September 29, 2017

Collaborating with our kindergarten buddies.

This week our kindergarten buddies visited our classroom and chose materials to use as they practiced how to collaborate with one another.   They used this time to continue to talk and learn more about one another better.  

Ask your child: What did you learn this week about how to work collaboratively?  What did you learn about your buddy by working together?

Mistakes Can Be Good

Mistakes can be good.

They can help you grow.

They can show you

what you need to know.

So whenever you make

a mistake,

Just say:

"Now I'll try another way."

--Judy Lalli

We work a lot in second grade to encourage the children to be willing to take risks.  We want them to become resilient and understand that people think differently and often arrive at answers or ideas in ways that might not be the same as their own. One way to broaden their thinking is to have them experiment with new ideas and, at times, they will have the wrong answer.  People often make mistakes and thus, the invention of Liquid Paper and correction tape.  Sometimes publishers make mistakes, leave pages out of books or print calendars with more days than they should.  We all learn though our mistakes and we say "oh well, I've learned that way doesn't work." Then they try again!  If Thomas Edison hadn't kept trying through his failures, we might not have discovered the light bulb so soon in our history.  We acknowledge that we might make an "OOPS", but that just means we need to try something in a different way.  Please support your child in their risk taking through the year.  The children were introduced to the book Beautiful OOPS! by Barney Saltzberg when Warren's grandmother, Susan, visited our class yesterday.

"A person who makes few mistakes makes little progress." -Bryant McGill

What has been happening in....

Reading
The children have continued practicing "Read to Self" strategies: finding a "good fit" book and reading "voraciously" while "checking for understanding."  The children have also worked with partners in "Reading with Someone" and discussing new vocabulary they encounter in the books they choose together.

Math

The children are working toward a better understanding in working with odd/even numbers, manipulating number combinations equal to 20, and they are striving to express their thinking in pictures or words with someone else. It is often easy to calculate an answer quickly, but it takes time to slow down and share how you solved a problem.

Example:    13+12= 25

Child one:  I know that there is one ten in 13 and one ten in 12.  I added the two tens together and then added 3 +2.

Child two:  I added the two to 13 to equal 15 and then I added ten more.

Each of the answers is correct and by explaining their thinking with one another we show the various ways that numbers can be manipulated into new groupings.

Writing

The children continue to write their own creative stories in booklets.  When each child finishes the book it is read to me and then put in our class library for others to enjoy.

Homework

Congratulations on a great first week of homework! Thank you for all you do to support your child in completing reading logs and reviewing homework expectations/agreements.  Just a reminder that your child’s first reading log is due on Monday, 10/2. Next week we will be introducing our math homework routine. Your child’s homework and due dates are as follows:

Homework due Monday, 10/2:

• Reading log

Homework assigned for the week of 10/2 (due 10/9)

• Read for at least 15 minutes Monday through Friday (weekends are bonus) and fill in the reading log nightly

• Conduct the reading interview questions throughout the week (parents may help with the writing at the beginning of the year)
• In Math Journal: Highlighted Page 5-6 Please do not have your child work ahead.
• **Optional: Your child can also complete pages 1-5 for additional practice.

• Return the Reading Log and Math Journal to school on Monday, 10/9

No Uniforms, next Friday, 10/6 Homecoming

Next Friday, 10/6 will be a non-uniform day in honor of the Homecoming, starting with a “kick-off” assembly at 8:10 AM in the LS Dining commons.  Students are encouraged to wear OES spirit wear. Our grade level color is blue.

A Note from Mrs. Kenney-Norberg

Planning for projects . . . please keep old shoeboxes, and any broken machinery you might have (think pencil sharpeners, drills, clocks, VCR’s etc) for future science projects. Please gather these items at home.  We have limited storage space so we’ll let you know in a future newsletter as to when they may be brought to school. Thanks!

September 22, 2017

Goodbye to Heidi Hackenjos!  We wish you well as you share your love and attention to children at the West Linn library. Thank you for turning us on to great books!

