Mrs. Tran's Class News

Week of January 23rd - 27th

2012-01-27T08:26:00.001-08:00

2nd Grade Math
We continued to work with money this week. We were working on counting change and making change. We will have our chapter test early next week. Please practice counting money with your children whenever possible.

1st Grade Reading
We continued to work on Unit 7 of our Wilson Fundations program. We are working with new glued sounds ending with ng (ang, ing, ong, ung) and nk (ank, ink, onk, unk).
These new sounds have individual sounds but they are closely glued together.

2nd Grade Reading
We completed Unit 8 of our Wilson Fundations program. We will begin Unit 9 on Monday. In Unit 9 students will learn the three remaining r-controlled sound combinations (er, ir and ur)
Examples: burn, first, hamster

Week of January 17th - 20th

2012-01-20T12:05:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
We are working with money this week. We learned how to count on using various coins: half dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. Please keep practicing this at home!

1st Grade Reading
We completed Unit 6 of our Wilson Fundations program today. Unit 7 will be working with new glued sounds. They are: ang, ing, ong, ung, ank, ink, onk, unk.
These glued sounds do not have individual sounds but they are closely glued together. To tap these out you use three fingers glued together to represent the sounds working together.

2nd Grade Reading
We are working on Unit 8 of the Wilson Fundations program. In this Unit, we are working with the r-controlled syllable.
This syllable contains a single vowel followed by an r (ar, er, ir, or, ur).
The vowel is neither long nor short; it is controlled by the r.
The syllable can be combined with other syllables to make multisyllabic words.

Week of January 3rd - 6th

2012-01-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

Second Grade Math
We have begun our chapter on probability this week. Shortly we will be starting the next chapter on money.

1st Grade Reading
We have been working on Unit 6 of our Wilson Fundations program. The students have been learning about the concept of a baseword and suffix in a very simple way, with just the suffix -s.
Students will also be introduced to the concept of plurals.

2nd Grade Reading
We have been working on Unit 7 of our Wilson Fundations program. In this unit the students will be working with open syllables.
This syllable has only one vowel which is the last letter in the syllable.
The vowel sound is long.
This syllable can be combined with other syllables to make multisyllabic words.
Students will also learn that y often works as a vowel in open syllables, saying /i/ at the end of one syllable words and /e/ at the end of multisyllabic words.

Week of December 5th - 9th

2011-12-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we began our chapter on Data and Graphs. Items that will be covered are: reading a table, using tally marks, bar graphs, pictographs, line plots and locating points on a grid.

1st Grade Reading
We have been working on Unit 5 of our Wilson Fundation program. In this unit the students are working with two new glued sounds. The first one is am, as in ham. The second one is an, as in fan.

2nd Grade Reading
We have been working on Unit 6 of our Wilson Fundation program. In this Unit we are reviewing a syllable type learned in the first grade program, the vowel - consonant - e syllable (or magic e)
Examples: cape, home, pine
Students will also review the two u sounds in v-e syllable; u as in mule and u as in rule.

Week of November 28th - December 1st

2011-12-01T14:40:00.001-08:00

2nd Grade Math
Next week we will complete our 2nd chapter on double digit subtraction. This was a difficult chapter for most but my students tried their best. Keep working with flash cards at home!

1st Grade Reading
We have been working in Unit 4 of the Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we are working with the ff, ss, ll bonus letter rule. At the end of a one syllable word, if the word has one vowel immediately followed by an f, l or s at the end, double that consonant. The extra f, l, s is considered a bonus letter because it is extra. It does not make a sound.
Examples: hill, miss, puff

2nd Grade Reading
This week we completed Unit 5 of our Wilson Fundations program. Our next Unit will review a syllable type learned in Level 1, the vowel-consonant-e syllable (or magic e)
Examples: cape, home, pine
We will also work on reading and spelling procedures for two-syllable words with both closed and vowel-consonant-e syllables.
Examples: invite, reptile, baseball, lifetime

Week of November 7th - 10th

2011-11-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we took our test on double digit addition. We also started Chapter 7 on double digit subtraction. Please keep practicing math facts at home!

1st Grade Reading
We continue to work with Unit 3 of our Wilson Fundations program. In this unit the students will work with the digraphs (wh, ch, sh, th, ck). These stick together to form one sound, even though there are two letters.

2nd Grade Reading
We had our Unit 4 test on Thursday. Next week we will be starting Unit 5 from our Wilson Fundations program. This unit focuses on syllables instead of sounds. We will review the procedures for segmenting or dividing words into syllables. Ex: cat-nip
We will also work with four new consonant suffixes (-ness, -less, -ment, - ful) and three new vowel suffixes (-able, -ish, -en)

Week of October 31st - November 4th

2011-11-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
We are still working on double digit addtion. We have also begun working on rounding to estimate sums. Our chapter test will be next Tuesday.

1st Grade Reading
We are currently working on Unit 3 of our Wilson Fundations program. This unit works with the digraphs wh, ch, sh, th and ck. These digraphs stick together to make one sound, even though there are two letters.

2nd Grade Reading
We are currently working on Unit 4 of our Wilson Fundations program. This unit reviews the suffixes -s, -es, -ed and -ing. New suffixes that are introduced are -est and -er.
Students will learn to read the baseword of a word first, and then read the whole word with the suffix added.

Week of October 24th - 28th

2011-10-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
We took our Chapter 5 test on double digit addition on Thursday. The children are really understanding the concept. Chapter 6 also focuses on double digit addition so the children will get more practice.

1st Grade Reading
We completed Unit 2 of our Wilson Fundations program. This unit concentrated on blending and reading three short vowel words as well as how to segment and spell them.
Please continue to have your children read the books that I send home weekly. They may bring them back every Monday for new books.

2nd Grade Reading
We completed Unit 3 of our Wilson Fundations program. This unit concentrated on glued sounds such as: ild, ind, old, olt and ost.
Please continue to have your children read the books that I send home weekly. They may bring them back every Monday for new books.

Week of April 25th - 29th

2011-04-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math:
This week we completed Chapter 20 of our Math series. This chapter focuses on place value. Our next Chapter focuses on comparing and ordering greater numbers.

1st Grade Reading:
This week the RTI team benchmarked Kindergarten and 1st grade students in Reading and Math so normal power hour groups did not meet. We will return to normal groups on Monday.

1st Grade Math:
This week we completed Chapter 20 of our Math unit. This chapter focuses on the concept of money. We learned how to identify pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. We also learned how to count sets of coins.

2nd Grade Reading:
This week we worked on Unit 11 of our Wilson program. Students worked on three vowel teams: ee, ea, and ey. Each of these letter combinations can have the long e sound and are found in double vowel syllables.
Examples: steam, sheep, hockey, indeed

Week of April 11th - 15th

2011-04-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math We completed our chapter on Fractions this week and my students did extremely well on their tests. I am so proud of them!! We started Chapter 20 on place value to 100 on Friday. 1st Grade Reading We have been working on Unit 11 of our Wilson Reading program. In this unit students are working on how to read and spell two syllable words with closed syllables. This unit sets the groundwork for all multisyllabic reading and spelling. 2nd Grade Reading This week was a little bit different from our normal routine. On Monday and Tuesday the 2nd Graders completed OLSAT testing. Starting on Wednesday the 2nd graders worked on their Animal reports. The children will be writing five paragraphs reports on the animal that they selected. 1st Grade Math This week in Math we worked on Chapter 19. We practiced with fact families to 20 and word problems.

Week of April 4th - 8th

2011-04-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math We have been working on Chapter 18 of our Math series. This chapter focuses on weight, mass, capacity and temperature. 1st Grade Reading We are working on Unit 11 of our Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we focus on syllables. We will learn how to read and spell two syllable words with closed syllables. Example: catnip 2nd Grade Reading We completed Unit 10 of our Wilson Fundations program. We will begin Unit 11 next week. In this unit students will practice three new vowel teams: ee, ea, ey. Each of these letter combinations can have the long e sound and are found in double vowel syllables. Examples: steam, sheep, hockey, indeed

Elizabeth Ide Helps Japan

2011-03-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

The response to the Helping Japan coin donation was tremendous! While collecting the coins over a 2 week period, WE RAISED $1141.93!!! The students, parents and teachers at Elizabeth Ide contributed to raising the awareness about the importance of helping the people of Japan. Our donation will be donated directly to the Red Cross organization.

Thank you for supporting our Character Counts program mission to help the people of Japan!!

Week of March 14th - 18th

2011-03-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
We will be working on our chapter on measurement. We will learn how to measure by inches, feet, centimeter and meter. We will also learn how to measure the perimeter of plane figures and measure in square units.

1st Grade Reading

We are continuing to work on Unit 10 or the Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we are working on blending and segmenting up to five sounds with a closed syllable.

