Bolek's Bulletin

January News

          
 I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break!  Our winter party in December was a huge success.  Thank you for sending in items for the candy houses.  I also appreciate the help at the party and am glad many of you could attend.  Thank you also for the gifts and cards!  I appreciate your thoughtfulness.  We are now ready to start the third nine weeks of school.  Here's what we will be studying:

Language Arts:  Students will focus on non-fiction text in reading.  We will be working on identifying features of non-fiction text such as graphs, diagrams, illustrations, headings, glossaries, tables of contents, and indexes and using these features to gain information about what we are reading.  In writing students will focus on informational writing.  We will also work on using a dictionary and a thesaurus. Phonics lessons will include more work with r-controlled vowels, suffixes, prefixes, and vowel pairs. 

Math:  Concepts covered will include counting money and making change;describing and classifying solid figures by edges, vertices, angles, and faces; measurement of length (inches, feet, yards, centimeters, meters); representing and comparing four digit numbers; adding and subtracting three digit numbers with and without regrouping; fractions (thirds, sixths, eights, tenths) and more work with pictographs, tables, charts, bar graphs, and venn diagrams.  

Social Studies: We will be learning about civil rights and studying the lives of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jackie Robinson.

Science: Our focus will be on celestial bodies as students study about the moon, the sun, stars, shadows, and what makes night and day.

January Book Report

The January book report is "Reader's Choice".  Students will read a book on their level and then choose from one of the following as a way to present their book:

• Write an advertisement
• Create a diarama
• Make puppets and act out a story scene
• Write a letter to the author

Book reports are due on Tuesday, January 31st.

Download January book report

Field Trip

Second grade students will be going on a field trip to the Cobb County Fire Safety Village on Wednesday, January 11th.  (Permission slips were collected before winter break.) Girls should wear pants (no dresses) in order to practice stop, drop, and role procedures.  We are not able to bring parents with us on this trip.

Performing Arts

Our Performing Arts field trip that was scheduled for January 13th has been CANCELLED.  We will now be going to see a performance of "Snow White" at the Cobb Energy Center on February 16th.  Most of you turned in permission slips for Performing Arts at the beginning of the year.  If I do not have one for your child another one will be sent home before the trip.

Morning News

Students in our class will have the opportunity to be on the morning news the week of January 23 - 27.  We will briefly discuss the character trait words Creativity and Flexibility. This is a voluntary activity, and any student who wishes to participate will have the chance to do so.

IXL

Keep practicing on both IXL and My Skills Tutor!!!!  Our class is striving to stay in the lead with the most problems practiced each week!

www.ixl.com

www.myskilltutor.com

Homework

I have made a slight change in the weekly homework.  STUDENTS NOW HAVE UNTIL MONDAY TO TURN IN HOMEWORK.  Students may turn completed homework folders in  early on Friday if they have completed five activities, but the due date will now be Mondays (or Tuesday if we do not have school on a Monday.)  I hope this change will help students and busy families! 

Download January Homework

 

Report Cards

Report cards for the second nine weeks of school will be sent home on Friday, January 13th.

Help Needed/ Junior Achievement

I am in need of a volunteer for our Junior Achievement Program.  Responsibilities would include teaching five lessons (one per week) between now and May. I have a kit available with the lesson plans and teaching guides.  Lessons are 30-45 minutes each and can be scheduled any day except Wednesdays. Second grade J.A. lessons focus on  communities and economics (members of a community,goods and services, needs and wants, production of goods, how money is exchanged in a community.)  You would also be able to share your own business experiences.  Please send me a note or email if you are interested in volunteering.

Dates to Remember

Jan. 9th----Teacher work day

Jan. 10th----Students return to school

Jan. 11th--Field Trip to CobbFire Safety Village

Jan. 13th---Report cards go home

Jan. 16th---Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

Jan. 23rd-27th---Students on morning news

Jan. 31st---January book report due

 

December Updates

Book Swap

PTA will be hosting a book swap on Friday, December 16th.  Students may bring in 2 books that are on their grade level.  Participating students will receive a ticket to be used on Monday, December 19th to select one book to keep.  Extra books will be donated to Must Ministries for their summer programs.  What a wonderful way to get a new book and give books at the same time!Please contact Denise O'Conner with any questions (oconner.blackadar@gmail.com). 

