Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

May 14-May 18

 

 

Fun to be Fit Donations:

Since we do not have a grant this year for our Fun to be Fit event, the coordinators are asking that every classroom provide the following items:

• 50 juice boxes (One for each person in each class, and one for guests.)
  
• 4 dozens store bought cookies.
  

If you would be willing to provide a package of juice boxes or cookies, we would really appreciate it! Since the items don't spoil, it would be better to have them early, just so we know we have enough. We are so excited for this fun event!

 

Student of the Week:

Our Student of the Week was Allison DeYoung. Super job!

 

 

Rocket Math:

Colton Nethaway became an Addition Master this week! Congratulations!

 

 

 

Dates to Remember:

Monday, May 28- No School

Friday, June 1- Fun to Be Fit Day at 1:00

Friday, May 8-Track and Field Day

Monday, June 11- half-day

Tuesday, June 12-half-day

 

Math:

This week we began Unit 11- "Whole Number Operations- Revisited." This unit has four main areas of focus:

1. To review addition and subtraction algorithms using sums of money.
   
2. To introduce and practice the trade-first subtraction algorithm.
   
3. To solve multiplication and division number stories.
   
4. To practice multiplication and division facts using a products table and fact families.
   

 

Behavior Flip-Chart:

From now until the end of the year, the students will be bringing home a behavior note if they flip a card(s). Please sign it and return it to school the next day.

 

Science:

We have completed our unit on the Water Cycle. Ask your student to explain or draw it for you! The main words they should be able to use are evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

April 30-May 4

Student of the Week:
Our Student of the Week was Madeleine Guernsey! Super job! 

Labels/Box Tops:
The last day to turn in labels/box tops is coming soon. Please send them in a baggie with your child's name, along with the total number of labels you are sending in.

Tennis Shoe Reminder:
Our P.E. days are Mondays and Tuesdays. Please make sure your child wears or brings appropriate shoes on those days. If they wear flip-flops or sandals to P.E., they are not able to participate in many of the activities. Thanks! 

Birthday:
We celebrated Cole's birthday on Tuesday. Happy Birthday to you!
 
Fun to be Fit Donations:
Since we do not have a grant this year for our Fun to be Fit event, the coordinators are asking that every classroom provide the following items:

• 50 juice boxes (One for each person in each class, and one for guests.)
  
• 4 dozens store bought cookies.
  

If you would be willing to provide a package of juice boxes or cookies, we would really appreciate it! Since the items don't spoil, it would be better to have them early, just so we know we have enough. We are so excited for this fun event! 

Rocket Math:
Kila and Mackenzie both became Addition Masters this week!

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

April 23-27

Student of the Week:
Our Student of the Week was Zach DeZeeuw! Great work! 

Looking Ahead:

Monday, May 14- Delayed 10:00 start
Monday, May 28- No School, Memorial Day
Friday, June 1- "It's Fun to Be Fit!" Race Day
Friday, June 8- Track and Field Day
 
Rocket Math:
Dillan Shank became a Subtraction Master this week. Congratulations!

Special Presentation:
On Tuesday we had a special visit from some employees of Chemical Bank. They presented "Teach the Children to Save," an initiative sponsored by the American Banking Association's Educational Foundation. The children participated in a lesson focused on savings and basic money management skills. The students really enjoyed it and each received a certificate stating they had completed the program. Ask your child to tell you about it!
 
Science Presentations:
On Thursday we presented our Landform PowerPoints to Mr. Smith and Mr. Harris. The students did a wonderful job! Our audience was impressed with the incorporation of technology into our curriculum. You can view each Landform PowerPoint on our classroom blog.
 
Fall Youth Soccer Registration Dates:

The Missuakee Area Soccer Association will be registering soccer players ages 6-11 (before August 1, 2012) at Northern Michigan Christian School on May 3rd, from 3-6pm and May 10th at Lake City Schools from 6-8 pm. Cost is $30.00 per player. No registration forms will be mailed in so please register during one of those evenings. Please call Dave Skinner at 231-920-1278 or Diane Eisenga at 231-779-3702 if you cannot make it to either of those dates. If you are interested in coaching or refereeing please contact Dave Skinner. All coaches and referees will receive training and referees will be paid.