Examples: skunk, blimp

2nd Grade Reading
We completed Unit 9 or our Wilson Fundations program this week. We will begin Unit 10 next week. In this unit we will be working on a new syllable type, the double vowel syllable.

1st Grade Math
This week we worked on Chapter 17 which works on addtion strategies of numbers to 20. We worked on the doubles strategy (2+2) and the near double strategy (2+3). We also worked on adding numbers to 10 (10+3)

Week of March 7th - 11th

2011-03-11T13:25:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we continue to work on our chapter on plane figures and spatial sense. We will have our test early next week. Our next chapter focuses on length, perimeter and the area of shapes.

1st Grade Reading
We took our test on Unit 9 of the Wilson Fundations program on Friday. On Monday we will be starting Unit 10. Please look for your home packets in your child's green folders.
This unit does not introduce any new sounds. The children will learn to blend and segment up to five sounds in a closed syllable.
Examples: skunk, blimp

2nd Grade Reading
We continue to work on Unit 9 of the Wilson Fundations program. We will have our test late next week.
In this unit we are working on r controlled sound combinations: er, ir, ur, or and ar.

1st Grade Math
This week we finished Chapter 16 which works with Fractions. We will be having our test on Monday. We will start Chapter 17 early next week. This chapter focus on addition facts and strategies to 20.

Week of February 28th - March 3rd

2011-03-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

1st Grade Reading
This week we continued to work on Unit 9 of the Wilson Fundations program. This unit reviews the reading and spelling of previous word patterns. No new word patterns are taught, just a new concept.
In Unit 9, the students will learn about a closed syllable.
1. Closed syllables can only have one vowel.
2. The vowel is followed by one or more consonants (closed in)
3. The vowel sound is short.

2nd Grade Reading
We completed Unit 8 of the Wilson Fundations program today. We will begin Unit 9 on Tuesday. In Unit 9, students will learn three, remaining r-controlled sound combinations: er, ir, and ur. All three make the same sound /er/.
Examples: burn, first, hamster

2nd Grade Math
This week we completed Chapter 14: Solid Figures. We will begin our next chapter on Plane Figures and Spatial Sense on Tuesday.

Week of February 22nd - 25th

2011-02-24T11:10:00.000-08:00

1st Grade Reading
We will start Unit 9 of the Wilson Fundations program next week. This unit reviews the reading and spelling of previous word patterns. No new word patterns are taught, just a new concept.
In Unit 9, students will learn about a closed syllable.
Closed syllables can only have one vowel.
The vowel is followed by one or more consonants (closed in)
The vowel sound is short.

2nd Grade Reading
We have been working on Unit 8 of the Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we are working on r-controlled syllables.
This syllable contains a single vowel followed by an r (ar, er, ir, or, ur).
The vowel is neither long or short; it is controlled by the r.
This syllable can be combined with other syllables to make multisyllabic words.

Week of February 7th - 11th

2011-02-11T05:56:00.001-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we completed our second chapter on Money. The children did well with this. Please continue to expose your children to coins and money at home. It is always helpful to practice! We began our chapter on telling time on Thursday. The children are looking forward to working on this chapter.

1st Grade Reading
This week we completed Unit 7 of our Wilson Fundations program. We began Unit 8 of the program on Friday. In this Unit we will work on the difference between a blend and a digraph. A digraph contains two consonants and only makes one sound such as (sh). A blend contains two consonants and only makes one sound, such as /s/ and /l/, /sl/.

2nd Grade Reading
This week we completed Unit 6 of our Wilson Fundations program. The children did well on their tests. We started Unit 7 on Wednesday. This unit works with open syllables.
Open syllables have:
1. Only one vowel which is the last letter in the syllable
2. The sound is long to indicate the long sound, the vowel is marked with a (-)
3. This syllable can be combined with other syllables to make multisyllabic words
Students will also learn that y often works as a vowel in open syllables saying (i) at the end of one syllable words and (e) at the end of multisyllabic words.

Week of January 31st - February 4th

2011-02-04T13:04:00.002-08:00

2nd Grade Math
We continue to work with money. Our chapter test will be on Tuesday. My students are doing well with money and continue to get better and better with counting change everyday!

1st Grade Reading
We continued to work on Unit 7 of our Wilson Fundations program. We are working with new glued sounds: ang, ing, ong, ung, ank, ink, onk, unk. Our test will be mid-week next week.

2nd Grade Reading
Our test on Unit 6 of our Wilson Fundations program was postponed until next Monday. This week we concentrated on the reading and spelling procedures for two syllable words with both closed and vowel - consonant - e syllables. We also worked on exceptions to the vowel - consonant - e syllable. This exception, -ive, can also be a suffix. It is pronounced with a short i sound.

Announcements
Monday, February 14th - Valentine's Day Parties
Monday, February 21st - No School, President's Day
Tuesday, March 1st - Report Cards go home
Friday, March 4th - No School

2011-02-04T13:04:00.001-08:00

Week of January 24th - 28th

2011-01-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

This week we implemented an approach to discipline called Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is a proactive systems approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional and academic success.

We began this week by establishing clear expectations for behavior that was taught, modeled, and reinforced across all settings and by all staff. Our week culminated with a juggling celebration assembly which everyone really enjoyed!

Week of January 17th - 21st

2011-01-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
We started our chapter on money this week. My students have been working hard on this but are having a difficult time. Please keep counting money with your children at home and expose them to different coins.

1st Grade Reading
I did not meet with my First Grade Reading students this week due to the Winter Reading/Math benchmark testing. Groups will resume in February.

2nd Grade Reading
This week we have been working on Unit 6 of the Wilson Fundations program. This unit focuses on vowel-consonant -e syllable words.
Examples: cape, home, pine, invite, lifetime, athlete, baseline

Announcements:

Next week, January 24 - 28, Elizabeth Ide will be implementing an approach to discipline called Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is a proactive systems approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, and academic success.

We will begin by establising clear expectations for behavior that will be taught, modeled and reinforced across all settings and by staff. Our week will culminate with a juggling celebration assembly.

Week of January 10th - 14th

2011-01-14T12:26:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we completed Chapter 10 of our Math series. This unit focused on Probability. Our next chapter will be on Money. Please send in 4 quarters, 5 dimes, 10 nickels and 10 pennies with your child. After we are finished with money they will bring it back home.

1st Grade Reading
We had a busy week in Reading. We completed Unit 6 of the Wilson Fundations program and the children had their test earlier this week. You should have seen the graded test brought home in their green folders.
We began Unit 7 on Thursday. In this unit we introduced new glued sounds. There are four new glued sounds with the ng ending (ang, ing, ong, ung) and four ending with the nk (ank, ink, onk, unk). These new sounds have individual sounds but they are closely glued together. To tap these out you use three fingers glued together to represent the sounds working together.

2nd Grade Reading
We did not meet this week due to Aimsweb benchmark testing and MAPS testing. We will resume groups on Tuesday of next week. We will be working on Unit 6 of the Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we will review a syllable type learned in a previous level, the vowel-consonant-e syllable.
Examples: cape, home, pine, invite, reptile, give, bones

Announcements
Friday, January 28th - Character Counts Gym Night
Monday, February 14th - Valentines Day
Monday, February 21st - No School, Presidents Day

Week of November 29th - December 2nd

2010-12-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
We are currently working on Chapter 8 or our math series. We continue to work with double digit subtraction. Our test will be on Thursday of next week. Please continue to work on flash cards at home with your children.

1st Grade Reading
This week in Reading we worked on Unit 5 or our Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we worked with two glued sounds: -am, -an.
The vowels are somewhat changed from a pure short vowel to a more nasalized vowel.
We will be having our Unit test on Monday when the kids get back.

2nd Grade Reading
We are currently working on Unit 4 or our Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we reviewed suffixes (-s, -es, -ed and -ing) as well as learned (-est, -ed, -ing, - est, -er).
We also reviewed the procedure for isolating the baseword when reading or spelling words with suffixes.
Lastly we worked on vowel teams (oa, ow, ou, ue, oe, ow, ou, ue, oo, ew).

Week of November 8th - 12th

2010-11-10T09:47:00.001-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week in Math we worked on two digit addition with and without regrouping. We also worked on using tables to solve addition and subtraction problems. We will be having our Chapter 6 test on Monday.

1st Grade Reading
This week I did not meet with my regular power hour groups. Instead I went into three 1st grade classrooms and taught a lesson about Respect. Children listened to the story Smoky Night and we made class quilts to represent the similarities and differences between the classmates.

2nd Grade Reading
This week we continued with Unit 3 of our Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we are working with the exceptions to the closed syllable types. These exceptions are taught as "glued sounds." The exceptions are: ild, ind, old, olt and ost.
We also worked on two vowel teams: oi, oy

Announcements
Wednesday, November 17th - 2nd Grade Music Performance
Tuesday, November 23rd - Funny Feet Day

Week of November 1st - 5th

2010-11-04T10:51:00.001-07:00

2nd Grade Math
We continue to work on double digit addition. My students need some reminders but have been doing well with completing their work correctly. We also continue to work with Math facts and timed test for speed and accuracy.

