June 14

We had fun learning about yoga and doing yoga today!

*Backpacks are full again. Please empty and bring tomorrow for any last items that go home!

*I will provide pizza for snack tomorrow. If your child will not eat pizza, please send a snack for them to have instead. No lunch boxes are needed.

*I look forward to celebrating the end of the year with your child tomorrow! Students are encouraged to wear NPE clothes or pajamas for our last NPE spirit day!

June 13

Today was a great day!
We spent the morning on our field trip to Lankenau Medical Center. We talked all about our five senses!
In the afternoon, we did some eXtra cleaning for x day!
Backpacks are full. Please empty tonight and continue to come to school with backpacks and take home folders!
Have a great evening!

June 12

We watched the story Possum Wishes then shared our own wishes for W day!
We also went to Tech lab for the last time as first graders!
In math, we took our chapter 16 test!
We went to Ms. Clay for our last science activity on comparing and measuring!
We ended the day visiting another 2nd grade teacher!
*Don't forget tomorrow we go on our field trip! Remember your NPE/blue shirts and get a good night of rest!

June 11

This morning we talked about our families and how important our family members are to us!
In math, we did some challenging thinking cap problems over our current math skills.
We went to Ms. Clay's class for science.
This afternoon we got to visit a 2nd grade class. We will get to visit all 2nd grade teachers by Thursday!

Note:
*Please click on the June's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week!

June 8

This morning we had our first grade picnic!
Thank you to all that supplied items or volunteered to help! It is so appreciated!
On Friday, I will provide cheese pizza to the class for our "Welcome to Summer" party! If your child does not want/like pizza, please send a snack in their backpack. 
Have a wonderful weekend! 

June 7

This morning we did science with Ms. Clay. (Andrew)
We got to read our Traveling Teddy journals and fix up our maps. (Sky)
In math, we worked on ways to make comparing and ordering large numbers easier.
We heard the story The Secret Shortcut that illustrated ways maps help us get around.

Reminders:
*Tonight is our last evening for homework!
*Tomorrow is our class picnic. Remember to apply sunscreen before school, and water bottles & caps if desired!

June 6

Almost everyone wore sunglasses today for S day! (Hailey)
This morning we went to the Tech Lab. (Phin)
In math we reviewed place value. (Mamdouh)
We got to free write today in writing workshop. (Jonathan)
This afternoon we got to watch 2nd grade act in some plays!
It was a good Wednesday!

Reminders:
*Homework today and tomorrow then...NO MORE HOMEWORK!
*Wear favorite T-shirts tomorrow!

June 5

This morning we got to meet author Allison Stoutland. (Ozzy)
It was so neat to learn about her and hear how she gets ideas for her stories!
In math, we explored some ways to estimate more accurately. (Corey)
In writing workshop, we worked on unfinished stories in our folders! (Jeffrey)
We ended the day hearing the story Enemy Pie and discussing what makes a good friendship. (Lia)
Have a great evening!

June 4

Mrs. Pandov is back! (Huck) *see below
This morning we went to a Student Council Assembly! (Alannah)
We voted for next year's student leaders!
In math, we started a new math unit on Numbers to 120. (Callie)
In writing workshop we made a quilt square for Q day! (Bennett)
We ended the day with Ms. Clay working on measuring & comparing!
It was a great day!

Reminders:
*Please click on the June's Weekly Newsletter tab to see more about this week!
*Thank you for all the emails and messages regarding the sudden passing of my mother. It has been an extremely emotional few weeks but I'm happy to get back in our routine! Thanks again.

May 14

This week we will discuss, sing songs, and read stories that help us understand how great ideas can make our lives easier!
Our new spelling words have the diphthongs oi,oy .
We read the story Using Machines and discussed the main idea and details.
In math, we took our practice test over Calendar and Time.
We wrote about our terrarium and aquarium in writing workshop!
We ended the day seeing other places Teddy has traveled!

Reminders:
*Click on the May's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week. 
*There is no school Tuesday but still some Tuesday homework.
*Mr. Heinle will be emailing or sending out an eblast regarding 2nd grade placement this afternoon or tomorrow. Please be on the lookout for it!

May 11

This morning we took our spelling test!
Then we went to the Tech Lab.
In math, we did some challenging thinking cap problems on our calendar and telling time skills!
We then went around the room with a friend counting objects for C day!
We ended the day singing in Hoot!
It was a great day!

May 10

This morning we read about a water experiment a class did and discovered experiments can be like a mystery. (Andrew)
In math, we learned how to tell time to the half hour. (Callie)
We learned fun facts about millipedes and pill bugs! (Huck)
Tomorrow is C day in first grade. (Phin)

Reminder:
Next Tuesday is a teacher in-service day.

May 9

It was a fun Animal day!
We read the story Dot & Jabber: The Mystery of the Acorn Tree. We explored how Dot and Jabber solved their mystery!
In math, we learned about telling time to the hour!
In writing workshop, we wrote a retelling of the story Owlbert.
We ended the day with Mrs. DeSanctis talking about our strengths and never giving up!

