Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you all had a restful break...the children were all full of news and excitement when they came back today. It will take us a few days to get back into our routine, but it's wonderful to see their smiling faces again.
There is not any Spelling homework or test this week, but we will be back on our regular schedule of homework and Spelling tests starting next week, so look for the packet in the Friday folder.
We won't begin cursive instruction until February...please discourage your child from trying out writing in script, as it's really difficult to reteach when they develop the wrong habits for letter formation. Thank you so much for your help with this.
We were happy to welcome Leora to our class today - the children have tried very hard to make her feel like a part of our group and I'm very proud of all of them.
As always, please email me with any questions or concerns at mlbuster@torahacademy.org
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Monday, December 19, 2011
12/19/11 Update
In case you were looking for the homework packet, there wasn't one! There won't be homework this week - too many exciting things going on - so enjoy the break from Spelling.
The Chanukah carnival is Tuesday, Dec. 20. 2nd grade attends 9:30-10:00. Please remember to send in money for the tickets and snacks the children can purchase. $5.00 should be more than enough and they could easily enjoy their time with less than that as well. Also, the Chanukah show is Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 9:30. That day is also a 2:00 dismissal.
Have a wonderful and restful winter break and we will see you January 3...this is a change from the original school calendar, so be sure to update your schedule and enjoy January 2 off of school. Classes resume on January 3!
Happy Holidays!
The Chanukah carnival is Tuesday, Dec. 20. 2nd grade attends 9:30-10:00. Please remember to send in money for the tickets and snacks the children can purchase. $5.00 should be more than enough and they could easily enjoy their time with less than that as well. Also, the Chanukah show is Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 9:30. That day is also a 2:00 dismissal.
Have a wonderful and restful winter break and we will see you January 3...this is a change from the original school calendar, so be sure to update your schedule and enjoy January 2 off of school. Classes resume on January 3!
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
12/13/11 Reminders
A few miscellaneous reminders...the children have Library this Thursday, so please be sure they bring back their library books on time.
There is a Chanukah Hop here at CTA this Thursday, December 15, from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. Check out the Dateline for more details. It should be a fun evening!
Be sure to mark your calendars for our Chanukah Show next Wednesday, December 21 at 9:30. That is also a 2:00 dismissal day. While you are here, stop down in our 2nd grade hallway to see our terrific Rainforest bulletin board and then proceed to our classroom to see the Pond habitat on our classroom window - awesome work by the children!
Please email me with any questions or concerns at mlbuster@torahacademy.org
There is a Chanukah Hop here at CTA this Thursday, December 15, from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. Check out the Dateline for more details. It should be a fun evening!
Be sure to mark your calendars for our Chanukah Show next Wednesday, December 21 at 9:30. That is also a 2:00 dismissal day. While you are here, stop down in our 2nd grade hallway to see our terrific Rainforest bulletin board and then proceed to our classroom to see the Pond habitat on our classroom window - awesome work by the children!
Please email me with any questions or concerns at mlbuster@torahacademy.org
Thursday, December 8, 2011
12/9/11 Dress Down Day!
Friday, 12/9/11 is a Dress Down Day! For $.25, your child can wear jeans or other items not usually permitted within the dress code.
Also, we go outside as much as possible, provided the mud isn't too pervasive and the temperatures (including wind chill!) are above 20 degrees. Please, please, please send your children to school dressed appropriately for outside recess. There are no accommodations available to supervise a child inside, plus they need to run and play and clear their little heads, so dress warmly and label everything! Thanks for your cooperation with regards to outdoor recess.
Email me with any questions or concerns at mlbuster@torahacademy.org
Also, we go outside as much as possible, provided the mud isn't too pervasive and the temperatures (including wind chill!) are above 20 degrees. Please, please, please send your children to school dressed appropriately for outside recess. There are no accommodations available to supervise a child inside, plus they need to run and play and clear their little heads, so dress warmly and label everything! Thanks for your cooperation with regards to outdoor recess.
Email me with any questions or concerns at mlbuster@torahacademy.org
Monday, December 5, 2011
12/5/11 2nd Grade Newsletter
I am still grinning when I think of the choir performance at the CTA Scholarship Dinner...anyone who was able to witness this outstanding show must agree that our little 2nd graders stole the show! Wow! I'll have to see if they can post the video somewhere, because I really want to see that again.