1st Grade Reading
We are currently working on Unit 4 or our Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we work on the ff, ll, ss bonus letter rule. At the end of a one syllable word, if the word has one vowel immediately followed by an f, l, or s at the end, double that consonant.
The extra f, l or s is considered a bonus letter because it is extra. It does not make a sound. The word miss, for example, has the 3 sounds since the bonus letter s does not make a sound.
The letter a followed by double l does not have the expected short vowel sound.
Examples: ball, call, tall

2nd Grade Reading
We completed Unit 2 of our Wilson Fundations program this week. Starting next week we will begin Unit 3. In this unit the children will learn the exceptions to the closed syllable type.
Closed syllable exceptions follow a similar pattern to closed syllables, but have a long vowel sound instead of the expected short vowel sound.
These exceptions are taught as "welded" or glued sounds. The exceptions are: ild, ind, old, olt and ost.

Annoucements
Thursday, November 11th - No School, Institute Day
Wednesday, November 17th - 2nd Grade Music Performance
Tuesday, November 23rd - Funny Feet Day

Week of October 25th - 29th

2010-10-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we are working on two digit addition. We began addition by learning how to regroups ones for tens. Keep practicing those math facts at home!

1st Grade Reading
We will have our Unit 3 test on Friday. Next week we will begin Unit 4 of the Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we will work on the ff, ll, ss bonus letter rule. At the end of a one syllable word, if the word has one vowel immediately followed by an f, l or s at the end, double that consonant. The extra f, l or s is considered a bonus letter because it is extra. It does not make a sound. The word miss, for example has 3 sounds since the bonus letter s does not make a sound. Examples: hill, miss, puff

2nd Grade Reading
I did not meet with my 2nd grade Reading groups due to MAPS testing. Instead I am assisting with the test that all 2nd graders take in the computer lab. We will resume Unit 2 of our Wilson Fundations program next week.

Annoucements
Tuesday, November 2nd - No School, Institute Day
Thursday, November 11th - No School, Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 17th - 2nd Grade Music Performance

Week of October 18th - 22nd

2010-10-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
We had our test on Chapter 4 this week. We started Chapter 5 on Tuesday. This chapter focuses on exploring 2 digit addition and subtraction.

2nd Grade Spelling
Words for next week include: bell, off, all, mess, add, hill, well, egg, will, grass, shell, kiss

1st Grade Reading
This week we started Unit 3 of our Wilson program. In this unit the children are working with the digraphs wh, ch, sh, th and ck. These letters "stick together" to form one sound even though they are two letters. We also learned that wh is only used at the beginning of a word and ck is only used at the end of a word right after a short vowel.

2nd Grade Reading
We continue to work on Unit2 in our Wilson program. This unit focuses on "glued" sounds such as: all, am, an, ang, ing, ong, ung, ank,ink, onk, unk.
We also worked with vowel teams: ai, ee, ey, ay, ea

Announcements
Friday, October 29th - Halloween Parade and Parties
Tuesday, November 2nd - No School, Institute Day
Thursday, November 11th - No School, Veterans Day

Week of October 11th - 15th

2010-10-13T06:27:00.001-07:00

2nd Grade Math
We continued to work on Chapter 4 this week. We worked with number concepts and patterns. We learned about ordinal numbers, comparing numbers, even and odd, greater than, less than, equal to, rounding and skip counting. We will be having our test early next week.

2nd Grade Spelling
Words for next week include: trip, swim, step, nest, club, stone, next, brave, glad, lost, frog, slip

1st Grade Reading
This week we worked on Unit 2 of our Wilson Fundations program. We had our Unit test on Thursday. In Unit 2 we worked on blending and reading three short vowel words as well as how to segment and spell them. These are called CVC words. We also worked on sentence dictation, reading with fluency and trick words.

2nd Grade Reading
This week in Reading we worked on Unit 2 of our Wilson program. In this Unit we reviewed the ff, ll, ss bonus letter rule. We also reviewed the "glued" sounds: all, am, an, ang, ing, ong, ung, ank, ink, onk, unk. Lastly we worked on vowel teams: ai, ee, ey, ay, ea

Announcements
Wednesday, October 20th - Early Dismissal Day
Friday, October 22nd - Family Halloween Party
Monday, October 25th - 2nd Grade Field Trip
Friday, October 29th - Halloween Parade and Parties

Week of October 4th - 8th

2010-10-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we have been working on Chapter 4. We are working on number concepts and patterns. We will learn about ordinal numbers, using greater than less than and rounding. Keep working with flash cards at home!

1st Grade Reading
This week we worked on Unit 2 of our Wilson Reading program. We are working on tapping out sounds to read words and sentences. We have also worked with sight words and guided reading. Keep reading at home!!

2nd Grade Spelling
Spelling words for next week include: on, am, come, if, does, goes, from, his, want, her, their, there

2nd Grade Reading
This week we completed Unit 1 of our Wilson Fundations program. Look for the test to come home early next week. This unit focused on digraphs (sh, th, ch, ck and wh), blends (two or three consonants with their own sounds) and closed syllables.

Announcements
Monday, October 11th - No School, Columbus Day
Wednesday, October 20th - Early Dismissal
Friday, October 22nd - Family Halloween Party at Ide

Week of September 27th - October 1st

2010-09-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we began our chapter on Place Value up to 100. In this unit the children will be able to count, read, and write whole numbers to 100 and identify the place value of each digit.
We also continued to work on our addition and subtraction facts.

1st Grade Reading
This week we completed Unit 1 of our Wilson Fundations program. The children took their Unit test on Friday and did very well. Unit 2 will work on tapping out sounds to read words. The students will tap out individuals sounds and then blend the sounds together to make a word. We have also been working on basic sight words, handwriting and comprehension skills.

Announcements

Monday, October 11th - No School, Columbus Day

Friday, October 15th - Preschool Screening

Wednesday, October 20th - Early Dismissal

Week of September 20th - 24th

2010-09-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we completed our chapter on subtraction. We worked on fact families, counting back, touch math and using addition to solve subtraction problems. Chapter three will focus on place value to 100.

1st Grade Reading
This week we continued to work with the Wilson Reading program. We are still reviewing letters and sounds. We also worked on sight words, guided reading, fluency and making words. My students have been working really hard this week!

Announcements
Thursday, September 30th - Picture Day
Monday, October 11th - No School, Columbus Day

Week of September 13th - 17th

2010-09-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we worked on Chapter 2 of our Math book. We are focusing on subtraction strategies. Strategies that we use include: number lines, touch math, counting back and using fact families.

2nd Grade Spelling
Spelling Words for next week include: bite, late, size, made, side, ate, fine, same, hide, line, give, have

1st Grade Reading
This week was the first week of our 1st grade RTI program. I work with three groups of children. We concentrated on the letters: b, f, m, n, t, c, a, i, r
We also focused on writing words, making words and reading words.

Week of September 7th - 10th

2010-09-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we completed our test on Chapter 1. Next week we will begin Chapter 2 which focuses on subtraction strategies. Please continue to work with addition and subtraction flash cards at home with your child.

2nd Grade Spelling
Spelling words for next week include: fox, wet, nut, job, leg, fun, went, mop, hug, from, any, of

1st Grade Reading
Next week we will be switching classes for Reading. My class will be working on a Reading program called Wilson Fundations. Please look in your child's green folder for literature that I will be sending home with them.

Next Week's Activities

2010-09-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we worked on addition strategies. We used the strategy of counting on and using doubles to add sums of 18. We will continue with this next week. Keep working on addition facts at home!

2nd Grade Spelling
Words for next week include: the, will, have, it, as, my, was, you, they, said, off, any

1st and 2nd Grade Reading
First and Second grade students will begin switching classrooms for Reading on September 13th.

Announcements
Monday, September 6th - Labor Day, No school
Thursday, Sepember 9th - 1st and 2nd grade Curriculum Night

Week of August 30th - September 3rd

2010-08-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Week of August 30th - September 3rd

Welcome back students and parents!

This week the RTI team will be administering Aimsweb testing to Kindergarten, First and Second grade students. We will be assessing students on Reading and Math skills. From this information will be creating Reading plans and schedules for the next semester. First and Second grade students will begin switching for Reading classes on September 13th.

Week of May 17th - 21st

2010-05-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math: This week we began working on triple digit addition and subtraction. My students continue to need reminders to regroup and carry. We will continue to work on this next week.

1st Grade Reading: This week we started our final unit of the Wilson Fundations program. We also played a fun game of Pictionary on the Mimio board with the entire class.

