Second Grade at the Museum Center at 5 Points

Our kids did a phenomenal job performing for the Administration Building staff today at the Museum today!!! They sang their hearts out! You would have been so proud of them. I know I was! You will hear them sing on Tuesday, December 11 at 6:30.

Mrs. Swartzel, the awesome!

                            I wonder what stories Dr. Ringstaff heard today!

 I know these kids!!!!!

Our soloist singing my favorite song "Candles in the the Window"

What do you think they were looking for?

I'M COMING BACK SOON!

I will be back on December 10th! I have missed my class so much! Looking forward to all the festivities and celebrations December brings!

Discovery Museum

Pictures were taken by one of our parents! Thank you, Ms.R.!

Discovering art

A great opportunity to climb!

Does he have a license to drive that car?

Just a few of the 2nd graders 

Digging up bones

Introducing: Mrs. Seeley

Dear Families of my Second Graders,
I am pleased to announce that while I am out getting my knee repaired, Mrs. Dana Seeley will be stepping in and teaching your child in my absence.  Mrs. Seeley is a certified teacher. She has many hours of substituting in our school with other classes. She is very excited to take over for me.  I, with every confidence, am thrilled to have her in our room! I am still available through texting or phone calls, starting October 22.

As for the next month and a half, I am going to ask for volunteers to help out with the Fall Festival, October 18th. I am not sure of the event we will host, but we will be placed somewhere. (Sorry about that. I haven't gotten any communication from the lady in charge of the event on our station).

Also, November 2nd....our first field trip.  We are going to the Discovery Museum in Chattanooga. I need 3 volunteers for that.  Please send a note to Mrs. Seeley if you would be able to go.  Mrs. Melton is working on the paper work and permission slips for the trip, which you will be getting soon. I do appreciate your help on that day!

My goal is to be back that week after Thanksgiving! However, my doctor's nurse tells me it may be longer! Please keep me in your thoughts. I will post a few pictures as I go through my recovery...and I hope to visit at the school as soon as I can drive!

As always, thanks for all you do to help me with your child's education! Arnold Elementary...We are the One!!!!!!

Ms. Pedrick

From Ms. Pedrick

         This week marks the end of the first grading period. I will be giving your students some tests to see what they have learned Monday-Wednesday. I will be reading the tests aloud. The test scores will be figured in with the daily scores as well as participation and effort. We did review Thursday and Friday. So I am sure they will have success on the tests!

          Report cards will come out on Tuesday, October 16th, according to Mr. Chai. With the report cards is an explaination of what the score means.  As a parent, of course, we want to see our child shine with high marks.  This year's 4 means that your child goes above and beyond what is expected. As a beginning 2nd grader, your child is still working ordinarily. How they do on daily work is only part of the picture.

          Here is an explanation of the Markings you will see on your child's report card:

          Students will be working toward mastery of all skills during the year.  Both formal and informal assessments will be used to determine mastery. Student samples, project-based learning, and teacher observations may be part of the evaluation process.

4= Exceeds the Standard (Advanced) Student takes the initiative; consistently produces excellent work, applying skills/concepts correctly; shows creativity and insight.
3=Meets the Standard (Proficient) Student produces work that meets the standard; consistently produces work of high quality; applies skills/concepts correctly.
2=Approaches the Standard (Basic) Student shows a basic working knowledge of skills/concepts; produces satisfactory work; inconsistently applies skills/concepts correctly.
1=Does not meet the Standard (Below Basic) Student does not show basic working knowledge of skills/concepts; seldom produces work of satisfactory quality.

New Desks

     By now your child has come home telling you all about the new desks we have in our classroom! My name, along with 8 other teachers' names were put into a drawing.  We won one set of 17 desks! There were 60 altogether. 3 other classrooms received new desks in this round of drawing. The desks are very nice and heavy with very smooth tops! We are so proud of them!!!

More Pirate Photos from Ms. Rhan

Some of the roughest scaliwags on the Ship!

Checking out the loot

An unhappy pirate

Great loot

I hope there's not a trap in the loot bag!

The best pirate crew

The captain of the ship 

Success for Pirates on the Good Ship 222

Not such a scary pirate

One of the 1st Mates

A young pirate and her mom

A lot of fun on Pirate Day

I forgot my patch!

Checking out the loot!

The Crew on the Good Ship 222

Pete, the Cat

I thought I would try to add a video to my blog as I have found many really wonderful ones from Youtube (a blocked site at school). If it works, I can put them here for you as parents to enjoy, too, and share with your child.

