The most up-to-date information about assignments, events, etc.

Standing Assignments

Reading Log: Students write the book's title and 2 - 3 sentences about what they read. We will begin the Genre and Pages from and to sections later in the semester. This Log is signed by a parent and returned to school every Friday in the red Homework Folder that came home on Monday. I log this information in the grade book, then send a new log to you on Mondays. Children are rewarded for bringing this log every Friday of the month! Please help your student write 2-3 sentences about the book they read, NOT copying from the book, but retelling what was read.

Purpose of Reading Log: The Edmond Public School District requires students to read a minimum of 20 minutes per night. There is a grade on the quarterly report card, "Completes Home Reading", which represents this reading. The purpose of the Reading Log is to document a book read each night to enable a fair and accurate reported grade on each student's report card.

Monday Homework folder:

A red Homework folder will come home every Monday. In this folder, you will find the following:

Spelling & Sentence Dictation List (for Friday’s “Show What You Know”)

Class Newsletter

Accelerated Math Exercise Packet / This packet is to be worked on nightly and returned with the completed ScanTron in the Homework folder on Friday. This is NOT to be completed in one sitting but rather in small, nightly increments to reinforce the skills we have worked on in class.

Weekly Reading Log

1 Spelling & 1 other practice page to reinforce skills we're working on this week

As homework and the AM packet and Reading Log are returned EVERY FRIDAY, students are rewarded. The assignments along with the District required 20 minutes of At-Home reading should take NO longer than 30 minutes.

On Thursdays, the School~Wide Take Home Folder will come home. Please keep the graded work (on the right hand side of the folder), sign the behavior and Accelerated Reader Report (on the left hand side of the folder, leaving these in the folder) and return the folder to school on Fridays. Students are rewarded for bringing these items back signed and on time! The Red Homework Folder and the Thursday Folder are both returned on Fridays.

Zippie Book Bags: Your child now has a large, zip-loc bag which will hold their Take Home From Teacher Table books. These books are wonderful to read for all levels of readers. They reinforce the skills we've worked on and are currently working on in the classroom. Repetitive reading also builds fluency and comprehension! When your student brings his/her Book Bag to our Teacher Table daily they are given a reward for demonstrating responsibility!

NEW!! Students will now be responsible for bringing a library book home each night instead of the Zippie Book Bag!

January 25th ~ 29th, 2010

Welcome to 2nd Grade!

I'd like to welcome all of my new College ~ Bounders! This year will surely be one of learning, fun, and friendship! I'm excited to get to know each of you! Welcome to 2nd grade Katelynn, Yanci, Bailey, Skylar, Bailey, Katy, Tina, Jackson, Haley, Caleb, Ryan, Blayk Khushi, Kennedy, Canton, Yair, De'Sire, Ryli, Bailee, Cameron and Jaylen!!!

Dear Mom & Dad,

Text Box: Here’s what’s happening in Ms. Courtney’s 2nd grade College~Bound Class

February 18th, 2008 www.mscourtney.com / dawn.courtney@edmondschools.net Vol. 6 No.24

This year, we'll be reading some wonderful books during daily Read Aloud time. This is a time for students to relax on the floor with a pillow or stuffed toy and listen to the story or chapter book being read by myself or a Mystery Reader. (Ask me about this!!) Not all read aloud books will be AR and those that are will not always be quizzed on as the purpose of AR is to build independent reading skills. You student will know at the beginning of the book if it will be available for quizzing. Some of the books we will read this year include:

Text Box: Here’s what’s happening in Mrs. Dicken’s 2nd grade College~Bound Class

August 24th, 2009 www.mrsdicken.com / dawn.dicken@edmondschools.net Vol. 8 No.1

Text Box: Here’s what’s happening in Mrs. Dicken’s 2nd grade College~Bound Class

September 14th, 2009 www.mrsdicken.com / dawn.dicken@edmondschools.net Vol. 8 No.4

Text Box: Here’s what’s happening in Mrs. Dicken’s 2nd grade College~Bound Class

October 5th, 2009 www.mrsdicken.com / dawn.dicken@edmondschools.net Vol. 8 No.6

Our focus story this week is, “The Life Cycle of a Pumpkin” by Ron Fridell and Patricia Walsh. This wonderful photo-journal explains the life cycle of a pumpkin with vivid photographs which enhance the students' understanding of this concept. We’re also reading “Mrs. Piggle~Wiggle” as our read aloud! Be sure to ask me about this book!!

