I'm not sure about you but I'm happy to see March tomorrow!  This brings us a little bit closer to Spring! 

This week: 
Wednesday:  Read Across America Day  (we have 3 parent readers, thank you!) 
AND - it's walk or bike to school day. We are in a healthy competition with a couple other local schools..... Let's see what kind of participation we can get! All the meeting places where the children can walk with teachers are listed on the Tritt website. 

In the classroom: 

Math:  money: quarters, nickels, dimes, pennies
 ~values of and comparing those values

Language Arts: 
Prefixes
Commas: letter greetings & closings - will use in our persuasive opinion writing later this week.
 Comparing and contrasting folktales and fairy tales. 
r- influenced vowels (sort 25)

Writing:  Opinions - finishing up our opinions on whether Red Riding Hood should or should not have been allowed to go to Grandma's house alone.  

Science:  Shadows - from all the rain last week..... hopefully getting to a couple of our shadow experiments this week! Wrapping up our Science unit. I know moon watching was difficult with all the rain. We chart is using this site in the classroom: 
www.calendar-365.com/moon/moon-calendar.html 

STEM:  Making Oobleck 
 

Looking ahead..... 
Next week: 

Book Fair Week! - starts the 7th
8th - Picture Day
Friday - Trip to the Cobb Safety Village

Welcome Back! 

Coming up! 
 THIS Thursday!:
- Doughnut Day - Relay for Life fundraiser
Doughnuts are $1 each - they may bring in money in the morning and purchase - up to 2 each.  :) 
Pre-order forms came home before break for those orders of a full dozen to be delivered to the carpool line. 
AND.... Friday! 
Scholastic Book orders are due by this Friday. Mrs. Woolley will submit the order electronically from the website. Please get all orders in by Friday evening. 

Friday night - February 26th - School Dance - Time frames for each grade level are listed on the Tritt Website  ---- 2nd/3rd grade is 7:00-8:00. This is not a drop off event. Come dance to the 80s with your child(ren). It will be fun!  Pre-order tickets online for $3 each - tickets are $4 at the door. 

