A Few Volunteers Needed this 

Friday morning 11/2

We need a few volunteers on Friday morning to help out with an activity to finish up our study of owls. If you can spare an hour of your time, 9:30ish, you'll be able to watch the kids truly engaged in a science activity.  Your job is easy...you won't even get your hands dirty! :)

HALLOWEEN PARTY NOTES

As per Mrs. Thoroughman, Halloween costumes may be worn to school on October 31st, the day of the party, but there should be NO blood, guts or gore.  They also shouldn’t wear masks, make-up or bring any weapons of any kind or other hand held accessories to school.

Common Core Math 

Standard of the Week

Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories.  Solve simple put-together, take-apart, and compare problems using information presented in a bar graph.

 You will find this activity that your student completed to align with this common core standard in their Friday Folder. 

 Below are examples of a Bar Graph and a Pictograph.

November Calendar
Here is our November calendar.  You may use the tools below to download, view fullscreen or print.Nov Calendar

OWL ACTIVITY

OWL ACTIVITY

Parents,
We are beginning our study of owls this week and will continue through the following week.  We will be reading fictional stories and informational text about them. To wrap up our study, we will be dissecting owl pellets, possibly on Friday, Nov. 2nd, in the morning. It will take about an hour.  We will need some extra helping hands if you're available. It's a high interest, hands-on activity for the students and a great way to incorporate science into our day. Please let us know if you're available to help. Thanks!

SPELLING CITY UPDATE

To gain access to all of the activities available on Spelling City, be sure to use your student log-in, which includes your username and password.  Our class has the premium membership which opens up a wide range of activities other than spelling for your student!

Caughlin Fest

Thank you, thank you, thank you to our class volunteers who graciously donated their time to help out with our booth at the festival or volunteered in other ways.  The kids had a great time and it couldn't have been accomplished without your help! 

UPDATE: HALLOWEEN PARTY 

Lisa Bruce has generously volunteered to take the lead in helping to organize our classroom party.  She has called or emailed parents to help with party supplies and goodies.  If you haven't been contacted, and would like to help, you may email her at: lisaebruce@gmail.com or let us know and we will forward your information to her.

  We have 3 activities planned that are always a hit. If you'd like to join us on that day, you are more than welcome! It's always a fun afternoon! We look forward to seeing you!

Party date and time: Wednesday, October 31st @ 1:30.

The Week in Math

Subtraction Strategies

This week we have been focusing on different strategies to solve subtraction problems.  We analyzed the different models so they would have more than one way to solve a subtraction problem.  This is their partial list of strategies:

Draw a picture     Use a number grid

Use a number line to count back   

Write a number model

Use the Fact Family      

Use a number line to count forward (adding on) to get to the number we started with

Draw a picture and cross out the number you are subtracting

BUILDING A GRAPH

We are also building a Bar Graph about Our Favorite Halloween Candy.  They are getting so good at identifying the steps involved in constructing a graph. They identified the difference between how a Bar Graph shows information compared to a Pictograph.

 So today, we gathered info...or in math terms, "collected data."  They tallied their top 2 favorites. They came up with the totals.  Then they analyzed what the numbers represented. Tomorrow we will construct the graph! 

 Differentiated Spelling Lists 

Begin This Week

Please look at the top of your student's spelling list this week for their List Name: List A, List B, or List C. This differentiated list will be on Spelling City and they will be assessed on this list each Friday. The students will continue to be monitored weekly and adjustments will be made to the list when necessary.  Thank you! 


CAUGHLIN FEST VOLUNTEERS
On Back-to-School night 5 volunteers graciously signed up to work at our Caughlin Fest. If you didn't sign up but have decided you'd like to join in the fun, please let us know. There is always a need for a few extra hands. :) Our class game is The Ring Toss.  
The time slots are:
4:00 - 4:30
4:30 - 5:00
5:00 - 5:30
5:30 - 6:00

Hope to see you at the festival!  
Thanks again, in advance, for all you do!

October Calendar
Here is the October calendar for our class. You may view it fullscreen, download it or print it from the tools on the bottom.

October Calendar RT

Our Halloween Party

Our Halloween Party will be on Wednesday, October 31st.  That Wednesday is actually NOT an early release day.  The party will be from 1:30-3:00.  Please email us or send in a note, by next Wednesday, the 10th, if you're able to help at the party or send in a note if you'd like to donate something for the party. :) Party set-up will begin at 1:00 that afternoon.

IMPORTANT-NEW IXL SIGN-INS

The IXL usernames for our class have been changed in an effort to make things more simple.  All usernames are now the same as the AR usernames with the letters IXL added to the end.  The passwords are the same (which were already matching AR passwords).

For example, if your AR username was dthom, your IXL username is dthomixl.  All usernames are the first letter of the first name and the first 4 letters of the last name plus ixl.  If your child has a 1 at the end of their AR username they will still use it for IXL. (jripp1ixl)

Please let us know if you have any questions, or if IXL is not working for you at home and you'd like username and password verification :)

More IXL news

In 2nd grade it is very important that we focus on addition facts and subtraction facts with answers to 20.  It is the goal for the kids to master these facts and be able to immediately recall them.  Memorization is a great way to learn these; however, during the school day there is little time for that.  Below is a link to a website that has free flashcards you may print for practice at home. We highly recommend your student memorize their facts so that once they begin 3rd grade they will have the foundation they need!

Free Flashcards

Jog-a-thon Pics