Newsletter

= Ms. Suttles Weekly Update = Week of November 18, 2013

__**HIGH FREQUENCY WORD TESTING:**__ We finished high frequency word testing last week and our class did a great job! You will receive written notification if your chid is to be tested again.

**__TESTS:__** Spelling Test and Vocabulary Test on Friday November 22, 2013 Math Test - Mental Addition Strategies on Friday November 22, 2013 ( Students will have six double digit addition with regrouping problems, they are required to use one of the following strategies to solve the problem: mental math (decomposing numbers), open ended numberline, One hundreds chart or Ten Frame Mat.

**THIS WEEK WE WILL BE WORKING ON:**


 * READING: ** Summarize text by using a graphic organizer. Include sequence of main events.


 * MATH: ** Develop and use mental math strategies to add and subtract numbers. Students will use unifix cubes, 100 charts, and number lines.

**ELA/WRITING:** Create quality sentences by adding interesting verbs and adjectives.

**SCIENCE:** Compare patterns of movement by exploring how different objects move - slide, roll, spin

**SOCIAL STUDIES:** Organize notefacts by color coding each notefact. Ms. Suttles Weekly Update Week of November 11, 2013


 * FYI: **

We are almost finished with high frequency word testing. I have a few more students to test tomorrow and I will then enter the results into the HISD system. If your child is required to be tested again, you will receive a written notification in the next couple of weeks.
 * High Frequency Word Testing **

As I mentioned to most of you at open house, I am not a fan of rigorous homework. However, you will be seeing more rigorous math and ELA homework in the coming weeks. The concepts are becoming more difficult and we are required to move at a much faster pace than we have the last 9 weeks. Therefore, the rigorous guided practice at home is very important to your child's success.
 * Homework **

Please consider rotating Istation into your 20 minute reading routine several nights per week. The goal is for your child to receive at least 60 minutes of Istation practice per week at home. Dreambox is a great resource for extra math practice.

**Spelling and Vocabulary Test** Friday November 15, 2013
 * Tests **

**Addition/Subtraction Unit Test,** Thursday, November 21, 2013 ( This will mental math strategies and double digit addition and subtraction)


 * We will be working on the following concepts this week: **

__**READING/ ELA**__: We will continue focusing on the **Main Idea** using questioning and text evidence. On Thursday we will begin focusing on **Summarization** using questioning and evidence. We are also contiuing to work on our Independent Investigation Method projects.

__**MATH:**__ Students will develop and use mental strategies to fluently add double digit numbers with regrouping. Students will work on open ended number lines as a mental strategy for additing double digit numbers as well as apply their understanding of place value to compose and decompose numbers in order to add up to four two-digit numbers. We will begin subtracting two-digit numbers on Thursday.

__**SCIENCE:**__ We will continue investigating the idea that individual parts are necessary to perform as a system.

__**SOCIAL STUDIES:**__ We will continue using, creating, and interpreting maps to locate places and obtain geographic information.

Have a great week!

Cynthia Suttles csuttles@houstonisd.org

= = = Ms. Suttles Weekly update = Week of November 4, 2013

Hello Everyone! __** FYI: **__

We are now officially into the first administration of **High Frequency Words Evalutiaon for Promotion Standards** **Grades 2.** The administration period is form November 4-15, 2013. It is my goal to test all of my students by the end of this week. The evalution consists of 100 words. Your child must score at least **80 or more words correct** to meet promotion standard for grade 2.

**Independent Investigation Method (IIM)** - We are working on our IIM projects everyday. The second grade has decided to keep the fall project low-key and there will be no exhibition at the end of the project. Our class topic is: The Solar System. Each student has chosen a planet to research and write about. Since it is a very detailed project, we are limiting students to one planet. There are several students who requested to research the entire Solar System. However, the amount of research needed for this topic using the IIM method would be far too much for a second grade student to handle in a meaningful way. If your children would like to make a model of their planet at home to bring for our own classroom display, that would be great but it is not required. We should finish this project by the end of November.

