2nd Grade News - Week 4

Classroom Dojo:  A couple weeks ago I sent home a sign up sheet for Class Dojo on-line, but I realized I really haven’t told you much about it or how it works in our room. Class Dojo is a computer-based program where students can earn points for positive classroom behaviors such as staying on task, being kind, being persistent, or being helpful.  At the end of the week students are rewarded for the number of points they receive.  They can earn lunch bunch, a trip to the prize box, or 10 minutes of free class time.  On an average day students should be earning between 3-6 dojo points.  If they earn more than this they had an exceptional day!  Although, this is a positive reinforcement program, point may also be taken away in extreme circumstances such as talking back, being unkind to classmates, or being reminded multiple times to follow a direction.  I will refrain from taking points away unless absolutely necessary.  The students are very excited about this program.  Get on line and check it out! (If you lost your sign up sheet let me know.  I’ll print you out a new one.)

Classroom Blog:  I have a classroom blog where I post newsletters, important information, and photos.  If you would like to follow my blog you can find it at ahawksford.blogspot.com.  Once you are on my blog simply click the blue follow icon on the right hand side of the page.  If you do not want your child’s photograph posted on my blog please let me know.

I also wanted to give a big shout out to Lucy’s mom, Sue, for volunteering to help keep our room healthy and for stuffing our weekly homework folders!  She will be using Clorox wipes on Thursdays to wipe away a weeks worth of germs.  Let me know if you’d like to help her out or sign up for another day!

Academic Areas of Focus for Next Week:

Literacy:        Lucy Calkin’s Reader’s Workshop

                                    -Keeping tabs on comprehension

                                    -Working hard to solve tricky words

                                    -Using multiple reading strategies to read

                                    -Recognizing prefixes and suffixes in a snap

                        Lucy Calkin’s Writer’s Workshop

                                    -Crafting powerful beginnings and endings

                                    -Making sure writing makes sense and sounds right

                                    -Setting goals and making plans for writing time

                                    -Making sure our writing makes sense and sounds right

Mathematics:  Counting by 5’s, 2’s and 1’s to 100

                          Recognizing coins and their worth

                          Mental arithmetic – adding and comparing quantities to 25

                          Reading a clock face

                          Making, describing, and extending growing patterns

Upcoming Events: 

            *Picture Day – Wednesday, September 25^th

            *August/September birthday celebration – Friday, Sept. 27^th (more info to come…)

            *Grout t-shirt day – Friday, Sept. 27^th 

            *Hoyt Arboretum Field Trip – Wednesday, Oct. 2^nd 

            *Bike and Walk to School Day – Wednesday, Oct. 2^nd

            *No School – Teacher Inservice – Friday, Oct. 11^th

            *Dine Out at Hopworks – Monday, Oct. 21^st

            *October Birthday Celebration/T-Shirt Day – Friday, Oct. 25^th

            *Fall Festival – Friday, Oct. 25^th

            *Halloween Parade – Thursday, Oct. 31^st

Have a Great Weekend!

Mrs. Hawksford (ahawksford@pps.net)