May 8

This morning we reviewed how we sometimes have to drop the e at the end of a word before adding -s, -ed, and -ing to it! (Ozzy)
We read a short story about a dog and a chick to help us work on comparing and contrasting!
In math, we continued to explore how to read a calendar. (Jonathan)
In writing workshop, we wrote our last realistic fiction story! (Zoe)
We ended the day learning some fun facts about guppies.
We also named our class guppy DJ YELLOW!
It was a good day!

Reminders:
*Please keep our ABC countdown handout handy so your child can participate! A day is tomorrow!
*Now that the weather is getting hotter, your child may like to bring a water bottle to class. Water only please.

May 7

This week we will read stories, sing songs, and discuss how we solve mysteries!
We read the story What's So Special About Squirrels? and compared and contrasted the different squirrels mentioned in the story.
Our new spelling words have the vowel pattern OO! (Corey)
In math, we started a new chapter on Calendars and Time. (Mamdouh)*This is a good time to see if your child remembers ordinal numbers! (first-1, second-2,etc.)
In writing workshop, we had a writing celebration! Thank you to EVERYONE that came today! We were so excited to read our stories to you!
In Science, we learned some facts about snails! (Jeffrey)We have 3 snails in our freshwater aquarium now!
It was a great day!

Note:
Click on the May's Weekly Newsletter tab above to read about our week!

May 4

We started the morning by taking our spelling test!
Due to field day, our specials and lunch was earlier!
We had a blast at field day! It was so refreshing to see such great teamwork!
The kids should sleep well tonight!
Have a great weekend!

*I look forward to seeing you on Monday 1:00-1:30 at our Writing Celebration!

May 3

We read about insects in our new Scholastic News. (Bella)
We also explored what the food chain is and why animals depend on others to survive.
In math, we took our Chapter 14 test on mental math strategies! (Sandy)
In writing workshop, we did all last minute editing on our stories! (Alannah) We are so excited to share them with you on Monday!
We looked at our seeds to see if they have changed since planting them on Monday! (Lia)

Reminder:
Tomorrow is Field Day.  Please wear sneakers and socks.  It is going to be hot, so a water bottle, hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen (applied at home) may be needed.

May 2

We retold the story Mole and the Baby Bird and saw how Mole realized he was being selfish in keeping the baby bird. (Bennett)
In math, we took our Chapter 14 practice test! (Hailey)
In writing workshop, we wrote a "Meet the Author" page for our stories! (Joshua)
We went to an assembly and saw a theater performance about fairy tales and using our imagination. (Sky)
We talked about 2 neat freshwater plants: Elodea and Camboda that live in freshwater!

Reminder:
You're invited to a writing celebration on Monday May 7, 1:00-1:30! You can check in the office at 1:00 before coming to our class! Hope to see you!

April 30

This week we will discuss, read stories, and sing songs that help us explore how we can look at things in a different way!
Our spelling words this week have the "ou" spelling pattern! (Bennett)
We drew conclusions as we read the story Robby Rabbit. 
In math, we started to work on subtraction mental math strategies. (Alannah)
In writing workshop, we met with our writing partners to help us look for punctuation mistakes in our stories. (Joshua)
We planted our seeds this afternoon and we will record how they change as they grow! (Callie)
It was a great day!

Notes:
*Please click on the April's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week! (especially homework 😏)

April 27

This morning we took our spelling test.
We read about a tortoises life cycle in a new scholastic news! (Jonathan)
In math, we reviewed our mental math addition strategies. (Ozzy)
In writing workshop, we discussed ways we can be independent writers in class. (Zoe)
We ended the day in Hoot with our friends!
Have a great weekend!

Notes:
*Information about ordering yearbooks is going home today.
*Monday, April 30 is the last day to order books from Scholastic this year if interested.

April 26

We compared 2 versions of the beloved folktale The Little Red Hen. We identified how the hen solved her problem.
In math, we discussed a couple of "tricks" that can help us add mentally!
In writing workshop, we heard the story Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat to see how the author used details to help elaborate what was happening in her story. We are trying to do the same in our stories.
We compared and contrasted 4 different seeds that we will grow over the next few weeks!
It was a good day!

April 25

We read the story Digby Takes Charge and got to see how Digby solved his complicated problem with a clever solution!
Then we went to the Tech Lab. (Sandy)
In math, we started a new math unit on mental math! (Huck)
In writing workshop, we discussed how we could divide our stories into beginning, middle, and end chapters. (Jeffrey)
This afternoon we started our new science unit on living things or organisms! (Andrew)

Note:
Thanks to all that are sending in money for our Sara Smiles fundraiser! The students are so excited to see our jar fill up!

April 24

This morning we talked about the ending -le we sometimes see at the end of words. (candle, saddle...)
We read the story Tippy-Toe Chick Go and discussed the problem the characters had in the story.
In math, we took our test over addition and subtraction to 40!
In writing workshop, we worked on adding realistic details in our story to help our readers "picture" what is happening in our stories better.
We ended the day doing our last solids & liquids lesson with Mrs. Martorelli.
It was a great day!

Note:
Today you will find information about the tree seedling brought home. I hope you have fun planting it! All students were given trees for Earth Day!

