You can visit Spelling City to play games and practice your spelling words.  You must first register so you will be able to login from home. Click HERE to visit the Spelling City website.

Need some extra help studying for spelling or vocabulary quizzes?  You can find some extra practice on Quizlet.  Click HERE to visit the page.  You will need to register first.  Then you will be able to practice spelling and vocabulary for our study group.

Click HERE to login to Successmaker

School-Wide Spelling Bee

Tomorrow, December 9th is our school-wide spelling bee!  We are so excited for our two class participants. We would like to wish Sierra and Diamond the BEST of luck!  Go team Chappell!We know you both will do well.

The deadline to turn in your money and booklets for the St. Jude's Math-a-thon is December 14th.  Please bring your donations and booklets to school that day.

St. Jude Math-a-Thon

On Wednesday, Nov. 16th, we will kick-off our St. Jude's Research math-a-thon.  This is a great way to practice math, have fun and help out a wonderful charity.  St. Jude Children's Research Hospital works to find new treatments for cancer and other catastrophic diseases. You too can help St. Jude continue its life-saving work against pediatric diseases with your donation. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family's inability to pay.

We even have our own progress page so you can keep track of our donations online.  Visit here to see how far we've come!  Our goal is $1,500.  We are sure we can do it!



Finding the missing addend

Students practice finding the missing addend by playing a fun game called "What's in the cup?"  Partners take turns hiding a portion of the total chips underneath the cup.  The other partner has to "guess" how many chips are hidden underneath the cup.  They then have to write the associated subtraction facts and the associative fact.  This is always a lot of fun and most of them think they are doing magic!

Sycamore teachers learn on Saturday

Sycamore teachers come to school on Saturday to learn how to use their new Interwrite boards.  No fear however, a lot of us work on the weekend anyway!  It was a lot of fun to see what cool things we can do with technology now.  

Fact fluency

Mrs. Pounders' Class Studies Money

We are learning to sort, count and identify money.

Learning about money

We are sorting, identifying and counting money.

Math Homework

Parents,  there will not be any math homework this week.  Please spend some time each night this week reviewing previous homework (which should remain in binders).  We are still working on place value, skip counting, number sequences, addition, 10 more/10 less, 1 more/1 less and even/odd number recognition.  Keep working hard!

Vocabulary Practice for Theme 1 Lesson 3 Storytown

Just the Way I Am by Sean Covey

OPEN House

Don't forget Open House is Thursday, Sept. 8th at 6:00 p.m.  Come out and see what we've been learning in class.  

What We're Learning in MATH

We have been working on becoming more fluent with basic addition facts for the past couple of weeks.  We've also been learning strategies like "+1"  "+0", doubles facts, near doubles, etc. to help speed up our addition.  Along with addition, we've been sharpening our skills with place value and recognition of even / odd numbers.  We're soon to be moving on to 2 digit addition, more place value, ordering numbers, comparing numbers and expanded form.  Look out 2nd grade math standards!!!  Here we come!!

The 7 Habits of Happy Children

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Thank you to our awesome principal for making our new downstairs area unique.  She made this awesome "Where the Sidewalk Ends" Poster and Poem for our hallway.  We love it!

Doubles Facts Poster

Downloadable Poster for Helping Students Memorize Doubles Facts Poster

San Diego Quick Assessment

Here is a powerpoint version of the San Diego Quick Assessment.  You can use this to easily assess a student's approximate reading level by having them read the words off the powerpoint in each of the separate lists.  

Administering the Test

1. Have the student read aloud each word from the powerpoint slideshow at least two years below their grade. If the student misses any words, go to easier lists until they make no errors. This is their base reading level.

2. Have the student read each subsequent card in sequence. Record incorrect responses. Be sure to have the student read every word so you can determine her decoding strategies.

3. Continue the assessment until the student misses at least three words on one of the lists.

Scoring the Test
Use the assessment results to identify the student's independent (no more than one error on a list), instructional (two errors on a list), and frustration (three or more errors) levels. Provide independent reading materials for each child accordingly.

Click HERE to download from Google Docs

Things We've Learned This Week

Class/Yes response procedure

(clap) (clap) TEACH

student/teacher scoreboard

multiples (skip counting) of 3 "Three is a Magic Number"

Classroom Rules and gestures 

Lunchroom Procedure

Restroom Procedure

School Rules (Be Resourceful, Be Responsible, Be Respectful)

How to Keep Our Classroom Looking like "Buffey" and not "Bad Bart"

The ASL (sign language) version of the "Pledge of Allegiance"

The communicative property of addition.  

Basic Math Facts (Rocket Math Level A: 2+1 1+2 3+1 1+3)

Library Procedures

First Week of School

Here are some pics from the first week of school.  I especially love the one where we're all sitting around the smart board watching storyline online.  If you don't already know about Storyline, check it out!  It is awesome!! http://www.storylineonline.net

OH Claaasss??? OH Yeeesss!!!!

We've been learning some important rules and procedures this week in 2nd grade.  One of our favorites is called "class / yes" and it's part of a teaching strategy called Whole Brain Teaching.  When the teacher calls "class", the class responds (no matter what they're doing) with "yes" in the same fashion as the teacher calls "class". For example, if the teacher calls "classity class", the class would answer "yessity yes!"  It is a great way to get everyone's attention!  We've also learned "hands and eyes".  This means get still and get focused quick.  In addition, we've been memorizing our class (2nd grade) rules.  (1) Follow directions quickly. (2) Respect property, yourself and others.  (3) Be kind.  Be honest.  (4) Listen when your teacher is talking.  (5) Keep your teacher happy....(my fave).  Each of these rules has a "gesture" to go with it to make our learning "stick".  A lot of us learn well when we can use cues.  Muscle memory also helps us to learn faster!  It's day two and I'm pretty sure all 2nd graders know their rules by heart. It's awesome!  

The "Poofball" Craze

Day One: Survived!  Today was exhausting.  Life in the basement is going to take some getting used to.  It is very, very quiet.  It's like we're not even on the same planet as the rest of the school.  We don't hear traffic going down Hwy 21, we don't hear the office door opening/closing, we don't hear the bathroom stalls slamming....peace.  :-)  Here are some pictures of the classroom.  I am might be finished with it.  

Here are the "poofballs" that started the "poofball craze" at S.E.S.  Aren't they cute?

Our new Smartboard that looks like a spaceship.  LOVE

Math manipulatives and Class Rules

Computer center and vocabulary wall.

One of my favorite "suessisms"

Small Group Table

Hallway Bulletin Board

Enjoy!!