Thank you to Kathryn Otoshi for coming to OES and sharing the wonderful stories she has written with us. Today the spirit bird she made with our handprints was blessed in chapel and a great home will be located for its perch in Lower School.

Homework

Each student has a blue homework folder that is kept in his/her backpack to transport assignments between home and school.  We began the homework routine this week with a sending the homework agreements.  Please have your child read the agreements with you, sign the document and then return it to school. This coming week the children will bring home their first Reading Log and return it to school on Monday, October 2nd. Thank you for your support as your child adjusts to this new responsibility and routine.

This week's homework includes:

• The signed "Homework Agreements" sheet should be returned on Monday, 9/25 for me to sign.  I will return the document and ask your child to keep the document in a location where they do their homework.  
• Talk with your child about where they think they might do their best work after school.  Setting up a "special" place and a routine that sets the foundation for future years of study habits.
• Reading Log #1- arriving on Monday, September 25th, your child should read at least 15 minutes each night Monday through Friday (weekends are a bonus) and fill in the grid at the top of the page.  At the bottom is an interactive question that is meant to prompt conversation about reading between you and your child. The question should be completed before returning the log on Monday, Oct. 2nd.  **Parents may help with the writing at the beginning of the year until your child is comfortable completing the question on his/her own.

What did learning look like in class this week?

Reading

We have discussed our fluency goal of becoming “voracious” readers by choosing “good fit” books using the I-PICK method.

The children will be tracking the books that they read and identifying the genre in their Reading Journal.  After reading a book they will write a letter to me about what they enjoyed about the book.
Today they explored books with a partner as the second stage of The Daily 5. We talked about the importance of sounding out a word with a reading buddy rather than just saying the word.

Math

The children have been engaged in reading the clock in class and identifying what activities they are engaged in during the hours of a day.  They are working with number racks to visually find combinations of two numbers that are equal to 20. Ask your child: How are you able to group the beads on the Number Rack quickly?  How does this help you to find your answer quickly?

They created clue cards to go with the beetles they created last week.  

Writing

This week the children began a new routine to record their weekend news in a writing journal.  Each Monday morning the children will spend 10 minutes to write and draw about their personal experiences. They also wrote thank you notes to Kathryn Otoshi, our visiting author and a close relative of our own classmate, Jameson.

Social Studies

The children have continued their conversation in developing agreements for our classroom community and jobs that would help our class function well through the year.  The children worked in small groups to share their ideas and compiled them to form key words: Safe . Fun . Kind .
Responsible . Wonder

Buddy Class

The children met their kindergarten buddies and they interviewed one another about things they had in common.

Walk 4 Fun-Friday, September 29, 2017

This will be a non-uniform day in honor of Walk-4-Fun and Homecoming, starting off with a "kick-off" assembly at 8:10 am. in the gym and moving to the track.  Students are encouraged to wear spirit wear (this isn't a free dress day!).  Please be sure your child is dressed in comfortable clothing and athletic shoes.  Feel free to send a water bottle (for sustainability) labeled with your child's name.  Bottled water will be provided for those who forget. You might also want to apply sunscreen to your child before she/he leaves for school that day.

Why: For Fitness Fun and Community Time. Join the fun throughout the day by helping record laps and cheering your kiddos on!

How: Meet at the track and we will show you what to do

Details: Walk begins at 8:40.  Go to  OES LS 17-18 Walk for Fun to sign up for a shift & help students record their laps. All supplies provided. Dress comfortably and be prepared in event of rain showers. Just bring your school spirit to cheer on our kiddos!   Volunteers needed for each grade. Please sign up for the time slot during which your child/children's grade(s) will be on the track. Sign up today:OES LS 17-18 Walk for Fun

If any questions, please contact Brandy Ziegenbalg (bzig1011@comcast.net)

Helpful Parent Resources:

Lower School Wednesday Newsletter

Adjusting to a busier day....