We had a great time last week here in our classroom learning about habitats, environments and adaptations. We spent a day investigating the adaptations of birds' beaks, using a variety of small, hard and soft items to mimic seeds, nuts, etc. that birds find in nature. We used tweezers and chopsticks among other things to try to pick up the items and a great discussion was had about the size of bird beaks relative to the kinds of food they find in their environment. The best was trying to catch a moving worm (yarn!) The children loved the hands-on approach. We will continue our study of habitats and focus our learning on rainforests, ponds and deserts over the next week or two. Our Language Arts reading and writing will be centered on this topic as well.
We have started timed tests in Math, focusing on addition facts 1-9 for the time being. The children are only in competition with themselves, as I ask them to increase the number of facts they get correct in 2 minutes each week. For those who have mastered their facts, I'm asking them to decrease the amount of time they complete their fact sheet each time. We will then graph our results individually, allowing the children to practice their graphing skills as well. We will move to subtraction timed tests in January. Keep practicing with those flashcards!
I have asked the children not to "practice" writing in cursive. It is really difficult to reteach correct formation of the letters and when they try cursive out on their own, they can develop bad habits. Thank you in advance for your support of this from home. We will begin cursive instruction in the 3rd quarter.
Please email me at mlbuster@torahacademy.org with any questions or concerns. Also, please let me know via email ASAP if your child will NOT be in attendance for the Hanukkah show on Dec. 21. When they were surveyed last week, at least half of them said they didn't think they would be here, and we need confirmation of that from home in order to assign singing parts for the show. Thank you so much!
We had a great time last week here in our classroom learning about habitats, environments and adaptations. We spent a day investigating the adaptations of birds' beaks, using a variety of small, hard and soft items to mimic seeds, nuts, etc. that birds find in nature. We used tweezers and chopsticks among other things to try to pick up the items and a great discussion was had about the size of bird beaks relative to the kinds of food they find in their environment. The best was trying to catch a moving worm (yarn!) The children loved the hands-on approach. We will continue our study of habitats and focus our learning on rainforests, ponds and deserts over the next week or two. Our Language Arts reading and writing will be centered on this topic as well.
We have started timed tests in Math, focusing on addition facts 1-9 for the time being. The children are only in competition with themselves, as I ask them to increase the number of facts they get correct in 2 minutes each week. For those who have mastered their facts, I'm asking them to decrease the amount of time they complete their fact sheet each time. We will then graph our results individually, allowing the children to practice their graphing skills as well. We will move to subtraction timed tests in January. Keep practicing with those flashcards!
I have asked the children not to "practice" writing in cursive. It is really difficult to reteach correct formation of the letters and when they try cursive out on their own, they can develop bad habits. Thank you in advance for your support of this from home. We will begin cursive instruction in the 3rd quarter.
Please email me at mlbuster@torahacademy.org with any questions or concerns. Also, please let me know via email ASAP if your child will NOT be in attendance for the Hanukkah show on Dec. 21. When they were surveyed last week, at least half of them said they didn't think they would be here, and we need confirmation of that from home in order to assign singing parts for the show. Thank you so much!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Hanukkah Show 12/21/11
An urgent request from Morah Cheri...if you know for a fact that your child will not be present on 12/21 for the Hanukkah show, can you please notify us ASAP? Just send me an email at mlbuster@torahacademy.org
They are trying to assign parts for this program and need to know who will be here and who won't - according to reports today, over half the 2nd grade will not be here, or so they think! Thanks for your help with this matter.
They are trying to assign parts for this program and need to know who will be here and who won't - according to reports today, over half the 2nd grade will not be here, or so they think! Thanks for your help with this matter.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
11/23/11 Update
Thank you to everyone who came to the Thanksgiving show this year. The children were so excited to perform, and I think it's such good experience getting up in front of people...I was very proud of them!
There is no homework coming home today due to the holiday. I will send home Spelling on Monday of next week, but the Spelling homework will be the only homework, so hopefully this won't cause too much trouble for anyone's schedule. We will be back on the regular track for our homework procedures the following week.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday break and we will see everyone back here next Monday! As always, email me with any questions or concerns at mlbuster@torahacademy.org
There is no homework coming home today due to the holiday. I will send home Spelling on Monday of next week, but the Spelling homework will be the only homework, so hopefully this won't cause too much trouble for anyone's schedule. We will be back on the regular track for our homework procedures the following week.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday break and we will see everyone back here next Monday! As always, email me with any questions or concerns at mlbuster@torahacademy.org
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