January 20, 2019 Newsletter

Mrs. Topoll's

Tr 4 Gr 2 Class

Welcome to Q3!

Newsletter for the weeks of:

January 20, 2020

HAPPY 2020!

Dear Parents and Students,

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are

enjoying our long track out! I wanted to be sure to say thank

SO much for the generous and thoughtful treats, gifts,

and gift cards you all gave me! You all are too sweet!

I am looking forward to seeing all the students back on Monday,

January 27th! We will be in room 503 when we track back in.

(It is right next door to our previous classroom.) I hope everyone enjoys

our last week of track out!

Mrs. Topoll

What’s Coming Up ?

Jan. 27th: Track IN Day for Tr 4, & Q3 begins!

Jan. 31st: Q2 Report Cards go home.
Feb. 14th: Valentine's Day (Students will exchange cards.) We will
send a list of names soon to help with addressing the cards.
Feb. 17th: Teacher Workday
Feb. 26th: Q3 Interim Reports go home.
March 2nd - 12th: Spring Book Fair
March 9th: Teacher Workday
March 18th: IN school (on campus) Field Trip: Science is Fun

March 31st: LAST day of Q3, & Track-Out Day for Tr 4

Homework Ideas / Suggestions

* All year: Students should read nightly for a minimum of 20 min.

Ideally, 10 min of that time students should be reading ALOUD to a family member.
* Read Aloud Poems for Fluency Practice @ Home

(Counts as part of the 15-20 min of nightly reading)

Week of Jan. 27th: Gladiola’s Garden

Week of Feb. 3rd: Today I had a Rotten Day

Week of Feb. 10th: Today I Got a Valentine

Students will bring home a poem as their

fluency passage each Monday w/ directions & guiding Qs

attached. The Qs may be discussed together in

conversation w/ your child and/or your child may write

his/her responses.

* MATH: Students are encouraged to practice recall of memorization of addition

& subtraction facts. One resource you may use at home is Xtra Math (on-line.)
Your child has an account via our class page.
If you still need your child's log-in password, then let us know.
Students may also access DreamBox site via there WCPSS student
Google Classroom home page.

• Math Unit 5: Video Resources: Wake County Academics YouTube Channel 
•  3-digit Addition with Base Ten Place Value Blocks
• 3-digit Addition with Proof Drawings
• 3-digit Addition using a Number Line
•  3-digit Addition using the Expanded Method
• 3-digit subtraction using base ten place value blocks
• 3-digit subtraction with proof drawings
•  3-digit subtraction using a number line

Look at what we'll be learning!

The Positivity Project What is the Positivity Project? Click HERE for information for families. Character Trait for the Week of 1/27: Perseverance 2/3: OPM: Supporting Others 2/10: Forgiveness For more information check out: http://www.posproject.org

Science: NCDPI State Standards

"The students will...."

"Earth Systems, Structures, & Processes"

* Understand patterns of weather and factors that affect weather. * Summarize how energy from the sun serves as a source of light that warms the land, air, and water. * Summarize weather conditions using qualitative and quantitative measures to describe: Temperature Wind direction Wind speed Precipitation * Compare weather patterns that occur over time and relate observable patterns to time of day and time of year. * Recognize the tools that scientists use for observing, recording, and predicting weather changes from day to day and during the seasons.

Math:  Unit 5: Adding & Subtracting within 1,000

This unit spans 6 weeks when we include the assessment days
within the unit.
Goals & skills from our NC DPI Standards:
"Students will be able to..."

Write equations where the unknown represents the context of the problem.  Use flexible strategies when adding and subtracting within 1000.  Select efficient strategies in order to compute sums and differences fluently.  Show how  strategies work. Demonstrate and explain why addition and subtraction strategies work using pictures, numbers, or words.  Solve problems mentally when adding and subtracting ten and one hundred. Determine an efficient strategy when adding and subtracting.

* Letterland: Weekly Phonics / Spelling Patterns:
Weeks of:

1/27: Unit 12: "ar" & "or"

2/3: Unit 13: "ir" & "er"

2/10: Unit 14: "er" & "or" endings: "or" sounds like "er" (sister, actor);
"ear" pattern in words can sound like "er": (earth); "o" can sound like 
a "short u sound" in some words (second, from)

EL Module 3 spanning all of Q3:
"The Secret World of Pollination"
Speaking/Writing/Reading/Listening:

See below for: Parent Connection Info taken from the Gr 2 EL Curriculum Resource:

During Unit 1 of this module, students will build their background knowledge 
of plants by researching the unit guiding question, “How do plants grow and survive?”

 * Students will research this question by engaging in activities that provoke wonder and 
curiosity about how we get the fruits, flowers, and vegetables that we enjoy. 
* Students will study the topic of plants, with a focus on learning about plant stages. 
The learning will focus on these ideas: 
■ Plants need light and water to grow. 
■ All plants go through the same stages as they grow. 

