Newsletter Week 4 9/3-9/7

This coming Friday, 9/7/2012 is our unit performance. It will be held right after school at 1:45 p.m. Children are to wear their uniforms. 

Math: In math we will continue doing place-value and number sense of 4 digit numbers. We will have a test Monday, 9/10/12.

Reading: On Tuesday, 9/4/12 we will have our multiple choice comprehensive test over "Summer of the Sea Serpent." 

Language Arts- We will keep learning about verbs, helping verbs and modal verbs since we did not get to study them as much as needed due to the storms.

Social Studies- We will study U.S. symbols and their meanings.

Spelling and Vocabulary:


Spelling words and sentences:

• things
• our
• just
• girl
• dirt
• shirt
• third
• thirst
• birth
• produce
• The girl got dirt on her shirt and had to change. 

• He has the strength to push the big car out of the way. 

Vocabulary Words and Definitions 

• appearance- the way something or someone looks
• attempt- to try to do something
• blame- to claim someone or something is responsible for it; it is someone/something's fault
• clever- smart; intelligent 
• consider- to think of someone or something else
• destroy- to ruin something completely, to make something worthless and broken 
• govern- to rule
• mount- to get on something
• pleasure- to be happy about something
• squirm- to wiggle or move around  

U.S. Symbols- In Class

Here are Links for U.S. Symbols to research

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/symbols/

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/

Weather Reports/Updates for Hurricane Isaac

Dear Parents,
    Kelly Oliver sent out an email regarding the weather situation. BDS is going to follow the Lamar County Plan of Action regarding the storm. If they [Lamar County School District] have early dismissal, late arrival or school closings, we will also do the same. The website to check is: http://www.lamar.k12.ms.us. It will say what is going on at the top of the page, directly beneath the website title. I hope this helps with any questions you may have and I hope we all stay safe.
-Mary Katherine


Weather Links:

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/atlantic-depression-storm-nine-20120817

http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/tracker/2012/isaac

Upcoming Conceptual Project

For our Unit Performance, we are doing a class project on ancient story telling.
Please send the following items by Wednesday of next week (8/29/12):

1. $5
2. Boys bring sponges (size, shape and style don't matter) 
3. Girls bring brown and/or black Tempera Paint

Lunch Form For September

Name:_______________BDS September Lunch Menu  #flu shot_______#flu mist_______

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
3 NO SCHOOL **Please check the days your child will be eating. Please indicate and pay for the number of grandparents eating.	4 Corner Market Cost: $3 Grilled Cheese Chicken Noodle Soup Choc. Chip Cookie _____	5 Movie Star Cost: $3 Fried Chicken leg, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, peach cobbler _____	6 Lenny’s Cost: $3.25 Circle: Ham     Turkey Chips, Choc. chip cookie _____	7 Grandparent’s Day catered by Fran Ginn: Fran’s “House Pasta,” salad, roll, caramel cake Cost: $7 per grandparent # of grandparents_______________ Child’s Option: Fran’s Mac and Cheese, apple slices, roll Cost: $5 __________
10 Baker’s Burgers: Cost: $3.50 Please Circle: Sliders   or Hot Dog On wheat, chips, mini-dessert _____	11PICTURE DAY Corner Market Cost: $3 Baked Potato Bar, Lima Beans _____	12 Topher’s: Cost: $3.25 Chicken Fingers Spicy Fries _______	13 Strick’s Cost: $3.50 Chicken and Dumplings and a vegetable _____	14 FIELD TRIP COST: $11 ($5 for seminar $6 for lunch) COMIC BOOK FIELD TRIP AND BIANCHI”S PIZZA $11 ________
17 Qdoba Cost: $4 Please Circle: Nachos    Tacos _____	18 Corner Market Cost: $3 Fried Chicken Sandwich, Chips, fruit cup _______	19 Movie Star Cost: $3 Red Beans and Rice with Sausage, French bread, blueberry crunch ________	20 Lenny’s Cost: $3.25 Circle: Ham    Turkey Chips, Choc. chip cookie _____	21Krystal’s Cost: $3 Circle: 2 Krystal Chiks or 2 Krystal Cheeseburgers, chips _____
24 Baker’s Burgers: Cost: $3.50 Please Circle: Sliders   or Hot Dog on wheat, chips, mini-dessert _______	25 Corner Market Cost: $3 Corn Dog Nuggets, Potato Logs, Apples ________	26 Corner Market: Cost: $3 Grilled Chicken tenders, rice and gravy, cookie ________	27 Strick’s Cost: $3.50 BBQ drummettes and baked beans _____	28 Domino’s Pizza Cost: $3 Please Circle: Cheese, Pepperoni, Sausage Corn _____

FORMS ARE DUE BACK BY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29^TH.  Keep a copy at home as well.  **********EXCLUDING GRANDPARENT’s DAY – the total is $65.75 per child.  This price does include the field trip.  

Week 3 Newsletter 8/27-8/31

Newsletter Week 3 8/27-8/31

Math: WIth the placement tests completed, we are going to start Unit 1 of the Grade 3 curriculum covering ordinal numbers, place value and operations of numbers with up to 6 digits. Once I have the tests assessed and analyzed, I will then alter the lessons to best meet the needs of our class. While challenging our students and pushing them to their full potential is a strong desire, I believe it is vital that the fundamental elements have been mastered in math education. If it appears that there are weaknesses and gaps, we will take time to review/learn the information from 2nd grade math while simultaneously pushing forward in stronger areas. I will send out an email letting you know how your child did on the placement test along with a few pieces of information that might benefit his or her needs. Afterwards, if you still have any questions, please feel free to set up a meeting. I would love to answer any questions that you may have. 