**Grades:** Please feel free to check gradespeed at anytime to access your child's grades. Gradespeed can be accessed via the HISD home page or Google HISD Parent Connect. I am going to try very hard to get grades in as quickly as possible from now on. It is sometimes difficult to get everything graded in a timely manner. Your child will usually receive a minimum of 2 grades per week in reading, math and language arts. There will usually be 1 grade per week in science and social studies.

**Spelling and Vocabulary test of Friday, November 8, 2013.** Remember, this is the BIG vocabulary test. There was a list of words sent home on Friday.


 * THIS WEEK WE WILL BE WORKING ON THE FOLLOWING: **

__**READING/ELA:**__ Focusing on finding the **Main Idea** using questioning and text evidence strategy. The Genre is newspapers and magazines.

**__MATH:__** Students will develop and use mental strategies to fluently add and subtract within 20. Students will apply their understanding of place value to compose and decompose numbers in order to add up to four two-digit numbers and subtract two-digit numbers.

__**SCIENCE:**__ Students investigate the idea that individual parts are necessary to perform as a system.

__**SOCIAL STUDIES:**__ Students use, create, and interpret maps to locate places and obtain geographic information.

Have a great week!

Cynthia Suttles csuttles@houstonisd.org = Ms. Suttles' Weekly Update = Week of October 28, 2013

It has been a very fast paced week. Your children enjoyed Blue Ribbon Week immensely. They were so cute in their jerseys and the book parade was awesome. We worked on the following concepts this week:

__Reading/ Language Arts__: We continued to work on expository reading and writing.

__Math:__ We finished the unit on money and moved onto fractions. We worked with"hands-on" manipulatives and identifying and understanding halves, fourths and eighths.

__Social Studies:__ We read about Amelia Earhart as a historical figure who contributed a great deal to society.

__Science:__ We continued to discuss light, heat and sound energy.

I sent home next week's spelling list and the large vocabulary list for our cumulative vocabulary test scheduled for Friday, November 8, 2013.

Also, high frequency word testing begins Monday. Please make sure that you are working on these words at home. I will forward more details on the testing on Monday.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Ms. Suttles' Weekly Update!

Week of October 21, 2013


 * Hello All! **

We are having another exciting week in room 25!

Your children are very excited about the upcoming **IIM (Independent Investigation Method) Project.** We have been reading a great deal about space and what we can learn by exploring space, so I decided to follow their interests and focus our projects on space in general. I brought in about 30 different books on space today and they loved it. Several students want to do the entire solar system. Some want to research more than one planet. However, it is a very intensive process and I will have them settle on just one. Many have asked to make models of the planet they are researching to add to their projects. I think this is a wonderful idea and look forward to hosting an expo in the cafeteria for you all to come and enjoy your children's impressive work. **THERE IS NO NEED TO PANIC** (as I do when my children tell me there is a major project due). The project is not due until early December and we have plenty of time to work on it.


 * This week we are working on the following objectives: **

__**READING/ELA:**__ Expository reading and writing continues. Students will use graphic organizers to list featuresof expository text included in several books related to the topic of Space. We are continuing to focus on main ideas and details. Students are also identifying the subjects of sentences and we are revising sentences. The students understand revising as making a sentence more interesting.

__Istation Reports:__ You will receive a copy of your child's ISIP report on Wednesday October 23, 2013. The reports detail results from a computer assessment that your child completed at the beginning of the school year. I will contact again very soon if your child is in need of intensive interventions which is a Level 3. I will begin tutoring sessions for 1 hour on Wednesday's after school for these specific students. If your child is scored a Level 2 on these assessments, they may be in need of a bit of extra help in the classroom as well as more work at home. Please remember that these are beginning of the year reports. Your children will continue to show improvements.

__**MATH:**__ We are continuing to work on applying mathematical process standards to determine the value of coins in order to solve monetary transactions. The short hand description of this is counting money. We are counting nickels, dimes and quarters. I will give an assessment on this at the end of the week.

