Mr. Young's Second Grade Classroom

From this point on, please access my blog at:

http://mryoungsclassroom.blogspot.com

Thanks, Tom

Hello Friends,

You may have noticed that I have been putting pictures on the blog.  I hope you are enjoying them.  However, I do have to delete them a day or two after they have been posted.  Unfortunately the pictures take up a fair amount of memory.  This blog sight is free but limited in the space that I can use.  There is an option to upgrade for a fee.  I am still trying to figure out if it is worth it.  If I do upgrade, I believe I can leave pictures on and even load video.  What do you think?  Do you like viewing the pictures?  Please let me know.

Homework is in full swing.  Please make sure to do the reading nightly and the math game 2-3 times a week.  Remember to fill out the math survey (on Thursdays) and book log (nightly).

**Parent Volunteers start next week.  Please see the schedule on the volunteer page.

**We will be going to the orchard on Friday.  Please dress appropriately.

**Book orders are due by Friday.

**Please check the Upcoming Events page.  It has been updated.

Have a great day.  I will post again on Friday.

Peace,

Tom

Good Morning,

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I found myself enjoying a nic eweekend with my parents, sister, and my family.  My sister’s boyfriend is a chef and made us a wonderful meal on Sunday.

I am actually writing this before schools starts (as I eat breakfast with my daughter), so below is what I anticipate for the day.  We used the morning meeting to review each child’s Hope and Dream, and looked at our role for helping each other obtain them.  We finished our Labor Day writings, and in math we continued looking at ways we count and add coins.

Making up work during sick/vacation absences:  This year I am going to give your child their work when he/she returns from an absence.  This way I can give hem/her exactly what we did in class and not have to have so much advance predicting.  If your child has an extended sickness, I will make separate accommodations.  I feel this will be easier for all.

The volunteer schedule has been posted on the volunteer page.

Have a great week.

Tom

PS  I will post again tomorrow.

The children did a good job managing the heat and maintaining their focus over the past few days.  We spent the last two days introducing the various roles that will encompass our literature circle this year.  We used a familiar Henry and Mudge book to fill out the different information for each task.

Today we went over to the orchard and observed the major landmarks that will allow us to begin our mapping of the newly planted fruit trees.  We talked about the importance of using natural landmarks to define the orchard and how they can give us a better idea of where to place the trees on the map.

This afternoon we continued to look at coins, their values, and equivalencies.  After math the students went to Art to finish the day.

We will start spelling and science next week.  Reading groups will start the following week.  Math and parent volunteers will start the week after next.  I will post the volunteer schedule on next week’s post (I will post on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday of next week).

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  My sister is visiting from DC.  So, I am looking forward to spending time with her and hanging out with family and some old friends.

Peace,

Tom

Good Morning,

Today is Ethan’s last day here at the Waitsfield School.  Ethan and his family will be heading back to the Massachusetts area.  It is always hard to say goodbye to a friend and classmate, but I wish them all the best as they make this family transition.

This morning we reintroduced stations and what they will look like this year.  The stations will consist of reading groups, spelling, literature circle work, projects, and reading comprehension.  In math, we continued looking at the number grid and number line, reviewed telling analog time, and counted coins.  Today’s special was music.

Homework:  Your child is bringing home a chapter book for their reading book.  Each child is bringing home a book at his/her level.  The goal is to read 20 minutes (15 if you are doing math) a night.  This year the book log is asking the kids to record the exact time he/she reads.  I don’t expect each child to read the entire chapter book each night.

At the top of the page, I am adding a new tab.  This tab has all of the classroom information that was sent home in Monday’s packet.  I hope having the electronic copy is useful.

Classroom Volunteers:  Please don’t forget to turn in your classroom volunteer form.  I am still looking for help on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

**REMEMBER, we will be going to the orchard on Friday morning.  We will be starting the initial sketches of  our map.  Please dress appropriately.

**Book Order forms are gong out today.  Please return all orders by Septemeber 10th.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Peace,

Tom

Good Morning,

Today we reviewed the use of “time out” and its purposes.  We actually watched a training video and used it to facilitate a class conversation about self control.  The students had gym  and library fro specials today.  During stations the class worked on their portrait project, illustration of class rules, and selected their book for reading homework.  This afternoon we worked on a number-line game and discussed the uses of a number-line (focused on how it can model our thinking).

Class Rules:

This year the students have decided on 5 classroom rules:

1.  We will be safe and respect others.

2.  We will be kind to everyone.

3.  We will listen to the speaker.

4.  We will be focused.

5.  We will do our best.

There is reading homework tonight.  Also, please look for the class information packet in your child’s homework bag.

Peace,

Tom

Good Afternoon,

This morning we took a walk over to the new orchard that was planted last week.  Our class will be taking on a mapping project with the goal of creating a master list of each tree planted and its location.  We will head back to the orchard next Friday morning.  In your child’s homework bag you will find their first weekly news entry.  Please make sure to read it with them and respond.  We will be reading your responses each and every Monday.

To date I have only one person who is requesting a paper version of the blog.  Please let me know if you would prefer a hard copy over receiving information electronically.

We will get into our regular schedule on Monday (with the exception of reading groups).  My hope is to complete all of the PNOA assessments during this time.  Reading groups will start the following week.  However, there will be reading homework next week.  Just like last year, your child will have to fill out a reading log.

We are off to a wonderful start.  I hope you all have a great weekend.

Peace,

Tom

PS  There is a “hot pink” sheet in your child’s bag.  Please take a moment to read through it.

Good Morning,

Once again I will be using the blog (www.tyoung.edublogs.org) as my home-school communication tool.  If you would like a printed copy each day, please let me know.  I hope that you check this blog every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I will only be posting three days a week for a few reasons.  Mainly, our schedule has changed a bit and I don’t have as much time to post each day.

Next Monday you will get a much lengthier letter in regards to classroom expectations and routines. If you have any questions in the meantime, please let me know.  I hope you have a great day and I look forward to a wonderful year.

Peace,

Tom

Below is a copy of this year’s schedule.