April 23

This week we will read stories, sing songs, and discuss when we need to think up clever solutions to a problem!
Our new spelling words have an "ow" spelling pattern. (Bella)
We took our practice test in math. (Lia)
In writing workshop, we heard a couple of stories and identified them as non-fiction and fiction before writing our own stories. (Phin)
We went to Mrs. Martorelli's for another science lesson!
It was a great day back!

Notes:
*Please click on the April's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week (especially homework).
*We will be collecting money (coins & dollar bills) for the Sara Smiles Foundation. It is an amazing foundation that spreads positivity to pediatric cancer patients.

April 20

We read many stories today about the Earth.
We discussed some of our natural resources and endangered species.
We also talked about different ways we can help.
We went on a nature walk in our NPE garden and found some "treasures"!
In math, we played a game to review for our math test next week!
We ended the day watching the Lorax with our friends in Hootenanny!
Have a great weekend!

April 19

This morning we went to an assembly hosted by the Academy of Natural Sciences and got to see 3 real animals!
Then we went to the Tech Lab!
In math, we reviewed how to solve word problems and then did some Thinking Cap problems! (*see note below about homework change.)
In writing workshop, we started our reading benchmark test over our reading, spelling, & writing skills!
Then we watched a story called Recycle That!
We ended the day with Mrs. Martorelli!

Notes:
**I changed math homework for tonight since so many were out sick today. You will find a thinking cap page 83, 84 instead of our practice test. We did 4 problems like it in class today so it should be a good challenge! Our math test will now be next Tuesday!
**As I stated in my email sent out earlier this morning, many were out sick today. Strep, flu, and croup are currently going around our room. I am on antibiotics for tonsillitis. If your child has a cough that has lasted a few days, seeing a doctor is highly suggested given the number of our class sick. Thanks so much!
**Second grade will sell snacks again tomorrow. If interested snacks cost $1.
**Wear blue or white for Earth Day at NPE tomorrow!

April 16

This week we will read stories, sing songs, and discuss what treasures we can share with our neighbors!
Our spelling words end with the suffix -ly or -ful.
We read the story The Cat Chase and discussed the cause and effect events in the story!
In math, we learned some ways we can add 3 1-digit numbers together.
In writing workshop, we met with our partners before sharing a few of our fiction stories out loud!
We talked about the importance of recycling in our Scholastic News and then decorated a bag that we can use to collect trash in our neighborhoods!

Note:
Please click on the April's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week (especially homework)!

April 13

This morning we took our spelling test over compound words.
Then we went to the Tech Lab.
In math, we reviewed adding and subtracting double digit numbers!
We read 2 stories about the water cycle and identified the one that was a realistic fiction story like we are writing in writing workshop!
We started watching The Lorax at Hootenanny with our friends this afternoon!
Have a great weekend!

April 12

We reviewed our spelling skills today in our story Sue's Daydream. (compound words, ew/ui/ue sounds)
We also read about plants in our Scholastic News. (Mamdouh)
In math, we practiced subtraction with regrouping! (Corey)
In writing workshop, we read our stories with our partners and checked for any mistakes. (Andrew)
We ended our day with Mrs. Martorelli!

Note:
Tomorrow we are going to the Tech Lab. Please ask your child about their ear buds. There are a lot of kids without them now. Thanks so much!

April 11

We had a schedule change again today. (Joshua)
We reviewed how to write compound words correctly.
We also read the story called Peter's Grandma and saw how he communicated to her by writing an email message.
In math, we worked on subtraction with regrouping! (Ozzy)
In writing workshop, we talked about different ways we can get our characters to talk. (Jonathan)
We had another science lesson with Mrs. Martorelli. (Huck)

Note:
See our newsletter about math homework for tonight and tomorrow!

April 10

Our schedule changed today because the older kids were taking a test! (Bennett)
We read the story Peter's Chair and talked about some of Peter's treasures in his house. (Zoe)
In writing workshop, we are seeing if we can write our own series of stories about one of our characters! (Bella)
In math, we continued practicing subtracting large numbers without regrouping. (Sandy)
We ended the day going to Mrs. Martorelli's class for our first lesson on solids and gases!

April 9

This week we will read stories, sing songs, and discuss what treasures we may have at home!
Our spelling words are compound words!
We read the story The New Baby and discussed the theme of the story.
In math, we learned how to subtract double digits without regrouping.
In writing workshop, we talked about writing books in a series!
We ended the day talking about the water cycle!

*Please click on the April's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week!

April 6

This morning we took our "ie", "igh" spelling test.
We read a story called On the Way to the Ranch and reviewed features that can be found on a map.
We reviewed adjectives by describing a lost leprechaun!
In math, we went on an addition scavenger hunt! It was a fun way to practice double digit addition!
In writing workshop, we used our narrative checklists to see how we are writing our stories.
We ended the day singing in Hoot with our first grade friends!
It was a great day!

April 5

We read how important it is to eat good balanced meals in our Scholastic News.
In math, we continued practicing addition with regrouping! (Callie)
In writing workshop, we discussed how our spelling can impact how people are able to read our stories.
We also discussed how exercise helps our organs! (Hailey)
We ended the day writing about a way we can take better care of our bodies!

