Brunson

Brunson & Bolin's Bulletin

ACADEMIC NEWS

CRCT testing is complete.  Everyone worked very hard getting prepared.

I am sending home the STAR  vocabulary test that was taken on April 16th.  Those are in the Thursday Folders for you to review.

I am very proud of  our class for working so hard on the CRCT.

Math compacting resumed this week.  We  continue to review multiplication facts and 3 digit subtraction and 3 digit addition. These are important skills for students to know for 3rd grade also. Our test for UNIT 4 is next Thursday and that completes Math Compacting for the school year.

In Social Studies we are completing our unit on Australia.  We have had a lot or fun learning about this fascinating and exciting country.  Our test on Australia will be Thursday.  Next week,  we will begin our unit of study on the life cycle of plants and animals.  On Monday a project form went home explaining our research report.  Students will make an animal project and complete a written (or typed) informational paragraph on their Australian animal.  Please review the rubric and the project form that was sent home on Monday.  This explains  the expectations and guidelines of the project and written report.  The project can include pictures of the animal or the animal in its habitat.  Students have seen pictures of projects and  reviewed written reports.  They also research information on their animal at Tech today.

SPECIAL EVENTS

May 9th Field Day

May 14  Photosynthesis--- Sugar is from Plants  (This is our in-house field trip)

May 23 Last Day of School

Hats off

All of our parents who have helped in our classroom this year. Special thanks to our room parents-- Mrs. Quick and Mrs. Pierce.  Mrs. Quick and Ms Simmons were our  AR parents who came in  to help with AR.  Mr. Duncan also came in every Friday morning to supervise the computer lab so that students could take tests.This year wouldn't have been a success without the support of our parent volunteers.

HATS OFF to all of the students that reached their AR goal this year.  They are as follows:  OLIVIA AUZENNE, BRIANNA COLEMAN, ARIBDAI COVARRUBIAS, GRACE DUNCAN, AND CONNOR QUICK. 

OTHER

Remember to keep ASP and lunch accounts up to date.

Please send in field trip permission forms along with your donation.  Those are due tomorrow. 

Picture money and registration forms are also due to the front office.

Remember to send in a self- addressed stamped envelope (2 stamps) so that report cards can be mailed this summer.  If you fail to do this, report cards will have to be picked up from the front office during the summer.

Student Council is asking 2nd grade students to consider donating the following items for our troops overseas. 

chapstick, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, eye drops, antibacterial wipes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, deodorant, body lotion, body wash

and previously owned beanie babies for village children. 

A collection box will be place in the 2nd grade wing.  A notice about this Student Council project was send home earlier this  week.  Items will be collected until the end of the school year.If you have any questions about this project, please email me.

I will have  one more blog before the school year is out.  So be sure to check it out.

Blogg Joke

Which moves faster hot or cold??

Hot. Everybody can catch a cold

Brunson& Bolin's Bulletin

ACADEMIC NEWS

In Language Arts we are  reviewing for the CRCT test.

In Math we have begun our unit on multiplication and 3digit subtraction with regrouping.  Students have really enjoyed learning that multiplication is repeated addition. You can start practicing multiplication facts at home now so that your child can get a head  start for 3rd grade.

We have completed our space unit.  Students had lots of interesting questions about space.   I hope their fascination of space  will continue.  Our new Social Studies unit is on the country of Australia.  In conjunction with our Australia unit, we will be completing an animal project on an Australian animal.  The expectaions and quidelines of this project will be sent home after Spring Break

Special Events

April 7-4  Spring Break

  April 21-25  CRCT TESTING

Hats Off To

Olivia Auzenne, Connor Quick, and Grace Duncan for reaching their AR goal for the year.  Way to GO!!!!

Other

Thank you for making my birthday extra special .  Your thoughtfulness is overwhelming.

Students are short on their pencil supply.  Remember that AR testing will end this month.  Many of the students have been working on the CRCT practice tests at home.

BLOG JOKE

When are your eyes not your eyes?

When the wind makes them water.

Brunson & Bolin's Bulletin

Academic News

In Reading we are focusing on stories related to our solar system.  We continue vocabulary.  Please continue to work on AR goals by reading books at home.

In Math we have begun our new unit on multiplication.  The students are very excited about starting this unit.  We are learning about what is multiplication and how does it related to addition.

We ended our unit on Japan by having a big food tasting celebration which was a huge success. Now we have begun our unit on the solar system.  Students are very excited about this unit of study.  Is Pluto a planet?? You answer that question to your child.

