Mr. Deris' 2nd Grade Blog: September 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Starting on Friday, September 28 your child will be bring home a Communication Journal every other weekend. In this journal they will write you a letter all about their life at school that week. It will be a great opportunity for you to see what school is like from their perspective and for you to see examples of their writing every week! Please take the time over the weekend to read the Communication Journal and write back to your child. Then send the notebook back to school on Monday and we will have time in class to read your letters and write back to you again. I know sometimes weekends are busy. If you are not able to write over the weekend, please keep the notebook at home and try to get it done by Tuesday and return to school no later than Thursday. The weekends that the Communication Journal does not come home, students will be writing to me and I will pick 5 students every week to write back to on a rotation. Consider taking turns rotating between Mom, Dad, older siblings, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts, Uncles etc. Make it fun and change it up! Ask your children questions, comment on what they wrote or start a conversation that you think will interest them.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

EE Day 2012 - 2nd Grade Weather Lessons at Glendale

We had an outstanding EE Day. Second grade focused on weather lessons. Today we had the unique opportunity to learn about weather directly from KARE 11 meteorologist Laura Betker. She did a science experiment where she made a cloud in a bottle and then she talked to students about the science of lightning. She also reminded us about weather safety with the tip "When thunder roars, head indoors". Laura was the highlight of most students day.

This afternoon, we went over to McColl Pond to learn about the following topics. Thank you to all the parent volunteers who spent the day with us!

* Mr. Deris - Cloud Identification
* Mrs. Anderson - Weather Cycles
* Mrs. Gordon - Wind Socks
* Mrs. Schumacher - Fall Phenology

Setting Up Our Science Notebooks

This week, we spent time setting up our science notebooks. In preparation for future observation lessons, we went outside and had a listening field trip and made a list of everything we heard. Students did a great job of listing the most basic sounds like leaves crunching, foot steps on the concrete and birds by the pond.

This year, Mrs. Gus (art teacher) is teaching student how to do scientific drawings in their science notebooks and teaching students how to draw images like trees and leaves. Students are working hard adding detailed and accurate sketches to their notebooks.

We also changed our science and social studies rotation this week. I am going to be again teaching all science and social studies classes. We had played with the idea of Mrs. Anderson teaching science and me teaching social studies but due to scheduling we are going to stick our own classrooms.

Argyle Wednesdays Are Back!

Read-A-Thon Reminder

We want to remind everyone that our primary fundraiser is in full swing! Pledge envelopes are due back onThursday, October 4th with the actual read-a-thon happening on Tuesday, October 9th at school. We hope to reach our goal of $30,000 and please visit the attached link to learn more about prizes, how to get pledges and Mr. Richardson's promise to the students if we do hit our goal!

http://www.glendaleptc.com/get-involved/read-a-thon/

Monday, September 24, 2012

First Mystery Reader of the Year - Tyler

Today, we had our first Mystery Reader of the year and it was a double Mystery Reader. We welcomed back our friend Tyler and his mom who are in town. It was so fun to see them. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Harry Potter, Madeline, Thing 1 and 2 and Where's Waldo Spotted at Glendale Today

At 3:05 today during our Read-A-Thon Kick Off Mr. Richardson lost his keys. He rode around on his scooter looking for his keys only to find story book characters like: Madeline, Thing 1 and 2, Harry Potter and Where's Waldo. In the end Mr. Richardon found his keys and was able to Unlock A New World.

Coming home today with your child are two things. First your child will be brining home their Read-A-Thon 2012 pledge envelope. Our goal for 2012 is to raise $30,000. If we reach our goal Mr. Richardson will be locked up all day in the media center. There are a variety of opportunities to win prizes through fundraising. Secondly, they will be bringing home a small squishy globe with the 2012 theme of Unlocking A New World. See PTC website and previous Read-A-Thon post. This year, donations/fundraising is also available online.