Announcements:
Second graders will be going to the Chicago Botanical Gardens on Tuesday. Please send a sack lunch in a disposable bag and dress for the weather.
Second graders will also be going to Praireview to meet their Pen Pals and go on a tour of the school.

First graders will be going on a fun field trip to Jurica Museum.

Picnic Day is next Friday. First graders attend the picnic in the morning and Second graders attend the picnic in the afternoon.

Week of May 3rd - 7th

2010-05-07T07:08:00.001-07:00

2nd Grade Math: This week we completed our chapter on Fractions. My students did very well on their tests! We also started our new chapter on place value.

1st Grade Reading: This week I helped administer the Aimsweb Spring benchmark test so I did not meet with my 1st Grade Reading groups. We will meet again starting on Monday and we will resume with Unit 13 of our Wilson Fundations program.

Butterfly Update:

We released nine butterflies on Wednesday. We still have one cocoon left. We are hoping the butterfly comes out soon.

Week of April 26th - 30th

2010-04-30T06:03:00.001-07:00

2nd Grade Math: This week we started our chapter on Fractions. My students have a good grasp of the concept. We will be having our chapter test next week and then begin our next chapter on place value.

1st Grade Reading: My students completed Unit 12 of our Wilson Fundations program. The children did a great job on their tests! We started Unit 13 on Thursday. This Unit focuses on the -ed and -ing suffixes.

Adopt A Rainforest Project: The response to the Adopt-A-Rainforest project was tremendous! While collecting coins over a week period of time, we raised $293.58!!! The students, parents and teachers at Elizabeth Ide really contributed to raising awareness about the importance of rainforests. Thank you everyone!!!

Week of April 19th - 24th

2010-04-23T07:16:00.001-07:00

2nd Grade Math: We will be completing our second chapter on measurement early next week. We have worked with measuring with rulers, scales, thermometers and measuring cups. We will begin our next chapter on fractions next week.

1st Grade Reading: This week we have been working on Unit 12 of our Wilson Fundations program. We will be having our unit test next Tuesday. This unit focuses on the suffix - es. Trick words for this week include: being, under, between, work, both, see

Open House: Mark your calendars for Ide's open house on Thursday, April 29th. Please stop by my classroom. I would love to see you!

Butterflies: Our caterpillars have just gone into their cocoons. Here are a few pictures of

them.

Week of April 12th - 16th

2010-04-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math: We completed our chapter on measurement. We have been measuring with inches, centimeters, meters, feet and yards. On Friday we started Chapter 18 on weight, volume and temperature.

1st Grade Reading: We completed Unit 11 in our Wilson Reading program. The children did very well on their assessments. We will begin Unit 12 on Monday. This unit will focus on the -es suffix.

Butterfly Unit

My students have been learning about butterflies. We have learned all about the life cycle this week. Here are a few pictures of our caterpillars. They are growing amazingly fast and they should be in cocoons next week. More pictures to come!

Week of April 5th - 9th

2010-04-09T07:11:00.001-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we worked on our chapter on Measurement. We have learned how to measure items using: inches, centimeters, feet and yards. Next week we will work on perimeter and area.

2nd Grade Spelling
Words for next week include: butterfly, Spring, egg, adult, legs, head, mouth, eyes, wings, fly, cocoon, flutter

1st Grade Reading
This week we continue to work on Unit 11 of our Wilson Fundations program. This unit focuses on two syllable words. Trick words for the week include: people, Mr., Mrs., years, says, little, good, very, own.

Week of March 22nd - 26th

2010-03-26T11:19:00.001-07:00

2nd Grade Math:
Today we took the Chapter 16 test on Patterning. My students did very well with this concept. When we get back from Spring Break we will begin our next chapter on Measurement.

1st Grade Reading:
We completed Unit 10 in our Wilson Fundations program this week. We continued to work on spelling and blending words with five sounds. Trick words for this unit included: many, before, called, how, your, down, should, because, each

2nd Grade Spelling:
Words for next week include: puppy, baby, lucky, happy, very, lady, funny, silly, many, only, cookie, furry

Week of March 15th - 19th

2010-03-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week in Math we completed our chapter on plane figures. We had our test this past Wednesday. We started our next chapter on patterns on Thursday.

1st Grade Reading
We continue to work on Unit 10 of the Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we are working on blending words with 5 sounds. The children have been doing great with this! I am very impressed with their progress!
Trick words for this unit include: many, before, called, how, your, down, should, because, each

2nd Grade Spelling
Word for next week include: I'll, we've, I'm, you're, isn't, didn't, you'll, I've, it's, we'll, can't, they're

Week of March 8th - 11th

2010-03-15T12:04:00.001-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we took our chapter test on 3-dimensional figures. We also started on our next chapter. We will continue to focus on shapes. Concepts covered will include: lines of symmetry, congruent shapes and sliding, flipping and turning shapes.

1st Grade Reading
We completed the Unit 9 assessment on Thursday. This week we continued to work on closed syllable words. Trick words for the week included: our, over, come, would, after, also

2nd Grade Spelling
Words for next week include: who, a lot, were, many, our, friend, cannot, here, squirm, today, would, could

Parent Teacher Conferences
It was wonderful to see many of you at Parent/Teacher conferences this week!

Week of March 1st - 5th

2010-03-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we completed our chapter on solid figures. On Friday we started working on Chapter 15 on solid figures and spatial shapes.

1st Grade Reading
My students started Unit 9 in the Wilson Fundations program this week. This unit focuses on closed syllables. They learned that closed syllables only have one vowel, the vowel is closed in by one or more consonants and the vowel sound is short. Trick words for this week include: over, our, would, after, also

Afternoon Math
We continue to work with both addition and subtraction.

Week of February 22nd - 26th

2010-02-26T07:02:00.001-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we started our chapter on solid figures. We will be identifying the shapes and we will look at faces, edges and vertices.

1st Grade Reading
This week my students completed Unit 8 of the Wilson program. They worked very hard this week and they did well on their assessments. We will be starting Unit 9 next week. This unit focuses on syllables.

Afternoon Math
This week we continued to concentrate on addition. The boys have been doing very well with touch math. They have also been doing well using counters to assist them with the addition problems.

Afternoon Reading
My students continue to make great progress in Reading! We have worked on variety of different items this week in Reading: Istation, Guided Reading, Vocabulary, Comprehension and Writing.

Week of February 16th - 19th

2010-02-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we have been busy working with time. We have worked on telling time to the hour, half an hour, and quarter hour.

1st Grade Reading
This week we continue to work with Unit 8 of our Wilson program. We have been concentrating on blends: -st, -cr, -cl, -nd. Trick words for the unit include: some, could, want, say, do, first, any, my, now
We will have our Unit test next week.

Afternoon Math
We have been busy working with both addition and subtraction. We have used a variety of different strategies including: touch math, number lines, counting cubes and drawing pictures. The boys have been doing well in Math!

Week of February 8th - 12th

2010-02-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

I wanted to congratulate my students on all their hard work this week. They completed a stressful week of IOWA testing. They tried their best and I am very proud of them.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Week of February 1st - 5th

2010-02-05T06:04:00.000-08:00

2nd grade Math
My students have been working extremely hard with money this week. They have been counting coins, counting on, making change and working on word problems. We will have our chapter test on Friday and we will begin our next chapter on Time after the IOWA exams.

1st grade Reading
This week we started Unit 8 of our Wilson program. The students learned the difference between a digraph and a blend. They both have two letters but a digraph makes one sound and a blend makes two sounds. Some examples are: -st, -cr, -cl.
Trick words for this week have been: want, could, some, say

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we have been concentrating on addtion. We have been using a variety of different strategies including: counting on, touch math, using counting cubes and drawing pictures. The boys have been doing very well in Math and they have been working very hard!

2nd grade Spelling
There will not be a spelling test next week due to IOWA testing.

Helping Haiti at Elizabeth Ide

2010-02-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Character Counts!

Helping Haiti at Elizabeth Ide

The response to Helping Haiti coin donation has been tremendous!! While collecting the coins over a two week period of time we raised $1513.97!!!! The students, parents and teachers at Elizabeth Ide really contributed to raising the awareness about the importance of helping the people of Haiti. Our donation will be donated directly to the Food for the Poor organization.

Thank you for supporting our Character Counts program's mission to help the people of Haiti.

Week of January 25th - 29th

2010-01-28T07:06:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math

This week in Math we continue to work on counting money. Our chapter test was on Friday and we will start our next chapter on Monday which continues with money. In our next chapter we will work on making change, and adding and subtracting money.

1st Grade Reading

My students completed Unit 7 this week. We worked on glued sounds including: - ong, -ang, -ung, -ing, -onk, - ank, -unk, -ink. Trick words for the unit included: out, so, are, two, about, into, only, other, new We will begin Unit 8 on Monday.

Afternoon Math
We have been working on a variety of different things in Math.
Group 1 has been working on addition.
Group 2 has been working on counting nickels, pennies, reading a calendar and temperatures.

