Oral Reports

Today we did our International Oral Reports.  All of the kids did a fantastic job.  I am so proud of these kiddos.  Here are some pictures from their morning.  They all agree that standing behind the podium make them feel like the president.

December 13, 2015

We have a packed week in room 6.  Here is the run down of what is going on:

• We are doing our end of the unit testing on Monday and Tuesday.  Please be sure your kiddos get a good night sleep and a healthy breakfast to get those brain cells moving!  
• On Thursday we are doing our oral reports. I listened to them practice on Friday and I was impressed. They did a great job!
• Thursday is also pajama day.  Please make sure what they wear is warm enough and safe.  Students should wear shoes and not slippers.
• Friday we have our Student of the Month assembly at 8:20.  We will have our international celebration after that.  
• Friday is also a short day, so don't forget to pick up your student at 1:00!

There is no ELA homework over vacation, but please have you kids read (for fun) over the break.

I hope you all have a fantastic vacation and a wonderful holiday! 

We Still Need Food For Our Party!

To celebrate the end of our unit we will be having an international celebration on Friday, December 18th.  

If you would like to contribute a food, please contact me via email at vhudson@navigatoschools.org. We also need things like cups, plates, and small bottled waters.

Please do not bring any food that has not been pre-approved by the school ahead of time.  We want international dishes, not cupcakes and Christmas cookies.  The student that brings the dish should be able to share with the class where the dish came from.

2nd Grade International Celebration

We are currently working on international reports. Each group has a specific area of study and then each student in the group is preparing a oral report on a  topic from that area.  We will be giving our oral reports in class on Thursday, December 17th. 

To celebrate the end of our unit we will be having an international celebration on Friday, December 18th. 

Students are welcome to wear international costumes to school on the 18th.  We will be watching the movie “An American Tail” and enjoying some international foods.

If you would like to contribute a food, please contact me via email at vhudson@navigatoschools.org. We also need things like cups, plates, and small bottled waters.

Please do not bring any food that has not been pre-approved by the school ahead of time.  We want international dishes, not cupcakes and Christmas cookies.  The student that brings the dish should be able to share with the class where the dish came from.

We Need A Parent Volunteer

Second grade needs a parent to sort Gator Bucks each week. It is really easy, it just takes a little time. It can even be done at home in front of the tv!  All that is involved is picking up the Gator Bucks from room  6 on Friday and make a tally sheet for the amount of bucks each student has earned.  The tally sheet just needs to be returned to me on Monday morning. Please let me know if you are up for the job!

10 Tips for Reading Improvement

1. When reading together, use your finger as a guide; when your child mispronounces a word, tap your finger on the word so he knows to back and try again. If the child can not get the word, cover it up with your finger, only revealing the parts (one part at a time), get your child to sound out the syllables.

2. When you no longer need to guide your child (using your finger), get two books (identical) so that you won't need to share when reading together.

3. When reading to your child, make it interesting and set a good example; use inflections in your voice, laugh when you think something is funny, get excited about the story. Ask your child questions, such as what they think will happen next, or if they think the main character made the right decision.

4. After reading a book rent the movie (if there is one) and watch it together. Ask the child if they imagined the story like it was in the movie, ask what was different and which one they liked better.

5. Preview the chapter beforehand, writing down any word that you think will be unfamiliar to your child (such as "peer", "reluctant", "vast", etc.) and talk about these words before reading (better yet, look them up in a dictionary). Point out these words when you come to them in the book.

6. Don't put a TV in your child's room; the goal is to get them to read more, a TV will only lessen the chance of reading before bedtime. 

7. Bring your child to the library or book store; make them participate in selecting a book to read. Also, pick up a magazine that they would find interesting. Use your computer; there are many great web sites that are great reading and writing motivators. 

8. Increase your child's vocabulary; watch documentaries, visit museums, engage in quality conversations. 

9. Be a role model; read books yourself. If you enjoy fiction, tell your child about the book you're reading. Let them know what's going on in your story. 

10. Encourage your child to write about what he or she read. Have him/her draw pictures and explain to you what the story was about. This is a good time to introduce concepts such as plot, climax and resolution. Discuss the characters; who was the good or bad "guy". Basically, open up a dialogue so your child can share what was read.

Sprit Day

Our next spirit day is this coming Thursday. The theme this month is sports.  A flyer went home today with all the details.