Monthly Archives: January 2014

Parent News, January 27-31, 2014

*Ms. Seyan’s class birthday party will be on Friday, January 31st, at 2:00 p.m. at the blue lunch tables. (Ms. Won’s was last week! ;o)

 

 

*Students are now taking differentiated homework home. Let your teacher know if it is too easy or too hard, or if you would like more work!

 

*We are continuing with “Ant” by Rebecca Stefoff this week. Here are some further resources to help you learn more:

 

*Enchanted Learning page about ants
*An “Ant” story summary
*Fiction or Nonfiction? – practice

 

Language Arts:

Unit 4: Point of View

 

Questions: How do readers identify an author’s point of view? How does an author support his or her viewpoint? How do readers note different characters’ points of view?

 

 Standards: 

 

 2.RI.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to grade 2 topic or subject area.

 

 2.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

 

a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

 

b. Determine the meaning of a new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell)

 

c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word.

 

 

d. Use the knowledge of meanings of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly).

 

e. Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meanings of words and phrases.

 

 2.SL.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

 

 2.W.1 (opinion) Write opinion pieces in which they introduce a topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support that opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

 

 2.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they produce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

 

Vocabulary/Conventions Focus Areas for this unit:

 

 Prefixes, roots, and compound words; reflexive pronouns (myself, ourselves); producing and rearranging compound sentences; commas in greetings and closings in letters; use of glossaries and dictionaries.

 

 

 

Spelling Words

 

1. short 2. more 3. corn
4. born 5. before 6. store
7. order 8. forgot 9. lamp
10. drink 11. link 12. send
13. boring 14. friend 15. insect
Language Arts Academic Vocabulary:

 

 tunnel, antennae, colony, fungus, habitat, larvae.

 

 Language Arts Domain Specific Vocabulary:

 

 speech, text, voice, support, alliteration, rhyme, rhythm.

 

 Math:

 

 Unit 6: Solving Problems Involving Money

 

 Purpose/Focus:  Students solve word problems involving either dollars or cents. Example: What are some possible combinations of coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters) that equal 37 cents? Students should solve story problems connecting the different representations. These representations may include objects, pictures, charts, tables, words, and/or numbers. Students should communicate their mathematical thinking and justify their answers. .  ( SJUSD Division of Instruction, June 2013)

 

 2.MD.8 Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and the cents symbols appropriately.

 

 Standards for Mathematical Practice:

 

 MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Interpret and make meaning of the problem to find a starting point. Plan a solution pathway instead of jumping to a solution.

 

 MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Decontextualize (represent a situation symbolically and represent symbols) and contextualize (make meaning of the symbols in a problem) quantitative relationships.

 

 MP6: Attend to precision. Communicate precisely with others and try to use clear mathematical language when discussing their reasoning.

 

 MP7: Look for and make use of structure. See complicated things as single objects or as being composed of several objects.

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Parent News, January 21-24, 2014

*”>FAMILY NIGHT Star Gazing. Tuesday 1/21, 6:30-8:00 PM, on the Carson blacktop.

*January birthdays: Friday, January  31, 2:00 p.m.

*Ms. Seyan’s Scholastic orders are due on Friday, January 24th. Bring your order in, or order online, using our classroom code-you can find it on the letter attached to your order forms!

*Students are now taking differentiated homework home. Let your teacher know if it is too easy or too hard, or if you would like more work!

*We started a new story this week: “Ant” by Rebecca Stefoff. Here are some further resources to help you learn more:

*Enchanted Learning page about ants
*An “Ant” story summary
*Fiction or Nonfiction? – practice

Language Arts:

 

Unit 4: Point of View

 

Questions: How do readers identify an author’s point of view? How does an author support his or her viewpoint? How do readers note different characters’ points of view?

 

Standards: 

 

2.RI.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to grade 2 topic or subject area.

 

2.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

 

a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

 

b. Determine the meaning of a new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell)

 

c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word.

 

d. Use the knowledge of meanings of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly).

 

e. Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meanings of words and phrases.

