is their only fundraiser. If you plan to make a donation or pledge, please send in your patron card ASAP. The superb programs and teacher grants provided by the Foundation are in jeopardy! Thank you to the families that have contributed!

Our class currently has 25% Participation!

Highest participating classes per grade level: 

• Kindergarten - Schreck
• First - Cillian
• Second - Birdsong
• Third - Bredickas
• Fourth - Sloan
• Fifth - Jones

Please view the MBESF website for more information about the Foundation and what it provides for our school. 

Keep Mt. Bethel students' thinking caps fully charged, send in your patron card before 10/30/09!

Please Support our Foundation!

 
Do you know about our ELMOs?  Thanks to the Foundation, we started the school year with an ELMO in every teacher's classroom! Click here to learn more!

The Mt. Bethel Foundation is funded 100% by parent donations and the Patron Program, which ends next week, is their only fundraiser. If you plan to make a donation or pledge, please send in your patron card ASAP. The superb programs and teacher grants provided by the Foundation are in jeopardy! Thank you to the families that have contributed!

Our class currently has 25% Participation!

Highest participating classes per grade level: 

• Kindergarten - Schreck
• First - Cillian
• Second - Birdsong
• Third - Bredickas
• Fourth - Sloan
• Fifth - Jones

Please view the MBESF website for more information about the Foundation and what it provides for our school. 

Keep Mt. Bethel students' thinking caps fully charged, send in your patron card before 10/30/09!

This week in our room - October 19

Native American Day: Yesterday, you should have recieved a letter explaining our Native American Day on November 2nd.  This is always a special day for our Second Graders and we are very excited to put together such wonderful activities for your children. 

Fire Safety: We will have a Fire Safety lesson in our classroom on Tuesday, October 20th.  We will visit the Fire Safety Village on Tuesday, October 27th.  Please remember to send your child with a sack lunch (disposable brown paper bags please) if you did not order one through the school. 

Reading: This week our unit is titled, “Activating Background Knowledge.”  We will study the Caldecott Award winning book, “The Ox-Cart Man,” and study the Historical Fiction genre of literature.  Our vocabulary words from the story will be: embroidery – a decorative design made by using a needle and thread, honeycomb(s)  – the place bees store their honey, pollen, and eggs; sheared – cut off, and spinning wheel – a machine used to make yarn out of wool.  We will also review plural nouns, study conjunction and compound sentences, practice repetition (a fluency strategy), and retell the facts and events in sequence.  Guided Reading group books will come home one day each week.  Please have your child read the book to you, at least once, and return the next day. 

 

Language Arts: Students will learn to identify short a and long a vowel sounds.  Students will also read, sort, and write words with the short a pattern (CVC) and long a (CVCe & CVVC) patterns.  Each week we will read a poem whose words emphasize the learned sounds.  This week’s poem is titled, “Pancakes for Breakfast.”  Words we will study this week include:

Short a CVC	Short a CVCe	Long a CVVC	Oddball
dash	frame	faint	said
camp	blame	train	want
stamp	snake	paint
snack	crane	brain
flash	place	main
black	bake	snail

Please help your child study these words with the list of activities provided on the back of the homework packet cover page. 

 

Writing: This week we will continue in our unit on Responding to Reading and the VOICE trait of a good writer.  Students will identify characteristics of a response journal & use a graphic organizer to write a response journal entry.  We will use our shared reading book, “The Ox-Cart Man,” to help remind us of good books and help us choose new books in future reading. 

 

Math: We are continuing in our Guided Math format.  This week I am introducing 2 digit subtraction with regrouping.  We will continue to work on this next week.  Each quarter in math the level of difficulty and pace will increase.  The small group instruction that guided math provides, help me understand the children's needs better, and helps with any frustration that math can bring.  Please let me know if your child is struggling with the math homework at home.