* Students will also practice these reading foundation skills: 
■ Identify and write the sound and spelling pattern for words ending in 
(consonant plus -le) syllable type. 
■ Segment (break apart) and identify the syllables within words, and blend them 
back together. 
■ Decode (read) and encode (write) two-syllable words. 

* Students will read, think, listen, talk, write, draw, and ask questions about the 
topic of how plants grow and survive. 
* Students will participate in these activities, among others, to build their literacy skills: 
■ Listening to read-alouds of a variety of texts about plants. 
■ Participating in “open sorts” of plant parts to decide how they are related to each other. 
■ Engaging in collaborative conversations with classmates. 
■ Writing and drawing about plants parts. 
■ Asking and answering questions about what plants need to grow and survive. 

*     Brassfield’s Web Site

*  2019-’20 WCPSS Year- Round Calendar

December 2, 2019 Newsletter

Mrs. Topoll's

Tr 4 Gr 2 Class

December 2019

What’s Coming Up ?

Dec. 5th: K-2 Assembly @ 9:30 AM: Drama Club Performance

Dec. 7th: Saturday School: 8:45 AM-12:45 PM: No meals are

served that day in cafeteria. Please pack your child a hearty snack

& a water bottle.

Dec. 13th: Cultural Family Biography (Cereal Box Project) Due Date

(Refer to e-mail sent on 11/20 & also 12/1.) A hard copy of assignment came

home in Wed. Folder on 11/20.

Dec. 17th: Holidays Around the World Learning Experience (9:45-11:45 AM)

Please see e-mail & the attached document sent on 11/25 & also 12/1.

E-mail Mrs. Buchan if you're interested in helping in any way. Thank you!

Dec. 18th: Science if Fun for Everyone IN-school (ON campus) Field Trip

(Topic: "States of Matter")

Dec. 20th: LAST DAY of Q2 / Track-Out Day for Tr 4

Jan. 27, 2020: Track IN Day for Tr 4, & Q3 begins!

Jan. 31st: Q2 Report Cards go home.

We could use your help!

If you have gently used thinking games,
card games, &/or 
puzzles you'd like to donate to our classroom, 
then feel free to send them in anytime. 
We're using these types of 
activities now during our Arrival Time (8:45-9:15 AM) 
during what we call our "Morning Walk." 
Students choose activities from their Morning Walk Menu!

Homework Ideas / Suggestions

* Family Biography Project is due by 12/13

* All year: Students should read nightly for a minimum of 20 min.

Ideally, 10 min of that time students should be reading ALOUD to a family member.

* MATH: Students are encouraged to practice recall of memorization of addition

& subtraction facts. One resource you may use at home is Xtra Math (on-line.)
Your child has an account via our class page.
If you still need your child's log-in password, then let us know.
Students may also access DreamBox site via there WCPSS student
Google Classroom home page.

Look at what we'll be learning!

The Positivity Project What is the Positivity Project? Click HERE for information for families. Character Trait for the Week of 12/2: Self-Control 12/9: Optimism 12/16: Prudence For more information check out: http://www.posproject.org

Science:

"Matter: Properties & Change"

Understanding properties of solids and liquids and the changes  they undergo. NC DPI State Standards:

	Students will:
	* Give examples of matter that change from a solid to a liquid  and from a liquid to a solid by heating and cooling.
	* Compare the amount (volume and weight) of water in a  container before and after freezing.
	*Compare what happens to water left in an open container  over time as to water left in a closed container.

Math:  Math: Unit 4: Understanding Place Value to Read,

Write and Compare Numbers

From NCDPI Standard Course of Study:
Students will be able to:

*Count within 1,000; skip-count by 5s, 10s, and 100s 

*Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent 

amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones. 

* Unitize by making a hundred from a collection of ten tens. 

* Demonstrate that the numbers 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 

800, 900 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine 

hundreds, with 0 tens and 0 ones. 

* Compose and decompose numbers using various groupings of 

hundreds, tens, and ones. 

* Compare two three-digit numbers based on the value of the hundreds, 

tens, and ones digits, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results 

of comparisons

* Letterland: Weekly Phonics / Spelling Patterns:
Weeks of:

12/2: Unit 10: ai, ay, ou, ow

12/9: Unit 11: kn-. -mb, wr-, -igh 

12/16: Unit 12: ar, or 

EL: Speaking/Writing/Reading/Listening:

Parent Connection Web Link for MODULE 2:
 Learning through Science and Story: Fossils Tell of Earth’s Changes

Module 2, Unit 3: Writing Narratives: Becoming Paleontologists

Writing a Narrative about Discovering a Fossil

Students will:
* Produce a draft of a narrative from the perspective of a paleontologist
about the moment they discovered a fossil.
* Make specific revisions & edits to the narrative based on teacher suggestions.