 

2.SL.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

 

2.W.1 (opinion) Write opinion pieces in which they introduce a topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support that opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

 

2.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they produce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

 

Vocabulary/Conventions Focus Areas for this unit:

 

Prefixes, roots, and compound words; reflexive pronouns (myself, ourselves); producing and rearranging compound sentences; commas in greetings and closings in letters; use of glossaries and dictionaries.

 

Spelling Words

 

 

1.   send

2.   blank

3.  band

4.   wink

5.   junk

6.  hang

7.  spend

8.   land

9.  cent

10. singer

11. went

12. stand

13. sting

14. second

15. ending

 

     
     
     
     
     

 

Language Arts Academic Vocabulary:

 

tunnel, antennae, colony, fungus, habitat, larvae.

 

Language Arts Domain Specific Vocabulary:

 

speech, text, voice, support, alliteration, rhyme, rhythm.

 

 

 

 Math:

 

 Unit 6: Solving Problems Involving Money

 

Purpose/Focus:  Students solve word problems involving either dollars or cents. Example: What are some possible combinations of coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters) that equal 37 cents? Students should solve story problems connecting the different representations. These representations may include objects, pictures, charts, tables, words, and/or numbers. Students should communicate their mathematical thinking and justify their answers. .  ( SJUSD Division of Instruction, June 2013)

 

2.MD.8 Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and the cents symbols appropriately.

 

Standards for Mathematical Practice:

 

MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Interpret and make meaning of the problem to find a starting point. Plan a solution pathway instead of jumping to a solution.

 

MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Decontextualize (represent a situation symbolically and represent symbols) and contextualize (make meaning of the symbols in a problem) quantitative relationships.

 

 MP6: Attend to precision. Communicate precisely with others and try to use clear mathematical language when discussing their reasoning.

 

MP7: Look for and make use of structure. See complicated things as single objects or as being composed of several objects.

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Flu Information from SJUSD

January 15, 2014

The peak flu season is usually January through March, and the H1N1 virus is on the rise in the United States. Protect your family from the flu! For San Jose Unified School District information about the flu, follow these links:

San Jose Unified School District Flu Fact Sheet

Key Facts About Influenza from the Centers For Disease Control

-For more information on flu prevention or for information in Spanish or Vietnamese, please call the Carson Office at (408) 535-6287.

And at home and in the classroom:

  • Send hand sanitizer to school with your child;
  • Encourage frequent hand washing;
  • Clean surfaces at home, such as telephone keypads, light fixtures, remote controls, and pencils or pens frequently.
  • Keep children home if they are sick! Students may be contagious one day before and 5-7 days after they feel sick with the flu. The district will be tracking absences where students have flu-like symptoms. Not only will keeping your child home keep other people healthier, but it helps the district study incidences of the illness and help prevent the flu’s spread.

The Second Grade Teachers hope that you and your families stay well this flu season!

 

 

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Parent News January 13-17, 2014

Parent News January 13-17, 2014

 *PTA meeting on Tuesday, January 14th at 7:00 p.m.

*No SCHOOL on Monday, January 20th in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.

*We started new Language Arts Unit and new story this week: “Officer Buckle and Gloria”. There is a wealth of support materials available for your children. If you would like to explore additional learning materials relevant to what we are doing in class, follow these links:
* “Mrs. Smith’s Second Grade Classroom” Blog
*“Officer Buckle and Gloria” on YouTube
*Scholastic.com’s Officer Buckle Extension Activities
 

Language Arts:

Unit 4: Point of View

Questions: How do readers identify an author’s point of view? How does an author support his or her viewpoint? How do readers note different characters’ points of view?

Standards: 

2.RI.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to grade 2 topic or subject area.

2.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

b. Determine the meaning of a new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell)

c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word.

d. Use the knowledge of meanings of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly).

e. Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meanings of words and phrases.

2.SL.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

2.W.1 (opinion) Write opinion pieces in which they introduce a topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support that opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

2.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they produce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

Vocabulary/Conventions Focus Areas for this unit:

Prefixes, roots, and compound words; reflexive pronouns (myself, ourselves); producing and rearranging compound sentences; commas in greetings and closings in letters; use of glossaries and dictionaries.