Bookmark Contest Winner:
Kila Boonstra was the 2^nd grade Bookmark Contest Winner for Reading Month! We are so proud of her. Each student in our grade received a copy of her ocean-themed bookmark.
 
Math:
This week we started Unit 10: Decimals and Place Value. The first part of this unit extends previous work with money and fractions to decimal notation for dollars-and-cents amounts. The second part extends place-value concepts to 5-digit numbers. Unit 10 has three main areas of focus:

• To review notation and equivalencies for money amounts.
• To provide experiences with comparing prices, estimating costs, and making change.
• To develop and extend place-value concepts.

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

April 16-20

 

 

Student of the Week:

 

Our Student of the Week for March 26-30 was Claire Goodrich. Great work!

 

 

Math:

The test over "Unit 9- Measurement" will be next Monday, April 23^th. A study guide came home today. Please review it with your child and then sign and return the slip in order for your child to earn a Dojo point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rocket Math Masters:

Zach and Dylan Schonert became our newest "Subtraction Masters" and are now on to multiplication!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Youth Soccer Registration Dates:

The Missuakee Area Soccer Association will be registering soccer players ages 6-11 (before August 1, 2012) at Northern Michigan Christian School on May 3rd, from 3-6pm and May 10th at Lake City Schools from 6-8 pm. Cost is $30.00 per player. No registration forms will be mailed in so please register during one of those evenings. Please call Dave Skinner at 231-920-1278 or Diane Eisenga at 231-779-3702 if you cannot make it to either of those dates. If you are interested in coaching or refereeing please contact Dave Skinner. All coaches and referees will receive training and referees will be paid.

 

Earth Day Project:

In honor of Earth Day we made posters to tell how we help the Earth.

 

 

Science:

We will begin studying the "Water Cycle" next week. We have planned several fun and exciting projects for the students.

 

Beautiful Bouquets:

This week as a Parent Project the students made "Beautiful Bouquets" to hang above their lockers.

 

 

Mileage Club:

 

Mrs. Kelley is still in need of volunteers to help with the Mileage Club program. Even if you can commit to one day a week, it would be greatly appreciated! Please contact her at 825-2021 or ckelly@mcbain.org.

 

 

Donations:

We are in need of some dry-erase markers for the students to use. If you would like to donate a few, we would really appreciate it! Each student uses them daily for math and literacy activities. We love to use them in order to save paper and copies!

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

April 9-13

Student of the Week:

Our Student of the Week for March 26-30 was Dillan Shank. Great work! 

Our Student of the Week for April 9-13 was Kila Boonstra. Super job!

Rocket Math Masters: 

Mya is our first "Subtraction Master" and is now on to multiplication! 

The following students also became "Addition Masters" this week: Hannah, Claire, Tucker, Tyler.

Book Order:

The April Scholastic Book order is due back to the classroom by Wednesday, April 18. If you would like to order books, please send in the order forms and a check made payable to Scholastic.

Fall Youth Soccer Registration Dates: 

The Missuakee Area Soccer Association will be registering soccer players ages 6-11 (before August 1, 2012) at Northern Michigan Christian School on May 3rd, from 3-6pm and May 10th at Lake City Schools from 6-8 pm. Cost is $30.00 per player. No registration forms will be mailed in so please register during one of those evenings. Please call Dave Skinner at 231-920-1278 or Diane Eisenga at 231-779-3702 if you cannot make it to either of those dates. If you are interested in coaching or refereeing please contact Dave Skinner. All coaches and referees will receive training and referees will be paid. 

Math:

We started our "Measurement" unit this week. The test over this material will be next Friday, April 20^th. A study guide will come home the night before.

Book-It:

We had several Book-It "All-Stars" for the Book-It Program this year. To be an "All-Star" you have to meet the reading goal and turn your calendar in every month from October to March. The following students were our Book-It "All-Stars": 

Carsyn, Kila, Karlene, Morgan, Mya, Cole, Mackenzie, Makayela, Dylan, Dillan, Sayge, and Derrick

As a special reward, they earned an ice cream cone from the Tasty Treat with Mrs. Wieferich and Mrs. Freeland!

