Wow--it's December!

• We have been incredibly busy with the start of our second trimester!  Several students are wanting milk and snack for Milk Break/Snack, but I currently only have a few students on the list for the second trimester.  If you and your child would like to have milk or snack, the cost is $15.00 for each this trimester.

• Parent Teacher Conferences will be held next week.  I look forward to visiting with each of you, and discussing your child's progress at school.

• It's been soooo cold!  Please make sure your child is dressed and ready for recess every day.

• We are working on measurement to the nearest inch, time and money in math.  In language arts we are working on sequence of events in whole group instruction, personal narratives in writing and long a vowel sound in phonice.  My students have been having so much fun bringing home books from our guided reading groups, and being "reading show-offs" to their family!  Thank you so much for taking the time to read with your child every day!

Shahan Fall Party 2013

Our Fall Party was sooooo much fun!  A special thanks goes to Trisha and Darcie, proud moms of Aryah and Josephine for all of their hard work.  We had a great time.  If you're available for any of our upcoming parties please let me know, and we'd love it if you joined us too.

We are currently working on:

Language Arts

• Visualizing a story
• Analyzing story characters
• Learn/review features of fiction
• Begin a sentence with an upper case letter
• Placing spaces between words
• Appropriate end punctuation
• Final consonant sounds
• Sight words

Math

• Time - to the nearest hour and half hour
• Adding and subtracting on using a number line
• Counting by 2's, 5's and 10's
• Exploring, creating and extending a pattern.
• Frames and arrows--counting forward and back

Science-The Design Process

• Finding a problem and setting a goal
• Planning and drawing
• Choosing materials
• Making and testing
• Recording and Sharing

Welcome To My Blog!

October 29, 2013

Well--better late than never!  I want everyone to know how happy I am to be a part of the Hawthorne team!  I am trying to make my students aware of my blog, and how to easily find it at home for information and online activities.  Please visit my blog often!  Much if the information I will be giving you will also be on our weekly newletters.  My newest link is Halloween Games.  Have fun!

Last Day of School at Sibley!

I want to inform you that Sibley's last day of school will be Wednesday, June 5.  We are closing one day earlier than the other buildings.  This is due to an HVAC system being put in our school over the summer.

Sorry--I Haven't Posted In Awhile

Welcome back!  I haven't posted for some time.  As we look toward the end of the year, feel free to contact me if you'd like to schedule a conference before the end of the year.

We recently started the writing portion of our new Benchmark Literacy Language Arts curriculum.  We created a class set of by-laws, or rules that we created as we approach Writer's Workshop every day.  We agree that our number one rule is:  Everybody is a writer!  We are very excited about our new curriculum. 

We are currently finishing up with rounding in math, and will soon begin working on 10 more and 10 less; 100 more and 100 less.

Brrrrr--It's Cold!

January 10, 2013

Please be sure to have you child dressed for recess every day!  We stay inside for recess only if the temperature and wind chill are below 0. 

We welcome Emma to our classroom!  She joined us shortly before Christmas. 

In math we are currently working on place value.  Please continue to review time and money with your child.   Our next math area will be double digit addition and subtraction. 

If there are any changes in your child's dismissal in the event of school closing early please be sure to let me know.  I can be reached at:  507.379.5099.

December 3, 2012

Can you believe it's already December? We have a lot of activities going on during this month. Parent/Teacher Conferences will be taking place Thursday, December 6, from 3:30-7:30, Friday, December 7 from 7:30-3:30 and Monday, December 10 from 3:30-7:30. I look forward to meeting with all of you and discussing your child's progress at school. You will also be receiving your child's report card at that time. Scramble Note: There will not be Scramble on Monday, December 10 because of conferences. Our Winter Concert for grades K-2 will be held on Tuesday, December 18 at 6:00 at the High School. Your child should have brought home an informational letter this week. We are working very hard on time with our second graders. Our focus is time to the quarter hour. Please feel free to practice with your child at home. We are using phrases such as: Quarter past Quarter after Half past Quarter to A quarter to Quarter till There are great time games on my blog under Math Activities. That's all for now--Happy Holidays Everyone! Cindy Shahan

Fall Party Was GREAT!