March 2nd:   
Walk & bike to school day (information can be found on the Tritt website) 
Also: 
READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY :) 
~~~~ I am looking for volunteers that would like to come read to the class that day (even a relative).  We would especially love it if readers have a STEM related profession. Please email me if you would like to come in!  leslie.davis@cobbk12.org

Upcoming Field Trip: 
March 11th : Cobb County Safety Village 
Permission forms are coming home today - there are 3 sides to complete. Please send back in ASAP. No money due. 

what's happening this week:

Math:  problem solving - 2 steps

Language Arts:
Shades of meaning (words with similar meaning) and continuing with prefixes.
Word work:  r influenced vowels sort 25 (vocabulary words)
~ Fairy Tales / Folk tales
We will be comparing and contrasting a few different versions of Little Red Riding Hood this week. (we will use these stories and data in small groups as well as independently)

Science: Shadows. We created shadow sticks last week. We used our Math standard of measurement to measure the shadows at various times of the day. We will continue this week with another shadow experiment -  if the sun comes out!
~ We are briefly discussing the phases of the moon in class. I am sending home an observation sheet for them to observe the moon nightly and record what they see on the form. They can keep them somewhere safe at home to record or keep them in their orange folders. Up to you! We will chart this daily in class as well.

Writing: Opinion Writing - sun's position and shadows 

Have a great week! 

 

A day late - the blog locks me out at times. It let me in today.  :) 

Shout outs! 
First things first..... a BIG Congratulations to Gavi Surden, Nick Jannone and Masha Kozhanova  for earning spots in the Tritt Talent Show!! Come out and cheer them on at the Pope Auditorium on February 11th!  Can't wait! 

February Birthdays!  Happy Happy Birthday!! 
Patrick Linton - February 13th
Ansley Hudgins -  February 26th 

another shout out!  - I am extremely proud of these kiddos for their hard work on 2nd grade sentences, chunking words into syllables in order to spell better and just overall better work on their writing. Hard work pays off!  

They will earn extra recess on Friday for the effort they have been showing!!!. I believe in developmentally appropriate expectations. I also think high expectations yield higher results. They are doing GREAT!  Give them an extra hug tonight for working hard! 

Needs: 
We have some upcoming STEM lessons that I need some help with materials for: 

Bottle tops (plastic ones) from water bottles, soda bottles, juice bottles, whatever. When you finish one, wash them and send them in... we'll need at least 25 so the more we have the better.  
ALSO,,,, cardboard. Empty snack, cereal & cracker boxes will work best. I know we all have these laying around. Send them to the classroom before you put them into your recycling can, please. 
Thank you! 

Upcoming: 
Revved up kids this Friday morning - 1st meeting

Next Thursday, February 10th - Field Trip - Performing Arts - Sleeping Beauty

Valentine Centers:  Friday, February 12th  - 11;15-12:00 
Please send in all Valentine cards and your decorated collection box next week but by February 11th

update on MATH GROUPS and READING GROUPS: 
These are going great! I'm able to assess, enrich or help the kids better in my small groups by meeting with them at least 3 times a week. They are getting the hang of the transitions and doing well.  They rotate through a center and independent work while I meet with groups. (about 15-20 minutes each).  Each activity is an extension of something we are working on (math in math rotations and either reading, language arts, vocabulary or something we are working on in Social Studies and Science) during literacy centers. 

 Curriculum up until Winter Break  (Feb 15-19 --- no school)

Math: 
adding up to 4 (2-digit) numbers and
problem solving (one step problems up to 100) Addition and subtraction. This means word problems. Word problems need to be answered in numbers and words. 

Reading: 
Folktales, Fairy Tales  - elements of each kind - comparing and contrasting different kinds.
We will also be reading a lot through our Science Curriculum - 

Writing:  
More Opinion writing 
(sun's position and shadows) 

Language:
we are still working on apostrophes and how they work with language:   ]
contractions and possession or ownership (and what those words mean) 
We will also be working on prefixes 
Shades of meaning verbs and 
Vocabulary will be R influenced vowels (next week) 

Science: 
Sun, Moon and Stars 
~ compare - contrast our sun ( a star) with other stars by using physical attributes (size, brightness, patterns)
~ determine how the shadows of various objects change during the day depending on the position of the sun. 

Hope your week is going well! As always, please send me any questions you may have. 
Leslie Davis 

THIS WEEK!

NO SCHOOL MONDAY - In honor of MLK Day

WEDNESDAY - THE 20th
~  100th Day of school ~
Over this long weekend - be thinking of what you might have 100 of at home. Please bring to school on Wednesday - in something clear that can fit in their book bag.  :) 
-reminder from last week's blog post - we will count, sort and compare

FRIDAY - the 22nd -
Honoring our Heroes  -- Essays are due!
Mrs. Woolley assigned this a couple months ago as a required assignment.
We've had 3 students turn theirs in already! Yay!
This will also be writing homework Tuesday - Thursday

CURRICULUM (this week):
Language Arts:
- New vocabulary words
