Week of May 21, 2012

Are you wondering where this year has gone?  I am.  This has been one of the most memorable years that I can remember.  I feel so blessed that I have been a part of your child’s academic experience.  You are all so wonderful, and I value each and every one of you.  Whether you have worked in the classroom, gone on field trips, provided supplies, or anything else, let me express how wonderful you are.  Thank you for your never-ending support of our classroom.

Language Arts: We are finishing up our Charlotte’s Web book this week.  The kids have thoroughly enjoyed the antics of all of the characters and have loved reading and listening to the story, as well as participating in all of the fun activities that have gone along with the book.  They’ve done a nice job completing their workbooks.  Wilbur, Charlotte, Fern, Templeton, and all of the other characters have given us many hours of enjoyment and laughter, as well as reflection as we look at life in general.  We will be sad to say goodbye to Wilbur and friends as we finish the book.

Riggs: We are finished with all new word lists for the year.  This week will only include testing as we roll off the words that have been learned.

History: Our final Civil Rights leader is Cesar Chavez.  He worked to fight injustice for the migrant farm workers.  The students were really excited last week when they learned he was born in Yuma, Arizona, which sparked the students’ interest in him.  Our main focus throughout this unit has focused on ordinary people who do extraordinary things to make changes for the good.  This has been such a fun unit and the kids have really enjoyed participating in discussions about the injustices that our country has faced and overcome.  This has also been a great opportunity for them to think about the world they live in and to think of ways that they can help to change the world. 

Science: The kids were able to show what they know about magnets this week when they took a quiz.  They were able to use their notes, but I believe they would have done fine without doing so.  They had hands on opportunities to observe magnets and their effects.  .

Please take note:

- Students will be bringing things home on Friday.  Please send in a paper or plastic bag with your child’s name on it so that things can come home.

Meet Marabel:  She will be our new Pup in Program - training to become a servide dog.  We will be driving to Oceanside in just over a week to pick her up and bring her back to Arizona.  If you see a little puppy with a yellow and blue vest on her and she is riding in a grocery cart or learning to be patient, it might be our little girl, learning her social skills.  If you see us out and about, please stop by and say hello.  If Marabel is being good, she might have you ask permission to pet her.

Have a great week!  Have a great Summer break!  Best wishes to each and every one of you in all of your future endeavors. 

Mrs. Winkler

April 30, 2012

 Language Arts: We are thoroughly enjoying  Charlotte’s Web. Charlotte is proving to all that Wilbur is a wonderful pig.  She is a really good friend and has come up with a grand plan to save him.   In class this week, we will be looking at intricate design of spider webs as well as continuing to wait and see what will be happening to Wilbur.

 History: We wrapped up our unit on immigration and citizenship with a wonderful presentation by Sra. De Cossio as she related to the students her first-hand knowledge of becoming a citizen.  The students then wrote a story as if they were the immigrant.  We are now beginning our final unit of the year – civil rights.  We will be reviewing the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and relating this particular virtue to equal rights.  Good citizens are willing to stand up for those who face inequality and injustice.  Our focus this week will be on two women who were very influential and determined to make changes.  Susan B. Anthony fought to give women the right to vote.  Eleanor Roosevelt worked tirelessly to help those in need. 

 Science: Our classroom has become a magnetic field.  We are learning about the North and South Poles.  The kids are learning how magnets attract and repel and are having a great job experimenting with the magnets in class. 

Important notes:

-Thursday, May 10^th is the Volunteer Breakfast, hosted by the teachers.  The breakfast begins at 8:10 in the Multipurpose Room.  It is our way of saying thank you for everything that you do for us in the classroom.  Your support means so much, and I couldn’t ask for better parents in my classroom.  It is no wonder that my students are so wonderful.  So many of you have volunteered in the classroom with projects and activities, preparation of materials, providing supplies, helped in reading groups, class parties, Archway Olympics, Medieval Faire, field trips, etc.  Please click on this link to sign up to attend and allow us to serve you some breakfast as a thank you for your help!  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4FA9AD2BAB9-archway

-Please check out our reading link to sign up for reading groups during the month of May.  There will only be a few more opportunities to come in and read with the kids.  The kids love it when you come in.  Please click here to sign up http://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F45ADAB283-reading1