Overall, our class read 2,815 nights from October-March!

Mileage Club:

The students are very excited to begin the Mileage Club again. The Mileage Club will start on Monday, April 16. They will be able to earn mileage points by walking or running a set course during the last recess. These points will earn them a toe-token and other prizes at the end of the year! 

*****Mrs. Kelley is still in need of volunteers to help with this program. Even if you can commit to one day a week, it would be greatly appreciated! Please contact her at 825-2021 or ckelly@mcbain.org.******

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

March 19-23

 

Student of the Week:
Our Student of the Week was Cole Ingleright. Great work!

Happy Birthday!:
We celebrated Dylan Schonert's birthday this week. Happy Birthday!
  
Fishy Friday Schedule:

• Friday, March 30: Final Assembly with Prizes (Wear All Your Beach Gear Day)

Rocket Math:
Makayela passed the addition level of Rocket Math this week. She is now an "Addition Master!"


Book Fair:
We visited the Book Fair this week in order to browse and fill out our "Wish Lists." If you would like to order books for your child, please fill out the bottom portion of the order sheet and return it on Tuesday, March 27^th. Please send cash or a check made payable to "McBain Schools." Please include sales tax and send it in an envelope with your child's name on it. Thanks!

Newsletter:
Our next classroom newsletter will come home on Friday, April 13^th.


Word Their Way Update:
This week we assessed each student's spelling/phonics skills with a Words Their Way Spelling Inventory. This was done to gather more in-depth information about your child's current level and skills in the program. We've seen lots of growth in this area of our literacy program! Several of the students have changed groups, according to their individual needs. Therefore, you may see a change from the numbered lesson/list that your child was currently on. This change was made in order to more closely match their instructional level.

 Math:
We will finish "Unit 8: Fractions" next Tuesday. Your child will be bringing home a study guide that night. The test will be on Wednesday, March 28^th. Please review with your child.

Blog Update:
Have you checked out our classroom blog lately? Go to Mcbain.org and click on "Elementary Teacher Pages" and then "Monica Wieferich." From there you can read our newsletter, link to Mr. Smith's Blog, Mrs. Kelley's Blog, access Keyboarding Online, Everyday Mathematics, and more! You can even take a look at our Landforms Webquest!

Writing:
We have been busy writing our "Treasured Memory" stories this week! Many of the students are ready to begin their final copy in our hardcover books we ordered. If you haven't already, please send in $2.00 for your child to have their own copy of a hardcover book.


REMINDER:
The first day back to school after Spring Break will be a Delayed Start, which is Monday, May 9^th. School will begin at 10:00 that day.

3^rd Grade Book Store:
The 3^rd grade class will be running a book store for Kindergarten through 2^nd grade students as part of their economics unit. The books your child will be purchasing are "gently used" books. They will be priced between 5 cents to 50 cents. If your child would like to buy books, please send a few dollars with them on Tuesday, March 27^th. All profits made will go towards the 3^rd grade field trip. If you have any used books that you would like to donate to the store, they would gladly be accepted. The third grade thanks you for your support!

Looking Ahead:

Friday, March 23- Marking Period ends

Tuesday, March 27- Purchase books at Book Fair

Tuesday, March 27- 3^rd Grade Bookstore

Friday, March 30- Report Cards sent home

Monday, May 9- Delayed 10:00 start
April 2-6- Spring Break
Monday, April 9- Delayed 10:00 Start
Monday, May 28- No School, Memorial Day
Friday, June 1- "It's Fun to Be Fit!" Race Day
Friday, June 8- Track and Field Day

 

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

March 5-9

 

 

Student of the Week:

 

Congratulations to Arrisa Brown! She is our Student of the Week.

 

 

Happy Birthday!

This week Mackenzie turned eight years old. Happy Birthday to you!

 

 

 

 

 

February Reading Awards:

The following students met our monthly reading goal of 20 nights for the month of February:

 

Carsyn, Kila, Karlene, Zach, Morgan, Mya, Claire, Cole, Mackenzie, Hannah, Makayela, Dillan, Dylan, Sayge, Derrick, Tucker, and Arrisa.