Link: http://www.glendaleptc.com/get-involved/read-a-thon/

After the Read-A-Thon Kick Off students in our class got an opportunity to have their photo taken with Harry Potter.

Yearbook Orders Due Friday, September 28

Yearbook orders for the 2012-2013 school year will close on Friday, September 28. This will be the only time we are offering yearbook sales this year so make sure you get yours early. The cost is 16.00 and checks can be made out to Glendale Elementary. As always, yearbooks will be delivered the last few weeks of school. Yearbooks are a wonderful keepsake and reminder of many Glendale traditions and fun times had throughout the 2012-2013 school year.

Environmental Education Day - Thursday, September 27

In past years, we have had our Environmental Education (EE) Day in the spring. This year, we are having our EE day in the fall on Thursday, September 27.

2nd Grade will focus on weather lessons this year. We will be having a special visitor at 11:10. Meteorologist Laura Betker from KARE 11 will be coming in and talking to students about weather.

If you are interested in volunteering on this day, sign up on the wiki on September 27 or send me an email. I would love extra help on this day to help transition students and help with the lesson. I am looking for parent volunteers from 11:30-3:00. Parent volunteers will stay with the classroom teacher vs. rotating with classes.

Your child will need a bag lunch on this day as we will be eating lunch at McColl Pond. Second graders are asked to wear a blue shirt. Sunscreen, water bottles and comfortable clothes are highly recommended as we will be outside most of the day.

Read-A-Thon 2012 - Unlocking A New World

The PTC is excited to announce the kick-off of the Glendale Read-a-thon this year. Thanks to your generous support, we raised $28,500 last year. Our goal is to raise $30,000 this year. 100% of what the students earn goes directly back to Glendale to enhance your child’s education. It is the primary source of funding for PTC school support. We simply ask that students get pledges from family and friends, and then come to school ready to read on Tuesday, October 9th. On this day students will spend 120 minutes reading in various classrooms based on their chosen interests. If each child raises 45 cents a minute (a donation of $54), we will reach our goal of $30,000. This is just a guideline. Whatever each student can raise, is greatly appreciated. Envelopes with pledges are due back to school Thursday, October 4th. The top fundraiser in each grade will receive a Kindle! The top fundraising grade will get a pizza party. Every child who returns an envelope will be able to participate in a raffle for special privileges. Much more information about the Read-a-thon is available on the Glendale homepage under General Information (PTC), or contact Amy Crosby at 952-445-4193 or Heidi Bodine 952-233-5098.

Link: http://www.glendaleptc.com/get-involved/read-a-thon/

PRIZES:

1) If Glendale reaches its $30,000 goal, Mr. Richardson will be “locked up” for an entire school day. Students will be able to feed him, give him a bathroom pass, and even spend some time reading with him.

2) Grade level that raises the most money: Pizza Party put on by the PTC.

3) Top fundraiser per grade level: A Kindle!

4) Top fundraiser per classroom: A $10 Barnes & Noble gift card

5) Every student who returns an envelope can put their name in a raffle for:

1. Lunch delivery from Jimmy John’s or Davanni’s

2. No homework pass for a day

3. Switch grade levels for a day

4. Deliver lunch to Mr. Richardson while he’s locked up and eat lunch with him

5. Read with Mr. Richardson while he’s locked up

6. Box set of Ivy + Bean books

7. Scrabble (Diary of A Wimpy Kid Edition)

8. I-SPY 3D board game

Glendale Gear

The DOGS have teamed up with Paar Sports in Savage to offer a variety of Glendale Gear for your family this year. If you attended the Open House, you got a chance to see some of the sample items available. All ordering will be done online at http://Glendale.PaarSports.com so please show your Glendale pride and order your Spirit wear.

