Miss McMickell's Second Grade Class

Last Two Weeks of School!!

2009-05-10T16:53:00.001-07:00

WOW!! It is the final days of the year!! I want to thank all of you for an amazing Teacher Appreciation Week!! I really did feel the love and appreciation from the children and from the parents!! Thank you SO much!! In the next two weeks, we will be doing some fun writing activities, finishing up unit 12 in math (we are working with 2-digit numbers with re-grouping and with 3-digit numbers), studying rocks, and if we have some time, we will be doing some fun art activities. The last two weeks are always packed with fun things, but don't worry, we will be doing some of our regular learning activities too!! Some of you had some questions about the media release form that I sent home about a week ago, I would like to explain what that is for. I am involved in a state program for gifted education that is call "High Ability" and I have been doing some lessons in our classroom. When I do some of the lessons, they like to have us video tape them and then go over the lesson with other teachers to figure out how the lesson went and how I can improve. There are several teachers at Coral Cliffs involved in this program and it is an amazing opportunity for our class and for our school. I also thought that it would be a good idea because I do take pictures of your children throughout the year at the various school activities and doing fun things at school to put on the blog. By signing the paper, it gives me permission to use the video and the pictures of your children for school purposes and for the blog. I promise that I will use these pictures in a professional manner and ONLY for school use. I hope that this all makes sense. If you have any more questions or concerns, please feel free to email me. Thanks again for everything. This year has been amazing and everything that I could wish for. HAVE A FANTASTIC AND SAFE SUMMER!!

Our Writing!

2009-05-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

Just a little secret...

2009-05-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

If you want to see the pictures better, just click on the picture collage and it will enlarge the pictures. :)

Square Dance Assembly

2009-05-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Random pictures

2009-05-02T18:42:00.001-07:00

Christmas!

2009-05-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

I know that I am a little bit behind, but I'm trying to catch up!!

Swine Flu

2009-04-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that you have been listening to the news and I'm sure that a lot of rumors have started. We had a school meeting today about our pandemic plan and about the swine flu. The district has a plan in place and will use it if necessary. School will still be held until otherwise notified!! Please make sure that your kids are washing their hands and that if they DO get sick, please keep them home!! If school does get canceled due to this virus, the news will be alerted and we will also be using our phone system to contact you. I will also keep you updated on our class blog. Whenever I get some information, I will share it with you. Please do not panic, everything is ok and school will continue on like normal. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at mmcmickell@washk12.org OR call the school. Once again, I would like to emphasize to NOT PANIC. I just wanted to let you know that we are ready for anything, and I wanted you to understand what would happen in case of an outbreak. Thanks so much for checking the blog and staying informed on our activities at school. Thanks for all that you do and for your help and support.

April 27th- May 1st

2009-04-25T17:40:00.001-07:00

WOW!! What a fantastic program your kids performed!! I am so proud of them and the hard work that they put into their performance, I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did. I will post some pictures soon!! Also, I'm sure that your child has said something about a talent show at school. Well, our class has been performing random talents that they have and I have recorded some of them, I will post those soon too!! They are so much fun!! This week we will be focusing on TESTING!!! I can't believe that it is already here. I hope that you will help your child get to bed early, get a good breakfast, and be to school on time. Each day we will begin testing at 9:30 in the morning. The students in second grade are required to take the math and the language CRT. Our class, along with the other second grade classrooms, have really been preparing for this test. I feel that our class is prepared for this test and that they should feel confident when taking this test. If you have some extra time this week at home, have your child get onto UTIPS and take some of the practice tests. We will also be wrapping up our math unit on multiplication and division. I think that the students really had a lot of fun with this unit and really understood the concept. I was a little nervous to jump into multiplication and division, but the kids were really excited and when the kids are excited, learning comes easily. Thanks so much to those parents who were willing to provide the class with snacks for testing!! I know that the kids will really appreciate the break and I really appreciate the help!! Thanks for all that you do!! I hope that you have a fantastic week!!