 

They earned a special reading token and free pizza coupon from Pizza Hut!

 

PTO Book Fair:

The PTO Book Fair is coming this month! Our class will browse the book fair on Thursday, March 22^nd and return to purchase books on Tuesday, March 27^th. If your child would like to purchase books, please send the money and order form in an envelope with their name on it on or before the 27^th.

 

 

 

Fishy Friday Schedule:

 

• Friday, March 16: "Surfin' on the Wii" (Wear Sunglasses Day)
  

  
   

• Friday, March 23: "Ocean Guy Assembly" (Wear Flip-Flops or Sandals Day)
  

 

• Friday, March 30: Final Assembly with Prizes (Wear All Your Beach Gear Day)
  

  
   

  
   

Fun to Be Fit Day:

• Fun to Be Fit Day will be on Friday, June 1^st. A pink note came home in your child's Friday Folder further describing this event. Please return the bottom portion by March 5^th along with $6.00 if you would like to order your child a t-shirt and finishers' medal.
  
  

 

 

Looking Ahead:

Monday, April 12^th- Delayed 10:00 start

 

Wednesday, April 14^th- April Book Order Due

 

 

Mom to Mom Sale:

The third annual "Mom to Mom" sale is being hosted by the PTO on Saturday, April 14^th from 9:00-12:00 in the high school gym. Please contact Mrs. Wieferich if you are interested in having a booth.

 

Math:

We will finish Unit 6 next Tuesday. Your child will be bringing home a study guide that night. The test will be on Wednesday, March 14^th. Please review with your child.

 

 

 

Baxter:

Has Baxter the dog made an appearance at your house yet? He is our classroom pet. Each child will have the opportunity to bring him home for a night with his diary. Your child will need to write from Baxter's perspective about his experience at your house. We have been reading some very interesting diary pages from Baxter!

 

Representative Rendon:

This week we had the honor of having Representative Rendon visit our classroom as a guest reader. The children enjoyed listening to him read and share his experiences.

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

February 20-24

 

 

March is Reading Month!

Are you ready for "Oceans of Fun" as we catch the reading wave? We are! Our entire elementary school will be getting fishy during the month of March. We have several fun activities and events planned to make this reading month fun and memorable. We will be turning the hallways into "aquarium-like" tunnels with ocean artwork made by the students. Each child will also have their picture taken with a special ocean creature. Our kick-off will be on March 1^st in the afternoon. Your child will have the chance to earn Reading Reward Tickets if they participate in nightly reading during the week to earn special prizes. Each Friday of the month will be a different "beachy" dress-up day with a special activity. What a FUN month!

 

 

 

 

Fishy Friday Schedule:

 

• Friday, March 2: NO SCHOOL
  

  
   

• Friday, March 9: "Reading at the Beach" (Wear a Beach Hat Day)
  

 

• Friday, March 16: "Surfin' on the Wii" (Wear Sunglasses Day)
  

  
   

• Friday, March 23: "Ocean Guy Assembly" (Wear Flip-Flops or Sandals Day)
  

 

• Friday, March 30: Final Assembly with Prizes (Wear All Your Beach Gear Day)
  

 

 

 

Fun to Be Fit Day:

Fun to Be Fit Day will be on Friday, June 1^st. A pink note came home in your child's Friday Folder further describing this event. Please return the bottom portion by March 5^th along with $6.00 if you would like to order your child a t-shirt and finishers' medal.

 

Sport Stacking Championship:

The 2012 McBain Public School Sport Stacking Championship will be on Saturday, March 10^th. If you need a registration form, please contact Mrs. Wieferich or Mrs. Kelley.

 

Progress Reports:

Your child's progress report came home today. Please review it with your child and discuss their strengths weaknesses together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student of the Week:

Our Student of the Week was Morgan Eisenga. Congratulations!

 

 

Happy Birthday!:

We celebrated Hannah's "Half-Birthday" this week. Happy Birthday to you!

 

 

 

New Student:

We have a new student in our room! We would like to extend a warm welcome to Sophie Chavira. We hope you are enjoying our classroom at McBain Elementary!