We’ve recently gotten information about a summer reading program being offered through ASU that is designed to build and strengthen comprehension and fluency skills.  It is a wonderful opportunity for the kids. This year, it will take place on the CPA campus.  If you are interested, please click on the following link: http://asu.readingprograms.org/

-Students are also given the opportunity to attend a summer academy right here on our campus.  If you are interested, please go to the following link to look at the brochure and to sign up.  https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2DCUFrCZLJ_UC1pX1VpUkV5S1U/edit

Don’t forget these dates:

-          May 10 – Volunteer Breakfast (8:10 a.m. in the Multipurpose Room – please RSVP)

-          May 11 – No school

-          May 22-25 – Half days

-          May 25 – Last day of school

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

 Linda Winkler

Week of April 9, 2012

I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather we are having. 

Please take note of these VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Thursday, April 12, 2012 – Field Trip

This is a reminder that the second grade classes will be going to see a production of Ellis Island on Thursday.  We will be leaving school at 11:00 and will return at approximately 2:00. 

 ·         PLEASE remember that there will not be hot lunch served to the second graders on the day of the field trip.  They need to have a lunch from home.  We will be eating in the classrooms prior to getting onto the bus. 

 Week of April 16, 2012 – Stanford Testing.

 Yes, next week is the Stanford Testing for your child. 

·         PLEASE  make sure that your child is at school every day ready for his or her testing.  If at all possible, please do not schedule any appointments or time away from school next week.  It is imperative that he or she is at school each and every day.

·         PLEASE make sure that your child arrives at school on time all week.
 
·         PLEASE make sure that your child has a nutritious breakfast every day.
 
·         PLEASE pack water and a healthy snack for your child every day.
 
·         PLEASE make sure your child is well-rested each and every day.
 
I do not yet have an exact testing schedule to tell you the day and time for each test.  I will forward that to you when I get it from the office.

This week:

Language Arts –

·         Reading:  We are enjoying our new literature book Charlotte’s Web and discovering so many rich and exciting vocabulary words.  We would love to have you join us for reading groups on Wednesday or Friday mornings from 8:10 – 8:40 if you are able.  Please go to link to sign up.  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F45ADAB283-reading1

·         Grammar:  We’ve been practicing sentence diagramming (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, articles).  I will be continuing to assess the students on their ability to diagram sentences throughout the remainder of the year.  Please review parts of speech with your child to reinforce what we do in class.

 
Science –
·         Students are still learning about simple machines.  We are now learning covering pulleys and their uses.  The students are having fun and are recalling so much information.  Keep working on those science projects.  The kids need to bring them to school on Wednesday, April 18^th.  They will present them to the class on Thursday and Friday.

History –

·         We’ve now finished the Civil War unit.  Wow, that was fun.  The kids did a great job recalling information as we went over things.  You should be able to have a great conversation at the dinner table.

·         Our next unit is Immigration and Citizenship.  We will be learning about America as the Land of Opportunity, important American symbols associated with citizenship and freedom, why immigrants came to America, where they settled, how they got here, their time at Ellis Island, etc.  I will be sending home an assignment that will be due on Monday if possible.  The kids will be interviewing a family member (or alternatively, an adult that they know) who came to America as an immigrant.  As I told the kids today, we all have ancestors who came to America at one point.  Many of us have been here for so long, however, that we are unfamiliar with our heritage.  If you are able to answer all of the questions on the interview form, please provide them.  If not, just make a note on the interview sheet that you don’t know.

 
Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Winkler

April 1, 2012

Hello Families!

Please note the following important announcement:

Field Trip!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

11:00 – 2:00

Celebrity Theater to see a production of Ellis Island

As you know, we are heading to Ellis Island on April 12^th.  Permission slips and money are due by this Thursday.  It is extremely important that I have all forms and money no later than April 5, 2012. 

Don’t forget to send a sack lunch to school with your student on April 12^th.  We will eat in the classroom prior to leaving for the field trip.  There will not be a HOT lunch served to the second graders that day, so please plan accordingly.

Thank you to the parents who signed up to go on the field trip with us.  It is going to be a wonderful show.