April 4

We read the story called A Southern Ranch and discussed reasons a ranch could be a special place. (Mamdouh)
We reviewed examples of adjectives and our  2 spelling features (ie and igh). 
In math, we learned how to add WITH regrouping! (Sky) *Remember to start in the ones place first!
In writing workshop, we discussed how we can help our characters in our stories get out of trouble. (Jeffrey)
We talked about our digestive system!
Then Mrs. DeSanctis came to our class and talked about ways we can make new friends!
It was a good day!

April 3

We read a story about a boy named Wilfrid Gordon and listened for some of our new vocabulary words used throughout the story!
We also learned about the consonant patterns "kn" and "wr". (Phin)
We ended our morning in the Tech Lab! (Lia)
In math, we continued practicing addition without regrouping! (Alannah) (Please stress the importance of starting in the ones place when adding these larger numbers together.)
In writing workshop, we discussed how having a positive attitude can improve our writing.
We ended the day talking about our lungs and heart! (Sandy)
It was a great day!

April 2

This week we will read stories, sing songs, and discuss why we can treasure special places.
Our spelling words have the patterns "ie" or "igh"! (Joshua)
We read the story Our Family's Thanksgiving and identified the details and facts in the story!
We started learning addition without regrouping in math! (Huck)
In writing workshop, we started our Realistic Fiction Narrative writing unit! (Hailey)
We ended the day talking about our brain! (Callie)

Note:
Click on the April's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week!

March 20

Because of our unpredictable weather, we reviewed for our math test this morning. Our practice tests are in folders today so they can be corrected and returned next time we are at school.
We read about toothbrushes in our new Scholastic News and discussed how we can keep our teeth healthy.
Then we took our test over numbers to 40.
We learned about skeletons and the 3 functions of our skeleton.
We ended our day putting a skeleton together!
Have a safe evening! I hope to see our kids tomorrow!

March 19

We are reviewing some of our old word wall words and spelling words this short week in class!
In math, we reviewed how to find missing numbers in number patterns. Our homework tonight will be over this skill! 
In writing workshop, we finished writing about reasons we are lucky to be ourselves!
We went to Mrs. Clarke's second grade class and got to read with her students!
We saw Mrs. Geraghty this morning and afternoon for 2 different weather activities!
It was a good day!

Note:
Please read our newsletter this week by clicking on the March's Weekly Newletters tab above!

March 16

This morning we went to the Tech Lab. (Corey)
We took our spelling test. (Jonathan)
We heard a few fictional stories about leprechauns! (Mamdouh)
We also wrote about good things in our lives that make us lucky.
In math, we continued working on comparing, ordering, and finding number patterns.
We ended the day singing at Hoot with our friends! (Ozzy)
Have a great weekend!

Notes:
*There are a lot of ear buds/headphones starting not to work. Please ask your child about their buds. We use these daily in our class so it is greatly appreciated!
*If you ordered books this month from Scholastic, your order is going home today!
*I look forward to our conference next week! Thank you for making the accommodations for us to meet!

March 15

We read the story My 4th of July and discussed the details from the story. (Bennett)

In math, we worked on comparing, ordering, and finding number patterns. (Phin)

In writing workshop, we wrote a narrative story since we will begin this genre soon! (Alannah)

We learned more about Ireland and St. Patrick's Day. (Bella)

Then we made a rainbow! (Jeffrey)

March 14

We read a fiction story called the United States Talent Show! 
Then we updated our maps with more places our Traveling Teddy has visited!
In math we worked on place value.
In writing workshop, we wrote our last opinion story to see how much we have learned on this type of writing.
We went to Mrs. Geraghty's class for a lesson on weather!
It was a great day!

March 13

We read the story A Trip to Washington, DC and discussed some of our country's treasures that are found there!
In math, we continued exploring how to make numbers with tens and ones.
In writing workshop, we read aloud some of our published opinions stories and celebrated all our writing accomplishments!
We ended the day with an assembly from a basketball player from the Harlem Wizards!
It was a good day!

Note:
We had a lock down drill today so as you can imagine students had many questions. I kept it as simple as I could but understandably some expressed some emotions. Please know this is probably the worse thing I have to do as an educator but very necessary. Thank you for your support.

March 12

Our spelling words this week have the "oa, ow" long o pattern.
We read the story City Treasures and discussed the facts and details from the story.
We had a visit from the Art Goes To School program this morning. (Zoe)
We started a new math unit on Numbers to 40. (Sky)
In writing workshop, we worked on publishing one of our favorite opinion stories! (Andrew)
We went to Ms. Geraghty's class for another lesson on weather.

Note:
Please click on the March's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week.

March 9

This morning we took our spelling test.
We also had our health screenings with Nurse Pike! (Huck)
We read about kites in our Scholastic News then decorated our own kite. (Sandy)
We took our math test on picture graphs and bar graphs. (Bennett)
In writing workshop, we met with our writing partners and started editing one of our favorite opinion stories. (Mamdouh)
We ended the day with our friends in Hootenanny!
Have a great weekend!

February 8

It was so nice to see our kiddos back today!
We read about Spring weather in our new Scholastic News!
We reviewed for our math test on graphs tomorrow.
We also reviewed our spelling words for our spelling test!
We ended the day watching NPE students perform for tonight's Talent Show!
It was a good, busy day!

