No Homework

Hello!
We are still working away in 2S! However, there will be no homework this week or next week. Please take this time to work on your child's READiculous calendar!

Trimester One Updates

Hello 2S Families,

I apologize for falling behind in behind our updates! I am so happy to see how many of you have followed our Instagram page, joined ClassDojo, written back in the circle notebooks, I hope you are feeling as connected to our class as I feel connected to all of you! If not, please let me know how I can improve!

Over the past few weeks we have worked on asking questions and making predictions in reading. We began reading conferences where we have set goals and worked on comprehension, accuracy, and fluency. We also learned about text features and read some nonfiction books. During the month of December we will continue to work on comprehending our stories in preparation for the Fountas and Pinnell reading assessments in January.

In math we continued to work on counting combinations of coins,  our math facts, and using helper facts to solve math problems. We have recently started our unit on telling time and place value. We will continue to work on these skills throughout December.

One thing I need to share about 2S is, we love to write! Especially if its an opportunity to write about about whatever we like! We have worked on punctuation, and capitals, adding adjectives to our writing. We will be writing Letter's to Santa this December and will work on Persuasive writing come January.

In science and social students we learned about how seeds disperse, natural resources, and Thanksgiving. We are currently working on understanding the difference between wants and needs. What a great topic to be learning about this Holiday Season! 

No Homework

Due to the busy and eventful week there will be no homework this week (11/1-11/8) Homework will resume next week :) 

Septemeber Newsletter

Hello 2S Families!

Well September has come and gone! We are off to a great start in second grade!

In reading we reviewed the Elements of Fiction and learned a new song to help us remember it! We also learned how to retell a story, and of course that had a song too! We spent the first few weeks practicing our reading rotations and exploring new ones that are new to me, as well as the students! Ask your child which center they like the most!

In math we learned about coins. We will continue to work with coins all year. Counting combinations of coins is a great activity to practice at home. We have finished our unit one math assessment and are currently working on unit two!

In writing we worked on building writing stamina and personal narratives. We have loved writing in our Circle Notebooks every week. In October we will focus on adding adjectives to our writing to create more detailed sentences. If you could take a few minutes each weekend to write in your child's circle notebook, they would love to read a note from you the following week!

In science we talked about our five senses and hurricanes. This led to our collecting and donating to our adopted classroom in Houston, Texas. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT WITH THIS!

I look forward to meeting with many of you at conferences! Until then, please feel free to let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Houston Donations

Hello 2S Families,

This week in class we have begun to learn about hurricanes. One of my favorite parts about being a teacher is having opportunities for student's interest and curiosity drive our learning. Many students had heard about the hurricanes and wanted answers to questions like: How do they happen? What causes them? “Where do they happen?” etc. We have started a mini unit to help answer those questions. One thing I love about this class is: they are bucket fillers who want to help! I have contacted a second grade class in Houston that is in need of classroom supplies to get their school year started. The teacher’s name is Kirsten Petitt, and she is ecstatic that there is a classroom willing to help her and her students. As of now, Kirsten has 18 students and would be appreciative if we could send her a class set of the supplies below.I know it wasn’t long ago that you sent in supplies for your own children to begin their year. If you are able to and would like to contribute to our class package please send in your donations by next Wednesday, 9/27. I will mail them by the end of that week. We will also be making cards and sending letters in class so every student will have the opportunity to send some positive thoughts to Houston.

Requested Supplies:
composition notebooks
Pencils
Markers
Folders
sheet protectors
crayons
glue sticks

You should all be very proud of the size of the hearts and the passion your children have displayed for helping people in need! I know I will say it many times this year, I am so excited and happy to have each one of these students in 2S. It is going to be a fantastic year.

Warmly ,
Meg Sullivan

Parent Info Night is this Thursday!!

Parent Hopes and Dreams "homework"

Hopes and Dreams!

Dear 2S Families:

Next week we will be talking about our hopes and dreams for our year in second grade! I have some BIG hopes and dreams for this year and I can’t wait to hear what big plans our students have! And now you have some homework!

I would like for you to share your hopes and dreams for your child for the year. What do you want them to learn? What do you want them to accomplish? What are your goals for your child?

Please write one hope and dream that you have for your child on the back of this paper and return it to me by this Friday, 9/15. I will be using your child’s hopes and dreams along with your hopes and dreams to create a puzzle display that will remind us of what we’re working for! The puzzle reminds us that we are all working together for success!

Thank you for taking the time to help your child reach their goals!

Start of School Paperwork

It has been a great first week in 2S!

If you haven’t already, please print and fill out to the “Start of School Paperwork” on the Daniel J. Bakie school website :  http://www.sau17.net/3/News/55#sthash.wWllKC6i.dpbs. Please have those returned to me by Tuesday, September 5th. Also, please make sure you are checking our class blog periodically. On the right of the blog you may enter your email to receive the updates to your email. Thank you!

