Happy First Friday!

Happy First Friday!

We had a wonderful first two days with the students.  We worked hard on learning expectations and routines.  We will continue working on this for the next few weeks also.

Please read the blog post below for lots of information about what is happening with Team Moss.  Be sure to check out Twitter (the feed also on the side of the blog) for pictures of all the fun activities and learning that occurs throughout the week.

What We Are Learning Next Week
Math

• We will be starting Unit 1 next week in math.  This unit covers addition strategies.  We will be reviewing basic facts as well as coming up with different ways to make numbers.  This helps students to look at deconstructing numbers which can help with mental math in the future.  
• In second grade, we take pretests before the units so that we can focus more on concepts where students are struggling.  We talk with the students about the pretest and that it is for us (Mrs. Ross and Ms. Mottaz) and if they don't know something, it tells us just as much as if they do know how to do something.  

Reading

• Students picked out books for their cubby tubby today.  Next week, we will work on building stamina as a reader.  We will increase our time reading independently a small amount every few days.  
• We will also work on having discussions about books.  We will be starting stations next week and students will be discussing characters, setting, problem and solution in their books.  
• We will be practicing these skills with our read aloud books as well.

Social Studies

• We alternate between science and social studies.  We will start with social studies.  The first unit is related to being a good citizen.  This works out very well for the beginning of the year as we are reviewing expectations at RBE.
• Next week, we will look at the Pledge of Allegiance and the students will have an opportunity to illustrate the words to help them better understand the meaning.  

Writing

• We will be start our first writing piece in a few weeks.  It will be a personal narrative.  The first few weeks, we give the students fun writing pieces to get them excited about writing.
• Next week, they will get to write a creative story about what Mrs. Ross and Ms. Mottaz did over summer vacation.
• We are working on remember capital letters and punctuation in our writing as well as using what we know from Fundations in our writing.

Fundations

• Today we did the orientation in Fundations.  Students practiced finding letters based on their sounds and also writing them with correct formation.
• Next week, we will start Unit 1.  This unit covers digraphs (sh, wh, th, ch and ck).  We will also be starting a mini dictionary of trick words (words that cannot be tapped out) in their "Monster Book."

Friday Folders

• We will start sending home Friday folders next week.  Please look through the Friday folder and initial the checklist inside.
• There is often a lot of important information in the Friday folder, so please make sure to look through everything and you can return any forms to school on Monday in the folder.
• The Friday folder checklist will look a little different this year.  Columbia Public Schools has created a rubric to be used with all students (the wording and expectations are slightly different at different ages) to focus on work habits, interactions with peers, interactions with adults and personal growth.  Below are the specific categories with indicators.  Students will receive a score of 1-4 based on their level of mastery.  The chart below also has the scoring criteria for a 1-4.
• A letter will be coming home from Columbia Public Schools next week with more specific information.

PE

• Mottaz kids will have PE on Monday and Friday next week.
• Ross kids will have PE on Thursday next week.

Library Check Out

• We will have our first library checkout next Friday.  Students will be able to check out 3 books.
• Please help your students remember to bring their books back on Friday mornings so they can get new books each Friday.

Important Upcoming Events

• No School: September 2
• Fall Pictures: September 3
• PTA Meeting: September 10 at 6:00 p.m.
• MU VB Field Trip: September 13
• More information to come closer to date
• Curriculum Chat: September 17 from 7:30-8:15 a.m.
• No School: September 30
• Chicken BBQ: October 19 from 4:00-8:00 p.m.
• TRYPS Field Tip: November 19
• Yes, this is 3 months out, but just letting you know.  

Have a fabulous weekend!