Elizabeth Ide's Haiti Relief Fund

2010-01-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

This month at Elizabeth Ide, we are going to raise funds to help the people of Haiti. Money raised will be given to the Haitian relief fund.

The way in which we are going to raise funds is through collecting pennies and spare change. Each classroom will have a Helping Haiti collection container. The collection will start on Wednesday, January 20th and end on Friday, January 29th. If your child finds spare change at home and is going to contribute, please have him/her place the change in a ziplock bag. He/she will deposit it to the classroom fund on the day it is brought in.

Thank you for supporting our Character Counts program and remember: even a small amount of money can go a long way!

Week of January 19th - 22nd

2010-01-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we finished Chapter 9 on Data and Graphs. We started our next chapter on Counting Money on Friday.

2nd Grade Spelling
Words for next week include: car, smart, arm, park, yard, part, barn, hard, party, farm, are, warm

1st Grade Reading
This week we started Unit 7 in our Wilson Fundations program. In this unit we will be working with more glued sounds: -ang, - ank, - ing, -ink, - ong, - onk, -ung, -unk.
Trick words for Unit 7 include: out, so, are, two, about, into, only, other, new

Afternoon Math
This week we started our new Math book. We will be working on Chapter 1: Exploring Numbers and Patterns.

Announcements
Tuesday, February 2nd - No School - Institute Day
Monday, February 15th - No School - President's Day

Week of January 11th - 15th

2010-01-14T12:29:00.001-08:00

2nd grade Math
This week we worked on our chapter on Data and Graphs. We learned how to read a bar graph and we also learned how to take data and make our own bar graphs. We will have our chapter test next week.

Our next chapter will be on Money. Please send in your child with a container of coins that we can keep at school.

1st grade Reading
This week we completed Unit 6 in our Wilson Fundations program. The children had their Unit test today. In this unit we worked on reading base words with the -s suffix. We also read a story called Jack's Bags and worked on reading fluently. Trick words for Unit 6 include: were, put, her, there, what, she, been, by, who

Afternoon Math
This week in math we worked with addition and subtraction. We used counters and pictures to help us solve the problems.

Announcements
Monday, January 18th - Martin Luther King Day

Week of January 4th - 8th

2010-01-07T07:11:00.001-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we completed Chapter 8 on double digit subtraction. Our next chapter will be on Data and Graphs. Please remember to practice flash cards daily.

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we concentrated on addition. We have been using manipulatives to help complete the problems.

Reading and Language Arts Groups
This week I did not meet with my Reading and Language Arts groups. I helped administer the AimsWeb Winter benchmark tests. The timed tests will assess letter & sound knowledge as well as Reading fluency. AimsWeb will be administered to all students in grades K-2 and is a requirement of the Response to Intervention program.

Week of December 7th - 11th

2009-12-10T07:20:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math

This week in Math we completed Chapter 7 on double digit subtraction with regrouping. We started Chapter 8 on Friday which continues with double digit subtraction. Please keep practicing flash cards daily at home.

1st Grade Reading

This week in Reading my students completed Unit 5 of their Wilson Fundations program. We started Unit 6 on Tuesday. We will be working with basewords and suffixes.
New trick words include: were, her, put, there, what, she, been, by, who

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we have been working on: calendars, days of the week, months of the year, telling time to the hour and more or less time.

Afternoon Reading
This week in Reading we have been working on composing letters to Santa. My students are working really hard on writing a well thought out, detailed letter for Santa. We have also been working on reading books specifically targeted to individual reading levels. Keep reading those books that I have been sending home!

Announcements

Week of December 14th - Christmas Around the World for 2nd graders

December 17th - Christmas Caroling at Fairview Village for 2nd graders

December 18th - Holiday parties

December 21- Jan. 4th - Winter Break

Week of November 30th - December 3rd

2009-12-07T06:47:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
In math we are working on how to subtract one digit numbers from two digit numbers and then subtracting two digit numbers from two digit numbers. Please remember to practice flash cards daily.

1st Grade Reading
My students will be learning two new glued sound this week - am and -an. New trick words for the week are: have, or, from. They will continue to practice tapping out words as an aid to spell words correctly. They will also work on identifying words by listening to individual sounds.

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we will be working on a number of concepts: calendars, temperature , days of the week, months of the year and time.

Afternoon Reading
Our poem for the week was "Oh Candy Cane." We read a variety of books to focus on comprehension and fluency skills. We also read a story called "The Hip" which focused on short i words. Keep reading your books at home!

Announcements
Thursday, December 17 - 2nd grade Christmas Caroling at Fairview Village
Friday, December 18 - Holiday party
December 21 – January 4 Winter Break

Week of November 16th - 20th

2009-11-20T10:38:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we continue to work with double digit addition. We will have our chapter test on Tuesday. Then we will begin double digit subtraction. The boys are having a difficult time with double digit addition so please keep practicing with flash cards at home to increase their speed.

1st Grade Reading
My students completed Unit 4 this week in Wilson Fundations. In this unit they learned about
the bonus letters f, l, & s. If a word has one vowel immediately followed by an f, l, or s at the end, that consonant is doubled. Such as puff, hill, and miss. We also worked with the glued sound "all."
Students also continued to work on phonics skills as well as reading fluency and comprehension.

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we have been working on measuring. Various concepts discussed this week include: shorter, longer, estimating and measuring, equal parts and counting.

Announcements
November 25-November 27 No School, Thanksgiving Break
Tuesday, December 1 Report Cards go home
December 1st -December 4th Parent Teacher Conferences
Friday, December 4 No School, P/T Conferences

Week of November 9th - 13th

2009-11-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

2nd Grade Math
In math we are continuing to work on adding two-digit problems. We will have a test on this chapter next week. Keep practicing your additon problems at home. Our next chapter will be on two-digit subtraction.

1st Grade Reading
This week was a bit different then a normal Reading week. I visited Miss Tracy and Mrs. Sis's room and taught a lesson on Respect. The children listened to a story called The Smoky Night. As a group we discussed differences and the importance of respecting each other and their property. After the discussion we made a class quilt. Each child made a quilt square that represented themsevles.

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we continue to focus on money. The chidren have now worked with pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollar bills. They are aware of each coin's value and we have continued practicing on adding up various coin amounts. This has been a difficult task for my students.

2nd Grade Reading
This week we worked on a variety of different activities. We read leveled books, completed phonics assigments, and worked on fluency and comprehension strategies. On Friday we created Turkeys and then later wrote narrative stories about them. Please continue to read the books that I send home daily.

Announcements
Wednesday, 11/18 2nd grade musical @ Lakeview
Friday, 11/20 End of Trimester
11/25-11/27 No School, Thanksgiving Break
Tuesday, 12/1 Report Cards go home
11/30-12/ 4 Parent Teacher Conferences
Friday, 12/4 No School, P/T Conferences

Week of November 2nd - 6th

2009-11-06T08:10:00.001-08:00

Second Grade Math
In math we finished Chapter 5 on adding two digits with regrouping. Our next chapter continues two digit addition with regrouping. Please continue to work on addition and subtraction facts at home.

First Grade Reading
This week we completed Unit 3 in our Wilson Reading program. The children took a Unit test that should have come home with them on Thursday. Please look over the test with your child. We continue to work with the diagraphs: ck, sh, ch, th and wh. We have read and written many words using these diagraphs. We have also worked on several writing assignments this week.

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we have been working with money. The boys have worked with pennies, nickels and dimes. Next week we will work with quarters and dollar bills. They continue to have a difficult time with counting by 5s and 10s so I will keep practicing this with them.

Afternoon Reading
This week we worked on a variety of different activities. We read Thanksgiving books, completed phonics assignments, worked with digraphs and worked on guided reading. The boys also completed writing assignments on Fall and what they are thankful for. Please continue to read the books that I send home daily.

Announcements
Nov. 9th – Picture Retake Day
Nov. 11th – Veterans' Day – No School
Nov. 18th - 2nd Grade Music Program
Nov. 26-28 – Thanksgiving Break

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween from the Ide Staff and Isabella!

Pumpkin Decorating

2009-10-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

My afternoon class decorated pumpkins yesterday. They came out great!

Week of October 19th - 23rd

2009-10-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we completed our chapter on comparing numbers. We had the chapter test on Thursday. We started our new chapter on exploring two digit addition and subtraction on Friday. Please keep practicing your addition and subtraction facts at home.

1st Grade Reading
This week in Reading we took our Unit 2 test on the Wilson Fundations program. We worked on dictated sentences, trick words, letter sounds and spelling words. We also worked on a story called Fog. The children read the story and worked on various comprehension activities to go with the story.

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we worked on numbers 11 to 30. We also worked on number order and numbers that are out of place.