In Math this week we will continue working with adding 2-digit numbers with regrouping! For fun games to play for Fact Practice, click on the Games Instructions link below!

For activities to reinforce what I’m learning at school please use the password, “burton” to log into the Harcourt math site! These activities directly correlate to our lessons at school and provide a wonderful way to practice my new skills!

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/family_involvement04/grade_2.html

and for FUN games that reinforce the skills we're learning in math: http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/auto/21/225.htm

Each week in my Monday Homework Folder, you will find my Spelling List. Please help me study the words and sentences because we will have a spelling “Show What You Know” every Friday. Mrs. Dicken doesn’t like “tests” so we call them “Show What You Know”!

In Phonics, we will study the sounds of "oo" as in "cook" and the sound of "u" as in "mule". We are also working with adjectives and we are using them in all of our sentences in our writing!

We’re continuing our writing practice using our 4 square. We’ll be writing paragraphs next week!! We will be reinforcing categorizing skills as we learn how to create detailed paragraphs. We will also continue practicing our handwriting as we ready for cursive! Please encourage your student to use his/her very best handwriting on each and every assignment!

In Social Studies this week we will continue our study of maps and cardinal directions!

Please remember to fill in my reading log return my Reading Log every Friday in my folder. Writing the sentences about what I read helps me pick out the main idea as well as helping me transition into chapter books by enhancing my story recall. The log is how Mrs. Dicken will get my “Completes Home Reading” grade on my report card. AND … I will get a ticket for remembering the log! AND … if I return my log each Friday of the month, I will get a fun surprise!! WOW!!

It is important to work on my homework each night to help me sharpen the skills I learn at school. Please help me remember to return my homework and my AM packet each Friday. I need your help to reinforce my personal responsibility skills.

When you look at my work in my Thursday Folder, please look for my name on each paper and help encourage me to complete everything on the page. Ask me if I did my “best”!

Ms. Courtney is very proud of all of us for … “accepting the challenge to be a leader and a learner!” Ask me about our School / Classroom Creed!

Click here: GAME INSTRUCTIONS to see a copy of the "Tens Go Fish" and "Math Baseball" game instructions!

Star of the Week!!

Jackson!!

Hello parents! Welcome to 2^nd Grade!

Welcome to another fun week of learning here in our College~Bound Classroom!

We’re working hard, learning new skills and becoming very responsible College-Bound kids!! Our class community is strong as we learn together celebrating our successes each day

Parents please note that the Zippie Bag Books will NOT be coming home this quarter. Students will be bringing home a library book nightly to read for their Reading Logs. These books can and SHOULD be read more than once for the log. Different sentences must be written for each night. Repeated reading builds fluency and comprehension skills. Students are reminded at the end of EACH day to take a book home. Please encourage your student to be responsible for this task.

Our book order will come home soon in the Monday folder. All orders are due NO LATER than the Friday following their being sent home. *Please note: I can only accept checks/money orders for book orders. I cannot accept cash.

This week will be another busy one as we continue our Station Rotations, Teacher Table Time, and jump right into our learning routines.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember: Open House and the Chili Dinner are on February 4th! The Chili Dinner is from 5;45 - 6:30 p.m.. Open House begins at 6:30 and runs until 8:00! Please come visit our classroom as we are working hard on some wonderful displays for you to see!

Please continue to play “10’s Go Fish” at home to reinforce math fact knowledge. The kids LOVE this game!

Please remind your student of the importance of doing his/her best on each assignment, including best handwriting. We’ll completed the D’Nealian manuscript handwriting book last quarter. Daily practice reinforces best handwriting.

Thank you to all of you who are helping me help your 2nd grade students become responsible for their homework, returning logs and folders and studying for upcoming quizzes! Thank you!!!

