Leawood Lions' News - Grade 2

October News
Dates to know:
*Monday, October 24th - Send in Pumpkin Project - More info. to follow.
*Wednesday, October 26th - Early Release Day - Dismissal @ 1:15
*Wednesday, October 26th & Thursday, October 27th - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Please sign up outside the front office if you haven't already!
*Friday, November 4th - Silent Auction
*Thursday, November 17th - Report Cards go home!
*November 21st - 25th - No school! Thanksgiving Break
TBA: Plant Soup & Tree Project
Reminders:
*When sending in money and permission slips for field trips, PLEASE put the slip and money in a sealed envelope or ziplock bag with your child's name and what the $ is for. We appreciate your help with this.
*Turn in September reading minutes. Our reading party will be on Friday, October 7th.
*Be sure your child is dressed appropriately for the fall season; we will be going out for recess. Write your child's name in coats, mittens, and gloves.
*Play online Everyday Math Games for homework on Friday nights. See login and password card in your child's Homework Folder.

Literacy
Reading
We continue to do shared, partner, independent, and guided reading activities. Our instructional focus has been:
*Using schema (background knowledge) to make connections
*Predicting - Checking and changing
*Questioning - Ask questions before, during, and after reading
*Author's purpose - to inform, describe, or entertain
*Main Idea
*Fluency - fix up strategies: rereading words & phrases
*Use word knowledge to decode new and unfamiliar words (Fundations)

Fundations
We are wrapping up Unit #3 in Fundations. The following concepts have been covered and are being practiced:
Digraphs, Blends, Glued Sounds, Closed Syllables, Closed Syllable Exceptions, Story Retelling, Trick Words, and Vocabulary.

Writing
We continue to study the genre of Personal Description.
Our Targets include:
*Correct paragraph structure - Indent & Return Sweep
*Naming topic in first sentence
*Capitalization & Punctuation
*Use of modifiers (descriptive words) to convey meaning
*Use of complete sentences
*Proofreading own writing (notice and correct errors)

Math
We are in the middle of Unit #2 in Everyday Math.
Our learning goals include:
Addition and Subtraction Number Stories
Doubles Facts
Turn-Around Facts and the 9 Shortcut
Fact Families
Exploring Weights, Scales, and Equal Groups
Name Collections
Frames -and- Arrows Routines
"What's My Rule?" Routines

Math Homework: We will be sending home the students' Homework Folders on Fridays. We are asking that you have your child play 15 minutes or more of an online Everyday Math game for Friday homework. The extra practice will really help your child build a deeper understanding of concepts being taught. Thank you for your support!

Science
The plant unit has been quite a success! The children's bean plants have grown taller than ever. We are acting as scientists by questioning, investigating, observing, using tools, recording, and sharing ideas.
Essential questions for our plant unit:
*How are structure and function related?
*Why are there different forms of life on Earth?
*What is the relationship between living and non-living things in the world?

Parent Volunteers: Thank you for all of your help! We have been able to enrich, practice skills, and use technology because of you. The children really enjoy the extra special attention!
Thank you to those parents who were able to help out on our Hudson Gardens Field Trip. The weather was perfect and lots of wonderful learning blossomed!