Parking

Please do not park in the bus lanes or at the Community Center next door at any time.  Tickets will be given out for cars parked in these areas. 

 

December News

December is going to be a busy month! 

Homework and IXL

Students are doing a wonderful job with reading logs and their weekly homework assignments.  We have been using the web sites for IXL and My Skills Tutor in class and for homework.  Many students have been practicing at home in addition to their homework assignments.  Our class has been in the lead with IXL (number of problems completed) for the last two weeks!!!  We have completed over 5000 math problems!!!  We are trying to keep our lead in second grade, so encourage your child to practice, practice, practice!

Download December Homework

 

Curriculum

Language Arts:  We will continue to work on responding to literature by writing summaries with connections and recommendations.  In reading we are working on using inferencing skills and increasing our independent reading levels.  Students will also work on dictionary skills, contractions, plurals, r-controlled vowels, quotation marks, pronouns, possessives.  We will review homophones, homographs, synonyms, antonyms, and compound words.

Math: We are still counting money and are now making change from $20.00.  Students are working on two step money problems (adding purchases for a total amount, then making change). We are reviewing time to five minute increments and are still practicing addition and subtraction with regrouping.  Students are also using addition to check subtraction.  We are beginning a unit on plane shapes which will include learning about angles and vertices.

Social Studies:  Students are learning about goods and services and how they are allocated.

Science: We are studying about three types of energy (Light, Heat, and Motion). 

Assessments

Please note that the end of the second nine weeks of school is approaching.  Students will be taking a variety of assessments this month. 

Family Traditions Report

In place of a December book report students have been assigned a Family Traditions report. This is a required assignment.  Download Family Traditions Report

Fire Safety

Students will have a visit from a fire fighter on December 15th as part of the second grade program for Fire Safety.  On January 11th we will be taking a field trip to the Cobb County Fire Safety Village as part of this program.  Permission slips will be going home in early December.  There are no funds required for this trip.  We are also not able to take parent chaperones. 

Performing Arts Field Trip

On January 15th students will be going to the Cobb Energy Center to see a performance of Alice in Wonderland.  Permission slips and donations were obtained at the beginning of the year.  If I do not have one for your child another one will be sent before the winter break.

Winter Party 

Our second grade winter party will be on Wednesday, December 21st from 1:00 pm-2:00 pm.  Students will be making candy houses during the party.  Our room mom, Mrs. LePage,  is helping to organize the party.  Please contact her if you are interested in helping in any way. Also, all parents are welcome to attend!

Dates to Remember:

Dec. 8th-----Writing Assessment

Dec. 15th---Visit from Cobb Fire Fighter

Dec. 19th--Math Checkpooint Assessment

Dec. 20th----Family Traditions Reports due

Dec. 21st---Second grade winter party at 1:00pm

Dec. 22th----School wide Sing-a-Long in cafeteria in the morning

Dec. 22nd---End of second nine weeks of school

Dec. 23rd- Jan. 9th---Winter Break (Students return on Jan. 10th)

Jan. 9th--Teacher Work Day

Jan. 13th--Field trip to Cobb Safety Village

Jan. 15th--Performing Arts Field Trip: Alice in Wonderland

Have a great winter holiday! 

November News

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for meeting with me during conference week.  It was nice to have the chance to discuss your child's progress with you. 

Homework

Students are doing a wonderful job with the online homework and their reading logs!  We have two new web sites that we will be using for homework assignments and for class activities.  These sites are also great for extra practice at home!

Download November Homework

 

www.ixl.com

www.myskillstutor.com

Curriculum

Language Arts:  Students will learn various ways to respond to books they have read.  They will be writing letters to authors, summaries, and journal responses.  Their responses will include feelings about a book, questions, and connections (text-to-text, text-to-self, text-to-world). They will also be working on how to retell a story.