Afternoon Reading
This week in Reading we worked on many activities. There was a large focus on guided reading. I will be sending books home with your children twice a week. Please take the time to read these books with your child. They should be able to read them fairly independently. We continue to work with sight words and comprehension strategies. We also worked on some writing assignments including Halloween costume descriptions and fall stories.

Announcements
Friday, Oct. 23 - Ide Halloween Fun FestThursday, Oct. 29 Halloween parade & partiesFriday, Oct. 30 No School, Institute Day

Character Counts Gym Night

2009-10-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Ide Elementary School held its 6th annual Gym Night on Friday, October 16th. This event has been very popular with students for the past few years. Students are split into teams and participate in thirteen different stations. Some stations include: bowling, rock climbing, rope climbing, bean bag toss, dancing and arts and crafts.
This year we raised $715 that will be used for our school's Character Counts education program. Literature, teacher handbooks, assemblies, supplies and incentives are bought with the proceeds raised yearly.
Here are some great pictures from the night!

Week of October 13th - 16th

2009-10-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
We continued to work on chapter 4 this week. We worked with number concepts and patterns. We will learned about ordinal numbers, comparing numbers, using greater than, less than, equal to and rounding.

1st Grade Reading
This week in Reading we continued to work with our Wilson Fundations program. We focused on
tapping to read words, sentence dictation, sentence reading with fluency and trick words.

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we worked on recognizing whole and half, equal shares, and a review of shapes. We completed our chapter test and started the next Math chapter on numbers 11 to 30.

Afternoon Reading
Once again we worked on a variety of activities this week in Reading. We continued to work with reading words with short vowel sounds. We worked with our daily sight words and are constantly reviewing them. We also worked on various Halloween writing assignments. We also continue to work with fluency and comprehension skills throughout our reading.

Announcements
Wednesday, Oct. 21 - Early Dismissal
Friday, Oct. 23 - Ide Halloween Fun Fest
Thursday, Oct. 29 Halloween parade & parties
Friday, Oct. 30 No School, Institute Day

Week of October 5th - 9th

2009-10-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
We began Chapter 4 this week on Number Concepts and Patterns. We will learn about ordinal numbers, comparing numbers, using greater than, less than, equal to and rounding.

1st Grade Reading
This week in Reading we continued to work with our Wilson Fundations program. We focused on tapping to read words. For example to read the word "nut" students will tap out individual sounds and then blend the sounds together. My students did very well with this. We also focused on reading sentences with fluency and comprehension skills.

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we continued to work with shapes. We concentrated on spheres, cones, cubes, cylinders, pyramids and rectangular prisms. We looked at the shapes and decided if they could roll, stack or slide. We also discussed sides, corners and curves.

Afternoon Reading
We worked on a variety of activities this week in Reading. We continue to work with reading words with short vowel sounds. We read various stories including: The Little Red Hen, A Crab, Just Like Me and Pumpkin Pumpkin. We focused on fluency and comprehension skills throughout our reading.

Announcements
Monday, Oct. 12 - No School, Columbus Day
Friday, Oct. 16 - Ide gym night
Wednesday, Oct. 21 - Early Dismissal
Friday, Oct. 23 - Ide Halloween Fun Fest
Thursday, Oct. 29 Halloween parade & parties
Friday, Oct. 30 No School, Institute Day

Week of September 28th - October 2nd

2009-10-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we began our unit on Place Value up to 100. In this unit the children will be able to count, read and write whole numbers to 100 and identify the place value of each digit.
We also continued to work on our addition and subtraction facts.

1st Grade Reading
We continued to work with the Wilson Fundations Reading program. We are now working on tapping to read words. The students tap out each individual sound and then blend the word together. We have also been working on basic sight words, handwriting and comprehension skills.

Afternoon Reading
Once again my afternoon Reading group has been very busy. We read a story called Sad, Glad and Mad and worked with -ab, -and, and - ack words. We continue to focus on fluency and comprehension strategies. The boys have also been working on guided reading. I select books for them to read at their own Reading level. I will continue to send books home with my students. Please enjoy them with your child at home.

Afternoon Math
This week we started on a new chapter on Geometry and Fractions. The boys were introduced to spheres, cones, cubes, cylinders, pyramids and rectangular prisms. We also compared the figures to see if we can roll, stack and slide the objects.

Announcements
Monday, October 12th - Columbus Day No school
Friday, October 16th - Gym Night/ Progress Reports go home
Wednesday, October 21st - Early Dismissal

Week of September 21st - 25th

2009-09-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade Math
This week we completed our chapter on subtraction. The boys did very well on their math tests. They worked on fact families, counting back, touch math and using addition to solve subtraction problems. Chapter three will focus on Place Value to 100.

1st Grade Reading
This week in Reading we continued to work with the Wilson Reading program. We are still reviewing letters and sounds. We also worked on sight words, poems, fluency, and making words. My students have been working really hard in Reading!

Afternoon Math
This week we worked on positioning, patterning, simple addition, counting and ordinal numbers. The boys have been busy. We also briefly discussed estimation. This was a confusing concept for my students.

Afternoon Reading
My afternoon Reading group has been busy this week. We read a story called Sap and worked with -ap, - at, and -ack words. We focused on fluency and comprehension strategies. We added more words to our word wall, worked on spelling words and focused on guided Reading.

Announcements
Thursday, October 1st - Picture Day
Monday, October 12th - No School Columbus Day
Friday, October 16th - Gym Night at Ide

Week of September 14th - 18th

2009-09-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

Second Grade Math - AM
We started Chapter 2 on subtraction facts and strategies this week. The strategies we used this week were counting back, using fact families, and using addition to find the differences.

First Grade Reading
This was the first week of our RTI program. I am currently seeing three different groups of children. We concentrated on the letters: b, f, m, n, t, c, a, i, r this week. We focused on writing words, reading words and making words. We also played word family bingo.

Afternoon Reading
This week we concentrated on short a words. We read a story called A Rat and the children did really well with it. We also did a variety of other activities including: Imagination Station, word family activities, Guided Reading, and vowel sound activities.

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we concentrated on the numbers 1 - 10. We worked with patterns, one to one correspondence. We also worked on basic addition.

Announcements
We have our Mimio board in our classroom! Ask your children about it. They love it!!!

Week of September 8th - 11th

2009-09-10T06:05:00.000-07:00

Second Grade Math - AM
We continued working on addition this week. We used strategies to add 3 digit numbers as well as worked on story problems. We will be having our Chapter test on Friday.

Afternoon Reading
This week we continued to review the consonants. We also started working with short a. We read many books together this week. We have been focusing on our author of the month, Eric Carle. We read Little Cloud and Pancakes, Pancakes. We also started reading stories from our reading anthology.

Afternoon Math
This week in Math we worked on patterning with shapes and colors. We also worked with numbers 1 - 9. The boys have done quite well this week in Math.

Announcements
Magazine Drive Kickoff - Friday, September 11th
Early Dismissal Day - Tuesday, September 22nd
Picture Day - Thursday, October 1st

Week of August 31st - September 4th

2009-09-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

It has been a great second week of school! Starting on September 14th I will be pulling small groups for Reading instruction.

Second Grade Math - AM
We have been reviewing addition. We have also been working on addition strategies that focus on counting on and using doubles to add sums to 18.

Afternoon Math
We have been working a variety of concepts including: sorting, classfying, number recognition, inside, outside, next to, beside, below, above and between.

Afternoon Reading
This week we added some new words to our word wall: a, and, to, like, go, is
We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Polar Bear, Polar Bear what do you see? We also concentrated on the short a sound.

Announcements
I will be attending the 1st and 2nd grade Curriculum Night next Wednesday. Feel free to stop by and find me if you have any questions.

2009-08-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back to School!

I am really looking forward to a great year with your children. This year I will continue to work with both 1st and 2nd grade students. My classroom has now moved to the Second grade wing so I have a much larger classroom for my students to enjoy.
Hope everyone had a wonderful summer!

Week of May 11th - 15th

2009-05-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

First Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week in reading we worked on rhyming, onset fluency, blending and identifying final and medial sounds, segmenting, substituting and adding and deleting phonemes. We also worked on writing assignments about heroes and if they had a magic broom.

Math
This week in Math the students worked with fractions. We worked with 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 and 1/5. They did very well with this new concepts.

Second Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week in reading we worked on rhyming, onset fluency, blending, identifying final and medial sounds, segmenting, substituting and adding and deleting phonemes. We also read a play and worked on our daily journals.

Math
We have been working with fractions. The students have been identifying and comparing fractions.

Week of May 4th - 8th

2009-05-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

This has been my first full week back at Ide. Although I miss spending time with my daughter I have really enjoyed spending time with your children. It has been great to see all my students again. Their smiling faces and hard work makes me appreciate the great job I have. I want to thank all the parents for all of the wonderful lunches they have provided us with this week. It was nice to not have to pack a lunch everyday this week.

