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 worksheets 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!

August 25th ~ 29th, 2008

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 Arianna, Baylor, Michelle, Olivia, Caisey, Ashton, Jordyn, Lucas, Kati, Abby, Madisen, Quanique, Alondra, Ryan, Teondre, Jacy, Jacob, Angelica, Sarina and Matt!

We'd also like to give a great big 2nd Grade College ~ Bound Class WELCOME to Ms. East, our wonderful student teacher!! We're SO glad you're here!!!

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 week we will be reading the first story in our new Basal Series, “Iris and Walter”, by Elissa Haden Guest. When Iris moves to the country, she misses the city where she formerly lived; but with the help of a new friend named Walter, she learns to adjust to her new home. Ask me about urban and rural communities!

We'll be reading books by Sara Pennypacker including "Clementine", "The Talented Clementine", and "Stuart's Cape". These are wonderful stories about wonderfully funny characters! Check them out on the web by clicking on the graphics below!

In Math this week we will continue working in Unit 1, chapter 1 of our new math series. We will be working with tens, tens and ones, and place value. Ms. Courtney will discuss the math series & Accelerated Math during Parent Night September 11th.

Ask me about Video Math!! And ... 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. Ms. Courtney doesn’t like “tests” so we call them “Show What You Know”!

In Phonics, we will study of long and short vowels, and the short “e” spelling “ea”.

We will begin our “4 Square Writing” this week. We will be reinforcing categorizing skills as we learn how to create detailed paragraphs. We will also continue practicing our handwriting with the letters, “A, B and C” both upper and lower case. Ask me about it!

In Social Studies this week we will focus on “A World of Many People“. We are continuing to build our classroom community utilizing the Orvis Risner School Creed. We read the book, "The Crayon Box That Talked" last week! We learned that by using our differences we can make the world a brighter, more beautiful place!

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 Ms. Courtney 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”!

We’re becoming Delbert’s Friends!! To be Delbert’s Friend you must BEEE: Honest, a Good Listener, Polite, Helpful, Responsible, Respectful, Kind, a Learner and a Leader. Students who show these traits will BEE on Delbert’s Friends List and will receive many privileges. Ask your student about it!! Delbert's Friends return homework, books and folders, do their very best and make kind choices each day!

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!!

Beginning Sept. 2nd!

Hello parents! Welcome to 2^nd Grade!

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

Here we are in the second week already! Last week was a busy one as the kids and I became better acquainted with each other and got our classroom up-and-running! We worked with the Orvis Risner School Creed learning what it means to be a responsible leader and learner in our classroom and school! The kids did a great job with this. They will surely prove to be a very responsible group!

As another reminder about the Zippie Book Bags: Thank you for returning them daily! When you return them on a daily basis you’re helping your student reach his/her AR goal as well as ensuring their participation during daily Guided Reading Groups! THANK YOU! It’s parents like you who truly make the difference! Note: The books that come home in your student’s Zippie Bag are rotated through reading groups during the week. When a student fails to return his/her book, there are not enough books for the next day’s group. Please return the books daily.

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

I would like to encourage each of you to attend Parent Night, scheduled for September 11^th, as I will be explaining in detail our class behavior procedures, grading policy, homework and Thursday folders, my teaching philosophy, and lots of info about the learning that will take place in our College~Bound Classroom.

If you have not yet returned the 2^nd Grade Parent Contract or the Parent Input sheets, please do so. Thank you to all of you who have returned these already!

You will find instructions to a card game, “Tens Go Fish” in your child’s Homework Folder today. This is a wonderful game to help reinforce addition skills. AND … what fun math practice! … a card game to play with the entire family!! Isn’t 2^nd grade fun?!?!

Please remind your student of the importance of doing his/her best on each assignment, including best handwriting. We’ll be completing the D’Nealian manuscript handwriting book this 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! I can see the kids becoming more responsible each week!! Thank you!!!

I’d like to thank all of you for the support and encouragement you show your student!! You really DO make all the difference!!

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! A fun way to practice our Math Facts!

9:15 - 11:00: Front Load Monday! We go over, in depth, the skills we'll be sharpening in Stations this week!

9:15 - 11:00: Tuesday ~ Friday: Literacy Block / Station Rotations & Guided Reading at Teacher Table

11:00 - 11:45: Recess & Lunch

11:45 - 11:55: Restroom/Drink Break (Drink breaks are allowed all during the day! Water helps "feed" the brain and we utilize our classroom fountain frequently!)

11:55 - 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 Specials!! (2:00 - 2:30 on Wednesdays)

Monday: PE with Mr. Franz (wear PE shoes!)

Tuesday: Music with Mrs. Bowlware

Wednesday: Health with Mr. Moll

Thursday: Music with Mrs. Bowlware

Friday: PE with Mr. Franz

2:00 - 2:15 Restroom/drink break

2:15 - 2:45: Science &/or Social Studies

2:45 - 3:15: DropEverythingforAcceleratedReader! DEAR time

* This is the time we read silently, with a partner or with Ms. Courtney 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: Thursday 12:15 - 1:15

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 ....

Our first Accelerated Reader Goal Period begins the day after Labor Day!! We're excited and ready to read!!!!!

Remember: students who reach their goals with at least an 85% average are eligible to attend the Goal Period Party!

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

Spelling List Week 1
drum	rock	list	desk	job
sad	chop	sack	tag	rib
	mess	dust
Challenge Words:	pocket	lettuce	engine
Did you see the list?			I sat at my desk.

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