Grammar:  Homophones (homonyms), homographs, contractions, plurals, suffixes

Math: Two digit subtraction with and without regrouping, telling time to five minute intervals, counting coins and bills and making change (from $1:00, $5.00, $10.00, and $20.00), more with graphs and tables

Social Studies:  Historic Georgia figures: James Oglethorpe, Mary Musgrove, and Tomochichi; Goods and Services

Science:  Energy, Pushes and Pulls

Book Report:  Students did a great job on their October book reports!  The story maps were creative, and students chose many interesting books.  The November book report will be a "Book Talk".  No writing required!!!  Students may use notecards if they wish.  

Download November Book Report 

Dates to Remember:

Nov. 1-4-----Halloween Candy Collection

Nov. 8-----No School, Student Holiday

Nov. 9, 10, 11-----Thanksgiving lunches.  Second grade is on the 10th.  Our class will eat at our regular time, 12:21 pm- 12:51 pm.  We will be eating in the classroom on the 9th and the 11th.

Nov. 17th---November Book Reports are due.

Nov. 21-25----Thanksgiving Holidays

 

 

IXL and My Skills Tutor

Here are two terrific new sites that we will be using beginning with our November homework.  Students may also use these sites for extra practice at home.  Your child will need a login and password for each site.  These will be coming home with the November homework sheet.  You can preview the sites now. 

IXL---  http://www.IXL.com/signin/mountainview

My Skills Tutor---  www.myskillstutor.com

 

October News

THANK YOU!

Thanks to everyone for helping out with our edible Georgia maps project.  I appreciate all the materials that were sent in and the help from those of you who volunteered in the classroom.  The students really enjoyed the project.

Curriculum

Language Arts:  In reading we will be focusing on making predictions, being active readers by asking questions as we read, using strategies to figure out unfamiliar words, summarizing and retelling.  In writing we will continue to work on personal narratives, and we will begin writing responses to stories read.

Math:  Addition of two digit numbers with and without regrouping, problem solving, counting bills and coins to $5.00, review of place value, graphs and charts

Science: States of matter (solids, liquids, and gases) and how matter can change

Social Studies: Historic Georgia Figures (Tomochichi, Mary Musgrove, and Olgelthorpe) and their roles in Georgia's history

Homework

Please see the link below for the October Homework Assignment Sheet.

Download October Homework

  

Book Reports

Students did an incredible job on the September book reports!  The character puppets were fantastic, and I could tell students put a lot of work into them.  I was also impressed with the quality of the presentations!

The October book report will be a story map using a a fiction book.  Students will receive an instruction sheet and a graphic organizer for this project. The October book  reports are due on October 25th. Below are links to both the Book Report Direction Sheet and the graphic organizer needed to complete this book report.

Download October Book Report 2011

Download Story Map Graphic Organizer

 

Field Trip

Our first field trip will be to the Stand Theater on Tuesday, October 11th.  We will be viewing a performance of "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" performed by Theater in the Square. 

Testing

Testing will be taking place in the building from October 5th-17th.  (Second grade will not be taking standarized tests during this time.)

Conference Week

Conference week is October 24th-28th.  You will receive information about your scheduled time.  Dismissal during conference week will be at 12:25 pm. Report cards for the first nine weeks of school will be given out during conferences.

Red Ribbon Week 

Red Ribbon Week is also October 24th-28th.  Watch for information to come home about special activites taking place during this week.

Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair will take place during conference week, October 24th-28th.  We will visit the Book Fair as a class during which time students may purchase books.  Students will also be able to go to the book fair before school and during the day. 

Dates to Remember

Oct. 3rd-- Reflections contest entries due

 Oct 4th----Walk to School Day

Oct. 9th--End of the first nine weeks of school

Oct. 11th---Field Trip 

Oct. 14th---End of first nine weeks of school

Oct. 19th and Oct. 21----Let's Move (Second grade will walk in the morning.)

Oct. 20th---Picture Retakes (Original packages must be returned for retakes.)

Oct. 24th-28th-----Conference Week, Red Ribbon Week, and Scholastic Book Fair

Oct. 25th---Story Map Book Reports due

September News

Students have gotten off to a great start in second grade.  They are learning new routines, making new friends, and discovering new ideas in each subject area.  Here a some highlights of what we will be learning this month:

Language Arts: Strategies to become a great reader, writing personal narratives, using descriptive writing

Math:  Place value to 100; different ways to represent numbers; using graphs, charts, and tables to interpret data; time (relationship of seconds, minutes, hours); counting collections of money

Social Studies:  Rivers and Regions in Georgia

For more indepth information about curriculum visit Picasso on the Cobb County or Mountain View web sites.