*     Brassfield’s Web Site

*  2019-’20 WCPSS Year- Round Calendar

November 4, 2019 Newsletter

Mrs. Topoll's

Tr 4 Gr 2 Class

November 2019

What’s Coming Up ?

Nov. 4th-14th: Brassfield Book Fair: For ALL the details...Click HERE

for previous blog post.

Nov. 4th-15th: Students may bring in their artifacts for their History &

Culture Project. For ALL the details...Click HERE for previous blog post.

Nov. 7th: Book Fair: Media by Moonlight: 5-7 PM

Nov. 11th: Veterans Day Holiday: All WCPSS schools are closed.
Nov. 14th: Book Fair: Pastries for Parents: 8-8:45 AM
Nov. 16th: Saturday School: 8:45 AM-12:45 PM: No breakfast/lunch is
served that day. Please pack your child a hearty snack & water bottle.
Nov. 20th: Q2 Interim Reports will go home in Wed. Folders.

Nov. 20th: Cultural Arts Program in the morning on campus.

Nov. 27th-29th: Thanksgiving Holiday

Sept. 30th-Dec. 6th: READvolution See e-mail sent on 10/13 for instructions

for logging in for students to record their reading data through 12/6.
Holidays Around the World Track 4 / Gr 2:
December Learning Experience: Stay tuned for details about date, time,
& materials/items needed.
Dec. 7th: Saturday School: 8:45 AM-12:45 PM: No breakfast/lunch is

served that day. Please pack your child a hearty snack & water bottle.

Dec. 20th: LAST DAY of Q2 / Track-Out Day for Tr 4

Jan. 27, 2020: Track IN Day for Tr 4, & Q3 begins!

Jan. 31st: Q2 Report Cards go home.

We could use your help!

If you have gently used thinking games,
card games, &/or 
puzzles you'd like to donate to our classroom, 
then feel free to send them in anytime. 
We're using these types of 
activities now during our Arrival Time (8:45-9:15 AM) 
during what we call our "Morning Walk." 
Students choose activities from their Morning Walk Menu!

Homework Ideas / Suggestions

* History & Culture Project is due by 11/15.

* All year: Students should read nightly for a minimum of 20 min.

Ideally, 10 min of that time students should be reading ALOUD to a family member.

* MATH: Students are encouraged to practice recall of memorization of addition

& subtraction facts. One resource you may use at home is Xtra Math (on-line.)
Your child has an account via our class page.
If you still need your child's log-in password, then let us know.
Students may also access DreamBox site via there WCPSS student
Google Classroom home page.

Currently, we're learning to TELL TIME to the nearest 5 minutes.
Practicing telling time w/ your child is highly encouraged.

* Literacy Resource (BLUE)Folder: Look for NEW resources including

comprehension and FLUENCY activities coming THIS WEEK to help your child

as he/she interacts with, reads, & responds to text.

These materials should get your child through the next 3 weeks! If he/she

doesn't have a BLUE folder in his/her backpack, then I'll send the materials

home in regular file folder.

VERBAL RETELLING QUESTION STEMS, or find these at the tab on the blog for
at-home resources.

Look at what we'll be learning!

The Positivity Project What is the Positivity Project? Click HERE for information for families. Character Trait for the Week of 11/4: Gratitude 11/12: Kindness 11/18: Humility For more information check out: http://www.posproject.org

Math:  Math: Unit 3: Skip Counting in Multiple Contexts

* Count within 1000; Skip Count by 5's & 10's
* Tell and write time from digital and analog clocks to the nearest
5 minutes using AM & PM

Social Studies: History & Culture
Students will discover ways that various sources provide information about
the past. Our class will study artifacts, images, time lines, and documents.  
In addition, students will begin to develop an understanding about how
various cultures influence communities (stories, art, music, food, etc.) &
learn to recognize historical figures and events associated with various
cultures.

* Letterland: Weekly Phonics / Spelling Patterns:
Weeks of:

11/4: Medial "ck" & Medial & Final "tch"
11/12: vowel teams: ea & ee (the E says it's name / long e sound)
11/18: Verbs: c-v-c (hop) & doubling final consonant
to add suffix (-ing) (hopping)
c-v-c- silent e (hope) & dropping silent e to add suffix (-ing) (hoping)

EL: Speaking/Writing/Reading/Listening:

Parent Connection Web Link for MODULE 2:
 Learning through Science and Story: Fossils Tell of Earth’s Changes

Module 2, Unit 1:

Common Core ELA Standards from NC DPI:

*Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, 
and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

*Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse 

cultures, & determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

*Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

*Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing 

how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes 

the action.*Use information gained from the illustrations and 

words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

*Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

Helpful School & WCPSS Links to Resources & Information

*     Brassfield’s Web Site

*  2019-’20 WCPSS Year- Round Calendar