Money!!

How many ways can you create a value using different combinations of coins? Students explored combinations of money by using various coin values to create the same value. Try this activity at home!

Congratulations to Eugenio Guajardo and Jacey Chumley for winning our classroom spelling bee!!!

The schoolwide spelling bee will take place on Tuesday, November 23rd at 12:00. GOOD LUCK!!

PICTURE DAY!!!

NOVEMBER 17TH: Please send in all order forms to school by Wednesday.

Oil Spill Experiment

Students explored the effects of oil spills on birds using vegetable oil, black food coloring and water. First, by mixing water and black oil together students observed how oil rises to the top of water because it is lighter than water. The oil mixed with water also caused clumps a

nd globs toform making a realistic oil spill difficult to clean. Students dipped clean bird feathers into the oil simulationto observe what happens to real bird feathers in an oil spill.

Gardening!

Ali's Owls did an AMAZING job planting spinach, lettuce and bell peppers on Thursday. Students pulled out weeds, made rows for seeds, planted, and watered the garden beds. Look how hard they worked!

Renzulli Learning Lab

Students worked on their Wild Weather Research in the Renzulli Learning Lab today. Parents can access Renzulli at home by going to http://www.renzullilearning.com/default.aspx.

There are links to weather articles and research reports for students to complete. Students can type their research directly on the Renzulli site.

Interactive Learning!

EXCITING NEWS!!

Access Reading Street (https://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com/snpapp/login/login.jsp) at home using the login that was provided on Monday. Students can read our story of the week, high frequency words, vocabulary words, song of the week, and various language arts activities.

Students can also access Renzulli Learning (http://www.renzullilearning.com/default.aspx) and can work on their wild weather research guide.

Please email me if you have any questions (kali@houstonisd.org)

OIL SPILLS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

This week we are focusing on CAUSE and EFFECT. 2nd grade students did such a wonderful job applying what they learned about CAUSE and EFFECT to what they know about oil spills. CAUSE and EFFECT is a difficult topic and requires A LOT of practice. Yay for the amazing work our students did on this assignment!!!

Which Witch is Which?

Please remember to send in your student's decorated witch project by Monday, October 4th so they can start working on their descriptive narratives. I can't wait to see all the wonderful projects!!! :)

Place Value

This week in math we are reviewing place value with tens and ones. Students wrote the numbers in expanded notation, praticed writing the numbers in words, and drew a tens/ones representation. Place Value Test on Friday!!!

It started with just a line.....

Students discovered their schema last week! Our class learned that schema is your knowledge and what you already know about a topic. When you read and learn more about a topic, you think about what you already know and then connect the new information to your schema. Schema is the thoughts in your head. Our class discussed how each one of us has different schema and make different connections to things we learn about, read, or see.

To practice what different schema looks like, each student was given a piece of paper with just one line on it. They elaborated on the line and drew a picture using their schema. Look at the wonderful creativity in our classroom!!!

Parents-

Please click on the links on the left for updates on spelling, homework and other important news. The link, "Science with Mr. Cairey," will keep you posted on what's going on in science as well as upcoming science assignments and tests.

Our Buddy Reading Center is Open!

Star of the Week

Congratulations to Denise Fonseca for being our Star of the Week!! Denise read her favorite book with the class, The Music Teacher from the Black Lagoon. On Friday she will bring some items for show and tell.

OPEN HOUSE INFORMATION!!

Parents:

Please note that Open House will take place for our classroom ONLY at 5:00-5:30pm. I need to leave promptly by 5:45 so I will only be holding this one session. We will discuss important class news, curriculum changes, and student expectations. This will also be an opportunity for you to ask general questions about 2nd grade. I hope you can attend and look forward to seeing you there!

As always, if you would like to schedule a parent conference to discuss your child's personal needs, I am more than happy to meet during my planning hours from 2:05-2:45.

Revisions to Homework

Beginning the week of September 7th, students will continue to do Spelling HW in their HW journals, but will get to choose various options from their Spelling Choice Boards. Students will complete one activity each night in their journals. The Spelling Choice Board will be glued into their journals, but I am also attaching a version of the document here.

Students are also responsible for responding to the stories they read each night. Using their Reading Response Journal Questions as a guide, students can pick one question each night to answer in their HW journals. Please remember to put the date, title, and author of the book you are reading at the top of the page. Write the question you are going to answer underneath it.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

I love getting to know each one of our unique and bright students through their writing. Second Grade Magnet students wrote "All About Me" stories and painted their self portraits.

Math Number Lines

We used number lines today to help us solve addition problems.....

Our class is off to a great start and we have such an exciting year ahead!!!

The first day back to school was so exciting for 2nd grade!! The teachers and students had a wonderful time getting to know each other! Please be sure to look through the planner and sign each night.

Thank you for all your cooperation with drop off and dismissal procedures. As a reminder our class dismisses on Dallas St.

Beginning August 30th, we begin breakfast in the classroom. Students should arrive to school no later than 7:50am. We want to finish breakfast by 8:15am so that we can immediately begin instruction.