This article shares some insight into those meltdowns at home when the teacher says your child is doing so well at school.

5-sure-fire-ways-to-stop-the-after-school-attitude

September 15, 2017

Getting Together

Thank you for taking the time to visit and learn more about our 2nd grade curriculum, the presentation about the state of the school, and the visit with our specialist teachers on Wednesday evening.  The children were so excited to arrive the next morning and find your notes to them about your favorite memories spent together this past summer.

Here is a link to the power point presentation for those interested in reviewing the highlighted material: Schilling Back To School Night Power Point 2017-18

Class Reflections-Developing New Routines

What is 2nd grade all about?  How is it different from 1st grade?   What does it feel like to be in a class of "newly acquainted" old friends?  During this first full week of school the children engaged in a sample of their intensive specialist schedule and settled into navigating around the lower school building.  Ask your child: "What new classrooms did you visit this week?"  "Did you meet any new teachers?  If so, who did you meet?"

We are all still learning to navigate walking through the hallways courteously and walking to the right on the stairwells.  Lunch routines are adjusted daily, trying to find an equitable way to get 6 classes through the food lines and serving beverages in a timely manner.  We appreciate all the efforts of Kelly Cowing, Shirley and other kitchen staff from Bon Appetit to provide quality food choices and working with the teachers to make sure all the children eat a balanced meal.

This week in math, we concentrated on establishing some routines for the class and got the opportunity to explore some of our math games during "Workplaces".  The children were introduced to Blokus, checkers, SET, Connect Four, and Counting Down to reinforce personal math practice.

Each child also created a Beetle Glyph.  A Glyph is a way of displaying data in the form of a picture.  In addition to learning a new way to represent data, creating these also helped us learn about each other and to consider our similarities and differences. Each way the students sort the glyphs generates a new set of interesting data to discuss.  We explored that data using a Venn Diagram and graphing.

The children have been focused on reviewing some of their first grade routines and developing their new second grade Reader’s Workshop routines.  We have been focusing on building our reading stamina as a class and individually practiced “read to self” (also known in second grade as “read in your brain” time).  We practiced the expectations the children identified for reading in second grade as: getting started right away, staying in one spot, reading quietly and reading the whole time.

We support the students as they become more responsible and independent with their book choices.  We’re working on being prepared for Reader’s Workshop by keeping 2 books in our book bins at our personal “good fit” level.  If a child is unfamiliar with more words that fingers on one hand then it is probably one that should be shared when reading with an adult.

The children are learning to use the “I PICK” method to find books both in the classroom and the library. You can support this method at how by taking a book you are reading with your child and reviewing the I-PICK checklist with him/her.  Some children need assistance to determine when a text is too difficult.  

I     I pick a book
P    Purpose (What is my purpose for choosing this book?)
I     Interest (Am I interested in this book?)               
C    Comprehend (Do I understand what I just read?)
K    Know (Do I know most of the words?)
  
Ask your child, “how did you choose a good fit book this week? What is the purpose of the book you are reading?  Why is it important to read books that are a “good fit?”

Homework

All "Tour of Me" booklets are due on Monday, September 18th.  The children will be sharing these in class.

New:  Monday, September 18th Homework Agreements: Please read through the documents your child brings home in their homework folder on Monday and have them signed and returned on Monday, September 25th.   

Bonus:  You are encouraged to have your child read 15 minutes each night.  Reading logs will begin soon, where they can record their weekly minutes and answer questions posed about their reading.

Weekly Reader: Mrs. Marshall

Cindi Marshall, former OES kindergarten teacher, comes in each Thursday to read to the class. She started reading a story written about The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of Dorthy's dog, Toto.

Did you know that today was International "Dot" day?

September 8, 2017

The week in reflection:
What a wonderful start to the school year!  

Thank you so much for your support in making this a positive beginning.  These first weeks lay the foundation for powerful learning, both social and academic.  Your child may have told you about our activities which focus on getting to know each other, building community, and setting expectations. 