Notes:
*I look forward to seeing you all at our upcoming conference 3/22 and 3/23!
*Return shamrocks when completed! I hope these have been fun to create!
*Scholastic book orders are due tomorrow if ordering!

February 6

We read the story Cinderella and discussed why this fairy-tale is treasured and love by so many! (Jeffrey)
We also talked about the way words that end with y changes to i when an ending like "ed", "es", and "er" is added. (Hailey)
In math, we reviewed how to use a tally chart!
We wrote about the story Annie and the Wild Animals during writing workshop today. (Bella)
We went to Mrs. Geraghty's for our second weather activity!
I hope your families stay safe and warm! 

*As I mentioned in the email I sent out this morning, Wednesday's homework is going home today in case school is out tomorrow. You will also find the green shamrock to decorate with pictures, decorations, or writing about your family!

February 5

Wow, what a Winter we are having this year! I hope you all are safe and well!
Today was a short, busy day!
We learned about tally charts and bar graphs in math.
This week we will read stories, sing songs, and discuss how a story can be a treasure!
Our spelling words have the "ea" spelling pattern.
We read the story A Rainy Saturday Afternoon and discussed the theme of the story.
We went to Mrs. Geraghty's class for our first lesson on weather.
It was a good Monday!

Reminder:
Please click on the March's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week!

March 2

Today was a fun day celebrating Dr. Seuss and reading!
It was fun to see so many of our kids dressed like a book character too!
We heard many fun Dr. Seuss stories today!
This morning we had a visit from 2 mystery readers!
We also had a special DEAR time during math!
We got goldfish and made a graph showing how many of each color goldfish we got. Then we ate our goldfish!
In writing workshop, we wrote a book review on a Dr. Seuss story!
We ended the day singing in Hoot!
Have a great weekend!

March 1

We finished the story The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins then we designed our own hats!
It has been fun seeing all the ways Dr. Seuss makes his stories so memorable.
We reviewed our spelling features and how to identify adjectives.
In math, we are continuing to investigate strategies that we can use to help us compare 2 groups of objects on a graph.
In writing workshop, we reread our stories to see if our sentences make sense. 
We went to Ms. McTaggart for our last map skills lesson.

Reminders:
*Tonight is NPE's Read Across America Family Night! Students that come will get a free homework pass!
*Don't forget your favorite book tomorrow and to dress up like your favorite book character!

February 28

We read the story Mama's Birthday Present and drew conclusions about the characters as we read.
In math, we started graphing data and then used our data to answer questions.
In writing workshop, we worked on our introductions and made sure we were not "spilling the beans" and telling our readers too much too soon!
We went to Ms. McTaggart's class and talked more about maps.

Notes/Reminders:
Friday: Dress like Dr. Seuss or favorite book character. We will also have a special reading time called DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read)! Students can bring in a favorite book on Friday for DEAR time!

February 27

This morning we went to the Tech Lab. (Joshua)
We heard the Dr. Seuss story What Was I Scared Of?. (Jonathan)
We also learned about singular possessives ('s) and plural possessives (s').
In math, we worked on answering questions using graphs. (Corey)
In writing workshop, we started writing book reviews! (Lia)
We went to Ms. McTaggart's class and did another map activity.
It was a good day!

Reminder:
*Send in your book character "craft" at your earliest convenience! They will all be hung up on a bulletin board in the 3rd grade hall!

February 26

This week we will read books, sings songs, and discuss how a surprise can be a treasure!

We will also read many stories written by Dr. Seuss! (Zoe)

Our spelling words this week have the spelling feature "ai" or "ay".

We went to STEM this morning with Mr. Mendell. (Alannah)

In math, we started our new math unit on bar graphs and picture graphs. (Ozzy)

In writing workshop, we worked together to create class anthologies!

We heard the story The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss!

Note:

Click on February's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week!

February 23

This morning our kids went to our Jump Rope for Heart event! It was great to see some of our own parents there helping out!
We read about some of America's symbols and landmarks in our new Scholastic News!
In math, we took our math test on weight!
We heard the story Grace for President and Duck for President.
Then we wrote what we would do if we were president!
We ended the day singing with our friends at Hootenanny!
Have a great weekend!

Note:
*In folders, a book character craft is going home! We'd love all kids at NPE to participate in this fun activity! Please return by next Thursday!

February 22

Today we reviewed our spelling and reading skills for this week!
We read about Abe Lincoln and why we still honor him on President's day.
We also made a Lincoln pendent necklace or bracelet that we will take home tomorrow!
We reviewed for our math test tomorrow on weight!
It was a good day!

Reminders/Notes:
*Tomorrow is Jump Rope for Heart so please wear the right shoes tomorrow! All donations are due tomorrow.
*Next Friday we will have Dress Like Dr. Seuss day or book character. (You might like the weekend to help prepare for this fun activity.😀)

February 21

This morning we went to Tech Lab.
We read the story Where Are My Animal Friends and drew conclusions on why the characters did different things when the seasons changed.
We talked about the pattern -dge we see at the end of some of our words.
In math, we did some challenging thinking cap problems on weight!
Mrs. DeSanctis came to our class to do a lesson on tattling this afternoon.
It was a good day!