Our Fall Party was a great time!  Thanks to all of our award-winning helpers that made it a great success!

Stroll For A Goal

Thanks to everyone for all of their help with Stroll For A Goal!  Thanks to all of your efforts, our class earned a Popcorn Party!  We had a blast that day, right down to getting "pied" in my face!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Where, oh where is this year going?  I can't believe it's already November!  That means Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up soon.  Please watch for an upcoming scheduled time that will be sent home with you child in the upcoming days.  We will do our best to accommodate your busy schedule.  I look forward to the opportunity to visit with each of you to discuss your child's progress in school.

A special thanks to everyone that has donated food for our "Stuff A Truck" campaign!  We will continue to collect food until the end of November.

We are currently working on coins, their value, and the value of coins in amounts of less than $1.00 in math.  The coins we focus on are pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.  You may hear your child say we are skipping around in our math books, and we are!  We are using most of the math lessons related to money presented throughout second grade, and doing them all now, in an effort to ensure success in this ELO--Essential Learning Outcome.  If you have any questions about this delivery of instruction, please be sure to contact me.  I am hopeful this approach will have very favorable results.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Stroll For A Goal

I am happy to say everyone will be participating in "Stroll For A Goal" on Friday, October 12.  Please be sure to send your child's sponsor packet information as soon as possible.  Thanks so much for allowing your child to participate in this fundraising experience.  It should be a lot of fun for everyone. 

Operation Edith 

Operation Edith takes place on Wednesday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m.  Please be sure to participate in this family fire drill event.  I have told my students that if parents send a note, indicating they've participated, there will be a special surprise for their child!

Fall Party

Halloween is quickly approaching.  Our classroom party will be Wednesday, October 31.  Please encourage your child to choose costumes that are non-violent in nature.  For our party, no fake blood, guns or swords are allowed. 

Bring An Apple By Friday

We are making applesauce in second grade on Friday, October 5.  Please be sure to send an apple to school with your child.

Mystery Reader Begins

Mystery Reader has officially begun!  Our first Mystery Reader was Mary Braaten, Jaeger's grandma and former secretary at Sibley!  If you're interested in becoming a Mystery Reader please let me know--379-5099.

We've been working on number writing.  This is Kaitlyn's number scroll she has worked on at home.  Kaitlyn has written numbers up to 7,600!  Way to go Kaitlyn!

Welcome to Second Grade

We are up and running and off to a great start!  It is hard to believe we're already in our third week of school!  I can already tell I have a wonderful group of second graders! 

A couple of things I'd like to remind you of, are we have quite a few people signed up to be Mystery Readers.  This will be held every Friday in our classroom, from 12:00-12:15.  Please contact me if you're interested.  My classroom number is 379-5099.  My cell number is 391-1888.

MAP, or Measures of Academic Progress testing will be happening this week for reading, and next week for math.  Our testing day will each be on Tuesdays of these weeks.  Please help your child get ample rest for these important tests. 

Reading logs are due every Friday, or the last day of every week.

Please be sure to check my blog every week.  I feel this is the best way for you to be informed of what's happening in our classroom.

I truly look forward to our year together!

Cindy S.

Thanks Albert Lea Fire Station and Public Library!  We enjoyed visiting you!

Albert Lea Fire Fighters Brought Us T-Shirts!

Last Friday, May 6 the Albert Lea Fire Fighters visited us and passed out t-shirts to students that participated in the home safety questionnaire with their families.  I am proud to say we had 100% participation in this activity and everyone received a shirt!

Hospital Field Trip - May 16

We will be visiting the Albert Lea Medical Center for a class field trip next Monday, May 16.  Please be sure to sign the permission slip that will be going home this week to ensure your child's ability to attend.  They do a very nice job at ALMC in relating to first graders about what takes place at the hospital.

Spelling Words - Week of May 9 - 13

1.  tube
2.  cube
3.  cute
4.  use
5.  rule
6.  huge
7.  page
8.  fudge
9.  angry
10. sorry

No Spelling This Week

Here is the new list of spelling words.  However, we are not having a test this week.  Our next spelling test on this list of words will be on May 6.

1.  age
2.  page
3.  cage
4.  badge
5.  budge
6.  fudge
7.  old
8.  most
9.  floor
10. piece