Ask your child:  

"Tell me about an interesting class or activity from one of your specialist classes this week."

(classes we had: Spanish,Technology, and P.E.).  What is something you have in common with one of your new classmates?

These activities help build our group identity and establish the routines and expectations needed for a productive, safe, and fulfilling learning environment.  It has been a pleasure to get to know your children, both as individuals and as learners, and we expect the year will continue along this positive path! 

Chaplain Craig dropped into all the classes on Wednesday to give a beginning of the year blessing and gave each child a lanyard for their backpack.

I look forward to sharing more about our "First Six Weeks of School" philosophy with you all at:

Back to School Night

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 6:00-8:30pm  in Room 25

The structure and timing of Back to School Night will be similar to last year. Please see the schedule below. We hope to see you in our classrooms from 7:30-8:25. Second grade teachers will be highlighting how parents can support their children with our research projects.  We will also briefly cover our homework routine. We encourage you to read the Second Grade Developmental Goals and Curriculum guides, which provide more details about second grade.  We welcome any questions you may have about second grade. We will send home an information packet with your child, if you are unable to attend. Also, all information covered will be included in future newsletters. 

The Rotation:

Time	Classroom	Classroom	Specialist	State of LS
	Classroom	Classrooms	Dining Commons	LS Library
6:30-6:55	PK, K, P		1st, 2nd	3rd, 4th, 5th
7:00-7:25	PK, K,P	3rd, 4th, 5th		1st, 2nd
7:30-7:55	1st, 2nd	3rd, 4th, 5th	PK, K, P
8:00-8:25	1st, 2nd		3rd, 4th, 5th	PK, K, P

Homework
We will begin introducing our regular homework routine in the next couple of weeks (more information will be provided at Back to School Night). On Monday, September 11th students will receive their homework folder and a Tour of Me homework assignment (due Monday, 9/18).  Each child will complete the Tour of Me as “personal best work”.  We encourage nice color drawings, personal best handwriting and spelling.  We don’t expect for this assignment to be "perfect", but rather a reflection of the child's best independent work (i.e. don't feel the need to correct every spelling error together, but do encourage your child to take his/her time and do their best work).  Since this is a lengthy assignment, we recommend that you make a plan to set aside time each day to work on it and avoid waiting until Sunday evening.  Students will share their tours with their classmates throughout the week. If your child completes it early, they are welcome to bring it into school before Monday. Have fun working on this together and thank you for your support.  We’re looking forward to reading what the children share in their tours!

Class Pictures

Thursday, September 14th  1:10 p.m.

Lunch

Breads, desserts, pizza and seconds all call our names! While we’ve discussed responsible eating and moderation as a class, it helps if these conversations continue at home. Ask your child: What are you eating at lunch? What do you choose for seconds? Are you eating a rainbow of colorful foods? What expectation does your family have about your child’s eating habits? How can we begin to think about food as fuel for our bodies and minds? Many second graders benefit from previewing the lunch menu at home the night before.  
Bon Appetit Menu (please be sure to read the "Beginning School lunch option".  Soup is available at this time.)

Morning Drop Off
In second grade we ask that students not enter the classroom until the morning bell.  Students and families should head to Aardvark Community Park to play or the library for quiet reading.  Students should keep their backpacks with them.  Thanks for your understanding!

Helpful Hints:

*Label all clothes that can be removed during the day.

*Please read the uniform policy and review with your child.  No jewelry and rubber soled shoes are required for P.E.

* Please email  Student Absence and Plan Change to report an absence or a change to an after school plan so that we are able to ensure that your child knows where he/she is to go each day when school ends.

*Water bottles are welcome, especially as we transition from summer to fall.

* Extra set of clothes, boots, and a rain jacket can be kept in your child's cubby.

*Parent Survey-  If you have not had an opportunity to share your insight about your child please follow this link: survey and return it to me as soon as possible.