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May 2009 

Welcome to Mrs. Black's 2nd Grade - Room 106

Happy Springtime!

Crownhill Home page: http://schoolnotes.com/98312/calendar.html

Crownhill school day classes begin at 9:05 A.M.

School breakfasts are served starting at 8:35 A.M.

The new school lunch price for '08-'09 is $2.50.  Milk is $0.50.  

       We believe schools and families are partners who work together to help students grow. Daily checking of the student's Daily Take Home Folders, and backpacks is the quickest way to keep current with school activities and expectations.   Some helpful hints and ideas can be found at www.pta.org/.  Please do consider joining our Crownhill School PTA.  Each person doing a little becomes a lot of doing.  Please see the Crownhill School Calendar for up to date meetings and times at:  http://www.crownhillpta.org/

Please help your student to clean out his or her Daily Take Home Folder and the back pack.  Any pack should be almost empty and be very light in weight.  Thank you.

         Please phone the school office at 360.473.4200 to leave important messages. Children enter classes at 9:05 A.M.  Lessons begin at 9:10 A.M. each school day.  I check my email before school at about 8:45 A.M. and after 3:45 P.M.  Phone calls to a room after 9 A.M. will most likely be answered by the voice mail system.  So, please contact the office for reported absences and, or changes in plans.

Office Phone: 360.473.4200

Second Grade Room 106 phone: 360.473.4266  =  Mrs. Black 

                             SPRINGTIME 2009 at school:

                 Cookie Dough orders should arrive June 11th.

                                 Field Day is June 12th. 

A Second Grade FIELD TRIP PICNIC is being planned for June 17th.  BUSSES WILL TAKE STUDENTS TO THE PARK.  Parents will pick up at 1:30 PM.  This is the Wednesday just before school is out for the summer. More details will be coming soon.

Last day of school this year is June 18th at 12:30 PM.

Math: Currently we are working on adding and subtracting double digit numbers that require "regrouping, trading, or borrowing."  Students are writing their own "Number Stories" in which they make up a numerical problem, draw a picture of it with labels, ask a question and make a number sentence or number model (equation) for the problem. PLAN is an acronym we use to remember all of the parts. P = Picture, L = labels, A = Answer, N = Number model or mumber sentence (equation).

Math continues with FRACTIONS, and multiplication.

Writing: Another emphasis is on extending writing to at least two paragraphs. Content is most important, but the writing conventions are important too. CUPS stands for C= Capital letters where they belong, U = Usage of English grammar. P = Penmanship for clear and legible writing. S = accurate spelling at the grade level.

Social Studies: Salt Dough Land Form Relief Maps as part of our Social Studies Unit on Maps and Globes have been sent home.

Native American Social Studies have begun.  We had a wonderful Native American reader share books and information.

FOSS Science Kits: Physical Science, Plants.  Ask your student about the plants.

We have been able to experiment with an electronic student response system the children and I refer to as "the Clickers."  Ask your student why and how we have used them.

Birthdays: Our class looks forward to celebrating each child's birthday.  You may send a lunch time treat (cupcakes, cookies, donuts, ets.) on a special day.  Please just let me know so that I can plan for it.  We can celebrate with classmates even when birthdays fall on vacation or week-end days. Donating a book to the Classroom Library is another and long lasting way to celebrate.  Inside the book cover we place a note letting the reader know the book is a Gift Book In Honor of ......'s birthday.

Reminders for high achievement:

• Read every day.
• Keep practicing school skills at home. 
• For the best results, keep daily practice sessions short and pleasant. Practice with games as much as possible.
• Click on the www links below to see the most recent Grade Level Expectations in Washington state = State Standards www.k12.wa.us/
• Did you know there are many WASL tests to be taken before High School?  You can find more WASL information at www.k12.wa.us
• Reading:  The public library has lists of grade level books for all grades.  Re-reading the same story several times is wonderful practice. Reading song lyrics is great too.  The Public Library has books on tape and DVD' s, and Videos too. On the World Wide Web try out www.starfall.com   Starfall has many short, creative, and fun reading practice opportunities.  Let me know if you enjoy using this web site.

You can keep in touch with the Pacific Science Center events in Seattle at http://pacificsciencecenter.org

Games, Games, Games.  Play as many learning games as possible to practice skills.  You can make games at home to play for fun.  Flatten a cereal box or a cracker box to use as a sturdy gameboard.  Kids LOVE to make up their own boards and games.  Caps from soap or beverage containers can be used for game board place markers.  With a little glue or tape ,junk mail images can provide pictures for the game board.

At school our focus is on learning.  After school try asking your child, "What was one new thing that you learned today?"  Help your child to recall one especially happy moment in his or her day.  It is always fun for children to share with family members and with friends. 

Remember: Parents are the first and the best teachers of their children.     

Teachers can help, but no one can replace loving families to help children blossom. 

• CH Upcoming Events Calendar The MOST CURRENT Upcomings events calendar
• Ask Jeeves Easy to use search engine. Just type in your question.
• All Kinds of Minds Dr. Melvin Levine, as seen on Oprah, has detailed help with all learning skills
• Love and Logic Many useful tips. Click on parents and then on articles, for ideas available without purchase.
• Prongo Free to use learning games
• Figure This Challenges for mathematics fun
• Science Buddies Help for Science Fair Projects
• Math Cafe Practice math skills on line with immediate responses
• Jan Brett Artist and author Jan Brett has many beautiful and helpful learning aides.
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction State Standards and WASL release items can be found here.
• Starfall Great reading fun
• Pacific Science Center Seattle Science learning fun
• Parent Teacher Association Parents as Partners -resources
• Open Court 1st grade
• Open Court 2nd grade