Work for Monday, August 27, 2012

The wind has picked up in this last hour as I write to you all. I am glad that we will be all safe in our homes today as tropical storm Isac passes by. I have been watching the weather channel with Grace and have found it all fascinating how a hurricane develops and travels, and most importantly, how to keep safe. A great website I found that you might like to visit is: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-hurricane.htm to give you more information about hurricanes.

Today we were going to talk about the short "i and "a" vowel sounds and brainstorm words that have the short "i" and/or "a" in them.

This week's spelling words (which will be quizzed on Friday) includes words with the short "i" and "a" in them. They are: picnic, plastic, rabbit, fabric, napkin, Spanish, giggle, candid, zigzag, and habitat. You can read these and then write them as rainbow words on a piece of paper. Rainbow words are words written in three different colors, You can also go to the website http://www.spellingcity.com and select "Find a List." Type my name Omullane. Then, select the unit and week that we are working on. Have fun completing one of the free activities online to help you practice your spelling words.

I also would like you to read at home and watch the weather outside. If you like, write a poem or narrative about what is going on outside your home and how you feel.

Warmest wishes and I will see you on Tuesday.

Ms. O'Mullane

Our Homework Routine

Homework is assigned Monday through Thursday. It should take approximately 15-20 minutes or so to complete, varying somewhat with each child’s personal work habits. In addition, students are required to read for at least 20 minutes each night.

 At the beginning of second grade, it is best to monitor the reading and, if possible, read along with your child. As the year progresses, you child will become a more independent reader and will be ready to choose favorite authors. It is perfectly acceptable for your child to read easy books at the beginning of the year. This creates a comfortable reading experience and enhances fluency. As time goes by, you will want to encourage more challenging selections (in partnership with me). 

Each week your child will receive a homework log where he/she will record their daily homework assignments on. Simply initial the right margin of the homework log to indicate your child has completed the homework and reading for that day. 

The homework record sheet is kept in the “take home folder”, which will also contain notes from school and work samples. Please empty the folder each day from the KEEP section of the folder (at the back), and return any notes/work in the NOTE section of this folder. There is a section at the back of the folder where your child will keep his/her reading reflections in. A reading reflection will be assigned once a week. I will talk more about homework at this Thursday's information session. 

Thank you for your cooperation. Enjoy this special time with your child.

Kind regards,

Ms. Marion O’Mullane

momullane@shorecrest.org

Welcome to Second Grade!

Dear Students,

    Welcome to our class!

     Hello. I’m Ms. O’Mullane, your second grade teacher. I am really looking forward to getting to know you and working with you this year.
     I am originally from Australia and have been teaching for 19 years, both in Australia, Europe and the USA. This is my sixth year teaching at Shorecrest and I just love teaching second grade. This year is special for me because my daughter, Grace, will be in second grade too (and right next door).
     How was your summer? I hope you had a terrific one, just like I did.
I am looking forward to meeting you on Tuesday, August 21st between 12:00-1:00 for our scheduled Meet Your Teacher time and then of course on Wednesday, August 22nd for your first day of second grade.
     On the first day of school, we will play some getting-to-know you games. I want you to think about something special that you would like to share about yourself. Remember the first day of school is a half-day.
      Please come everyday with a healthy snack to eat during our morning break.

      Until then, rest up and enjoy the rest of your break.

Ms. O’Mullane
Room 2-2
momullane@shorecrest.org

PS. Please bring your school supplies on Tuesday, August 21st, to our scheduled Meet Your Teacher time, along with a photograph of yourself taken during your summer vacation.

Thanks and Best Wishes

Thanks for working in partnership with me this year in educating your children. It has been a wonderful year and I wish you and your children the very best in the new school year. A big thank you to Molly C. and Julie P. for being our Parent Representatives and all those parents who volunteered in the library, to read to the students, and help with classroom projects. Thanks for supporting your child at home with their homework and home reading. You made the time to work with your children and this did make a difference.

