Season of Giving Project

Our class is embracing the holiday spirit and helping out our community. We have discussed the importance of giving back to others and the impact of doing good deeds. We want the students to realize the powerful impact their actions can have on another person's life.

As the holiday season is nearing, we had a discussion about what we could do to help Jacksonville. After brainstorming many wonderful projects, we took a vote and the Humane Society was selected to help. This shelter relies mainly on donations to help heat, feed, and provide shelter for many kittens and dogs who need a home. Below is a list of items the shelter is currently in need of. If you can, please send in a item for our class basket. On Friday, the 16th, we will be delivering the basket after school. Please join us to see the gratitude and get a few licks for some thankful poochies! Or, perhaps add a new member of your family. Pets make GREAT holiday gift!

Items Needed:

Blankets
A/C window units
Kiddie pools
Puppy Milk Replacement (Esbilac)
Kitten Milk Replacement (KMR) in Powder form
Dog Crates (Medium & Large)
Kuranda Dog Beds (40x25) (Click the link to donate directly from Kuranda)
Cat Carriers (Small & Medium)
Dog Treats (Pupperoni & Beggin Strips)
Cat Treats/ Toys
Stainless Steel Food & Water Bowls (small & large)
Towels
Blankets (no stuffing) (please no sheets or pillows)
Paper Towels
Clorox Bleach
Laundry Detergent
Playtex Rubber Gloves
Tug-a-Jug Interactive Dog Toys
Hard Rubber Dog Toys (Kong)
Walmart gift cards
PetSmart gift cards
Heating Pad (must have washable cover and auto shut-off)

Jacksonville Humane Society

Origami Creations

We have been working on procedural reading and writing in class recently. We have learned through mini-lessons that when you read a procedure, you read it much differently than a fiction or chapter book. We have discussed that when you read a How-To you: read slowly, reread, self-talk, do a step at a time, check pictures, and read a section at a time. We gave this a try in creating a simple origami dog today. The students learned the importance of all of these strategies while they were creating their dog. This activity was a fabulous way for them to understand the importance of reading carefully and following exactly what the directions tell them. Below are a few links if you'd like to create other origami! The children LOVED making their dogs today and this is great practice for their reading skills. Enjoy!

Origami for Kids
Origami with video instructions

Halloween Slideshow

Halloween in 202!

We had a fabulous day in the classroom learning, while still having a bit of fun for Halloween. We read, "Say Boo" a precious story of a young ghost who could not say Boo. The children practiced using vivid vocabulary words to describe his feelings. We no longer say, "sad" or "bad". The character is now frustrated or gloomy. Please encourage your child to use more descriptive traits and feelings at home.

Then, we did some famous Miss Evanko word unscrambles. It was great to see that some of you really had a knack for figuring out the mixed up Halloween words. These can be quite challenging and your wheels were turning! Here are a few for fun. :)

nadyrnocc chitw talochoec tobocer

Finally, it was time for some goodies and crafts. We had a nice little snack with homemade rice crispies. The students created some spooky q-tip skeletons, worked on a word search and did a picture hunt. Below is a slideshow of the exciting day. I hope you all had a safe and wonderful Halloween. Sleep off that sugar!

Contraction Courage!

Have no fear! Contractions are here! We have been practicing how to combine two words to create a smaller word. This is an important skill as many children confuse plurals with contractions. We even learned a catchy song to sing about contractions! Contractions make our lives much easier when we write. Just pick up a book and start reading and you will see just how often you read a contraction. Below are some games and activities for contraction practice. See you next week super heroes!

Contraction matching and fill-in
Write the contraction
Quiz me!

Our Literacy Pumpkin!

As an annual event at Chets Creek, each classroom decides on a pumpkin to decorate based off of a book. Our class chose, "Boom Chica Rock." This story is very similar to Chica Chica Boom Boom but instead of letters, it involves numbers. The students worked very hard on painting, cutting,and creating the pumpkins. Thank you to the three mothers who came in to assist our kids in the process. Also, thank you parents who donated supplies and pumpkins. They turned out FABULOUS!

In an Inference read for lots of clues!

This week we have been discussing inferences. Inferencing is when a reader has to make an educated guess based off the clues in the text and their background knowledge. This is a deeper and more complex reading skill as the answers are not there for us. Readers have to think about their lives and their experiences to help.

story clues+ what we know=INFERENCE

For example, if a character got back their test and sunk deep in their seat and frowned, we would make an inference that they did poorly.