- forming new reading groups for small group skills
- using apostrophes (possessives)


Math:
Addition up to 1000
(using various strategies)
- large group introduction
- small group instruction


Writing:
continuing opinion writing
(stating opinion - stating reasons for opinion - use linking words and write a conclusion sentence)  almost done with our first one!
- opinion writing book review

Social Studies:
MLK -  determine why laws and rules are important using the lives of Martin Luther King Jr and Jackie Robinson. We will continue to compare/contrast - Make inferences (ELA standard) and use adjectives/adverbs (ELA standard) within Social Studies content.
- compare / contrast Jackie Robinson & MLK Jr.

Computer Lab:
- Producing our final copies of our Opinion Pieces on Jackie Robinson. We've been gathering opinions, editing sloppy copies, conferencing and soon ready to type!

Media Center:
Book check out on Friday!


UPCOMING DATES:
28TH - International Night at Tritt
February 10th - Performing Arts Field Trip
February 15- Presidents Day
February 15- 19 - winter break - no school

Coming Up!
Here is what we'll be working on for the next week +

Media center - book check out - will be WEDNESDAY this week. Please bring books back for new ones!  (Back to normal on Friday next week)

1. Words our Way. Sort 14 this week. (spelling)
Starting the week of January 11th (next week). We're going to have a mini spelling test  every Friday. It will only be about 5-10 words but they will need to be used in a sentence and spelled correctly. We will be working on spelling AND sentence structure a good bit this quarter. Collectively, this will help them develop their vocabulary and become better sentence writers. In return - it will enhance spelling, reading comprehension and science/social studies comprehension, as well. . I'll touch more on this in next week's blog.

2. Reading/Language Arts:   Making inferences- piggy backing on context clues and diving deeper into our stories. (this will stretch over all subject matters). 
**Sentence structure - a bunch

3. Social Studies:  Jackie Robinson, civil rights, need for rules and laws.

4. Math: Skip Counting- this is a continuation of skills touched on previously.

5. Writing:  Opinion pieces. Introducing topics, state an opinion & supply reasons that support their opinion.

Housekeeping:
Upcoming field trip - February 10th. This is a performing arts trip. We are going to the Ballet! At the beginning of the year, a performing arts permission slip came home (along with a donation option). The donation was not mandatory but the permission slip was.  :)   --- I am missing 4-5.  If I am missing one for your child, I will send home a new one this week - it has to be returned for your child to attend.
Thanks for the help! 

And.. one more permission form will be in folders this week. Tritt 2nd and 4th graders are in a study group for a program called Revved Up!  This is a self-defense program that teaches the kids life skills. Our study group consists of a group coming in, giving the kids a quick quiz 3-4 times. Upon completion of the quizzes... they will collect the data, teach a quick class with the kids (consistent of PE style activity) and then reassess the kids at the end.  I simply need a "yes" my child can participate or a "no" they cannot. It's a 2 sided form. One side explains the program (better than I can at this stage) and the other is for you to sign. Please send those back in no later than Monday. Thanks!!

As always, please contact me with questions, concerns or celebrations!
Leslie Davis                

Busy and fun Week!

Science
re-tested today - will send home graded papers once I have all the grades entered - finished up unit on Motion.

Social Studies:
Goods and Services - Allocations
Study guide came home today- test tomorrow after review

Math:
centimeter and meter measurement
comparing units of measurement
 cm and meter measurement assessment Thursday

Language Arts
Adverb and Adjective study guide came home - test tomorrow

Reading:
context clues
Assessment Thursday

Reminders for the week!:
Book exchange book due by Wednesday
Holiday centers - Thursday

Friday
Holiday sing
school wide pajama day! No stuffed animals, please, Slippers - but will need shoes to go outside & specials.
Polar Express - hot cocoa and popcorn

Have a GREAT holiday break!  See you all in  January!

​Reading/Language Arts: Structure of stories and how characters change

Math: Measurement (inches & feet)

Writing: How to writing for informational writing
 
Social Studies: Allocation of goods and services
Science: Complete our unit on motion

*Chick-fil-A Day on the 10th to benefit Relay for Life.  Order forms were sent home with your child last week. Orders are due no later than 2:00 on the 8th.
 
*As the temperatures outside fluctuate please encourage your child to bring a jacket or sweater with them to school. (We go outside almost every day for recess and PE quite frequently is held outside)!
 
*Thanks for your help with your child's holiday traditions project. Your child was given a due date of either the 17th. Props may include dressing up, bringing in a related snack, showing pictures, bringing a menorah or ornament, etc. If it involves cooking (gingerbread cookies for example), they are welcome to bring in their snack. I look forward to hearing about your family’s holiday traditions!
 
*The school store will run the week of the 14th-18th in the annex.  Students can buy gifts for siblings and parents as well. School supplies will also be sold. All proceeds will benefit Relay for Life. 

​
*December 18th is a school-wide PJ day!!