 

 

 

 

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

February 13-17

Student of the Week:
Our Student of the Week was Colton Nethaway. Congratulations!

 
Birthday:

We celebrated Tucker's birthday this week. Happy Birthday to you!

 

Fun to Be Fit Day:
Fun to Be Fit Day will be on Friday, June 1^st. A pink note came home in your child's Friday Folder further describing this event. Please return the bottom portion by March 5^th along with $6.00 if you would like to order your child a t-shirt and finishers' medal.


 
Sport Stacking Championship:
The 2012 McBain Public School Sport Stacking Championship will be on Saturday, March 10^th. If you need a registration form, please contact Mrs. Wieferich or Mrs. Kelley.

 
Up-Coming Dates:
Monday, February 20^th-
No School/President's Day

 
Friday, February 24^th-
Progress Reports sent home.

 
Food Drive:
Mr. Devos's 8^th hour middle school class is holding a non-perishable food drive for the military. The food items they are looking for are:

• tuna kits
• beef jerky
• cameras
• fruit (cans or cups)
• nuts
• nutritional bars
• snacks (Slim Jims)
• Ramen Noodles
• Crackers

We will have a box in our room if you would like to donate any of the items!

 

Math:
This week in math we worked on subtraction story problems and explored multiples of equal groups to prepare us for multiplication. We will be wrapping up Unit 6 next week and our test will be the following week on Monday, February 27^th.

 

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

February 6-10

 

Student of the Week:

Our Student of the Week was Tucker Vandervelde. Super work!

 

Library:

We will visit the library this month on Friday, February 17^th.

 

Birthday:

We celebrated Dillan's 8^th birthday this week. Happy Birthday to you!

 

 

 

 

February Book Order:

The book order this month is due Wednesday, February 15.

 

Rocket Math:

Congratulations to Zach and Dylan! They completed the Additional Level of Rocket Math.

 

Food Drive:

Mr. Devos's 8^th hour middle school class is holding a non-perishable food drive for the military. The food items they are looking for are:

• tuna kits
  
• beef jerky
  
• cameras
  
• fruit (cans or cups)
  
• nuts
  
• nutritional bars
  
• snacks (Slim Jims)
  
• Ramen Noodles
  
• Crackers
  

We will have a box in our room if you would like to donate any of the items!

 

 

Math:

This week we began Unit 6: Whole Number Operations and Number Stories. This leads into multiplication and division. A family letter came home Monday further describing the unit. Please take time to read it thoroughly because it describes key vocabulary and supplies all the answers to the home links, if you should have any questions.

 

February Reading Calendars:

The following 19 students met their goal of reading 20 nights in February:

 

Carsyn, Hunter, Tommy, Tyler, Kila, Karlene, Zach, Morgan, Mya, Maddie, Cole, Mackenzie, Hannah, Makayela, Dylan, Dillan, Sayge, Derrick, and Tucker.

 

They earned a Pizza Hut coupon and Reading Token from Mrs. Wieferich and Mrs. Freeland!

 

100's Day:

The 100^th day of school is approaching and the students are counting down the days! It is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14 (if there are no snow days between now and then). In 2^nd grade the students bring in a collection to display in the classroom. Some of the Kindergarten and first grade rooms will be coming to our room to view them. Some ideas for collections could include: marbles, toothpicks, toy cars, collecting cards, buttons, silly bands, paper-clips, etc. It would be ideal if the collection could fit on their desks, but there will be some floor space available for displays as well. Please have your child bring their collection in a bag with their name on it. Also, please have your child wear their class t-shirt on the 100^th day. We are so excited to celebrate!