Here are a few sites that explain this skill and allow you to practice. You'd be amazed on how much you infer in your daily lives! Most of us make inferences without even realizing it.

Inference Riddles
What can you Infer?
Story with Inference Questions
Inference About Characters

We've got Worms!!!

No no, don't call the doctor, we are studying dirt and soil in science! Students have been learning about the importance of worms on the Earth. As good scientists practice observing, we have been observing a worms behavior in the habitat we built in class. So far, we have studied their appearance, seen them create burrows in the dirt, nest under the leaves and dig far into the soil. We have used our Science Notebook to record our hypothesis and findings.

Today in class we visited an amazing worm website that taught us more about the worm. Did you know that worms have 5 hearts? Who knew they were so loving! We learned new science vocabulary words and heard an interview from a worm himself! Pretty neat! Take a peek..... Worm Website

Here is another great informative site .. Worm Facts From a Worm

Maybe next time it rains go out searching for this amazing creature and ask your child some facts they have learned. :)

The Power of the Red Pen: Editing-Revising

As my wonderful skilled Writers finish up their narratives, we discussed the power of editing and revising. This step in the Writing Process is so important as they polish off their stories.

During this process, the students were taught basic editing marks. Then, they were reminded of the types of errors to look for: punctuation, spelling, and selecting the most precise word choice. They were also reminded to look for ways to improve the story by adding adjectives and similes. Students were put in pairs to practice fixing a pretend story with many errors! Here are a few samples of the mistakes they were able to find and correct.

They knew the beginning of
sentences and titles start with capital letters, 'i' should ALWAYS be capitalized, sentences don't start with 'and, but, or so', use different transition words, you begin a new paragraph when the setting changes or a new speaker talks, and also added adjectives and similes. What a difference editing and revising makes! Great job Writers! Now, we begin the final step: Publishing our hard work. :)

Unpack your adjectives!

BEEP BEEP BEEP...excuse this interruption, but Orientation tonight had a fabulous turn out! Thank you parents for your continued support and dedication to your precious children and our school. We truly are blessed to have such a kind and hard-working bunch of superheroes. We had a blast seeing all of you again and are amazed at how well the students are progressing.

NOW BACK TO OUR SCHEDULED PROGRAM ON ADJECTIVES!
This week the students have learned what an adjective is. They are words that describe a noun and tell more about the noun. They make our writings more interesting and descriptive. Adjectives also tell us how much and what kind.

For example: You can have a furry, fluffy, stinky, black, crazy dog. Or, you can have a brown, loving, fast, sneaky dog!

Here, learn a little! Adjective Lesson
Match the adjective to the noun
Make me a millionaire game!
Find the adjective

Unpack your Adjectives Song

Keep on adding those adjectives to your writings boys and girls! Let's create some style!

Superb Similes

Have no fear boring sentences! Super similes are here! Writers are learning this week how to add a nice kick to their narrative. They learned how to use a simile.
A simile is a comparison between two things using the words 'like' or 'as'. Similes are used to emphasize a point. They take two objects and compare them together.

For example: She runs as fast as a cheetah.
Meaning: Cheetahs run very fast. Therefore, the girl must be a quick runner!

Here is a great poem filled with similes. Ask your child what the similes are and what each one means. :)

Here’s the poem:

Predictable

Poor as a church mouse.
strong as an ox,
cute as a button,
smart as a fox.
thin as a toothpick,
white as a ghost,
fit as a fiddle,
dumb as a post.
bald as an eagle,
neat as a pin,
proud as a peacock,
ugly as tin.
When people are talking
you know what they'll say
as soon as they start to use a cliché.
- Bruce Lansky

Matching Common Similes

Quiz yourself on the meaning of similes

Vegas style simile practice

Rituals and Routines

As the second week of learning winds down, Mrs. Tsengas and I are continued to believe we MUST have 5th graders in our room. The students have done a fantastic job of learning the routines of the room. Expectations are essential for students to learn the first week and we wanted to set the right tone for the year. Students have learned how to transition between subjects smoothly, quickly and quietly. Many students earn tickets daily to reward their on task, respectful, and cooperative attitudes.

Most of our tools for workshops have been set up as well. Students are equipt with a reading/writing journal, writing folder, homework folder, book in a bag, and science notebook. Students began writing reading responses to books read to them and have started writing their first Narrative. On the math side, students have learned how to read graphs and charts and understand the importance of reading a key/legend. They have practiced daily Calendar Math to learn place value, patterns, and expanded form.