In writing, we have begun to write persausive paragrahphs with our opinion.

SPECIAL EVENTS

April     7-11  Spring Break

April    21-25  CRCT Testing

HATS OFF TO

Mrs. Pierce and Mrs. Quick did a wonderful job with our food tasting celebration.  Mrs. Pierce brought in some Japanese articles that her father had from WWll.  It was one of the best Japanese celebration that I have ever seen. Thank you to all that brought in foood.

Our Boosterthon was a big success.  Thank you for all of your hard work that supports our school.

OTHER

We are running low on tissues in the classroom. This year has been a very active one for colds.

Please remember to write ASP notes separate from any  other messages you want me to be aware of.  ASP notes are posted in the classroom to remind us of dismissal changes.

As we begin the last  9weeks of the school year, I would like to stress the importance of students consistently putting forth their  best in their school work.  Many students are having a difficult time listening attentively in class. Careless mistakes are also being made in their class assignments. Please be mindful that children need to get plenty of sleep in order to have a successful day a school.  We do not want our lack of attention fo effect our learning ability.

BLOGG JOKE

what will go up a chimney down but won't go down a chimney up?

an umbrella

Brunson & Bolin's Bulletin

ACADEMIC NEWS

In Reading we are working on locating information in a paragraph and main idea.  Remember that students need to read at least 20 minutes every night.  Reading tests consist of comprehension questions and understanding vocabulary this nine week grading period.  Many students are struggling with vocabulary.  The more a child reads the better his vocabulary will become.

Book Report forms were given out today.   Students are to choose a AR book within their reading  range. They are to complete the form and return in on Feburary 29 .

In Math we are working on reading charts and graphs.  We will be finishing up this math unit on March 11.  Please remember to practice subtraction facts at home.

In Social Studies we continue to study Japan.  Remember our food tasting celebration will be on February 22 at 1:00.

SPECIAL EVENT

February 29   Book Report Due

March 4             Early Release

March 6th          2nd grade PTA and Art Show

HATS OFF TO

Students made a wonderful commmunity with their valentine boxes.  Everyone put forth alot of effort on this special project.

Mrs. Quick and Mrs. Pierce made our valentine special by bringing in cookies to be decorated.

I want to thank everyone that has brought in extra school supplies and treats for our treasure box.

OTHER

We are reviewing for the CRCT in our classroom.  Remember that you can review for the test too,  using the passwords and website that was given out last week.

Remember Six Flags reading logs are due tomorrow.  Those were given out in early January.  Extra copies were given to students that could not locate their original.   Just fill out the form and return tomorrow for your free ticket.

Blog Joke

Why is a colt like an egg?

Because it can't be used until it is broken

Brunson & Bolin Bulletin

ACADEMIC NEWS

In Reading we are working on cause & effect.  Students shared mishaps that they have experienced.  We heard many interesting accidents that we could related to a cause and effect situation.  New  Star reading levels were given  out at conferences.  Remember the Star Reading Test is a vocabulary test and not a comprehension test. 

In English we are studying the 5 parts of the friendly letter.  We have also been writing lots of friendly letters. 

In Math we have begun Unit 3.  We are currently studying money making change.  This is a great skill to practice at home also.

Our Japanese Unit has begun in Social Studies.  Students will learn many interesting facts about this country.  We will also  have a food tasting celebration  on February 22 in our classroom.  Our room parents will need lots of help with the preparations.   Room parents will be contacting you to contribute an item for the food tasting party.  Parents may attend the celebration if they wish.  If you can not attend, food items will need to be brought in the morning of the celebration.   A letter was send home today  in the Thursday folder explaining our study of Japan and the celebration.

SPECIAL EVENTS

February  6th Early Release

February   7th PTA Science Fair

February   14th Valentine Boxes Due

February   18th  Holiday

February  19  Teacher In-Service

February  22 Japanese Celebration

HATS OFF TO

Students who are reading nightly and writing in their journals.

Thank you for a wonderful week of conferences.  I enjoyed talking to each of you. 

OTHER

We are constantly in need of treats for our reward box.

We need waterless handsoap.

Our class will be celebrating Valentine's Day in our classroom.  Please make sure that you purchase valentine's for each child.  We have 16 students in the classroom at this moment.You will be asked to decorate a shoebox or a small box into a community section. Example:  Billy's Tire Shop, Kaylee's Deli, etc.  Students will  choose their section of the community.   A letter will be sent home next Thursday with a class list and what community section your child chose.  I am giving you this information in advance so that you may pick up valentine cards and survey around your house for a box.  If you have any questions about this or the Japanese celebration, please feel free to notify me through email.