Book Reports: 

Students have been assigned their first book report due on September 27th.  Please see the link below for specific directions.

Download September Book Report 2nd version

Homework

Thanks for your patience as we begin on-line homework.  To review the homework page see the link under "Homework" in the previous blog.  Each Friday students should return the hard copy of the homework page with completed activities initialed by a parent.  They should also return any assignments that were written or where there was a printed sheet.  Students should also be reading 20 minutes a night and recording this on their reading logs.  Reading logs will be checked every Friday. 

Room Mom

Our room mom this year is Mrs. LePage.  She is compiling a class directory.  If you have not completed a directory information sheet, please send me your email so that you can be included in emails sent out to the entire class.

Tee Shirts

There has been a little confusion with class tee shirts.  Students have the opportunity to purchase Mountain View Spirit Wear through the PTA.  In addition, second grade is ordering class tee shirts to wear on field trips and on field day. (I don't know what color my class will have yet!)  These will be purchased through the Foundation and a different order form is needed.  Order forms for each have been sent home.  Let me know if you need another copy of either.

Let's Move!

Last year's "Let's Move in School" week was so successful that we are walking again this year and more often!  Students in all grade levels will have the opportunity to walk on the track from 7:20 am- 7:45 am during certain weeks.  In September second grade students will be walking on the mornings of Wednesday, September 21st, and Friday, September 23rd.  I'll keep you posted each month for the dates we will be walking.

Fall Festival!

PTA/Foundation are sponsoring a Fall Festival on Friday, September 23rd, from 6:00 pm- 9:00 pm.  Information and advance ticket forms have been sent home.  It's going to be lots of fun.  I hope to see you there!  Come out to support Mountain View!

Boosterthon Fundraiser

Boosterthon is back!  A kickoff pep rally will be on September 13th.  Boosterthon will culminate on September 23rd with a Fun Run. 

Fall Pictures

Individual student pictures will be taken on September 28th.  All students will have a photograph taken for the Mountain View yearbook, but packages must be purchased if you would like pictures.  (The class group picture is taken during the spring picture session.)

Dates to Remember:

Sept. 5th------Labor Day Holiday

Sept.10th---East Cobber Parade at 10:00am

Sept. 13th---Boosterthon Pep Rally (during school hours)

Sept. 23rd----Boosterthon Fun Run, Fall Festival

Sept. 27th--Book Reports due

Sept. 28th--Fall Pictures

 

 

 

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Homework

Online homework assignments will be given on a monthly basis. Students will receive a hard copy of the assignment sheet which will be kept in the back folder of the red Take Home Folder.  In addition, students will receive assignments from class (such as math practice sheets) that will be recorded in their agendas.  Students are also responsible for completing a monthly reading log that will be kept in the red Take Home Folder.  The reading log will be checked each week. Students will also receive directions each month for the monthly book report.  Please note that some of the on-line homework links will open behind the homework assignment page. 

Download September Homework

August News

 

 

 
   I hope everyone had a wonderful summer!  I enjoyed meeting all the families who were able to attend Sneak-a-Peek, and I hope to see everyone on Curriculum Night.   I love teaching second grade and am looking forward to being your child's teacher this year. 

Below is information you may find helpful as the year begins.

Curriculum Night isThursday, August 18th, from 6:00pm- 8:00pm.  There will be a general meeting for all grades in the cafeteria before teachers meet with families in their classrooms.  I will discuss the second grade curriculum, academic and behavioral expectations, homework, classroom management, our schedule, and volunteering.  I hope to see everyone there!

Specials  Second grade will be on a five day specials rotation.  However, my class has been squaded into two groups.  This means that your child will go to specials with another class all year long.  He/She will have a set schedule.  Your child's schedule will be on a label inside the front cover of his/her red folder.  Be sure to check this each night.

Snack and Water Bottles Students will have the opportunity to have a snack each morning.  Please send in only healthy snacks and keep in mind that students will eat while they are working so snacks should be easy to open and eat.  Water bottles are allowed but should be the pop top (sport) lids.  Please do not freeze water bottles.