__ ADDITION AND SUBTRACTIONS FACTS! __

IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOUR CHILDREN LEARN THEIR ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION FACTS. WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THIS AND HAVE TIMED TESTS ALMOST EVERY DAY. HOWEVER, WE NEED YOUR HELP. PLEASE WORK ON THESE AT HOME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

__**SOCIAL STUDIES:**__ We are remembering important leaders in history.

__**SCIENCE:**__ We are working on the effects of light, heat and sound energy.

**Next week is Red Ribbon Week at Kolter.** The red flyer in today's Tuesday folder details all of the fun filled activities for the students and staff to participate in. Please encourage your children to join in the fun!

Have a wondeful week and thank you so much for having such awesome children! As usual, feel free to contact me at anytime via my email csuttles@houstonisd.org.

Cynthia Suttles

--- Ms. Suttles' Weekly Update!
 * Week of October 14, 2013 **

10/15/2013
 * GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! **
 * Your chidren rocked in computer lab today! They all picked subjects that they would like to write a "how to" about and followed through by creating their reports on the computer. The rough drafts were incredible! On our next visit to the computer lab we will edit and revise the reports. Mrs. Daniels, the computer teacher, was so impressed that she bragged about the quality of the work to **** Dr. Shetzer. Needless to say, I was absolutely beyond tickled about it and I can't wait to tell your children about it tomorrow. **
 * We are moving right along in Room 25. This week we are working on the following objectives: **

**__READING/LANGUAGE ARTS:__** Identify facts and details in expository non-fiction by literally reading all kinds of expository text and answering questions as well as completing graphic organizers. They will also use main ideas and details by writing expository non-fiction paragraphs about assigned topics as well as those of personal interest.

**It is important for your children to know and exhibit knowledge of:** **Expository text** - tells facts about a topic. **Topic** - what a selection is about; **Main idea** - the most important idea about the topic; **Details** - small pieces of information that tell more about the idea; would be a great idea to read; Subject - Who or what does something in a sentence.

**Our amazing words this week are:** ascend, descend, orbit, launch, journey, meteorite, enormous, universe.

**High frequency focus words to date**: somewhere, someone, friend, country, beautiful, front, work, machines, world, move, everywhere, woman, live

__** COMING UP!!!! COMING UP!!! COMING UP!!! COMING UP!!! **__ __**MATH:**__ **Identify the value of coins by skip counting - 1s, 5s, 10s, 25s.** Please work with your child on counting nickels by 5s and dimes by 10s. I will continue to work on it in class. Eventually we will count quarters by 25s. The money unit is supposed to be five 90 minute lessons. However, today was our first lesson and your children are having trouble with the concept so I will need to teach it a bit longer. __**SCIENCE:**__ Understand that temperature is a property of matter by observing and measuring the temperature of different cups of water - record data in science notebook. **HINT, HINT:** IF ANYONE IS A "WANNA BE" SCIENTIST WITH A VIPS CLEARANCE AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR "SKILLS" WITH THE CLASS, IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO HAVE YOU COME IN AND DIRECT A HANDS ON SCIENCE PROJECT. I WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS ONCE A MONTH. THE CHILDREN WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!! (YOU COULD CHOOSE A FUN, ENGAGING PROJECT AND MAKE IT AS ELABORATE AS YOU WOULD LIKE AS LONG AS OUR STUDENTS AND THE BUILDING REMAIN INTACT UPON YOUR EXIT (SMILE). __**SOCIAL STUDIES:**__ Describe the importance of local and state landmarks by creating a foldable.
 * I sent home flashcards for 300 high frequency words today. The first test is in November. Your children must be able to verbally read each word within 5 seconds. They are not required to spell the words. THIS IS A PROMOTION STANDARD. PLEASE PRACTICE WITH YOUR CHILD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AT HOME. **

Have a wonderful week! As usual, feel free to contact me at anytime.

Cynthia Suttles