 

 

 

 

 

Valentine's Party:

Valentine's Day will be celebrated in our classroom on Tuesday, February 14. Your child will need to bring valentines to school on or before that day. Your child will need to bring a valentine for every child in the class (25 students). I am sure that we will have lots of fun reading them! Please help your child prepare each valentine by letting them print each name and sign their own name. This is great writing practice! Here is a list of the names of boys and girls in our class for addressing valentines:

Boys                Girls

Hunter            Carsyn

Tommy            Kila

Tyler                Karlene

Dillan                Arissa

Zach                Tyne

Colton                Allison

Derrick            Morgan

Dylan                Mya    

Cole                Claire

Tucker            Madeleine

Gage                Hannah    

                Makayela

                Sayge

            Mackenzie

 

Looking Ahead:

Monday, February 13^th-

Delayed Start- 10:00 am

 

Tuesday, February 14^th-

100^th Day of School Celebration in the morning. (Each child will need to bring in 100 items of a collection to display in the classroom.)

 

Tuesday, February 14^th-

Classroom Valentine's Party in the afternoon

 

Monday, February 20^th

President's Day/No School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

January 30th-February 3rd

 

Words Their Way Spelling:

Each spelling group has their weekly spelling list uploaded on our blog. Please check it out under "Elementary Teacher Pages" on www.mcbain.org.

 

Reminder about Absences:

Please call the office if your student is going to be absent or late for the day.

 

February Book Order:

The book order this month is due Wednesday, February 15.

 

Looking Ahead:

Monday, February 6^th-

Jump Rope for Heart money due

 

Friday, February 10^th-

Jump Rope for Heart

9:00-10:15 in H.S. gym

 

Monday, February 13^th-

Delayed Start- 10:00 am

 

Tuesday, February 14^th-

100^th Day of School Celebration in the morning. (Each child will need to bring in 100 items of a collection to display in the classroom.)

 

Tuesday, February 14^th-

Classroom Valentine's Party in the afternoon

 

Monday, February 20^th

President's Day/No School

 

 

 

 

Library:

We will visit the library this month on February 3^rd and 17^th.

 

Math:

We are already at the end of Unit 5: 2-D and 3-D shapes! Our test will be next Monday, February 6^th. Please look for the study guide that came home Friday to review with your child.

 

Social Studies:

This week we started Social Studies Unit 2: Where is My Community and What is it Like There? We explored a variety of maps and reviewed map skills. We will focus on the following questions the next few weeks:

• Where is our community located?
  
• What are the important physical and human characteristics of our community?
  
• How do people change the environment in our local community?
  

  
  

 

 

 

100's Day:

The 100^th day of school is approaching and the students are counting down the days! It is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14 (if there are no snow days between now and then). In 2^nd grade the students bring in a collection to display in the classroom. Some of the Kindergarten and first grade rooms will be coming to our room to view them. Some ideas for collections could include: marbles, toothpicks, toy cars, collecting cards, buttons, silly bands, paper-clips, etc. It would be ideal if the collection could fit on their desks, but there will be some floor space available for displays as well. Please have your child bring their collection in a bag with their name on it. Also, please have your child wear their class t-shirt on the 100^th day. We are so excited to celebrate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valentine's Party:

Valentine's Day will be celebrated in our classroom on Tuesday, February 14. Your child will need to bring valentines to school on or before that day. Your child will need to bring a valentine for every child in the class (25 students). I am sure that we will have lots of fun reading them! Please help your child prepare each valentine by letting them print each name and sign their own name. This is great writing practice! Here is a list of the names of boys and girls in our class for addressing valentines:

Boys                Girls

Hunter            Carsyn

Tommy            Kila

Tyler                Karlene

Dillan                Arissa

Zach                Tyne

Colton                Allison

Derrick            Morgan

Dylan                Mya    

Cole                Claire

Tucker            Madeleine

Gage                Hannah    

                Makayela

                Sayge

            Mackenzie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIBELS Score Report:

Last week your child was given the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment for Oral Reading Fluency. This test measures how many words per minute a student can read. The more smoothly a student can read, the better their comprehension skills will be. The average score for 2^nd graders this time of year is 68 wpm. I have included a score sheet containing both September and January scores so that you can see your child's progress in this area of reading. The end of year goal for 2^nd graders is 90 wpm. The best way to increase your child's wpm and fluency is having them read "just right" books at their independent level. That means they are not too hard and not too easy. It is crucial that your student practice reading the books that come home in the reading folder each night. Our goal is to read at least 5 nights per week. Let's work together to give your child the best chance at success!