Glendale Buzz Book 2012-13

This is the Glendale Elementary Buzz Book. Your opportunity to not only post your student(s) info into an information tool, but a great resource when your child wants to schedule that play date or you need to contact a parent in your child's class. Available in two forms - Electronic PDF for FREE or Hardcopy for just $2. We'd like to get responses by October 5th. Information submitted will only be used for the sole purpose of the creation of the Buzz Book. Please click the following link to access the form: http://goo.gl/scaQW

Early Release - Wednesday, September 26

On Wednesday, September 26, our school will dismiss at 1:50 p.m. The buses will drop students off at home two hours earlier than normal. Please check your family’s plan for that day and communicate any special arrangements for that day. Teachers will be participating in professional development on that day.

Changes In the Lunchroom

This year there are several subtle changes to our lunch experience for students. Teachers and food service staff collaborated to create a schedule that allowed longer recess and lunch periods. The new schedule, modified from a Redtail Ridge schedule, provides more time for students to be outside and to eat a healthy lunch. This has been a concern shared by students, parents and staff in the past. So far, the schedule has worked well for all classes. This year students are required to take one fruit and one vegetable as they pass through the lunch line. Our food service offers fresh fruits and vegetables and this helps students adjust to this requirement without much effort. Please help us by encouraging your child to try fruits and vegetables each day.

Glendale Elementary Is Now on Facebook and Twitter

Glendale has a Facebook page as a pilot project with Prior Lake-Savage School’s new Marketing and Technology Specialist Ashley Franks. If you use Facebook, please “like” the school at www.facebook.com/GlendaleElementary. This site is one more way to share news, information and video to share the excitement for students. Tips and suggestions are always welcomed to help us improve how we communicate with Glendale families. For families using Twitter, news and information is also posted there for https://twitter.com/GlendalePLS. We report on events or share the latest happenings here.

Fall Conference Schedule

Below is the fall conference schedule. Please let me know if this time no longer works for you.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Curriculum Night Presentation

Link: https://www.box.com/s/dzt0z8q1bxdjsnvnvzny

Question of the Day - How Well Do Students Know Their Parents?

I shared with students this morning that for Curriculum Night tonight I was going to have parents participate in a short morning meeting (30 second meet and greet, whip share about their favorite year in school and for an activity we would do a short version of the band-aid lesson). Students thought the idea was very entertaining as they pictured their parents sitting criss-cross in their circle spots. I then shared with students that I was going to give parents the option to sit at a table or sit on the floor or sit in the lounge in front of the SMART Board demonstrating to parents how we get to have choices at different parts of the day. The question of the day on the SMART Board this morning asked students if they thought their parent(s) would sit on the floor or at a table if given the choice. Below is a screen capture of the student's predictions.

Most students knew their parents pretty well but two students will be interested to know that we had two parents sit on the floor. Thank you to all the parents for humoring me and participating in these activities. I hope it made the presentation a little more fun and gave you a better taste of how I teach and what life is like at school. Click on image to enlarge.

Monday, September 17, 2012

SMART Board Question of the Day - Constitution Day

In honor of Constitution Day today, students answered the following question. Needless to say the responses were very interesting and entertaining...6 votes for George Washington, 9 votes for Queen Elizabeth and 16 votes for Obama. I reminded students that the Constitution was written 200+ years ago. They then ruled out Obama. The Queen was still in the running from their perspective.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

New Tradition In Our Classroom - Book of the Month Bag

We will begin this new tradition starting on Wednesday, September 19th

Link: https://www.box.com/s/371blaalby1on1t1zgdc

Reading Challenge Clarification

Here are a few clarifications regarding the monthly Reading Challenges

* Reading challenges are presented to students to offer a variety of reading and writing opportunities at home. September will be more activities that build on reading. October-May will be mainly reading activities.
* Parents need to initial the activities (box) their child does
* If a student chooses just to read for 20+ minutes instead of doing a reading challenge, that is absoutley fine with me. Minimum of 20+ required. Please write the amount of time they read and initial the box. You can then skip the reading challenge for that evening.
* At the end of the month, count up the boxes and please sign your child's calendar. Those students who have the minimum # of boxes, parent initials in the boxes and a parent's signature will be given the special reward for that month
* Weekend challenges = 1 activity
* Feel free to adjust challenges as needed
* See example below (click image to enlarge)