Crazy Week

   This is a crazy and very busy week! The biggest part of the week involves the testing on September 18, 19, and 20. The testing will begin around 8:50 in the morning. We will have lunch at our usual time, 11:50-12:20. On Tuesday, the tests will continue after lunch into the afternoon. The test is mainly to show where second graders are right now until T-Cap time in the Spring.  I don't want you to stress for your child, but do make sure they get a good night's sleep, a good breakfast, and  not be late! 
     It is "Pirate Week." You will not see homework this week! Not even spelling words!!! Whew! We are having a big Pirate Party at the end of the week, on Friday at 2:30. If your child would like to wear a bandana or an eye patch, or even a pirate hat, they are welcome to do just that.  I, too, will be wearing my pirate duds.

Math Facts

Second Graders are following the new Common Core Learning Standards. The math standard we will be working on this week is:

2.OA.2 Add and subtract within 20. 
       Mathematical practices: 1. make sense of problems and perservere in solving them. 2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 4. Model with mathematics. 5. Use appropriate tools strategically. 6. Attend to precision. 7. Look for and make use of structure. 8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. That being said, the Common Core has raised expectations of our students, but at the same time, has given more time to learn and understand a concept.  It looks complex, but when broken down, teachers and students can begin to accomplish big tasks, one step at a time.

      What we, as educators, look at when planning lessons for our students are the essential questions and learning targets within a particular learning strand.   The essential question for this strand is "In what ways can operations affect numbers? and "How can different strategies be helpful when solving a problem?" The learning target gives us a more user friendly teachable plan for your child. The learning target for your child says: "I can fluently add two 1-digit numbers (within 20) in my mind" and "I can fluently subtract two 1 digit numbers (within 20) in my mind." From this I can find ways best suited for your child to know numbers, rather than having to use fingers to count.   They will know that 3 + 7 =10, and 11 - 6 = 5 automatically because they can "see" those numbers in their minds. You will hear words like 5 frames and 10 frames, rekenreks, and part and whole maps.  These are the teaching tools I will use when  helping your child with the Common Core Standard 2.OA.2.

ClassTime Habitats

We have been studying about habitats in Science/Reading class.  Your children voted to work as a team to create habitat. We are working on that habitat first thing in the mornings, using materials available at school. They are definitely learning about habitats, and they are learning to get along with others in their groups. I am hoping to have the habitats completed at the end of the day Friday, September 7. (We will hope!) I will post pictures so you can see what your child has been working to create!

Our Plants

    Our planting of the lima beans was successful! Your child should have come home with theirs on Friday.  I felt it was a success as I used a different technique than I used in past years.  This year I found using a CD case  would prevent all the molding and rot caused by the "plastic bag and paper towel" method. The kids were extremely excited when the first leaf popped out! If you would like to plant the seedling in the ground to help your child's plant continue to grow, feel free to do that. Please let us know how the plant grows and changes.  I am not sure it will produce any lima beans for you, but it's worth a try!

   We are talking about life cycles. Last week was a plant. Monday will be about a chicken. Tuesday will be a butterfly's life cycle. This leads into our lessons of Environment and Habitats.  At the end of this week, your child will be given the assignment of creating a known habitat, using a small box or shoebox. The students will then talk about the habitat they decided to make. At end, all the habitats from all four 2nd grade classes will have their habitats on display.

It's a fun time in 2nd grade. Be sure to ask your child about what they are learning. Please encourage daily reading at home for at least 10 minutes.  Your child will also start writing information in the planners.  Be looking for that each day with my signature.

Thanks for being part of the team for your child's education!!!! We want the best for your child!

A Change in PE Days

Just to let you know, there has been a change for the days for PE.  Our days are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. 

********A reminder from Ms Hart: Please make sure your child does not wear flip-flops to PE class. If this is a problem, contact Ms. Hart or Ms Pedrick.

Things for Parents to do to help your child in Second Grade:

*Read with your child.
*Read to your child.
*Listen to your child read.
*Ask about their day and what they learned.
*Go over their planner each night and sign.
*Practice spelling words with them.
*Help them learn their math addition and subtraction facts.

Welcome Families of 2nd Graders!

Welcome to a brand new year!!!! So glad to have your child on my team!!!
  I am Paula Pedrick, a twenty-two year veteran teacher (ten years here at Arnold Elementary). I am looking forward to teaching your child and working with you to get the best education for your child! We are a team!

   You will also find that we are a team at Arnold! We all work together from Kindergarten all the way through 5th grade! We work closely with the specialist teachers (Music, Library, PE, Art) to support the curriculum! With the new Common Core Curriculum, you will be hearing words like "building on" and developing a "deeper knowledge base" throughout the grades.  I, personally, am looking forward to these new standards. We are working with all levels of children to grow!!

At Arnold, we like to think of our school as The One. The school everyone will want to send their children for the best education out there! Mr. Chai, our principal, says it this way, "WE ARE THE ONE!" Go Arnold Mustangs!