Didn't we learn this already?

This week was a lot of reviewing of skills from the previous four weeks.  We read a story called A Trip to the Fire Station.  This story is a Readers' Theater, which means each student had an assigned role in a script to practice reading using good fluency and expression.  We practiced Wednesday and Thursday and did our performances for the class on Friday.  With this story we reviewed making predictions and plot.  Our high-frequency words were also review for the week.  We had ten of them, which is more than a normal week, but since they were all review words, it wasn't too bad.  Our words were ago, caught, clear, enough, understand, lose, though, coming, idea, and learn.  Robust vocabulary words this week were new, but we really worked hard to use them throughout the week.  The words were hazard, efficient, instantly, and drench.  We reviewed nouns all week - what they are, as well as singular and plural, common and proper.  We began writing a new story about a snowman.  Ask your second grader to tell you about his/her story!

Next week our story will be Jamaica Louise James.  We will begin learning about author's purpose, which we will tie into our writing as well.  We will learn about three purposes of writing - to inform, to entertain, and to persuade.  High-frequency words will be draw, question, picture, minute, sure, worry, bought, and especially.  Robust vocabulary words will be renowned, kin, original, and adorn.  Ask your second grader to tell you about a renowned person that they like - why is that person renowned?  Discussing kin and ways you adorn your home for the holidays should be easy this time of year!  Point out original objects around your house or in stores as you shop for the holidays.  Our grammar skill for next week will be abbreviations.  Spelling words will have the sh, ch, tch, and th spelling patterns.  Words are:
lunch, shape, wish, chop, show, catch, then, each, bath, such, because, turn, here, why, shadow, bathtub, starfish, matchbox, sandwich

Our specials schedule for next week will be:
Monday - computer
Tuesday - art
Wednesday - music
Thursday - gym
Friday - library

Please note that reading logs for December will be due before the end of the month due to winter break.  For this reason, your child is only required to read 200 minutes for the month of December.  Reading logs are due on Tuesday, December 20th.  This allows for one late turn-in day.  I will not return reading logs until after break.  Absolutely NO December reading logs will be accepted after break.

On Monday our school will begin a food drive.  Canned goods and non-perishables will be accepted.  Our class gets one point for each item donated and FIVE points each for peanut butter, full-sized boxes of cereal, and full-sized tubes of toothpaste.  The winning class for each grade level wins a class party!

Our class will be visiting the LEO Santa Shop next Wednesday morning.  Please send any money for the Santa Shop in a baggie or envelope clearly marked with your child's name.  Gifts will be wrapped at the Santa Shop and will come home with your second grader that day.

We have about 75 cup holders for our December project.  We need about 45 more, so keep sending them in!  We will need them the last week before break.