Ms. Grogan, Mr. McCalla, and Ms. Brunello

With the completion of our desert unit, our class will soon begin our study of volcanoes/ earthquakes.  Students will enjoy several interesting projects, experiments, and the building of model volcanoes.  Our topics will include Pangaea, plate tectonics, interior of the earth, faults, epicenters, and types of volcanoes.  We are going to have a blast with our new unit!

As part of our language arts lessons, students have been split into various spelling and grammar groups as well as literature study groups.  One reading group is continuing to read Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Our second group is reading My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Garnett. The third group is reading Chocolate Fever by Robert Smith.  Our last reading group has completed several short stories and folktales including Lon Po Po by Ed Young, The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell, and Miss Nelson is Missing by James Marshall.

In addition, the students have been reviewing parts of speech through sentences, grammar games and charades.  They are also learning important dictionary skills (guide words and definitions), editing (capitalization/punctuation skills), and various spelling rules (long vowels, consonant blends, diagraphs, and words with suffixes).

In terms of writing, the students have completed several interesting writing pieces based on various themes (Halloween/mysteries, desert animal research reports, landforms…).  As students work in small groups, they are able to receive personal attention as they follow the five step writing process (brainstorming, drafting, editing, final copy, author’s circle/sharing).  We are looking forward to holiday/seasonal writing and poetry, letter writing and other creative pieces.

As part of our morning math work, all children will continue to work on challenging two and three part word problems based on calendar, time, money, fractions…  Then students are spit into math groups where they complete various problems in small groups based on their individual levels.

Second graders are memorizing their addition and subtractions facts, working on money, time, patterns and one step word problems.  Please continue to practice addition and flashcards/facts at home!

Third graders are memorizing their multiplication facts, multi/division fact families, as well as multiplication with two and three digit numbers.  Soon we will learn long division, challenging word/logic problems, and begin our mini geometry unit (building 3-D shapes, area, volume and angles).

Other Reminders and News:

*November 1st & 2^nd-Conferences

*November 21^st-23^rd-Thanksgiving holiday

*As the weather changes, please make sure to bring the appropriate outdoor clothing.

*Please make sure your child arrives at school on time (no later than 8:30), well rested and ready to learn!

Have a wonderful November!