First Day of School!

Happy First Day of School to all the 2S families!

It was a wonderful first day, I can already tell it is going to be a great year! Sign up information went home today for you to sign up for ClassDojo. Please be sure to check out the ClassDojo page on this blog. If you would like to sign up for email notifications when new posts are added, please enter your email to the right of this post. Your child's anchor folder was also sent home today, please make sure this comes to school with your child everyday. Thank you!

Former 2S Families,
If you are still receiving these updates by email, you can unsubscribe at the bottom of this email. I am sad to see you go, but happy to see the 2S alums down the hall in third grade!


I hope everyone's child had a great first day back at Bakie!

Have a great night,

Meg Sullivan

Welcome Back Letter 2017

Hello 2S Families,

       First things first, WELCOME to SECOND grade! I hope you are all enjoying your summers! It is hard to believe that summer is almost over and soon it will be time for school. I wanted to send you a quick letter to introduce myself and send along some information. My name is Meghan Sullivan and I will be your child’s second grade teacher for the 2017-2018 school year. This will be my second year at Bakie Elementary and teaching second grade. I met many of your children on “Step Up Day” in June, and I am so excited to have all them in my class! The included paperwork and supplies can be brought to school at the open house on Friday, August 25^th from 2:00-3:00 or on the first day of school. I will be working in our classroom that day, so please feel free to stop by and say hello. The second grade supply list is posted on the school website and on our class blog. Many of the materials brought in will be shared by our classroom community, so no names are needed! In addition to the school supplies, please bring in a bag of coins (20 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 dimes, and 6 quarters) (labeled with your child’s name). We will be following the Everyday Math program this year and will be working with real coins. These will be returned at the end of the school year. Thank you! Please do not send additional supplies, as there won’t be a place to store the extra materials. School will begin on Monday, August 28th at 8:40, students may arrive as early as 8:30.

On the first day of school students may bring a TREASURE bag. A treasure bag has 5-7 items that your child will share with the class during the first week of school. Please make sure the items can fit inside the bag and can stay at school for a week or two (something your child won’t miss at home). These items should be important to your child and something he or she feels comfortable sharing (please, no electronics J). Some ideas include: family pictures, shells, a special toy, etc. I am looking forward to learning what your child treasures!

Second graders will have a morning snack everyday.  Please make sure that this is a quick, healthy, and easy to eat snack that your child can manage independently.  Please remember to send along a spoon if one is needed.  Water bottles are always welcome in the classroom!

The first few weeks of second grade will be devoted to establishing a caring, safe, and respectful environment.  Together, we will create our classroom rules, practice using materials correctly, learn about each other, practice our math and literacy rotations, and much more!  With this strong foundation in place, we will be able to accomplish a great deal during our year together. 

In our classroom this year, we will be sitting at tables, not desks. We also use flexible seating in the classroom, which I began in January of last year. Students do not have an assigned seat. Instead they will be able to choose a workspace for them throughout the day to help them find the best area to be productive and stay on task. Throughout the first we weeks each student will be able to try out all the different seating options and areas in the classroom. The feedback from the students and other adults that worked in our classroom last year was very positive! Each student will also have a cubby inside the classroom where they can store their backpack, lunch box, and jacket. Please label these items with your child’s name and 2S.  This will help us during the school year! 

On the school’s website there is information about lunch prices and other welcome back paperwork. Please check the website and read through the different letters before school begins. Thank you J.

Please be sure to send in a note if your child will be picked up early or their dismissal plan is different from what they normally do after school.  If I don’t receive a note, I will send your child home by their typical after school plan.  The school provides dismissal forms and they can be found on the school website.

You can find more information on the class information tab on our class webpage: http://2sbakiecrew.blogspot.com/. In the effort to be as “paperless” as a teacher can be, I will be periodically uploading posts about what we are learning, events we have attended at school, and any big 2S news. This blog will take the place of a class newsletter, so please make sure you check it regularly. Check our blog for an “About Me” page to learn more about me and to share with your child. If you are on Instagram feel free to follow our class page. The username is:  2s_bakie_crew. This is a private account that only I have access too. I choose who can view the account so please make sure your name is on your profile if you request permission to follow us. I will not post students’ names or post students’ pictures that do not have permission to be photographed. This account is for you as parents to get a snapshot of our day and to see 2S learning and in action! I have used this in the past and have had positive feedback from parents.

I hope this letter has been helpful to you even though it is just a quick glimpse into 2S! There will be a lot of paperwork sent home during the first few weeks of school so please be on the lookout! I am a firm believer in the teacher and parents/guardians being a team during the school year so please feel free to contact me by writing me a note, calling the school at 642-5272, using the Class Dojo app or by emailing me at msullivan@sau17.net. I check my email Monday through Friday between 8:15am- 5:30pm and typically respond within 24 hours.

I look forward to meeting and working with you all this year!

Sincerely,

Meg Sullivan