BLOGG JOKE

Why  shouldn't you tell jokes while ice skating?

The ice might crack up.

Brunson & Bolin's Newsletter

ACADEMIC NEWS

In  Reading we have begun our unit on inferencing skills.  One way you can practice this reading skill is by making up riddles for your child to quess.

In English we are working on possessive nouns.  This is a difficult skill-- so please remember to reinforce at home also.  We will also be working on the 5 parts of the friendly letter.

Our Spelling test will have a different format starting this Friday.  Instead of the cloze story format, a sentence dicatation test will be given.  Students will be required to write sentences while they are being dicatated.  Four sentences will always be given which will include our spelling words for the week and words that we have learned in previous lessons.  If you have any questions about this new format, please notify me.

In Math we have just  begun unit 3 which includes: fractions, numbers to 1000,temperature, counting back change, and interpreting graphs.  More information about our new unit was sent home in the Thursday folder today.

In Social Studies we are studying Jamestown, Virginia.  We are reading the book Elizabeth's Diary- Our Strange New Land that relates to this time period.

SPECIAL EVENTS

January     15TH       Martin Luther King Birthday

January     21st         School Closed to observe MLK Holiday

January     22nd-28th Conference Week

HATS OFF TO

I would like to thank all the parents that helped with our classroom party. Everyone of you made our holiday party a big success.  Also, thank you for  the wonderful classroom gift and  gift certificate. You also made me feel very special with your individual gifts.   Your thoughtfullness is greatly appreciated and I hope you all had a wonderful relaxing holiday.

OTHER

Report cards will be send home tomorrow.  PLEASE remember to sign the signature card, keep the report card, and return the signature card in the envelope to school.

I am still working on getting conference times for those who have a conflict.

PLEASE remember to always send a written excuse when your child has been absent the date before. This is Cobb County policy.

BLOGG JOKE FOR THE WEEK

What do you call a litter of puppies who  have come in from the snow?

slush puppies

Brunson & Bolin Bulletin

ACADEMIC NEWS

In reading we are finishing up with our series on tricky animal tales.  We will soon be writing our own tricky animal tale (folk tale).   

In English we are still  rewiewing  adjectives,verbs, and nouns.  Many students are still having a difficult time locating the correct parts of speech in a sentence.  We are  making nouns plural by adding es or s.  We are also adding ed or ing to a word and looking at the end of the words to see if  it needs other changes.

In Math we are finishing up our second unit on telling time and money.  Remember to  also always reinforce subtraction skills  at home. 2nd grade  students should be able to answer 50 subtraction problems in 5 minutes. 

SPECIAL EVENTS

FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT   DEC 11

STEVIE B PIZZA               DEC 17

CLASSROOM PARTY         DEC 21  9-10

HATS OFF

Our Character Kids for the last couple of weeks have been : Summer Reeley,  Malik Harris, Khalil Simmons, and Jason Pierce.

Mrs. Quick has been busy in our classroom helping us with ornaments for our Christmas tree.  We have made some great  ornaments to put on our tree. A big thanks goes out to Mrs. Quick for all of her hard work and dedication to our classroom.   Our treat box is full now thanks to Mrs. Wright.  We now have some marvelous treats for the students to receive for showing good behaviors in the classroom.

Thank you Mrs. Simmons for helping with our AR awards.  She is doing a great job getting the students motivated for AR.

Thank you for all of you who did response to our classroom party.  We still need donations for the party, please notify Mrs. Quick if you have any questions about the classroom party.

Thanks you for the wonderful books that were donated to our classrrom from the Book Fair.  Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.

OTHER

Please remember that every student is responsible for bringing their own pencils and crayons to school.  Also, crayons are required for school work.  Students have been losing STARS in math for not having their crayons with them. Instead of crayons you can always use colored pencils.

PLEASE remember our school Star Tree.  We are accepting donations of (new) gloves, mittens, and hats. 

We will not be exchanging gifts in our classroom.  Instead we will  donating school supplies to the Calvary Childrens' Home.  Many students have already given some donations.  PLEASE remember this charity during this giving season.

Here is another website to explore

http://www.cobbk12.org/~resources/math/number_operations.htm

This is a good site for math facts.

Blogg Joke

What do you get if you cross two young dogs with a pair of headphones?  Hushpuppies.

