Jump Rope for Heart

The students participated in the Jump Rope for Heart event during gym classes this week.  Thank you to all who donated money for this great cause!

Dates to Remember
Fri. March 6 - End of 2nd trimester
Thurs. March 12 - Field trip to Fullersburg Woods
                           *  Bring a sack lunch & drink today
Fri. March 13 - Report Cards go home
Thurs. March 19 - Early Dismissal  12:00

Reading
Students will be putting information about their chosen country onto digital slides this week.  They will then present it to the class.  We've been busy this week looking at both a text and online source for information.  

Grammar lessons will focus on simple and compound sentences. 
Vocabulary words for the week are:  isolated, remote, impassable, obtain 

Remember to return reading logs on Monday, March 2.

Math 
We'll finish our chapter on Geometry this week with problem solving using logical reasoning.  A chapter review/test will follow.  Topic 12 will be next and will focus on Money.    

Science
This week we will begin our new chapter on Sound.  We'll focus on the Big Idea that sound can travel and is caused by vibrations.   

New Student of the Week - Maddie
Positive Paw Winner - Joseph
Estimation Jar Winners - Filip, Sean, Ashlyn, Mikella, TJ, and Marifer

Feb. 23 - 27

Dates to Remember

Feb. 26 & 27 - Jump Rope for Heart event during gym classes
Fri. Feb. 27 - Reading Incentive Dr. Seuss Day - Wear mismatched or                                     backwards clothes
Fri. March 6 - End of 2nd trimester 
Thurs. March 12 - Field trip to Fullersburg Woods 
Fri. March 13 - Report Cards go home

Six Flags Reading Logs are due on Monday, Feb. 23.  They are very firm on the deadline, so if you plan to send it in, please be prompt.

February Reading logs will be due on Tuesday, March 2.  The class has voted to have a Game Day for everyone who returns a completed reading log.  thanks for your help with this.  We don't want anyone to miss the fun!

Math
This week we'll continue our topic on Geometry.  We'll be relating plane shapes to solid figures, learning about polygons and angles, and determining equal/not equal parts of a whole shape.  

Science 
We'll finish answering the essential question, "What is Heat?"  A test will be midweek.  Look for review pages to come home on Monday or Tuesday.  Our next chapter is learning about Sound Energy.  We'll be doing an investigation this week and need empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls.  Please send in a few.  Thank you! 

Reading
This week we will read My Librarian is a Camel.  This text is a photo essay featuring countries with mobile libraries.  For many communities in remote places, this is the only way for them to access books.  

The students will begin working on a shared research project featuring a country in My Librarian is a Camel.  Students will develop a digital slide showing important facts as well as information about how people access books in their community.  

New Student of the Week - Lindsy
Positive Paw Winner - Lindsy
Estimation Jar Winner - Joseph

100 Day & Valentine Party

Happy Valentine's Day


Thank you to Mrs. Silanskis and Mrs. Harvat for covering our Valentine mailboxes.  The students had a wonderful time decorating their boxes!  

We had a wonderful Valentine Party this afternoon!  Mrs. Harvat and Mrs. Urias helped the students decorate the darling valentine picture frame they brought home.  

We played games and enjoyed delicious treats.  Thanks also to Mrs. Bende for sending in juice boxes.  We had a perfect afternoon!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Dates to Remember


Thurs. Feb. 19 - Spring Picture Day
Sat. Feb. 21 -    Snowflake Ball
Feb. 26 & 27 -   Jump Rope For Heart event during gym classes
Fri. Feb. 27 -     Reading Incentive Dr. Seuss Day
                    *  Wear mismatched or backwards clothes
Fri. March 6 -    End of 2nd trimester
Thurs. March 12 - Field trip to Fullersburg Woods  Please return the permission slip along with $5 fee if you have not done so already.  
Fri. March 13 -   Report cards go home

Math
This week we'll use logical reasoning to solve problems with three digit numbers.  We'll review and take a test midweek.  Our next topic focus will be Geometry.  We'll begin by naming 3 dimensional (solid) shapes and classify them by the number of faces (flat surfaces), edges (sides), and vertices (corners).  

Fast facts this week will be minus 6:
14 - 6       13 - 6       12 - 6       11 - 6
10 - 6        9 - 6         8 - 6         7 - 6

Science
We'll be reading about shadows this week as we continue learning about light energy.  We will also learn about friction and that some colors absorb heat, while others reflect, or take in, heat.  

Reading
Our text this week is Biblioburro.  It's a nonfiction story about a traveling library that brings books to children in faraway villages from the backs of two donkeys. We will be discussing the comprehension strategies of understanding key details in a text as well as using text features to locate facts. 