April 13-17

2009-04-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend!! This week we will be working on multiplication and learning more about arrays, column, and rows. Please start reviewing multiplication facts with your child at home. This will really help them get ready for third grade. We are working on fun writing projects!! Since we have learned about the four major types of writing and the writing process, the students are able to take a writing prompt, go through the writing process, and even tell me what type of writing it is. I am amazed at the knowledge that these kids have about writing and the writing that they can do!! YAY!! In science we will be starting the unit on rocks which will be really fun and filled with great learning activities! Here are some dates to remember:

April 21st at 2:30 is our class program. We will be preforming for the school and for the parents!
April 27th-May 1st we will be doing the End-of-Level testing!! If you know that your child is going to be gone, please let me know now so that I can make arrangements for them to take the test. Make-ups are hard to schedule, so it is important that everyone is there during that week!! I am also asking for donations of snacks for that week. The students work really hard and need something to keep them going. I would prefer something healthy like crackers, string cheese, fruit snacks, fruit, etc. If you are willing to donate, please let me know and we can work out a schedule. Thanks.
May 5th is our field trip to Sand Hallow swimming pool!!

March 30-April 3

2009-04-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

We finally have a normal week!! YAY!! Last week was a little crazy!! We had a short week and some vistors came to see how fantastic our school is!! There is a principal's group that comes down every year to see the wonderful things that our school is doing. They come from up north and only come to see our school, so it is an honor. I am really good friends with the man who was in charge who is now working for the state. He was my principal when I was in kindergarten and was my mother's principal for a lot of years while she was teaching. He said wonderful things about our school and about our class!!! He loved the essays and the art work that your children made and couldn't believe that second graders could produce that work. He was very impressed and had a wonderful time talking with your children. I am so impressed with the progress that these kids have made this year and the things that they have learned. I couldn't be a happier teacher!! Thanks for all of your hard work and support at home, it really makes a difference!! I also appreciate all of the gifts and kind notes that I got for my birthday!! You are all so sweet!! Thank you so much!! I also wanted to thank those that were involved in the suprise party!! That was so much fun and we all had a blast!! Thanks a bunch!!
This week we will be finishing up unit 10 on fractions, measuring, and time. We are also working on preparation for the end of level tests!! We will be working really hard to get ready for the BIG test this whole month!! WE FINISHED OUR ESSAYS!! THEY ARE IN THE HALLWAY BY THE OFFICE!! Please come and see what wonderful work that your child has done!! They also created some amazing artwork that is hung in the hallway!! We are also working on our program which is on APRIL 21st at 2:30!! I hope to see you all there!! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me!!! Thanks again for all that you do!!

NO HOMEWORK!!

2009-03-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

I won't be sending home any homework for Spring Break!! I want you and your children to enjoy the break!! I think that we all need a little time off!! Because there will be no homework, there will be NO SPELLING TEST the week that we return from spring break!! Thanks!!

March 9-13

2009-03-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

Math- We just finished up unit 9 and we will be starting unit 10 this week. We will be learning about Fractions, Probability, and Time in this unit. This week we will be working with identifying one-half and one-fourth, and then moving on to thirds, sixths, and eighths. We will also be working on reading and writing fractions.
Writing- We are still finishing up our narrative essay, but we should have it all finished by the end of the week. We will also be working on some fun Dr. Seuss writing for our Dr. Seuss activities.
Reading- The kids are doing amazing things in reading. We are going to really be focusing on comprehension skills to get them ready for the end of level test.
Teacher Notes- This week is Dr. Seuss week and there are many fun activities planned. Monday is beach day, Tuesday is dress like your favorite who-day, Wednesday is hat day, Thursday is wear crazy slippers or sock day, and Friday is Pajama Day. We are going to have a lot of fun this week. I also wanted to remind you that there will be NO SCHOOL NEXT WEEK (March 16-20) We also have a Teacher Work Day on March 23rd, so the students will not come on that day either. The students will return on Tuesday March 24th!! Thanks and have a fantastic Spring Break!!