Coming up this week:

Reading:  We are starting our literature book Charlotte’s Web on Monday.  Please make sure your student has his or her book at school.  If you have not gotten your book yet, please do so immediately.  I am always looking for parent volunteers for our reading groups, now meeting on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:10 – 8:40.  If you are able to volunteer, please make sure you sign up at Sign-up Genius for your time slot.  I always check the list to group the students. If I know you are coming in, I will put your child in your group.

Science:  We continue to learn about simple machines and all of their uses.  I hope that everyone is having a great experience building their invention.  Don’t forget that those are due April 18^th.  If you have any questions about the project, please e-mail me.

History:  We will wrap up our unit on the Civil War next Monday (April 9^th) and will have a short quiz covering the material we’ve learned.  I will be sending home the study guide in the next day or two.  Our next unit will be Immigration and Citizenship. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me.  I check my email several times daily.

Warm regards,

Mrs. Winkler

March 26, 2012

Save the Date!!! Field Trip!!!

The second grade is going on another field trip.  We will be going to Celebrity Theater on April 12, 2012, leaving school at approximately 11:00.  We will be seeing a production of Ellis Island, which will coincide with the beginning of our Immigration Unit.  I am very excited to have the opportunity to see this performance as we learn about immigration and citizenship.  More information will be sent home this week.

Important Dates to Remember

3/29/12       Family Dinner (California Pizza Kitchen)

4/6/12          No School

4/16/12 –   

4/20/12       AIMS/Stanford-10 Testing

Welcome Back for 4^th Quarter!

Can you believe that we are already in the 4^th quarter?  It has gone by so quickly.  As I have said so many times, I am honored to be working with your child.  I have seen a great deal of growth (academically, physically and emotionally) since I came into our wonderful second grade classroom.  With that said, we have a busy quarter ahead of us.  The students are working very hard, and it shows. 

 Language Arts:  

Reading - We have been learning all about Tall Tales and have read Paul Bunyan, John Henry, and Johnny Appleseed.  We will be ready Casey Jones this week.  Now that the students understand what a tall tale is, they get to write one of their own.  They will be developing a character, a problem, and a solution.  It should be an exaggeration and have funny situations that couldn’t possibly happen.  I look forward to reading these stories.  Penmanship and spelling will be part of their grade, so encourage them to do their very best and not rush through their work.

**There are many spots available for Reading Groups.  If you would like to listen to the students read, please reserve your spot today.  Here is the link:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F45ADAB283-reading1

Riggs – Continue working with your child and making sure that he or she is practicing their words correctly, including the markings and syllabication.

Science:

 In science, we began the quarter with simple machines.  By now, I’m sure you are all deep into the science project that has been assigned for this quarter.  If you have any questions, please contact me and I will try to find out the information for you.  The students are having fun learning all about inclined planes and wedges.  We will be learning about screws (an inclined plane wrapped around a pole) this week.

History:

In History this quarter, we will be studying about the issues leading up to the Civil War, Immigration and Citizenship and Civil Rights.  We are already almost half way through our Civil War unit.  The students are writing their own newspapers to chronicle some of the topics we are studying.  Be sure to ask them about slavery, the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman.  We will be learning about the North and the South, Grant and Lee Florence Nightingale (the Lady with the lamp) this week.

If your student would like to research any of the topics we are covering, I am all for it.  I would love to hear what they learn.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. 

 Mrs. Winkler

Week of February 27, 2012

Parents,

We are starting to wind down all of our 3^rd quarter units as we get ready for a much anticipated Spring Break.  Please take note of important announcements and dates.

Language Arts:

Reading:  We will finish Chapter 10 and 11 this week in our Little House books.  The students are building their pieces for their lap books and we will be working on putting the finishing touches on them during the next two weeks.  I am excited to see the finished product.

Grammar:  We have been focusing on verbs, nouns, and adjectives the past few weeks.  The kids are doing a nice job diagramming sentences with these parts of speech.  It will help them in the writing process if they are comfortable with the idea that every sentence must have a noun and a verb. 

Riggs:  We continue to have daily Riggs tests and new words 4 days a week.  Please make sure your student is completing their Riggs homework each and every night.  Remind them to say the word, break it down, say the phonograms, and syllabicate as they write.  The markings are already on their homework sheets, so there should be no reason for missing a word.