Due to Reading Benchmark testing I was unable to see my 1st and 2nd grade Reading groups. These groups will resume next week and I am looking forward to that.

1st Grade Math
We have been working on Chapter 15 which deals with Spatial sense. The students have been working with congruent shapes and identifying shapes that have a line of symmetry.

2nd Grade Math
This week we continue to work on measuring. We measured objects in centimeters, inches, feet and yards. We also worked on perimeter and measuring area.

Thank you, all. April 29, 2009

2009-04-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

Dear parents and students,
Thank you so much for making my experience here at Elizabeth Ide a great one. Today is the last day of Mrs. Tran's maternity leave, so she will be returning to her classes tomorrow, and I will be leaving.
This experience has been wonderful for me. I have absolutely loved working with your children, and treasure the moments I have had with every single one of them. I hope I have been able to make a small difference in their school days.
It was great to meet and talk with so many of you, both at Conferences and at Open House. You have a wonderful group of children. I feel like I have made many new friends. Since I sub throughout the district, I hope to see your children many times before they are finished in District 66. It is always great for me to "follow" them through school, and see how they have grown.
Thank you again for all your support.
Sincerely,
Gail Cuzzone, substitute teacher

April 24, 2009

2009-04-24T08:53:00.001-07:00

Hello, everyone. Soon I will be telling you all goodbye, as Mrs. Tran is returning to Ide next Thursday!!
What a week we have had. On Thursday, eight of our butterflies appeared. A small group of 1st graders and I actually had the privilege of watching one of them as it emerged from the chrysalis. I think the boys were just as amazed as I was. It was incredible to watch, and the second grade teachers tell me that it doesn't happen very often. Soon it will be time to let our butterflies go, as they need fresh air and flowers from our yards and gardens.
It was very nice to see so many of you at Open House. Thanks for stopping by.
Work continued all week on chicks, butterflies, rain forests, and Earth Day activities.
Have a great weekend. It promises to be a warm one-----finally!
Mrs. Cuzzone

April 21, 2009

2009-04-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone.
I just wanted to let you know that I had the Open House time incorrect last week!! It is this Thursday, April 23, from 6:30 until 8:00. I sure hope to see some of you as you visit Elizabeth Ide School.
Thanks,
Mrs. Cuzzone

April 17, 2009

2009-04-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hello!
This has sure seemed like a long week, but I know it is beautiful outside, and I am as anxious to get out and enjoy it as the children are.

The first graders had a very busy week, but they all did very well on their spelling tests. Most of them are doing a good job with their spelling homework, too! They are really excelling at math this week, and we continue to study shapes and figures and their qualities.

The second graders have been especially busy. They did their reports on their rain forest animals, and we really enjoyed hearing them read the reports to each other. On Friday, we had a special "Butterfly Math" Day, and turned all of our math problems into butterfly-related activities. It was a fun day for a group of students who have been working very hard all week long!
Open House is next week----April 23, from 6:30 to 8:30. I will be here in Mrs. Tran's room, and hope that you will stop in to say hello.

Have a great weekend. I hope I see you next week.
Mrs. Cuzzone, (sub for Mrs. Tran)

April 9, 2009

2009-04-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone.
This has certainly been a unique week, with both Tuesday and Friday off after our spring break!
We did work hard, though. The second graders are watching butterfly larvae grow right now. Be sure to ask your children about the changes in the larvae. The first graders are busy learning about shapes.
It will be nice to get back to a regular week next week.
Have a nice Easter!
Mrs. Cuzzone, substitute for Mrs. Tran.

March 27, 2009

2009-03-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hi, everybody. This last day of school before spring break is always a fun one. We are ALL ready for whatever spring break brings us, or wherever it takes us!! I just hope it gives us all some sunshine and warmth!

I must mention the 1st graders. Their writing today was the best ever. I am so proud of all of them, and I hope there are some writing papers on refrigerators at home by tonight. The first graders had a tough spelling list this week, but they practiced hard and did fine. We finished a chapter in math on counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. We'll be ready for a new chapter when we come back in April.

My second graders had some fun in math this week, with solid shapes, and with fractions. Everyone is doing very well. Spelling and writing continue to improve.

I hope everyone has a great vacation. Try to read a book, or two, or even more!

See you all in April.

Mrs. Cuzzone

March 20, 2009

2009-03-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone. The first day of spring------finally. We used the word "spring" in several of our reading and writing activities today. I think we are all ready for springtime!

The first graders have been busy getting ready for their spring music program, but we still managed to get our schoolwork done. In spelling we worked on adding "s" to words, to make more than one. In math, we are very busy skip counting. Counting by 5s and 10s at home would be great practice.

The second graders continue to work on time in math. They now have experience with clocks and calendars. They have also been busy with math words involving congruent shapes (the same shape). This week's spelling lesson on the "ou" and "ow" words was difficult, but we worked hard on it.

Have a great weekend, everyone. I hope it will be nice enough for us all to be outside!

March 12, 2009

2009-03-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone.
Although short, it's been a busy week.
The first graders continued learning "oo" words in spelling, and were very successful. Math was a little bit harder, concentrating on ordering numbers. We played a card game that was fun while working on this concept.
The second graders got back into their regular routine in reading this week, and we continue to work on blends and digraphs. Their writing skills are showing improvement every week. Because the week was shortened, we decided to extend the spelling unit to next week. Math was fun while we finished our unit on Patterns, and some of the students are learning to tell time. Counting by 5s has been really helpful.
It was very nice to meet some of you at conferences this week.
Have a nice weekend.
Mrs. Cuzzone

March 6, 2009

2009-03-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone.
What a week we have had! The second graders have done a Writer's Workshop this week, and we have just finished a great narrative about some of our favorite things. I had a group of second grade writers who worked so hard on this project---I am so proud of them, and I hope you will be, too.
Besides all the writing, the second graders did their usual good job on their spelling words, and finished up a unit on using money. We also have been working on a really fun unit in math 0n patterns, and the boys have been very successful with it!
The first graders had a great week in spelling, with everyone getting all their spelling tests PERFECT!! Math has been getting a bit harder as we work on "less than" and "greater than", but everyone is always willing to work really hard, and we try to have fun with it, too.
March is stretching out in front of us-----I sure hope we have some well-deserved nice days!
Have a great weekend.
Mrs. Cuzzone

February 27, 2009

2009-02-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone. Well, February is coming to an end. I am still hopeful each week that SPRING will appear!

We have had a busy week, back into our regular schedules after testing and special projects. The students have all been hard at work.

The first graders had a challenging week in spelling, with long o words spelled in two ways----oa and ow. They met that challenge and worked hard on their spelling all week. In math, we finished the chapter on place value, and EVERYONE did very well on a test about tens and ones. This was a fun unit, and we were able to do many games and activities to help us learn place value. We worked hard in reading, as always, and this week we tried to have more time to read to me and to each other.

The second graders worked on "oo" words in spelling. Reading continues to be a priority, and the second graders also read to me and to each other a bit more. Second grade math concentrated on money, which is really challenging, and shapes, which the children usually find really enjoyable. Everyone is progressing very well.

The teachers are busy scheduling parent conferences for the second week in March. I will attend as many of those conferences as I can. If you feel the need for a conference with just me, please don't hesitate to call me here at Ide, or e-mail me at gcuzzone@ccsd66.org.

Have a great weekend. Don't forget-----no school on Monday!
Mrs. Cuzzone

February 20. 2009

2009-02-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

Hi, there! We are another week closer to the end of February, yet it is supposed to snow again!

We have had a busy week, and everyone has worked very hard. After the Iowa tests last week, we were glad to be back to our regular school work.

The first graders have been so busy in math learning place value, with tens and ones. They have been doing a fantastic job at it. The spelling words this week had us practicing the long a sound, spelled "ay", and I am glad to say that everyone did well on their tests.

The second graders celebrated Black History Month by reading about some famous names and important people involved in Black History. They made Time Lines of their favorite. Watch for these as they come home. The children did a GREAT job on this project. Talk to them about their person----I bet they will be able to tell you about that person's life.

Have a good weekend.
Mrs. Cuzzone

Isabella's First Valentines Day

2009-02-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

While the children are off at their Valentine's Parties, I will drop you a line to let you know about our week.
TESTING!!! The kids did great. This was a long and tiring week, and your kids all deserve a lot of credit for sticking it out! They all worked hard, and most really tried very hard to do their best. I am very proud of them. If ever they deserved a little fun and relaxation, this weekend is a good time for that! Give them all a good pat on the back for their hard work.

We did not do much else in my classes besides testing. For relaxation after and even between tests, we used computer games, drawing, and talking. Today we did some hands on activities, and I was surprised at how much energy the kids still had. I am sure they will be ready to get back into our good routine next week.

Have a great weekend.
Mrs. Cuzzone

February 2-6

2009-02-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

February is finally here, and with it a little bit of warmth. I wonder if it will stay!
We have had a busy week.