February 20

This week we will discuss, read books and sing songs that help us understand what animals do when the seasons change.
Our spelling words this week have the endings -er and -est!
We will also review contractions!
We read How Kids Changed the World and drew conclusions based on facts learned from the story.
In math, we reviewed how to find weight in units.
In writing workshop, we reread one of our finished opinion stories with our partners for a writing checkup!
We read about George Washington and designed money with ourselves!

Reminder:
Please click on the February's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week!

February 15

This morning we took our spelling test!
We also spent some time working in our 100 day packets instead of doing our Daily 5 stations!
In math we used units to find the weight of objects. (Callie)
We read about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
We wrote messages of kindness on post it notes and stuck them around NPE! (Corey) 
Little acts of kindness can have a big impact! 
We went to Ms. McTaggart's class to do a map activity before dismissal! (Jeffrey)
Have a great long weekend!

Reminders:
*No school Friday or Monday!
*Please return Jump Rope for Heart consent forms early next week if you have not done so already!

February 14

What a cute bunch of 100 year old students in class today!

We read the story Emily's 100 Day of School and did some fun 100 day activities!

We also read the story One Zillion Valentines and discussed some of the kind acts we saw the characters do in the story.

Thank you Ms. Mariel and all families that helped make our Valentine's Party memorable. 

Reminder:

*No school Friday so our spelling test will be tomorrow. Please see our newsletter for any homework clarification.

*Mr. B is still needing Jump Rope for Heart consent forms from half of our class. Please return at your earliest convenience so students can participate in this fun event at NPE .

February 13

This morning we reviewed how a contraction is made and our "er, ur, ir" spelling features!
We read the story I'm a Caterpillar and compared its life cycle to a frog's life cycle! (Phin)
Then we went to the Tech Lab. (Sandy)
In math, we used cubes to find the weight of objects.
We discussed how our words can be cotton ball words (kind) or sandpaper words (mean)!
We read the story Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink then wrote nice letters with lots of cotton ball words to a friend in class! (Zoe)
We also learned more about Rosa Parks and others that helped changed unfair laws. (Mamdouh)

Reminder:
Tomorrow is our Valentine's Party AND 100th day of School! 

February 12

This week we will discuss, sing songs, and read stories about changes we can see in nature.
We will also discuss kindness and how little acts of kindness can impact our communities!
Our spelling words have the r-controlled sounds "er, ir, ur"! (Bella)
We read the story Fern's Wild Job and discussed the facts and opinions in the story!
In math we discussed how we can compare the weight of more than two things. (Callie)
In writing workshop we came up with ways we can improve our introductions and conclusions in our stories! (Andrew)
We ended the day with Ms. McTaggart working on map skills. (Lia)

Notes/Reminders:
*Click on February's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week.
*Mr. B needs Jump Rope for Heart parent consent forms signed and returned for participation next week.
*Please send in Valentine cards by Wednesday!

February 9

What a week it has been!
I was happy to have a "normal" day today!
We took our spelling test this morning.
We also finished making our Valentine bags! The kids are very excited to fill them up with our cards! 
We read 2 versions of Jack and the Beanstalk and discussed how the beanstalk changes were not realistic!
In math, we started our unit 10 chapter on weight!
In writing workshop, we reviewed how we can write comparisons in our opinion stories.
We saw Ms. McTaggart for more map fun this afternoon!

Notes:
*Scholastic orders are going home today if you ordered books this month!
*Please return Jump Rope for Heart consent forms next week.

February 8

We watched the Eagle Parade off and on today!

We read the story What Makes the Weather? and searched for some of our amazing words (vocabulary) in the story!

In math, we took our math test on length!

In writing workshop, we discussed how we can make comparisons in our writing to support our opinions!

We ended the day doing another map activity with Ms. McTaggart!

Note:

*Mr. B sent envelopes for Jump Rope for Heart donations. Attached to the envelope is a consent form that he needs. Please return it signed at your earliest convenience. Thanks!

*A handwriting booklet and math workbook are going home today. They do not need to be returned. You can use or discard of them as you like; most pages in both have already been completed.

February 6

We read the story Frog and Toad Together: The Garden and discussed the story events and writer's purpose!
This morning we went to the Tech Lab. (Alannah)
In math, we took our practice test on length. (Huck)
*Please correct any mistakes and look over it for homework tonight.
In writing workshop, we discussed how important it is that we talk right to our readers in our stories. (Joshua)
We went to Ms. McTaggart's class this afternoon to have our first lesson on map skills. We will visit her a total of 8 times over the next few weeks.

February 5

This week we will discuss, sing songs, and read stories about changes that happen in a garden.
Our spelling words have the ending "-ed" to show verbs that tell about the past.
We read the story Carlee's Garden and discussed the author's purpose.
In math, we did some "Thinking Cap" problems that challenged us to apply what we have learned about measuring length.
In writing workshop, we talked about writing reviews on our favorite places, things, and movies!
We looked at our traveling teddy messages and maps to see other places he has traveled!

Note:
*Please click on the February's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week!
*Also you can click on the Class List tab above to get our class list for Valentine cards! They can be brought in anytime before our party on the 14th! Please remember one for each of our kids so no one is left out. 
*Please ask your child about their ear buds. Some may need to be replaced.