Vocabulary words:  access, biblioteca (library), burro, cuento (story/tale), que bueno.   
Grammar focus will be antonyms and synonyms.

Positive Paw Winner - Sean 

February Birthdays - TJ - Feb. 15
                               Charlie - Feb. 18

Fuzzy Friend Day and Donuts!

Thank You PTO for the Donut Treat!  Our class won the January contest for Boxtops and PTO rewarded us with donuts today!  YUM!!

Jump Rope for Heart - Elizabeth Ide is holding a Jump Rope for Heart event on Feb 26 & 27 during our gym classes.  Students will have the opportunity to raise funds for the American Heart Association.  They will also be learning about the importance of heart health in a fun way. Details were sent home on Wednesday, Feb. 4th.  Email me for details if you missed the packet.   

Book Collection for Whitehead Elementary School in Rockford.  We will continue to collect books until Feb. 27. Students can place new or gently used books in the collection boxes near the school's entrance.  

Six Flags Reading Logs due Feb. 23 - Please fill out the gold reading log and return to school by Monday, Feb. 23 if you are working toward earning a free ticket.  

Dates to Remember

Wed. Feb. 11 - Early Dismissal  12:00
                        100th Day of School
Thurs. Feb. 12 - Classroom Valentine Party - Please have your child bring 19 valentines for their classmates by Thursday.  We will deliver them to each other on Thursday.  No need to address them.  Simply have your child write their name on the back.
Fri. Feb 13 - No School
Mon. Feb. 16 - No School  Presidents' Day
Thurs. Feb. 19 - Spring Picture Day  
Sat. Feb. 21 - Snowflake Ball
Fri. Feb. 27 - Dr. Seuss Day  Reading Incentive Day  ~ Wear mismatched or backwards
                                               clothes and bring a Dr. Seuss book to read.

Reading
This week's text is That Book Woman.  It's about a boy, Cal, and his family that live in the Appalachian hills and they have little access to books.   A "book woman" arrives on her pack horse to distribute books and magazines to the rural families and changes Cal's mind about reading.  

Vocabulary words for the week:  plowing, dusky, scholar, britches, passel, yearn

Grammar focus is on adverbs.

Math
This week we will be learning to estimate differences with three digit numbers. We'll also be subtracting three digit numbers vertically using the paper/pencil strategy.  

Positive Paw Winner - TJ
Estimation Jar Winners - Gage, Gio, and Aidan
New Student of the Week - TJ

Pajama Day!

It was PJ Day today!!  The kids looked adorable in their comfy pajamas. 











Elizabeth Ide Book Drive
Families are being asked to donate any gently used books to our book drive!  All books will be donated to Whitehead Elementary School, Mr. Lazar's former school.  We will accept donations until Feb. 27th.  What a great way to not only clean out your bookshelves, but share literacy with others.  

Scholastic Book Order
If you plan to order books from Scholastic, I will finalize the order on Wednesday, Feb. 11.  You may order online, or send a check to school with a paper order.  

Dates to Remember

Wed. Feb. 4 - Jumprope for Heart Assembly
Feb 9 & 10 - Parent Teacher conferences
Thurs. Feb. 12 - Classroom Valentine Party  2:00
Fri. Feb. 13 - No School due to P/T Conferences
Mon. Feb. 16 - No School  Presidents' Day
Fri. Feb. 27 - Dr. Seuss Day - Wear backwards or mismatched clothes and 
                    bring your favorite Dr. Seuss book to read.

Volunteers are needed for the Valentine Party on Thursday, Feb. 12.  If you would like to help with the party, please contact  Mrs. Harvat.  We would love to have you join us!

Valentines - The students will be exchanging valentines on Thurs. Feb. 12. Please have your child sign their name to the back of 19 valentines.  No need to address them.  Send them to school anytime.  

Six Flags Reading Logs - If you are participating in Six Flags Read to Succeed program, remember to record your reading on the gold student reading log. They must be returned by Monday, Feb. 23, to qualify for a free ticket.  Any questions, let me know.  

Our class has won the Boxtop Treat Day Reward - We collected the most boxtops of all the 2nd grade classes!  YEAH!!  We have earned a treat, and the class has voted to have donuts next Friday, Feb. 6.  Thank you for sending in boxtops and remember ~ the contest is not over.  Final winners will enjoy a pizza party!  Keep collecting!  

Volunteers are needed for the Valentine Party on Thursday, Feb. 12.  If you would like to help with the party, please contact  Mrs. Harvat.  We would love to have you join us!