March 2-6

2009-03-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

Math- In Math we are learning about adding and subtracting 2 digit numbers. The kids are really getting the hang of it and I am so excited. They are learning how to re-group with subtraction (or borrow) and how to carry in addition. We are getting into some hard stuff and the kids are doing great!! We are also doing a math camp on 2 digit addition this week!!
Reading- We are still going strong with our summaries. I am so excited that they are really producing some great summaries and it is also helping in their writing too!! This is so great!! When the groups finish up their book, I am going to give them a break from summaries and we will do some fun activities for a while!! Please keep reading at home because I am noticing a BIG difference.
Writing- I am so thrilled with the writing that this class is doing. It is absolutley incredible. We have mastered paragraphs and have moved into an essay. The students are working so hard and I am really enjoying the stories that they are creating. They are working on a narrative essay right now and are on the final draft. It will be hung out in the hall by the office when they are finished. (I will keep you posted)
Teacher Notes- Thank you so much for coming to parent teacher conferences!! I really enjoy talking to you and discussing your child's success!! Next week we will be celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday with fun things every day. I sent a note home today with your children to tell you about the events for the week. I also wanted to let you know that I will have a substitute here on Wednesday. I will still be here at school, so I will be checking on the students. I will be running the Science Fair that day and so I won't be able to be in the classroom. I also wanted to thank Halli Judd's parents for coming in on Friday!! They taught us about how to be an electrician, played games with us, and gave us some yummy treats!! Thanks again for all of your support and help!!

Substitute and SPELLING TEST

2009-02-10T15:29:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately I have had a death in the family. I am already going to be up in Ogden, (my hometown) on Thursday for a conference and will continue to stay there throughout the weekend due to these circumstances. I am really disappointed that I am going to miss two days of school and the Valentine's Day party, however, I need to be with my family and friends at this time. I hope that you all understand and will be patient with me. Also because of the crazy week, we will NOT be having a spelling test. I usually would have the students make it up, however, next week is a short week, so I have decided to skip it. I made the students a deal and told them that if they handed in their homework on time, then they would get to skip the spelling test. NEW HOMEWORK WILL STILL COME HOME ON FRIDAY!! (if the substitute hands it out) Thank you for all of your help and support. If you have any questions, feel free to call me or email me. (mmcmickell@washk12.org) I will check my email while I am gone. Thanks again!!

Music for the Program

2009-02-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

Here is the program music!! You need to click on the title and it will link you to the music. You might need itunes, I'm not sure. I'm still learning how this blog stuff works, so if you have some problems, let me know and I will fix it. Enjoy practicing!

Feb. 9-Feb.13

2009-02-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

Math- We will continue to learn about numbers to 1,000. We are working on writing the numbers in different ways. (words, numbers, and using the blocks) We are also working on graphing in math camp. We picked graphing because it is sometimes difficult to understand and is on the end-of-level test. Make sure that you practice looking at all the information that the graph has to tell. (definatley make sure that you are looking at the key when practicing graphing)
Writing- We are still working on our narrative essay. It is taking a little longer that I anticipated because we have been working on a science fair project to get the kids excited for the science fair and to help them understand what to do. We will really get back to our essay next week. Thanks for your understanding.
Guided Reading- I am so excited!! I am finally seeing some amazing summaries in our guided reading groups. The students are really understanding how to write a summary. The best part about writing summaries is that it helps them practice writing paragraphs and gets them ready for our essay. I love when all of the subjects connect!!
Teachers Notes- I sent a note home explaining Valentine's Day. I am having each student create a box or a bag at home to collect their valentine's in. Be creative, as long as it is appropriate for school, it will be fantastic for our party! I also don't want names to be put on any of the valentines. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. We are also asking for a $1.00 donation for the Valentine's Day party. Any donations would be greatly appreciated!! The Valentine's Day party will be on February 13th at 12:15. Everyone is welcome to join us!! I also wanted to let you know that I will be gone on Thursday for a conference. If you have any problems that day or if you need anything, please contact the office. (652-4712) I have had some questions about our program, we have it shceduled for Wednesday, April 22nd. Things could change, so I will keep you posted, but save that date for now. We are working hard and are really excited to share it with you. I am still working on getting the songs on the blog. Thank you so much for all that you do and for your amazing support!! Have a fantastic week and HAPPY VALLENTINE"S DAY!!

February 2-6

2009-02-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

Math- This week we are learning about numbers to 1,000. We are really working on place value. Please review numbers up to 1,000 with your child and ask them what number is in the hundreds place, in the tens place, and in the ones place. Then ask them what the number means. (Example: 731 If I asked what the 3 meant in that number, the answer would be 30.)
Writing- We are still working on our narrative paragraph. We are going to be writing a three paragraph essay, so this might take some time. They have come up with some great ideas in their pre-write, so I am looking forward to their writing.
Guided Reading- We have re-grouped the students according to their new reading score and are even triple serving some of the students. I am so surprised at the progress that I am seeing in reading. The second grade team is really working hard and is getting great success in reading!!We will continue to work on fluency and summaries in our small groups.
Teacher Notes- We are asking for a $1.00 donation for our Valentine's Day Party. This will help in buying treats and fun things for the party!! Thanks so much for all that you do. Our party in be on February 13th at 12:15. Everyone is welcome!! We are also working on our program. I am trying to get the songs on the blog, so that the students can practice them at home. We will see if I can do it. Thank you so much for everything and for your support!! Have a fantastic week!!