February 2

Our day started with a little Eagle Pep Rally! (Bennett)
We also found out our groundhog in Philly saw his shadow! (Jonathan)
Most of our class thought he wasn't so the 4 that did were extremely excited!
We read a fable called The Belling Cat and discussed the lesson we could learn from the story. (Hailey)
In math, we practiced using units to find length.
In writing workshop, we edited our stories about our favorite collection items.
We made a groundhog puppet for Groundhog's Day. (Ozzy)
It was a great day!

February 1

We got our new February calendars this morning. (Andrew)

It has been fun tracking our days at school this year on our calendars.

We read the story Six Wishes that had many words with this weeks phonics patterns "es" and "or".

In math we used units to measure length. (Alannah)

In writing workshop, we worked on giving our readers good reasons that support our opinions! (Jonathan)

We read the story Gregory's Shadow and then used our opinion to make a graph that showed whether we think he will or won't see  his shadow tomorrow. (Joshua)

Note:

*Tomorrow NPE will start the day with an Eagle Pep Rally so wear Eagle (or Patriot) clothes/colors to school!

*Please see email with SignUpGenius link from Mariel about our upcoming Valentine's Party!

*Tomorrow Scholastic book orders are due if ordering.

January 31

This morning we went to the Tech Lab! (Mamdouh)
We read the story Geoffrey the Groundhog Predicts the Weather and looked to see how Geoffrey solved his problem in the story! (Ozzy)
We continued exploring ways to measure the length of objects using non-standard units of measurement in math.
In writing workshop, we realized we could write an opinion story about our least favorite object in our collection. (Phin)
We ended the day with Mr. Mendell doing another STEM activity. (Hailey)

Note:
*Report cards will be available after 4 today on the portal. Please refer back to the Eblast Mr. Heinle sent out today for portal information. (I do not use the portal; teachers use a different system so my help is extremely limited besides referring you back to his Eblast!)
*I look forward to our March conference where we will be able to go over all questions that you may have about your child's report card. I will give you information about March conferences when I get it!

January 30

Today we talked about the "ore" and "or" sound in some words! (Huck)
We looked for facts and opinions in the story The Class Pet.
In math we discussed how to measure length with different kinds of objects! (Sandy)
In writing workshop, we met with our writing partners and saw their favorite item from their collection. We told them if we agreed or not! (Zoe)
We talked about groundhogs and read about them in a Scholastic News!

Reminder:
Scholastic book orders are due this Friday if ordering books.

January 29

This week we will read books, sing songs, and discuss what we can learn about animals as they grow and change.
Our new spelling words have "es" endings! (Hailey)
We read the story The End of Summer and discussed the facts and opinions in the story!
In math we talked about using a starting line when comparing the length of objects! (Corey)
In writing workshop, we looked at our new opinion writing checklists to help us see how we are writing our opinions. (Sky)
We ended the day talking about our sense of taste! (Jeffrey)

Note:
Please click on the January's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week!

January 26

It was fun to see all the crazy hair this morning!
We started our day taking our "ng' and "nk" spelling test.
We also talked about snowy days in our Scholastic News. (Bennett)
In math we compared the length/height of more than 2 things.(Lia)
In writing workshop, we discussed how giving reasons for our opinions help us be more convincing to others! (Callie)
We ended the day talking about our sense of sight!
Have a great weekend!

January 25

We read the story The King Sings a Song. We found many words in the story that used our spelling features this week.
This morning we also went to the Tech Lab!
In math, we started our new math unit on length!
In writing workshop, we discussed how we are going to use our collections to write our opinions about items from our collection!
We ended the day talking about our sense of touch!

Reminder:
Crazy Hair day tomorrow!

January 24

We read the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling and discussed how the duckling grew and changed in the story. (Bella)
We also reviewed our spelling features (ng/nk) and how to use a verb that ends with "s" correctly in a sentence.
We went over our math test from yesterday together. (Lia)
We heard mystery sounds and guessed what the sound was by using our sense of hearing! (Joshua)

Notes:
*Scholastic book orders are going home today. If you are interested in ordering books, orders are due Feb. 2!
*Tomorrow is 2nd grades snack fundraiser. Snacks are $1. Information went home on Monday!

January 22

This week we will explore what we learn as we grow and change.
Our new spelling words have the endings "nk" or "ng". (Hailey)
We also practiced comparing and contrasting animals from the story Something Else to Do. (Zoe)
In math, we took a practice test on adding and subtracting. (Huck)
In writing workshop, we used the OREO strategy to tell our opinions. (Alannah)
We ended the day in STEM with Mr. Mendell!

Notes:
*Please click on the January's Weekly Newsletters tab above for more about this week.
*See flyer sent today about 2nd Grades Healthy Snack Day this Thursday.
*We will begin using our collections tomorrow in writing workshop, so please send them in if not done so already!

January 19

This morning we took our spelling test.

We also went to the Tech Lab! 

In math, we worked on solving addition and subtraction word problems!

In writing workshop, we talked about the OREO strategy and how we will use it when we start writing our opinion stories!

We ended the day watching a video with our first grade friends!

Have a great weekend!

Note:

*Today the class voted for our STUCO representatives from our class. Lia and Bennett were voted today! Congrats to them both!