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Reading Bags Are Coming Home Again

This week, students will be bringing home their reading bags again. This year, students will have the choice of picking 2 picture books or 1 chapter book every morning. Students will bring home their reading bag every day. Last year, students selected books from various dot bins. This year, students are able to select books from any bin. This presents some interesting challenges and opportunities. In 2nd grade, we will be focusing on learning how to select a book that is "Just Right" for them. We will be spending a lot of time in the next few weeks talking about what a Just Right book is. Typically, if a child starts reading and comes to 5 words they can't read, they should stop reading and select a book that is easier. I will be reading with each child during the next two weeks and talking to them about what a Just Right book looks like for them. If you notice your child is consistently bringing books home that are too easy or too hard please a) have a talk with your child and b) email me.

If your child is reading a chapter book, the bag does not have to come back to school until the chapter book is complete and they are ready to get a new chapter book. If your child has not read the picture books in their bag, have them read those books and return them to school to pick more.

Also coming home this week (at Curriculum Night) will be a parent letter to help you support your child in reading. Consider asking your child some of these questions during and after reading.

Link: https://www.box.com/s/d880fa4102997b8939f9

Friday, September 14, 2012

2nd Grade Curriculum Night - Tuesday, September 18

I look forward to seeing you at our 2nd Grade Curriculum Night for Parents on Tuesday, September 18. We will meet in our classroom at 5:30pm. This is for parents only. I am hoping one parent from each family can attend if possible. We will go over important details for the year, new math and other parent resources for the school year.

Our Classroom Rules and Expectations

This week, we created a very detailed list of classroom rules and expectations. Students created a long list of things they want to see or avoid. We then categorized the list into the 5 CARES categories (Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy and Self-Control). Click Photo to Enlarge.

Scholastic Book Club Orders Due Friday, September 21

Scholastic Book Clubs orders due Friday, September 21

Website: www.scholastic.com/bookclubs

Class Activation Code: GTYHZ

Due Date: Friday, September 21, 2012 (typically 3rd Friday of the month)

View Catalogues (PDF Links):

Homework Project - Decorating Composition Notebook Due 9/24

Coming home on Monday, September 17 will be a composition notebook. Between September 17-23 please decorate the front cover of the composition notebook with images your child likes. Use glue to adhere to the cover. You are welcome to decorate the back cover as well if you so choose. Ideas include: photos of family, photos of friends, scrapbooking papers, stickers or magazine clippings. You are welcome to take from Shutterfly or the blog. No 3D objects. I will then cover the notebooks with laminating tape. Please decorate at home and return to school by Monday, September 24.

Fall Community Fest - Monday, September 17th 6:00-8:30pm

Prior Lake-Savage Back to School Video 2012

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Class Picture Day

Today we read Class Picture Day by Wendy Wax about a class picture day gone a bit crazy. Our class got into the spirt of the book and took possibly our best silly picture ever! We also took a nice one for all the parents.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Youtube Video of the Week - How Crayons Are Made

The first few weeks of school are dedicated to getting to know students, building community, learning expectations and exploring supplies. This video introduces how crayons are made at a Crayola factory.

Looking for Volunteers

I am looking for volunteers. If interested, please sign up on the volunteer wiki.

I would love extra help on our Environmental Education (EE) Day held on September 27. I am teaching cloud classification. I am looking for parent volunteers from 11:00-3:00.

Kristi Masser has agreed to co-plan the Halloween Party. I'm looking for another parent volunteer to help co-plan this event with her. The Halloween party will be held in our classroom from 2:15-3:15 on October 31.

Other opportunities include:
* Mystery Reader
* Classroom Volunteers
* Party Volunteers (Halloween, Winter Party, Valentine's Party
* Home Helpers

Volunteer Wiki:
www.derisvolunteers.wikispaces.com