Lunch Our lunch will be from 12:21pm until 12:51pm  each day unless there is a scheduled change.  You are welcome to join your child for lunch.  Just sign in at the front office and meet us in the cafeteria. 

Agendas and Take Home Folders  Each student will have an agenda and a red Take Home Folder.  Students will be responsible for taking these back and forth from school and home daily.  Homework assignments, reminders, announcements, and notes will be recorded in the students' agendas. The red Take Home Folders will be used to carry homework, checked papers, and other communications back and forth. Please put any notes to me, especially transportation changes,  in the red Take Home Folder. Students are responsible for checking their folders each morning at school.

Transportation  I will have a list of each child's regular mode of transportation.  Any changes must be sent to me in writing. Also, If your child is riding a different bus or riding his/her same bus but getting off at a different stop, a county bus form must be filled out in advance.  Access these forms on either the Cobb County Schools website or the Mountain View website

Communication  You may contact me by placing notes in your child's red Take Home Folder or by emailing me at Elaine.Bolek@cobbk12.org.  Please note that I check email daily, but on many busy days I may not be able to check email until after the school day is over.  Please contact the front office if a situation arises in which information needs to come to me before your child leaves for the day.

   I will inform you of what is happening at school through my monthly blog.  You will receive information on how to subscribe to my blog during Curriculum Night. 

   I am looking forward to a wonderful school year!

 

May News

Wow!  I can't believe we are down to the last month of school!  Here's what's happening this month...

Curriculum

Language Arts:  Students have been working on writing persuasive stories and reading books with persuasive themes.  We are also reviewing and writing summaries. Most students have completed their "Bare Books" and will be sharing them with each other in the classroom. 

Grammar:  We are working on new skills and reviewing skills including plurals with s, es, and ies; using commas in a series; adjectives; using the possessive s and making plural possessives;  r- influenced vowels; and reading words with vowel pairs.

Math:  Students are learning about division by using pictures and repeated subtraction as strategies to sort items into equal groups.  They are also reading thermometers with scales of one, two, and five degree increments. 

Science:  Our focus this month is life cycles.  Students have planted lima beans, marigolds, and peppers and are observing their growth.  We are raising Painted Lady butterflies too.  We have watched larvea become bigger and bigger caterpillars, and they are now in the chrysalis stage.  We are patiently waiting for our butterflies to emerge!

Health:  Summer safety procedures for sports and recreational activities

Field Day

Field Days wil be Wednesday, May 11th for K-2 and Friday, May 13th for 3-5.  Students will be outside for a large part of the day, so please have them dress appropriately for the weather.  Some stations involve water activities, so all students should bring a change of clothes.  Please have your child wear tennis shoes for field day activities. 

Accelerated Reading Program

The last day to take AR tests is Friday, May 13th.  The last AR party is Monday, May 16th.  Students who are on the AR wall may attend.  The parties will be held during regular lunch times.

End of the Year Party

Second grade will have their end of the year party on Monday, May 23rd, from about 12:45-2:00.  We will be starting right after lunches.  Our party will be held on the First/Second grade playground.  All parents are welcome to attend. 

Early Release

Please note that we will be on an Early Release schedule on May 24th and May 25th.  Students will be dismissed at 1:30 pm.

Special Thanks!

Thank you so much for all your support during the school year.  I appreciate all the help you have given me and your children.  You have been great helping your children keep up with homework, reading daily, book reports, and special projects.  I also appreciate the generosity you have shown by helping out in the classroom and by sending in items we have needed.  Mrs. Martz and Mr. Gibbs did an excellent job teaching Junior Achievement lessons, and Mrs. Wieskopf did an amazing job as our room mom this year.  I have enjoyed teaching your children and will miss them next year as they move on to third grade. Have a wonderful and safe summer!   

Dates to Remember:

May 11th-----K-2nd Field Day

May 13th----3rd-5th Field Day

May 13th----Last day for AR tests/All media center books are due.

May 16th----AR party during lunch time

May 23rd----Second grade end of the year party

May 24th and May 25th-----Early Release.  Students dismiss at 1:30 pm.

May 25th----Last day of school.  No bookbags need to be brought to school.