Next week students will begin having both reading and math homework. Look for these sheets to come home Monday. They will be checked Wednesday and Friday. However, it is best to keep the folder with your child daily as we send home classwork often and the homework folder is as easy place to store these papers. We look forward to another great week!

The Power of a Punctuation Mark

This week we reviewed the ways readers know a sentence or thought is ending. Often students will write pages without ever using a punctuation mark. Each thought or small group of words needs an ending mark to signal to the reader to take a breath. We see either a period, question mark, or exclamation mark. Skilled readers have to notice which mark is being used to know how to change their voice and organize what they have just read. We did an activity in class where I wrote the alphabet and placed different punctuation marks in random places to see if the students could identify the mark and adjust their reading speed and expression. It was a great activity and the children laughed quite a bit. Give it a try....it is not as easy as it sounds. :)

a b ! c d e . f g h i ? j k l m. n o p! q? r s t.

Test your skills!

Punctuation quiz

Fill in the right mark

Welcome Super Heroes!

THE HEROES HAVE LANDED! What an amazing first hour it was meeting all of our new learners today at orientation. We loved getting to meet all the new families and students. Thank you all for the bright smiles and positive attitudes. You all truly amazed us! Eager learners, happy faces, and high fives were everywhere. Mrs. Tsengas and I are so excited to get to know everyone much better next week.

Reminders:

-If you did not turn in the green emergency sheet, please send that in Monday.

-Send in supplies as you find them in the stores if they were out.

- Students will be receiving a t-shirt on Monday. Please wear your Chets Creek t-shirt on Tuesday.

Have a fantastic weekend and welcome to 2nd Grade!

Picking your Favorite Book

As the end of the year has come, this is just a reminder that tomorrow we will have pajama day and bring your favorite book to school. Growing up there was always a certain book we either read over and over and over again, or just not got tired of. I was in LOVE with Clifford books! (Ok, I still am.) I collected ever Clifford book I could find. One reason these books appealed to me was because I could relate to the character of Emily Elizabeth. I had a pretty large dog growing up that reminded me of Clifford. I enjoyed reading these books as Clifford was always getting into silly problems when he meant no harm. He was so lovable and Emily was always forgiving of him. I admired their relationship and secretly wished I had a 20 ft red dog!

Therefore, tomorrow please bring a favorite book to school to share your memories. If you do not have a book at home, feel free to browse the many books in my library you can use. Make sure you have a few reasons to support your claim and be ready to read a little snip-it of the book for us!

Meet the Peet..Bill Peet that is!

"I drew for hours at a time just for the fun of it, and yet I was hoping to find some practical reason to draw for the rest of my life. But when I entered grade school, my drawing habit suddenly became a problem." Bill Peet

Last week we began a new author study on Bill Peet. We learned many exciting facts about his life and style of writing by exploring his books today. During our author study we will examine his special crafts, techniques, reoccurring trends, and themes.

Have you ever seen any of these movies?
The films listed below are movies were Bill Peet did storyboards for.


THE SWORD AND THE STONE
101 DALMATIANS
SLEEPING BEAUTY
PETER PAN
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
CINDERELLA
SONG OF THE SOUTH
DUMBO
FANTASIA
PINOCCHIO
JUNGLE BOOK

Find out more about this talented man at his website below!

Bill Peet's Website

Ask your child which books they have read so far and what they enjoyed about them!

Take a moment this weekend to reflect back on how much your child has grown as a reader in their lives. They went from using pictures to figure out the words, to being able to analyze characters, plot, and theme. Students really have grown tremendously this year. Our book conversations are so much richer and deeper now. I am so proud of everyone and know the FCAT will be no sweat. Have a fun filled weekend and get a good night's rest Sunday. Get ready to ROCK THE FCAT!

Here's a fun little poem that was shared to me by a friend....

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE FCAT

Twas the night before FCAT, when all through the school

Everyone was ready, and feeling so cool.

The students were rested and relaxed for class,

With an attitude like this, they knew they'd all pass.

The children were sleeping all snug in their beds,

While visions of reading and math raced through their heads.

Mrs. Phillips luckily was not up through the night,

Knowing her students would get FCAT their best fight.

The morning of FCAT all the students were here,

Well-rested, full bellies, with nothing to fear.

When out in the hall there was such a clatter,

They sprang form their seast to see what was the matter.

It was the heels of Ms. Evanko and Mrs. Tsengas running down the hall, Pencils, snacks, books, "Do you have it all?"

K-2 will tiptoe down the hall,

Knowing you're thinking inside those walls.