The first graders have concentrated on long e words this week. Everyone practiced hard on their spelling words. In math, we have been doing great with "probability" exercises, like "impossible" and "likely". Now we are starting to group our numbers with tens and ones. I try to use lots of hands on activities in first grade math.

The second graders have been practicing with long vowel sounds, especially long a. In math, they have been counting money, and practicing to count by 5s and 10s.
All of the students have improved in their writing skills this week, and we have been concentrating on good sentences, and writing more than one sentence at a time.

I am sure you have been reminded many times, but let me do it again. Next week is for taking the Iowa Tests. Keep in mind that well-rested students usually do better on these tests. A good breakfast, and a good snack to use during a break from testing is a great idea. These days sometimes seem a little long to the children, so a fun activity after school would be a positive idea.

Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Cuzzone, sub for Mrs. Tran

We've made it through January!

2009-01-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

Hi, Parents,
My name is Gail Cuzzone, and I am the substitute teacher for Mrs. Tran while she enjoys her new baby. I am thoroughly enjoying working with your children! If you ever need to reach me, feel free to e-mail me at gcuzzone@ccsd66.0rg, or call me here at Ide, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

The first graders have been working on long o sounds in spelling this week, and all did quite well with this. In math, we have been reading charts, and have become especially good at tally charts.

The second graders have reviewed long sounds in their spelling words this week. In math, we have been counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s, and have done a little bit with probability. The kids seem to enjoy the activities that we can do besides our worksheets.

This has been a week for us to get to know each other. I really do enjoy all your children. Thanks to you and Mrs. Tran for trusting me with them!

Introducing Isabella Mai

2009-01-29T09:17:00.000-08:00

Isabella Mai Tran was born on January 21st at 9:23 am. She weighs 6 lbs. 10 oz. and is 19 1/2 inches long. She is a happy little baby and I am enjoying every minute with her. She is adorable. Here are a few pictures of Isabella. I will try to add new pictures every few weeks.

From,

Mrs. Tran and Isabella

Week of January 12th - 16th

2009-01-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

First Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week in reading we worked on rhyming, onset fluency, blending, identifying final and medial sounds, segmenting, substituting, adding phonemes and deleting phonemes. On Monday and Friday we worked on a writing assignment.

Math
This week we took our Chapter 7 Math test that looked at addition, subtraction, number relations and fact families. We also started Chapter 8 which introduces the idea of reading data and graphs.

Second Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week in Reading we have been working on daily journaling. They continue to make great progress with this. In our Wilson Reading program we have been working on: R - controlled sounds such as: ar, or, ir, ur, er

Math
This week we finished our unit on double digit subtraction. The girls did very well on their assessments. We also began our unit on Data and Graphs. We will learn to read a bar graph. We will also take data and create our own bar graphs.

A Letter To My Student's Parents

2009-01-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Parents,

As many of you know my husband and I are expecting our first baby around January 26th. My last day with your children will be on January 23rd. I will be taking three months off to spend time with our baby. I feel very blessed to be able to do this. I will be returning to work on April 30th and I will spend the last five weeks of the school year back in my classroom.

Your child's substitute teacher will be Gail Cuzzone. She has subbed for me many times over the past seven years and I feel very confident that she will do an excellent job with your children. She is a retired Special Education teacher and she has a vast amount of experience. If you need to contact her for any reason her email address is gcuzzone@ccsd66.org She will be starting in my classroom on January 26th.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email Mrs. Cuzzone or our principal Jill Hansen. I will miss your children dearly but I will be back soon enough. Keep working hard at home with your children and I look forward to seeing them again in April.

Sincerely,
Heather Tran

Week of January 5th- 9th

2009-01-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

1st and 2nd Grade Reading and Language Arts

This past week I worked on all school benchmark testing using the Aimsweb program. I helped set new goals for each student in the RTI program. This week I resumed working with my first and second grade Reading and Language Arts groups.

1st Grade Math
We will be completing our work on Chapter 7 shortly which focused on relating addition and subtraction facts. Very soon we will be working on Chapter 8 which looks at sorting and classifying objects based on similar attributes. The chapter also focuses on reading understanding, and using picture graphs.

2nd Grade Math
This past week in Math my students continued to work on subtracting double digits with and without regrouping. The children practiced the strategy of checking the difference of a problem with addition. We also continued to use the strategy of rounding to subtract and mental math. Keep practicing this at home.

Week of December 8th - 12th

2008-12-11T12:58:00.000-08:00

First Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week we worked on rhyming, onset fluency, blending and identifying final and medial sounds. The children had two journal assignments and on Thursday they made Holiday cards for the Soldiers in Iraq. On Friday they will be enjoying Pajama Day in their classrooms and watching Polar Express

Math
This week we continued to work on both addition and subtraction. We also worked on relating addition and subtraction.

Second Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week the kids worked on reading and spelling two syllable words with V-E syllables. They also worked hard on writing in their journals. On Thursday they made Holiday cards for the Soldiers in Iraq. On Friday they will be enjoying Pajama Day in their classrooms and watching Polar Express.

Math
This week the students took their test on two digit subtraction. They did very well. We also started Chapter 8 which works on more two digit subtraction with and without subtraction.

Week of December 1st - 4th

2008-12-04T08:16:00.002-08:00

First Grade

Reading and Language Arts
This week in reading we worked on rhyming, onset fluency, blending and identifying final and medial sounds. On Monday we worked on a writing assignment about Snow. Lastly we continued to review our vowel sounds. Many of the children are struggling with this.

Math
This week we have been working on Chapter 6. This chapter focuses on using subtraction strategies to 12. In this chapter, the students use the strategy of counting back to find the difference. My students have also been using the number line to count back.

Second Grade

Reading and Language Arts
This week in Reading we have been working on daily journaling. The children are making great progress with this. In our Wilson Reading program we have been working on: vowel-consonant-e syllable words, long vowel sounds, and reading V-E words with suffixes.

Math
We have been working on Chapter 7 with double digit subtraction. The children are now able to subtract double digits and regroup when necessary. We will also use our skill of subtracting double digit numbers to problem solve. Please continue to practice subtraction facts with your child.

2008-12-04T08:16:00.001-08:00

Week of November 17th - 21st

2008-11-20T13:32:00.001-08:00

First Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week in Reading I went into Mrs. Cornfield's, Mrs. Micetich's and Mrs. Sis's classrooms. We worked on a Character Counts project and learned about Respect. The children made a class quilt. Each child made a square to represent themselves. We also made a turkey project for Thanksgiving.

Math
This week we completed our chapter on addition strategies and we moved on to the next chapter on subtraction strategies. We are now working with using a number line to subtract. We will learn other strategies next week.

Second Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week in Reading we worked on a Reading/Writing workshop. The children wrote a persuasive letter asking their parents for a pet. They worked on writing an opening, middle and closing paragraph. They worked very hard and they were very persuasive.

Math
We continued to work on addition with and without regrouping. We solved problems by using a table and also by using mental math. We will be having our chapter test next week.

Week of November 10th - 15th

2008-11-14T13:49:00.001-08:00

First Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week in reading we worked on rhyming, onset fluency, blending and identifying final and medial sounds. On Friday we worked on a writing assignment about Thanksgiving. We also worked on glued sounds such as: am, an, all. Lastly we continue to review our vowel sounds. Many of the children are struggling with this.

Math
This week we worked on adding numbers to 12 while using various addition strategies. We used strategies such as: counting on, touch math, number lines and adding doubles.

Second Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week in reading we worked on vowel teams: aw, au. We also worked on syllable divison. Lastly we worked on suffixes: -ful, -less, -ment, -ness, -ish, -en, -able. The kids worked very hard this week. They are making great progress.

Math
We continued to practice addition with and without regrouping. We solved problems by using a table and also by estimating. Next week we will have a chapter test.

Week of November 10th - 15th

2008-11-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

Week of November 3rd - 7th

2008-11-07T07:11:00.000-08:00

First Grade
Reading and Language Arts
This week in Reading we worked on rhyming, onset fluency, blending and identifying final and medial sounds. We also worked on our spelling words and sight words. On Friday we worked on a journal assignment and read a Fall book.
Math
This week we took our Chapter 4 Math test. The children did well on this. We also started Chapter 5 which works with adding numbers to 12 while working with various addition strategies. We used counting on, touch math and working with manipulatives.

Second Grade
Reading and Language Arts
We worked with the suffixes -s, -es, -ed and -ing. I also introduced the suffixes -est and -er, as well as two additional sounds of -ed, /d/ and /t/. We worked on vowels teams including: oa, ow, ou, ue, oe, ow, ou, ue, oo and ew. The children also used their journals this week and on Friday we played Bingo with vowel team words.

Math
This week we continued to practice adding 2-digit numbers with and without regrouping.