Science:

We have covered so much in this quarter.  I can hardly keep everything straight myself.  We are finishing up complete and incomplete metamorphosis and studying our mealworms this week.  We will also be learning about fossilized insects.  **PLEASE- send in an insect (preferably one that has already died) in a plastic bag with your child’s name on it.  We will be making insect fossils on Friday.  Next week, we will be learning about camouflage and the benefits of specific insects, such as the silkworm and the honeybee.  We will be reviewing on Thursday, March 8^th for our test on Friday, March 9^th.  I plan on sending home a study guide late this week for your child to study for his/her test.  Please help them to study for this test.  I will send the information to you, by email, as well.

History:

The students will learn about legends of the Cherokee this week – they did not have a written language and everything was handed down in a story.  They eventually did obtain a written language, thanks to a man named Sequoyah.  The students will also be learning about the Trail of Tears and the circumstances surrounding that event.  On Friday, March 2^nd, they will be taking their test over this unit.  Study guides went home with the students on Friday, and they were emailed home to parents with the answer key.

TAKE NOTE:

·         Don’t forget our field trip on Thursday, March 1^st.  We will be leaving the school around 8:30 a.m. and leaving the museum around 2:00 p.m.  PLEASE make sure your student has a sack lunch and water (a healthy snack can also be included).  I have had a request for carpooling.  If you are a chaperone and are interested in carpooling, please email me ASAP and I will get information out to everyone.  I currently have 10 parents signed up to help chaperone the students.  Therefore, our groups will be small and very manageable.

·         March 8^th – 2^nd annual Archway Olympics.  Please check the Archway newsletter for more details on time.  Mrs. Knight is still looking for a few more volunteers to help out.  If you are able to volunteer, please go to the link and sign up.  Thank you to Mrs. Brown for volunteering to be our Water Mom for the event.  Thank you to everyone for your help and assistance to make this event a wonderful success.  I will continue to post details as I get them.

·         The Medieval Faire was a huge success.  Thank you to everyone for your participation and hours.  We came in 4^th place in the number of volunteers.  We couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you.  Thank you again.  I have the best parents and I truly appreciate all of you.

·         Reading Groups will move to Wednesdays and Fridays for Fourth Quarter.  We will continue to meet from approximately 8:15 to 8:45 on those days.

Have a great week everyone!

Mrs. Winkler

Week of February 20, 2012

Hello everyone!

I hope this finds everyone getting some much needed rest over the long weekend.  We had a great time on Saturday at the Faire.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for a very successful event.  I was amazed at the number of people that I saw.  Thank you to those who were able to attend with your child.  It was so much fun to see the children outside of the classroom.  Thank you to those of you who were able to volunteer at the event.  I truly appreciate the time you gave. 

The end of the quarter is quickly approaching.  We have covered so much and still have much to learn before we take on the challenges of the 4^th quarter. 

Check out what we will be covering this week:
 
Reading:
We will continue to read our Little House in the Big Woods book.  The children have shown wonderful interest in this book.  I’m so proud of each of them for their efforts with the book.  It is sometimes difficult to read something that is based in a time so long ago.  However, I hope that the students have a new appreciation for all of the conveniences we have in our lives.

Science:

We have been learning so much about insects.  We will be studying about social and solitary insects this week, along with complete and incomplete metamorphosis.  Next week, we hope to study more about life cycles when we observe our mealworms and learn more about them.  We will also be studying about fossils.
**PLEASE SEND A SMALL DEAD INSECT WITH YOUR CHILD EARLY NEXT WEEK.  PLACE IT INSIDE A ZIPLOCKED BAG WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME ON IT.

History:

We are nearing Oregon via the Oregon Trail.  This week, we will be panning for gold and learning to square dance. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Please make sure you sign and return the field trip permission slip as quickly as possible. The field trip is Thursday, March 1^st.  If you are planning on going along on the trip, please make sure I know.  Some of you have mentioned an interest, but please confirm that you are going so that I can make appropriate plans.  Please find a link to SignUp Genius for snacks for the bus and for coolers. 

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0949AFA82DAB9-class

The 2^nd Annual Archway Olympics is scheduled for March 8^th.  Mrs. Knight would appreciate any help you can provide to make this a successful event for the kids.  She needs parents at every station.  Please refer to the Sign-up Genius link previously provided.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you everyone.  Have a great week.

Mrs. Winkler