Valentines - The students will be exchanging valentines on Thurs. Feb. 12. Please have your child sign their name to the back of 19 valentines.  No need to address them.  Send them to school anytime.  

Positive Paw Winner - Gage
Student of the Week - Charlie
Estimation Jar Winners - Joseph, Alyssa, Ashlyn, and Ariella 

Google Maps - Our class used Chrome Books again and this time we searched National Monuments as a follow up to our Social Studies lesson on monuments. The kids enjoyed exploring some of our nation's famous monuments up close! 

Math 
We will continue to work with adding and subtracting three digit numbers this week.  We'll practice this skill in vertical format, with mental math, and by estimating sums and differences.  

Reading
This week we'll be discussing an article titled, Little Free Libraries.  Our Essential Question for the week is, Can small acts bring a community together?  We'll be doing a close read of the article, looking for text evidence to support our answers, and working with new vocabulary:  stunning, encourage, contain, public and variety.  

Jan 26 - 30

Dates to Remember                                                                     

Thurs. Jan. 29 - Literacy Night
Fri. Jan. 30 - Reading Incentive Pajama Day 
Feb. 9 & 10 - Parent Teacher Conferences
Thurs. Feb. 12 - Classroom Valentine Parties
Fri. Feb. 13 - No School 
Mon. Feb. 16 - No School  Presidents' Day

Valentine Mailboxes
Each child will be decorating a shoe box for our valentines.  Please send in a shoe box (and an extra if you have one) and put your child's name on the inside. Thank you!  

Estimation Jar Winner - Cam
Positive Paw Winner - Marifer 
New Student of the Week - Aidan

Math - This week we'll move on to topic 11, Three Digit Addition and Subtraction.   Fact Fluency, as you know, is very important.  Students who need to improve their subtraction accuracy and speed will have additional homework sent home to practice during the week.  Heads up for that paper to come home from time to time.  It doesn't need to be timed at home, just completed and returned as homework.  

Several good websites are listed on our classroom blog under Student Links (to practice math facts). Any of them are great practice.  

Website - This week we went on a new math site, Jonnie's Math Page, and the kids asked me to share the link.  It's also linked to our blog under Student Links.  It has tons of games to practice different math skills.

Social Studies - We'll begin the week with a review and chapter test over our unit Our Country Today.  We've been learning about our local, state, and federal government.  

Reading - We'll be doing a writing workshop this week and focusing on Opinion Writing.  We'll be reading Hey, Little Ant and I Wanna Iguana.  We'll learn how to write an opinion statement and support it with reasons and details.  Our final activity will be to write a paragraph after choosing our favorite canine character, Gloria or Aero.  

                    

Jan 19 - 23

Dates to Remember

Mon. Jan. 19 - No School  Martin Luther King b-day
Tues. Jan. 20 - Sign up online for Conferences
Fri. Jan. 23 - *  Progress Notes 
                          sent home with students not meeting grade
                          level expectations
                           *  PTO Trivia Night
Thurs. Jan. 29 - Literacy Night at Ide 6 - 7:30 pm
Fri. Jan. 30 -  * Pajama Day
                    * PTO Bunko Night

Parent Teacher Conferences
Conferences are held on an "as needed" basis.  If you receive an invitation email on Tuesday, Jan. 20, please follow the link to sign up at your convenience.  If you have any questions, let me know.  

If you are not sent an invitation, that just means that I don't have any specific concerns right now.  As always, if you would like a conference or have a concern, feel free to contact me.  

Valentine Mailboxes
We will be decorating valentine mailboxes in a few weeks!  Each student needs to bring in an empty shoebox, preferably one with a separate lid.  Please write your child's name inside the box and send it anytime.  Thank you!

Math
This week we will be skip counting by different amounts using a number line as well as using patterns to identify the next number.  We'll also be comparing 3 digit numbers and we'll end the week with a topic review.  

Fast Facts - We will now move on to subtraction fast facts.  Continue to work on fact fluency at home with all the math facts.  Timed tests are given to the students weekly.  
This week's fast facts:     12 - 2       11 - 2       10 - 2       9 - 2
                                      8 - 2          7 - 2        6 - 2        5 - 2    

Reading
Our story this week is Officer Mike and Aero.  It is a nonfiction story about a police officer and his canine companion.  Our comprehension strategy is inferencing.  Grammar focus will be on prefixes and suffixes.  


Positive Paw Winners - Lindsy & Ashlyn

New Student of the Week - Alyssa

Estimation Jar Winners - Gage, Aidan, and Alyssa

January Birthdays - Alyssa  Jan. 4
                             Mikella - Jan. 29