Mrs. Porter’s

Weekly Newsletter

Week of May 20-24,2013

 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Wednesday, May 22^nd-8:00 Living Rosary/8:30 Mass

Thursday, May 23rd-Box Top dress down day
Friday, May 21^st- NED assembly 9:00AM

 

Two more weeks!  I’m wrapping up the end of the year assessments and plan on sending home your child’s results next week.  Please watch for these important papers to be coming home in the take home folder.  If your child scored below grade level in any area, I highly encourage some extra summer classes or tutoring to prepare for third grade.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

 

I was informed that our class earned the second place prize in the most recent Box Top competition.  Way to go!  So, we will be celebrating with a dress down day on Thursday, May 23^rd.  The students may come to school that day dressed in appropriate out of uniform clothing.  Thank you for all of your hard work in cutting those Box Tops.  We look forward to the school rewards that come from this.

 

As we wind down the second grade year, I do ask that the students continue to keep track of what they’re reading at home and what First in Math game they are on.  They all should have an index card listing appropriate games that they should be playing on First in Math.   Thanks for helping with this.  We are very close to getting ahead of Ms. Hill’s class to be the top class at Holy Spirit!  I would love to end the year on top!!

 

WEEK AT A GLANCE:

Reading-Daily 5/Small reading groups

Math-Tables

Science-Motion

Religion-Rosary/Mary 

Mrs. Porter’s

Weekly Newsletter

May 13-17, 2013

 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

 

Tuesday, May 14^th-PTO meeting 6-8PM

Wednesday, May 15^th-All school Mass-8:30AM/Rosary 8:10AM

Friday, May 17^th-Mrs. Porter’s class mass-8:30AM

 

NEWS AND NOTES

 

Congratulations to all of our First Communicants.  I am very proud of you and hope that you are always as excited to receive the Eucharist as you were the first time.

 

Our class will have our individual class mass on Friday, May 17^th.  All are welcome to join us.  After all of the excitement of First Communion, this will be a nice time to worship together with our class only. 

 

It’s hard to believe that we only have three weeks left!!  What a great year we have had.  I am wrapping up several items in the next week including the WRAP reading assessments and the IREAD2.  I will be sending home the information soon so that you can see your child’s results.  If your child fell below the second grade goals, I do suggest that you look for some summer classes or tutoring so that he/she can be prepared for the third grade.

 

There is a great website where kids can practice math skills over the summer.  It is www.ixl.com and it has all kinds of math practice that aligns to the common core standards.  Check it out!  Also, don’t forget to encourage your child to work on First in math each night and visit www.technologyrocksseriously.com for some seasonal fun. 

 

Our final book order of the year came home with your child a few days ago.  Book orders are due by Wednesday, May 15^th. 

 

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderful mothers!

 

Thank you for all that you do.

 

 

 

WEEK AT A GLANCE

 

Reading- We will be making a class dictionary and finishing up the WRAP and IREAD2 assessments/Daily 5

Spelling-Final Unit of the Year!

Religion- Chapter 16-We Pray like Jesus

Math- Complete measurement unit-quiz on Wednesday; Review tables and graphs

Science-Motion experiments

Mrs. Porter's Newsletter
May 6-10, 2013

 

Calendar of Events

Sunday, May 5^th-Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Wednesday, May 8th- First Communion Mass-8:30AM

Thursday, May 9^th-Annual Fund Dinner

Friday, May 10th- Eight Grade Play-10:45AM/Dismissal 12:00PM

 

Important News and Notes

Our second graders have been celebrating a very special time in their lives.  They have joined all of us at the Table of the Lord in Holy Eucharist.  Here are some notes about our own celebration here at Holy Spirit to honor these second graders.

 

The mass will be held on Wednesday, May 8th at 8:30 AM.  Everybody is encouraged and welcome to attend this celebration.

 

Students will need to come to school dressed in their Communion outfits on Wednesday morning.  We will change immediately after the picture with the boys in Ms. Hill’s room and the girls in Mrs. Porter’s room.  The students are allowed to be out of uniform on this day as long as it’s appropriate for school.  If you are able to attend, please help your child get dressed and take his/her Communion outfit with you.  If you are unable to attend, parent volunteers will help your child.  Please send an appropriate bag to hang his/her outfit in during the school day.

 

A special Holy Spirit School Communion picture will be taken immediately after mass.  Many of you have already sent in a picture order to the religion education office.  If you have not sent in an order, you can still order pictures, even on the day of the celebration.   It usually takes about 20-30 minutes to take the pictures.

 

There will be a pizza party in honor of our students after the picture is taken and we are changed.  Thank you Mrs. Welborn and Mrs. Smith for organizing this lunch.  We are hopeful that we will be able to enjoy lunch outside!

 

During the afternoon, we will be doing some fun activities that correlate with First Communion.  One of the activities is a prayer service about bread.  If you would like to donate some bread for the kids to eat during the prayer service, please send it in that morning. 