Students covered the walls with posters of good luck,

3-5th grade, hoped the knowledge has struck.

At the end of the day when the testing is done,

We can all go outside and have some fun.

One short week of the FCAT ache,

When guess what's next, it's summer break!

FCAT Notes of Encouragement

Dear Parents of my Wonderful, Intelligent Students,

As you probably know already, the FCAT testing will be the week of April 11th. This is your child's chance to prove how much they have grown as a reader and mathematician the last few years. The most important things you can do to help your child on these days is ensure they get plenty of rest, relaxation, laughs, eat healthy meals, and arrive to school on time.

One other piece of this puzzle is offering support and encouragement. On Monday you will be receiving an envelope with 4 blank note cards. Each day they will read one of your messages. On each card please write a special message to your child. The message can be a reminder to do their best, use their strategies, think carefully, but most of all that you love and care for them no matter what. This can be a very stressful time but nothing relieves that stress knowing you are there for them.

Please send the envelope and 4 messages in by the 8th so we can get it ready for them. Write your child's name on the front and seal it tight with love!

Mrs. Tsengas and I are so proud of everyone and know they are going to really shine! Enjoy your spring break and we look forward to seeing you all back in a week!

Revisit your Vocabulary skills

Last week we had been reviewing vocabulary skills that are essential for superb readers. We were practicing breaking apart words to discover the meanings of common prefixes and suffixes. Also, we have been studying synonyms and antonyms as well. Students come across homophone, similes, and idioms daily, which is why these topics have been taught.
One benefit of this exposure is that many students transfer this knowledge into their writings. Their writings have grown so much after learning these vocabulary skills. Way to go boys and girls! I can't wait to read your Narratives as we begin them this week.

What some extra practice on several vocab skills? Below is a link that has MANY games for different vocab skills like idioms, synonyms, and root words. This is wonderful practice!

Vocab Games

What's the REAL message?

In our book of the month, The Plot Chickens, the main character was driven. She was driven by a goal and wanted to become a writer. She did not let others who told her she is, 'just a chicken', stop her from achieving her dream. We discussed afterwards what we thought the 'theme' or 'big message' the author was trying to teach us.

Here were several of ideas I threw at them:
-Even chickens can write stories.
-G0 to different places to try to get a story published
-Do everything yourself
-Be happy with what you have done

Now, even though some of those ideas were indeed small lessons the chicken learned, there were LARGER themes and messages. We then discussed what she learned about HER LIFE and how it is changed after this event and came up with these:

-Don't let others tell you what you can/can't do
-Believe in yourself even when no one else does
-Fight for what you want in life and never give up


Now, these were the 25 cents or quarter themes. Often students tend to stick to what we call 1cent or penny themes. There are themes that are either directly stated in the text or are lessons just that character could learn only from that story. We want readers to dig deep in their wallet and find the messages EVERYONE can take from the story. Quarter themes can be related to all situations in life, not just the context of the story.
As your child reads each night, ask them to find the 25 cent theme or discuss some of the messages they have learned from their book.

Here is as a wonderful site that explains common themes in fiction stories. Most books tend to fit under one of these categories.

Theme Site

Prefixes and Suffixes

Grab your root word do si do! Swing it to the front, Swing it to the back! YEEHAW! Giving our root words a new direction is what we have been doing in class. Root words are smallest meaningful 'main' word inside of a larger word. For example, in the word biggest the root word is 'big". "est" would be the suffix meaning 'the most'.

Prefixes go before a root word and change the meaning. Suffixes go after the root word and change the meaning. The key is knowing that these small chunks of words change the root word. Excellent readers need to be able to quickly spot the root word to help them decide what the word means. Readers will see many of these common prefixes and suffixes throughout their life so it is very important to learn them at an early age. Knowing how to break about a 'scary' large word and finding meaning in it, is a key in successful reading. Enjoy the below games and activities!

Prefix quiz
Prefix practicing
Suffix practicing

FCAT Night

Thank you for all who could attend the FCAT informational night. We hope the presentation answered questions and concerns you have about the FCAT. If you did not attend, your child will be bringing home a packet about the information that was discussed.

Also, here is the Florida Dept. of Edu. website. On it you will find FAQ's that most parents have. Please read through as you may have very similar questions. It also explains the difference in the test from last year.

Florida Department of Education

Remember, encouragement and support and key to helping your child. They have been exposed to the content and have practiced the skills all year. Keep reviewing old tests and visit the websites in your packet for extra practice. If you have any further questions feel free to email myself or Mrs. Tsengas.