January 26th-30th

2009-01-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

Math- We will continue working on geometry and measurement. We are learning how to measure area and we are also working on measuring using cups, pints, quarts, and gallons. The students are learning how many cups are in a pint, how many cups are in a quart, and so on.

Writing- This week we will be focusing on a narrative paragraph. We will be working on the pre-writing phase of this paragraph. The students have now learned how to write an expository paragraph, a descriptive paragraph, and a persuasive paragraph.

Guided Reading- We are still working on our summaries. The students are writing a paragraph after they read a chapter. By doing this, the students are also working on their writing. I like to really get the summaries down because in third grade they have to write a summary for their DRA test. If I prepare them now, it will help them succeed in the future.

Other Notes- The students are working on a fun program. We still haven't set a date for this exciting adventure, but I will let you know as soon as I do!! We are also getting talkative again in class. Please remind your children of the behavior that is expected at school. Thank you so much for all of your help and support.

2009-01-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

Math- We are working on Unit 7. This unit will focus on measurement and geometry. The students will be learning about symmetry and 2-D shapes. They will also be discovering right angles and parallel lines. This week we will be focusing on measuring using nonstandard units.
Writing- We have started our expostiory paragraph. In this paragraph, the students are explaining how to get from our classroom to another location in the school. We are in the writing stage of the writing process and will be making our sloppy copy this week.
Guided Reading- We will be working on monitoring and clarifying this week. This will help the students really understand what they are reading.
Teacher Notes- Thank you for all the many gifts that I recieved!! I truly appreciate your kindness and love!! I would also like to thank all of you who helped with the Christmas party!! It was amazing and the kids really had a good time!! Thanks for all that you do and for your support!!

Big Kahuna

2009-01-08T11:37:00.001-08:00

This week the Big Kahuna is Natalie Gardiner!!

Homework

2009-01-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

We are just getting back into the swing of things this week. I am so glad to be back and to have your children back at school! I will be sending homework home this Friday and it will be due the following Thursday!! Please make sure that your child is getting their homework done. As a second grade team we have put together these homework packets. In the packets are essential skills that your child needs to continually review to prepare for the end of level test and to be ready for third grade!! Thanks for all that you do and for all of your support!!

December 15th- December 19th

2008-12-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

NO SCHOOL DECEMBER 29th - JANUARY 2nd! The kids return on January 5th!

MATH- We just finished up Unit 6 on money, time, and data. They are really understanding time and they are beginning to catch on to money. This unit just introduced data and graphing, so we will hit it again later on in the year. This week we will be reviewing some of the math concepts that we have already covered.
WRITING-We finished our persuasive paragraphs and they look fantastic!! The kids really did a great job!! The writing is hanging up in the hallway outside of the office. If you have a chance, go take a look at the fantastic writing that our class is doing!
GUIDED READING-We are still working hard on questioning before we read, while read read, and after we read. This is a great way to get the students talking about the book!!
TEACHER NOTES-I really appreciate all of your help and support in the classroom and at home!! Thanks for all that you do!! This year has really been great!!

BIG KAHUNA- The Big Kahuna this week is Sierra Gearhart!

THE BIG KAHUNA

2008-12-08T12:55:00.001-08:00

This week's BIG KAHUNA IS CHLOE RIDING!

Christmas Sing-Along Assembly

2008-12-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

We will be having the annual Christmas Sing-Along Assembly on December 16th at 2:00 pm in the gym. Every grade picks a Christmas song and sings it for the school. It is a really fun assembly and I would invite ALL of you to come join us. The second grade had picked Up On The Housetop this year. I hope to see you there!!

Welcome to our classroom blogg!!

2008-12-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

I have decided to start a blogg for our class!! I thought that this would be another way to communicate with the you (the parents) and a way to update you on what is going on in our classroom. I also thought that it would be a fun way to share some pictures of your children working on projects or participating in fun school activities. Feel free to leave me comments or questions and always feel free to email me at mmcmickell@washk12.org. I hope that you like the blogg!!