 

 

 

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Weekly Newsletter

 

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

January 23rd-27th

 

 

Student of the Week:

Our Student of the Week was Mya Eisenga. Nice work, Mya!

 

100's Day:

The 100^th day of school is approaching and the students are counting down the days! It is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14 (if there are no snow days between now and then). In 2^nd grade the students bring in a collection to display in the classroom. Some of the Kindergarten and first grade rooms will be coming to our room to view them. Some ideas for collections could include: marbles, toothpicks, toy cars, collecting cards, buttons, silly bands, paper-clips, etc. It would be ideal if the collection could fit on their desks, but there will be some floor space available for displays as well. Please have your child bring their collection in a bag with their name on it. Also, please have your child wear their class t-shirt on the 100^th day. We are so excited to celebrate!

 

Report Cards:

Report cards came home today in your child's Friday Folder. They are paper-clipped along with several assessments that were recently given to your student. Please take time to review and discuss them with your child.

 

Looking Ahead:

Monday, February 6^th-

Jump Rope for Heart money due

 

Friday, February 10^th-

Jump Rope for Heart

9:00-10:15 in H.S. gym

 

Monday, February 13^th-

Delayed Start- 10:00 am

 

Tuesday, February 14^th-

100^th Day of School Celebration in the morning

(Each child will need to bring in 100 items of a collection to display in the classroom.)

 

Tuesday, February 14^th-

Classroom Valentine's Party in the afternoon

 

Monday, February 20^th

President's Day/No School

 

 

Valentine's Party:

Valentine's Day will be celebrated in our classroom on Tuesday, February 14. Your child will need to bring valentines to school on or before that day. Your child will need to bring a valentine for every child in the class (25 students). I am sure that we will have lots of fun reading them! Please help your child prepare each valentine by letting them print each name and sign their own name. This is great writing practice! Here is a list of the names of boys and girls in our class for addressing valentines:

Boys                Girls

Hunter            Carsyn

Tommy            Kila

Tyler                Karlene

Dillan                Arissa

Zach                Tyne

Colton                Allison

Derrick            Morgan

Dylan                Mya    

Cole                Claire

Tucker            Madeleine

Gage                Hannah    

                Makayela

                Sayge

            Mackenzie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading Calendars:

I will collect January Reading Calendars on Wednesday, February 1^st. In order for your student to earn their Pizza Hut certificate and reading reward, they need to have read at least 20 nights. I'm looking forward to seeing who met their goal!

 

 

 

 

 

Math:

This week we began Unit 5: 3-D and 2-D shapes. We will be focusing the following:

• Points and line segments
  
• Polygons
  
• 3-D shapes
  
• Line Symmetry
  

We also started a "Shape Museum" with several different types of shapes from around the classroom and home.

 

Writing:

The students LOVE Writing Workshop! So far we have discussed "Brilliant Beginnings" and "Mighty Middles" in our daily writing. Next week we will learn about "Excellent Endings." All of our writing should have a beginning, middle, and end. The children enjoy publishing a story each week and sharing it with the class. We hope you are enjoying your child's published stories as well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

January 9-13

 

Student of the Week:

Our student of the week was Tommy Bigelow. Way to go!

 

 

 

Birthdays:

We celebrated Makayela's birthday on Thursday and Derrick's "Half-Birthday" on Friday. Happy Birthday to the both of you!

 

 

 

 

 

Looking Ahead:

 

Wednesday, January 18^th-

Book Order is due

 

Thursday, January 19^th-

Half-Day for Students (End of Semester)

 

Friday, January 20^th-

Half-Day for Students (End of Semester)

 

Friday, January 27^th-

Report Cards sent home

 

Half-Day Lunches:

Please send a cold lunch or snack on Jan. 19 and 20^th. We will be taking a lunch break in our classroom at our normal lunch time to eat. School will not be serving lunch on those days.

 

Library:

Our last visit to the library for the month of January is the 20th. Please make sure your student returns their books on or before that date. Thanks!

 

Science:

This week we completed our study of matter and took our quiz. It will be sent home along with your child's report card on Friday, January 27^th. Next we will continue with our Social Studies unit.