 

Thank you for helping us make this another special day for our second graders.  It has been a busy and important year!

 

Some additional information:

 

The annual fund dinner will take place on Thursday, May 9^th.  I know the eighth graders have been working extra hard on their performance so it should be fun.  I’m looking forward to experiencing my first annual fund dinner.  I’ve heard great things about it.  School will dismiss at 12:00 noon on May 10^th and the students will be able to watch the performance that morning at 10:45.

 

We have been working very hard on Benchmarks and IREAD2 testing this week.  These results will help us know what the students need to focus on in third grade.

 

Finally, I will not be sending home a First in Math sheet this month, but I want all students to work on the following games:

 

Bonus 2:                                                        Know and Show 3 & 4:

Grand Slam-Add/Subtract                             Numbers Zoo                  

First to 20                                                     Get a Clue

Deep Sea Sequence                                        Yakity Yak

                                                                      You Rule

                                                                     

These games do correlate with the second grade common core standards.  Thank you so much!  I’m hoping that our class can finish the year with the First in Math trophy!

Mrs. Porter’s

Second Grade Newsletter

April 29-May 3, 2013

                                                                                  

Calendar of Events

Sunday, April 28^th-First Communion Mass-12:00PM

Thursday, May 2^nd-Wax Museum 12:15-1:30PM in the gym

Friday, May 3^rd-May Crowning Mass-8:30AM

Wednesday, May 8^th-First Communion School Mass-8:30AM

Thursday, May 9^th-Annual Fund Dinner

 

News and Notes

Spring Fever has hit Room 28!  I can tell when we’re at the end of school, because there are a lot more missing assignments and homework is not as big of a priority.  I do understand that there are many activities going on outside of school.  My family has baseball games to go to, and neighbors to play with.   However, please continue to remind your child that school is most important.   All homework that is listed in the planner should be complete and put back in the take home folder to be brought to school.  I continue to expect a book (or other reading material) title written in the reading portion of the planner.  Second grade homework should take 30-45 minutes at the most-including reading and First in Math time.  Thank you so much for helping out with this!  Let’s make the last month of second grade great!!

 

I listened to all of the students’ wax museum speeches today.  Many of them are completely ready to go and have been working hard.  I have about half of the students who need to work a little more this weekend to be prepared.  Make sure that you are having your child practice out loud to you without looking at the paper.  The Wax Museum will take place on Thursday, May 2^nd in the gym from 12:15-1:30.  All students will need to bring costumes and props to school that morning.  They will then change into the costumes before the wax museum begins.  Please stop by!

 

I have had some parents graciously offer to pick up some pizza to celebrate after our First Communion mass on May 8th.  Students will be wearing their Communion outfits that morning and we will have a group picture following the mass.  That afternoon will be spent participating in some fun “Jesus Day” stations.  Parents are welcome to stick around that day to help out.  I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the students receive this special sacrament on Sunday for the first time.  If the students would like to bring in one favorite gift they received for First Communion, we will allow them to share it with the class on Monday.

 

 

Reading- WRAP/IREAD2/Benchmarks-Daily 5

Spelling-Unit 25

Religion- We Carry on the Work of Jesus

Math- Timelines/Elapsed Time

Science-Motion with Zoomers

 

 

Mrs. Porter’s Newsletter

April 22-26, 2013

 

Calendar of Events

 

Saturday, April 20^th-First Communion 11:00AM

Wednesday, April 24^th- Mass 8:30AM

Thursday, April 25^th-Make sure your speech is memorized!

         

NEWS AND NOTES

 

I’m looking forward to watching our first group of First Communicants receive the sacrament this Saturday morning.  I know that the students are excited and ready to go.  You may want to do a quick review of the proper technique before tomorrow morning.  We have asked the kids to make sure that hands are clean and clothes are tidy.  The procedures that we mentioned were:

 

*Lift kneeler quietly with your hands.

*Keep hands in a prayerful position until the person in front of you is receiving.

*Get hands ready by putting the hand that you write with underneath the other hand to make a special cup for the host.

*Give a small bow.

*Reach up so the Eucharistic minister does not have to bend down.

*Say “Amen!”

*When the host is in your mouth, please do not chew it like bubble gum.

*The sign of the cross is optional.

*Put hands back in a prayerful position all the way to your seat.

*Kneel and thank Jesus for coming to you.

 

If your child will be receiving from the cup, we told the students that they just need to let it touch their lips and that is good enough.  Enjoy this special day with your family and friends!  Remember that our school celebration of First Communion with take place on May 8^th at the 8:30AM mass.

 

I am very proud of the hard work that most of my students have done on their wax museum packets!  Now, it’s time to get ready for the speech.  If your child’s speech is really long and hard to memorize, he/she may take out some less significant parts.  Please make sure that the most important parts of the person’s life are covered:  Birth, why he/she is famous, and death.  Your child needs to be practicing the speech every night so it’s memorized by Thursday. Thank you for helping with this large project. 