I will be doing lots of traveling over the summer and studying too (Reading Workshop at Columbia University in New York). Please send me an email or join me on Facebook to keep in touch. Your children have become part of my Shorecrest family and I want to know how they are doing. If you need anything in the new school year, please don't hesitate to contact me.

You have received a Summer Packet for ways to support your child's learning over the long summer vacation. Most importantly, encourage your child to read each day and continue writing in their journal or on postcards to friends.

I leave your children with this poem:

"You're a very special person,
And I wanted you to know,
How much I enjoyed being your teacher,
How fast the year did go!

Please come back to visit me
as through the grades you grow
Try hard to learn all that you can
There is so much to know!

The one thing I tried to teach you
To last your whole life through
Is to know that you are SPECIAL
There's no one else like you!"

Ms. O'Mullane

May 21-25

Welcome to our last full week of school before a day and a half next week left until summer vacation. I thank you all for your partnership in educating your children - and what a fantastic class this has been to teach. They have grown in so many ways - academically, socially, emotionally, as well as physically. I am so proud of them.

This week we are finishing off the last social studies and math units, as well as publishing some stories, reviewing math, writing reflections, and sharing facts about what we learned about penguins. We are also doing some fun Readers' Theater and writing letters to the new second graders coming up.

May 30 is the last day of school and a noon dismissal. On this day, we will play some games, and after PE, will have a special ice-cream treat (thanks to our room parents).

I want to thank Molly C. and Julie P.. for the great job they have done being our Room Parents this year. You made my job easier and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Next Tuesday, I will be sending home a Summer Packet, full of some ideas for review over the summer. Please practice the math facts (for all operations), the partial-sums addition and trade-first subtraction methods in math, and give your children plenty opportunities to read and write.

There is no more homework or spelling words for the school year, but please continue to encourage your children to read.

This is our last week of Current Events with Emma and Caden sharing on Tuesday, Zara and Cian on Wednesday, Luke and Lizzie on Thursday and Genesis and Maverick on Friday.

Parent Reader for Friday is D. Crupi. Thanks to all the parents who came in to read this year. We appreciate the time you made for us. You being there made a huge impact of the students.

Warm wishes and a happy week to you all -

Ms. O'Mullane

Important Changes for Friday

The PE staff is so excited for this Friday May 18, 2012. Our regularly scheduled "Splash Day,” will have to be modified in order to comply with recent water restrictions. The PE staff has arranged for a large inflatable maze to be delivered in place of the water slide. We will also provide multiple play areas and other (dry) activities that are sure to put a smile on your child's face. Spirit wear will take the place of swim wear for our "Friday Fun Day.” We are certain our students will enjoy what we have in store for them and we appreciate everyone's flexibility in this matter. We can't wait!

Thank you,

Your LD PE Staff

FLOPS AND TOPS FOR BURKINA

Flops and Tops for Burkina
Lower Division Service Project
Benefiting Hope for Burkina, May 8th – May 17th

Help make a child in Burkina Faso smile.
Donate a baseball cap, a pair of flip-flops, Crocs, or sneakers and wear a spirit shirt and/or hat (with uniform bottoms) to school!

• Donations may be used or new.
• Donate as many shoes/hats as you can spare. Wear your spirit shirt every day you donate!
• Collection bins will be located in each LD hallway.

Burkina Faso

• A West African country located south of the Sahara Desert and north of Ghana.  
• A land-locked country about the size of Colorado (105,900 sq. mi)
• Climate is tropical.
• Burkina has 16.3 million people that make up 60 ethnic groups and 4 primary religions.
• The Burkinabe people speak 6 languages.
• Burkina is one of the poorest countries in the world.

The People of Burkina Faso        

• Over half live on less than $1/day.
• Only 41% of school age children are in school and most don’t finish.
• 3 out of 10 children die before they turn 10 years old.
• Malnutrition and water borne illnesses are the nation’s biggest threats. Less than 50% of Burkinabes have access to clean drinkable water.

source: http://hopeforburkina.org