Math:

This week your student learned about Ballpark Estimates and Partial-sums Addition Algorithms.

 

Here is an example:

 

68+24=?

60+20=80 & 8+4=12

80+12=92

 

This is known as adding "left to right" vs. the traditional "right to left."

 

You should have seen some other examples of this in your child's Home Links this week.

 

*Unit 4 Study Guides came home today. Please take time to review it with your student this weekend. Our test will be Monday, January 16^th.

 

 

Snowflake Art Project:

Check out our symmetrical snowflakes we made last week! It was a fun way to celebrate all that we learned about snowflakes. Ask your child to tell you a fun snowflake fact!

Rocket Math Update:

Congratulations to Mya Eisenga! She was our first student to pass the Addition Level of Rocket Math. Just a reminder, your student can practice their math facts at home on everydaymathonline.com if you have internet access. Your child's user name and password was sent home in December if you requested it. Please let us know if you would like that information so that your child can practice at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

January 4-7

 

Student of the Week:

Our Student of the Week was Karlene Brainerd. Congratulations!

 

Rocket Math:

The children are really getting into our daily routine of Rocket Math. Some of them are starting to fly through the levels! Have your child discuss with you what level they are currently working on. All of the students are in the "Addition Rocket" and the levels begin at A and progress through Z.

 

Library:

We have Library on January 20^th this month. Please make sure your child returns their books on or before this date. Thanks!

 

 

Spelling Change:

Next week we will be starting a new spelling/phonics program called Words Their Way. The reason for this change is that it will provide a more individualized and differentiated spelling list for your child, along with phonics instruction that more closely matches the need of your student. Through this word study program, students will examine, manipulate, and categorize words. We have practical, hands-on ways to study words that allow students to focus on the critical features of words- sound, pattern, and meaning. Your student will still bring home a new spelling list each Monday and will be tested each Friday. The list will consist of 20 words, 15 of which they will be tested on. Mrs. Freeland and I are excited to implement this new individualized program to help improve your child's literacy skills!

 

Tardies:

Please make sure your child arrives by 8:05 each morning. Several of the students have been coming in late and are being marked tardy. When your child is late they miss daily work instructions, announcements for the day, and the beginning of Reader's Workshop. Thank you!

 

 

Sport-Stacking Club:

This week your child brought home a note about the Sport Stacking Club that begins on Tuesday, January 24^th. Payment and forms are due back to school by January 18^th. Please contact Mrs. Kelley if you have any other questions.

 

Writing Workshop:

This week we began a new Writing Workshop format! Each morning the children will have the opportunity to participate in a writing mini-lesson, write in their journals, conference with the teacher, publish books, and complete a special project. When your child brings home a published book, please take some time to read and look at the illustrations together. Ask your child if it is their best work. We are learning what good illustrations look like. Good illustrations should:

• Be full of detail
  
• Not be scribbled
  
• Show what the story is about
  
• Be outlined
  

We will be learning about the "6 Traits of Writing." They include ideas, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, voice, and conventions. This week we studied the "Ideas" trait. We learned that finding ideas is our number one job as a writer. Ideas are the main messages we want tell about. We even learned a song about ideas. It goes like this:

(sing to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

Write, write, write your thoughts.

Make your ideas clear.

Tell the reader what you know

And what you hold most dear.

Next week we will be learning about the trait of "Organization."

Looking Ahead:

 

Monday, January 9^th-

Delayed 10:00 Start

 

Thursday, January 19th-

Half-Day for Students (End of Semester)

 

Friday, January 20^th-

Half-Day for Students (End of Semester)

 

Friday, January 27^th-

Report Cards sent home

 

 

Science:

Did your child tell you about the two fun experiments we did this week? We created a new substance and learned how matter takes up space. We spent the rest of science time reviewing the states of matter for our quiz next week.

 

Math:

Vocabulary for this week:

• Estimate- a close answer
  
• Inch
  
• Centimeter
  
• Tiling- children use multiplies of square pattern blocks to cover a playing card as completely as possible.
  
• Attribute blocks- a set of blocks in which each black has one of each four attributes including color, size, thickness, and shape.