Information for the weeks of October 1-15th

• Conferences are next week, October 8-12.  I have scheduled all of the class a time and date.  If you need a time and date reminder, please send a note to school with your child.  I look forward to chatting with you regarding the academic and emotional progress of your child.
• Conference survey forms.  Please try to complete and return the conference survey.  The conferences are VERY short and it helps to identify areas of concern in advance so that I make sure to address them.
• I will have more information regarding Halloween in my next blog.  However, so that you are well prepared, costumes are optional but MOST of the Rio children do wear a costume to school.
• This Friday, October 5th, we will be celebrating our first completed reward chart.  The children voted on a Read/Lego party.  The children will get a portion of the afternoon to read and/or create with Legos.  They will be allowed to bring one cozy item...small stuffed animal or blanket and any books they would like to read and share from home.  I have asked them to also bring Legos.  They are to only bring Lego pieces (No kits with instructions).  We will make sure that the Legos do not get mixed up.
• Thank you to the families who have made generous donations toward our Prize Box and toward our classroom supplies.  We are all blessed to have such giving families.
• Thank you for reviewing the homework with your child every night.  The math concepts move very quickly and it is helpful to have a second teacher review the concepts.  The problems on the back of the homework gradually get more difficult.  Your child is only required to complete two problems on the back for homework credit.
• Keep practicing the math facts nightly.
• Finally, many of you may be aware that I celebrated my father's 80th birthday last weekend in New York City.  I was lucky enough to visit the 911 Memorial.  I shared a bit of the history with your children but I have also asked them to ask you what you know and remember about the event.  I did not want to get too detailed with the reasons or the details of the losses as I felt that you would do a better job at sharing what you would like your child to know.  Please take a moment to chat about this historical event.

Hello Again

• Tomorrow night is Back to School Night.  My presentation will begin promptly at 6:00 as we only get a half hour to present.  Mrs. Dorney's presentation will begin at 6:30 in the cafeteria.  
• The field trip is Friday.  Thank you to all my parent drivers.  A special thank you for turning in the tedious insurance forms.  We will be leaving the classroom at 9:30 and the children need to bring a sack lunch.
• Please remind your child to turn in his/her Reading Log every Friday and continue with the nightly math facts practice.
• Our Library Day is on Wednesdays and P.E. is on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• I am looking for prize box donations.  The Dollar Store is always a good place to find things.  Take your child with you because he/she will find things that other second graders like.  I can see that I will need lots of prizes this year.  This is an exceptionally well behaved, hard working group of students!

We Have a Wonderful Class!

• We have a lovely class of enthusiastic, respectful learners. It is going to be a great year in Room 1!
• A very special thank you to all of the mothers who spent hours tearing out and collating math and language papers.  I cannot tell you how helpful it is to have the pages torn and ready.  It was a HUGE job and I am so grateful to all of you.
• We have our first field trip to Sea Cliff Visitor's Center scheduled for Friday, September 14th from 9:30-1:00.  The field trip forms go home tomorrow.  All volunteer drivers need to get their insurance forms into the office as soon as possible. The forms take time to process and the field trip is quickly approaching.
• Back to School Night is Thursday, September 13th.  Keep an eye out for a flyer that will specify times.
• Picture Day is Thursday, September 6th.
• Please remind your child to turn in his/her Reading Log every Friday.
• We have PE on Mondays and Tuesdays, Library on Wednesdays, Facts time tests on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Computer Lab on Fridays.
• That is it for now.  Thank you for your wonderful children. 

It Is a New Year!

Welcome back to school!  After a relaxing summer, I am thrilled to be back.  We have a delightful group of enthusiastic learners and respectful friends.  I can see that it is going to be a lovely year in Room 1.

Upcoming Dates

• Testing is over and the students did a great job!!  I think that all of the children felt very successful.
• Monday, May 7th:  Second grade Science Fair Projects are due.
• Tuesday, May 8th:  Third Grade Famous Person Reports.
• Thursday, May 10th:  Open House and second grade Science Fair.
• Friday, May 18th: In-class Talent Show.
• Thursday, May 24th:  Field Trip to Agricultural History Museum.
• That is it for now but continue to periodically check the blog as new events will come up as the year quickly winds down.

Hello Again

• April and May are busy months.  This Thursday, we have our field trip to the Museum of Art History.  We still have many outstanding permission slips and entrance fees.  Please return those ASAP.
• The ducks!!  The ducks are HUGE, HUGE, HUGE!  It is time for them to go to the farm.  Thank you to all of the patient parents who have rescheduled the duck visits or cancelled due to safety.  I know that it is very hard to say no to a duck visit but the children have had a lot of quality time with the ducks and they need to be free.  If all goes as planned, I will be taking Sparky and Gismo to the farm on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.  We will be scheduling a field trip to the farm to visit our darlings in May so we only have to say, "See you later."
• California State Testing starts next Tuesday, 4/24 and runs through 5/8.  Please make sure that your child is well rested and ready to roll on Tuesday.  We will start testing right away so please have your child to school on time.  We have been practice testing a bit and I think that it has settled some of the nerves.  The children are happy to see that they know the material.  (That was the goal.)
• Minus the end-of-the-year party, our final field trip is scheduled for Thursday, May 24th.  We will be going to the Agricultural Museum at the County Fairgrounds.
• Second Graders should be busy working on their Science Fair Projects that are due Monday, May 7th.  They will be on display at Open House on Thursday, May 10th.
• Third Graders should be practicing their famous person oral reports.  The written speech is due Friday, May 4th and the speeches will be on Tuesday, May 8th.  I am looking for a volunteer to video the speeches.  I do not have a video camera and I prefer to watch the speeches without a camera.  Let me know if you can help with videotaping.  If all goes well, the video will be running during Open House.
• Due to State Testing, Literature Circles will be cancelled until further notice. 

Spring Break!

• It looks like we may have good weather for the vacation.  I hope that the week allows you to spend some quality time with your angels.  Spring Break ends on Monday, April 9th.  Class resumes on Tuesday.
• We have a field trip to the Museum of Art History scheduled for Thursday, April 19th.  At this point, I only have one driver.  Please let me know if you can drive asap.
• As you probably know, we have 2 new ducks in Room 1.  Sparky and Gismo are adorable and the children are thoroughly enjoying observing and holding them.  Thank you for allowing your child to bring them home for the night or weekend.  It is a bit of a hassle but it is something that the children never forget.  I hear H.S. students still talking about their second grade ducks! 
• I am still loving your children.  We have such a nice class.  It is going to be very hard to give them up in June.
• Feel free to jot Mrs. Welty a thank you note.  She is a joy to have in class.  Her positive attitude makes every day a sunny day.  The children love her!
• Please make a Spring Break resolution to get your child to school on time every day.  We walk the track which is part of the PE program.  It is a great way to start the day and studies have shown that a brisk walk will get the brain stimulated for learning.  There are just a few children who seem to be tardy frequently.
• Mondays are a critical day of learning as the curriculum on Monday sets up the entire week.  Students who miss Monday often miss the week's story, grammar, and phonics introduction.