 

This week, our class lost the First in Math trophy to Ms. Hill’s class.  But, we can get it back!  Every student should be working on his/her challenges for 10 minutes each night.  Good job Brayden Moyars for being Holy Spirit’s Player of the Month in First in Math!!

 

Don’t forget to send in those box tops!

 

Remember to celebrate the earth this month.  Ask your child how he/she can take care of our earth.

 

Benchmark/WRAP/ and IREAD2 testing will start taking place the week of April 28^th.

 

WEEK AT A GLANCE

 

Reading-Small group/QAR strategies/inferencing

Spelling-Unit 24-review long vowel spellings

Religion-We carry on the word of Jesus

Math- Measuring with rulers-Standard and Metric

Science-Invesigation 2-Motion

Mrs. Porter’s Newsletter

April 15-19, 2013

Calendar of Events

Tuesday, April 16-Friday, April 19^th-Spring Book Fair

Tuesday, April 16^th-Field Trip to Benjamin Harrison-Bring sack lunch.

Wednesday, April 17th-Mass 8:30AM/

First Communion practice for April 20^th 6:00PM

Thursday, April 18^th-Wax Museum packets are due.

                             Special person’s day from 9:00-10:30.

Saturday, April 20^th- First Communion

NEWS AND NOTES

The book fair will take place next week from Tuesday-Friday.  These students will be visiting the book fair during library time on Tuesday(12:55-1:35).  They can bring money that day to shop, or they can just look and make a wish list for another day.  Family night will take place on Wednesday, April 17^th from 6:00-8:00.  Please contact Angie Burck at angieburck@sbcglobal.net if you are able to help with the book fair.

An invitation letter for Special person’s day is coming home with your child today.  Each student should be inviting one special person to join them the morning of April 18^th.  Special visitors will go to the church between 8:45-9:00 and the students will meet them there.

First Communion is coming very soon!  On Wednesday, we practiced receiving the unconsecrated host once more in the church.  We did not practice with the wine, but we do encourage the students to just take a sip for their First Communion.  Obviously, it’s optional and ultimately up to you.  The kids seem to be pretty prepared and of course very excited.  Again, we will be celebrating this special sacrament with the school on Wednesday, May 8^th and would like to see an adult representative for every child attend that special mass.  After mass we will have an informal reception and then the students can change into school clothes.  It would be nice if each student has somebody there to help him/her change and then take the Communion outfit home.  We will be asking for help with the reception-room moms.:)

Each student has given me the name of their person for the wax museum.  I did talk to the other teachers and we decided that it would be best to stick to the directions which were to pick a person that is no longer living and an American.  Thank you for helping your child with this project!  The packets are due on Thursday, April 18^th so I encourage each child to do a page every night.

Do not forget to attend the First Communion practice on Wednesday night at 6:00 if your child is receiving Communion on April 20^th!

WEEK AT A GLANCE

Reading-Inferencing/learning QAR(Question Answer relationships) skills

              **There will be no spelling this week.  We are ahead and I would

      like to take some extra time to talk about inferencing and QAR

      strategies.

Religion- Chapter 8-We Go Forth

Math- Measurement-Doubles plus 1 fact practice

Science-Balance and Motion

Mrs. Porter’s Second Grade Newsletter

April 8-12, 2013

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Tuesday, April 9^th-April book order due

Wednesday, April 10^th-8:30AM All School Mass

Thursday, April 11^th-Famous person due for Wax Museum

                             Happy Birthday Wilson!

Friday, April 12^th-Field trip permission slip due

NEWS AND NOTES

The April book order is due on Tuesday, April 9^th.  Our online code is GV3KZ if you would like to order books that way.  If you do send a book order to school, please send a check instead of cash.  It makes the ordering process much easier.  Thanks!

I sent home your child’s book report biographies with the information about our wax museum.  Your child doesn’t have to do the same person for the wax museum, but he/she can.  If you have another idea, especially of somebody famous from Indiana, that would be fine too.  The person needs to be decided by Thursday, April 11^th and then your child will have a week to prepare the packet.  Thank you for your help with this project.  The wax museum will take place on Thursday, May 2^nd from 12:15-1:30.  The students will need to bring a costume depicting their person.  Props are encouraged as well!

Holy’s Spirit’s special person day is going to take place on Thursday, April 18^th.  Students in grades K-3 are asked to invite just one special person to visit our school from 9:00-10:30 that morning.

First Communion is coming soon!  We have been hard at work preparing for this special time.  Take time after mass one day to talk about all of the things that you see in our church.  Our special school mass will take place on Wednesday, May 8^th.  The students will come to school dressed in their Communion outfits and we will take a group picture after mass. 

Reading-Conclude sequencing, paragraph writing/set-up-Daily 5 and guided reading groups

Spelling-Unit 23-Word Preview Monday, Test due Friday

Religion- We Share a Meal-Practice receiving the Eucharist

Math-Measurement-measuring accurately, inch bricks

Science-Balance using arches, triangles, and mobiles