Hopefully, you all noticed the “Computer Passport” I slipped in the back of your child’s homework folder.  Please keep it there so you will always have easy access to all that log -in information. (Oops, I just realized that I left off spellingcity.com/carroll2ndgrade.  Sorry about that).

On that “Computer Passport” are two new opportunities for language arts learning: Lexia and myON.  Lexia is a tremendous resource for skill development in reading and writing that you can access from any computer.  It will adjust to the student’s needs, much like thinkcentral.com.  The more you use it, the more you learn.  I can monitor each student’s progress and select detailed lessons to target skills that need more specific instruction. How cool is that?

MyON is a literacy program that matches book titles to student interests and reading level.   It provides anytime access to thousands of excellent digital books.  So, put your e-readers to good use when your family is on the go. Download a book or two for free!

You can filter the personalized list to include only titles from Scholastic Reading Counts (SRC).  That way, students are reading  books that are connected to our school-wide incentive program and they’re ready to earn more points when they take the comprehension tests on campus.  (You can only test from a school computer.)

I hope you’ll try out both of these exciting learning opportunities.

I have decided that we shouldn’t wait to show off our hard work until the end of the year.  That’s why I have chosen Wednesday, November 20th as our first trimester Class Open House.  Please plan to join me between 4 PM and 7 PM in room E-10.  Bring the family for a tour of our room. I think you’ll  be impressed with our accomplishments so far.

Mrs. Petuya

In social studies, we are learning about families now and in the past. Students came home on Friday with directions and lined paper for our latest project.  Each student is to choose a significant event for each year of their life. They are to write a short descriptive statement and include an illustration or photo of each event.  Please decorate the cover page and mount each of the event pages on colored construction paper.  At school we will put our pages together for a spectacular timeline display.  This project is due on Oct 18th.  Early submissions are welcome!

Don’t be late because a follow-up project will due by Nov 1st. That one will involve interviewing a grandparent or other “senior” member of the family, and creating a family tree.  I love history and look forward to hearing yours!

Mrs. Petuya

Thank you for turning in your permission slips and payments for our upcoming trip to the American River Water Education Center at Folsom Dam.  I have been there several times and never get tired of it.  I know we will all enjoy it.

HOWEVER, due to the government shutdown, ARWEC is currently closed and all field trips are on hold.  So, we will have to wait patiently to find out if we can still go on October 17th. I will send out a class-wide email on the 16th. If we miss our date, I will work with their trip coordinator to find an alternative time.  If the trip can’t be rescheduled, I will refund your payment.

Thank you for being flexible!
Mrs. Petuya

What a fun morning we had!  Big THANK YOUS are owed to our awesome PTA and extra parent helpers. Sophia’s mom and step-dad, Jaden O’s dad, and Zoe’s mom were there to encourage us, count our laps, and pass out Otter Pops. Yum! I don’t have the official results, but I estimate that our class ran about 200 laps and raised about $200.  Wow!  Thank you for supporting our library!

I will post our jog-a-thon photos shortly.  Look for them on our Shutterfly account.

Mrs. Petuya

Some students may have misplaced their copies of the poems, so I am posting them here. We’ll be listening to each other recite their choice of poem on Friday. 

September Poem

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
except for February.

Books to the Ceiling
by Arnold Lobel

Books to the ceiling,
books to the sky.
My piles of books are
a mile high!
How I love them!
How I need them!
I’ll have a long beard
by the time I read them.

This week we will be joining with all of A-track and B-track to jog to raise money to support our precious library.  Be bold and ask friends and family for donations.  This fundraiser directly benefits every student and teacher on campus by keeping our library open.

So, wear your running shoes and we’ll have a great time! Bring in your donation envelope by next week.

P.S. If any parents would like to help, please let me know or contact our PTA through the link on the lower side bar (MyCarrollPTA). They’d be happy to hear from you!

I am impressed with how many of my students have finished ALL of the current Soar to Success assignments AND the MegaMath games AND the Curious George practice. You should be very proud of this accomplishment.  In order to keep up with you, I have searched out some new resources for you to try.  I have assigned iTools and Destination Math activities. They were fun for me, so I hope you’ll enjoy them too.

Remember to work on your current math assignments for at least 10 minutes EVERY day.  We will be starting Chapter 3 soon and that means another set of Soar to Success skills will be posted in about week or so.
Joyfully,
Mrs. Petuya

Sept 26: Picture Day
Sept 27: Bingo Night at Carroll!  Lots of fun and prizes! 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Oct 1: ARWEC Field trip permission slips, lunch orders and payments due.
Oct 4: Minimum Day. Dismissal is at 12:30 PM.
Oct 17: Field trip to the American River Water Ed. Center at Folsom Dam 8:30 AM -1:45 PM.

Last week flew by so quickly that I couldn’t even catch my breath to leave a post.  We had 2 special visitors on our first day back on track.  We met Snickers and Kevin, a cow and calf from the Dairy Council’s outreach program.  We learned quite a bit about cows and even had a chance to pet Kevin. Did you know a cow’s stomach has four chambers and they chew their food twice?

This week we had a special assembly with Phil Tulga.  He taught us about music, sound, and vibrations.  He even blew out a candle by playing a drum!  philtulga.com has more info and games to play as you learn about sound.

In Science, we are studying the life cycle of plants.  We investigated some lima beans today and discovered the embryo inside, ready to grow into a new plant.

We have also enjoyed sharing our Book Bag Projects.  The puppets and letters and new endings have been so creative.  Every student was well prepared to tell about the chapter book they read.  The projects are now on display in our room and look fantastic!