Better Together

This week has a been a time for forging friendships and laying the groundwork for the sort of productive collaboration that will be a big part of our year together. Writing Workshop partners have helped each other with the first two steps in the writing process: generating an idea and making a plan.  Reading partners have practiced different ways of reading books together and they have re-told stories to each other as a way to check comprehension. In math, partners and small groups have played games to make a ten. And then there was our team challenge. The boys and girls had 15 minutes to work together in teams of three to try to make the longest possible paper chain from a single sheet of paper. After the competition, we debriefed. We discussed how individual

approaches (each child making his or her own links) gave way to more efficient assembly-line approaches. Teams shared how they tested different ideas through trial and error, how they got back on track if an attempt failed, and how they pushed each other to work hard. In the end, we connected all the chains to make a giant one. We've hung it in our classroom to remind us that when we put our heads together we can achieve remarkable results.

The literature I'm sharing with the boys and girls reinforces the idea of teamwork. Leo Lionni is the subject of our first author study of the year. In "It's Mine," three quarrelsome frogs learn to put their selfish ways aside and share. In "Swimmy," a brave fish unites his companions to outsmart an enemy. And in Frederick, six mice bring their individual talents to bear to get through a long, hard winter. Lionni is a master of the fable and he's given us lots to discuss and relate to our classroom.

We continue to settle into routines and build stamina for second-grade work. The boys and girls are working independently for about 30 minutes a day on their writing  (with some wonderful stories to show for it) and they are reading for about 20 minutes a day. They are taking turns stepping up as math leaders who can not only solve equations, but explain their strategies.

Thank you for helping with this "settling in" process. I know that sometimes September can be rough on families. Students who do their very best all day at school can crumble once they get home, tired and overwhelmed by all the new demands. Things will get better.

Thank you, too, for attending Stormonth's Parent Night earlier this week. I may not have said enough about homework on Parent Night as I rushed through my presentation. Here are a few things to keep in mind:  Please do not let it become a struggle. If your child has trouble with the math sheets that are sent home Monday through Thursday, it is OK to do a little re-teaching. But if there's still confusion, just send the sheet back with a note. This helps me know what I need to address. I check to make sure that the math homework has been attempted, but I do not usually correct each item nor do I return the sheets since it's my expectation that you are checking this work at home.

Next week, your child will begin bringing home a book Monday through Friday. The goal is to read at home for about 20 minutes a day. Your child may do some at-home reading on his or her own, but I encourage you to read with your child, as well, and to have conversations about what's been read. A log inside the book bag at the back of your child's Super Sorter binder has a spot for you to initial to show that reading work is being done. If your child is reading a longer book, please send it back to school each day so that he or she can continue with it during our daily in-class reading time. We will start our spelling routines soon. Watch for a letter explaining these and how you can help your child practice spelling at home, too.

Mark Your Calendars:

Tues., Sept. 20 - Stormonth Lockdown and Reunification Drills

Wed., Sept. 21 - MAP Math Test, 1:30 PM

Mon., Sept. 26 - MAP Language Test, 10:00 AM; Digital citizenship lesson with district technology specialist Amanda Orth, 2:30 PM

Wed., Sept. 28 - Early release day for students

Fri., Sept. 30 - Thank a Police Officer assembly

Mon., Oct. 3 - No school

Wed, Oct. 5 - Early release day for students; Book Fair begins

Thurs., Oct 6 - Book Fair continues

Tues., Oct. 11 - Second-grade field trip to Bookworm Gardens, 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Wed., Oct. 12 - No school