*Some kids are complaining that their ear buds are not working. Please ask your child if this is the case for them.

*I love seeing all of the collections being sent in this week. Please remember to send your child's ASAP.

January 18

This morning we went to NPE's Winter Concert and listened to the Orchestra and 5th Grade Chorus! (Jonathan)
Since we are starting our new writing unit on Opinion writing, we talked about the difference between opinions and facts! (Phin)
In math, we reviewed using our subtraction strategies! (Callie)
This afternoon we discussed our sense of smell and used our sense of smell to figure out 3 mystery smells! (Ozzy)

Notes:
*Please send in your writing workshop collections by next Monday. See this weeks newsletter for more information about collections!
*We've been having more discussions about appropriate behavior and school expectations. I know these snow days/delays impact us and our kids, but I'd appreciate more conversations at home.

January 17

We read the story A Place to Play and put 6 events from the story in the correct order.
It was also a nice story that helped us see how a community can change over time!
In math we worked on another strategy to help us subtract from a large number.
We ended the day talking about worrying with Mrs. DeSanctis!
It was a busy, short day!

January 16

This week we will read stories, sing songs, and discuss how places can change.
Our new spelling words have y's at the end that make a long i or a long e sound! (Mamdouh)
We read the story We're Moving and discussed the sequence of events in the story. (Jeffrey)
In math, we learned how to use a new strategy to help us subtract from a big number. (Corey)
In writing workshop, we wrote our first opinion story. (Bennett)
We talked about our brain and how it needs our five senses to find out what is happening in the world around us!

Notes:
*Please click on the January's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week.
*Information about writing workshop collections are noted at the bottom of our newsletter. Please send collections by next Monday!

January 12

This morning we took our long e spelling test.

Then we went to the middle school for our field trip. It was fun to do some activities for our community with Jonathan's mom and her class!

We read about different ways penguins work together in our Scholastic News.

We reviewed the addition strategies we've been practicing in class. (I know this math chapter may be challenging but please know we are trying to expose your child to different ways to work with numbers. If they are not grasping a strategy, my hope is that they use whatever strategy they are most comfortable with, even if it is using a number line!)

We ended the day singing in Hoot!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Reminders:

*No school on Monday!

*The longer weekend may give you a chance to do extra reading for our "Build a Snowman" reading project this month!

January 11

This morning we did Daily 5. (Sky)

It has been nice getting back to our normal routines again!

In math we reviewed double facts! (Andrew)

We read some stories about Martin Luther King Jr. and discussed how he helped change America. (Sandy)

We are looking forward to our field trip tomorrow!

Please remember sack lunches with drinks (no thermos). 

Your child can wear their NPE shirts if they have them too!

 

January 10

Today we reviewed some of the different spelling patterns that we have learned so far this year!
We read the story Honey Bees and discussed facts from the story. (Jeffrey)
We talked about double facts in math like 4+4 (double 4) and 7+7 (double 7). (Hailey)
In writing workshop we wrote a retelling for the story The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. (Huck)
We ended the day talking about Martin Luther King Jr.

Reminder:
On Friday, students will need to bring a sack lunch from home that we will take on our field trip!

January 9

We reviewed our spelling patterns "ee" and "e".

We also discussed how to break longer words into 2 smaller ones to make it easier to read!

In math we worked on a new strategy to help us add large numbers together. If a number is greater than 10 we can break it into a number bond with 10 and the left over ones!

We wrote one more teaching book to help us see how much we learned in our information writing unit!

We ended the day reading about Martin Luther King Jr in our Scholastic News.

January 8

Well this has been an interesting way to start 2018!
We are moving on to our last week in our reading/spelling unit!
Our NEW spelling words have a long e sound made by "ee" or "e"!
We read about ants and discussed how insect communities are like a community of people.
We went to the Tech Lab!
We reviewed how to make a group of 10 when adding 2 large numbers together! Our math homework tonight is over this skill.
We shared our finished teaching stories during writing workshop!
Have a safe afternoon! 

Note:
*Please click on the January's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week!

January 3

We read the story Life in the Forest and discussed why we thought the author wrote the story! (Ozzy)
We also learned about the inflected ending -ed! (Alannah)
In math, we continued working on ways we can add larger numbers by making one into a group of ten! (Mammdouh)
In writing workshop, we finished editing our teaching stories so we can begin our writing celebration tomorrow! (Bella)
This afternoon we made a resolution for the new year!

Notes/Reminders:
*Please return MLK permission slips ASAP.
*In folders today you will find information about our Winter reading project "Build a Snowman"! It is a lot like the "Grow a Pumpkin Patch" reading project we did in the Fall. I'm excited to see how many will complete their snowmen!

January 2

Happy New Year!
This week we will talk about the new year! (Sandy)
Our new spelling words have a long u sound and a silent e at the end! (Joshua)
We will read stories, sing songs, and discuss how plant and animal communities are important to each other!
In math, we practiced adding two numbers by making the biggest one a 10! (Phin)
In writing workshop, we went back to our stories and added some special "features" to give our readers more information about our topic.
It was a good day back!

Notes:
*Please click on the January's Weekly Newsletters tab above to see more about this week.
*Please return MLK field trip permission slips by this Thursday!