Field Trip and Conferences

 Welcome to a very different, but very busy two weeks ahead! We have a field trip, conferences, early releases, and fall break to look forward to, but first - here is what we are learning in second grade.

Math:  This week we will be finishing up our Module on Measurement and Data. We have learned about measuring with centimeters and meters, and we have been working hard with incorporating measurement with word problems.

ELA:  This week will be our second week of unit 2 in our NatGeo Curriculum, which focuses on Animal Adaptations. We will be incorporating this into our science when we return from break. This week will be our last week of spelling until we return from break. This weeks words will focus on final blends. Thank you families who are choosing activities every night from the spelling choice boards sent home on Monday's. The response from the students has been positive. Please make sure you are assembling the stories that go with our spelling and taking time for your students to read these nightly. This helps with the spelling sound as well as reading skills. 

Field Trip:  Our very first field trip has finally received bus approval. We will be going to Llamar Haines for a hike, along with the other two second grade classes. The field trip is this Thursday!! Please be on the lookout for permission slips to go home tomorrow. We apologize for the last minute notice, but we were truly waiting on bus approval to go through, and did not get that approval until Friday afternoon. I know the next question is parent volunteers. Here is what we have been told. Because it is an outdoor field trip parent/guardian helpers are allowed. Siblings and other friends/family members are not. Also, the bus is already full with 3 classes aboard. If you are interested in meeting us at the trail you will have to provide your own transportation there. Students must go on the buses with their classes. Again, we know that more parents would have been able to join us if there had been more notice, we apologize that we were not able to give this until we had bus approval. We are just super excited it went through and we are getting the kiddos out of the building! Please make sure your student has a warm jacket, proper hiking shoes, a lunch (permission slip will have a place to let us know if a sack lunch from the cafeteria will be needed),  a water bottle or two, and their backpack to lug their stuff on their own!! 

Parent/Teacher Conferences:  Conferences are next week. These will be held from Monday, October 11th - Wednesday, October 13th. I have made the sign up on Google Forms. The form is supposed to be eliminating options when they are chosen. I am not sure this is happening, but I am able to see who chooses first, therefore if unbeknownst to you, you happen to pick a time that is already spoken for I will reach out to you and have you pick a new time. I will also send out a paper sign up towards the end of the week so that you have a hard copy of your conference time. We are really looking for 100% participation this year. I think this is important being that we have not had the chance to have parents in the building like we have in previous years. For many this will be our first face to face contact, which is so unusual. Any class that has 100% participation will earn a class prize (I have not told this to the kiddos, and will not unless we actually get participation - although I have a feeling it might get mentioned in the announcements) and I heard a rumor that if the school has 100% participation there will be a school wide celebration of some sorts from Principal Reasor. I am hoping to make conference attendance as easy as possible by offering it in a number of formats (zoom, in person, over the phone). All you have to do is pick the one that works best for you in the sign up. If you choose Zoom I will send you that link next week. If you wish to attend in person it will be limited to just the parent/guardians attending, no siblings or other family members. Masks will be required to be worn during the conference as well. I truly look forward to speaking to everyone about our second graders next week! Here is the link for conference sign up. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwr3ul48d5Zhyc24KTfW2iGnJ_lNc89uvdYqzuiFhMds4--w/viewform?usp=sf_link

Conference Week Schedule:  During conference week Monday - Wednesday will be early release at 12:25 for all three days, so please plan for pick-up and childcare accordingly. Thursday and Friday (October 14th and 15th) school will be closed for Fall Break. I hope you enjoy the great outdoors and fresh fall air!

Canvas:  For those of you that had me last year, you know that I utilized Google Classroom last year. This year the district has required all teachers to switch to Canvas (insert sad face emoji). All of this to say that I will have a classroom Canvas page up and running by the end of fall break. The purpose of this will be for students to access work and perhaps a schedule and zoom link if for any reason we should have to shut down our class room for any reason. This notification is not being sent in order to prepare for anything, or in anticipation of anything. I am simply letting you know that Canvas is how we will be accessing work and schedules. Our class is doing a great job with hand washing and sanitizing. Just wanted to inform everyone about Canvas being the platform that will be used. 

If you have any question or concerns about anything please feel free to reach out to me. I really do hope to see everyone during conferences. 💛-Ms. Shaw