Reading: We will finish reading Summer of the Sea Serpent and take our chapter test over the book at the end of the week. 

Language Arts:  We will be discussing and exploring Verbs, Helping Verbs and Modal Verbs this week.  Our phonics emphasis for the week is on -aw-. 

Spelling words and sentences:

• live

• back
• give
• most
• saw
• law
• raw
• jar
• straw
• country
• Give me back the pencil, so I can draw the ocean.
• Most kids like to drink with a straw. 

Vocabulary:

 ▪ toppled- to fall over clumsily 

• ancient- very old, from a long time ago 
• terror- very scared, completely filled with fear
• forked- split in half, 1 thing that is split into 2 separate things 
• huddled- close together 
• stunned- shocked, completely surprised 
• arch- to bend 
• gleaming- shining/sparkling 
• uncoil- unwrap from a circular position 
• twilight- the beginning of morning when the sun is just beginning to shine 

Social Studies:

     We will be exploring and researching the different symbols which represent the U.S.A. and what these symbols stand for. 

Science: 

     We will finish up our lesson on extinct and endangered animals/species. 

Online Math Flashcards In Class and At Home

We all need to be working on perfecting our math facts. Please spend at least 5 minutes daily practicing your math facts. We will be working on these in class as well. It is crucial for these basic facts to be mastered in order to successfully move on to higher math skills.

Click on "Math Flashcards" below

Math Flashcards

Endangered Species In Class Activity

In Class Activity

1. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/articles/endangered_animals/endangeredanimals_101.htm

2. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/endangered_animals/whats_the_problem.htm

2. http://www.endangeredspecie.com/

3. http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/index.html

4. http://www.earthsendangered.com/

Newsletter Week 2 8/20-24

This Week:

     In Math, we are going to be finishing up our blitz review in math. The kids have worked really hard and I am very proud of them. On Thursday and Friday, they are going to be taking the 2nd grade placement test to see where they range. I'm trying to stay true to the BDS standard of teaching students so they are ahead, not behind. Hopefully after the tests I will do a month long review of 2nd grade math and then begin on the third grade curriculum. I have noticed a weakness in the students' basic math skills; simple addition and subtraction. Practicing flash cards will be a great way of improving these skills. 

    For Language Arts we will have a new set of Vocabulary and Spelling Words. Spelling pretests are given on Wednesday. Students who make a 100 hundred on their pretest will not have to take the spelling test on Friday. Sentence Dictation is where I read the sentence and students write the sentences. 

     Spelling words and sentences:

• little

• rain

• mail

• place

• years

• wait

• paint

• paid

• history

• services

• With a little work and a little paint, the place will look new.

• I had to wait in the rain, so the mail got wet. 

Vocabulary 

• bobbed- to go up and down 

•   anxiously- nervous, not patient, worried about something 

• periscope- a mirrored telescope that allows you to look above your head without having to stick your head up. 

• woven- a cloth formed by weaving; material that has been braided together in a fashion to create an object like a dress

• concerned- to worry about someone or something

• gales- very strong winds

• torpedo- an underwater rocket

• murky- cloudy, not clear 

• pulse- to thump in a rhythm 

• quivers- body shakes of fear  

Also, we are going to be learning about Nouns this week and continue learning about journaling, writing and penmanship. 

In reading we will continue reading Summer of the Sea Serpent and doing our Literature Circles. 

For Science we will be learning about endangered species and extinct species. We will be incorporating different activities which coincide with it. 

Place Value Additional Practice

http://www.toonuniversity.com/flash.asp?err=496&engine=9

http://mrnussbaum.com/placevaluepirates1/

http://www.ictgames.com/sharknumbers.html

Science- the body!

Newsletter Week 1 8/13-8/17

   It was very nice meeting all of you today. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I was so impressed with how prepared you all were. Thanks to your help, we are going to be well prepared for the following months.


Stuff to look for this week:

     This week we will be introducing the different resources and class procedures for 2nd grade. Also, we will begin reading our chapter book, Magic Tree House #31. The book can be iPad or a hard copy.
Each week we will have a list of 10 sight words and several spelling dictation sentences. This weeks words and sentences are:
1. over
2. sound
3. park
4. hard
5. barn
6. card
7. shark
8. family
9. new
10. only
1. Park the new car over
by the barn.
2. The family saw a shark
at the water park.

Students will be expected to write these words and sentences correctly by Friday, 8/17.

   This weeks vocabulary words and definitions are:


1. dappled- covered in
spots
2. doom- a terrible
ending, death or
destroyed
3. interpret- to give or
provide the meaning
of a word or an action.
4. cove- an area of land
that is connected to
water.
5. gnarl- a knot that is
on a tree; something
that is twisted into an
unusual form
6. interrupt- to break the
flow of something, to
stop someone from
talking with your own
words
7. snowcapped- the top
of something that is
covered in snow
8. cram- to be shoved
tightly into a small
space
9. chamber- a small
room, normally a
bedroom.
10. rugged- looking
broken, beat-up,
jagged surface. Not
smooth

In addition, in English we will be reviewing and working with Nouns. For Math we will be reviewing 2nd grade subject matters. On Friday of next week, (24th of August) we will have a test over all 2nd grade math skills. In addition, we will be working on IXL math program, so please donate if you can.
Thank you!
-Mary Katherine Wilson