Reminders:

As we practice our writing, grammar and mechanics skills, please remind your student the importance of using capital letters, punctuation and best handwriting on all assignments. I’m very pleased with our proficiency in these areas! We have a new motto in our College~Bound Classroom, Delbert the "Do Bee" says,

“The best time to do your best is the first time, every time.”

You may see some of your student’s work come home for corrections. This is work that he/she did not do their very best on, whether it was a skill or neatness. Thank you in advance for encouraging your child to do her/his best every time in order to avoid having to re-do the work.

I’d like to introduce a new SCIENCE website you and your student can visit! www.eduplace.com. Follow these links: Oklahoma / students / science / Houghton Mifflin / 2^nd grade … then the unit we’re working on. For example, this week we are in the Plants and Animals unit. By clicking on this link, you will find activities that will enrich your student’s classroom experience in a FUN way! Let me know how you like the site!

(I really love the "Discover Simulations" area!!)

There are lots of fun links on the Kids’ Resources page in this site! Also, please remember that a great way to practice math facts are the card games, “Tens Go Fish” and "Math Baseball". The instructions for these games will come home during the 1^st nine weeks. If you have misplace your copy, you can find the instructions for them by using the link above.

Just click on the “Games Instructions” link!

~ Daily Class Schedule ~

We begin our day with the Pledge of Allegiance, Oklahoma Flag Salute, The Orvis Risner School Creed and a Moment of Silence in which to pray, meditate or participate in any silent activity.

9:00 - 9:15: Morning Warm~Up: Video Math! or Drops in the Bucket Math or Language. A fun way to practice skills!

9:15 - 11:20: Front Load Monday! We go over, in depth, the skills we'll be sharpening in Stations this week!

9:15 - 11:20: Tuesday ~ Friday: Literacy Block / Station Rotations & Guided Reading at Teacher Table

11:20 - 12:05: Recess & Lunch

12:05 - 12:10: Restroom/Drink Break (Drink breaks are allowed all during the day! Water helps "feed" the brain and we utilize our classroom fountain frequently!)

12:10 - 12:30: Quiet Floor Time: Teacher Read Aloud

12:30 - 1:00: Writing & handwriting

1:00 - 1:30: Math Block: Math Text/Accelerated Math/ Math Games

1:30 - 2:00 Science &/or Social Studies

2:00 - 2:30 Specials!! (2:30 - 3:00 on Tuesdays & Wednesdays)

Monday: Music with Ms. Mitchell

Tuesday: PE with Mr. Franz (wear PE shoes)

Wednesday: PE with Mr. Franz (wear PE shoes)

Thursday: Health with Mr. Moll

Friday: Music with Ms. Mitchell

2:30 - 3:15 DropEverythingforAcceleratedReader! DEAR time

* This is the time we read silently, with a partner or with Mrs. Dicken individually and quiz!

3:15- 3:30: Flex time and Class Business Meeting & Clean ~ Up to get Ready for Home!

I hope this helps you plan lunches with your child and other important activities! Please remember that if your child is absent or tardy for even part of the day, the work can always be made up ... but the discussions and interactions can never be duplicated.

*Also: Our Spelling "Show What You Know" is first thing each Friday morning!

Computer Lab: Friday 2:30 - 3:30

Media Center Book Checkout: Friday 12:30 - 12:45

And as always … thank you for sharing with me the most important child in the world … YOURS!!

Dawn Courtney

SPECIAL NEWS ....

We’re working on our third AR goal period until February 8th! Students who complete their goal will be attending the school-wide AR celebration, a Skating Party!!, on Feb. 16^th as well as the class celebration!! Reminder: students must earn their goal points and have an average of at least 85% to have completed their goal.

Here are our Spelling words & Sentences for our "Show What You Know" on Friday:

Spelling List Week 17
put	cook	stood	full	wood
July	shook	push	pull	brook
hook	hood
Challenge Words:	pudding	cushion	footprint
I stood in front of the class.			I shook the tree to get the apples.

Please visit the "Class Management Page" to get information on our Classroom behavior management plan.