Spelling Words

 

1.  art

2.   shark

3.  park

4.   yard

5.   arm

6.  chart

7.  harder

8.   cart

9.  farmer

10. motion

11.  action

12. station

13. nature

14. mixture

15. picture

Language Arts Academic Vocabulary:

officer,  audience, attention , safety, accident, banner, swivel chair, obeys, stared, discovered, expression, enormous, auditorium, electrical, applauded, puddle.

Language Arts Domain Specific Vocabulary:

speech, text, voice, support, alliteration, rhyme, rhythm.

 

 Math:

 Unit 6: Solving Problems Involving Money

 Purpose/Focus:  Students solve word problems involving either dollars or cents. Example: What are some possible combinations of coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters) that equal 37 cents? Students should solve story problems connecting the different representations. These representations may include objects, pictures, charts, tables, words, and/or numbers. Students should communicate their mathematical thinking and justify their answers. .  ( SJUSD Division of Instruction, June 2013)

2.MD.8 Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and the cents symbols appropriately.

Standards for Mathematical Practice:

MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Interpret and make meaning of the problem to find a starting point. Plan a solution pathway instead of jumping to a solution.

MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Decontextualize (represent a situation symbolically and represent symbols) and contextualize (make meaning of the symbols in a problem) quantitative relationships.

 MP6: Attend to precision. Communicate precisely with others and try to use clear mathematical language when discussing their reasoning.

MP7: Look for and make use of structure. See complicated things as single objects or as being composed of several objects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Parent News January 6-10, 2014

Happy New Year!

 

*If you haven’t already: Please use the SJ Museum of Art Family Pass that the museum provided after their docent visited us last month. The San Jose Museum of Art’s website is located at http://www.sjmusart.org. To check on the exhibitions before attending with your family, click here. For more information on the “Let’s Look at Art Program”, click here.

*PTA meeting on Tuesday, January 14th at 7:00 p.m.

*No SCHOOL on Monday, January 20th in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.

*We start at new Language Arts Unit and new story this week: “Officer Buckle and Gloria”. There is a wealth of support materials available for your children, often created by other school districts. We can’t do every activity during our limited computer and classroom time, however. If you would like to explore additional learning materials relevant to what we are doing in class, follow these links:
* “Mrs. Smith’s Second Grade Classroom” Blog
*“Officer Buckle and Gloria” on YouTube
*Scholastic.com’s Officer Buckle Extension Activities
 

Language Arts:

 

Unit 4:

 

Story: “Officer Buckle And Gloria”

 

2.RF.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

 

c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word-recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

 

d. Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.

 

2.RL.2 Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

 

2.SL.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

 

2.W.5 With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed through editing and revising.

 

Spelling Words

 

1.   are

2.   mark

3.  part

4.   hard

5.   card

6.  dark

7.  star

8.   carpet

9.  party

10. charm

11.  target

12. farther

13. team

14. between

15. beehive

 

Language Arts Academic Vocabulary:

 

Language Arts Domain Specific Vocabulary:

 

 

 Math:

 

  Unit 5: Measuring Time

 

Purpose/Focus: Students tell (orally and in writing) and write time after reading analog and digital clocks. Time should be to 5 minute intervals, and students should also use the terms a.m. and p.m. Students should understand that there are 2 cycles of 12 hours in a day-a.m. and p.m.. Recoding their daily actions in a journal would be helpful for making real-world connections and understanding the difference between these two cycles.  ( SJUSD Division of Instruction, June 2013)

 

 2.MD.7 Tell and write time from analog and digital clocks to the nearest 5 minutes, using a.m. and p.m..

 

Standards for Mathematical Practice:

 

 MP5: Use appropriate tools strategically. Use appropriate tools recognizing the strengths and liabilities of each. In what situations might it be more helpful or informative to use….”

 

 MP6: Attend to precision. Communicate precisely with others and try to use clear mathematical language when discussing their reasoning.

 

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