Brunson's Reminders

Please remember that Grandparent's Day for 2nd grade is November 20th.  Pictures will be available at 12:00 in the Media Center.

A big thanks goes out to Mrs. Quick for getting our Fall Festival basket together.  MS Simmmons has been coming into the classroom to encourage students to read more AR books.  Mr Duncan comes in every Friday morning so that students can take tests in the computer lab.  Students should be taken  2 to 3 AR tests a week.     Thank you everyone that brought in paper towels for our classroom.

School holiday November 21-23. Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.  Please encourage your child to read and keep a journal over the Thanksgiving holiday.

BLOGG JOKE

Why is it called a litter of puppies?

Because they mess up the whole house.

Brunson and Bolin's Bulletin

Currciculum Highlights

We are working on main idea in our reading series.  Every student should be reading at least 20 minutes  at home.  Please check with your child to see if they are reading nightly.  Students are not taking AR test in the mornings.  Many say that they have forgottten their books at home and can not check out any more.   Remind students that books should be placed in their backbags when they have finished reading for the night.

We have started out 2nd math unit that covers subtraction with regrouping.   This is a very difficult skill for 2nd graders ,and many students require practice at home.  Students are weak on subtraction facts.  PLEASE reinforce this skill at home.

In social studies we are studying the Eastern Woodland and Plains Indians. 

We saw a great performance of Firebird on Monday.  Ask your child what the story was about.

Special Events   

November 5  & 6  Student Holiday

November  9        Fall Festival

November 20        2nd Grade Grandparent's Day -- photographer will be available

Hats off to...

Mrs Quick came into our classroom to show students how to make yarn fall leaves, and they also drew faces on tiny acorns. Our Character Kid for last week was Brianna Coleman.  Way to go Brianna.

Other

I am tutoring for the after school program on Wednesdays.  Students will not be allowed in the classroom to pick up any assignments they have forgotten that day. 

Remember that Grandparent's Day is November 20th.  A photographer will be available if anyone would like a Grandparent's Day photo.

We need paper towels for the classroom.

Here are some more favorite websites.

www.readingupgrade.com/test/demo.htm

www.nativeamericans.com/

www.ahsd25.k12.il.us/...Index.html

Blog Joke

What kind of dog sniffs out new flowers?

A bud hound

BRUNSON & BOLIN BULLETIN

ACADEMIC NEWS

We are moving right along this school year.

In reading we are learning about folk tales.  Please remind your child to read AR books.  Our class is behind where we should be this time of year on AR goals.  Students should be reading at least 2 to 3 books a week to reach their goals. Remember, the books should be within their AR range.

In math we took our Unit 1 Post test and we will begin our Unit 2 this week.  This Unit will cover subtraction with regrouping.  Remember to study subtraction facts at home.  We will also be taking subtraction timed test at school.

In english we are reviewing nouns, and adjectives have just been introduced.   We are writing descriptive paragraphs.  It is always a good idea to keep a journal at home.  This encourages better writing skills. 

In science we are finishing up our Matter Unit.  Science this nine week grading period will cover energy -- pushes and pulls.

In social studies we will be learning about the Eastern Woodland and Plains Indians.  We will also compare our community to the Plymouth community of the 1600's.

Special Events

October 22 Report cards go home / materials for the Fall Festival classroom basket are due

November 5 & 6 Student Holiday

November 9  Fall Festival

Hats Off To 

Mr Duncan  has been helping in our computer lab with AR.  A big thanks to Mrs. Quick for working so hard on our Fall Festival basket. Thanks you also for contributing to our basket.   Our Character Kids for the last couple of weeks have been Connor Quick and Eddie Portugal.

Other

We have started our Star Students presentation.  This is a great way to learn more about each other.  Information about the requirements of the Star Student will be sent home on Thursday .  Your child will make a  poster and bring in candy for the Estiamtion Jar for the following week.  Every student will be given an opportunity to be Star Student for the week.  Please be patient, we have all year to complete the process. If you have any questions about Star Student please email be at donna.brunson@cobbk12.org.

Please remind your child that homework should go in the front pocket of their agenda.  Many students are forgetting or misplacing homework.   

Still Elementary is collecting cans for the Calvary Children's Home.  Please bring your cans in.

Here are some more favorite websites

www.earobics.com/gamesgoo/games/frieda/frieda.html     phonic games

www.writingfix.com/forkids.htm

If your child can answer the joke, I know they have read the blog for this newsletter.

What dog wears contact lenses?

A cock-eyed spaniel