Happy 2017!

In the new year, second graders will continue to work on becoming a better reader, improving math efficiency, and being a caring and capable person.  It's hard to believe we are approaching the 100th day of school and second trimester student led conferences.  Our annual music show is also around the corner.  K through grade 2 will present "The Lion King" in March.

Our schedule continues to be revised for best practices and optimal learning time.  Show & Tell will continue to be a part of our snack routine.  Please encourage your child to bring an item of interest or experience to share on their Show & Tell day.  This gives all students an opportunity to practice presentation and critical thinking skills.  Quiet time has been added to our daily schedule on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday aftertoons.  After lunch, we have ten quiet, continuous minutes of reading.  This time is well spent reading silently for enjoyment and becoming a better reader.

We continue to work on addition and subtraction fluency.  It is exciting to watch children use mental strategies to solve problems and share their thinking. Cuisenaire Rods, tens frames, Cluster Cards, dice, and Number Talks are all common tools and language for second graders.  I love watching children present their work and talk about how they know.  Students are learning how to give think time, be an active learner, show respect, and learn from mistakes.

Homework will continue to be an expectation in the new year.  I will continue to provide a homework schedule each week in the form of a BINGO card.  This design gives children an opportunity to choose their daily homework with flexibility during the week.  Reading, writing, and math will  be a priority.  With the reading log on the back of the card, I am encouraging children to read and record titles of books or names of chapters read.  Children will get a mark of "check plus" if one assignment is completed every day with a book(s) recorded each night, and a parent signature.  Thanks for your help and encouragement. 

As always, feel free to contact me with comments, concerns, and questions.  

Dates to remember:

February 10 - Valentine's Day Parties

February 17 - Jump Rope for Heart 

February 17 - Have a Heart Raffle

February 20-24 - Winter Vacation

Sincerely,

Kelly Wichland

kwichland@mrsd.org

242-7741